Chapter 58 Pearl Necklace
At the intersection entering the town, Cheng Che asked Li Zimai to stop the car and said, "Go back from here. Don't go around inside."
Li Zimai said, "You really want to drive me away."
Cheng Che explained: "The road inside is narrow, so it's easy to get hit by a car."
"You don't believe in my driving skills?"
Cheng Che unbuckled his seatbelt and said, "You still have to drive back, don't waste time. I'm going to buy something on the way, you go first."
Li Zimai reluctantly handed him the bag, unbuckled his seatbelt, and leaned forward to ask for a kiss. Cheng Che left without hesitation after the kiss. Li Zimai grabbed him and said dissatisfiedly, "When will you come back?"
Cheng Che was silent for a moment before answering, "In a few days."
Two days and ten days are both a few days, but Li Zimai’s birthday is on the fifth day. Li Zimai let him go and said "Oh" in a daze.
Before he leaned back into the driver's seat, Cheng Che hooked his arm around the back of his neck and said awkwardly, "...come back before your birthday."
Li Zimai immediately perked up, holding Cheng Che's face and giving him a deep kiss. After the kiss, he excitedly said, "Then I'll wait for you! And there's my birthday present!"
Cheng Che watched Li Zimai's car re-enter the ramp before leaving. He went to the market to buy vegetables and fruits, and bought feed for his grandfather's pigeons and chickens, and walked back carrying the heavy bags.
When the grandfather saw his grandson, who hadn't been home for half a year, he hurriedly called his grandmother, who was at the temple praying to the Buddha, and shouted at the top of his voice, "Xiao Che is back! Xiao Che is back!"
The old man was eighty years old, had dentures, and his hearing was not working well. Cheng Che spoke to him much louder than usual, "I'll cook the meal first, and we'll eat when grandma comes back."
"Don't worry, grandma will be back soon, just sit and play."
Grandpa took out a cake wrapped in several layers from the cupboard and handed it to Cheng Che with a smile, "Your uncle brought it back last time. I saved it for you. It's delicious."
After Cheng Che finished eating, he took out cans of milk and cracked walnuts, handed them to Cheng Che one by one, and even took out his wallet to buy food. Cheng Che stopped him, "No, these are enough for us."
The elderly always want to leave the best for their grandchildren. They experienced a great famine in their time and valued food more than anything else. But as soon as their grandchildren come back, they can't wait to take out all the stored food.
Cheng Che cooked the meal and saw that the light bulb in the living room was dim. He went to the gate of the community to buy a light bulb and came back to replace it. He patiently told his grandfather: "Turn on the light when watching TV. It's too dark and it's bad for your eyes."
Grandpa likes to watch the song and dance programs on CCTV-3, but he doesn't want to waste electricity. Cheng Che came back several times and saw him lying in the dark living room, squinting his eyes at the screen, and he didn't know if he could see clearly.
Cheng Che went to the kitchen to wash and pick the vegetables, then put on his shoes and went to pick up his grandmother. Before he reached the gate of the community, he saw the old lady walking towards him hurriedly with a cloth bag hanging on her head, her face flushed.
Cheng Che went forward, took her cloth bag, and asked her to walk slower.
Grandma said with a smile: "Grandma can still play table tennis with them now."
"Yeah, you're the best."
Cheng Che took her hand and asked again, "Did you go to the temple alone today?"
"I went with Granny Zhang. She's still helping Master clean up the merit box."
Grandma has been a Buddhist for half her life and is kind to everyone. She taught Cheng Che since he was a child that if he took a step back, he would have a broader vision. But Cheng Che didn't believe it. If there really was a Buddha, why couldn't he make his mother's life better after praying for so long?
When Cheng Che got home, he saw that the apple in his bag was broken. "Did you fall? Where did you fall?"
Grandma quickly explained, "I didn't fall! I was taking the tribute fruit from the temple, and the bag broke and rolled onto the road. Luckily, a young man helped me pick it up."
Cheng Che frowned and checked her pants and clothes. There was indeed no sign of wear and tear. Then he said slowly, "Walk slower. No one is chasing you."
Grandma repeated, "I'm in good health."
During the meal, grandma said in both explicit and implicit ways that her youngest son had been very motivated recently and was still working in Beijing. He even sent money home last month.
