Chapter 18 (Part 2)

The next day, mother suddenly called Cheng Zhao. "Little brother, find some time to bring Gan Ling home for dinner! I'll cook for you." "Ah? What are you going to do?" "Aren't you dating someone? Then you have to come home to meet her formally so that I can show my family's attitude! I've also prepared a pair of gold bracelets, which I'll give to her as a meeting gift." Cheng Zhao felt relieved, "Mom, how did you suddenly come to your senses?" "Alas, I couldn't sleep for half the night last night, and I thought about a lot of things in the past. Do you know why I don't like going back to Changwang New Village?" "It's because I love the new and hate the old!" "Bah! I'm not that kind of snob! The house in Changwang New Village is full of the shadow of the old guy. I've had enough of the suffering he gave me! I don't want to look at it anymore! If you hadn't stopped me, I would have sold the house long ago!" "Mom, you're overthinking it again. Look forward, good days are ahead." "I'm over seventy. How many good days do I have left? At this age, people tend to dwell on the past. Alas, I think of Liu Xiao. What a tragic fate, she passed away so young. But she was so good to you. I remember all those good things! It's only right that you repay her. Be nice to her daughter. She'd be happy in heaven if she knew..." Cheng Zhao wanted to say, I'm not pursuing Gan Ling out of gratitude. All I need to do is give her money. I really like Gan Ling. But my mother wouldn't understand. Their generation suffered a lot, each more realistic than the last. Only practical reasons could convince her. "Okay, Mom, I get it. I'll tell Gan Ling. I don't know when I'll come over, so don't wait. I'll let you know once we've discussed it." "It's up to you. You can do whatever you want. I'm ready anyway." After hanging up the phone, Cheng Zhao felt a sense of relief. While his mother wasn't a problem, having her support was a blessing. It would also make sense with Gan Ling. Now the only hurdle left was Teacher Gan. As the long-running race neared its end, Cheng Zhao suddenly felt an unbearable itch, unable to wait even a moment longer. He truly wanted to rush to Gan Wenkang that very day, reveal his true feelings, and in exchange for a clear and straightforward attitude. With this in mind, Cheng Zhao began to think about a gift. He couldn't possibly go to meet his future father-in-law empty-handed, could he? What gift would be appropriate for his first meeting as a son-in-law? His thoughts led him to Ge Xiaojia. A phone call brought Ge Xiaojia into the office. Ge Xiaojia had made contributions in two matters. Although both were Cheng Zhao's personal affairs, the company was his, and working for himself was also working for the company. With this in mind,...

The next day, Cheng Zhao's mother suddenly called her.

"Little brother, find some time to bring Gan Ling home for dinner! I'll cook for you."

"Huh? What are you doing?"

"You're dating someone, aren't you? Then you should come to my house to meet her formally so I can show her my family's attitude! I've also prepared a pair of gold bracelets to give her as a meeting gift."

Cheng Zhao felt relieved, "Mom, how did you suddenly figure it out?"

"Alas, I couldn't sleep for half the night before. I was thinking about a lot of things from the past. Do you know why I don't like going back to Changwang New Village?"

"Love the new, hate the old!"

"Bah! I'm not that kind of snob! That house in Changwang New Village is full of the shadow of that old man. I've had enough of the suffering he's given me! I don't want to look at it again! If you hadn't stopped me, I would have sold the house long ago!"

"Mom, you're overthinking it again. Look forward, there are better days ahead."

"I'm already over seventy, how many good days do I have left? At this age, people like to think about the past. Oh, I think of Liu Xiao. What a miserable life, she passed away so young. But she was so good to you. I remember all those good things! It's only right for you to repay her. Be nice to her daughter. She would be happy in heaven if she knew..."

Cheng Zhao wanted to say, "I'm not pursuing Gan Ling just to repay a favor. Money would be enough to repay a favor. I really like Gan Ling." But his mother wouldn't understand. Their generation had suffered a lot, and each one was more realistic than the last. Only realistic reasons could convince her.

"Okay, Mom, I got it. I'll tell Gan Ling. I don't know when she'll come over, so don't wait. I'll tell you in advance after we've discussed it."

"It's up to you. You can do whatever you want. I'm ready anyway."

After hanging up the phone, Cheng Zhao felt relieved. Although his mother's support was not a problem, it was a good thing to get the old lady's support, and it was also acceptable in front of Gan Ling.

Now, the only hurdle left was Teacher Gan. Seeing the long-term race nearing its end, Cheng Zhao suddenly felt an unbearable itch, unable to wait even a moment. He truly wanted to rush to Gan Wenkang that very day, confess his true feelings, and in exchange for a clear and straightforward attitude.

