Dongyue nodded, just then a scream came from the bedroom—this was the third time Daqi had given her that ecstasy-like feeling…
Dongyue tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She wanted to be with Daqi, but she also felt he was too much of a womanizer. So, she hesitated. If Daqi simply offered her his money, she would agree. But she wouldn't easily commit to a real relationship. Because Dongyue had never truly given her heart to anyone before.
Dongyue often thought to herself: I'm just exchanging my body for money, not my feelings. Therefore, she felt no attachment to the two men who had supported her. But this time, she truly fell for one man: Daqi. This, in turn, made her tremble with fear. Her mind was racing, filled with thought, hesitation, and struggle. As a result, she didn't truly sleep all night.
The next day, Daqi went home. The "Four Beauties of Broadcasting" went to the library's study room to review for their final exams. As usual, Daqi would be away from home for two days, so Dongyue stayed at Baisha Apartment with the other three beauties for those two days.
When Daqi returned home, he would simply spend time with his wives and take care of his three children. Suddenly, the phone rang; it was his mother calling from the Tong family mansion in Changqing.
Daqi: "Mom, why don't you come and live with us? It's so boring at home!"
Mother: "Never mind, I've lived with you for so many years, and the old house feels unfamiliar. I'm more used to home. In a while, I'll come out to see my granddaughter and grandson. I don't know why, but I really want to see them grow up, and I wish they could be as old as you overnight..."
Daqi happily said, "Okay, okay... Mom, please come out and rescue her. I'll go to our hometown to pick you up."
Mother: "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"
Daqi said, "University courses are fine; my son can handle them by himself. When are you coming out?"
Mother: "It'll be in the next few days. I'll call you then."
Daqi nodded and said, "Okay, okay." The mother and son chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up. For some reason, Daqi felt that his mother seemed a little strange. He thought to himself: Maybe she misses her grandson and granddaughter too much.
This Saturday night, Daqi spent the night in Yijing's room. Of course, Yijing wasn't alone; Ma'er, Yulou, and Lijie were also there. The five of them inevitably had some fun. Daqi treated each of his wives well, and thanks to his enduring "power," all five women were satisfied. When he had Yulou use her breasts to serve him, he praised, "Sister, your assets are so great!" Yulou smiled charmingly and said, "Don't you like it, my darling?" Daqi laughed, "I like it, I like it, continue..."
As she was falling asleep that night, Yijing suddenly said, "Brother, I miss Mom. Can I go back to our hometown to see her?"
Daqi stroked her cheek and said, "It's alright, she'll be out in a while. I spoke to her on the phone today. She wants to come out and see her grandchildren."
Yi Jing said happily, "Really?" Da Qi gently patted her cheek and said, "Little sister, when have I ever lied to you?" Yi Jing smiled and buried her head in Da Qi's arms.
On Sunday morning, a piercing phone call rang. After answering the call, Qiwen immediately ran to Yijing's door to wake Daqi. Startled, Daqi scrambled out of Yijing's bed, waking all five girls in bed. Yulou asked, "What's the matter? Why the rush?"
Qiwen said, "Daqi, get up! Something's happened at home, get up!" Daqi, wearing only his underwear, opened the door and asked her, "Wife, what's wrong?" Qiwen said in a panic, "The housekeeper from our hometown called and said Mom fainted and was taken to the hospital..."
"Ah!" Daqi was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a long time. Upon hearing this, the five women in the room immediately got dressed and got up. Yijing hurriedly asked Qiwen, "Sister Wen, Mom, what happened?" Qiwen shook her head and said, "The nanny said that she was taken to the hospital."
Daqi then realized what had happened and immediately dialed home again. An old neighbor answered. The neighbor said, "The old lady fainted and was taken to the hospital. An ambulance came, and the caregiver went to the hospital too. I'm watching the house for her." Daqi repeatedly said, "Thank you, thank you. Please tell the caregiver that I'll be back in Changqing right away."
