In the Construction Company Residential Area, many years after graduating from university, Chen Pingjiang once returned to find it overgrown with weeds, with few young people, mostly elderly residents.
At that time, the Chen family, relying on the old man's shipping work, had used up all their savings to buy a house in the city, and the whole family had moved there.
Returning home, his biological mother Xu Fangjuan was busy at the stove, wearing an apron, her forehead covered in sweat.
Old man Chen Guangming was drinking beer, picking up peanuts and putting them in his mouth.
The state-owned construction company had laid him off early, and for the past two years, he had been working as a small contractor outside to make a living.
Though called a contractor, in reality, he only took on home decoration jobs, and also faced the risk of not being able to collect project payments.
During Chinese New Year, workers and material suppliers would line up at their house to ask for money.
Seeing this scene, Chen Pingjiang's eyes suddenly became a little red.
This is the home where I was born and raised! Ever since the old man passed away, I haven't had this feeling again; the house was always very desolate.
Now, looking at his younger parents, this feeling was like a lost treasure recovered.
The child wishes to support, but the parents are no more; the tree wishes to be still, but the wind keeps blowing.
People who haven't experienced it personally truly cannot understand this saying, but when you do understand it, it means it's already too late.
From childhood to adulthood, Chen Pingjiang was not a good child in the true sense of the word, and could be said to have broken Chen Guangming and Xu Fangjuan's hearts.
The tuition for the last year of university was not paid on time, as Chen Pingjiang had used the money to flirt with girls, resulting in him not getting his diploma.
In the end, it was Chen Guangming who dragged Chen Pingjiang to the school to pay the tuition and retrieve the diploma.
What was most infuriating was that Chen Pingjiang spent two hundred yuan to make a fake certificate and almost got away with it. If the school hadn't called home, he truly would never have gotten his diploma.
One year after graduation, Chen Pingjiang was in an awkward position, unable to achieve high goals nor willing to settle for low ones.
He changed jobs one after another, none lasting more than a month.
Two years after graduation, Chen Pingjiang broke up with his girlfriend, cooped up alone in a house that was over thirty degrees Celsius due to the western sun.
Opening the door and seeing his son, who had lost weight, Chen Guangming was also moved.
In the third year after graduation, Chen Guangming told Chen Pingjiang to follow him to work on a boat.
But how could a young, restless heart be willing to stay on a boat without internet for several months?
The father and son even had a significant conflict.
The father blamed his son for not being ambitious, and the son blamed his father for not understanding and forcefully arranging his life.
In the fourth year after graduation, Chen Pingjiang showed his talent for business.
In just half a year, he earned enough for a Kia K5, driving it around everywhere daily to show off.
Chen Guangming would also "fight" with his son for the car to drive to the pier, telling everyone he met that his son bought it.
Fifth year after graduation...
There is a kind of love called strictness, hidden very deeply; there is a kind of love called breadth of mind, which can encompass the sea; there is a kind of love called waiting, never spoken; there is a kind of love with the most sweat and the fewest tears.
Father's love is silent, always expressed through actions.
Chen Pingjiang grabbed the Dajiang beer from the table and directly performed "bottoms up" from the bottle for Chen Guangming.
"You stinky brat, don't you know how to get a bowl? You're drinking so fiercely."
Chen Guangming chuckled and scolded, then turned to Zhou Guanghan and said,
"Erzi, go get two bowls. It's hot, have some to drink."
"Alright, Great-Uncle."
Zhou Guanghan happily ran to the kitchen.
Chen Pingjiang's alcohol tolerance was average.
He found drinking beer too troublesome, mainly because of his small bladder capacity, constantly needing to use the restroom.
Zhou Guanghan was different; a case of beer was just a mouthwash for him.
Xu Fangjuan came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and somewhat disdainfully kicked a chair leg,
"Come over here, there's no space for the dishes."
"Which school did you list as your first choice for college?"
"Dongjiang University of Finance and Economics."
"Are you confident?"
