“Shen Yaozong,”
She called out in a hurry, and the other person turned around subconsciously. It was him; it was really this guy. Li Xia walked towards him with her lunch box, and the other person also recognized her and ran away.
“Don’t run. Stop right there.”
One ran, and the other chased. The two staged a chase on the streets of the United States. Li Xia was in good physical condition and ran very fast. However, she was not familiar with the terrain and did not understand some road signs. Therefore, she lost the other party’s trace after chasing for two streets.
“It’s so cold. There are so many people on the street, but no one helped me.”
She stopped and took a deep breath. People around her looked at her curiously and then went about their business. Having lost track of them, she had no choice but to go back. When she caught her breath, she realized she was lost.
“Oh my god, where is this?”
She had no other choice but to ask for directions, but her hearing level was better when people spoke slowly in China, but people in foreign countries spoke too fast, and she couldn’t understand them at all. She could only tell people over and over again that she wanted to go to the Federal Hospital, hoping to meet a kind person who could give her directions.
Don’t mention it; she really encountered it. A Chinese guy gestured to her to show her the way, and seeing that she was confused, he simply grabbed her sleeve.
“I’ll take you,”
Li Xia felt very familiar with the young man who could speak Chinese. She returned to the Federal Hospital under the guidance of the young man. She thanked him and then entered the building with her lunch box.
“You actually went after Shen Yaozong? You’re so brave; what if you get lost?”
Li Xia smiled as she served him some rice: “It’s just that I got lost. This guy always ran around in corners. After a while, I couldn’t see him anymore, and I got lost too.”
“Then how did you get back?”
“There’s a mouth under your nose, so I asked.” She laughed. “A young man gestured to me for a long time, but I still couldn’t understand, so he brought me here.”
“Fortunately, fortunately.” Shen Haiyang took the bowl from her hand and said, “Shen Yaozong’s economic case has exceeded the statute of limitations, so it’s useless to arrest him. Next time you see him, ignore him.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“right.”
“But the old man is old; I think he must want to meet this man. I am not chasing him for the money. So much time has passed, and our crisis has long passed. Just think that he took his share of the property in advance. Isn’t that what the old man thinks? The rest is all yours, and he has no share.”
As a child and a parent, Shen Haiyang can understand his father’s heart. Although his father didn’t tell him for so many years, he must want to know whether he is safe and where he is in the world. Life has come to an end, and everything has been let go. Money can’t be brought with you when you are born, and it can’t be taken with you when you die. After all these years after the crisis, he no longer holds a grudge.
“If you meet him again, just yell at him. It’s his business whether he listens or not.”
“Maybe he’s hiding and will never be seen again.”
“He will never feel at ease in his life because he has a guilty conscience.”
“I hope he has a good conscience, thinks of his father, and goes back to visit him.”
After that, Li Xia never saw Shen Yaozong again. She ran back and forth between the rented house and the hospital every day. More than ten days later, when Shen Haiyang had surgery, she was restless outside the operating room. The doctor asked her to sign a consent form and informed her of the risks of the surgery. If he couldn’t get off the operating table, he would be gone, without even a chance to say goodbye.
The day before the operation, she went to the doctor’s office accompanied by her father-in-law’s friend. When she talked about all this, she felt that her heart was wrapped in an invisible hand. As the situation deepened, her face was completely pale when she returned to the ward.
Shen Haiyang was shocked when he saw her. She, a normal person, looked weaker than him, a patient. “What’s wrong? Are you scared by the doctor?” He reached out to her and hugged her. After coming to the United States, the foreigners he met were very open, and he now had more body movements.
“Don’t be afraid. Doctors love to exaggerate. They even say the probability is one in a thousand or one in ten thousand. In reality, it is impossible to be so dangerous.”
Li Xia reached out and hugged his waist back without saying a word. Her heart was filled with heavy affection, and she felt that no words could express it.
In her previous life, Fang Zhongcheng hurt her. When she thought about it in the silence of night, she thought that she would be cremated after death, and her ashes would be scattered in the mountains. Rural people still think of burial. After her death, she had no husband and no ancestral grave. Her bones would be crushed and her ashes would be scattered, and she would never come back to this world again.