Cheng Che didn't say anything and didn't tell the old woman that her youngest son had come to the school to ask for money. He didn't want to have another conflict with his grandmother because of Cheng Lijia.
The most serious quarrel after the college entrance examination made grandma sick and hospitalized for a long time. Since then, Cheng Che dared not mention to her that he wanted to sever ties with her youngest son.
"Where's your pearl necklace? Let me see if I can fix it."
Grandma took out the tangled pearl necklace from the box at the bottom of the cabinet, looking sad and helpless. "A few pearls fell off, and I don't know where they went."
"I'll take it to the store tomorrow to exchange it for a new chain."
Cheng Che put the broken necklace away, then took out the Li Zimai box from his bag and handed it to her. "My classmate bought this for you. He was supposed to come over, but he had something urgent to do."
"Which classmate, Ruirui?"
"No, it's my roommate from college."
Cheng Che opened the box and found a string of small, delicate pearls inside, which delighted his grandmother. "Oh, so beautiful!"
She happily showed it to her grandfather. The two old people turned on the lights in the room. Her grandfather put on his reading glasses and looked at the pearl necklace carefully.
Cheng Che took a photo nearby and sent it to Li Zimai: [Thank you, she likes it very much.]
The other party quickly sent a message: [Yes. I like it.]
Grandma was very fond of the pearls and wanted to wear them, but at the same time she was reluctant to put them back into the box. She said, "They are really expensive. They are too expensive and I have to return them to the owner."
Cheng Che said, "They are fake pearls, just beautifully made."
When grandma heard it was fake, her joy didn't diminish at all. Instead, she said, "It's so beautifully made."
A string of "fake" pearls can make her so happy, Cheng Che wants to give her all the good things in the world.
Grandma also reminded him, "Don't accept gifts for nothing. Bring some food for your classmates when you go back."
Cheng Che hummed, put the pearl necklace on her, and praised with a smile: "It's really beautiful."
Grandma liked it very much, but after wearing it for a while, she carefully put the necklace back into the box and said she would wear it again when my cousin's girlfriend came to visit in a few days.
Cheng Che chatted with her about family matters: "Has your cousin found a partner yet?"
"I've been looking for her for a few months. Aunt Liao downstairs introduced her to me. Your brother always complained that she was fat, but I saw her photo and I can't tell you how fat she is. Last time, Aunt Liao said she would introduce you to someone, but I said our Xiao Che needs to study, so there's no rush."
"Um."
"But if you meet a suitable girl at school, you can date her. Once your cousin gets married, you'll be the only one left."
She talked too much and coughed a few times. Cheng Che quickly brought her a cup of water and helped her drink it. "You said you didn't cough anymore."
"Of course I don't cough. You know, it's an old ailment, and it can't be cured. In a few years, the Bodhisattva will take me away, and I'll go to the Pure Land."
Cheng Che said with a cold face: "You say that again."
Grandma smiled and said, "Don't say anything, I want to live a long life and see my grandson get married."
Cheng Che didn't say anything. He didn't know how to tell the old man that he had never planned to take a wife or get married.
Cheng Lijia didn't come back, and Cheng Che spent two rare days of peace and tranquility. He cooked fresh meals for the old man every day, cleaned the house, helped his grandfather sell pigeon eggs in the market, and chatted with his grandmother in the evening.
On the fourth day, Cheng Che's cousin came back with his girlfriend.
The aunt came to the house to cook, and Cheng Che helped her in the kitchen. She kept talking about the new daughter-in-law, saying that she was not good-looking, and then saying that she was family-oriented and had a good temper. She also asked Cheng Che if he had found a partner, and said that the daughter of her so-and-so relative was also studying in the capital, and asked Cheng Che if he had time to meet her.
Cheng Che shook his head and said he didn't want to date.
The aunt sighed and advised, "You are still young. Don't let your father delay your lifelong event. You still need to get married. A man needs a woman to support him at home while he works hard outside. Look at your cousin. Although he has no future, he found a wife who takes care of the family in an orderly manner..."
Cheng Che listened and did not refute her.
Later, when everyone arrived, the new daughter-in-law shyly called her grandpa and grandma, and the two old people gave her a red envelope.
