Chapter 54 Whales Leave the Ocean
It was already past seven in the evening when He Dongli got home from get off work that day.
The door to the yard was ajar, and the sensor light behind the door was not turned off for a while because there was a lot of noise inside, which made the light unable to turn off.
The small building, like the people who live in it, is used to being quiet. Suddenly, a firecracker man came and the lights were turned on brightly, including the second floor.
He Dongli rushed in. Aunt Tang, who was in the kitchen, heard the noise and came out to greet Miss He. He Dongli didn't have time to exchange pleasantries and just asked, "Where is Zong Chi?"
Aunt Tang pointed upstairs, and He Dongli ran up and saw someone standing in the living room on the second floor. He was instructing workers to help him move some furniture. He turned around and saw the person he was waiting for came back. He smiled and stretched out his hand to her, motioning her to come over.
He Dongli approached and punched the worker in the chest in front of him. "Who told you to touch the second floor?"
"Of course it's the landlord." Zong Chi was inexplicably punched by her, and it was hard not to feel the pain. He blamed her for being so strong.
He Dongli was stunned. Landlord?! "Miss Song doesn't allow her parents' place to be touched."
"She's allowed it now. Seriously." Zong Chi had just completed the lease renewal contract at noon. It leased the entire building, with the second floor furniture, and the lessee had the right to move it as needed. Zong Chi had rented a storage facility from the landlord, and he wanted to clear out the second floor, using the room as a study and the living area outside as a place for meetings and discussions.
He Dongli stood there in a state of silence. Zong Chi pinched her nose when she saw her. She brushed him off, complaining a bit, but afraid others would hear and think they were arguing, she dragged him aside and said, "I agreed to let you stay here because I wanted to allow you to stay the night, not because I wanted you to go through so much trouble. You're making a scene like a young lady getting married!"
Zong Chi despised the dust and cramped space above. Even a turtle's shell was bigger than this. He felt aggrieved. "What kind of young lady would marry into such a shabby place? With such little money, what's the point of getting married? You, or your daughter, if she's broke and willing to marry a poor boy in the future, I'll tie them both up and throw them into the Huangpu River to feed the fish."
He Dongli didn't have time to pay attention to his nonsense and said to him, "Well, maybe your parents think the same as you."
After that, she let him go and turned to go downstairs. She actually wanted to go to the bathroom, and she was in a hurry to get home after work, and when she came back, she saw a huge mess of smoke.
Zong Chi followed her downstairs, trying to call her as he went down.
The two of them arrived at the bathroom door one after another. He Dongli had no habit of closing the door when she was alone. Now, closing the door seemed not enough, because the person at the door opened it directly for her.
How could she not be embarrassed, especially since he was such a young master and brought his nanny with him. He Dongli angrily said to him, "I'm going to the toilet, what are you doing!"
Zong Chi held the door lock with one hand and supported himself on the door frame with the other. He just stood there in the door frame, acting as her door god. He said as if it was natural. "You go ahead."
He Dongli came over and chased him out. Someone didn't move, letting her push a few times in anger. Then his arms loosened, hugged her, pushed her a step inside, and kicked the door shut.
In the bathroom, you can hear the clattering sound of furniture being moved downstairs.
Zong Chi lowered his head and kissed the person in his arms several times, then blamed her, "I can't just talk to you about something, and you always make a big deal out of it."
He Dongli declared, "I didn't."
"Why are you running away without you? Why are you using my parents to stop me without you?"
He Dongli was angry. He was the one who had been complaining about this and that, and now he was blaming her for making a big deal out of it. "I'm not trying to stop you. I'm telling you the truth. You said it yourself, you have a daughter and you wouldn't allow her to be with someone who has nothing. So you should be able to understand your parents' feelings."
"I was talking about your daughter, how did it become my daughter?" Zong Chi argued with her with a smile.
He Dongli was choked by him and simply put on an attitude of giving up the argument as if he couldn't win.
He could hear Aunt Tang calling him from outside, asking him to go out and take care of the moving company's business. He called out once, but got no response. He then walked closer, "Xiao Chi!"