Daqi immediately dialed Hanmeng's number to ask her to ask for leave for him. Hanmeng asked with concern, "It's all final exam review time... how many days are you going to be gone?" Daqi said, "I don't know, I talk to you on the phone every day." Hanmeng had no choice but to say, "Okay, okay, I'll handle things for you at school. Be careful, don't drive too fast..." After Hanmeng gave him some instructions, Daqi hung up the phone. He said to Qiwen, "Wen'er, I've asked for leave, I'm going back to my hometown to visit." Qiwen's call woke up all the wives, even his mother-in-law rushed over to find out what was going on. Xiaoli said, "Don't worry, my dear. I'll go back with you." Every wife said she wanted to go back. Yijing almost cried, "Brother, take me back, I've been taking care of Mom for a long time, she likes me by her side."
Qiwen asked, "Where's Muping?"
Mu Ping immediately said, "Wen'er, I'm here."
Qiwen said, "I'm going back to Daqi's hometown with him, and Jing'er is coming with us. Please keep an eye on the three children at home." Muping said, "Sister, don't worry, we'll take care of Xiaoqi." Qiwen then said to Qianru and the other young women, "Sisters, please keep an eye on things at home." Chunxiao said, "The director of Changqing Qingzhou Hospital is my former colleague's brother, so I'll go back too. Mom is at the hospital; we need to have connections there."
Daqi said, "Wives, the five of us are going back to our hometown. Qianru and Yulou, you two make the decisions about things at home, and discuss them with everyone. We're leaving immediately." Each wife said, "Honey, don't worry, we'll listen to you." So, Daqi, Qiwen, Xiaoli, Chunxiao, and Yijing took a car home. Before leaving, his mother-in-law specifically instructed Qiwen, "Daughter, let Chunxiao drive; she's more reliable. Daqi is upset, so it's best if he doesn't drive." Chunxiao nodded and sat in the driver's seat. Qiwen said to her mother, "Mom, please don't cause any more trouble..." Her mother-in-law said, "Don't worry, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I won't cause any trouble at this time!"
On the way, Daqi called Xiaoling and told her that his mother had an accident at home. Xiaoling also repeatedly told Daqi to be careful. The "Four Beauties of Broadcasting" were all worried about Daqi, so I won't go into details here.
After several hours of travel, Daqi and his group of five arrived at Qingzhou Hospital, the largest hospital in Changqing. When they arrived, their mother was already in her hospital room. The nanny, upon seeing Daqi, exclaimed, "Young Master Tong, you're finally back..." Daqi asked the nanny, "What's wrong with my mother?" The nanny couldn't explain. Chunxiao immediately called the hospital director and asked him to...
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"Come here for a moment." Qiwen, Xiaoli, and Yijing were responsible for taking care of Daqi's mother at the bedside. Soon, the hospital director arrived. After inquiring with the doctors and nurses under his command, he said to Daqi and Chunxiao, "Your mother's illness is quite serious. She needs further tests. I'll do them myself. You two go to the front desk to pay the relevant fees." Daqi cried and grasped the director's hand, saying, "Director, no matter the cost, please make sure my mother is alright..." The director patted Daqi's shoulder and said, "I'll do my best. We'll have the results in two hours." Chunxiao also tried her best to speak well of him to the director, who smiled and said, "Chunxiao, I'll handle it." The director's sister was a good friend of Chunxiao's from when she worked in a government office, and Chunxiao had already called her beforehand. Chunxiao's colleagues and Chunxiao herself had all called the director, so he arrived at the hospital immediately.
Daqi's mother was in a coma, and Yijing held her hand, tears streaming down her face. Qiwen and Xiaoli also had tears in their eyes. Everyone seemed to feel that the old lady might have a terminal illness. Daqi sat beside his mother like a wooden statue, tears streaming down his face, but he didn't cry.
In short, ever since the phone call last night, he felt that his mother seemed different than usual. Daqi asked the nanny, "Grandma, has she been behaving strangely these past two days?" The nanny shook her head and said, "No, she went to the park to see a play yesterday. I went with her. Last night she said she felt dizzy and had chest tightness, but she said she really wanted to call you, young master, so she did. Unexpectedly, she suddenly fainted this morning while brushing her teeth." Daqi said, "Thank you!" The nanny quickly shook her head and said, "Oh, no need to thank me, as long as Grandma gets better, that's all that matters."
