"Professor Deng, what brings you here?"

When Xia Baozhu heard someone enter the store, she looked up and saw that it was Professor Deng.

"I've come to see how your store is doing?"

Professor Deng came by bus. Her leg had almost fully recovered, but her son was worried about her. He only allowed her to go out and move around like before, after she could go up and down the stairs on her own.

Xia Baozhu happily strode out from behind the counter and looked at Professor Deng's legs.

"Is your leg completely healed?"

"Alright," Professor Deng looked around the shop, "I heard from Shijie that the shop was vandalized. How is it? Did those people pay compensation?"

Xia Baozhu pulled Professor Deng to sit on the bench.

"It's alright now, those people have all gone inside. As for compensation, we'll have to wait a bit longer."

Xia Baozhu no longer expected those people to compensate her for her losses; according to Chen Shanlou, it would be good enough if she didn't have to pay for medical expenses.

However, she couldn't say that to those who were worried about her, because it would be useless and would only make them worry more.

"It must be really tough running your own business."

Professor Deng recalled the scene more than 20 years ago when she took her two children to see her husband off in the rain.

At the time, she felt like the sky was falling because her husband was sent to the countryside, but she didn't know that it was only the beginning of a decade of suffering.

She rarely recalls that time, but every year on the anniversary of her husband's death, she can't help but think back to that dark and gloomy night when she was holding one child in her arms and leading another by the hand, and walked more than 20 miles to find the place where her husband was imprisoned.

Her husband's exoneration came very late; it was only through her tireless efforts that she managed to bring him back from the remote mountain area.

Unfortunately, their good days didn't last long. Her husband's already depleted health deteriorated like a funnel, leading to frequent hospitalizations. She shuttled between the school and the hospital every day, and eventually, she saw him pass away in the hospital.

She didn't want to dwell on the past; the present was the best time.

But when she heard that Xia Baozhu's shop had been stormed in and vandalized by more than a dozen people, she suddenly remembered the hardships she had endured. She knew all too well how difficult it was for a woman to live alone.

Yesterday, she asked her son to come and check on the shop, but he didn't see Xia Baozhu. Today, she came in person and finally felt relieved.

"It will get better slowly." Xia Baozhu said as she poured a cup of red bean milk tea and placed it in Professor Deng's hand.

Professor Deng then inquired about Xia Baozhu's recent studies and smiled with satisfaction upon hearing her fairly fluent English.

Of all the years she's been teaching, Xia Baozhu is the one she feels most sorry for. She feels sorry that Xia Baozhu's great talent was wasted for so many years, and she feels sorry that Xia Baozhu got married and divorced, with no one to support her.

"Professor Deng, what brings you here?" Sun Xingyan came in from outside and was somewhat surprised to see Professor Deng. "Did Senior Brother Qian let you go out without worry?"

"My leg is all better now, it's time for me to get out and move around."

“Then you can go to People’s Park to dance. There are so many old men and women there doing Yangko every day. I’m so envious of them,” Sun Xingyan suggested enthusiastically as he sat down next to Professor Deng.

"Professor Deng is suited to Tai Chi, but Yangko dancing is a bit tiring. Her leg has just recovered, so she's not suited to doing anything too strenuous," Xia Baozhu suggested.

"Tai Chi is too slow, so why not try Yangko dancing for a more cheerful mood? A little Yangko dance in the morning will make you happy all day long."

As he spoke, Sun Xingyan stood up and made a few gestures of putting his hands on his waist, twisting his hips, and waving his hands, which made Professor Deng and Xia Baozhu laugh heartily.

"Brother Sun, are you itchy? Why are you wriggling around like a monkey?" San Gou's face appeared behind the counter, mocking Sun Xingyan's actions without any mercy.

“You’re the monkey.” Sun Xingyan glared at San Gou. “Look how fat you are, your mask can barely cover your mouth anymore. From now on, we’ll just call you Pigsy.”

Professor Deng and Xia Baozhu burst out laughing again.

San Gou was so angry that his face turned red, and he went back to the kitchen.

When the shop was getting busy, Sun Xingyan escorted Professor Deng to his car.

"Professor Deng, do you think my parents would agree if I married Xia Baozhu?"

Professor Deng stopped abruptly when Sun Xingyan said something unexpected. She looked at Sun Xingyan, who didn't seem to be joking, and sighed softly.

"Does Xia agree?"

“She doesn’t know.” Sun Xingyan walked forward with his hands in his pockets and one foot kicking a pebble, like a mischievous child.

"Isn't it a bit early for you to ask this?"

"Think about it in advance."

"If you really want to marry her, your parents won't be a problem."

“I think so too. Professor Deng, could you be the matchmaker?” Sun Xingyan smiled again.

"So you were waiting for me here. You want me to be your matchmaker, fine, but have you ever pursued Xia?"

Professor Deng didn't see any interest in Sun Xingyan in Xia Baozhu.

She's happy to see two children she likes together, but if one of them isn't interested, forcing them together could very well result in a miserable couple.

"There's another thing. When Xia's ex-husband came last year, he planned to take her to the hospital for a check-up because they had been married for four or five years without having children."

Professor Deng wasn't revealing Xia Baozhu's shortcomings to Sun Xingyan; she brought it up beforehand so that Sun Xingyan would think it over carefully.

If you pursue someone for a while and both of you fall for them, but then this incident causes you to drift apart, it's better not to be together at all.

It's better not to meet than to meet; it's better to be indifferent than to be affectionate.

"That could also be because Leng Minghui has a health problem."

Sun Xingyan's heart skipped a beat, but he still stubbornly insisted.

He had previously wondered why Xia Baozhu hadn't had children after so many years of marriage, but he hadn't thought about it deeply, considering it a private matter.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!