0044 Early Cold (3)
In the northern part of City B, autumn has not yet passed, but the first chill of autumn is already in the air.
Lingling received a video greeting from her mother early in the morning. It had been more than half a year since she had returned to D province. Looking at her mother, whose hair had turned grayer, through the phone, Lingling felt a lump in her throat.
Her mother told her that she should never wear too few clothes just to look good, otherwise she would suffer when she got old.
She snuggled up to the sofa, wrapped in a soft, thick blanket, and cuddled with her mother. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Wan Qifuze quietly reading documents in the study, which was not closed.
Because it was the weekend, he didn't go to the company.
But he didn't go yesterday, nor the day before yesterday.
Wanqi Fuze, who is usually a workaholic, has been having too much free time lately.
Seeing her daughter staring blankly at her mother, her gaze no longer on her, He's mother said sarcastically, "You're looking at other people even when you're chatting with your mother."
He Lingling snapped out of her daze and saw that another person had squeezed into the small screen.
Even though it wasn't a workday, Mr. He would usually work half a day at the factory in order to earn more overtime pay.
He was already dressed in dark blue work clothes, which were stained with oil.
Lingling shouted loudly, attracting someone's attention.
"Dad, why are you secretly working overtime again!"
He Yundong was always serious, especially the wrinkles around his eyes, which added to his experienced and unapproachable demeanor. But when he saw his daughter, although his face remained serious, he couldn't help but soften his tone.
"You brat, you're trying to boss your old man around!"
Zhao Mei was used to their way of getting along. Although she was worried about her husband's health, she repeatedly emphasized to him that the family was not short of money, their daughter had a stable job and could support herself, and they could receive enough pensions to support their expenses when they retired at the appropriate age. Why should they do hard odd jobs and suffer?
But He Yundong wouldn't listen, silently putting on his work clothes and telling her to mind her own business. The two argued about this several times, and eventually Zhao Mei, seeing that she couldn't persuade this stubborn mule, had no choice but to give up. She still warmed his dinner and opened the door for him to come home every evening.
If his daughter scolds him now, he might soften his stance. Zhao Mei just listened without trying to persuade him.
Knowing he couldn't win an argument with the sharp-tongued woman opposite him, He Yundong quickly said, "I'm going to be late," and hurriedly left. He Lingling was furious, pounding her blanket, while Zhao Mei burst into laughter.
"Lingling, come back and visit Mom during your vacation!" she said, looking at her daughter whom she hadn't seen in a long time.
She has watched this little face since it was swaddling clothes. The baby fat on her daughter's cheeks has faded, and her eyebrows and eyes have become more and more delicate, showing her youthful appearance.
It's unbelievable that the little kid who used to nag about eating sweet and sour pork ribs and having pigtails all the time has settled down in City B and has a decent job.
Just then, the little guy across from me nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at rice: "I want sweet and sour spare ribs!"
Well, still the same old self.
Zhao Mei had just finished a self-satisfied reflection when she suddenly began to doubt her own conclusion. She disdainfully pressed the hang-up button.
He Lingling was left to switch back and forth between left and right to see if the network at Songhanju was not working properly. Finally, unable to figure it out, she wrapped herself in the blanket and crawled back into the bedroom.
I'm going to sneak off to see Brother Ayan today. The weather is getting colder, and I wonder if he can stand the terrible weather in B City.
While we're at it, we can take him to the hospital for a check-up.
Wanqi Fuze saw Lingling jumping around the house wrapped up like a dumpling, and after thinking for a moment, he dialed a number.
The person on the other end called out "General Manager Chen," and he quickly thought about the recent performance of the region he was in charge of, anxiously awaiting his boss's instructions.
Who knew the other party would ask a completely unrelated question.
"You said last time that your underfloor heating was pretty good?"
"Huh?...Yes, that's right."
"Give me your contact information."
-
Traffic shouldn't be too heavy on weekends, but He Lingling encountered a minor car accident on her way, which led to a road closure, so she had to take a detour.
What should have been an hour's drive took Lingling two hours to arrive. She was freezing when she left home, but now she's sweating profusely from the rush.
It got even warmer once I stepped into Shen Yan's house.
She didn't expect that the house her brother Ayan rented would not only be in a good location, but also have such great amenities.
The underfloor heating started working in early winter, which relieved Brother Shenyan from his chronic ailment.
The living room was piled high with textbooks for advanced mathematics and university chemistry, as well as a series of postgraduate entrance exam preparation books.
The sunlight was just right, streaming through the window and onto the wooden floor, making the small room look very cozy.
Shen Yan pushed Lingling's wheelchair as she wandered around the room, and couldn't help but laugh and ask, "Hey, are you doing rounds?"
Lingling was taken aback by his words, feeling a little embarrassed, but she quickly and readily picked up on Chen Yan's words: "Yes, to see if you're hiding a mistress."
Both of them were stunned after saying that. Lingling suddenly realized that she had lost her composure and awkwardly pushed Shen Yan's wheelchair, shouting, "I can't take it anymore, I'm going to faint from hunger! Brother Shen Yan, you have to treat me to a meal!"
Shen Yan suppressed the fleeting emotion that had just crossed his mind and replied with a smile, "No problem!"
Lingling pushed Chenyan out the door, because it was convenient to get around on the first floor, and there was a newly built ramp at the entrance, which made it easy to push the wheelchair down.
She became increasingly certain about this place, wondering how her brother Ayan had found such a suitable place for him.
The two sat down at a Hunan restaurant near the residential area, intending to grab a quick bite.
Lingling likes spicy food. After coming to B City, Wanqi Fuze always took care of her diet. When she was with him, she rarely had the chance to indulge her appetite.
Now that she's with Brother Ayan, she's determined to feast. She ticked off dishes like chopped chili fish head and dry-pot lamb trotters. Shenyan mocked her from the side, "You said you were treating, but you don't have to rip me off like this!"
He Lingling handed the menu to the owner with a smile, then grinned mischievously like a little monkey: "Yes! I'm going to rip you off!"
A bell jingled softly behind me, and someone else entered.
The boss led the group to a table next to them.
He Lingling and Shen Yan were talking about funny things at school. They had just mentioned that a professor pulled out a sock from his book during class when someone next to them chimed in.
"Is that the one from the architecture department?"
Lingling was startled, then turned her head and saw a familiar smiling face.
Guan Kai turned his gaze to Shen Yan, who was sitting opposite Lingling, but still addressed Lingling: "Teacher He, aren't you going to introduce me?"
P.S.: I'll take this opportunity to explain a question I forgot to address earlier.
The chapter about weddings mentioned that only one member of the Wan family was a merchant. Lingling assumed it was Fuze, but it wasn't, because Fuze usually used the name Chen Yixu when doing business. Firstly, he was quite stubborn and didn't want to rely on family connections; secondly, having a family background could sometimes be inconvenient, as he had to be constantly careful about his words and actions to avoid giving anyone a handle to use against him… Anyway, having money and power sometimes brings a lot of trouble…
And I'd still like to hear your comments~
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