Chapter 18 (Part 1)
Cheng Zhao had been incredibly busy for a while, working on the relaunched bidding project under Mr. Hu's direction. While the process remained the same, the new person in charge inevitably required adjustments. This was Cheng Zhao's only chance, so he didn't hesitate. He, along with Yu Huan and the others, gave it his all, finally getting everything he needed to say and submit done. Now it was time for the bids to open. His mother called, reprimanding him for not visiting her in a while. While Cheng Zhao used work as an excuse, he knew he was in the wrong. Ever since he'd hooked up with Gan Ling, he'd been like a young man in love, completely oblivious to everything else and spending all his time with her. That evening after receiving his mother's call, Cheng Zhao packed some of his mother's favorite snacks and fruit and drove to her house for dinner. The moment he opened the door, he was greeted by the aroma of braised pork, and his mouth watered. His mother's braised pork was a masterpiece, a deep, glossy red, crispy, fragrant, and salty-sweet dish. He walked into the kitchen and, as expected, saw a large bowl lying on the stove. He lifted the lid, revealing a mouth-watering pile of roasted meat. He casually scooped up a piece and stuffed it into his mouth. "Mom! Is the meal ready? I'm starving!" "Wait two minutes, there's crucian carp soup." Cheng Zhao glanced at the four dishes lined up on the stove: two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a fish soup—all his favorites. He was delighted. "Guess I can't come back too often. I only come back once every ten days or so, and look at the treatment I'm getting. Awesome!" His mother tasted the thick fish soup, added a small half-spoon of salt, stirred it well, and turned off the heat. "Help me take it out." When the meal arrived, Cheng Zhao gobbled it down without a word. His mother asked, "What have you been up to lately?" "Didn't I tell you? A big project bid." "Are you and Gan Ling hooking up?" Cheng Zhao forced down a mouthful of rice, his face flushing. He took the soup from his mother and sipped it slowly, thinking to himself that his mother knew him best. He put down his spoon and asked, "Who told you that?" "Old Chen." "Have you been back to Changwang New Village?" "No. We met at the supermarket. He said he ran into Gan Ling one night, going upstairs to look for you. Are you two really like that?" Cheng Zhao said without missing a beat, "Yes." Seeing his admission, his mother remained silent for a long moment. The rice in her bowl seemed to lose its flavor, and she ate more and more slowly. "Ah, Gan Ling has changed too." "I didn't notice!" "She used to be so arrogant! How could she be attracted to you? Now she's become more realistic! Seeing you become successful and earn money, she suddenly changed..." Cheng Zhao slammed his bowl on the table, and his mother immediately shut up. Cheng Zhao didn't say anything...
Cheng Zhao had been incredibly busy for a while, working on the relaunched bidding project for Mr. Hu. While the process remained the same, the new person in charge inevitably required adjustments. This was Cheng Zhao's only chance, so he naturally didn't want to slack off. With Yu Huan and the others, they pulled out all the stops, finally completing everything they needed to discuss and submit. Now it was time for the bids to open.
His mother called Cheng Zhao and scolded him for not visiting her for a long time. Although Cheng Zhao used the excuse of being busy with work, he also knew that he was in the wrong. After he and Gan Ling started dating, he was like a young man in love, and he didn't care about anything else, but spent all his time with Gan Ling.
In the evening of the day he received the call from his mother, Cheng Zhao packed some snacks and fruits that his mother liked and drove to his mother's house for dinner.
As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by the aroma of braised pork, and his mouth almost watered. His mother's braised pork was a masterpiece, with a dark red, shiny color, and a crispy, fragrant, and salty taste with a hint of sweetness.
He walked into the kitchen and saw a large bowl on the stove. He took off the lid and saw the mouth-watering roasted meat piled high. He picked up a piece and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Mom! Is the meal ready? I'm starving!"
"Wait two minutes, there's also crucian carp soup."
Cheng Zhao looked at the four dishes lined up on the stove: two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a fish soup, all of which were his favorites. He was very satisfied.
"It seems I can't come back too often. I come back once every ten days or half a month, and look at the treatment I get. It's awesome!"
My mother tasted the thick fish soup, added half a spoonful of salt, stirred it well and turned off the heat.
"Help me take it out."
After the food was served, Cheng Zhao gobbled it up without saying a word.
The mother asked, "What have you been busy with lately?"
"Didn't I tell you? It's a big project bidding."
"Are you in a relationship with Gan Ling?"
Cheng Zhao swallowed a mouthful of rice with all his might, his face flushed red. He took the soup handed to him by his mother, sipped it slowly, and thought to himself that his mother knew him best.
He put down the spoon and asked, "Who told you that?"
"Old Chen."
