Chapter 59 Ten Thousand Butterflies
He Dongli's cell phone ran out of battery on the way here. She wanted to call Zong Chi, but stopped because no news is the best news.
She hadn't expected him to be so successful. He Dongli even felt a little guilty for a moment, guilty that she seemed to be enjoying the fruits of his labor, like the date in the paper cup in front of her.
In front of Ah Sheng and her mother, Zong Chi solemnly explained to her, "This is a treat for me at your house. No, it's for us. I've eaten my share, and there's only this one left for you. You must eat it. I have to watch over you."
He Dongli felt a little embarrassed. He put down the cup he was holding and placed it on the table. He put down his bag and sat in the empty seat on his left. He greeted Ah Sheng and Chen Yuan first and apologized for being late.
Chen Yuan responded to Ah Li's words, saying she was even thinner than in the video and needed to take care of herself. She also mentioned that Ah Li had been passing through for a meeting the last time she went back, spending only one night at home before quickly flying off again. "This time we came over, and Grandma Xinchao said she'd come no matter what, as long as Ah Li's wedding wasn't held abroad, no matter how sick she got from the plane."
He Dongli wiped his hands, took off his coat, and echoed Chen Yuan, "Then my case has reached national level. It's alarmed an old lady who has never traveled far in her life. It's quite a big deal."
Everyone laughed, except Zong Chi, who was puzzled. Yu Xiaohan on his right explained, "Xin Chao's grandmother gets dizzy when she sits on anything. She has to lie down for a long time after taking the elevator up or down."
As they spoke, He Dongli took two bites of food; she was truly hungry. A moment later, the waiter brought them a few more hot dishes. They were the ones Zong Chi had previously arranged. This restaurant had been recommended by Representative Qi. Zong Chi had been there once before, and the manager on duty that day had come over to serve him. He also brought an extra spring dish they had planned for next season for Mr. Zong and his family to try.
While the dishes were being served, Zong Chi asked the waiter to switch the positions of his and his girlfriend's plates. The waiter was slightly panicked and asked hurriedly, "Mr. Zong, is there something wrong?"
Zong Chi shook his head slightly, "No. She wants to be next to her mother."
Before sitting down, Zong Chi thought that He Dongli was not there and he was in the main seat, so it would be inappropriate to leave an empty seat on his right and ask Yu Xiaohan to sit there. Now, she came back and sat on his left, but was separated from her mother.
The waiter immediately responded and adjusted the table. He Dongli moved to his seat, and he went to the second seat on the left. "We're all done eating, why change?"
Zong Chi picked up some fresh, hot food for her, urging her to eat quickly. He then placed one hand on the back of her official hat chair and, while tidying up a tuft of hair by her ear that had stood up from running too fast, whispered in her ear, "How can a mama's girl be separated from her mother?"
He Dongli was so angry at his teasing that her face froze. Just as she was about to say something, she saw He Xinchao holding two chopsticks, not concentrating on eating, but glancing towards them. She simply waved at him, asking him to come over. This time, He Xinchao didn't act coy, but walked over openly. Chen Yuan asked him to call for help, and he did it.
He Dongli hummed and nodded. She asked him, "You're holding the chopsticks and not eating. Do you not like the taste here?"
He Xinchao thought that this could not be said.
Unexpectedly, his aunt spoke for him, "I couldn't get used to the food when I first came here either. But it doesn't matter. The food in the school cafeteria is even worse. You'll get used to it after a while."
Zong Chi burst into laughter. He blamed He Dongli, "How can you comfort a child like that?"
He Dongli handed a freshly cut chicken drumstick from her bowl to Xinchao. Xinchao glanced at the frontier poet, took the drumstick from her aunt, and then asked seriously, "So even in the best school, the food in the cafeteria is still terrible, right?"
"That's about right. Do you know why? It's hard to please everyone. All chefs think so. If it's too salty, it's definitely over. If it's too bland, there's this saying that always says it all."
He Xinchao thought his aunt was so cool. Maybe she would fill out his questionnaire on his satisfaction with the school meals and she would be very objective.
The aunt asked him again, "Your father said you don't really want to go to school here, is that right?"
He Xinchao took a bite of the chicken leg, chewed it, and swallowed it. He looked up at his last straw and asked, "Can't I go back?"
The aunt was not vague with him at all. "When I first came here, I was so much older than you, and I had the same idea. Even after I went to high school, I still wanted to go back. So, what you do and think now is right. But your parents are also right. You may not understand it now, but in the new dynasty, you can make friends again and keep in touch with friends. Remember, true friends are like family and lovers. They will never leave. They will come to you, and you will also wait for them."