Zong Chi still ignored him. He Dongli pushed him to go quickly. Zong Chi said casually, "I know."
There were two people in the inner room. She pushed him out, saying she needed to go to the bathroom, but Zong Chi stubbornly refused to respond. After a moment, he lifted her chin and forced her to look him in the face. "I was talking to Lao Zong the other day, and he told me the same thing. He said that if we have a child in the future, he'll understand my mother's feelings. I don't want to understand, because they haven't understood my feelings at all in all these years. Yes, you and I have a daughter, and I don't want her to suffer with a poor boy, but we can never understand her feelings of loving and needing that person. I can't guarantee that she will become like my parents. But I know that once she's determined, no one can stop her. In other words, if she can forget someone after three to five years, it proves that person is nothing special. He Dongli, if the person your daughter finds is like you, and they can make it to the age of thirty and still not find anyone else and don't want to find anyone else, then I agree. But you're not a poor boy. You have everything, but you just don't know it. Otherwise, why am I watching you so closely? Do you think I'm really blind?"
He had barely finished speaking when Aunt Tang outside called out to him anxiously. Zong Chi snapped, "I'm coming!" He lowered his eyes to He Dongli and said, "You can't run away anyway."
As soon as the door opened, Aunt Tang was standing by, looking in from the side. He went out, sending his nanny away. "She chased me to the bathroom, yelling, and I couldn't even stop my shit."
Aunt Tang pouted at him, "Why are you going to the toilet? You're blocking people in there. I'm afraid you'll scare Miss He away again."
"She's braver than any of you. You'd scream when you killed a chicken, but she'd remain calm even when her face was covered in blood after a surgical operation. She'd be terrified!"
"Yes, yes, you're just like your father. You always quarrel with others and won't tolerate them saying a word."
"You are already someone else, what right do you have to say that, ah!"
"You rascal, you're a donkey. You won't move when you're pulled, and you even go backwards when you're beaten. I shouldn't have been partial to you and let you suffer through your red eyes. I was talking to your mom at noon. You're really pitiful when you're pitiful. You're almost 1.9 meters tall, and you've suffered a lot since you were a child. Why is it so difficult for you to find a partner? But when you get better, you start to dominate again. Your mom is right. You win because you have a mouth, and you lose because you have too many mouths."
Zong Chi walked out and signed the moving company's escort and inventory details at the door. After seeing the truck off, he turned back with a serious face and said something devilishly alarming, "Do you know why in the old society, from the emperor to the loyal servants, there was always the saying of sudden death?"
Aunt Tang didn't buy his talk, nor did she understand his nagging. She let him flirt with her eyes and told him to stop talking nonsense. "Are you guys still going to eat? I have to clean up after dinner." She asked Xiao Chi again, "Do you really want to stay with Miss He? Your mother asked me to stay and serve you. Should I move in with you?"
When Xiaochi heard this, he exploded as if he had stepped in dog shit. "Why did you move here? What are you going to do?"
Aunt Tang didn't understand why Xiao Chi reacted so strongly. "I bought you some Tai Shao." She whispered, "Let Miss He know too. It's a little gift from your mother after all."
"No need. We didn't starve to death despite you being in Singapore all these years. Thank you. You should stay with my parents for the time being. If you really feel bored, you can go back to Singapore."
Aunt Tang was determined to complete Wei Shi's request. "Why should I be bored? I do this for your family. I just feel it's a bit lonely living alone at your parents' place. Can't Miss He move in with us?" Aunt Tang had nothing else to say. After so many years with Wei Shi, she was really used to living in a big house. This place was indeed a bit small.
Xiaochi flatly refused, "Why would she move there? Then some people with ulterior motives will say she's taking advantage of it."
"Then why did you fix that place so carefully?"
"I'll fix my own things and wait until I can bring her in with good reason. I want to see who dares to say no."