Qiwen suddenly remembered that everyone hadn't eaten yet. So she said to everyone, "Jing'er, you watch over the old lady for now, we're going to eat. I'll pack some food for you." Yijing nodded tearfully... Daqi, Qiwen, Xiaoli, Chunxiao, and the nanny went to eat together. The nanny at the Tong family mansion was called Aunt Qi; it seemed the old lady had recently hired her, as the previous one had gone home to take care of her grandson. Of the five people, only Daqi couldn't eat; the others were fine. No matter how Xiaoli, Qiwen, or Chunxiao tried to persuade him, Daqi always shook his head, saying he couldn't eat. Clearly, he was worried about his mother's health, as the hospital director's test results would be out soon. Later, seeing everyone urging him to eat, Daqi ate a couple of bites and rushed back to the hospital. Qiwen brought the packed food to Yijing, but Yijing also only ate a couple of bites before being unable to eat any more.
Around 2 p.m., the hospital director approached Daqi and Chunxiao and said to him earnestly, "Mr. Tong, Chunxiao, your aunt has brain cancer... in its late stage. Please try to think positively." Daqi immediately said, "Doctor, I'm willing to spend any amount of money..." The director shook his head and said, "It's not about the money... I'm sorry... she only has a few days left. We can consider helping her prepare for her funeral."
At this moment, the eldest brother stopped crying. He knew crying was useless, but tears still welled up in his eyes. He returned to his mother's side in a daze and slowly sat down. Yijing immediately asked him, "Brother, what did the doctor say?" Daqi said, "Brain cancer, late stage."
"What?" Upon hearing this, Yi Jing immediately collapsed into Qi Wen's arms and burst into tears. No one was in a good mood. Qi Wen, Chun Xiao, and Xiao Li all wept, and even the nanny, Aunt Qi, cried. Da Qi lowered his head, unable to utter a word; he truly didn't know what to say.
He recalled the hardships he and his mother endured as children, the times his mother washed dishes at a hotel for him to go to school, and even the times his mother would beat him for being naughty as a child.
Daqi thought to himself: Mom, it would be nice if you could beat me up again...
Around 3:30, Daqi's mother woke up. The old lady was quite clever; as soon as she opened her eyes, she said, "Qi'er, Wen'er, Jing'er, Li'er, and Chunxiao, why are you all back?"
Daqi wiped away his tears and said, "Mom, it's nothing, I just came back to see you. The doctor said you can be discharged. Let me take you home!" His mother nodded and smiled, "Okay, let's go home..." So, everyone went to take his mother back to the Tong family mansion. Daqi carried his mother out of the hospital because the old woman didn't even have the strength to walk. When they arrived at the hospital gate, Daqi hailed a rickshaw, and he and his mother rode home together. The others, including the caregiver, all went home by car. Yijing was crying her eyes out, and Qiwen kept comforting her, "Jing, later in front of Mom..." Yijing nodded and said, "I know, I won't cry in front of Mom." Qiwen's phone rang; it was Daqi's wives calling from Rongzhou. They were all asking about Daqi's mother's condition, and Qiwen told them the truth. Suddenly, grief spread from Changqing to Rongzhou...
Back at the Tong family mansion, Daqi helped his mother sit in a wicker chair with a backrest. His mother asked, "Qi'er, I know my time might be coming..." Daqi laughed, "Mom, don't talk nonsense. The doctor said it's nothing." His mother smiled, "Silly child, when have you ever been able to fool me with a lie? Hehe, tell Mom the truth, what illness do I have? Why is my head no longer hurting, but I can't move my hands and feet?"
Daqi thought for a long time, then looked at Qiwen, who nodded tearfully, and Xiaoli nodded as well. Yijing burst into tears and threw herself into her mother's arms, and everyone else followed suit. The mother understood. Stroking Yijing's head, she said to everyone, "No need to say anything more. I've had headaches for decades, but after fainting and waking up today, I felt unusually clear-headed. I know why—it's a final burst of energy before death!" Daqi immediately knelt before his mother, crying, "Mom, your son is unfilial, your son is unfilial..." His mother also shed a tear, saying, "Son, don't cry. I've lived to this age, I've experienced everything. Joy and sorrow, honor and disgrace, rise and fall—I've experienced too much. Now that I'm gone, you must take good care of my grandchildren. I hope the Tong family will prosper even more in the future. Don't be afraid of the trouble, Qi'er, let all your wives have children, so our Tong family will never be without life again."
