Chapter 41 His promise: I will seriously consider my feelings...
Gu Chunling found a job as a cashier at a fresh produce store outside her residential compound. She worked six hours a day, on the day shift. The pay was meager, but it was enough to supplement her family's income.
She had wanted to apply for a job at the cleaning company she used to work for, as the pay was higher. However, her health couldn't handle it, and the doctor had specifically advised her not to overwork, so she had to give up the idea.
Zhu Liushuang's street vending business was suspended for two weeks.
She was still shaken by what happened that night and thought she would avoid the market for a while longer before returning to set up her stall at the night market in August.
However, she didn't have much free time during this period. She made desserts at home on the weekend and had them delivered to some regular customers. She also received a large order for dessert delivery from a restaurant.
As a result, she was unable to accompany Gu Chunling to Dr. Xie's house for a follow-up visit.
The family's old electric scooter was exchanged for a new national standard one at a shop with some extra money, and that's the one she uses to commute to and from work. But right now, Gu Chunling has no one to pick her up when she goes to the doctor, so Zhu Liushuang is thinking of buying her mother an electric scooter.
Gu Chunling disagreed, insisting on buying Zhu Liushuang a car while she herself would use the family's electric scooter.
The two argued back and forth for several days, neither able to convince the other.
“Mom—how about this, these three-wheeled electric vehicles for seniors are pretty good. They have canopies to keep out the wind and rain, and you don’t need a driver’s license. Let’s buy one and take turns driving it.” Zhu Liushuang took out her phone to show her mother pictures of the vehicles. “I’ve already found out the price; we can get one for 15,000 yuan.”
Gu Chunling stared at her phone screen, looking left and right: "I think I've seen it in the neighborhood before... How's the quality? Is it hard to open? It doesn't look very easy to use..."
"It's even easier to drive than an electric scooter, so you can rest assured!"
Having convinced Gu Chunling, Zhu Liushuang found some free time and drove the "old man's car" she had her eye on home. Taking advantage of the weekend, she also taught Gu Chunling how to drive it.
Zhu Liushuang paid for the car herself.
Since graduating, she has saved up 70,000 to 80,000 yuan by working and setting up a stall.
This amount of money isn't enough for a down payment on a house, but it's more than enough to buy a covered electric scooter.
————
The blisters on Gu Chunling's back have completely subsided. With the injections of biological agents and the combined use of traditional Chinese medicine, the money spent is clearly visible, and her health is improving day by day.
It was Sunday, and Gu Chunling had scheduled a follow-up appointment with Dr. Xie.
"Mom, be careful driving on the road. Keep a safe distance from large vehicles and don't enter their blind spots..." Zhu Liu said, whipping egg whites in her hands.
Gu Chunling picked up her cloth bag and prepared to leave, then turned around and said, "I know, I know! Mom is always careful when driving, so you don't need to worry. Didn't you get an order to deliver to the city tonight? Keep an eye on the time."
Zhu Liushuang didn't stop what she was doing, but kept glancing at her mother who was changing her shoes at the door.
"Mom—wait!"
"What is it now?" Gu Chunling drawled, "Mom isn't a child, she knows the way..."
"I almost forgot, take this cake with you, let Dr. Xie try it." Zhu Liushuang took out a packaged box from the refrigerator and handed it to her mother. "It's made with xylitol, it's not sweet."
Gu Chunling took the box with two "Hey, hey!" sounds: "My daughter is so thoughtful. Won't the cake melt in this hot weather?"
"No, I put ice packs inside and added an insulation layer." Zhu Liushuang continued whipping the egg whites, "When we get to Dr. Xie's house, you can just have Aunt Yuan put it in the refrigerator."
The moment the security gate closed, she stared blankly in the direction her mother had left.
I wondered: Is He Ming at Dr. Xie's house today?
————
In the living room of the Xie family, dozens of kilometers away from Donghu Community, an old man and a young man sat facing each other.
The atmosphere inside was heavy. Yuan Xiaoqin tactfully slipped out, leaving the space for the grandmother and grandson.
"Your dad came by a few days ago and said he wanted you to have a meal with him when you have time," Xie Jingzhi sighed and managed to say.
He Ming, rarely showing anger, said, "Why are you even paying attention to him?"
“He is, after all, your father… A-Ming!” Xie Jingzhi said earnestly, her face darkening. “The road ahead is long. If you encounter any difficulties, you will ultimately need his help as a family member.”
"Father? My mother has only been gone for six months, and he's already bringing his pregnant secretary home. Does someone like that even deserve to be called a father?" He Ming said sarcastically, barely suppressing the anger surging in his eyes.
He didn't want to argue with his grandfather, so he got up to leave.