Aunt Tang smiled delightedly and praised, "That's quite pleasing to the ear. Don't get mad at your mother. Just get on with your life and she won't say anything. If your mother were as cunning as your grandmother, you'd be the one who suffered. Xiao Chi, listen to my advice. When it comes to mother-in-law and daughter-in-law issues, it's up to your son to be the middleman. You've made a good judgment, there's nothing wrong with you."
Zong Chi glanced coldly at the old nanny. He knew full well that Aunt Tang was still just his mother's lobbyist. But he was determined not to treat this servant, whose open-ended employment contract had long since expired, as just an employee. Sincerity wasn't something one could say, but at least at that moment, he could see that Aunt Tang respected the person he favored.
*
After they finished their work outside and chatted for a while, when they returned to the inner room, He Dongli was alone in the kitchen.
Zong Chi walked over and turned off her faucet. He Dongli looked up at him and said, "I saw Aunt Tang had only washed half of the vegetables. I'll help her finish them."
"I don't want you to do it. If you do, they'll give you half of their salary."
Aunt Tang followed behind and nodded vigorously, "That's right, Miss He, please go out quickly. I was just talking to Xiao Chi and was interrupted. The meal is almost ready, just stir-fry some vegetables."
Zong Chi pulled the people out and explained to He Dongli, "Auntie Tang just comes over to cook for us every day and then goes back. She comes over to cook, and I can learn a little bit by the way." He then instructed Auntie Tang, "Don't call her Miss He all the time. Her mother calls her Xixi, so you should call her that too."
Aunt Tang followed with a sigh.
When the meal was officially served, Aunt Tang seriously suggested to Zong Chi, "If you really settle down here, the first thing you should buy isn't the office supplies upstairs, but a round table for formal dining. Otherwise, I won't be able to cook more dishes for you."
Zong Chi looked at He Dongli. He Dongli glanced at the braised pork stewed by Aunt Tang. Help! She was really starving. Whatever you say, buy a table or a bench. It’s up to you.
After all, she was a little reserved in front of strangers, so Zong Chi picked up a piece for her and said, "Try it. Comparing with your mother, whose cooking skill is better?"
Aunt Tang suddenly thought of Xixi's mother's behavior that day, and now she's terrified. She quickly said modestly, "Xiao Chi always praises your mother's cooking skills in front of me. He's a picky person and rarely praises others. I can imagine what her cooking skills are."
He Dongli tasted a piece politely; the rice from the other pot was delicious. She didn't think her own mother was any better at cooking. Her eyes and heart were filled with affirmation of Aunt Tang's professionalism. "He's talking nonsense! My mother is nowhere near as good as you."
Zong Chi handed the towel he was using to wipe his hands back to Aunt Tang, disclaiming responsibility. "Hey, you can say what you want. I didn't say anything. I've been praising your mother outside all this time. You're the ones holding back. If Ms. Yu hears this, don't blame me." He gave her another piece of rice and sarcastically imitated Yu Xiaohan's tone of blaming Xixi for her picky mouth. "It's good to have something to eat. In this hot summer, who else but me would be willing to cook a table for you? You cook this and you want to eat that. I've spoiled you. I'll kill me and feed you, okay?"
He Dongli had no recollection of her ever doing this, but Zong Chi said it was absolutely true. He remembered it clearly, remembering Yu Xiaohan's sharp tongue but soft heart, and remembering that He Dongli only occasionally showed her willful side around her mother. He was incredibly jealous then, "I just wanted you to make unreasonable demands of me, like I'd do this for you, but you insisted on asking for that."
He Dongli gave him a warning look, not wanting him to say anything nonsense in front of outsiders. She had only eaten two pieces of meat and was feeling a bit greasy. Aunt Tang hadn't given her more rice yet, and she felt embarrassed to order her around, so she asked him, "Please give me a bowl of rice. I'm really hungry."
Aunt Tang responded quickly. As she brought the bowl over, she said without thinking, "Little girls don't really like to eat staple food. I was so busy that I forgot."
In fact, at Yu Wei's banquets, whether Chinese or Western, the young ladies Aunt Tang met, such as Miss Zhou, who was often a guest of honor, rarely ate staple foods or carbohydrates. As she finished speaking, Zong Chi glanced at her, and Aunt Tang realized she had said the wrong thing.
