Hou Siyuan recounted his past, and Sun Tingting felt that fate had been too unfair to Hou Siyuan.
"Siyuan, you are innocent. You cannot choose your birth, and you did not intentionally destroy Xiao Li's family. From now on, we will be fine together. We have a long life ahead of us."
Hou Siyuan nodded. He often wondered, if he hadn't gone to Chiayi City, would his father still be the bureau chief, living a peaceful life surrounded by his children?
Instead of being alone and forlorn guarding a lonely grave.
Even without his interference, would the Hou family have remained intact and not fallen apart?
He fell in love with Sun Tingting and only then did he realize what love was like. It could be sweet or bitter, but it had to be voluntary.
It was not at all what he had previously thought, that one party had to respond to the other, and that not responding meant betrayal.
Admittedly, Hou Pinxuan let Zhao Liping down, but choosing to give birth to the child and wait for a lifetime was also her own choice.
If he could, he would rather his mother abort him and choose a good man to spend her life with, rather than give birth to him, go through countless hardships to raise him, and then die of exhaustion herself.
The couple's wedding was a lively affair, with the maternal grandparents, uncles and aunts, and cousins all involved in the arrangements.
The commotion lasted all afternoon, and the crowds didn't disperse until evening.
"Today is a good day, let's all have a toast!"
Grandpa raised his glass; he hadn't had enough to drink yet.
Grandma nodded with a smile, not stopping the old man from drinking. Let's let him off the hook today; it's rare for him to be happy.
The uncle patted Hou Siyuan on the shoulder, "You're married now, which means you've really grown up. From now on, you have to take care of your family and cherish your wife. You have to make the most of your life, understand?"
Hou Siyuan nodded and toasted his uncle and aunt with a glass of wine.
"Siyuan, let's drink until we drop tonight! Cheers!"
The friends all joined in the commotion with their cousins, determined to get the groom drunk.
Looking at the Zhao family, all neatly arranged and in pairs, Hou Pinxuan suddenly felt extremely lonely. He suddenly thought of his own relatives in Jia City.
He suddenly had a strong urge to go back to Chiayi City.
After traveling for several hours, he quietly arrived near the Xiao family's home, wanting to see what his son and daughter were doing.
After waiting all afternoon, Xiao Li returned from having dinner at the Xiao family's house in the evening.
The Xiao family lived not far away. Hou Pinxuan saw Xiao's parents standing at the door seeing them off, waving to them with warm smiles on their faces.
The children waved goodbye to them, carrying large and small bags in their hands.
It was always like this before; every time we went to the Xiao family for a meal, we would bring back large bags and small packages.
What had he said before? Yes, he remembered.
"Shameful, eating it and then taking it home."
Xiao Li would often be so angry that her eyes would fill with tears, but she would never say anything.
Now, looking at this scene, he felt only joy and happiness.
He didn't leave the Xiao family until late at night.
He returned to the Hou family home, but he didn't knock on the door; he simply waited at the entrance.
It's the weekend, the children will definitely go back to the Hou family's house.
Sure enough, by evening, the two children came knocking on the door with some things.
"Xiaohua and Xiaoqin are here. Come in quickly. I asked your grandpa to make your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs."
The two children cheered and ran inside.
Immediately, the courtyard was filled with the sounds of parents showering their two children with concern.
What did he think before?
"Can't you make sweet and sour pork ribs every time? Can't you change things up?"
Yes, you can eat your favorite things no matter how many times you eat them and never get tired of them.
An hour later, the two children stood at the door and said goodbye to their grandparents.
"Grandpa and Grandma, you should go back now. Call us if you need anything."
"Okay, okay, we've got it."
The two children skipped and hopped away, while the two elderly people remained standing at the door watching.
After quite some time, the two finally helped each other back into the courtyard.
The courtyard was quiet, a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere just moments before, highlighting the boundless loneliness that followed.
Hou Pinxuan was overcome with grief; his life felt like a joke.
As a child, I followed my parents' arrangements: going to the countryside, returning home, finding a job, going on blind dates, and getting married.
He was like a puppet, offering no resistance and failing to stand firm in his own ideas.
After getting married, he relied on the Xiao family. Fate gave him many opportunities, but he did not cherish them.
He not only neglected his wife in every way, but also showed indifference and no concern for his children.
He could have lived a good life, but he couldn't see any of it.
Now that he's old, he acted impulsively. But it resulted in his wife and children leaving him, and his family falling apart.
Where exactly is his home? He doesn't know.
When I was little, home was right next to my parents.
After getting married, home is wherever your wife and children are.
Now that I'm old, home is where my children are.
His parents, his wife, and his children were there, but he could never go back.
He returned to Taoli Village and continued his lonely and desolate life.
Hou Siyuan is a very good driver, and he is also skilled in martial arts.
He was quickly given an important position by the transport team, which allocated him a small two-bedroom apartment. He moved to town with his wife.
"Dad, why don't you come to town with me?"
Hou Pinxuan shook his head. Hou Siyuan was often away from home because he had to drive, leaving only him and Sun Tingting at home, which was very inconvenient.
Besides, the house isn't very big; it'll be just right for when we have kids, so his presence would be unnecessary.
“I think I should go back to Chiayi City. Your grandparents are getting old, and I should stay by their side to take care of them.”
These days, Hou Pinxuan has been reflecting on whether coming to Taoli Village was the right decision.
He faces many inconveniences here and is unable to communicate with the villagers.
He was an outsider who was excluded from this place and didn't fit in.
He had thought it through. His parents were getting old and needed care in many ways. He decided to return to Chiayi City to be with them and spend their remaining time together.
Hou Siyuan breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that he didn't want to bring his father to live with him in town; he had just started enjoying his own private life with his father and didn't really like being disturbed.
But his father was indeed very lonely living alone in Taoli Village. He knew his father's situation and that returning to Chiayi City was the best choice.
"Dad, I'm sorry. It's all because of me that you divorced Aunt Xiao."
I already know I was wrong. You should remarry Aunt Xiao.
Hou Pinxuan shook his head again, "We can't go back to the way things were. I hurt her too deeply, she won't forgive me."
I will live my life well, and so will you. Live your life well, okay?
Hou Siyuan nodded heavily, "Yes, I will. I will visit you and your grandparents in Chiayi City when I have time."
Hou Pinxuan patted his son's arm, and both of them felt much relieved.
Hou Pinxuan packed his luggage and embarked on his journey back to Jiaxing City.
Hou's parents were actually very regretful. They had gone too far back then, which led to this tragic relationship.
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