But she married him in this life, and they have been together for so many years. He always supports and helps her in everything. If there is a problem, he will discuss it and find a solution with her. If the children have any psychological problems, he will intervene in time. Now he is going to the operating room. When she thinks of the possible dangers, her hands and feet are numb with worry.
Without him, her life would be black and white. Without color, what’s the point of living? “You must keep working hard. We came here together, and we must go back together. Otherwise, I won’t be able to pass the security check with my foreign language level.”
“Okay, let’s go home together.”
When he was sent to the operating room, she was so nervous that her hands and feet were shaking. Her father-in-law’s friend accompanied her, smiled, and said that they had a good relationship.
“It’s almost noon. I’ll bring you whatever you want to eat.” The man was very gentlemanly and took good care of her.
“No, I have no appetite. Jerry, go eat by yourself; I’ll just wait here.”
“Oh, it’s okay, I’ll stay with you.”
The two waited until after 2 a.m., when the lights in the operating room finally went out. Li Xia stood anxiously at the door of the operating room, wishing she had X-ray vision so she could see inside.
Finally, the door was opened from the inside, and the medical staff came out. Jerry talked to them, and Li Xia understood that the operation went smoothly, and finally she felt relieved.
After the doctor left, Jerry congratulated her: “As long as he doesn’t do any particularly strenuous exercise, he can live like a normal person in the future and don’t have to worry about it. The results of the previous follow-up cases were very good. If you pay attention, there shouldn’t be any major problems in the future.”
“thanks, thanks.”
Apart from these two words, she could not say anything else. She could not help but shed tears of excitement. Jerry handed her a tissue, and she wiped her tears and cried and laughed.
“Okay, it’s okay.”
The operation was successful, and the heavy stone in her heart was finally removed. Li Xia then took good care of her husband. This kind of operation usually takes seven or eight days to be discharged from the hospital. A week later, Shen Haiyang recovered well.
“It’s only 20 minutes from here to the apartment. I don’t feel comfortable with you taking such a long flight.”
During this period, large incisions were made, and heart surgery opened up the entire chest cavity. Recovery was more difficult than minimally invasive surgery in later generations. After listening to Shen Haiyang’s retelling of the doctor’s words, she began to make suggestions.
Shen Haiyang nodded and didn’t argue with her. He knew his own body. After the operation, he no longer had that faint feeling of chest tightness, but his legs were weak. His body really needed to recover.
After being discharged from the hospital, the two of them squeezed into a small apartment of more than ten square meters. The small space was decorated by Li Xia to be very cozy. The floor and walls could not be moved, and she changed the bedding and curtains to the colors they liked.
They woke up naturally in the morning and saw each other as soon as they opened their eyes in the quiet space. They were a reconstituted family, with children as soon as they got together, so it’s the first time for them to spend time alone without anyone disturbing. It feels really good.
After lunch, they took a short nap and went out hand in hand in the evening. They walked hand in hand on the tree-lined path, looking up to see each other’s smiling faces. The sun shone through the shade of the trees, and it seemed like a peaceful time.
Li Xia already called home to inform them that the surgery was successful, but no one has called to disturb them in the past few days. It may also be that international long-distance calls are too expensive, and everyone is stingy and doesn’t want to waste the money.
They put their minds at ease and lived a quiet life. Time seemed to slow down. After so many years of hard work, Li Xia finally had the chance to enjoy life.
“When we get old, how about we find a small town to live in? A water town in the south of the Yangtze River with a mild climate, mountains, and water. We can grow some vegetables, raise some chickens, and just slowly enjoy life.”
Shen Haiyang turned and nodded at her. “Okay. When I retire, we’ll go wherever you like.”
“So we have to work for another ten years?”
The man laughed at her dissatisfied tone and reached out to touch her hair. “Your job will probably have to wait until Yiyi graduates from university; otherwise, there will be no one to take over.”
“That little brat can come work for me while he is in college. He can’t be idle during the winter and summer vacations.”
Yiyi ‘s scores for this year’s high school entrance exam have not come out yet. The couple is not looking forward to the results at all, as the boy has never had to worry about his studies since he was a child.