Just as he was about to go back to the kitchen to clean up, He Dongli calmly ate the rice in his bowl and invited Aunt Tang to eat with him. "It's okay. If you don't like to eat, it's because you don't need it or even avoid it. I'm the opposite. I need it and it's even necessary. Otherwise, I won't have the energy to endure it and my period will be late."
Zong Chi closed his eyes and thought, it's over. If the intellectuals explode, then it's all over. She kept talking about her period, which was the same as shit and piss.
There was also a clay pot of yellow croaker and rice cake soup on the table. Originally, Zong Chi had invited Aunt Tang over so she could supervise him in making a perfect yellow croaker soup, but Aunt Tang had bought a lot of vegetables and thought Xiao Chi's yellow croaker noodles were too unrefined. After all, this was their first meal together, and Miss He was exhausted from her hospital duties, so she might as well make a proper meal. All those little thoughts of yours, save them for you to prepare slowly behind closed doors and serve to others. You're presenting a treasure now. What will you do after you've finished showing it off? Living at home is about taking it easy.
Zong Chi obeyed. At least he could avoid interference, fry the fish well from both sides, and control the amount of hot water to make the broth milky white. Finally, after finally managing to keep the fish from falling apart, Aunt Tang couldn't help but say, "Noodle soup, noodles. The fish in the broth is not the same as the fish you serve as a topping."
Koike: No one will think you are dumb if you don’t speak.
When the clay pot was served, Aunt Tang emphasized to Xixi, "Xiao Chi made this soup herself. She didn't ask for my help at all. I just added some water-milled rice cakes."
He Dongli once again had a concrete understanding of the matter that had been bothering him. She tasted the soup politely and couldn't help but ask him, "Well, if it's such a high standard, why don't you just serve yellow croaker noodles?"
Some people's jawlines can't hide their thoughts. He happily poured himself a bowl of soup and said nonchalantly: "Actually, I can make it that day."
He Dongli said in a resolute tone, "I believe it."
Even someone who claimed to be faithful was indifferent throughout the meal. Afterward, she took a call from a colleague and chatted for a while. After Aunt Tang cleaned up the kitchen and the table, Zong Chi arranged for a car to take her away.
When the driver came, he went out to see their aunt off in person. He Dongli knew what he was saying after he chased her out. Apart from anything else, their Zong family employed servants and was well-treated. For a nanny to be able to get in and out of the car so easily, it must be because she was protected by a close confidant of the servant.
When Zong Chi came in, He Dongli was eating an apple after dinner. To be honest, she was used to eating it whole, and she couldn't stand the treatment of having it carefully cut into slices and having the core removed.
He asked her what she was doing, and she opened her mouth wide to show him what she was doing.
Zong Chi laughed loudly, and He Dongli was unhappy, thinking, what a joke.
She pushed the remaining apple to him, saying she wasn't going to eat it. She was a little tired today and wanted to wash up and go to bed early. She would be very busy the next two days.
Zong Chi hadn't even had time to hang up the luggage he'd brought. He'd come in such a hurry that he'd only brought two sets of clothes. The rest would be moved in gradually when his secretary returned. He discussed with her, "I think we need to buy not only a dining table, but also a wardrobe. Oh, and a bed, too. This bed is a little small, isn't it?"
He Dongli found him annoying because he was always causing trouble. "Do you know why whales stay in the sea, Xiaochi?"
Someone was at a loss for words when she called him so affectionately, "Why? Where else could it be if not in the sea?"
"What I mean is, he's so big, he should stay in his big house. Why is he running over here and crowding others?"
Someone then realized it was General Ji. Seeing He Dongli taking clothes to take a shower, they followed her all the way, "What's wrong? Don't tell me you regret it!"
"I regret it, what can you do to me?"
"I ate you, what can I do to you!"
He Dongli didn't buy it at all, "You eat it. People like you who don't like carbohydrates love the ketogenic diet, don't they?"
