Chapter 137 Farewell to the Old Year and Welcome the New

Upon returning to Shanghai, Lin Yu immediately contacted Lin Kang, who was in the United States, and told him about Yao Fangfang's difficulties. Her brother readily agreed to help with the valuation and asked Lin Yu to send him a list of the collection later.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yu remembered that Lin Jing had studied at an art academy and should have some connections in this area, so he turned around and called his sister.

Upon learning of his sister's friend's plight, Lin Jing immediately offered to help by contacting a familiar gallery to consign the item for sale.

If there are many paintings and calligraphy works, a small offline exhibition and sale can be planned and organized to display Yao Fangfang's collection together with the gallery's existing collection, and to attract more potential buyers by leveraging the gallery's space and customer resources.

However, she also reminded Lin Yu that this matter might require Yao Fangfang to make several trips to Beijing to communicate in person, which would likely take a lot of time and energy, so she should be prepared for a protracted battle.

Lin Yu compiled these messages and sent them to Yao Fangfang, also giving her Lin Kang and Lin Jing's WeChat contacts. To avoid making Yao Fangfang feel awkward, she created a group chat, facilitating communication and allowing her to keep track of progress.

Yao Fangfang thanked her repeatedly on the phone, but Lin Yu scolded her with a laugh, saying that she didn't treat her as a friend.

As for himself, Lin Yu originally wanted to move to Jiang Chuan's house and let Qi Sheng stay in his rented room temporarily.

Unexpectedly, the young master was shocked when he saw her living environment, covering his nose and refusing to step inside. He then rented a duplex apartment near the firm and spent his days running around handling company paperwork and renovations, finding enjoyment in it all.

Lin Yu was genuinely happy that her brother had come to Shanghai. The only thing that bothered her a little was that Qi Sheng would occasionally keep his promise to take her to a bar for drinks on weekends when they would share Jiang Chuan's time.

Lin Yu went with him twice, but the two of them only talked about business, the stock market, and politics. She had never known before that her brother was such a person who cared so much about national affairs.

After a few attempts, Lin Yu found it really boring, so he simply stayed at home, preparing the materials needed to start a company while focusing on reviewing for the registration exam.

......

At the end of June, Cheng Shishun gave birth to a son weighing 6.6 pounds. Lin Yu bought flowers and made a special trip to the postpartum care center to visit her.

Upon entering, I saw her leaning against the bed, her face still pale and weak, but in good spirits, looking down tenderly at the little bundle of flesh wrapped tightly in her arms.

Lin Yu smiled and walked over, placing the flowers and the prepared red envelope on the bedside table. Cheng Shi saw her, smiled, and pulled her to sit down on the edge of the bed, carefully adjusting his position to show the little one in his arms a little more.

"Look, doesn't it look like a little piglet?"

Lin Yu leaned closer to look, and gazing at the tiny face, no bigger than a fist, he couldn't help but exclaim, "My goodness, it's so small... but it's prettier than I imagined."

Cheng Shi was amused by her reaction and lightly punched her.

Just then, the door was pushed open again, and Cheng Yuan walked in carrying a plastic basin. Seeing Lin Yu, he greeted him with a smile, placed the basin by the bed, and then took out a bottle warmer from the bedside table drawer, putting the bottle on it to heat it.

Lin Yu watched his practiced movements, feeling a mix of amusement and warmth. This was a far cry from his previous carefree and irresponsible demeanor.

Cheng Yuan set up the bottle warmer, leaned over to look at the baby, and gently touched the baby's soft cheek with his finger, his voice unconsciously lowering. "Still not awake?"

"No, I guess I'll sleep a bit more." Cheng Shi leaned against the headboard and casually directed him. "Peel an apple for Lin Yu, it's in that bag over there."

"Hey, no need to bother..." Lin Yu quickly waved his hand.

"It's alright, let him go." Cheng Shi smiled and stopped her, then leaned closer to Lin Yu and complained in a low voice.

"Hey, let me tell you, childbirth is so painful, it's definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But... the moment the doctor put this little guy's head on my face, wow, I felt like it was all worth it."

Cheng Yuan handed the peeled apple to Lin Yu, then turned around to pour a glass of warm water, inserted a straw, and held it to Cheng Shi's lips. She drank a couple of sips from his hand.

Lin Yu looked at the two of them. Although they weren't quite right as a couple, they were surprisingly well-coordinated as parents. Suddenly remembering something, she leaned closer to Cheng Shi and asked, "Have you told both sets of parents about this?"

“I haven’t said anything yet. I want to wait until the child is a little older before bringing it up. You know, my parents have lived in a small mountain village their whole lives, so it’s not easy for them to accept many things.”

She paused, then smiled and looked at Cheng Yuan, who was busy working nearby. "He told his parents right away, and got a good beating as a result."

"At first, his parents tried to persuade us to get married, but now they are slowly accepting the current situation. They even came to see us yesterday and brought a lot of things."

"After you leave the postpartum care center, who will help you take care of your baby?" Lin Yu asked again.

"Don't worry, I've found a nanny, and Cheng Yuan will come over to help when he has time." Cheng Shi said frankly, with a hint of teasing, "We earn so much money, and this time it's finally going to be used for something worthwhile."

After chatting for another half hour, Lin Yu listened quietly as Cheng Shi complained about how bland the food at the postpartum care center was and shared her newly learned parenting tips. It wasn't until she saw Cheng Shi yawn that Lin Yu got up to say goodbye and promised to visit her and her baby another day.

