Chapter 145: A Life's Dedication (Final Chapter)
Chapter 145: A Life's Dedication (Final Chapter)
A variety of dishes were laid out on the table.
Lin Guohui said, "Today, I mainly want to try your aunt's cooking." He lifted the lid of the small casserole in the middle of the table and introduced it in the steam: "This is a chicken that his grandfather brought this morning. It's stewed in a light way, so you should drink more soup. And this is braised carp, without any spice. It's served with bamboo shoots. Hey Bingbing, where's the drink I asked you to prepare?"
Cheng Bing quickly said, "Oh, I'll go get it."
"Honestly, the food is all on the table, but the drinks haven't arrived yet."
As Cheng Bing walked towards the kitchen, she smiled and said, "I was wrong, I'll be right there."
While they were eating, Cheng Qiuyan had already put a lot of food into Fang Yuenian's bowl and said gently, "Try a little of everything first and see which one you like best."
Fang Yuenian was stunned.
Surrounded by such enthusiasm and smiles, even though he had made ample mental preparations beforehand, he was overwhelmed for a while.
His eyes welled up with tears, but he didn't want to shed them easily. He just lowered his eyes and whispered, "Thank you, Aunt Qiuyan, Uncle Lin."
"No need to thank me," Lin Guohui patted him on the shoulder. "Young man, there's still a long way to go, there's always hope."
Cheng Bing brought out a drink, sat down next to him, looked around, and asked, "What are you talking about?"
Fang Yuenian forced a smile. "Oh, by the way, Uncle and Aunt, aren't Grandpa Cheng and my mother-in-law coming to eat?"
Cheng Qiuyan said, "His grandfather has been talking about health preservation these past few years, so he doesn't eat these kinds of things. He just asks his mother-in-law to cook some vegetables and tofu, and after eating, the two of them go out for a stroll."
Cheng Bing: "It seems like they went to the vegetable garden."
"Let them wander around. Old people need to walk more. Hey, Niannian, hurry up and eat something. Bring me your little bowl, I'll get you some soup," Cheng Qiuyan urged.
Fang Yuenian quickly said, "I, I can do it myself. Aunt Qiuyan, don't bother, you all eat too."
Lin Guohui nudged Cheng Bing with his elbow, "Quick, get some soup for her, drink it while it's hot."
Cheng Bing smiled and said, "Oh."
He took Fang Yuenian's soup bowl and whispered, "I've already secretly tasted it, I'm sure you'll like it."
Fang Yuenian: "..."
Looking at the two of them, Cheng Qiuyan was still uneasy, so she said, "Niannian, you're too thin. You're a grown man, you still have to study hard and work hard in society in the future. How can you be so thin? You need to eat properly, and don't think about other things. Things are pretty good now, your mother's health has improved, and life is easier. Rest for a couple of days, and I'll ask Bingbing to buy some things. Nothing expensive, just some milk and calcium tablets. You can take him to your mother-in-law's house to see your mother, okay?"
Cheng Bing had just placed some food on Fang Yuenian's plate when she silently put her chopsticks away and looked at him.
Fang Yuenian pursed her lips and nodded seriously, "I understand."
After finishing his meal and returning home, it was already late afternoon. Fang Yuenian felt relaxed, not only because of the care and support shown by Cheng Qiuyan and Lin Guohui through their actions, but also because he truly felt that life was worth moving forward with.
As I approached my own door, I spotted Old Lady Fang standing in front of the house.
The slight relief on her face vanished instantly—next to Grandma Fang stood Granny Hongmei, carrying a vegetable basket; the gardenia in her hair had withered.
Grandma Fang and Grandma Hongmei also saw him.
Seeing her grandson return, Old Mrs. Fang, her face stiff with anger, pushed Hongmei's mother-in-law, saying, "I know! You'd better go home early! Otherwise, your Hongmei is unreliable and will scold you again!"
Grandma Hongmei wasn't angered by this action. She still smiled and said, "They're gone, they're gone. Oh, old sister, don't be upset. Try to think positively."
Then she swayed her voluptuous waist and walked away refreshed, without stopping when she passed Fang Yuenian.
Fang Yuenian didn't give her any extra glances either, and walked home on her own. When she got to the door, Old Mrs. Fang asked her, "Where did you come from?"
Fang Yuenian stopped and looked at Old Lady Fang. Instead of answering, she asked, "Oh, didn't you say the day before yesterday that you wouldn't talk to her anymore?"
Grandma Fang: "I..."
Fang Yuenian faced her and said patiently, "Grandma, I remember when I was little, you found out that I went to and from school with Cheng Bing and you were so angry that you wanted to hit me. Who told you that time?"
Grandma Fang was a little confused.
Fang Yuenian added, "And another time, you know that Cheng Bing and I were making a bookcase for Sister Jun, which made my dad so angry that he went to their carpentry shop and yelled at them. Later, I even knocked my head open. Who told you that time?"
Before Grandma Fang could react, he smiled indifferently, "What did she say to you just now? I went to Cheng Bing's house for dinner, right? Grandma, she made you furious, but she went home all smiles."
Grandma Fang was stunned by what her grandson said.
Fang Yuenian walked past her, her expression calm, and strode into the house.
