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Chapter 177: Chapter 152: Longing for each other on the long journey home (Subscription needed!)_1
"February 21, 2005, the 13th day of the lunar new year.
10 a.m.
As classes would commence the day after tomorrow, today was the day Sun Chao came to pick them up. As Sun Chao was unfamiliar with the location of the junction leading to Tang Qing’s village, and there were no conspicuous signs in the area, Tang Qing suggested Sun Chao meet him in town to avoid the hassle of asking for directions. Despite he was the one who paid Sun Chao, Tang Qing didn’t demean him. He wasn’t bothered about Sun Chao having to ask for directions multiple times just because he held his paycheck. Tang Qing regarded Sun Chao as one of his own. He wanted Sun Chao to be spared from unnecessary troubles. After all, the town was located midway between the village and the county town, and no one would have to go out of their way.
Seeing that they were about to leave their grandparents again, the delicate Lin Jiaxue’s eyes reddened, tears swirling in her eyes, reflecting her reluctance to part.
Grandma Lin held her granddaughter’s hand, repeating advice about numerous issues they had already discussed countless times. Lin Jiaxue was not impatient. She realized that life was a cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. The sudden death of Tang Qing’s grandparents meant he would never hear their voices again. She was uncertain about how many more times she would be able to listen to this kind of advice, so she kept nodding and agreeing. In the end, only under the urging of her grandfather Lin did Grandma Lin finally let go of Lin Jiaxue’s hand.
The old couple truly hated to see their only granddaughter leave. However, they realized their children had grown up and had lives of their own. It wouldn’t be possible to keep them tethered by their sides forever. They could only hope to live longer, fulfilling their wish to see their great-grandchildren.
After packing, Lin Jiaxue’s grandfather rode them on his motorcycle to the town. Grandma Lin did not go with them, but stood at the courtyard gate, watching Tang Qing and the others depart. Even after they had turned a corner and disappeared, she stayed where she was, gazing at the spot where the motorcycle had vanished. The tears she’d been trying so hard to hold back finally fell. She did not want to cry in front of her granddaughter, fearing it would set her off too.
Arriving at the agreed meeting point in town, Tang Qing noticed from a distance the Audi he owned, as well as Sun Chao standing beside the car. The car was parked in front of a restaurant that had formerly been a guesthouse before being sold to a private owner. The location was not bad, with a three-story building that included a lobby on the first floor, private rooms on the second, and a place for tea and cards on the top floor.
This brand-new Audi A6, naturally, attracted a lot of attention. After all, there were only a few of such cars even in the county. Those were usually driven by high-ranking local officials. Many people assumed that a government official from the county or city had arrived, seeing the solemn-faced Sun Chao standing next to the car, and they steered clear.
About ten seconds later, seeing Tang Qing approach on his motorcycle, the stern expression on Sun Chao’s face turned into a smile, and he stepped forward. 𝓷ℴ𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝒸𝓸𝓶
"Brother Sun, sorry for keeping you waiting," Tang Qing greeted with a smile. After getting off the motorcycle, he helped Lin Jiaxue get off as well.
Lin Jiaxue also greeted Brother Sun.
"No problem, we just arrived not long ago," said Sun Chao.
As soon as Sun Chao finished speaking, his mother also got out of the car to greet everyone. The new year had brought much happiness to their household. First, she had recovered from her illness. Second, her son had secured a good job and had a boss who treated him well and was wealthy too.
When Sun Chao brought the car back to the village, it created a big stir. Although they repeatedly explained that the luxury car belonged to the boss and Sun Chao was merely the driver, the villagers were not fooled. Being entrusted with the boss’s luxury car for the Chinese New Year showed that the boss was wealthy and trusted Sun Chao. Initially, people perceived Sun Chao as a hopeless man with a sickly mother, fearing being implicated if they established deeper connections with him. Hence, nobody wanted to be family. However, that year, there were many people who were suddenly interested in him, but the introductions were all brushed off without even a second look from him. He aggravated his mother in doing so.
Upon further inquiry, Sun Chao confessed that he had fallen for a girl in the company. It was unrequited love for now as he didn’t have the courage to pursue her yet, so his mother finally stopped nagging. Instead, she began to probe into the girl’s background. However, as Sun Chao hadn’t even pursued her yet, he knew very little himself and duly fended off his mother’s inquiries.
After hearing this, his mother did not pursue the matter any further. Given the relationship between Sun Chao and Tang Qing, it would conceivably not be too difficult for her competent son to date a girl from Sheng Tang Company. The prospect of becoming a mother-in-law soon exhilarated her. All these were tied to Tang Qing, hence her especially fervent gaze when she looked at him.
Subsequently, Tang Qing introduced everyone to each other.
"Hello, Elder Lin," said Sun Chao respectfully.
"Hello, this time again we have to trouble you all. Here, we’ve brought you some eggs from our farm and two bottles of wine given by our relatives. I don’t drink, so my wife suggested we bring them over. We hope you won’t dislike it," said Lin Qi, producing a bag from the car and forcefully pushing it into Sun Chao’s arms.
"This..."
Sun Chao looked at the bag in his hand, about to decline, but was interrupted by Tang Qing, "Brother Sun, just accept it. Elder Lin truly doesn’t drink."
When they were leaving, he already knew that Elder Lin had prepared something for Sun Chao as a gratitude gift. However, Tang Qing didn’t say much. These small gifts were merely symbolic, considered as employee benefits.
"Alright then, thank you, Elder Lin." After hearing Tang Qing’s words, Sun Chao did not refuse further. They were all villagers after all. It would be inappropriate to reject their kind gesture and cause them to feel that he despised their modest gift.