When Zong Chi heard this, he quickly circled in front of her and snatched the clothes from her hand. His face was half happy and half sad. "Who are you talking about? Us, me and who, us?"
"You can be with whoever you want." She didn't want to argue with him and wanted to get her clothes back.
Zong Chi refused to let him. He suddenly realized that he was just like Ye Gong who loved dragons. He thought she was upset, but when she really came, he was very upset. He said bluntly, "Okay, I don't know you. Aunt Tang just said that. Why do you care about her?"
"What did she say?" He Dongli challenged him again.
Zong Chi's face was troubled. He thought that this matter was not going to be resolved. If he didn't explain it clearly, he would be sent to the sofa again tonight. "What did she say? Didn't she just say that someone didn't like to eat staple food? She said her own thing. It's none of your business."
"Yeah, it's none of my business. Why are you making such a fuss?" He Dongli shot back three arrows. "Auntie Tang was talking about Auntie Tang. She didn't say anything about me, let alone you. Why are you feeling so guilty?"
Zong Chi saw a dark cloud looming over him. He stuttered several times, "I, I, when the hell did I feel guilty, ah!"
"You're not guilty of running out so eagerly to see your aunt off, huh?" He Dongli took a step closer to him, and Zong Chi couldn't help but take a step back. "Let me guess what you said. Don't say nonsense in front of her from now on, okay?"
Zong Chi smiled weakly for a moment, then leaned towards her, "He Dongli, are you jealous?"
"Zongchi, your Miss Zhou often comes to your house for dinner, right?"
The man who was named suddenly lost all will to flirt. He succinctly stated, "My lady's last name is not Zhou. You know her last name very well."
She was still angry, "I should have asked your mother to let me meet the other person that day. Didn't she always want to come and see me? Why didn't she come later? Zong Chi, she must like you very much. Only when you like someone very much will you be interested in the so-called rival."
"She only likes Zong Chi, a child with the surname Zong in name only, not me who stood up to help and rescued you that day at the gate of the affiliated high school when you were surrounded and scared to death."
He Dongli was stunned for a moment as she listened. Zong Chi remained silent for a long time after he finished speaking. Yes, she admitted that she was jealous and uncomfortable. The thought that the person she had separated from all these years might have had an encounter with someone else, someone of equal status, made her feel very uncomfortable. Five years ago, she would have pushed him away, and his mother was so fond of that Miss Zhou... But tonight, at this moment, in this very second, He Dongli sincerely admitted that his confession to Yu Xiaohan, "I can't live without her," and his words to her before dinner, "You are not penniless, you clearly have everything," had greatly encouraged her, even inflated her spirit. He continued to surge towards her like a whale leaving the ocean, and she almost had no energy left to say anything to him.
She used to think that death was the greatest fear, but these years of being alone and unknown made her understand thoroughly that the greatest fear of people in the social sense is death and leaving.
He Dongli suddenly stood on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around Zong Chi's neck, bit him, and then kissed his lips and tongue. The taste of the apple she had just eaten filled their mouths. She was like a schizophrenic Zong Chi possessed, biting and biting him again, threatening him, "If I know you had any intimate contact with Miss Zhou, Zong Chi, we're done."
Someone laughed so proudly and arrogantly, "Then you'll be done with it in your next life. I'm not Lao Zong. I don't have any intention of conquering those young girls who can't even eat their fill."
After He Dongli vented his willfulness, he wanted to take back his clothes and take a shower.
Unexpectedly, someone took it back and only gave her a long towel to wipe herself with. The rest of the towel was used to indicate that she should not wear it. "Put it on and then take it off. It's a waste of my time."
"Zongchi, come back here, you pervert!"
Perverts are determined to be perverted to the end. He hugged her clothes and didn't forget to tell her one more thing, "You always doubted that I didn't look like I had been single for so long, Ah Li. I have always followed your video account, but I just didn't comment. When I miss you, I will watch your video. You look so charming in your uniform, and you look so terrible when I make you look so upset."
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Author's words: Ding Ding, in this chapter, catch 100 cute ghosts and share 10,000 coins equally~
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