He Xinchao looked up at his "savior", but at this moment he was not saved. Looking at him from afar was another child who was unknown back then. But she grew up and even became an authority in the eyes of others. Her reasoning still seemed to lean towards her parents.
At the moment when the clarity and purity in the child's eyes dimmed, He Dongli hugged him. The chicken drumstick in He Xinchao's hand stained her shirt. She said some truths that were like adult textbooks, but she promised, and promised her last sentence, "It's true, Xinchao."
The two people sitting on He Dongli's left and right watched this scene simultaneously. Yu Xiaohan burst into tears, and Zong Chi's heart felt like it was filled with the hot wind of a summer. That summer, he sat in front of that person, and they took the exam together for three hours. That day, the no-early-submission clause was the most perverse one, but it also helped him keep her.
Zong Chi will never forget how cautious and panicked she was when she hid in the corner to help him call the police. At that moment, she felt broken and quiet.
She had been with him for sixteen turbulent years since he fell in love with her. How could he not come to find her?
That night, He Dongli made an exception and drank a glass of wine to welcome Ah Sheng and the others. To offset the spiciness of the liquor, he drank a candied date that was completely cold but incredibly sweet.
She spat out the core, then pulled Zong Chi's hand over and spit it into his palm for him to examine. Zong Chi smiled and asked her, "Are you drunk?"
She didn't answer his useless question, but told him, "Xiao Chi, today's operation went smoothly, and my journey here was also smooth, which is great."
Zong Chi was hit hard for a second, but it was magic damage, and she sealed him for more than a thousand seconds.
*
The house that Dong Sheng and his friends are living in now was arranged by the engineering project. It is a bit far from He Dongli and Yu Xiaohan's place. They have to settle down and pack up when they go back, as well as go through the selection and reporting procedures for Xinchao.
Zong Chi already had Dong Sheng's contact information when he asked for the child's report card. He told the couple to call him if they had any inconveniences. He specifically reminded them, "Call me directly. Calling Ah Li is useless. She doesn't care about these trivial matters. Sometimes I can't reach her either."
He Xinchao had a phone watch, but he had to get approval from his guardian to make contact. He Dongli added his number, and Zong Chi teased him, wanting to add it too, but the child declined, saying, "My visit to my aunt is not a trivial matter."
Zong Chi pointed at the child's watch, like a cheetah chasing an antelope, not even tilting on a curve. At the critical moment, he will definitely stop you in an American-style manner. "Your homeroom teacher's surname is Tang. I will personally greet your teacher Tang. Please take good care of our He Xinchao. Even if he doesn't raise his hand, you should ask him more questions. In short, don't be idle during class, and especially not after class."
He Xinchao's expression was even more ferocious than that of a screaming chicken with its neck pinched.
He Dongli hit Zong Chi and asked him to listen to what he said. She was already hot from drinking, and her words became more frequent. "Your father oppressed you in the past. You are becoming more and more like that Chinese dad."
Zong Chi suddenly understood and took her hand, saying, "So, if a child is disobedient, the only way to deal with him is to use pressure, intimidation, or physical force."
Yu Xiaohan listened from the side, but couldn't bring herself to complain to Chen Yuan and the others. She just felt bad for her daughter. What kind of joy was this? She regretted letting them serve the candied date tea. What morning!
-
Dong Sheng had been drinking, and Chen Yuan was driving. They had parked far away, so Zong Chi wanted to see them off personally. As the host, he had drunk the most, and Chen Yuan refused to let him go any further. He Dongli could tell her sister-in-law had something to say to her, so she decided to take Ah Sheng and the others off. Zong Chi and Yu Xiaohan were left waiting for the driver.
The venue for Zong Chi's dinner tonight was a members-only restaurant renovated from a private Chinese courtyard. By this time, many of the private rooms had already been cleared. When they left, Zong Chi had been so busy talking to Dong Sheng that he had forgotten to call the driver. After he hung up, he said to Yu Xiaohan, "The car will be here soon. If you're cold, would you like to come in and sit for a while?"
Before Yu Xiaohan could even shake her head, she heard a couple arguing in the courtyard. The woman was Chinese and the big man was a Russian. They chattered for a long time, but Yu Xiaohan didn't understand a word. How many words of English could she know? Besides, the two of them didn't speak English well.