"Sit down!" Xie Jingzhi growled, his face flushed, then his expression turned bitter. "A-Ling... I know about your mother's conflict with him. They had already divorced before your mother's accident! They just wanted to keep it a secret until you came of age..."
He Ming stood silently for a while, then slowly turned around and sat down again.
He looked away and apologized, "Grandpa, you don't need to say anymore. I can live a good life even without this father. I was wrong just now; I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you..."
As he said these words, his mind kept replaying the tearful face of his stepmother, Yao Ying.
If Yao Ying hadn't stood outside his door that day, crying out her hardships and innocence like a victim, he probably would never have known that his parents had already divorced.
My mother, Xie Ling, was very dedicated to her career, spending all her time at the hospital treating and saving lives. In her spare time at home, she either studied classical texts or conducted scientific research.
The father, He Guanshan, was a manager at a real estate development company and was constantly entertaining clients. He was making more and more money, but he was coming home later and later.
Even when he returned home late at night, He Guanshan still remembered to bring Xie Ling a few of her favorite white roses.
As a child, He Ming naively believed that his parents were simply too busy with their work to have time for romance.
The everlasting white roses in the vase in the living room, the bowl of hangover soup in the kitchen late at night, and the family stroll along the roadside after dinner on weekend evenings are all the best proof of their affection.
Xie Jingzhi couldn't bear to look into his grandson's icy eyes, so he reached out his deeply lined hand and covered He Ming's hand.
“Over the years, your father has been quite considerate. During holidays, he would always bring gifts to visit this old man. Your child support is three thousand a month, deposited into your account without fail. And there’s also the New Year’s money…” Xie Jingzhi took out a bank card from his jacket pocket, “Your grandfather has always kept this money for you. Although you disdain taking it, it’s what you deserve.”
He Ming didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, and shoved the reflective bank card away: "You can keep it!"
“I’m already so old, what’s the use of keeping money?” Xie Jingzhi shook her head helplessly, then took out another bank card from her pocket and placed it on the table. “This card contains my grandparents’ savings and my retirement pension. You can take it all. The password is your grandmother’s birthday.”
"Grandpa, is there something you're hiding from me?" He Ming didn't care about money, but he was very concerned about Xie Jingzhi's words. He lifted his eyelids and looked straight into his grandfather's eyes, as if trying to see through his thoughts.
To be honest, there were things they kept hidden.
However, Xie Jingzhi has recently felt her health deteriorating. She has difficulty falling asleep at night and wakes up early in the morning. She is also dreaming about He Ming's maternal grandmother more frequently.
"How could I dare to hide anything from you? Even if there were... didn't A Yuan tell you everything?" Xie Jingzhi asked with a smile, but her tone was weak.
He Ming's heart tightened; he felt that the old man's words and actions were strange today.
His words sounded like he was making his final arrangements.
His father, He Guanshan, used to visit his maternal grandfather often. But his grandfather knew he disliked his father and never mentioned it. Today, not only did he mention it, but he also directly took out his bank card... How could he not be suspicious?
Feeling a little guilty under his grandson's gaze for so long, Xie Jingzhi turned his face away, picked up the Longjing tea on the table, and took a sip. The slightly bitter and astringent tea flowed down his throat, and the ulcers in his mouth started to ache.
Knowing his grandson was still watching him, he simply continued drinking his tea without uttering a sound, feigning anger.
The grandfather and grandson remained at odds, but He Ming's attitude gradually softened.
He silently picked up the two bank cards on the table, overlapped them, and then put them into his wallet.
“I will keep your card for now. As for the other one… you’re right, even if He Guanshan has a new family, I am still his son.”
The atmosphere eased, and Xie Jingzhi narrowed her eyes, the feigned anger on her face vanishing instantly.
He took another sip of tea and then said the words he found hard to say: "Your father came back this time... and mentioned something else. He arranged a blind date for you. The girl is a local, and her parents are both business people, so they're not bad off. She's a year younger than you... I heard that the girl liked you when she was in school, so it's quite a coincidence."
He Ming pretended not to hear and got up to refill Xie Jingzhi's tea.
"If you ask me... even if you're not willing, you should still go for a meal and see him." Xie Jingzhi knew his temper and didn't force him. "If you go once, your father won't bother you all day long anymore."
“He’s been calling me one after another for months, trying to get me to go on blind dates.” He Ming scoffed. “I’ve been coming to you for help. Grandpa, you don’t know this, do you… The real estate market has been sluggish these past few years, and his company’s performance has been poor; they’re about to be acquired. He’s just trying to get me to go on blind dates to curry favor with his future boss.”
Xie Jingzhi was speechless: "There's such a thing?"