Daqi said, "Mom, it's not that I'm unfilial. But having children is something they have to be willing to do. Don't worry, the Tong family line won't end. Our Tong family's ancestral line will continue."
The mother smiled and said, "You rascal, how come you're so promiscuous? You've brought so many women home all at once. Hehe, I used to worry that you wouldn't be able to find a wife. Sigh, you're even more lecherous and promiscuous than your great-grandfather! I can't control you anymore, so you'd better watch yourself. Anyway, the Tong family's future depends on you and Wen'er. Wen'er, come here."
Qiwen knelt down beside her mother, crying, and said, "Mom, please don't say that. You'll get better."
The mother said, "Wen'er, you should help Daqi more and understand him more. I know he listens to you the most. When necessary, you also have to keep an eye on him and not let him go around flirting with other women."
With tears in her eyes, Qiwen nodded and said, "Mom, I will, don't worry!"
Daqi's mother also talked a lot with Xiaoli, Chunxiao, and Yijing. She didn't seem very sad. She said, "I'm very happy to see Daqi so successful. At least he's a hundred times, a thousand times better than his father. My biggest regret in life is that I never got to see my mother-in-law again... that is... Daqi's Wan'er... Wan'er's grandmother. Daqi... listen carefully. Mom only has one thing to tell you."
Daqi remained kneeling and said, "Mom, please speak... I... I'm listening."
His mother said, "You must find your grandmother Wan'er, even if you only see her once, you must call her 'Grandma.' 'She is the true head of the Tong family,' that's what your grandmother told you when you were little." The grandmother Daqi saw when he was little was not Wan'er, but his grandfather's second wife. But before Daqi knew Wan'er, who was also Miaoqing, he always thought that the grandmother he saw when he was little was his real grandmother.
Daqi said, "I will definitely find out where Grandmother is, don't worry!"
After Daqi's mother finished making her funeral arrangements, she passed away that very night. Daqi and Yijing cried their hearts out. His wives also closed their coffee shop and rushed back from Rongzhou with their three children to attend the funeral. Han Meng and the "Four Beauties of Broadcasting" also called Daqi, but Qiwen and Xiaoli answered. They both told Qiwen, "We all know he's a very filial son; tell him not to be too sad." After all, Han Meng and the "Four Beauties of Broadcasting" had never met Daqi's mother and wouldn't appear overly grief-stricken. But Xiaoling, Beibei, and Jiaxin also cried in Rongzhou. Beibei said, "I guess our master will be devastated." Only Shu Dongyue didn't cry, because although she liked Daqi, she hadn't had any real interaction with him and couldn't understand Daqi's feelings for his mother.
As soon as Daqi's mother passed away, relatives like his third uncle, seventh aunt, and ninth aunt all came to offer their condolences. Although it was the 21st century, Daqi's uncle said, "My sister-in-law was the pillar of the Tong family. Without her, there would be no Tong family today. We must hold a funeral according to the highest family rites." Daqi nodded and said, "Uncle, you decide." So, Daqi's uncles, aunts, and other relatives also came to help with the funeral arrangements. Qiwen and Xiaoli efficiently received all the mourners. What moved Daqi most was that the principal of Changqing No. 1 Middle School sent his secretary to comfort him, and Daqi's mentor, Lao Cai, personally came to the Tong family mansion to comfort him. Lao Cai's words deeply moved everyone who came to offer their condolences.
Old Cai said, "The Tong family used to be a prominent family in Changqing. Our ancestors made special contributions to various charitable and educational causes in Changqing. However, they gradually declined starting in the 1950s. By the time of Daqi's generation, there was finally a sense of revival of the family's traditions. But all of this was due to the old lady's (referring to Daqi's mother) effective parenting. But she herself didn't enjoy a few years of peace before she passed away... Sigh..." Upon hearing this, Daqi was moved to tears and held Old Cai's hand tightly.
