Chapter 6 (Part 2)
Aunt Kang happily served Cheng Zhao a large bowl of rice. The couple had been working in Xi'an and returned to their hometown after retirement. Their children had all stayed there, so they lived a leisurely life. It was rare for them to have guests at home, so they naturally offered a warm welcome. "Zhao, is your mother in good health?" "Very well." The Pomeranian, which Old Chen and his wife kept to entertain them, dove back and forth under the table. Aunt Kang said, "She used to come back often when we first moved out, but I haven't seen her in the past two years." "She's busy, playing mahjong with people every day, going out, and even square dancing in the evenings." "She lives a more carefree life than we do." Old Chen asked, "So you're just leaving the house downstairs empty? Aren't you planning on renting it out?" "Leave it empty for now. Maybe she'll come back someday." Aunt Kang smiled, "You're used to living in a nice house. Why would you move back?" "Didn't Teacher Gan and his family on the third floor come back?" Aunt Kang said, "His house is different. Teacher Gan is sick!" "Nothing's different. Everyone gets sick." Perhaps thinking of themselves, Old Chen and Aunt Kang fell silent. The Pomeranian placed its paws on Cheng Zhao's chair, its watery eyes gazing at him. Cheng Zhao handed him a chicken bone, which the Pomeranian took in its mouth and ran off happily. Cheng Zhao's willingness to stay for dinner must have been a hidden agenda, and since the topic had turned to something he cared about, he couldn't just brush it aside. "How is Teacher Gan doing recently?" Old Chen said, "He's very stable. Wu Juan takes good care of him. Xiaoling is so lucky to have found such a dedicated person. I have a cousin who is over 70 years old and paralyzed in bed. The caregivers he found are terrible. Hey, I can't say much, it makes me angry - Azhao, eat some vegetables! These are fried shrimps, you used to love them." Cheng Zhao hurriedly picked up two shrimps on the rice and heard Aunt Kang say, "I heard that Director Hua from the neighborhood committee wants to help Xiaoling find a partner!" Old Chen said, "How could I not know?" "Lao Hua came to see Teacher Gan yesterday afternoon. Teacher Gan has a hard time talking! The two of them were whispering for a long time on the platform on the second floor. I happened to come back from buying vegetables and heard a few words." Cheng Zhao concealed his nervousness and asked calmly, "Who are you going to introduce?" "I don't know. I have to ask Lao Hua." Old Chen said, "This kind of thing is difficult to deal with. You have to get past Teacher Gan first. Teacher Gan is very picky! Azhao, you are not young anymore, why haven't you gotten married yet?" Aunt Kang said, "Azhao and Xiaoling are the same age." "That's right! Xiaoling got married and divorced, but Azhao, why haven't you said anything?" Cheng Zhao had heard this kind of question so many times that his ears were callused. Hee...
Aunt Kang happily served Cheng Zhao a large bowl of rice. The couple had been working in Xi'an and had returned to their hometown after retirement. Their children had stayed in Xi'an, and they lived a leisurely life. It was rare for them to have guests at home, so they naturally offered a warm welcome.
"Azhao, is your mother in good health?"
"fine."
The Pomeranian that Mr. and Mrs. Chen raised to entertain themselves was crawling around under the table.
Aunt Kang said, "When she first moved out, she came back often, but I haven't seen her in the past two years."
"She's busy. She plays mahjong with others every day, goes out to play, and even square dances in the evenings."
"They live a more carefree life than us."
Old Chen asked, "So the house downstairs is just empty? Don't you plan to rent it out?"
"Leave it empty for now, maybe it will come back someday."
Aunt Kang smiled and said, "You are used to living in a nice house, why would you move back?"
"Aren't Teacher Gan and the others from the third floor coming back soon?"
Aunt Kang said, "His family is different. Isn't Teacher Gan sick?"
"It's no different. Everyone gets sick."
Old Chen and Aunt Kang probably thought of themselves and fell silent. The Pomeranian placed its paws on Cheng Zhao's chair, gazing at him with its watery eyes. Cheng Zhao handed it a chicken bone, which the Pomeranian picked up in its mouth and ran away happily.
Cheng Zhao was willing to stay for dinner for a reason, and since the topic turned to something he cared about, he naturally couldn't just brush it aside.
"How is Mr. Gan doing recently?"
Old Chen said, "He's stable. Wu Juan takes great care of him. Xiao Ling is so lucky to have found such a dedicated person. I have a cousin who's in his seventies and paralyzed in bed. The caregivers he's hired are terrible. Oh, I can't say much; it makes me angry. Ah Zhao, eat some food! These are the fried shrimp you used to love."
Cheng Zhao hurriedly picked up two shrimps and put them on the rice. He heard Aunt Kang say, "I heard that Director Hua from the neighborhood committee wants to help Xiao Ling find a date!"
Lao Chen said, "How could I not know?"
"Yesterday afternoon, Lao Hua came to see Teacher Gan. Teacher Gan had a hard time talking! The two of them were whispering for a long time on the second-floor platform. I happened to come back from buying groceries and overheard a few words."