In a flash, the Chinese woman raised her hand and slapped the other person in the face with a loud and clear slap.
It was hard for Yu Xiaohan to remain calm. She threw away the reserved manner she had maintained all night, and leaned inside to watch the fun, wishing she could understand nothing.
Zong Chi quickly helped her stand outside, and sneered at her, "They're taking care of household chores. You'd better not look. If you get angry and they call you out, it'll be all over."
Yu Xiaohan refused to admit that she was laughing at others. "This doorway is not private, it's public land. I can stand wherever I want."
The car arrived, and Zong Chi reminded Ms. Yu, "Get in and wait."
Yu Xiaohan was in a hurry. The Chinese woman who was arguing inside turned around and headed outside after beating someone up. The big Russian man kept talking about something and even chased after him.
Before they left, Yu Xiaohan was almost subconsciously curious and even curious, "What did they say?"
Zong Chi folded his arms and gave his future mother-in-law a live explanation. "The woman discovered an unidentified hotel charge on his credit card and asked him to explain. He almost acquiesced. The woman wanted to break up, but he chased her out to try and keep her."
As they were talking, the Russian who had chased out turned back, muttered something, and bumped into Yu Xiaohan's gun. She cursed in her authentic Wu dialect, saying that men are all the same no matter what country they are from, and they will only behave themselves if they are hung on the wall.
The blond-haired man had just noticed the funny look of the Chinese lady stretching her neck, and was about to curse at her when he glanced at a silent man beside him. His driver was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs.
The man has an oriental face and a tall build. He is silent but his eyes are full of arrogance, so arrogant that he does not need to advertise it, as if his temperament of not being easy to mess with is innate.
He led the person who should be his mother but who did not seem to be in line with her status into the car calmly, and he was still waiting by the car.
Turning around, a beautiful Oriental lady approached. She said something, and the waiting man took her hand and shoved her into the back seat. With a series of coherent movements and his deliberately raised French voice, he complained to his girlfriend, "Hurry up, honey! If you're a step late, your mother will cause a diplomatic incident."
*
On the way back, Zong Chi sat in the passenger seat. He originally wanted to send Yu Xiaohan back and end the night perfectly.
Unexpectedly, after getting in the car, He Dongli said a few words about his mother's habit of watching the fun, which made Yu Xiaohan a little unhappy, especially because he deliberately complained in a foreign language about the person sitting in the front, which led to Xixi's lecture.
"What am I watching? They're just standing there arguing. I can't even listen to a few words."
He Dongli was comforted but also alert, "It's not that I don't want you to see, I mean, you shouldn't show yourself too much. If you run into unreasonable people who are drunk, how can you win over them by talking or fighting those big and strong guys alone?"
Yu Xiaohan immediately became upset. She blamed someone for complaining and also blamed her daughter for siding with him and throwing her out before she even got married.
The car was silent for a moment. The man in the passenger seat kept talking even when he should have. He turned around and added, "We can't fight or talk because we don't speak the same language."
He Dongli told him to shut up.
Zong Chi was so angry that he almost wanted to catch up with the grievance that came over him, "It's really not our fault. That ghost was making too much noise. Just talk to him nicely, Ah Li, don't get angry when you're drunk."
Yu Xiaohan was so upset when she heard this that if his driver hadn't been in the front, she would have started cursing, "Hey, you're acting like a good person."
He Dongli rubbed his temples. Nothing is worry-free, everything is troublesome.
After a while, Zong Chi started talking to Xixi again and asked her if she had gotten the milk today.
Yu Xiaohan finally understood that they were already living together. She looked at Xixi for a moment. The latter had no choice but to tell her mother about the ten-year extension of the lease.
Money truly makes the world go round. No matter how much Yu Xiaohan offered Xixi to buy the house, she refused, insisting on renting it herself. The landlord strictly forbade tenants from entering the second floor, and Xixi strictly adhered to the lease. Even when Yu Xiaohan was curious and wanted to go up and take a look, she refused.
In the end, these ancestors easily made exceptions.
At the dinner today, Xixi said to Xinchao that she had thought about going back even when she was in high school. Yu Xiaohan felt like she was filled with jealousy. After all, her daughter was not lucky enough to have a complete relationship with her parents. She just wanted her daughter's relationship with love and marriage in this life to be complete, as perfect as possible.
"I'll go over and take a look." Yu Xiaohan suddenly spoke.
Xixi was surprised, "Huh?"
"See what you're still missing."
