Chapter 32 Innocent and adorable because her mother is on the mountain.

"Knock knock knock—"

Liang Zongqiang went out at some point, and when he returned, it was already past 10 p.m.

At the worst of times, thunder roared and lightning flashed, the wind and rain grew increasingly fierce, the trees swayed and withered, and the birds and beasts in the mountains cried out mournfully. The mountains and forests, shrouded in a thick fog, had an unprecedented sense of desolation and terror.

Liang Zongqiang stood under the eaves that offered no shelter from the rain, his clothes almost soaked through, large raindrops rolling down his hair, but because of his naturally aloof demeanor, he didn't look disheveled at all.

Zhou Jinqin was stunned for a moment before she realized that she should let people in first.

She stepped aside to make room, and took the opportunity to ask, "Where have you been?"

Liang Zongqiang said calmly, "On the mountain."

Clearly, the other party didn't intend to say anything more, and Zhou Jinqin herself didn't have much to talk about with him, so she simply stopped asking and handed him a dry towel.

She muttered, "Isn't this house yours? Why do you need to knock?"

Liang Zongqiang took the towel and said calmly, "Liang Minghe is more wary of me than thieves. He has changed the locks on the door at least ten times. I don't have much time to play around with him, so I just let him be."

He casually dried his hair a couple of times, making sure it wasn't wet, before walking into the house. He asked, "Which room do I sleep in tonight?"

"Huh? Are you asking me?" Zhou Jinqin was a little surprised.

Liang Zongqiang looked at her: "Didn't that kid say you were in charge here?"

Looks like my aunt told on me...

Zhou Jinqin sighed, feeling inexplicably ashamed: "Xiaoming and I share the second bedroom..."

The apartment only has two bedrooms, meaning that if Liang Zongqiang wants to stay overnight, he can only choose the master bedroom.

He nodded, walked towards the master bedroom, grasped the doorknob and pressed down, but the door lock didn't respond, it seemed that Liang Minghe had already kept him out.

Zhou Jinqin was completely unaware of this. She said somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm sorry, Chairman Liang, I don't know where the key is either."

Actually, he had expected it, but he would never give up without trying, so Liang Zongqiang shook his head and didn't mind.

"You've worked hard. You should get some rest. I'll rest in the studio tonight."

Zhou Jinqin remembered there was a recliner in the studio, and thinking it would be enough to sleep in, she didn't exchange any more pleasantries, nodded, and went back to her room.

Fever always comes and goes. Liang Minghe had a fever again at night and curled up in bed early.

After Zhou Jinqin lay back down on the bed, he, with his heavy eyelids drooping, naturally snuggled into her arms.

"Liang Zongqiang?" His voice was a little nasal.

"Hmm." Zhou Jinqin tucked the blanket around him. "They said they went up the mountain."

"Hmph." Liang Minghe scoffed. "He has no shame."

He buried his head deeper into Zhou Jinqin's neck and shoulders, his voice becoming somewhat slurred and unclear.

"I still don't understand how my father could be such a heartless person."

"I remember they had a good relationship, but only three months after my mother passed away, he got involved with another woman. In order to salvage his reputation in the public eye, he stubbornly held on for a year before making his new relationship public. How hypocritical."

“I’m accepting the fact that people are fickle, but his hypocritical behavior is disgusting. He’s chosen to start a new life and build a new family, yet he’s still coming to pay respects to my mother out of so-called conscience and longing for his first wife. Who does he think he’s being fair to with this kind of behavior?”

Perhaps it's the natural power of voice actors; although he spoke calmly, his wispy, misty voice cut through the noisy thunderstorm and pierced straight into the ear, as if he were describing a protest in calm words, still possessing a powerful ability to evoke empathy.

Liang Minghe was born with eyes that were different from his father's. They were beautiful peach blossom eyes, always surrounded by a light pink hue, but now they displayed an extremely rich color, due to his persistently high body temperature and his unsettled anxiety.

