Chapter 32
32.
Of course, Guan Yue didn't care about this matter in the end.
Cheng Lingjun felt that Guan Yue might not be comfortable asking him such questions, rather than that she wasn't curious, although he didn't see a trace of confusion on her face.
Guan Yue asked him about some details of the consultation and expressed her appreciation for the medical skills of the two Dr. Lins. Then, as if she had put down a heavy burden, she went to plant vegetables and raise chickens with ease.
Cheng Lingjun was left standing there wondering why she didn't ask him about that matter.
Days pass by like the old locust tree at the village entrance, standing firm yet fleeting in the blink of an eye.
Guan Yue's vegetables grew and matured, and the chicks she raised grew into adult chickens. The adult chickens laid eggs, and she picked vegetables, collected eggs, and caught a chicken. She delivered many of these to Village Chief Rui's family, and then delivered some to Cheng Lingjun's family.
Cheng Lingjun's family started having more vegetables and eggs than they could eat, and every few days people would ask if they wanted to eat chicken.
Even Li Guang grew tired of the taste of chicken, so Guan Yue started raising rabbits.
Rabbits are more appealing to children than chicks, and Li Guang gradually began to long for the idea of going to Guan Yue's house to see the rabbits. After school, he couldn't wait to go to Guan Yue's house to see the rabbits, and he even asked Niu Xiaojia how to raise rabbits. When Niu Xiaojia asked him if he wanted to raise one, Li Guang denied it outright, as if he was just asking and didn't actually like rabbits.
But things were different at Guan Yue's house. Every day he would ask Cheng Lingjun when he could go see the little rabbits. After seeing them, he would be reluctant to leave. Gradually, he was no longer satisfied with just looking at them, but wanted to touch and feed them. Originally, Cheng Lingjun was afraid that he would be bitten by the rabbits, but later she was afraid that he would damage the rabbits. On the contrary, Guan Yue always let Li Guang play with them in a good mood and carefully watched over them from the side.
Cheng Lingjun always shook her head whenever she saw the two of them. Li Guang even said not to come to see Guan Yue so often, but now he comes to Guan Yue's house much more often than his father. However, this also has its advantages, namely that Li Guang and Guan Yue are getting along better and better. Sometimes when Cheng Lingjun is away from home and doesn't have time to take care of Li Guang, she will ask Guan Yue to help take care of him.
Since his last encounter with Wen Lin, Cheng Lingjun would leave Dahuai Village once or twice a month to visit Wen Lin in Guping Town. The second time he saw Wen Lin, he was still carrying the money bag and returned it to his father untouched.
Wen Lin was somewhat surprised. A divorced man with a child didn't need any financial assistance? He thought Cheng Lingjun was just being stubborn and didn't want to bother him, but Cheng Lingjun firmly returned the money bag to him.
"It was indeed a bit difficult when I first left, but it was only because I was unfamiliar with the place that I felt inconvenienced. I still had enough money for the day's needs. I sold some of my valuables back then, and the place I've found to stay is a good place. Although it's not as prosperous as Guping Town, I have kind neighbors who can help me. I can also do some embroidery to supplement my income. I really don't need to worry, Dad."
Wen Lin looked at Cheng Lingjun's gentle and relaxed smile, his expression somewhat dazed.
He could tell that Cheng Lingjun was telling the truth; he genuinely wasn't forcing things and was actually doing very well.
But… Wen Lin bit his lip, “But you’re a man with a child, people will always look down on you, right? Even if the people in the place you’re staying are nice, you can’t see into their hearts. How do you know what they’re thinking? Maybe they just haven’t said it out loud.”
"Father..." Cheng Lingjun was somewhat surprised, "How could you..."
The atmosphere between father and son suddenly turned cold.
The initially warm atmosphere quickly dissipated. Cheng Lingjun looked at Wen Lin, who nervously avoided his gaze, but said, "I... what did I say? I didn't say anything wrong... You tell me, isn't that right?"
He's a father, after all. Isn't it only natural for a father to say and do things? Besides, he wasn't wrong. He was helping his son see the truth. Yes, that's it!
Wen Lin raised his head and looked at Cheng Lingjun.
A hint of heartbreak flashed in Cheng Lingjun's eyes. She frowned slightly and said, "Not everyone is like that."
"So that's true?" Wen Lin puffed out his chest and raised his head as if he had won, saying, "You shouldn't have gone to those shady places at all. Your home is so good. If you go out, will other people treat you like your parents, like your wife... like family? Ling Jun, think about it carefully. Is what your father said right?"
Cheng Lingjun remained silent.
Wen Lin, however, thought he had struck a chord with him and continued, "Father knows you had no choice but to live away from home. Actually, Father knows you miss home a lot, don't you? I'll talk to your mother properly. She's not angry with you anymore. If you come back and say some nice things, she'll definitely let you come home. We're family, how can we become estranged? Living a good life together is the most important thing..."