Walking and chatting, the slow life felt very comfortable after adapting. Li Xia met a Chinese woman and found a Chinese supermarket under her guidance. The supermarket has basic daily necessities for Chinese people. Many ingredients and seasonings that Westerners don’t eat can be bought here.
She cooked delicious food for her husband in various ways. After a month, he looked rosy-cheeked and a little fatter than before. Seeing that he had recovered well, Li Xia returned the house, bought a plane ticket, and packed her luggage for the return trip.
It’s the last night here, and she felt reluctant to leave when she lied on the bed. Although they stayed here for a short time, the time they spent alone was so slow and warm that it made her nostalgic.
The two turned over and faced each other, smiling at each other without saying anything. After living together for so many years, there is a tacit understanding that is more silent than words.
The next day, they took a taxi to the airport and were taken back to their motherland by plane. They still transferred from Shanghai, found a place to rest for a night after getting off the plane, and took the train back to the provincial capital the next day.
Li Xia was carrying the luggage, while Shen Haiyang was empty-handed. As soon as they got off the train, they saw Han Jun. The man took the luggage from Li Xia’s hand and smiled heartily at his best friend, happy for him. He wanted to pat him, but he took his hand back. He had just had surgery not long ago, so don’t be reckless.
“You’re back just in time. There’s new progress in the R&D department. I’ll tell you when you come back. Oh, and your youngest son ranked first in the high school entrance exam. No. 1 Middle School and No. 2 Middle School have both called to try to get him in. No. 2 Middle School offered to waive all tuition and miscellaneous fees, and No. 1 Middle School also said a certain amount would be waived.”
It had only been a short while since they had been living a leisurely life together, and now the trivialities of life were coming upon them. Well, it was not time for her to retire. She was not used to not taking care of anything during this period.
“I’ll go to work tomorrow and notify the R&D department to hold a meeting. Yiyi can choose his own school. He can go wherever he wants. I don’t need the money for his education.”
When they got in the car and went home, the three kids were waiting at the door. Shen Hui was so excited to look at his father that he held his father’s arm. Yiyi was on the other side, and Huihua was holding a bouquet of fresh carnations.
“You two are such idiots. How can Daddy accept my flowers if you are like this?”
The two sons let go of Shen Haiyang with a smile, and Huihua handed the flowers to him. The three children said together, “Welcome home, Dad.”
“Thank you, kids.”
Shen Haiyang’s disease was effectively controlled, and the old man breathed a sigh of relief. Li Xia did not tell him about what she saw in the United States. If Shen Yaozong does not come to see him, he will feel bad in his heart.
The illness was cured, the leave was finished, and life returned to normal. Shen Haiyang’s position changed after he arrived at the unit, and he was transferred to the Anti-Corruption Bureau. When he got home and told Li Xia about it, she smiled happily because he had gotten a promotion.
“There’s still a chance to show your talents. Congratulations.”
Men still care a lot about their careers, and when they are in good health, they will definitely want to develop better. Shen Haiyang was very happy about this, and at night, Li Xia suddenly remembered to ask him about Murong Danfeng.
“The police are currently following up.”
“If you can’t tell me, then don’t tell me. I’m worried about Huihui. It’s already 1991, and the newspaper I saw said it was the spring of 1992. Although they haven’t had much contact in these years, who knows? But this time point still makes me worried.”
“Probably not. Huihui is very stable now and won’t act impulsively.”
“I hope she gives up, doesn’t show up again, and doesn’t think of her son no matter what happens.”
In the evening, Li Xia met Murong Danling at the restaurant the next day. Li Xia invited several clients to dinner here, and she should have the same purpose. She was carrying a bag in her hand and dressing fashionably and beautifully.
The two passed each other without saying anything. After the drinking party was over, Li Xia met Murong Danling again. To be honest, she really didn’t know what business the other party had been doing over the years. The shop was sold a few years ago, and carrying a bag every day reminded her of that new term, a shell company.
When she was leaving, the waiter handed her a flyer. After she got in the car, she took it out and saw that it was a property developed in Xicheng. It was on pre-sale and would be completed in April next year.
There are two apartment types printed on the flyer: a two-bedroom apartment and a three-bedroom apartment.
There are two types of rooms, some large and some small. The price per square meter varies according to the floor, and the highest is no more than 800. The location is really good. It is close to the key primary school and not far from the city hospital.