In the center of that pink expanse, two pools of water, like flower petals covered in morning dew, seem so delicate that a gentle touch would cause the water droplets to fall.

Zhou Jinqin has few friends and is not very good at offering comfort. She cannot express much empathy, nor can she put herself in Liang Zongqiang's shoes to criticize his behavior.

She knew perfectly well that she was on Liang Minghe's side, but she couldn't say anything. In the end, she could only let her lament sink into the thunder and rain, and leaned down to hug the suddenly weak man even tighter.

Liang Minghe tilted his head back to kiss her hair, then smiled slightly, just like he always did to make her happy.

Thunder roared and lightning flashed outside, their ferocity piercing through the dark clouds and illuminating the pitch-black night.

The branches in the forest swayed wildly in the wind and rain. Looking out the window, it was as if they were on a giant, surging wave, which made one worry about the "cabin's" ability to withstand the risks.

Liang Minghe probably sensed Zhou Jinqin's timidity, so he embraced her and patted her back to comfort her for a while.

Zhou Jinqin nestled in his arms, her soft, delicate eyes peeking out from his chest as she looked at him and asked, "Were you ever scared when you were here alone before?"

Summer in the south is like entering a humid rainforest, with rain that never stops. Weather like this is not uncommon. People like Liang Minghe, who frequently travel to this area, will always encounter such bleak seasons.

Liang Minghe rested his chin on the top of her head and shook it very gently: "No."

He chuckled softly, his voice gentle and endearing: "Because Mom is on the mountain."

In the dead of night, amidst howling thunder and rain, Liang Minghe's body temperature rose even higher, causing Zhou Jinqin some anxiety.

After only a slight hesitation, she decided to go down the mountain for medical treatment.

Zhou Jinqin obtained her driver's license after leaving her job. She was a quick learner, and the standardized tests were no challenge for her. She easily obtained her driver's license in just over a month.

But the actual practice was not so simple. In the midst of thunderstorms, at night, and on mountain roads, she couldn't bring her exam answers here to answer questions. After all, it was a matter of life and death. Without much hesitation, she knocked on the door of the art studio.

After hearing her request, Liang Zongqiang remained silent, frowned, and went straight to the second bedroom.

Liang Minghe refused to let him help him up, and Liang Zongqiang snorted coldly: "What? Do you think your wife's skinny arms and legs can support you? If you want her to live a life of widowhood, then go ahead and be willful."

Liang Minghe was already dizzy and lightheaded from the illness, and his appetite had been poor since he fell ill. Even after Zhou Jinqin repeatedly asked him with various nutritional supplement menus, he said he could only drink porridge, and he could only eat half a bowl. Now he was so weak that his limbs felt like they had no strength.

Upon hearing Liang Zongqiang's words, Liang Minghe used his remaining strength to think for a moment, but ultimately decided not to struggle anymore.

Zhou Jinqin helped the person into the car, but before leaving, she couldn't bear to leave Tuantuan behind. She ran back to the house and took the little cat, who was sitting sadly at the door and crying as it lost its pearls, with her.

Looking at the meowing kitten through the rearview mirror, Liang Zongqiang suddenly said, "You two are really alike. Xiao He was like this when he was little, always taking his precious hamster with him wherever he went."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was completely drowned out by the torrential rain. Zhou Jinqin didn't hear him clearly: "Huh? What did you say?"

Liang Zongqiang stepped on the gas, and the grass and trees on both sides of the road rushed backward at the speed of light.

He said, "Don't you think he's stupid?"

Even on the verge of death, he did not forget the unresolved grudges.

Looking into those somewhat weathered eyes through the rearview mirror, Zhou Jinqin said earnestly, "I don't think so. It should depend on the person he has to deal with. If the other person is annoying, isn't it normal to be resistant?"

Liang Zongqiang almost laughed in anger, his words carrying a hidden meaning: "This is my car."

It means that he could kick them out at any time.

Although she knew he was unlikely to do so, Zhou Jinqin still reluctantly shut her mouth.