Thinking about this, Cheng Zhao started thinking about a gift. He couldn't go to meet his future father-in-law empty-handed, right? What gift should he give to his future father-in-law as a son-in-law for the first time? As he thought about it, he thought of Ge Xiaojia. A phone call invited Ge Xiaojia into the office.

Ge Xiaojia made contributions in two matters. Although they were both Cheng Zhao's personal affairs, the company originally belonged to him. Working for himself was working for the company. Based on this idea, Cheng Zhao gave Ge Xiaojia a performance bonus, which made Ge Xiaojia's work enthusiasm even higher.

After explaining the situation to Ge Xiaojia, Ge Xiaojia began to carefully inquire about the background of the person giving the gift.

"Mr. Cheng, how old is this old man?"

"Sixty-two."

"What is his relationship to you?"

"A very important elder of mine."

Whether out of caution or superstition, I will never joke around this time. I will wait until everything is settled.

"Is it grandpa or grandma?"

"Huh? Oh, grandpa to you, uncle to me."

"Does he drink? Does he smoke?"

Cheng Zhao shook his head.

"Wow! That's a very self-disciplined old man. What are his hobbies?"

"Well... reading. I also seem to like things like coins and antiques."

Ge Xiaojia quickly and carefully recorded the questions and answers on her phone, then looked up and smiled sweetly, "Almost done. I'll study it carefully before reporting to Mr. Cheng!"

“OK!”

Ge Xiaojia was known for her speed. The next afternoon, she came to Cheng Zhao to report, carrying two beautifully packaged boxes. Cheng Zhao placed the boxes on his desk, and he couldn't guess what was inside.

"Come on, open it and take a look!" Ge Xiaojia said proudly.

The box was sealed so well that the two of them had to work together to open it and appraise the treasures without causing any damage. They were a book on antique appreciation and a set of Dragon Year commemorative coins.

"Didn't you say that the elder was born in the Year of the Dragon? This set of commemorative coins is very valuable. There's also this book, printed in full color, introducing thousands of unearthed cultural relics. It's enough for the old man to read for a while."

In Cheng Zhao's eyes, these two gifts were flashy no matter how you looked at them, but Teacher Gan was different from himself. He was not an ordinary person, so he should like them.

"Very cultured! Okay! That's it! Xiaojia, you have a really sharp mind!"

Ge Xiaojia smiled with two dimples on her face, "Mr. Cheng, this is the bill. I'd like to trouble you to sign it."

Cheng Zhao took the list and looked at it. It wasn't cheap at all; the two items together cost over ten thousand yuan. But isn't the point of giving gifts to please the father-in-law? As long as it pleased Teacher Gan, spending a little money was nothing.

After the gift was ready, Cheng Zhao could no longer hold back and immediately sent a message to Gan Ling.

"I have the gift ready. How about you? When do you plan to tell me?"

Ten minutes had passed since the message was sent, and Gan Ling hadn't replied. Cheng Zhao felt frustrated, unsure if it was his phone or Gan Ling's fault, but he didn't dare push for more, fearing she might annoy him. He could only console himself by thinking the rice was already in the pot, just waiting patiently for the last bit of heat.

It was past five o'clock and Cheng Zhao began to think about whether to meet a client in the evening to reminisce about the past, or to go to Gan Ling for a meal. He also took the opportunity to make a move and start a fire to urge for dinner. Just when he was torn between the two, Gan Ling called him and he was overjoyed.

"I've been waiting so long for you to finally show up—did you see the message I sent? The one I sent a little after 2 o'clock..."

"Cheng Zhao, something happened at my house."

"Hmm? What's up?"

"Liu Cui took advantage of my father's nap and stole over a thousand yuan from our home and ran away."

Cheng Zhao's mind suddenly exploded, and the bright future was shattered.

At 7:30 in the evening, Cheng Zhao drove to Fuming Street hungry. It was said that Liu Cui lived in Fuyun New Village, but Cheng Zhao was not sure about it.

After learning that Liu Cui had packed up and run away from the Gan family, Cheng Zhao quickly called Ge Xiaojia back to the office. When Ge Xiaojia heard the whole story, his face turned pale with fright and he stammered to defend himself.

Cheng Zhao interrupted her, "Don't worry about who's right or wrong for now. You have her information, right? Check where she lives."

"She stole the money, so she won't come home again, right?"

"She's not the only one in her family. The monk may run away, but the temple cannot." Cheng Zhao thought of something and his heart tightened. "Could she have filled in her address randomly?"

"I'll go find it right away!"

Fortunately, Ge Xiaojia also copied Liu Cui's ID card, and the address on the ID card was consistent with the address she filled in on the record form.