There were quite a few people waiting at the elevator entrance, mostly parents who had just welcomed a new life, chatting about parenting matters and everyday life.

As Lin Yu watched the elevator numbers change, he suddenly felt that life should be like this, bustling and mundane, yet filled with a reassuring warmth amidst the chaos.

Back home that evening, Lin Yu and Jiang Chuan, who rarely left work early, had dinner together and then snuggled on the sofa to watch TV. Recalling what they had seen and heard at the postpartum care center during the day, they naturally started talking about having children.

Jiang Chuan didn't show the anticipation and enthusiasm that most men would have for this. In his view, becoming a parent was an extremely energy-consuming and unpredictable challenge.

He would instinctively wonder if his child would receive enough companionship after birth, and whether their small needs during growth would be met in a timely manner.

He couldn't accept that he hadn't been thorough enough in this matter, so unless he and Lin Yu were both fully prepared, they would never rashly step into the next stage of their lives.

Lin Yu's thoughts coincided with Jiang Chuan's. Although Qiqi and Mingming were both adorable, her childhood experiences made her realize that liking children and being a good parent were two completely different things.

This realization made her extremely cautious about becoming a parent, always worried that she and Jiang Chuan would not be able to give their child enough attention. This worry, in turn, turned into an extreme concern for the details of raising a child.

They want to make up for the lack of their own childhood by raising children, but they also worry that their children will repeat their mistakes.

Moreover, Jiang Chuan's appearance had already filled the void of her childhood longing for a complete family.

Therefore, for her, having children is not a necessary task, but rather an added bonus to her current life. If this matter might disrupt her current stability, she would not hesitate to put it aside for the time being.

Jiang Chuan fully respected Lin Yu's thoughts and pace. After all, before meeting her, he had never truly experienced the warmth of a family. And precisely because he understood the impact of an incomplete family, he always held a deeper reverence for the matter of procreation.

His attitude perfectly matched Lin Yu's cautiousness. Perhaps, more than formal perfection, they both valued stable love and tangible responsibility.

Lin Yu leaned against Jiang Chuan, looking up at him, a gentle flow of love between them. She felt exceptionally happy today; every moment of this time filled her with immense contentment.

That night, Lin Yu had a dream. In her dream, she was in a sun-drenched room, and her aunt was sitting in a chair by the window, bathed in a soft golden light, smiling as she said goodbye.

In her dream, Lin Yu cried bitterly, apologizing to her aunt over and over again, saying she was sorry for not being able to say goodbye properly, sorry for not persuading her to get a medical check-up sooner, and sorry for not letting her see her parents one last time.

My aunt's face was always beaming with a smile, as if all the pain of the past had vanished and the cheerful and energetic woman she used to be had returned.

She shook her head, saying she didn't blame Lin Yu and only hoped that she could be happy every day from now on. Lin Yu felt like she was nailed to the spot, and could only cry helplessly, watching her aunt slowly melt into this boundless halo of light.

......

As Grandma Jiangchuan's health deteriorated, the doctors at the nursing home privately hinted to the family that they should prepare in advance.

The old man no longer liked to go out. He always sat in his wheelchair by the window, his white hair neatly combed, wearing a clean and soft light-colored cardigan, his eyes gazing blankly at the tall camphor tree in the yard outside the window.

Although Grandma no longer recognized Jiang Chuan, she surprisingly didn't mistake Lin Yu for someone else anymore. Every time Lin Yu came to see her, the old woman's cloudy gaze would slowly focus on her face, and after a moment, her eyes would seem to clear up as if the clouds had parted, revealing a clear light.

Jiang Chuan is busy with work and comes at most once a week, and even less often if he is on a business trip. Lin Yu, on the other hand, appears almost twice a week without fail, sometimes with Jiang Chuan, but more often alone.

She couldn't explain why she insisted on coming. At first, she just wanted to help Jiang Chuan fulfill his filial duty. But later, looking at this old woman who had forgotten most of the world but could still remember her, she would occasionally think of her own grandmother far away in her hometown, and a strange sense of longing gradually arose in her heart.

Before each visit, Lin Yu would go to the usual spot to buy some peach shortbread for his grandmother, and habitually explain to her, "Jiang Chuan is on a business trip, but he will come to see you in a couple of days."

Although she knew her grandmother might forget who Jiang Chuan was in the next second, she still patiently mentioned it again.

Sure enough, Grandma's eyes quickly became confused again, clearly not understanding the meaning of the name. She just kept looking at Lin Yu, muttering vaguely, "Okay...okay..."

Lin Yu took out his phone, found the Pingju opera he had saved, turned down the volume, and placed it on the small table next to him.

As soon as the singing began, Grandma's attention was immediately drawn to it. She tapped her fingers lightly on the armrests of her wheelchair and occasionally hummed a few familiar lines.

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the two of them in its warmth. Lin Yu cut the peeled peach into small pieces and patiently fed them to his grandmother. Sometimes she would obediently open her mouth, but other times she would be lost in her own world, showing no reaction to the food offered to her.

Lin Yu waited patiently, or chatted with her softly, talking about the weather and interesting things he saw on the road, even though most of the time it was just her voice.

Sometimes she would pick up a newspaper and read some lighthearted news stories to her grandmother. Most of the time, the old woman would just listen quietly, her eyes wandering, and it was impossible to tell how much she actually absorbed.

But the time spent together and the companionship were real and tangible.

Two months later, in the early morning, Lin Yu and Jiang Chuan were awakened from their sleep by a series of urgent ringing sounds. They received a call from the sanatorium.