On the day of the funeral, all of Daqi's wives, and all those whom the old lady had met, were present. Xiaoqi, Xiaoxue, and Xiaofeng also wore mourning clothes; their grandmother had passed away. The funeral procession was very long, consisting of many old neighbors of the Tong family mansion and relatives and friends of Daqi's mother. Of course, almost all of the Tong family's relatives also came. The current Tong Daqi was not the Tong Daqi of a few years ago. Many relatives and friends gave him great respect because he was definitely an outstanding young man—not even 25 years old, yet already worth forty or fifty million. Moreover, he had also invested in local education and charitable causes. Many people came to the Tong family to pay their respects precisely because of this.
Daqi asked Han Meng to help him get another week off. After handling the funeral arrangements, he led his wives back to Rongzhou. As for the Tong family mansion, Daqi hired two women in their forties to live there, paying them monthly wages. One of them was Aunt Qi. Daqi told them, "Make sure you take good care of the Tong family! I'll come home every year for the Spring Festival and also to sweep the tombs during Qingming Festival." Both women said, "Young Master Tong, don't worry. You are the true master of the Tong family; you should come back often. The old lady's memorial tablet is still here." Daqi nodded and said, "Aunt Qi, remember to offer incense to my mother often. Make some of her favorite dishes for holidays..." Aunt Qi said with tears in her eyes, "Young Master, don't worry. This old lady is like my own elder sister." Only then did Daqi feel at ease enough to return to Rongzhou.
During this time, all his wives, including his mother-in-law, cared about him deeply and kept comforting him, telling him to take it easy. Han Meng and Xiao Ling, along with several other female students, also called him almost every day.
On the way back to Rongzhou, Daqi rode in the same car with Qiwen, Xiaoli, Yijing, and others, driven by Qiwen. Throughout the journey—and indeed, throughout the entire trip home—he kept thinking about how his mother had raised him. Lost in thought, he arrived back in Rongzhou. Upon arriving, he immediately went back to school because final exams were approaching, and he hadn't been studying. He had also been busy with his mother's funeral arrangements.
Chapter 37: The Child Mother Appears in a Dream
Back at school, Han Meng and the "Four Beauties of Broadcasting" kept comforting him, urging him to focus on his final exams. Affected by his mother's passing, Daqi temporarily lost his usual enthusiasm. He spent most of his time in the library studying for his finals, only occasionally visiting Old Zhong. Old Zhong, upon learning of Daqi's mother's death, also offered him a few words of comfort. Han Meng was understanding of Daqi; she told him, "Don't bother with your English books anymore, focus on your other subjects." Daqi took some time to visit Han Meng's home, learning that she and her husband had completed their divorce proceedings.
Han Meng nestled in Da Qi's arms and said sweetly, "Okay, don't be sad. I know you're upset, but your mother left peacefully. That's more important than anything else. Everyone has to go through this day eventually."
Daqi gently stroked her face and said, "My mother suffered a lot for this family. To ensure I could go to school smoothly, she worked day and night washing dishes at the hotel. I really wanted to let her enjoy a few more years of peace and happiness, but God just wouldn't give me that chance!" Han Meng touched Daqi's cheek and said, "She's gone, try to think positively. Let's go out for dinner together tonight, okay?" Daqi nodded, smiled slightly, and kissed her.
The two rode together in Han Meng's car to a Western restaurant near her home. It was a rather upscale German restaurant. After the food was served, Han Meng waved to a waiter. The waiter came over, bowed to them, and said, "Sir, Madam, is there anything you need?"
Han Meng said, "Let the band play some cheerful tunes for us." The waiter nodded and smiled, "Okay, please wait a moment." Soon, three violinists came and stood beside Da Qi and Han Meng's table, playing cheerful music for them. Han Meng asked Da Qi, "Are you feeling any better?" Da Qi smiled and said, "Thank you, Sister Meng!" Han Meng pouted and said, "Still calling me Sister Meng?" Da Qi could only whisper, "Wife, thank you!" Han Meng then smiled and nodded. Da Qi attentively cut pastries for her, even handing her a towel and wiping food from the corners of her mouth.