Recalling He Guanshan's humble, respectful, helpless, and regretful appearance before him, he felt a pang of unease. He had thought that the father was genuinely concerned for his son's happiness, but it turned out that he was only after his own future.
“Grandpa is getting senile.” Xie Jingzhi’s eyes were clouded. “He’s so eager for you to settle down as soon as possible that he’s rushing to act as your go-between.”
Zhonghe Accounting Firm is a well-known and reputable firm in Gucheng. His colleague audited the financial statements of his father He Guanshan's company. Therefore, how could he not know what He Guanshan was planning?
My grandfather retired and lived in the countryside, so how could he possibly understand the intricacies of the situation?
He Ming closed his eyes, his resentment towards He Guanshan growing even stronger.
When he opened his eyes again, his eyes had returned to their usual calm.
The sun was shining brightly outside the window, with the occasional chirping of cicadas. The plain-colored curtains by the white wall swayed from side to side in the breeze from the fan.
He Ming's gaze fell on Xie Jingzhi's meticulously combed head of silver hair.
My grandfather has indeed aged, and his complexion is not very good.
He was only a teenager when his mother passed away unexpectedly. His maternal grandparents endured their grief and took him back to the countryside, away from that cold and indifferent home.
After my maternal grandmother passed away, my maternal grandfather's gray hair suddenly turned completely white overnight, and his health deteriorated significantly.
In recent years, he has been busy with work and has spent less and less time with his elderly parents.
Looking at the old man's dusty face, he felt a pang of pity and overwhelming guilt. So he promised, "Grandpa, don't worry... I will think carefully about my love life. I will try to settle down and start a family as soon as possible so that you won't have to worry about me anymore. And so that my mother and grandmother... can rest easy."
The ceiling fan in the living room whirred and spun around and around.
After a long silence, Xie Jingzhi nodded, holding back tears, and said, "Grandpa knows you're a good child. If it weren't for A-Ling leaving so early... sigh, you've suffered so much all these years!"
————
When Gu Chunling arrived at the Xie family's door in her new car, Xie Jingzhi was just about to go out for a sneaky smoke.
With two beeping sounds, the white car smoothly came to a stop under the camphor tree. Xie Jingzhi quickly put the cigarette she had taken out back in.
"Dr. Xie, are you about to leave? I'm sorry... I'm half an hour early today." Gu Chunling spotted Xie Jingzhi from afar, parked her car, and hurriedly got out with an insulated bag.
Xie Jingzhi, leaning on her cane, walked forward and glanced into the car window twice: "Xiao Zhu didn't give you a ride today?"
He still had Zhu Liushuang on his mind.
Gu Chunling paused for a moment before replying, "Xiaoshuang had something to do today, so I drove here myself. It wouldn't be right for me to keep dragging her along like a burden."
The recently purchased "old man's car" had a gleaming paint job, and red ribbons were tied to the side mirrors—it was clearly a brand new vehicle. Xie Jingzhi raised her cane: "This car is nice. Newly bought? Is it easy to drive?"
"Yes, yes, my daughter Xiaoshuang bought it for me." Gu Chunling smiled warmly. "It drives really well. Would you like to buy one too? How about you try mine out first?"
Xie Jingzhi waved her hand: "Let's do it another day. Come in with me."
Gu Chunling carefully carried the insulated bag in her hands and followed Xie Jingzhi into the front yard. She wasn't an outgoing person and just silently followed along, unable to find an opportunity to offer her a gift.
It was only when Xie Jingzhi asked that she shyly handed over the insulated bag.
"Dr. Xie, I've had two acupuncture sessions with you and taken Chinese medicine for over half a month, and my health is indeed better than before. This is a small cake that my daughter Xiaoshuang specially made for you. It contains xylitol, so it won't affect your blood sugar..." Afraid that Xie Jingzhi wouldn't accept it, she pushed the bag forward again.
"Please try it... it's a token of our appreciation." Gu Chunling blushed slightly. "It's hot, and it might thaw if left out too long, so we need to put it in the refrigerator as soon as possible."
"Oh, please thank Xiao Zhu for me." Xie Jingzhi happily accepted the insulated bag. "Go to the consultation room and rest for a while. I'll put the cake in the refrigerator."
Gu Chunling stood there politely for a while, and only turned to leave when Xie Jingzhi was about to enter the first-floor reception room.
But as she walked, a question arose in her mind: Why did Dr. Xie's eyes flicker when he stared at the insulated bag? There were clearly tears in those wrinkled eyes.
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Author's note: The next few chapters will focus on the plot, so I'll try to move forward as quickly as possible.
Waaaaaah, I've been really catching up on TV dramas lately, I've been neglecting them!
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