Shrimp Dumpling was a premature baby and had been in poor health since birth, spending most of his time in the hospital. After being discharged, he would go to a clinic for traditional Chinese medicine treatment and take Chinese medicine. Residents of the port city have good social security coverage, and most of the hospital expenses for Shrimp Dumpling were reimbursed, but he had to pay for the clinic expenses himself.
Taking Chinese medicine, getting massages, and taking medicinal baths are all expensive.
Cai Jinquan's wife, Ms. Zheng, looked somewhat tired.
Shrimp Dumpling Boy was thin and frail, with a small head and face—the typical appearance of a child from Hong Kong. He sat in the medicine tub, looking at his mother with a pitiful expression.
"Mommy, how many times do I need to soak it before it gets better?"
Ms. Zheng said helplessly, "The doctor said that your health will improve as you grow up. You're still young, so you should take your baths and take your medicine obediently, okay?"
The little shrimp dumpling nodded obediently.
After he finished soaking, Ms. Zheng dried him off and dressed him. Suddenly, Ms. Zheng's vision went dark as the lights in the room were turned off.
This house doesn't get good lighting; you have to turn on the lights during the day. Right now, without any lights, it's almost like nighttime.
Just as Ms. Zheng was about to turn on the light, a cake was pushed in. There were six candles on the cake, and the words "Happy 6th Birthday to Shrimp Dumpling" were written in the middle.
Ms. Zheng was stunned for a moment, but Xiajiaozi quickly came to his senses and clapped his hands happily.
"Wow, Mommy, someone's celebrating my birthday! Shrimp Dumpling really wants a birthday cake!"
Chu Yu smiled and handed the cake knife to Ms. Zheng. "Ms. Zheng, we can talk about this later. It's rare for the child to be so happy, so don't spoil his mood. Please cut the cake for him first! I'm sorry, I didn't know if he could eat cream cake, so I picked the most expensive one. What if Xia Jiaozi is allergic to cream..."
Not wanting to spoil the mood, Ms. Zheng, after a moment of surprise, smiled and said:
“He can eat cream, but he’s not in good health, so I rarely buy it for him. I only make an exception for him on his birthday.”
After Cai Jinquan lost his job, Ms. Zheng was struggling financially and was worried about how to celebrate her child's birthday. After all, cakes in Hong Kong are not cheap, and a trip to a pastry shop always costs several hundred dollars.
Ms. Zheng has difficulty even eating regular meals, let alone eating cake.
After cutting the cake for Xiajiaozai, Ms. Zheng also cut a piece for Chuyu.
"Thank you," Chu Yu said.
"I should be thanking you. The cake was delicious, and Shrimp Dumpling blew out the candles and made a wish. I was really happy."
Ms. Zheng wasn't stupid. She had never met Chu Yu before, but if she had, she certainly wouldn't have forgotten Chu Yu's appearance.
"I don't know your name, and what can I do for you?" Ms. Zheng smiled. "I'm just a housewife, so I'm afraid I can't be of much help to you."
Chu Yu also brought her a piece of cake, and the two chatted while eating. Chu Yu didn't pretend that she did it just to make Xia Jiaozi happy; she went straight to the point and stated her purpose.
Ms. Zheng was quite shocked.
She knew that her father-in-law's Want Want Ice Room was doing very well, and she also knew that her father-in-law and grandmother had never retired. But she thought that such a small shop could only earn a little hard-earned money, since her father-in-law and grandmother still lived in a village house in Hong Kong.
The couple lived frugally, without a house or car, and their living conditions were simple. Ms. Zheng always felt that they were earning money through hard work.
The Want Want Ice Room business is good, but the rent is not cheap. The elderly couple only hired one waiter and did most of the work themselves. The elderly are inefficient, so the two of them don't earn much money.
But she never expected that someone would go to such lengths to buy the recipe for Want Want Ice Room, even coming to curry favor with her, a daughter-in-law she had never met before.
They even found out the birthday of the shrimp dumpling boy.
They probably also found out that Cai Jinquan was unemployed, that they were having a hard time, and that she couldn't even afford to make a cake.
“The old man misses his grandson and has told the neighbors many times that he misses his grandson. He has also secretly gone to Shrimp Dumpling’s school and seen Shrimp Dumpling a few times from afar. I know that I am just an outsider and I have no right to advise Mr. Cai to forgive. I just want to do my best to help you and, by the way, fulfill the old man’s wish.”
Ms. Zheng didn't know much about her father-in-law, only that her husband had told her many of his outrageous deeds.
“My husband said he was a gambler who would abandon his wife and children for gambling. He never went to see my husband. My husband had a miserable childhood, all because of him. My husband hates him. When my mother-in-law died, my husband was still young and couldn’t afford to pay for her medical treatment. After she died, he couldn’t even afford to go to the funeral home, let alone buy a columbarium.”
Cai Jinquan's hatred for the old man was not without reason.
Chu Yu could understand it, but if it were her, she probably wouldn't be able to forgive the old man either.
The man became a father without passing the exam. He gambled away his wife and children, neglecting their well-being. In the end, he squandered all his wealth, had a finger chopped off by gangsters, and his son refused to acknowledge him.
Only then did he realize his mistake and turn over a new leaf.
Chu Yu sighed, "He was indeed not a good husband, but as far as I know, after he turned over a new leaf, he tried to find his ex-wife many times, wanting to help her and their son. But his ex-wife thought he was giving her charity, so she kicked him out and refused to let the father and son see each other."
Ms. Zheng shook her head, "I have never heard my husband mention this."
“Uncle may not be a good husband, but he may be a good father. I heard that Mr. Cai Jinquan’s mother has no relatives, and his only sister passed away last year. You also have no parents to help you. Your child needs more love and care. Shrimp Dumpling must also be longing for his grandfather’s love.”
Ms. Zheng knew what she said was true, but she respected her husband. Since Cai Jinquan did not accept his father, she couldn't say anything.
“Miss Zhou, I’m sorry, I can’t make the decision on my own. I can’t listen to you and help them reconcile.”
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