Seeing this, Liang Zongqiang sighed, "If Xiaoming were half as sensible as you, my relationship with him wouldn't have deteriorated to this point."

Despite suppressing her words, Zhou Jinqin couldn't help but retort upon arriving at the township health center: "Perhaps you are the one who should know better."

After drawing blood, the doctor prescribed several IV drips for Liang Minghe.

Liang Ming lay on the hospital bed in a daze, but when he saw the nurse walking over with a needle in her hand, he became a little more lucid.

He asked Zhou Jinqin, who was accompanying him during the treatment, "Could you help me with the acupuncture?"

Before Zhou Jinqin could speak, the nurse refused first: "Don't you know? Professional things should be left to professionals. If anyone could give you an injection, what would be the point of having doctors? We might as well just call Rong Momo to treat you."

After saying that, she used the same method she used to treat children on Liang Minghe, mainly to make him forget about it, and instructed Zhou Jinqin to cover his eyes by holding his head.

After the injection, his body temperature dropped significantly, and Liang Minghe was finally able to get a good night's sleep.

Seeing that there was still a lot of medicine in the bottle, Zhou Jinqin took a break to go to the toilet to wash her face. Looking down from the window in the corridor, she saw Liang Zongqiang enjoying the rain under the eaves of the first floor.

As if by some strange twist of fate, Zhou Jinqin went downstairs.

When he saw her arrive, Liang Zongqiang wasn't too surprised. He raised the cigarette in his hand and asked her if she minded. Zhou Jinqin shook her head in response.

Liang Zongqiang lit a cigarette and said, "I think Xiao He shouldn't keep dwelling on the past."

The wisps of smoke rose upwards, but a gentle breeze could easily disperse them.

A few wisps of smoke drifted into her nostrils, and Zhou Jinqin unconsciously frowned. She quickly regained her composure, looked up at the mountaintop, and said calmly, "Aren't you the same?"

If he could truly let go of the past, why would he keep going back here?

Liang Zongqiang noticed her little action and stuck the cigarette he hadn't even taken a puff of into the rain, letting the torrential rain extinguish it.

His expression remained unchanged, habitually serious and solemn, even when he was expressing his feelings, he seemed unapproachable: "Xiao He is still as clingy as when he was little. When he used to get shots, he would always snuggle into my and his mother's arms, crying and demanding rewards and compensation. He is naughty and annoying, but he is also adorable when he acts cute and well-behaved. No one in the neighborhood dislikes him, that's how ordinary people are, so how could I, who am connected by blood, not think so? I often say he is naive, but I really think he is incredibly cute. As a father, I have to admit that I can't treat both children equally, and I always tend to favor him unconditionally."

“He was only sixteen when his mother passed away. He was still very young. At that time, I was busy with work and had no time to be both a father and a mother. I thought that someone always needed to take care of the household affairs, and it seemed reasonable for him to have the idea of ​​remarrying. I was thinking of what was best for him, but it seems that things did not go as planned.”

Liang Zongqiang and his second wife also have a ten-year-old son, who is eighteen years younger than Liang Minghe.

Zhou Jinqin was not moved. She looked coldly at the man beside her and asked, "Is it Liang Minghe who needs a mother, or you who need a wife?"

"My intention to do what's best for him is based on whether he feels it's good for him, not on whether you think it's good for him, don't you think?"

"It's true that people should always look forward. It's understandable that you chose to start a new family, after all, the living must continue to live. But why do something that causes pain to both sides? You've already wronged far more than just Xiaoming."

As dawn broke, the clouds finally ran dry, turning into a ball of white, rolling cotton.

Zhou Jinqin touched her arms, which were getting warmer, and then walked into the health center.

Liang Minghe's fever had completely subsided, and after breakfast he felt somewhat better. On the way back, he refused to ride in Liang Zongqiang's car again.

Zhou Jinqin didn't insist. She followed him and flagged down a tricycle driven by a local woman who came to collect recyclables. She paid 500 yuan to have it take them back to the mountainside.