"Please remove the word 'ma'."
Xu Fangjuan listened with a happy expression.
As a rural person, she didn't recognize many characters, so it wouldn't be wrong to call her illiterate.
When she was young, her family was poor; her older siblings were already working, her younger siblings needed care, and the family's cattle still needed grazing.
She was the one who sacrificed the most.
Later, even after she got married, she still argued with her maternal grandfather, blaming them for not letting her study when she was young.
Chen Pingjiang knew that if his mother had gone to school, her achievements would not have been small, as she was hardworking, bold yet careful, and had good interpersonal skills.
In the 90s, illiterate as she was, she dared to travel alone by plane to Guangzhou to work, carrying a fruit stand and running all over Guangzhou.
Among her several cousins, she was closest to them, and they would send her gifts during festivals.
"The old Chen family finally has a university student! I'll go cook another dish for you."
Xu Fangjuan happily patted her son's shoulder.
But Chen Pingjiang wouldn't let her go.
"Mom, don't go! I'll toast to you; you deserve half the credit!"
"Go away, go away, don't disturb me while I'm cooking."
Chen Guangming watched his son drink with a smile, thinking his little rascal had grown up.
Zhou Guanghan, standing beside them, also grinned foolishly.
After eating and drinking to his heart's content, Chen Pingjiang greasily lifted the hem of his T-shirt, patted his bulging stomach, and burped.
His mother's voice came to his ears:
"Go get a basin of water and wipe all the mats."
"Erzi."
Chen Pingjiang tilted his head, instructing Zhou Guanghan to do the work, too lazy to move himself.
"You stinky brat, every time I ask you to do something, you just order Erzi around."
Xu Fangjuan was annoyed at her son's hands-off, bossy style of ordering people around, but she also felt bad about letting Zhou Guanghan do the work, fearing she'd be scolded if word got out.
"Great-Aunt, I'll do it, I'll do it."
Zhou Guanghan was very diligent and, on the contrary, felt at ease with being ordered around.
Having grown up in a poor family, he was very grateful to have lived here for several years without paying a single cent for living expenses, as any money he tried to offer was always refused.
Coupled with his somewhat insecure personality, he wished he could do more to repay them.
Chen Guangming leaned on the sofa, watching his son's lazy demeanor without getting angry.
He pulled out a cigarette and lit it for himself.
Then he saw Chen Pingjiang looking on eagerly, and with a slight impulse, he offered him a cigarette.
Chen Pingjiang was just about to lean over to take the cigarette, but halfway through reaching, he pushed the cigarette back.
He was a little surprised that the old man would actually offer him a cigarette.
Is he testing me?
Entrapment!
"Dad, I don't smoke, I'm still young."
Chen Pingjiang said righteously.
"Alright, alright, don't I know you?"
"Well... just this once, don't do it again."
After saying that, Chen Pingjiang calmly accepted the cigarette his father lit for him, and habitually tapped Chen Guangming's hand twice.
This made both the father and son awkward.
As Chen Guangming offered the cigarette, it indicated that he now considered Chen Pingjiang to be grown up, no longer a child, but the pillar of the family.
"Chen Guangming, is this how you teach your son? How old is he, and you're teaching him to smoke?"
Xu Fangjuan's angry voice came from the kitchen.
Chen Guangming pouted, thinking,
"Don't you know your own son? He can even blow smoke rings."
"What are your plans for the summer vacation?"
"I don't know, haven't thought about it yet. Maybe I'll go out and have some fun."
Chen Pingjiang didn't plan to tell his parents that he intended to go out and make money.
Telling them would only cause unnecessary worry, especially since his mother could talk his ear off.
In his mother Xu Fangjuan's opinion, finding a stable job was the most practical, and doing business was the most unreliable.
It was a pity he hadn't listened to her in his previous life, or he wouldn't have accumulated a mountain of debt.
But then again, how could a poor family achieve social class ascension without making an effort?
Since he was reborn, it would be a pity not to achieve something.
(End of this chapter)
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