Cheng Che was busy in the kitchen and forgot to put his phone on the coffee table. After a while, his cousin came over with his phone and teased Cheng Che: "Are you dating? Your girlfriend is texting you."
Cheng Che took the phone and saw several WeChat messages from Li Zimai. The latest one was: [I miss you. When will you be back?]
Cheng Che didn't reply and put his phone in his pocket.
My cousin asked with a smile: "Is your girlfriend from Beijing? Is she very rich? I see that your phone is worth 8,000 or 9,000 after the price reduction."
My aunt was surprised and asked, "Xiao Che has a girlfriend?"
After a while, everyone in the living room knew that Cheng Che was dating someone. Grandma held Cheng Che's hand and asked him to bring his girlfriend back to see her. Cheng Che had no choice but to say, "He's in Beijing. He has some family matters these days."
My cousin asked excitedly, "Do you have any photos? I want to see if she's pretty."
The new bride looked a little unhappy, and Cheng Che said calmly, "As long as she looks good in my eyes, that's all."
My cousin said disdainfully, "That must be from a wealthy family. Could the pearl necklace Grandma is wearing today have been bought by her granddaughter-in-law?"
Grandma said cheerfully, "My classmate Xiao Che bought it for me."
After lunch, my aunt rushed to clean up the dishes, and the new daughter-in-law consciously followed into the kitchen to help her future mother-in-law. My cousin and uncle-in-law never do housework. They don't have any skills but they act like the head of the family.
My cousin quietly asked Cheng Che what he thought of his new sister-in-law. Cheng Che said she was very good. My cousin said doubtfully, "Hey, is she not pretty? Your girlfriend must be very beautiful. I can only find someone like her."
He didn't have good conditions, but he wanted to find someone who was beautiful and good at housekeeping. However, his expectations were not met, so he had to reluctantly settle for her.
My cousin added, "If only I could be as handsome as you, at least I could find a pretty one even if I don't have money."
Cheng Che didn't want to pay attention to him, but Biao seemed determined to find comfort from Cheng Che, chattering non-stop: "My uncle said that you only know rich people in school, but I don't believe it. How much money can a college student have? He still has to work for others. But now I see that you can afford a mobile phone worth tens of thousands of yuan, and shoes are worth thousands of yuan. Do you really know some rich people? Introduce them to me..."
He noticed Cheng Che's face gradually becoming cold and hard, and ended the topic in a boring way.
When Cheng Che left early with his new wife, he heard him say, "My brother is really handsome, don't look at my uncle as a jerk. He was very good-looking when he was young, otherwise why would he marry Xiao Che's mother?"
"Well, she lied and coaxed me. Her mother is from the mountains and came out to work so she could get a household registration here. But after they got married, she discovered my uncle's dirty tricks."
......
Cheng Che bought a ticket for the 6pm train.
Before leaving, the grandmother held her grandson, who was a head taller than her, and reluctantly said, "Don't work too hard at school. Eat on time, exercise, and don't get sick."
Cheng Che bent over and patted her hunched back, whispering, "Well, I know. Call me if you have anything."
Grandpa brought several large bags of food, even the leftover pork ribs and potatoes from lunch, and packed them up tightly in a bowl and handed it to Cheng Che, "Take it home and heat it up."
Grandma blamed Grandpa, "Why is he so hot at school?"
Cheng Che took the bags of food and said, "I'll take them to my classmates to eat."
Grandma said "Hey", and kept holding Cheng Che's hand, refusing to let go, saying: "Next time you come back, bring your girlfriend and classmates back to play, and grandma will make delicious food for them."
Cheng Che responded, and when he put on his bag and was about to leave, his grandmother spoke again with difficulty, "Dad is also in Beijing. Can you help me check on him during the holidays? He is old now and will never be the same as before. Listen to me and don't be angry with Dad."
The old man has been worrying about his youngest son all his life, afraid that he won't be able to find a wife, that he will fool around outside, and that no one will take care of him when he gets old. So the old man tries his best to take care of this big family, to ensure that the brothers are harmonious, the father is kind and the sons are filial, and that this family will not break up even after he dies.
Cheng Che clenched his fists and wanted to say something, but finally held it back and just said goodbye.
Grandma looked at her grandson's back and wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes. Grandpa stood by without saying a word. They all knew that this family had let down their grandson.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
