Chapter 160 is Tong Zhongyuan’s mother
In the calligraphy and painting department's office, Tang Zhixu unpacked his takeout lunch. After a few bites, he felt completely nauseous. Why did he order pig liver? Was he trying to replenish his blood? Why was it so fishy? It was really unpleasant. He closed the lunch box and threw it directly into the trash can. His stomach growled a few times. He stood up impatiently and looked for his coat. He felt hungry and had to go out.
Early this morning, the news that Qin Tian had brought back the Transformation Heavenly Eyes spread like wildfire, reaching his ears. Along with her name, Tong Zhongyuan's name also appeared.
He knew it was inevitable. He understood Qin Tian; her self-perception and subconsciousness were vastly different. She thought she wanted an ordinary relationship and marriage, but in reality, she was more attracted to danger than to safe options. And beneath Tong Zhongyuan's calm exterior lay a turbulent sea that he refused to reveal.
He had nothing to say about losing to Tong Zhongyuan, but facing the consequences of his actions still left him feeling uneasy.
He had been hiding in the office all day, just because he didn't want to hear any news from them. Fortunately, it was past lunchtime, so he shouldn't run into anyone.
Before he even left the museum, his cell phone rang. He took a look and laughed in anger.
Tong Zhongyuan's voice came calmly.
"In the museum? I'll wait for you on the second floor of Starbucks in People's Park. What do you want to eat? I'll buy it for you."
Eat shit! I just came back with Qin Tian and I called him to make an appointment. It was intentional!
"What do you want to talk to me about?" His tone couldn't be colder.
"Something's going on."
"If you have anything, tell me on the phone."
"This is something we can only discuss face to face. How about an iced Americano with beef burrito?"
Tang Zhixu hung up the phone directly.
Tong Zhongyuan put down his beeping phone and said to the waiter, "Iced American, beef roll. Heat up the beef roll."
"Would you like a piece of the seasonal strawberry cake?"
"Have a piece."
As Tang Zhixu sullenly walked up the stairs to Starbucks, he wondered who would sit on a freezing winter terrace. Sure enough, the terrace was nearly empty, with only a small, sunny spot occupied. He spotted Tong Zhongyuan immediately, sitting in the far corner. When their eyes met, a faint smile crossed his face.
Tang Zhixu pulled out a chair and sat down, peeling off the beef roll.
"Go ahead."
"I'd like to ask you to look up someone's information."
Tang Zhixu laughed and picked up the iced Americano to drink. "Background check? I run the police station? I'm just a painter, where can I go to check other people's information?"
"Haven't you found out all the information about Zhuang Xiangyan? You even have information about his son and daughter."
Tang Zhixu glanced at him sideways: "You also know why I went to investigate Zhuang Xiangyan. Why do you think I did this for you?"
"Not for me."
The wind rustled through the treetops, bringing with it a rustling sound. No one mentioned that name, but they all knew it.
Tang Zhixu picked up the iced American coffee and took a few sips. The ice cubes made a muffled squeezing sound in the plastic cup.
"She will come to me herself about her affairs."
He also knew that it was boring and childish to say this, but he just didn't want Tong Zhongyuan to be too proud.
"Because she doesn't know."
"What do you mean? She doesn't know the person you're investigating? Then what kind of spokesperson are you?"
"Did Qin Tian tell you why her father left Shanghai Museum?" Tong Zhongyuan said calmly.
Tang Zhixu gritted his teeth, he was so arrogant even when asking for help.
"She didn't tell me either. My mom told me," Tong Zhongyuan continued. "Zhuang Beiyao reported her father for hoarding cultural relics, and the Shanghai Museum fired him."
Tang Zhixu's pupils narrowed, and the cup he was holding stopped in mid-air.
"My mom told me that he could have been given a serious warning, but the deputy director at the time insisted on firing him. Many people felt that the punishment was excessive because the deputy director was a strict and ruthless person. Qin Yunjie and Qin Tian thought so too."