"Have you been back to Changwang New Village?"
"No. We met at the supermarket. He said he saw Gan Ling looking for you upstairs one night. Are you two doing that?"
Cheng Zhao didn't hesitate, "Yes."
When his mother saw that he admitted it, she didn't say anything for a long time. The rice in the bowl didn't seem to taste good anymore, and she ate slower and slower.
"Alas, Gan Ling has also changed."
“I didn’t notice it!”
"She used to be so proud! How could she be interested in you? Now she's become more realistic! Seeing that you've become successful and can make money, she suddenly changed her mind..."
Cheng Zhao slammed his bowl on the table, and his mother immediately shut up. Cheng Zhao didn't get angry, but his tone became much calmer.
"If she's serious about it, she can find someone better than me. I was the one who chased her, and she only agreed because I pushed her to the limit."
The mother sighed, "Why can't you let go of her?"
"When I was little, you and my dad had a huge fight, and it was a life-and-death struggle. Gan Ling and Aunt Liu were the ones who stayed with me. Gan Ling was the only one who made me feel at home. Mom, I don't blame you. You had no choice back then. Even now, it doesn't matter if you still don't understand me. In short, as long as Gan Ling doesn't despise me, we'll be tied together for life."
"Then, what about the child?" The mother was worried. "I don't think she can give birth to the child?"
"Why do you have to have children? You gave birth to three sons for my dad, so what can my dad give you?"
"Your father didn't treat me well, but I didn't raise you in vain! Look at me now, how well I am doing."
"According to you, we can live well without children."
"If everyone thought like you, humanity would be extinct!"
Cheng Zhao smiled. "People are different. How could they all think the same way as me? Besides, don't my elder brother and second brother have descendants? Don't worry, there won't be any more!"
After a while, the mother shook her head and said, "Okay, I can't control your affairs."
Because of this topic, the mother and son did not enjoy the meal very much, and the meal became more and more boring. Cheng Zhao said that it did not matter, but he was actually angry inside, thinking that his mother was old-fashioned and did not understand him.
As soon as the meal was finished, Cheng Zhao wanted to leave, but he felt that it would not be very kind to just wipe his mouth and run away, so he rushed to help his mother wash the dishes.
His mother couldn't snatch the dishes away from him, so she could only stand by and watch him wash. Cheng Zhao accidentally turned his head and found that his mother was touching the dishes he had washed one by one with her fingers. It was obvious that she was still the same as before, always worried that he didn't wash them clean.
Cheng Zhao suddenly realized that at his mother's age, some ideas were difficult to change. Instead of sulking because he didn't get her approval, he should just let her be and make her happy.
"Mom, do we have to go dancing soon?"
"Not today. You stay at home today."
"Why not? I'll go with you."
"Aren't you going to laugh at us?"
"Are you still afraid of being laughed at at your age? Your skin is thicker than a city wall."
"Haha! That's right. Even a 24-wheeled truck couldn't find a trace!"
The mother made a pot of tea, diluting it to the perfect temperature for drinking, then poured the tea into the thermos cup Cheng Zhao bought for her. She followed Cheng Zhao downstairs, got into the car, and then went to the civic square near the community together.
Cheng Zhao parked the car nearby and took his mother for a stroll around the square to help digest the food. The weather was hot, and even at night, the temperature remained above 30 degrees Celsius. There were fewer people dancing and doing exercises in the square than before, and the gathering time was an hour later than usual.
"There are only twenty people in our dance team now, and some of them are afraid of the heat and won't come out. I say, if you train hard in winter and hot summer, what's there to be afraid of? The hotter it gets, the more you need to move around. Sweating up a sweat is considered detoxification!"
Cheng's mother enthusiastically promoted her health-preserving ideas, while Cheng Zhao held the kettle for her, occasionally humming and humming. The square offered a wide view, with a large green lawn nearby. In the center of the lawn stood a tree, its crown fully extended due to the lack of competition.
"Why isn't anyone dancing on the lawn? This is such a great place."
"There are so many bugs! And so much dog poop! People who keep dogs love to walk their dogs on the lawn. Just imagine how much dog poop must have accumulated there."
"This lawn is very nutritious! We can scrape off the sod and plant vegetables in the future."
"Who will farm it? If we can't distribute it properly, we'll probably end up fighting over it."
"Isn't that more of a workout than dancing?"
The two chatted and laughed as members of Cheng's mother's aerobics team arrived one after another, each one bouncing and cheering her on. Seeing Cheng Zhao, they began to praise Cheng's mother's good fortune. Everyone knew that Cheng's mother's current house was bought by her youngest son, who provided her with monthly living expenses and a housekeeper who regularly visited to clean. She lived a very comfortable life.
