Chapter 63 I've waited a long time for this day
The Maybach is driving on the road.
We're about to leave the city.
Qu He lived with her parents in Yujia Ferry when she was a child. Later, due to job transfers and the school allocating housing, the two moved out with Qu He.
The elderly couple had saved up for most of their lives, originally intending to buy a house in Beicheng, but later, because they needed to buy her a house in Baiyuwan, they had to continue renting.
Two years ago, Yujia Ferry Primary School expanded its enrollment, so the couple renovated their old house and volunteered to transfer back to Yujia Ferry to teach. One of them continued to be the dean of students, and the other continued to be his music teacher.
Yujia Ferry is located on the northern edge of the city, and it takes about three hours to drive there.
After getting in the car, Qu He began to tell Zhuang Bieyan about her family situation.
"Yujia Ferry is located by the water, and people used to make a living by fishing. Now it has been developed into a tourist town, but the old ways are still there... My maternal grandfather was the factory manager of the Yujia Ferry Ceramics Factory..."
She rambled on and on, and finally gave a special instruction: "My mom has been teaching for almost 25 years. You know how teachers are, she always speaks with a bit of the authority of a head teacher. Don't be scared by her later."
After talking for so long, her mouth was almost dry.
Qu He glanced at the man in the driver's seat. Zhuang Bieyan gripped the steering wheel, his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses remaining calm and composed.
But she knew that he had actually listened to everything she said, and that he would give feedback and responses to every single word she said.
"Oh, by the way, my dad planted an osmanthus tree in the yard last year. He was saying the other day that it's so hot in the north of the city this year that it's already started blooming in mid-July. You..."
“I’m not allergic,” Zhuang Bieyan suddenly said, with a hint of a smile in his voice. “You’ve already mentioned the osmanthus tree that my father-in-law planted.”
Qu He was speechless.
When the red light comes on, the car stops.
Qu He hesitated for a long time, but still couldn't help but reach out and poke his arm. "Zhuang Bieyan, is there anything else you want to ask?"
He turned his head, his eyes behind his glasses curving slightly, and the corners of his lips turning up: "You've explained it in detail."
Qu He frowned slightly, and that inexplicable anxiety in her heart rose again.
Just as I was about to say something more, I saw Zhuang Bieyan pick up the thermos, unscrew the lid, and hand it to me naturally, saying, "Drink some water."
She was indeed thirsty.
Qu He took the cup. The water was at a suitable temperature, just right to drink. She took two sips and felt the dryness in her throat relieved considerably.
After she finished drinking, Zhuang Bieyan naturally took the cup, sipped it tightly, and put it back in its original place.
Qu He sighed softly and said with a self-deprecating laugh, "Why do I seem more nervous than you?"
He should be the one who's nervous about meeting his parents for the first time.
Zhuang Bieyan raised his hand and gently patted her head with his palm, saying with a hint of reassurance, "Mrs. Zhuang, you can have some faith in your husband."
Qu He didn't dodge; hearing the laughter in his voice, her ear tips burned.
With only a few seconds left on the red light countdown, Zhuang Bieyan leaned back into the back seat, reached for a brown paper bag, and gently placed it on her lap.
"The journey is long, so let's grab a bite to eat."
He then turned down the music volume, saying, "If you get sleepy, you can rest for a while."
Qu He looked down at the bag on her lap and smiled helplessly.
She's so old, she's not a child anymore, why would she eat snacks in the car...
But when she opened the bag and saw the dried bayberries, mung bean cakes, osmanthus-flavored pear daifuku, potato chips, and braised chicken feet inside...
Well, people really can't empathize with themselves from a second ago.
That was a resounding slap in the face.
Her hands honestly opened a bag of dried bayberries, picked out the biggest one, and popped it into her mouth. The sweet and sour taste exploded on her tongue, so satisfying!
She ate a few more, then suddenly remembered that he hadn't brought any snacks with him when he left. When did he prepare them?
Qu He held a potato chip in her hand, her gaze involuntarily drifting to the trunk in the rearview mirror.
Just before getting into the car, when she put the things she bought for her parents into the trunk, she saw several gift boxes there. When she asked Zhuang Bieyan about them, he only said they were "gifts for my parents-in-law".
A gift to mark our meeting?
If she remembered correctly, she had seen that set of golden nanmu inlaid mother-of-pearl chess pieces at an intangible cultural heritage exhibition a while ago. It was the final work of the intangible cultural heritage master before his retirement, and it was impossible to buy. There was also that Suzhou embroidery double-sided silk scarf, which was also made by an intangible cultural heritage master and needed to be pre-ordered.
These things cannot be gathered on a whim.
Qu He narrowed her eyes, turned to look at him, and asked with a hint of inquiry in her voice, "Zhuang Bieyan, tell me honestly, did you already know I was going to bring you here?"
She pointed towards the back seat, "The stuff in the trunk can't be prepared in just a day or two."
Zhuang Bieyan chuckled softly, turned the steering wheel half a turn, and smoothly rounded the bend.
He turned to look at her, drawing out the last syllable: "You're so clever, my wife can't hide anything from you."
The word "Madam" hit her ears, and Qu He's ear tips turned bright red.
As the car entered the tunnel, the world suddenly went dark.
I don't know what happened ahead, but the car got stuck in a traffic jam and came to a stop.
The indicator lights on both sides of the tunnel cast dappled light on the car windows, flickering on Zhuang Bieyan's profile.
He shifted gears, turned to look at her, his gaze focused. "I overheard you making a phone call in your room yesterday. As for those things, we started preparing them on our wedding day."
Qu He paused for a moment.
His gaze fell on her trembling eyelashes, and he spoke very slowly, "I've been waiting for this day, waiting for you to be willing to take me home."
My heart felt like it had been hit hard by something, thumping loudly and rapidly.
Qu He gripped the seatbelt tightly.
"Why...?" Her voice trembled slightly.
Qu He always believed that her marriage to Zhuang Bieyan was a forced decision and a temporary measure.
Perhaps one day in the future, they will separate, like boats that have temporarily joined together to cross the sea. Once the storm has subsided, they will each return to their respective shores.
But he said he would start preparing after the wedding.
He said he had been waiting for this day.
Zhuang Bieyan's eyes were deep. "Ahe."
This was the first time he had called her that.
He gently stroked his wedding ring with his fingers resting on the steering wheel. "Do you believe it? Some destinies are actually sown many years ago."
The lane was quickly cleared, and Zhuang Bieyan curled his lips, looked away, and continued driving forward.
Qu He's heart pounded like thunder.
A thought began to grow wildly in her mind, but before she could react, it flashed by.
I have a vague understanding of it.
Suddenly, my eyes lit up as the car emerged from the tunnel and drove onto the cross-sea bridge, where the azure sea and sky unexpectedly came into view.
Qu He lowered the car window, and the sea breeze, carrying a salty and humid scent, passed through the carriage. The sea breeze hit her face, but it couldn't quell the burning heat on her cheeks.
But it seems to have lifted some of the veil of mist between the two.
Qu He's hair was blown about by the wind, and sunlight streamed through the car window onto her shoulders. In her heart, something seemed to be quietly melting.
Three parts panic, six parts sweetness, and a touch of unnoticed helplessness.
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