“Qin Mu, are you buying a house? Didn’t you say before that you wanted to buy a house? Let me show you this.”
She entered the yard and called out, and Qin Mu came out of the kitchen. She wiped her hands on her apron, took the flyer from her hand, and looked at it carefully. After studying it for a long time, she saw Li Xia coming out after washing up, and she looked up to ask Li Xia for her opinion.
“What do you think of this house?”
“I think it’s a good idea. Go home and talk to your husband, and buy a house as soon as possible. Don’t mess around. In the end, you won’t save any money, and the appreciation of the house will be prohibitive.”
Li Xia now speaks with a leadership tone, and Qin Mu nodded when she heard her. She silently calculated how much money she had and whether the family had enough money.
At dinner that night, Shen Hui said, “I have a physics competition tomorrow, and the exam site is a bit far away. Mom, do you have time to take me there? I’m afraid it will take time to go back and forth on the bus.”
“Okay, I’ll take you there.”
Li Xia turned to look at Shen Haiyang and asked, “Is it okay to buy you a car?”
The man met her expectant gaze and said, “Give me your old car, and you can buy a new one yourself.”
This person has always been low-key. Li Xia nodded in agreement. Motorcycles were popular in the 1990s. The number of bicycles on the streets was decreasing, and the number of motorcycles was increasing day by day. Good motorcycles were not cheap, and young people liked the cool feeling.
“How about buying you a motorcycle too?”
Shen Haiyang looked at her helplessly: “How old am I?”
“Okay, I’ll buy it for Huihui later.”
“Mom, I don’t want a motorcycle.”
Li Xia looked up at the child and said, “No. Okay, buy it for Yiyi then.”
Shen Ruyi looked up at the ceiling. “It’ll take another five years.”
In the end, Li Xia didn’t spend the money. When she made the bed that night, she murmured, “Is it because you and your son don’t like speed and excitement like motorcycles, or is it because you’re getting old?”
“Who’s old?”
Li Xia turned around and smiled at her husband, throwing him a flirtatious glance provocatively. “If you’re not old, prove it.”
The recovery from the surgery was very good. The doctor’s advice was that he could have a normal married life in two months, which was long overdue. He also continued to practice Taoist Qigong and felt that he was no different from a young man. His wife had clearly invited him, and he would not be a man if he didn’t go.
Being pressed on the bed by her husband, the woman laughed softly. This guy’s heart is fine; he is full of energy. She rejected him before because she was afraid that he had not recovered well, but today she saw him coming in and teased him on purpose.
After the deed, she lay there feeling happy and didn’t want to move, letting him hand her the paper. “There’s a property that’s opening soon; what do you think about us buying two houses?”
“Why do you want to buy so many houses?”
“One floor for two households, buy two three-bedroom apartments and connect them for us to live in, and connect the two-bedroom apartment for the old man. He and a nanny will have independent space without being crowded. The building has heating in the bathroom, which makes living convenient and comfortable.”
“The houses over there are going to be demolished soon, so there’s no need to buy these houses.”
Li Xia sat up and said, “Really? How did you know?”
“The news from the city construction department should be correct.”
The pillow came when she was sleepy. This time, she wanted to buy an apartment. However, there were only two two-bedroom apartments to be demolished there, so she still planned to buy a house. Don’t buy a building, but buy a villa for the old man.
The next day, Li Xia drove Shen Hui to participate in the physics competition. The trip went smoothly. She waited outside after the child entered the examination room.
There were a few parents outside the examination room. People in this period did not attach as much importance to learning as they did in later generations. Another reason was that many candidates were from other places and were brought here by their teachers. She found a shady place, and when she looked up, she found a huge billboard opposite.
“The designated beverage for the Asian Games is Coca-Cola.”
Coca-Cola’s advertisements are so popular. They are on TV, and there is such a big billboard here. She looked up at the advertisement and was thinking about something. She didn’t see Murong Danling driving by. After glancing at her, Murong Danling saw the school behind her.
Out of curiosity, she went home to ask what was going on here today, and the answer she got was that it was a high school physics competition. All the top students in the province gathered here. Physics competition,
Top student? Who is taking the test, Shen Hui? Is he such a good student?
