Chapter 11
Cheng Hui was about to leave, but he vaguely heard someone say that Qin Limin had fallen, so he turned back.
He walked to the gate and saw that it was locked, so he went around to the back of the house and planned to knock on the window to greet Li Min.
The alley where he was standing now was his secret base when they were in love.
Every time when they were reluctant to part, he would come here, lean against the wall and talk to Li Min for a few more words.
Of course, Ms. Tao's education was very successful. They had been dating for so long and had had many opportunities, but Cheng Hui never crossed the line.
Standing there, listening to this sordid deal, it felt like a thunderbolt had struck him in a clear sky. He'd been obsessed with marriage, pampering his wife, obeying her family's every word, even going so far as to confront his parents. In the end, he'd ended up marrying someone else's wife, the product of a power-for-sex exchange. He wondered how those insiders were secretly mocking him. Cheng Hui sneered, his life had been a complete joke these past few years.
Cheng Hui had no recollection of how he left there. When he came to his senses, he was already standing by the river in the county town, smoking half a pack of cigarettes facing the water.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, children passed by him, chattering non-stop, and he suddenly woke up. He had not yet gone to pick up Cheng Mingcheng.
He quickly got on his bike and rushed to the kindergarten. At that time, all the children had gone home, and the kindergarten seemed very empty and quiet, which was a little eerie.
Cheng Jun rushed to the door. The guard had gone off duty, but the side door was unlocked. He went in and found the classroom. He saw Cheng Mingcheng alone, sitting quietly in his seat, neither reading a children's book nor playing with a toy.
When he saw such a small person, all alone, not crying or making a fuss, guilt instantly took over and his eyes were wet with tears.
Hearing footsteps approaching, Cheng Hui quickly wiped his eyes. He looked up and saw his favorite teacher, Zhang, coming out of the bathroom.
Teacher Zhang asked, "Is this Cheng Mingcheng's father?"
"Yes, sir."
Teacher Zhang said, "Next time you have to come earlier. Seeing all the friends leave and him being the only one left, Cheng Mingcheng, even though he is still young, must feel lonely and sad."
Cheng Hui accepted her kindness without explanation: "Okay, thank you teacher, I won't do it again in the future."
Teacher Zhang called out, "Cheng Mingcheng, look, who's here?"
Mingming looked up and saw his father, and rushed towards Cheng Hui like a rocket. "Dad, you are finally here."
Cheng Hui squatted down to catch him, then hugged him: "I'm sorry, Dad is late. Do you blame Dad?"
Mingming shook his head: "It's not my fault. Dad is busy with work. The teacher told me everything."
Cheng Hui cast a grateful look at Teacher Zhang and made a decision in his heart.
He solemnly thanked Teacher Zhang and asked for leave for Cheng Mingcheng.
The next day, Cheng Xiangqian had not returned yet, so Cheng Hui and Cheng Mingcheng also set off for the city.
Cheng Jun was waiting at the station early in the morning. After meeting Cheng Hui and his son, the two brothers said nothing more except for Mingming greeting his uncle.
Before getting off the car, Cheng Jun said, "No matter what it is, speak slowly. Don't make our mother angry. She has a bad heart."
If Cheng Jun hadn't mentioned it, Cheng Hui would have forgotten about it. The main reason was that Ms. Tao was so energetic, and no one with a heart disease would dare to act like her.
Tao Zhi wouldn't be so foolish as to announce to the world, "I was cured by the King of Hell a long time ago, and I even gained an extra thirty years of life."
If she dared to say that, she would probably be sent to Corning Hospital immediately.
Anyway, she holds this trump card. If anyone is disobedient or unfilial, she will just lie on the ground and try to get some sympathy votes.
Cheng Hui replied to Cheng Jun: "I understand."
As soon as Cheng Mingcheng walked in, his eyes instantly turned into stars: "Dad, dad, this place is so big and beautiful."
There are two large carved iron gates, with the main entrance in the middle leading directly to the villa.
The open spaces on either side of the main road had been transformed into large gardens, filled with seasonal flowers. They were clearly newly planted, still carrying the sweet aroma of fresh earth, a delightful scent. In a corner, a small fountain sat, diligently working.
As he walked along the path into the main building, even Cheng Hui couldn't help but exclaim.
The first and second floors of the house were connected, creating a lofted living room that looked spacious and comfortable, accentuated by a large chandelier. The entire living room was lined with large panes of glass, creating a particularly bright and airy atmosphere. Cheng Hui didn't know at the time that this type of glass was called a floor-to-ceiling window.
On the right side of the living room, there is a large tea table with about ten chairs around it.
On the left side of the living room, against the wall, stood a large 29-inch color TV, with a VCR next to it. Directly opposite the TV, three sofas were arranged in a triangle formation. Everyone in the family could sit comfortably.
On the left side of the living room are the stairs leading up and down. Next to the stairs is the kitchen of this building.
The kitchen is a large open space. Opening the windows, you can smell the fragrance of the garden's flowers and plants, making it feel like you can cook and soothe away fatigue at the same time. Two stove cabinets are built against the wall, with an island in between. In the corner of the other wall, a refrigerator and sterilizer are placed.