"You're going to investigate him? He thinks he did it on purpose? Even if he did, it's all in the past. You've been abroad for too long and have lost touch with China. In the Chinese workplace, social etiquette is paramount. We've all been there, so what's the point of bringing up the past now? Do you want him to admit that the fine was too severe? What if Qin Tian finds out? Will she be grateful to you? Will she avenge her father?"
"I heard that Ming Yuanxing, the head of the appraisal team at the time, was initially unaware of this incident. Instead, it was the deputy director in charge of administration who received the report. I looked up public information online and found that the deputy director and Zhuang Beiyao were both from Henan."
A name was rising in Tang Zhixu's mind, becoming clearer and clearer.
"You want to know where in Henan the deputy director is from?"
"I want to know if he's ever worked at the West China National Museum, and when he joined. I also want to know if he's ever been a collections manager, and when he was transferred to the Shanghai National Museum. The person I'd like you to investigate is your immediate supervisor, Wang Qiqing."
The taxi stopped at the door of the nursing home.
"Go back, I can handle it myself," Qin Yunjie urged her. Like his fathers of the previous generation, he didn't understand his children's hearts and always tried to show off when it wasn't appropriate.
Qin Tian didn't want to argue with him. She carried the big bag and walked straight to his room. The nurse recognized Qin Yunjie and greeted him with a smile: "Are you back? Is this your daughter? She's so beautiful."
Qin Yunjie nodded with a smile and returned to his room politely.
The clothes hanging in the closet were still from autumn. Qin Tian stood on tiptoe and took down the storage bag from the top of the cabinet, and took out the winter clothes. He had very few clothes, and only two winter coats, a down jacket and a cotton coat. She bought the down jacket for him in his first year of work, and it was eight years old, but it still looked new. The cotton coat was much older, and the leather decoration at the collar was cracked. She had told him that this kind of fiber-filled cotton coat looked thick, but it was not warm. He didn't seem to listen, and he wore this old cotton coat every winter, no matter how cold it was.
She was more angry than helpless. She didn't need to pay attention to him; she had already fulfilled her duty as a daughter. But every time a cold wind blew, seeing him hunched over, wearing an old cotton-padded jacket and returning from the market, the flame of disappointment still burned.
Her long underwear was even more tattered, the collar and cuffs sagging, their original color unrecognizable from so many washes, and some areas melted, with tiny holes scattered across them. She suddenly recalled how after her mother passed, she had grown up. Qin Yunjie noticed her clothes were too short and would buy her new ones, but out of sight, her underwear was getting too short and worn, and he never bought her any underwear. She'd taken her New Year's money to the supermarket, wanting to buy a set of long underwear, but she didn't know what size to choose. She asked the salesperson what size she should take. She still remembered the look the salesperson gave her, shocked and sad. She'd gently chosen a pink set for her, sobbing and telling her to exchange it if it didn't fit. She didn't quite understand that sentiment. Was buying a set of long underwear so painful? In that moment, she understood. Compared to the shiny outerwear, the worn-out, unwearable underwear truly bore the scars of time. Year after year, beneath the unseen luster, the once warm fabric gradually frayed and became riddled with holes.
Over the years, they lived alone where they couldn't see each other, becoming cold and lonely.
Qin Yunjie was tired. He leaned against the headboard, eyes closed, breathing slowly and calmly. Qin Tian pulled the quilt over him. Outside the window, dusk had already fallen.
The cell phone on the table rang, playing an old song.
"The sound of camel bells echoes in my ears, the road is long and foggy."
Qin Tian quickly picked up his phone and was about to hang up when the number starting with +44 made her stunned. She hesitated for a few seconds and swiped to answer.
"Hello? Lao Qin?" A female voice came.
"Hello. My dad is asleep. May I ask where you are from? I'll tell him when he wakes up."
"You are... Yi Zhang?" The female voice said happily, "Yi Zhang, I am Aunt He."
Qin Tian felt her head buzz, and her mind went blank. She had guessed the number was from England, but she hadn't expected it to be He Wu. If she had received this call a few months ago, she would have been an internationally renowned expert in cultural relic restoration. To Qin Tian at this moment, she...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
