Zhao Wenchun flicked her head with her finger, "You're so unruly, I really don't know how your husband can stand you."
These words came out so naturally that he completely forgot that Zhao Xiyin and Zhou Qishen were already divorced. The atmosphere instantly cooled down; Zhao Xiyin remained silent, and Zhao Wenchun was awkwardly at a loss for what to do.
Finally, Zhao Xiyin smiled at him and said, "It's nothing."
The father and daughter's dinner was simple and peaceful, but it still tasted different. Zhao Xiyin remembered that she was trying to lose weight, so she skimmed off the thin layer of oil on top of the chicken soup, took three sips, and then stopped eating, focusing only on vegetables.
Zhao Wenchun suddenly sighed, unwilling to let go of his resentment. "Dad always feels sorry for you. Over the years, my marriage fell apart, and I couldn't give you a complete family. Your mother wants to keep in touch with you, and I actually agree with that. She wants to fulfill her maternal duty, and I have no right to take that away from her. The grudges of our past lives should not affect you."
Zhao Xiyin hummed in agreement, "I know."
What complex and intricate thoughts could a middle-aged man, halfway to the grave, possibly possess? He is simple and honest, with nothing but a heart full of love for his daughter. He wants to make up for what he lacks, and feels guilty for what he owes.
As time goes by, grudges fade.
He can handle all the bad things himself.
Zhao Xiyin's eyes were dry, and her throat was so tight it felt like a spring that couldn't be wound up. She said, "I understand, I will take care of her daughter." Then she looked up and smiled brightly and sweetly, "The dance troupe has a day off tomorrow, I'll go shopping with you."
"Hey!" Zhao Wenchun replied, "Buy me a pair of pants."
Plans don't always go as expected, and the father and daughter still didn't get to go shopping the next day.
Zhao Xiyin received a call from an unknown number in Xi'an at noon. Before she could finish wondering what was going on, she heard the caller loudly call out to her, "Sister-in-law! You're the best! What's wrong with my cousin? He's become successful and looks down on us poor brothers. He won't even answer the phone anymore."
It took Zhao Xiyin a while to recognize that this was not an extortion attempt; it was indeed Zhou Qishen's cousin in Xi'an, Zhou Zhigang.
Zhou Qishen's hometown is Xi'an, and his family was of modest means. His father, Zhou Boning, had seven siblings, and so many cousins that he couldn't even recognize them all. At that time, Zhou Boning was an alcoholic and violent man; his wife had left him for over a decade, his family was in disarray, and he was dirt poor, with many relatives avoiding him like the plague. Later, Zhou Qishen rose to prominence, amassing wealth beyond what others could comprehend. As the saying goes, human relationships are fickle, and those relatives all fawned over him.
Zhou Qishen's current identity is of course not directly related. But Zhou Boning is a fool who takes advantage of the situation and is getting close to these wicked relatives in his hometown, granting them any request.
Whatever is asked for, whatever is granted, in the end it all comes down to Zhou Qishen.
Others may not know, but Zhao Xiyin, who was his wife, knew better than anyone how difficult his life had been.
Her cousin immediately called her "sister-in-law," which wasn't surprising; he'd kept his divorce a secret and hadn't deliberately mentioned it to anyone, let alone their distant hometown. Zhao Xiyin was so embarrassed that her neck turned red; she didn't know whether to agree or disagree.
My cousin had a loud, bandit-like voice: "We're on... on this Jianguo Road right now. Taxis are so expensive! They charged me over a hundred for just twenty minutes, they're ripping me off! Sister-in-law, come pick me up right away, oh my, it's so hot today!"
This cousin is really weird. After hanging up the phone, he called Zhao Xiyin every two minutes, asking her again and again where she was.
Zhao Xiyin tried to contact Zhou Qishen, but the line was constantly busy. There was nothing she could do but get the person settled first.
She took a taxi there without a second's delay. When she arrived, her cousin complained that she was too slow and was very dissatisfied. "My brother is getting more and more arrogant. My uncle told him we were arriving today, but he didn't even come to pick us up."