Cheng Zhao concealed his nervousness and asked calmly, "Who do you want to introduce?"
"I don't know. I'll have to ask Lao Hua."
Old Chen said, "This kind of thing is very difficult to do. We have to get past Teacher Gan first. Teacher Gan is very picky! Ah Zhao, you're not young anymore, are you? Why haven't you gotten married yet?"
Aunt Kang said, "Azhao and Xiaoling are the same age."
"That's right! Xiao Ling got married and divorced, but A Zhao, why haven't you made any movement?"
Cheng Zhao had long been tired of hearing this kind of question, so he chuckled and said, "It's not my destiny yet, I'm waiting for you to introduce me to someone else!"
Aunt Kang said, "We've lived in Xi'an for decades. Who could we possibly know? You have to worry about this kind of thing yourself! You're such a handsome guy. I don't believe there are no girls who like you. Are you just too picky?"
Cheng Zhao smiled and continued to joke with the two of them, but he felt indescribable loss in his heart. Old Chen and Aunt Kang had never thought of connecting him and Gan Ling together. Even if it was just a joke, Cheng Zhao liked to hear it.
Of course, it's not their fault. Not to mention Old Chen and Aunt Kang, no one else in the building knows about him and Gan Ling. In the eyes of outsiders, they are simply from two different worlds and must be treated separately.
Except for Gan Wenkang, no one here knows that Cheng Zhao and Gan Ling met again in another corner of the city after they separated in childhood.
Upon entering vocational school, Cheng Zhao embarked on the most wild and unrestrained period of his life. He skipped classes whenever possible and skipped homework whenever possible. His mind was filled with the Young and Dangerous ways, the desire to achieve fame through his fists, the desire to become the leader of a gang. Isn't it easy for a 17-year-old boy to want to stir up trouble?
At the time, his four closest friends were two from the same school and two from other schools. They met on the battlefield, sharing a common purpose and a brotherly bond. Whenever there was a stir, he and his friends would rush over like crazy, either to watch or to join in, mostly the latter.
One day, the third of the five men announced that his girlfriend, who was studying at No. 6 Middle School, had cheated on her with a classmate. He wanted to avenge this and demanded that his friends help him break the legs of the boy who had stolen his love.
At that time, fighting was Cheng Zhao's only hobby. He was the chief warrior in the five-man group, so he immediately agreed.
They planned to ambush the boys on their way out of the school gate, and after scouting the area twice, they chose the alley that turned right after leaving the school gate. The alley was deep, with high lead-gray walls on both sides and a dead end at the end, making it impossible to escape.
"What if he doesn't take this path?" Cheng Zhao raised his doubts.
The third brother clenched his fist and said, "I'll lead him over here!"
According to Lao San's information, his ex-girlfriend, who was a sophomore in high school, usually finished school at 6:30. On the day of the operation, Lao San invited everyone to dinner in advance at a noodle restaurant near No. 6 Middle School.
At the dinner table, Cheng Zhao pointed out that five people walking together would be too conspicuous, and they should be divided into two teams, one team going to the school gate to provoke a fight, and the other team lurking in the alley.
The third child asked, "Who will go with me to the school gate to start a fight?"
Cheng Zhao said: "You can't be too arrogant and scare people away, even if you say you're trying to provoke a fight."
The five of them looked at each other and, apart from the third brother, Cheng Zhao had the kindest face, so after dinner he went to the school gate with the third brother.
After waiting for more than half an hour, it was already dark and no one came out.
Cheng Zhao asked the third child, "Is school over already?"
"Impossible! Their homeroom teacher is a math teacher, and she's a complete freak. She wants to keep them until nine o'clock."
"Even key high schools are like this. God knows what that girl saw in you?"
The third brother straightened his body and said, "I am handsome!"
Cheng Zhao sneered, and the third brother's expression suddenly became nervous. "Stop it, they're out! Damn! This mistress is so shameless, she's already here openly with Huang Jiajia!"
Cheng Zhao looked closely and saw at least seven or eight students walking out of the school at the same time. The boy and girl in front were smiling brightly. They were obviously the people that the third brother was looking for.
When the time came, the third brother suddenly got scared and grabbed Cheng Zhao's arm, "Hey, you, tell me, what should I say!"
Cheng Zhao turned his head to look at him and sighed helplessly, "Are they the two walking in front?"
"Yes! It's them! Huang Jiajia and her lover Ma Xuehao."
Cheng Zhao put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly, causing all the students to stop and look at them.
Huang Jiajia saw that it was the third brother and immediately walked towards him aggressively, angrily asking, "What are you doing here?"
The third brother was timid and took a step back unconsciously, stammering and unable to speak, leaving Cheng Zhao speechless. He couldn't discuss it with the third brother in front of his "enemy", so he could only stand up and support his brother.
"Huang Jiajia, right? We're not looking for you today. We're looking for Ma Xuehao."
Huang Jiajia's sharp eyes moved from her ex-boyfriend's face to Cheng Zhao's face, her aura not diminished at all, "Why are you looking for him? Tell me if you have something to say!"