Han Meng smiled and said, "I didn't realize you were such a thoughtful person."
Daqi laughed and said, "Which man wouldn't be attentive when dining with such a beauty like you?"
Han Meng giggled after hearing this. The two chatted as they ate.
Han Meng: "A few days ago, Teacher Xiaoying told me that she was going to go to several countries in Northern Europe and other places during the summer vacation."
Daqi: "Oh, was it paid for by public funds or private funds?"
Han Meng: "It was a government-funded trip. The school leaders organized a study tour to Nordic countries, visiting universities in Sweden, Norway, and other countries."
Daqi: "That's great news!"
Han Meng asked, "What do you mean? Why is it a good thing?"
Daqi: "It's a publicly funded trip, all expenses reimbursed. But as far as I know, only school leaders get this opportunity to go out and see the world. Can Teacher Xiaoying go too?"
Han Meng said softly, "You know perfectly well that the principal and her..."
Daqi nodded and said, "I understand, I understand. Being a principal is great! I'm even a little envious of the principal. I wonder if that beautiful secretary went along too?"
Han Meng smiled and nodded, saying, "What good thing doesn't happen to Ma Chunlan? Take housing allocation for example. The professor is about the same age as her. I heard from Xiaoying that Ma Chunlan isn't even married yet. How does she get such a big house? Her family is dirt poor. I know her background all too well."
Daqi said, "Everyone has their own way of living. Anyway, she has the principal as her backer, so what can others say? They can't say anything, so she can naturally live a carefree life."
Han Meng said, "Xiaoying said..."
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She didn't want to go, but the principal insisted she go. She had no choice.
Daqi: "The principal is her provider, how can she not listen to him?"
Han Meng nodded and asked, "How have the students in the class been these past few days?"
Daqi said, "Everyone is preparing for final exams, so you don't need to worry."
The two chatted for a while longer before returning to Han Meng's home. That evening, Han Meng attentively served Da Qi as he bathed, humming a little tune as she did so. Da Qi said, "Wife, why are you in such a high spirits?" Han Meng replied, "Seeing you looking down, if I weren't, I'd be suffocating." Da Qi nodded gratefully and embraced Han Meng, kissing her.
He was grateful for Han Meng's thoughtfulness, gentleness, and understanding. In fact, Han Meng often treated Da Qi like an older sister. After all, she was two years older than him, and he was her student.
After leaving the bathroom, the two sat together on the sofa in the living room watching TV. Han Meng knew that Da Qi definitely wouldn't have sex with her. Not only with her, but also with Qi Wen and Xiao Ling, Da Qi hadn't "touched" them for a whole period of time. His mood during this period was the lowest he had ever been. Han Meng simply rested her head on his lap while watching TV. After watching TV, the two went to their room to sleep.
A week after returning to school, Daqi's mood improved significantly. He smiled more often when he was home on weekends. This made his wives, who had been worried about him, very happy.
Qiwen said, "Hey, he's finally recovered."
Xiao Li said, "As long as he laughs more, that's fine."
During this time, all his wives were unusually obedient, rarely even joking with him. What truly made Daqi laugh was that his daughter, Xiaoxue, under her mother Muping's guidance, would actually smile happily at him and talk to him, saying, "Daddy, Daddy, I...love you..." Looking at his daughter's innocent and adorable face, Daqi genuinely smiled. He let his daughter ride on his back, and she laughed heartily. Muping kept taking pictures of the father and daughter with her digital camera. The three of them were in Muping's room.
Daqi said, "Ping'er, it seems your child is the smartest."
Mu Ping laughed, "All three little devils have your intelligence. Last time I bought some toys, they all fought over them, especially your son, who insisted on holding three dolls in each arm. If he couldn't hold them all, he'd have his mother, Wen'er, hold them for him, otherwise he'd cry. Haha, so funny. Honey, what do you think our children should do when they grow up?"
While coaxing Xiaoxue, Daqi said, "Who knows? Just educate them properly. As long as they don't break the law, it's fine."