Cheng Hui was amazed when he saw it, thinking that Ms. Tao was so generous.
Cheng Mingcheng greeted his grandparents and ran upstairs impatiently, so Cheng Hui had to follow him.
The second floor is the rooms of my parents, Cheng Xing, and little Jinhe.
Cheng Jun and Cheng Man occupied the entire third floor.
There is also a small living room on the third floor, so young people can meet guests without having to compete with their elders for the first floor.
Cheng Mingcheng looked at Xiao Jinhe's room and felt like a little mouse that had fallen into a rice jar and was having so much fun in it that it didn't want to come out.
Cheng Hui had no choice but to follow him and went to the first floor to find his parents.
Tao Zhi and Cheng Xiangqian were lying on the sofa watching a videotape, whispering to each other and enjoying the video very much.
Cheng Hui walked over and called out "Mom and Dad".
Tao Zhi turned off the TV, put on her shoes, and walked out. She said to the father and son, "Come out and talk."
She turned to the small pavilion in the garden. There were benches built on the railings on all four sides, and a small table and stone bench in the middle.
Cheng Hui was truly shocked. He hadn't even seen it when he was standing at the door, which showed how private this pavilion was. Furthermore, for the first time, he was impressed by Ms. Tao's aesthetic taste and ability to spend money.
They sat down casually, and Cheng Hui started talking, telling his parents everything he had seen and heard yesterday, without missing a single word.
Tao Zhi felt so nauseous that she almost vomited the food she had eaten the night before. Cheng Xiangqian quickly handed her some tea and asked her to rinse her mouth to calm down.
She and Cheng Xiangqian sighed, "There's a saying: 'A blessed person won't enter the door of an unblessed person, and an unblessed person won't enter the home of a blessed person.' Now it seems that we haven't done enough."
Cheng Xiangqian comforted her: "This incident serves as a warning to us. It's not too late to start now."
Tao Zhi told the old man to go back to the house: "As a father-in-law, it is not appropriate for you to listen too much to your daughter-in-law's affairs."
She turned to Cheng Hui and asked, "What do you think?"
"Mom, I'm confused and scared."
"I understand. No matter who it is, if they find out that someone close to them is in such a terrible state, I think it would be hard for them to get over it themselves."
"Mom, do you still want me to get a divorce?"
Tao Zhi said sternly, "Son, listen carefully. I'm serious now. Whether you divorce or not is up to you. I have no opinion. What makes a family truly successful depends primarily on the couple. I'm not you, so I can't offer any advice. You're not Cheng Xing. If you don't divorce, you might as well die. Your situation is different from hers."
"Then what should I do?"
“Ask your own heart.”
"Mom, please help me."
"Son, this person, only when he has figured it out himself, will he not choose to blame others if the same thing happens again. Of course, the most important thing is to learn to let go, learn to not care about gains and losses, and learn to bear the consequences himself. Only then will this matter truly pass."
She patted Cheng Hui on the shoulder and said, "Go through everything related to this person from the beginning to the end, and you should have the answer."
Tao Zhi left leisurely, leaving the space to Cheng Hui alone.
Cheng Hui sat alone in the garden until the sun set and dusk fell, and Tao Zhi came out to call him for dinner.
This time, Cheng Hui finally felt at home. He picked up his chopsticks so quickly that they left afterimages. Cheng Mingcheng followed suit, trying to grab the food but failing. He swung his spoon even more frequently, eating half a bowl more than usual.
After a good meal and a good drink, Tao Zhi glared at them: "Stand for a while after eating, don't lie down as soon as you're full."
Cheng Hui asked, "Mom, where do I live?"
Tao Zhi was annoyed: "There are rooms everywhere, can't you choose one yourself?"
"Then I... live on the third floor?"
"Whatever you want."
"Cheng Mingcheng, let's go upstairs."
"Stop, Mingming lives on the second floor. I've already cleaned up his room."
Cheng Mingcheng tilted his head back and asked, "Grandma, why didn't I see it?"
"Well, let me think about it. Maybe you were just busy playing with your toys?"
Cheng Mingcheng scratched his head embarrassedly.
He stretched out his little hand, gave it to Tao Zhi to hold, and went to see his room together.
In fact, the two children lived close together, separated by a study room. Tao Zhi had clearly stated that this was where Mingming and Jinhe would do their homework, so Cheng Mingcheng ran away as soon as he heard it, and missed his own room.
As soon as the door opened, Cheng Mingcheng couldn't stop exclaiming, and he pestered Tao Zhi, "Grandma, is this really my room? Are all the things in here mine?"
The roof was painted with a Milky Way, dotted with countless stars, creating a dreamlike atmosphere reminiscent of a nine-story palace. The walls were painted a very pale blue, like the misty sky at sunrise. On one wall, the nine planets were painted, and on the windowsill next to the wall, there were binoculars, and next to them, a copy of "The Little Prince."
A small children's bed with a few steps to make it easier for children to get in and out of bed.
Cheng Mingcheng loved it so much that he climbed up and down the stairs, touching and rubbing everything, and felt that he couldn't let go of everything.
Tao Zhi reassured him: "Everything here is clear."
Cheng Mingcheng went to hold Cheng Hui's hand: "Dad, I like it here. Can I live here?"
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