Cheng Zhao grabbed the two pieces of information he had and said, "I'll go to her house and take a look!"

"Would you like me to come with you?"

"No need! You stay in the office. I'll call you if anything happens."

"So, should we call the police?"

"Not yet. Wait until I visit her home."

This is also what Gan Ling meant—

"I don't know what happened to her. Is she in trouble or something? Let's look for her first and see if we can find out. If not, call the police."

While Liu Cui didn't steal much money, she also stole a jade bracelet that had been placed with the money. It was Liu Xiao's legacy, something she had always worn. In her late stages of cancer, she had become so thin and out of shape that the bracelet was no longer suitable for her. So, she took it off and gave it to Gan Wenkang for safekeeping. For years, Gan Wenkang kept the bracelet in a desk drawer, occasionally pulling it out to play with it and ease his longing.

"The money is taken, but this bracelet has a different meaning to my dad. Aunt Liu probably thought it was something valuable, but it only cost a few hundred yuan back then..."

Cheng Zhao stood at the door of Liu Cui's house and knocked hard. This was also an old new village with a long corridor with doors and windows. Four or five families lived on each floor. It was dinner time and the smell of food wafted from every household. Hearing such an unusual knock on the door, vague black shadows flashed in front of several windows.

The door of Liu Cui's house finally opened. The person who answered the door was a woman about the same age as Cheng Zhao. She was pretty, but her brows were knitted and she looked annoyed.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Liu Cui."

When the woman heard this, her brows furrowed even more and she said unhappily, "She doesn't live here."

As soon as she finished speaking, she wanted to close the door, but Cheng Zhao pushed her in time.

"Where is she then?"

"How should I know? She was just a freeloader! Who knows where she died? Don't come in, or I'll call the police!"

"I was going to call the police! Liu Cui stole something from my house and ran away!"

A man flashed out from behind the woman and looked outside. Some neighbors, unable to contain their curiosity, had already walked out of their homes, ready to watch the show.

"Come in." The man called Cheng Zhao, then quickly turned around and hugged his wife as if to comfort her.

The kitchen is right after the entrance, and it is cramped and narrow. There is a door between the kitchen and the inner room. The man pushed open the door and let Cheng Zhao in. The woman stayed in the kitchen to cook, staring at Cheng Zhao unhappily and whispering to her husband not to talk nonsense.

"Remember! Her affairs have nothing to do with us!"

"I know, I know."

Inside was an equally cramped living room, where a little girl in the second or third grade was bent over the table, concentrating on doing homework.

The man called to his daughter in a low voice, "Niuniu, go to your room and write. Uncle and I have something to talk about."

The little girl looked up at Cheng Zhao with clear eyes, "Hello, uncle!"

Cheng Zhao smiled at her, and the little girl obediently picked up her stationery and textbooks and moved away.

"You are Liu Cui's..."

"son."

Cheng Zhaoxin calmed down a bit, "Excuse me, what's your name?"

"Wang Dong."

Cheng Zhao told Wang Dong what had happened. Wang Dong listened in silence and made a helpless gesture.

"My mother moved out two years ago and has no contact with us. You can only contact her in person."

"I called her cell phone, but it was turned off."

"I'm sorry, I can't be of much help."

Cheng Zhao took out his cell phone and said, "Then I can only call the police."

"as you like."

"Theft is a criminal offense, and it will definitely be noted in your mother's file. Other things aren't a big deal, but I'm worried that when your daughter takes the civil service exam in the future, the organization will investigate and find out about your grandmother. She might not be able to get away with it!"

Cheng Zhao learned this trick from an old neighbor. No matter whether it is right or not, it is always effective. People value their children's future and no one dares to take risks.

Sure enough, as soon as the words fell, Wang Dong's brows jumped, "Wait a minute!"

Cheng Zhao put his phone on the table and looked up at him.

"My mother, well, she has a lover."

It was almost nine o'clock when Cheng Zhao finally found the address Wang Dong had given him: a private residential area even older and more dilapidated than Fuyun New Village, at the junction of the city and the suburbs. Fortunately, the streetlights were powerful enough to clearly illuminate the ditches and bumps hidden in the darkness, preventing him from driving into a pothole.

Rows of two-story buildings stood, their walls mottled and stained, with electrical wires crisscrossing. Countless bamboo poles were erected at the entrances for hanging clothes. Helmets-clad construction workers walked in from the village entrance, chattering incessantly, looking both exhausted and high-spirited.

