"I asked for my friend. His wife gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, earlier this year, and her health hasn't been very good," Zhou Qishen said seriously.
Ji Furong breathed a sigh of relief; at least they weren't there to pry into Zhao Xiyin's life. She lowered her guard somewhat and returned to the medical field, offering serious advice: "Childbirth depletes a woman's vital energy; if her health isn't good, she definitely needs time to recuperate."
Then I gave him a 20-minute lesson on basic obstetrics.
Zhou Qishen pursed his lips, unable to describe his feelings. He felt a mix of secret joy and heartache; he hadn't been there for Zhao Xiyin during her most difficult time, when she needed care the most.
After leaving Dr. Ji's clinic, Zhou Qishen drove around the North Fourth Ring Road, then drove to a shopping mall and wandered into the children's section as if in a daze.
The child should be almost three years old, right?
How tall is a three-year-old?
Zhao Xiyin has been keeping him in the United States. Can he speak Chinese? Can he call her "Dad"?
With his son about to start kindergarten, a time for him to embrace the world, Zhou Qishen thought to himself that he must bring his son back. He couldn't let his son call foreigners "Daddy"; he had to speak Chinese clearly and loudly, calling "Daddy" aloud.
He strolled around the children's clothing store, stopping frequently, and the sales assistants enthusiastically asked, "Sir, are you looking for clothes for a baby boy or a baby girl?"
“It’s a boy.” Zhou Qishen answered with an unprecedented tenderness. With that, the rest of the plan came naturally. “He has fair skin, is about three years old, has big eyes, how tall is he? My son grows fast, above the average for his age.”
That afternoon, Zhou Qishen did nothing else but swipe his card for over 200,000 yuan, enough for all four seasons, and all his needs for food, clothing, and daily necessities. He even commissioned a limited-edition scooter, which he then packed up and sent to Fanyue.
Various packaging bags were scattered all over the floor, taking up half of the living room. Zhou Qishen squatted on the floor, looking at the robot T-shirt one moment and touching the dinosaur hat the next. He also picked up a fidget spinner and gently fiddled with it.
The top spun around, a slight itch on his fingertips, and a faint smile appeared in Zhou Qishen's eyes, as if he were walking towards a distant dream, floating on air, his steps light as a breeze.
Chapter 49 Tonight's Dream is Cold (6)
On Monday, Zhao Wenchun swapped classes with a teacher from the same department, so he didn't have to go to school in the morning. After Zhao Xiyin went to the troupe, he went out to buy groceries. He chatted with neighbors and acquaintances at the market, and joked with old friends. Teacher Zhao was well-liked, and he was easy to talk to even if he was short five cents. He could even give away a few scallions for free.
After buying groceries, I leisurely walked home and stood under the big sycamore tree for a while, watching my old friends play chess.
"Old Zhao, what's your Xiaoxi up to lately?"
"Back to my old ways, dancing again."
"That's great. After studying for so many years, you haven't wasted your time and you can pick it up again. That makes you a good girl."
Zhao Wenchun replied with a smile, "She doesn't have such grand ambitions. She just likes to stir things up."
"It's good to keep trying; young people grow faster by keeping trying. Hey, that kid from the Ye family, he really cares about you, Xiao Xi."
"Oh my, you're really like a matchmaker." Zhao Wenchun said with feigned disgust, but his smile was genuine and unwavering. "They were just kids who played together, like brothers and sisters."
Someone chimed in, "That's far from the truth. I saw Ye Tao last time, and when he mentioned Xiao west, he had nothing but good things to say about her. You can't hide it from anyone."
Zhao Wenchun didn't mind the matchmaking at all; in fact, he was quite pleased with himself. Once he thought about it, he realized it was just a simple matter. Life is long and the future is bright; the best is yet to come.
Zhao Wenchun was watching the chess game with a smile when Grandpa Li Xiaoqiang nudged him with his elbow, saying, "Old Zhao, that guy looks like he's looking for you."
"A hollow cannon, a brilliant move!" Zhao Wenchun was so engrossed in the game that he only looked up when someone called his name. Across the street, Zhou Qishen's car was parked under a tree, and he stood by the car door, smiling like a model young man.
Zhou Qishen jogged over and held out his hand in front of the elders, "So many dishes? Let me help you carry them."
Zhao Wenchun tightened his grip and declined, "No need, no need, I can carry it."
Without saying a word, Zhou Qishen took it.
The old friends looked at each other in bewilderment. Zhao Wenchun felt uneasy and stopped playing chess. He walked home in a slightly flustered manner, saying, "Just give me the vegetables. You don't need to mention it."
Zhou Qishen wouldn't let that go, "It's alright."
Zhao Wenchun reached out and tried to pull it, but couldn't budge it. He sighed, said nothing, and walked forward with his hands behind his back, deep in thought.
Zhou Qishen caught up with him in two steps and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. "Uncle Zhao, if I have done anything wrong, you must tell me. You can scold or beat me, just don't block me."
His phone number is still on his father-in-law's blacklist. The situation is urgent; we must take control today.
Zhao Wenchun was easily swayed; a few kind words could soften his stance. He was genuinely moved, but his reluctance lasted only three seconds before his expression hardened again. He shook his head, knowing it was hopeless. "Qishen, your uncle has no problem with you personally. You're a good kid, but I love my daughter more."
Having said all that, if Zhou Qishen still didn't understand, he would have wasted over thirty years of his life.
An alarm bell rang in my mind, and a sense of impending doom washed over me. I almost blurted out, "Uncle Zhao, do you know you have a grandson who lives all the way in America?"
The elderly man and the young man were frozen in place when a gentle male voice greeted them, "Teacher Zhao, you don't have any classes today?"
Zhou Qishen turned around at the sound and saw a young man smiling amicably at Zhao Wenchun. In that one glance, Zhou Qishen recognized him immediately: Ye Tao, Zhao Xiyin's prospective blind date, whom he had met before.
"Xiao Ye, what a coincidence!" Zhao Wenchun said without hesitation, as if clinging to a straw in the water. "I changed my classes. What about you? You don't have classes either?"
"I'm resting. I came back from Guangzhou last night."
Zhao Wenchun suddenly remembered, "You led the team to participate in the math league, right? Did they win any prizes?"
Ye Tao humbly replied, "I got first place in the high school group."
Scholars appreciate each other, and Zhao Wenchun, being a teacher, instinctively felt a fondness for such a promising young man, instantly boosting his impression of him. Ye Tao politely glanced at Zhou Qishen, without asking who he was, smiled, and nodded slightly.
Zhou Qishen nodded, his polite expression no less than Zhou's.
Ye Tao wasn't particularly handsome; his features were regular, but he was tall and slender, and he maintained a good habit of exercising every morning. When he saw Zhao Wenchun, he was doing pull-ups, jumping down from the horizontal bar, looking energetic and vibrant.
With his hands behind his back, Zhao Wenchun strolled back and forth between Ye Tao and Zhou Qishen. For reasons unknown, he sat down on a stone bench and said, "I'm going to rest for a while. Xiao Ye, you do your exercise, don't worry about me."
Ye Tao smiled and replied, "Okay, Uncle Zhao, I'm almost done too. We can go back together later since it's on the same route."
The conversation was intimate, treating him like family, which made Zhou Qishen uncomfortable. Zhao Wenchun glanced at him again and said with a smile, "Qishen, are you busy?"