"I can't tell you that. Ma Xuehao—if you're a man, get over here quickly."
Suddenly, a thin and pretty figure appeared from the crowd. She walked to within three meters of Cheng Zhao and asked hesitantly, "Are you Cheng Zhao?"
Cheng Zhao glanced at her. The girl had a long ponytail and a pale face, and her expression had a quietness that was particularly familiar to him. He paused for two or three seconds, then suddenly recognized who she was. His heart suddenly began pounding uncontrollably, and his face flushed red in an instant, as if he had a high fever.
"You, why are you... here too?"
When the two instigators were speechless, Huang Jiajia snorted contemptuously and forcefully, turned around, took her new lover's arm and walked away, her posture particularly heroic and proud.
But Cheng Zhao didn't notice it at all. His eyes and all his thoughts were on Gan Ling.
After Huang Jiajia left, the third brother angrily grabbed Cheng Zhao and said, "Hey! They ran away!"
Cheng Zhao shoved his hand away and said nonchalantly, "Forget it today. You go back first. I have something to do."
He walked towards Gan Ling without looking back, "How are you going back?"
"Take the bus."
"one person?"
"Um."
"Then I'll go with you."
Gan Ling glanced at the third brother behind him and nodded. Cheng Zhao just left his brother and followed Gan Ling obediently.
On the way, Cheng Zhao didn't rush to question Gan Ling about her current situation, and Gan Ling didn't either. The two simply walked side by side to the station. They hadn't seen each other for five years, and both had grown taller, but the tacit understanding between them remained. They just sat quietly together, and the warmth of the past was like spring water, re-injected into their hearts.
After the evening rush hour, the bus was empty and the two of them sat in the back row. Gan Ling lived in Yuecheng Garden at that time and took bus No. 21 from school, which went through nine stops and took nearly forty minutes.
Cheng Zhao said, "It's almost eight o'clock when we get home. Why aren't you living on campus?"
"My dad won't let me because he's afraid I'll be lazy."
Cheng Zhao scratched his head. He didn't dare to refute what Teacher Gan said.
"And you?"
Cheng Zhao suddenly felt embarrassed and was too embarrassed to say the name of his school. "As for me, I just hang out there."
"What do you want to do with Ma Xuehao?"
"He is your classmate?"
"Well, he is the vice-class monitor and is very good at studying."
Cheng Zhao was vague, "It's the third brother. One of our classmates has some problems with him, so I came here with him, uh, to mediate... Is your vice-class monitor dating Huang Jiajia?"
"Dating?" Gan Ling burst out laughing.
Cheng Zhao was embarrassed again and asked awkwardly, "Then what should I say? I can't call him Ma Zikaizi, right?"
"I don't know if they have that kind of relationship, but Huang Jiajia isn't very good at math and often asks Ma Xuehao for help. I don't think it's a big deal, and they shouldn't talk about it behind their backs like that."
"oh."
At this point, Cheng Zhao no longer cared about what that clumsy love triangle story was all about. He just hoped that the car would drive slower and slower so that he could stay with Gan Ling for a while longer.
The car turned a wide corner, and both of them reached out to hold the back of the front seat. Cheng Zhao took the opportunity to glance at Gan Ling secretly while turning his head.
She wasn't particularly pretty, but she was as neat and clean as she had been as a child, with gentle eyes, very much like Liu Xiao. She looked well, not like she was ill. He wanted to know if the rumors were true, but he didn't dare ask.
"Hey, I've been wanting to find you."
Gan Ling turned to look at him, "When?"
"When you moved out of Xiaoxi Lane."
He deliberately didn't mention Liu Xiao's death, but Gan Ling understood. She lowered her head and was silent for a moment. "Oh. Then why didn't you come?"
"……I have no idea."
Gan Ling looked out the window and said after a while, "At that time, I was lying alone in the hospital bed, thinking about my mother. I couldn't believe that I would never see her again. I felt that as long as I could see her, I would be willing to die immediately."
Her voice was low, but Cheng Zhao's heart ached, even though five years had passed. He wanted to hold her hand and tell her that she was not alone, and never had been.
But he still lacked the courage.
Gan Ling's voice suddenly returned to normal, "We'll be arriving soon."
Cheng Zhao was surprised to find that time passed so quickly. He was about to ask if he could meet her again in the future, but Gan Ling said, "My dad is waiting for me at the station."
Cheng Zhao lost his courage and said, "Oh... then I won't get off the car."
Gan Ling nodded, slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, and stood up. Cheng Zhao stepped aside to make way for her. After walking down two steps, Gan Ling turned around and said, "Cheng Zhao, thank you for accompanying me today."
The night street lights swept in from the car window and fell on Gan Ling's face. She was smiling and looked very happy. Cheng Zhao's heart softened. He waved at her and said, "You're welcome."
The car arrived at the station, stopped, opened the door, and Gan Ling's figure disappeared, while Cheng Zhao was still immersed in the joy of regaining what he had lost.
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