But Zhang Guoqiang not only didn't let go, he gripped it even tighter.
Seeing Zhao Damei like this, his heart ached terribly, but he knew that he absolutely could not back down at this time.
He took a deep breath, looked firmly at Old Master Liang on the hospital bed, then gazed intently into Zhao Damei's eyes, and said:
"Da Mei, Uncle Liang, I understand what you're saying."
He paused, struggling to organize his thoughts.
“Da Mei, I understand your difficulties and concerns. You feel that you will be a burden to me, and you are also afraid that Uncle Liang will become a burden to me and drag me down, right?”
Zhao Damei's tears welled up again, and she turned her head away from him, seemingly acquiescing.
"But I, Zhang Guoqiang, don't think so!"
Zhang Guoqiang took a step forward, his voice trembling slightly.
“Who am I, Zhang Guoqiang? What has the First Garment Factory been like these past few years? Lü Shouqian abandoned the factory and ran away, leaving hundreds of workers starving, all relying on me! Even in those difficult times, I didn't give up, I gritted my teeth and persevered! Why? Because I knew that with responsibility on my shoulders, I couldn't be afraid of the burden! It is precisely because of this responsibility that I have kept striving and become the Zhang Guoqiang I am today!”
"Leaving aside the factory, the same goes for home. My ex-wife left seven or eight years ago, and I've been raising three children alone. Aren't we doing alright? The children are all doing well, and their grades are all good!"
"I, Zhang Guoqiang, may not be as outstanding as other men. I am not smart, I have no money, and I do not have a good family background, but I have never been someone who is afraid of hardship, difficulty, or being a burden!"
After summarizing his own experience, he glanced at the old man with deep respect:
“Uncle Liang, I feel sorry for Da Mei and want to give your life to make her feel better. I hear your heartfelt words... and I feel sad, but I also respect you! But have you ever thought that if you really die, it will not be helping Da Mei, but stabbing her in the heart! It will ruin her life!”
He then looked at Zhao Damei, his eyes burning with desire.
“Da Mei, you said you would stay with Uncle Liang and this family, I respect you! You are loyal and righteous! I, Zhang Guoqiang, admire you from the bottom of my heart, and I also feel sorry for you!”
His gaze darted between them.
"I know you're both facing difficulties, and you're both thinking of each other and trying to find a good solution, but..."
At this point, a wry smile appeared on his face, a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
"Why did you decide, in the end, to continue living together as a family, completely excluding me?"
Hearing him say that, Zhao Damei felt embarrassed and lowered her head even further.
Zhang Guoqiang looked at her lowered neck and felt her whole body trembling slightly. His heart ached and swelled, and the words that had been churning inside him countless times poured out without restraint:
"Da Mei, I don't believe you that we're destined to be apart!"
His tone was resolute.
"The couple in 'Romance on Lushan Mountain' overcame a huge hurdle after a five-year separation, and they still made it! What are our current difficulties compared to that?"
He took a deep breath and offered the most practical solution, his attitude incredibly sincere.
"Da Mei, Uncle Liang, I, Zhang Guoqiang, am making this clear today! I'm not afraid of trouble, nor am I afraid of taking responsibility! I've taken a liking to you, Zhao Da Mei! If you're willing to date me, and we get married in the future, Uncle Liang won't just be your father!"
He pointed at the old man and patted his chest.
“He is our father! We will take care of him together until his death! The children are all our children, so we can raise them together. My children are missing a mother and a grandfather, and your children are missing a father and a grandmother. This will make up for it all at once! I have already asked my mother and the children for their opinions, and they are all willing!”
Then, he scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
"The leaders of my superiors have already spoken with me because of the success of 'Ink Splendor'. They're preparing to officially appoint me as the factory manager of the First Garment Factory. They'll give me a new house then, at least a detached house with a yard, definitely much more spacious than my current one! Then our whole family can move in! It'll be so lively and fun!"
He looked at Zhao Damei and the old man with anticipation.
Zhao Damei was already stunned, tears streaming down her face, her mind a complete mess.
The future Zhang Guoqiang described was so beautiful, it was like a dream.
But her inherent strong will and unwillingness to burden others prevailed.
She suddenly raised her head, her eyes red-rimmed, and shook her head repeatedly, saying:
"No! Absolutely not! Brother Guoqiang, this...this is too much of a burden on you! I can't...I can't do this! You still have your life to live, I..."
As she spoke, she tried to break free and escape.
“This is the fate of us, my daughter and I, and I accept it! I can’t drag you and your family into this. You’ll be better off without me!”
"How can this be considered a burden?"
Zhang Guoqiang became anxious, "It's my own choice! It's better for two people to carry this burden than for you to bear it all by yourself!"
"It just won't work!"
Zhao Damei turned her face away, her attitude unusually resolute.
She was grateful to Zhang Guoqiang, and she had to admit that she also liked him deep down.
His clumsy pursuit made her understand what it felt like for young people to be in a relationship.
The longer he spent time with him, the more he learned about his past, and the more he appreciated his character, which made him seem even more endearing.
But the more this is the case, the less she can agree to it.
She couldn't let her large family become a heavy burden on others.
The two were deadlocked for a time.
Zhou Qiqi, Deng Cuixiang, and Zhu Yingying exchanged glances, wanting to offer advice but feeling they had no right to do so.
After all, this is a matter between two families who will be living together in the future. No matter how good their relationship is, they are still outsiders and should not interfere easily.
Just then.
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