"There's nothing missing."
"If you don't need me, I can go take a look."
He Dongli: "Oh. Of course."
*
In just a short period of time, this small building has undergone tremendous changes. When Xixi lived there alone, it was cold and deserted, and she would find any extra things a nuisance.
Now, there are tables, chairs, tea bowls and cups.
After the second floor was unblocked, there was a small but spacious office layout. There was a painting hanging on the wall of the stairs. Xixi told Yu Xiaohan that it was a 30th birthday gift from Zong Chi to her.
Yu Xiaohan didn’t understand anything too profound, but she could see that Xixi liked it very much. She pointed out to her mother the hidden yet great signature of the painter on the painting.
Yu Xiaohan knew it was expensive, "It would take a lot of zeros to buy it."
Xixi smiled very frankly and finally nodded in agreement.
But Yu Xiaohan knew this wasn't just a joy bought with money. Who doesn't like being spoiled? She remembered that Zong Chi was a year older than Xixi, and he'd already celebrated his 30th birthday.
So, without thinking, the mother and daughter said privately, "I don't care how expensive the gift he gave you is. It's the same to me. I told him at the beginning, 'If you are still with our Xixi when you are 30 years old, I will make you a gold ring.'"
He Dongli laughed at his mother, "Don't hit him, he won't wear it, it looks so tacky."
"What do you know? This is..."
"Hmm?" Xixi waited for her mother's words.
Yu Xiaohan looked at her calm and composed daughter. No matter what, she loved him the most. "When your father and I got married, your grandmother didn't have the money to buy him a son-in-law gift. It wasn't until your father turned thirty that she had more money and bought him a gold ring the size of an eye booger. Your father was so happy. Look, even with all the progress of the times, gold has dropped in value. Humph, I had my reasons for buying it for him. Gold isn't hard, but it's more durable than anything else."
-
Zong Chi took the key and went to get the milk that He Dongli had forgotten to bring. While making tea for Ms. Yu, he complained to Xixi, "You, who were at home, also forgot to bring milk. You really, I don't know what to say to you."
He Dongli came down the stairs and said in a very normal tone, "Sorry, I'm not used to it yet."
Zong Chi then remembered something and told her, "Jiang Xingyuan has already given the outline of the interview questions to my secretary. I think they have a very poorly prepared team for several of the questions. I don't even want to call her back. Just tell her directly."
"What did you ask?"
"Ask me how to balance marriage and family. My wife is very career-oriented. What should I do?" Zong Chi said as he served tea to Ms. Yu, but he was talking to He Dongli. "I can't answer this. It's so boring. Besides, I don't have any money. What's the point of asking this?"
He Dongli heard something strange and wanted to tell him to shut up. Acting like a fool for a while won’t kill you.
Yu Xiaohan heard the abacus beads almost jumping into her face, so she immediately put down the tea in her hand and asked Xixi to find her a Band-Aid. The new pair of shoes she wore today had caused blisters on her heels.
It was already late outside. He Dongli went to get the medicine box and said to his mother, "Why don't you go take a shower directly? I'll apply it to you after you wash. Don't go back tonight, so that you can ask the driver to get off work early."
Yu Xiaohan glanced at the attentive ancestor standing by and his face immediately turned bad. He thought, it's all fake. What's the point of being a son-in-law? It's useless to buy him a mountain of gold. It's all nonsense.
Seeing that someone wanted to follow Xixi to find the medicine box, Yu Xiaohan deliberately made a loud noise, "It's such a small place, I'm staying here, how are you going to do it?"
He Dongli brought back the medicine box and said indifferently, "Xiao Chi, sleep on the sofa upstairs. The sofa upstairs is also fine. Okay?" As she said that, she looked at Zong Chi.
Zong Chi's alcohol had mostly worn off. If she hadn't been drinking and her drunken streak was obvious, if she hadn't been busy at the hospital and socializing today, if she hadn't obediently finished eating that date, if she hadn't been in front of her mother... He wanted to strangle her, drag her upstairs, and make her repeat herself, "I sleep on the couch? Why should I sleep on the couch? Why would you let your mother stay the night in such a small place? Why would you do that?! If there was just one more room, I would forgive your madness!"
However, a man's reputation is more important than anything else. Zong Chi obeyed unconditionally: "Okay. I'm fine with whatever you say."