He's not staying here tonight; he's going home to his in-laws' house. Everything there is wonderful—the bed, the food, his mother, his mother-in-law, and his aunt—the three women are all together, enjoying each other's company.
Aunt Qiuyan is right, life has really become easier.
Summer vacation flew by, and Wang Jing finally regained her basic mobility. She dared not do heavy work for the time being, but she could pick some vegetables, sweep the yard, and when she had nothing to do, she would go to the temple fair with her sister-in-law and help her mother sort through her old clothes. Fang Yuenian worked around the house every day, repairing the flower bed frame at her aunt's house—thanks to Cheng Bing's efforts—and scraping and repainting the walls of her mother-in-law's old house—again thanks to Cheng Bing's efforts. She was also busy cleaning up the water lily ditch at Cheng Bing's house, picking lotus pods and watermelons, living a happy, idyllic life.
Lin Guohui urged his two children to learn to drive several times, and fortunately, they were both quick-witted and passed the test before the start of the school year.
On the day they left to return to school, Lin Guohui drove them there. He didn't say much else, just told them, "Eating is the most important thing. Take good care of yourselves while you're away. You two aren't in the same school, so he can't control you. Don't skip meals. If your aunt sees that you haven't grown up when you come home for the second holiday, she'll definitely scold you."
Cheng Bing quickly replied, "I know, I really know, I'll definitely eat properly."
Fang Yuenian and he exchanged a helpless smile.
After delivering it, Lin Guohui gave him a series of instructions, basically telling him to take good care of himself, not to run around or play around, and to be mindful of everything he did.
Cheng Bing earnestly agreed, but was still criticized for being perfunctory. "Don't just agree verbally. Beijing is a big place. You two kids need to understand things clearly and think things through."
Fang Yuenian said, "We understand, Uncle Lin. You should go back now, don't you still need to go to the factory?"
Lin Guohui breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, I'm leaving. You two can go in now."
After passing through security, Fang Yuenian and Cheng Bing sat side by side at the boarding gate. He turned his head to look at Cheng Bing's profile.
If they weren't in a crowded airport, he really, really wanted to kiss him.
These days they rarely spend time alone, except on the day they pick lotus pods. There are many lotus ponds in Shuibiwan, but most of them are for growing lotus roots in shallow water, so they don't bloom or produce many lotus pods. There is a large lotus pond in the next village that specializes in lotus pods. The owners pick them themselves and don't let their children play around with them. However, the furniture that Lin Guohui sold to him some time ago was both good and affordable, and he kept thanking him. When talking about his children, he said they could come over and pick lotus pods to play with, which would be enough.
So Fang Yuenian and Cheng Bing walked together on the ridge in the middle of the two large lotus ponds.
The sunlight was scorching, but the air was filled with a delicate fragrance.
Summer is like this: scorching sun, thunderstorms, coolness and heat coexist.
They boarded a small boat and paddled steadily into the depths of the lotus pond. The sounds from the shore gradually faded away, and soon the boat was filled with lotus pods, completely covering them with the lush lotus leaves.
Fang Yuenian shielded his eyes from the thin rays of sunlight, casting dappled shadows on his face. He felt content. Cheng Bing put away the oars and pulled him to sit in the middle of the small boat to keep it steady. He touched Fang Yuenian's forehead with his wet fingers, the coolness seeping from between his brows. Fang Yuenian's lips curled up, and he reached out to hug him, saying slowly, "It's amazing, like a dream."
Looking up at Cheng Bing again, I noticed that Cheng Bing was facing away from the sunlight, her whole body enveloped in a dreamlike halo.
As if possessed, he leaned in and kissed him, whispering softly and carefully, "Having you is enough. Everything else is a gift from you."
Cheng Bing didn't keep him waiting for long.
After boarding, they took their seats in the back row, by the window. Next to them was a kind-hearted guy who had been sleeping soundly with his headphones on since boarding. So, after the flight attendant finished serving drinks and left, Cheng Bing quietly leaned over and gently kissed him on the lips. Seeing that he was suddenly startled, she whispered to reassure him, "It's okay, no one saw."
Fang Yuenian breathed a sigh of relief and revealed a long-lost, relaxed smile.
A thin blanket covered their arms, which were pressed together. Underneath the blanket, their palms were pressed together and their fingers were intertwined. They traveled through the sea of clouds and headed forward.
When Fang Yuenian was four or five years old, he naively and innocently liked Cheng Bing because his deskmate was beautiful, clean, and refined. She never dozed off in class and always sat up straight and upright.
Fang Yuenian, thirteen or fourteen, was on the verge of academic setbacks. He had no clear goals and was content to drift aimlessly. But Cheng Bing stood firmly by his side and said, "You have to study hard, get good grades, and go to a good high school." At that time, Cheng Bing was just a child with a simple understanding of the future and life: to study hard and become a respected and good person.
Fang Yuenian believed Cheng Bing's words and was willing to restrain herself, break free from the negative influence of her family, and seek a bright and open path forward.
The study was arduous and filled with unpleasant memories, yet every little detail was also sweet.
He has gained a lot, but still feels unworthy of it and has been restless and anxious for countless days and nights.
But the road is right under his feet, waiting for him to step onto it, and Cheng Bing will paint a picture of the future with him.
They had each other, childhood sweethearts and lifelong companions. (Author's note:)
End of text. Thank you for reading. This book...
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