Cheng's mother's face flushed with praise, and she was full of energy. Seeing that everyone was almost there, she didn't want to continue strolling. She said to Cheng Zhao, "If you have something to do, go and do it. You don't have to stay here with me."
"It's okay, I'll be watching."
"Come on! I don't know you. You can't sit still for more than a few minutes without making a phone call or playing with your phone. You should go find a cool place to stay!"
"What about your kettle?"
"Put it on the stone bench. No one will take it."
"Okay! I'm leaving then!"
"Drive carefully."
"I know!"
Cheng Zhao let out a long sigh, turned back to the parking lot, walked a few steps, took out his cell phone and called Gan Ling.
"Are you busy? I'll come find you now."
Gan Ling sounded breathless. "Then come to the small park. I'm doing a night run here!"
"Okay! We'll be there in about half an hour."
By the time Cheng Zhao arrived at the small park near Changwang New Village, Gan Ling had already finished her night run and was sipping mineral water while listening to an open-air karaoke session in the distance. The singer was a man, and from the distance, it was hard to tell who was singing, but he had a decent voice, singing Beyond's "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies." His voice was gravelly and full of age, reminiscent of Wong Ka Kui.
Gan Ling was mesmerized by the song. Suddenly, she turned and saw Cheng Zhao standing beside her, his expression unfathomable and silent. She pointed in the direction of the singing and smiled, "It's quite nice. He's worthy of being called a folk song god."
Cheng Zhao held her in his arms. Although Gan Ling was startled, his actions were not rude at all. On the contrary, they showed cherishment.
"What's wrong?" Gan Ling patted his back. "What made you so depressed?"
Cheng Zhao said, "I miss you."
Gan Ling laughed, "Don't you realize you're becoming more and more childish?"
"Then you can't dislike me."
Gan Ling pushed him aside and looked at him carefully in the light of the streetlight. There was nothing unusual on his face, and his eyes were gentler than usual, like the refined moonlight. She took his hand and said, "Walk with me."
"good."
The two walked hand in hand on the dim path.
"Have you had dinner?" Gan Ling asked.
"Yes. At my mom's."
"Why don't you spend more time with her?"
"She's thinking about square dancing. You're running here at night, and I'm the laziest. I don't have any nighttime exercise."
"Then you can run with me from now on."
"Okay! I'll come over when I'm free—Is Teacher Gan okay?"
"Um."
"No friction with Aunt Liu, right?"
"Nothing at the moment." Gan Ling paused, "My dad knows that you introduced Aunt Liu."
Cheng Zhao's heart skipped a beat. "Did you tell him?"
"No, it was Aunt Liu who said that, and my dad turned around and asked me about it."
Cheng Zhao suddenly felt uncomfortable when he recalled the nonsense he had said in front of Liu Cui. "What did she tell your dad?"
Gan Ling glanced at him and asked, "Are you saying that my dad is your future father-in-law?"
Cheng Zhao cleared his throat vigorously. "I did that so that she could take care of him wholeheartedly... What did your father say to Aunt Liu?"
He asked furtively, feeling particularly guilty.
"He said that wasn't the case."
Cheng Zhao's heart sank, and he felt indescribably lost. He couldn't hide his anger in his loss, although he knew it was unreasonable.
"Did your father ask about our relationship?"
“Yes.”
"What did you say?"
Gan Ling lowered her head, and Cheng Zhao couldn't help but tighten his grip on her hand. "You're not going to say that didn't happen, are you?"
"I said, we are together now, let nature take its course in the future."
Cheng Zhao walked sullenly for a while, then suddenly stopped. "Why not?! I'll find a time in the next two days to go to your house and talk to Teacher Gan!"
Gan Ling hesitated a little, "There's no need to be so anxious, right? We've only been together for a few days."
"I'm afraid the night will be long and full of dreams."
"What are you thinking about?"
"What if your dad is still not satisfied with me and forces you to go on a blind date again? What if you really fall in love with someone and run away with that person?"
Gan Ling was amused by him, "Do you think I'm some peerless beauty?"
"In my heart, no one can compare to you."
Gan Ling stared at him blankly, her expression moved. After a while, she said, "Well, I'll find a chance to talk to my dad and see if he's willing. Cheng Zhao, there's no rush for this. You don't want to sit awkwardly in my house, do you? You know my dad well. He appears gentle on the outside, but he's incredibly stubborn on the inside."
"Okay! But don't delay! Since your dad already knows about my lies, why not strike while the iron is hot? Anyway, the ugly son-in-law will have to meet the old father-in-law sooner or later."
Gan Ling was amused. "Then let's do it in the next two days! Ugly son-in-law, be patient and don't be anxious."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