As Cheng Lingjun listened, he felt that his father's words made sense, but he still felt awkward and uncomfortable. He didn't know exactly why he felt uncomfortable. Moreover, his father was being patient and kind, and his heart was full of love for him. He already felt guilty for leaving without saying goodbye. His father was also trying to persuade him and giving him money. As a son, if he continued to make a fuss, wouldn't he be unfilial?
After listening to Wen Lin's words, Cheng Lingjun said, "Father, I know what you're saying. It's not that I don't want to go home, it's just that now..."
Wen Lin said, "Alright, alright, as long as you're willing to listen, that's fine. Your father isn't forcing you to come home right now. Your parents want to see you and Li Guang doing well. Your parents are just worried about you. Without family to help you, how can you, a man with a child, live well? Don't worry, come home when you've completely figured things out."
Cheng Lingjun forced a smile, and the two continued to talk about other things, chatting about trivial matters in Guping Town and at home. As always, there was nothing new at home. Wen Lin rambled on and on, but Cheng Lingjun couldn't take it all in. She just listened with a bored expression.
These were all mundane, everyday things, but for some reason, he felt a restless fire burning inside him. At that moment, he suddenly longed to return to Dahuai Village. He wasn't living there as badly as his father had said; on the contrary, he liked it more and more. There, his mind was at peace. He wanted to see Li Guang, and he wanted to see... Guan Yue.
Cheng Lingjun suddenly felt a burning sensation, inexplicably thinking of Guan Yue. She had no connection to him, yet thinking of her seemed perfectly reasonable. He had had too much contact with Guan Yue in Dahuai Village, so it was only natural to think of her when he thought of Dahuai Village.
Right now, she should be taking care of those rabbits with Xiaoguang. He could almost picture them squatting there, chatting and laughing, carefree.
"...Your brother-in-law just got pregnant this year, so there will be another mouth to feed in the family. I'll buy him a rooster to help him recover. Oh dear, it's already this late. Lingjun, I'm going back now. Don't forget what I told you. Also, let's meet again on the fifteenth of next month, shall we?"
Wen Lin stood up, looking at him expectantly. Cheng Lingjun said, "Okay, Father, I will come."
Cheng Lingjun watched Wen Lin's figure leave, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After exhaling, she was stunned.
When did he become so tense even when talking to his own father? When he heard Wen Lin say he was leaving, his first thought was, "It's finally over. Is this right?"
Has he been away from home for too long and become so indifferent to his family?
Cheng Lingjun couldn't help but blame himself. No matter how bad his family was, they were still connected by blood. Was he so impatient to even listen to his father say a few words?
When he left home in anger, he did resent his parents. But as time passed, when his father found him and hoped he would come home, he was deeply moved. He no longer hated them, but what they had done left an indelible mark on his heart.
He thought his parents would stand by him, but their furious expressions at that time are still etched in his heart. Even though it is slowly being repaired, can the damaged porcelain vase ever be restored to its original state?
But his father still cared about him. Cheng Lingjun told himself that he should learn to let go. Guan Yue had also said that he should give it a try. His parents also made mistakes. Now that they had come to ask him to come home, he should try to let go of his resentment and talk to them more. Maybe they would understand him.
With this in mind, Cheng Lingjun composed herself and continued to meet with Wen Lin. Occasionally, Wen Lin would try to bring up the Li family, but Cheng Lingjun would quickly change the subject. Later, the two of them tacitly stopped talking about the Li family, as if there was no such family in Guping Town. Cheng Lingjun also relaxed and talked to Wen Lin, just like before she got married. Their feelings for each other seemed to have returned to normal.
After Cheng Lingjun finished seeing Wen Lin, she would go to Guan Yue's house to pick up Li Guang, but she would never take him home immediately. Instead, she would sit with Guan Yue for a while and chat with her. They would talk about anything and everything, from the Cheng family to what he and his father had said, and about the new things and strange occurrences in Guping Town.
Guan Yue listened with a smile each time, and Cheng Lingjun could sense a hint of envy in her eyes. However, she never mentioned her own family. Cheng Lingjun didn't ask, but only told Guan Yue the good things. As for the slight melancholy in his heart, he didn't say anything.
Guan Yue's sweet potatoes had all been ground into powder and consigned to Qu Niang's shop for sale. They actually sold for a good price. The people in Gu Ping Town had never seen this stuff before and had no idea how much it was worth. They bought it out of curiosity and found that it was really useful. Later, they sold it all.
However, when consigning the goods, Qu Niang asked if the name "sweet potato starch" sounded right, so she discussed it with Cheng Lingjun and decided to just call it "flour".
When Cheng Lingjun returned and told Guan Yue about it, Guan Yue was a little dumbfounded and asked him why it was called flour, and what flour was originally called.
He asked: What was the original flour?
She said: It's made from wheat.
Isn't that wheat flour?
Cheng Lingjun smiled and said, Guan Yue seemed speechless, only muttering to herself that something was wrong, that something was wrong. Li Guang didn't understand and was still playing with the little rabbit.
It was a beautiful sunny day with lovely scenery, and people were chatting and laughing.
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