Zhao Xiyin felt uncomfortable, but she was still polite. "His company is busy and he has a lot of things to do. Besides, it's a weekday, and at this time, most people have to go to work."
The words were loaded with meaning, implying that the other party was being tactless.
My cousin shut up sheepishly. "Okay, okay, let's go home and enjoy the air conditioning. I'm really going to get heatstroke."
Just then, Zhou Qishen called back.
As soon as the call connected, he apologized, "Sorry, I was on the phone with a client and it took me a while."
Zhao Xiyin didn't waste any time and explained the situation to him, "I'm with your cousin right now, and he wants to go to your house. How about I find him a hotel to stay in for now?"
Upon hearing this, my cousin immediately complained, "Why are you staying in a hotel? I'm here to talk to him about serious business!"
Zhou Qishen: "Give him the phone."
Zhao Xiyin handed over the phone.
Zhou Qishen's first words were: "Don't yell at my people."
Of course, Zhao Xiyin didn't hear this. When the phone was returned, Zhou Qishen said calmly, "Xiao west, could you please take them to my house? I'll talk to the property management. The door lock code is 986523. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
There was no point in being coy at this moment, so Zhao Xiyin did as she was told.
Zhou Qishen's apartment in Fanyue also has an excellent layout, with natural light from all four sides. Once the keypad lock is unlocked, the main control panel inside the apartment automatically turns on, the air conditioning keeps the temperature constant all year round, the electric curtains slowly slide open, and the living room lights are in daylight mode.
My cousin and the two young men behind him were stunned. They took off their shoes, walked around, and said with a fawning smile, "You're rich, really rich."
Zhou Qishen lived alone. The master bedroom door was open, and the gray blankets were not folded, with one corner crumpled when lifted. There was a half-empty bottle of water on the dining table, and two boxes of medicine next to it. Zhao Xiyin's heart sank when she saw this.
The living room was tidy, except for a stack of money on the sofa armrest, amounting to four or five thousand. The cousin stared at the stack of money, then smiled at Zhao Xiyin, "Keep it safe, don't flaunt your wealth."
Zhao Xiyin gave a perfunctory smile and casually stuffed it into the drawer.
After the tour, my cousin, quite the social butterfly, sat down on the leather sofa, crossed his legs, and started lecturing people, "Sister-in-law, you've been married for so many years, why haven't you had a child yet?"
Zhao Xiyin was embarrassed and didn't answer.
“Don’t be shy, go get checked out. If you’re sick, get treatment; if not, don’t worry. We’ve all had sons, after all. I’ll have your sister-in-law copy down a folk remedy for you. Go to the temple, pray, soak some incense ash in water, drink it for half a month, and it’ll guarantee a baby…”
"Cousin, it's an honor to have you here. Was your journey tiring?" Zhou Qishen walked in calmly with his hands behind his back, interrupted by the question.
As if grasping at a straw, Zhao Xiyin instinctively stood in front of him.
Zhou Qishen glanced at her, his eyes filled with apology. Then, with a flick of his hand, he pushed her behind him, turned his head, and whispered, "I'm sorry to have troubled you."
Zhao Xiyin's heart skipped a beat, and she shook her head, "It's nothing."
With Zhou Qishen's arrival, the house seemed to have a stabilizing force; the male head of the household's aura was overwhelming.
Later, Zhao Xiyin overheard them talking about this kind of drama, which used to happen almost every month: people asking for money, people asking for jobs, people asking him to contribute to building houses for their families, and even more outrageous ones, like the one about Zhou Qishen's father not paying back the money he owed for alcohol ten years ago, which had increased tenfold with interest.
This time it was even more ridiculous. He said his cousin was getting married and wanted to make a grand entrance, so he asked Zhou Qishen to find some nice cars to pick up the bride. He then pointed to two young men who looked to be eighteen or nineteen years old, neighbors, and asked Zhou Qishen to find them some easy jobs.