Chapter 89
As the years went by, Zhang Dafu was questioned by his wife, relatives, friends, and neighbors, and he felt so ashamed that he was too embarrassed to even look up.
When he was excited, he let it slip. People in the village came to talk about it, not to mention relatives and friends. As soon as they met, they asked, "When will your family hold the wedding banquet?"
In the end, the son never brought the person back.
Qi Chun's eyesight wasn't as good as it used to be, and reading glasses weren't much use. She crossed her legs and nudged Zhang Dafu, who was hunched over sewing. "What time is it?"
Zhang Dafu looked up at the wall clock, "One, two... seven forty."
Qi Chun asked, "Is your son off work now?"
Zhang Dafu tied a knot on the thread of his clothes and bit it off with his teeth. "Almost."
Qi Chun sat closer and said, "Call him."
When Lu Shenxing received the call, he and Wu Yuan were having hotpot in a hotpot restaurant. The dishes had just been put into the pot and they hadn't started yet. The place was filled with noise and the voice on the other end of the phone was not very clear. He signaled Wu Yuan with his eyes not to wait, and stood up and walked out.
Turning aside from the door, Lu Shenxing put one hand into his trouser pocket and held his phone in the other, "Dad."
"Hey." Zhang Dafu asked loudly, "Have you eaten?"
Lu Shenxing looked at the night market bustling with people under the neon lights and exhaled white air, "Eating."
Zhang Dafu winked at Qi Chun and asked, "With whom?"
Lu Shenxing curled his lips and uttered three words, "Wife."
Zhang Dafu raised his voice, "Let her answer the phone and talk to Dad!"
Lu Shenxing turned his head and looked through the glass at the young man sitting at the table without moving his chopsticks. "He's shy."
Zhang Dafu said, "No matter how shy you are, you have to meet your parents-in-law, right, son? It's been a few years now. It's not like our family can't afford a wedding."
"Give me the phone, I'll tell you." Qi Chun, who was standing next to him, took the phone from Zhang Dafu. "Hey, son, it's Mom. Bring the person back during the Spring Festival. You're really not young anymore, so you have to keep a close eye on him. If he runs away, it will be really hard to find him."
"He won't run away." Lu Shenxing smiled, "He loves me so much."
Qi Chun was stunned by his son's words, "You're not ashamed!"
"She's so young, and there are so many temptations in society. It's a blessing that she's willing to follow you. Please be nice to her."
Lu Shenxing took his hands out of his pockets and rubbed his hair, "I'm fine."
After answering the phone and returning to the store, Lu Shenxing sat down and said, "Why don't you eat it? The tofu is almost rotten."
Wu Yuan used a spoon to scoop the frozen tofu into Lu Shenxing's bowl and said, "I'm not hungry."
Lu Shenxing blew on it and took two bites. "Buy two tickets for 29 yuan."
"Two?" Wu Yuan immediately raised his eyes. "Are there others?"
Lu Shenxing raised his eyebrows and said, "Take you home."
"Cough... cough cough..." Wu Yuan choked. He took out a tissue to wipe his mouth, and the corners of his eyes were a little wet.
Lu Shenxing patted his back, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, "You're so excited before you even meet him."
Wu Yuan pursed his lips, "It's too sudden."
Is there? Lu Shenxing thought, they have been together for eight or nine years.
"You don't want to go home with me?"
"I'm willing, but... After calming down, Wu Yuan's brows furrowed, "Will they accept it?"
Lu Shenxing looked calm. "I'll talk to them." He picked up some vermicelli and handed it to Wu Yuan. "Eat first."
Wu Yuan had no appetite for food.
On the way back, he drove, "Teacher, what should I buy? Do you know the sizes of clothes and shoes that my uncles and aunts wear?"
Lu Shenxing leaned back in his chair and smoked, "I don't know."
Wu Yuan pressed his eyebrows and said softly, "It's not polite to leave your hands empty."
Lu Shenxing chewed on his cigarette butt and pondered for a moment, "Let's go to the supermarket and buy some health supplements. I'll bring some fruit when I get home."
Wu Yuan turned around and drove directly to the Carrefour supermarket.
Lu Shenxing was pulled up by him, feeling somewhat helpless. "There are still ten days until the twenty-eighth. Why are you in such a hurry?"
Wu Yuan pushed the cart and looked around. "Get ready early. Sometimes I have to take surgeries at the last minute and I'm not sure about the time."
Wu Yuan was the one who chose what to buy, and Lu Shenxing followed slowly behind him with his hands in his pockets, shaking his head and nodding when he needed advice.
"There's apple flavor here." Lu Shenxing pointed to the shelf on his left, "Take two boxes."
Wu Yuan quickly took two boxes, then thought about it and took another one.
He bought two sweaters, one for men and one for women. He asked the waiter for his advice and chose the size based on his approximate height.
Wu Yuan bent down and sorted out the things in the car to make sure there was nothing left.
Lu Shenxing leaned against the cart, his eyes intentionally or unintentionally scanning Wu Yuan's hip line, his eyes darkening a little, "Alright, that's enough."
On the way back, Lu Shenxing suddenly said, his voice hoarse with an ambiguous meaning, "Wu Yuan, stop the car in front."
The car stopped by the roadside. Lu Shenxing unbuckled his seat belt, put his arms around Wu Yuan, and kissed him fiercely.
Wu Yuan held Lu Shenxing's head, tilted his neck back, and endured the strong wind and waves.
During the Spring Festival, Lu Shenxing brought Wu Yuan home. Zhang Dafu looked at Wu Yuan for a long time and felt that he looked familiar.
"Son, come with me into the house!"
Lu Shenxing took the cigarette from his lips and put it in his hand, patted Wu Yuan on the shoulder, and followed Zhang Dafu.