Liang Zongqiang didn't say anything, just watched them disappear from sight, and then drove his car towards the city.

The woman driving the tricycle is only in her fifties, but she looks much older than her actual age.

Seeing that Liang Minghe was a patient, she refused to charge him more money no matter what, and after much refusing, she reluctantly accepted a price of one hundred yuan.

She said she was a single mother with no education or skills, and raised her son, who was the same age as them, by farming a small plot of land and her weaving skills.

Now that her son has finally graduated and is working hard in a good company in a big city, she is getting old and her health is failing. She is afraid of being a burden on her son who has been poor for so long, so she thinks that she should earn as much money as possible, as if she is saving money for her own coffin.

My aunt's name is Feiyue, a beautiful name, but her life has not been easy. She said she chose this name simply because the characters are simple, without any particular reason.

Liang Minghe took her phone number and said that his home needed a weekly cleaning service, asking if she would be willing to do it.

Knowing that the two people wanted to help her out in a legitimate way, the aunt felt a little embarrassed, worried that she, being from the countryside, might not be clean, and declined several times.

Zhou Jinqin pointed to the tricycle, which was clearly old but looked brand new to the naked eye, and said, "To be able to do this well even in a rainstorm, Auntie, please don't be modest."

Liang Minghe also said, "This place is quite remote, and I can't find anyone to help me. If you're willing, you'll be helping me, so please agree, Auntie."

To reassure the cleaning lady, he even showed her the prices listed on the market for in-home cleaning services, explaining that he charged according to market rates.

The aunt felt it wasn't worth it, but she couldn't resist the two men's enthusiasm, so she finally agreed. She only asked that they pay her the lowest market price. After all, she might not earn four figures a month in the countryside, but she could earn several hundred a week just by cleaning. She couldn't possibly deserve such a reward.

It's a mutual agreement to compromise, and both sides made concessions.

After the aunt left, Zhou Jinqin asked Liang Minghe, "Where did that aunt go?"

"Fire him." He said this with a coldness that was completely devoid of the warmth he had shown just moments before.

Zhou Jinqin looked at him: "It's not because of the garbage, is it?"

Liang Minghe shook his head and leaned closer to touch her face: "It's partly due to that, but not entirely."

He countered, "Why do you think my dad just happened to run into us?"

“Someone tipped us off…” Zhou Jinqin’s eyes widened.

“Yes, that’s normal. After all, she was hired by my dad.” Liang Minghe reassured her. “Don’t worry, she’s worked for my dad for over ten years. He has to make sure she stays safe in the future.”

Moreover, the issue of garbage can reveal a lot. When someone takes advantage of their years of service to start taking advantage of the homeowner, it means that they have lost sight of their own role and responsibilities, and keeping the garbage is of no use to them.

The trip was scheduled for three days and two nights. Although most of the time was spent dealing with Liang Minghe's illness and Liang Zongqiang's disturbances, the two were somewhat reluctant to leave, but considering their subsequent work arrangements, they still embarked on their journey back.

Because of his illness, Liang Minghe was afraid that the virus would circulate between the two of them, so he rarely asked Zhou Jinqin for intimate acts after returning. However, he occasionally couldn't control his desires and would linger on her legs, waist, chest and other areas below her head, with a mixture of restraint and looseness.

Today, she seems to be in much better shape; she can even keep kissing me...

"Ma'am, do you need any help?" The young woman in the convenience store uniform scratched her head. She didn't really want to speak, but this customer had been standing there in a daze for far too long...

Zhou Jinqin walked into the convenience store without anyone noticing, her face slightly flushed.

She tried to remain calm and took a box of extra-large condoms from the shelf near the checkout counter.

"Could you please settle the bill for me? Thank you."

-----------------------

Author's note: What am I going to do with it? [question mark]

I hate some of the low-class and mean-spirited local old men in my neighborhood; they easily dampen my desire to update my blog. [Angry]

I'm posting a long chapter today to make up for it, and also to change the cover and change my mood [Good luck!].