As he spoke, he looked like he was going to get rid of the driver with his phone, but then he changed his mind and said, "Why don't I go back to the hotel? The driver is going back so I can go there too. I'll come back early tomorrow morning and bring you breakfast. As for your favorite soup dumplings, I'll have them pack some raw food and we can steam them ourselves. Okay?"
He Dongli only then realized that he hadn't refunded the hotel at all. Zong Chi had been following her to explain, "We didn't refund because we were worried that something might happen to you. Didn't you say Jiang Xingyuan often stays here? It's because this place is too small. I still need to get a room upstairs."
As he said this, he prepared to go back to the hotel, pack some clothes, and take the bottle of milk away to drink. Because it had been in the milk box for a day, it was no longer fresh, and he refused to drink it.
After this round of tossing and turning, he remembered something, "Xixi, remember to change the sheets. Oh, and the pillows too."
It was strange for him to say that. Who wouldn't change all four pieces of clothing at once? He stared at her thoughtfully again, and it was hard for He Dongli not to be distracted...
When he used a pillow to prop her up, He Dongli said that she now believed that he had been a widow for five years. Please, she had never been so eager for her period to come early.
The next second, he stretched her arms straight and she murmured her agreement to his request. The desire buried deep within her heart repeatedly crossed the border like a butterfly flapping its wings, scratching, plundering, and destroying everything, and finally transferred it to her along with his trembling.
At that moment, perhaps ten thousand butterflies died in the corridor.
The next morning, Zong Chi was wearing a blindfold and half lying on her back. When he called her, she didn't respond. After calling her several times, he was so scared that he took off the blindfold and sat up. When she opened her eyes, Zong Chi was so angry that he threw her away and got off the bed. He Dongli asked him why he was so angry?
Zong Chi told her to shut up and continue pretending to be dead.
He Dongli felt that his illness had come back again, and he had to shout for what he wanted immediately.
You can make trouble for me, but I just don't want to bother with you. That's not okay. He Dongli argued.
A person with toothpaste foam in his mouth suddenly appeared and cursed, saying that it was not allowed!
After looking at each other in confusion for a second, Zong Chi turned back and said, "How can it be the same? When I woke up, you were suddenly silent. How can it be the same?"
He Dongli is so unrestrained early in the morning. If you choke him again, then fine, I will die and you will be at peace.
Zong Chi was very angry with her and sneered twice, "Well, if you die, I will eat you on the spot, and no one will be able to get your corpse."
Even though he was saying the most perverted words, He Dongli still walked over and hugged him from behind, standing a bit behind him, so short that the mirror couldn't even reflect her. She stood behind him sullenly, fingernails scratching at the nail marks on his back where she had scratched. After a moment, she peeked out from beside him, looked at him in the mirror, and reminded him: "The sheets and pillows need to be changed."
Zong Chi continued to look unhappy. "Change it, what the hell? I just changed it. You're not allowed to change it. That's it. No one should look down on anyone else."
-
At this moment, the young master was mumbling a lot of things and was about to leave with a bottle of milk. He Dongli asked him to put the milk down so that she could drink it and it would not go bad.
He refused, saying her fragile stomach was about to break down and she was having her period. "What if I get diarrhea from drinking this, Doctor He?"
Yu Xiaohan inside couldn't stand it any longer, "Okay, I'm going back. You don't mind this place being too small, but I still find it suffocating."
Zong Chizuo looked very frightened, and he wanted to keep Ms. Yu at all costs.
Yu Xiaohan glanced at him, and they both knew what was going on. Finally, she cursed him fiercely in her heart, "Witch!"
She put her high heels back on and rushed out the door. When she got in the car, she asked the driver to drive as a matter of course. However, the driver didn't listen to her and said that Mr. Zong asked her to wait a moment.
Yu Xiaohan was so angry that her lungs were bulging. After a while, Zong Chi came out with a bag, walked straight to the trunk, and finally knocked on Ms. Yu's car window, "You have accepted the vase, so please accept this bag that has been returned time and time again, otherwise it will feel very wronged."
Yu Xiaohan was about to say something when Zong Chi said sternly, "Xixi is very happy today, and so am I."
"Don't tell Xixi about Xu Maosen's matter when you go home."
"learn."
"I guarantee you'll get it back..."
"But, Ms. Yu, the vase is much more expensive than the bag..."
“…”
"If you return it to me, Xixi will be sad."
Yu Xiaohan closed the window and let out a breath. Then he listened to someone outside telling the driver that they had safely delivered him a call. Yu Xiaohan thought to himself that the gold ring might not be enough to send him off...
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