After closing the door, Zhang Dafu lowered his voice, "Didn't you say you would bring your daughter-in-law back? Where is she?" Why did you bring that child back? After so many years, she has become more and more beautiful and is almost unrecognizable.
Lu Shenxing said shockingly, "You have already seen your daughter-in-law."
"..." Zhang Dafu was so shocked that he was speechless for a moment and just stared at Lu Shenxing.
"Dad, he can't live without me." Lu Shenxing took a long drag on his cigarette. He smiled and said with a mixture of willingness and helplessness, "I can't live without him either."
When Zhang Dafu heard these words, he thought he would faint from anger, but he was standing still. In a fit of rage, he smashed the teacup to the ground, scaring the chickens and ducks in the yard to fly everywhere.
Qi Chun, who was visiting someone else's house, rushed back and was also shocked. She saw the young man in the living room and asked, "Who are you?"
An anxious Wu Yuan heard the voice behind him. He paused before turning around with a smile on his lips. "Auntie, I'm your student."
Qi Chun looked him up and down. "Sit down, sit down," she asked kindly. "What's your name?"
Wu Yuan said calmly, "Auntie, my name is Wu Yuan."
Wu Yuan? Qi Chun wondered, "Where is he from?" Bringing a student back during Chinese New Year was hard for her not to overthink.
Before Wu Yuan could finish his words, a shout came from the room, "Dachun, come in!"
"Please sit down for a while." Qi Chun handed the tea and snacks to Wu Yuan, then stood up and went into the room.
Wu Yuan was sitting in the living room feeling uneasy. He was biting the corner of his mouth unconsciously, not knowing what situation the man was facing.
More than an hour later, Qi Chun came out of the room with red eyes and a bad complexion. She glanced at Wu Yuan, stepped over the threshold without saying a word, and walked towards the kitchen.
Wu Yuan's hands on his legs tightened imperceptibly.
Then Zhang Dafu appeared in front of Wu Yuan. He sighed and walked out with his hands behind his back.
Wu Yuan closed his eyes and walked into the room. When he saw the man kneeling on the ground, his pupils shrank slightly and he ran over at a loss.
Teacher, how are you?"
Lu Shenxing pretended to be in pain and said, "My knees hurt."
Wu Yuan rolled up Lu Shenxing's trouser legs and saw several bruises on his knees. He didn't know how long he had been kneeling. His lips were trembling and his eyes were red.
Mr. Lu, who was in pain, comforted Mr. Wu, "It's okay, it will be fine in two days."
Wu Yuan pursed his lips and asked, "Your parents...did they agree?"
Lu Shenxing rubbed the top of his head, "Yeah."
The atmosphere during the New Year's Eve dinner was rather awkward. The fact that their daughter-in-law was a man was a foregone conclusion. Zhang Dafu and Qi Chun could only hold back their anger. It was difficult for them to truly accept it in the short term.
It’s New Year’s Day, so don’t lose your temper, it’s unlucky.
Lu Shenxing picked up the cup and said, "Dad, clink your glasses."
Zhang Dafu snorted and drank it in one gulp. He smacked his lips and a fire burned in his chest.
Wu Yuan lowered his head to eat the food, but couldn't taste anything. There was an extra piece of lean meat in the bowl, but he didn't look up. He was mentally prepared when he embarked on this path.
It is normal not to receive blessings.
If you get it, you will be grateful.
After dinner, Zhang Dafu discussed with Qi Chun how to arrange for Wu Yuan. Where to sleep was a problem. It was so late, and they would have to explain to their relatives if they sent her to their house. There were only two bedrooms in their house, and they had never considered that their daughter-in-law was a man.
They subconsciously avoided the scene of two men lying on the same kang.
Lu Shen walked over and said, "He sleeps with me."
Seeing her son's shameless look, Qi Chun knew that he must have done something to her a long time ago. She was so angry that she grabbed a feather duster and hit him.
Wu Yuan rushed forward to block the blow, but the blow hit the back of his hand hard.
"You kid...how could you possibly get close to the duster?"
Qi Chun wiped his eyes and thought, forget it, the child is grown up now and there is no turning back.
In the evening, Wu Yuan fetched water to boil. He sat on a small stool and stared at the fire in a daze. When the water boiled, he carried the bucket into the house and called Lu Shenxing to wash his feet.
Zhang Dafu and Qi Chun, standing in the corner, watched their son being taken care of meticulously.
She's so cute and sensible, much better than Shuzhen, and she's a doctor too. What a pity...
The best of both worlds was not achieved.
When they were about to go to bed, Wu Yuan suggested that he stay alone for a few more days, "Teacher, I want to accompany them."
He thanked the two old men.
Lu Shenxing stroked Wu Yuan's face and said, "Okay."
During those days, Wu Yuan took Zhang Dafu and Qi Chun to the hospital for a physical check-up and also took them out for a trip. They got along better and better.
This is how it is between people. If you give your heart to others with sincerity, they will definitely feel it.
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Wang Hui and Lin Lin got married. Lu Shenxing went alone and gave them a big red envelope along with his and Wu Yuan's blessings.
It was a sunny day when Wu Yuan came back, and it was also peak season.
Lu Shenxing, who had been waiting at the airport, stood in the crowded crowd with a smile on his face and his arms open.
Wu Yuan dragged his luggage over, staring at Lu Shenxing without blinking. His handsome face was covered in dust, his clothes fluttered in the wind, and his steps became faster and faster until he fell into an embrace that was so familiar to him.
In the crowd, Lu Shenxing whispered in Wu Yuan's ear, "I love you."
Wu Yuan's body trembled, and he was at a loss for a long time. He closed his eyes and rubbed his face against Lu Shenxing's neck, which was a little wet and hot.
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