Cheng Zhao found a slightly wider spot to park his car, still chewing the last bite of a burger he'd bought at McDonald's on the way. After getting out of the car, he began the difficult task of searching for the house number. He quickly finished his Coke, but couldn't find a trash can along the way, so he tossed it on the pile of trash.

The door to No. 55 was closed, and a light shone through the window. Cheng Zhao leaned in, trying to see who was inside, but the glass was stained glass. Through the window, he could faintly hear someone talking inside. Liu Cui had a unique voice, and Cheng Zhao recognized it immediately.

He knocked on the door, but this time he didn't knock loudly, but just a polite knock, and the conversation inside immediately stopped.

The door opened, and a man in his sixties appeared in front of Cheng Zhao, with a security door between them.

"Uncle Feng?" Cheng Zhao forced a smile and addressed the other party in a warm manner.

The man looked wary, "I don't know you."

"I don't know you either. But Wang Dong told me that you are Liu Cui's lover. I came here to look for Liu Cui."

When Liu Cui inside heard this, she rushed into the inner room like a rabbit, and Cheng Zhao saw everything.

"Run!" He crossed the security fence and crossed his arms. "The police are waiting for you at the front door!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Cui immediately turned back. Without saying a word, she pushed Uncle Feng who was in the way away, opened the security door and tried to rush out. She probably thought that breaking through Cheng Zhao's blockade would be much easier than breaking through the police's blockade.

As soon as the door opened, Cheng Zhao rushed in and grabbed Liu Cui in his hands. Although Liu Cui was fat, she was not as strong as Cheng Zhao, and was pushed back by Cheng Zhao like a diesel barrel.

Uncle Feng was very brave. When he heard Liu Cui's cry for help, he immediately rushed over to help and wanted to tear Cheng Zhao away. Cheng Zhao didn't show any mercy and kicked Uncle Feng hard on the shin just below the knee. Uncle Feng hugged his left leg and screamed in pain.

"Stop yelling! It's not interrupted—come inside, let's talk together!"

It was not until she sat down at the dinner table that Liu Cui realized that she had been deceived by Cheng Zhao.

"No police came, did they?"

Cheng Zhao said, "If you want to see them, you can call me anytime."

Liu Cui breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't hit me anymore. We can talk it out. It was my first time, too. I don't know what happened at the time. I was possessed by a ghost..."

Since she was caught, Liu Cui no longer hid the secret and answered whatever Cheng Zhao asked. She carried the bracelet with her, so she handed it over at this time.

"I've seen Teacher Gan playing with this bracelet in his study several times, and I knew it was a good thing. I heard that a good jade bracelet can sell for hundreds of thousands!"

"What do you need so much money for?"

"Buy a house. Lao Feng said there's an old house they want to sell here, and it can be sold for a few hundred thousand yuan. Once the house is demolished, they can buy two new houses."

"Then you should just work hard. Why would you steal things?"

"I can't stand hardship." Liu Cui's eyes reddened. "When my damn husband was alive, why did I have to do waitressing? After he died, my son listened to his daughter-in-law and started to dislike me, saying I was lazy and only worked to eat and not earn money. In the end, he even kicked me out."

"Isn't the house yours?"

“It’s my son’s name.”

"If he doesn't support you, you can sue him!"

Liu Cui choked. Cheng Zhao looked at her and thought there might be something else going on, but he didn't bother to intervene. He picked up the bracelet, checked it was undamaged, and put it in his pocket.

"This is just an ordinary jade bracelet, bought for a few hundred yuan. It was left to Mr. Gan by his deceased wife, so he cherishes it so much."

Liu Cui's face wrinkled as if it had been burned. It turned out that it was someone else's relic and was not worth much...

Cheng Zhao said: "Your granddaughter is very cute."

Liu Cui's expression darkened. "Have you seen Niuniu?"

"Well. Where's the money you stole? Give it back too—for your granddaughter's sake, I won't pursue the matter."

Liu Cui sighed, took out a wad of money, and placed it on the table. Seeing Cheng Zhao finished counting and was about to put it away, she said with a sad face, "All this was in vain."

"Then work hard and stop doing sneaky things."

"I originally wanted to work hard, even though the salary wasn't high. But you said I'd get a bonus if I did a good job, and I actually believed you. Luckily, I managed to get some information from Teacher Gan, but he didn't acknowledge me at all. You were just trying to trick me into working so hard for you!"

Cheng Zhao's face flushed red and blue after being scolded. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "How many days did you work for Teacher Gan?"

"A week."

Cheng Zhao counted out a thousand yuan and threw it on the table. "This is your week's salary. I was going to give you a bonus, but it's you who gave me an extra hand!"

He stood up, stared down at Liu Cui, and said coldly: "Don't let me see you again!"