Chen Liming watched his son run off after dropping the money, his mouth opening and closing without a sound.
"The money your son gives us to spend, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Take it if he gives it to you."
"It's a good thing when sons surpass their parents. Do you really expect to take care of him your whole life? That would mean we raised an unaccomplished child." Su Dan Novel Network
Qin Lifen could naturally see that her husband was feeling a bit embarrassed. He had been a father for half his life, and he had always been the one looking after his children.
Now, all of a sudden, their son had grown up, knew how to earn money to take care of them, and the psychological gap was too great. For a moment, he lost the feeling of an old father shielding his children from the wind and rain, and he couldn't help but feel a bit unbalanced.
"That makes sense, but when other sons get married, their fathers prepare the bride price, the 'three turns and one sound' and such."
"And here we are, reaping the rewards. Our son went to the countryside to suffer, and when he came back, he brought us a sensible daughter-in-law and a pair of chubby grandchildren."
"Your son is filial, we only see that he has earned a lot of money, but we don't know how much he suffered."
"Look, last time he came back, his skin was peeling from the sun. It pained me to see it. How could I possibly use the hard-earned money of my son?"
Chen Liming looked at the thick stacks of Da Tuan He in his hand, and his mind was filled with images of his son suffering.
Last time he went to Wan Province, he heard people say that his son had to collect fish before dawn. Going from the countryside to the city and back, in the summer, people could get their skin peeled off by the sun.
Parents are like this. No matter how old their children get, in their eyes, they are still children. They can't bear to see their children suffer.
"You, when you were young, weren't you the same? Our son is responsible, and that's a good thing. We're not squandering the child's money."
"With these grandchildren of ours, is your salary enough to buy them food?"
Qin Lifen glanced at her husband. Chen Liming thought about the money spent on ducks in the past few days and fell silent.
In just a few days, he had spent half his monthly salary.
If their son didn't earn money, relying on his and his wife's meager salaries, they really couldn't afford good food for their two grandchildren.
"Let the children and grandchildren have their own fortunes."
Chen Liming mumbled, handed the money to Qin Lifen for safekeeping, and went out with his hands behind his back.
Chen Yang didn't bother with his parents' little worries. This amount of money was really nothing to him.
He was just afraid that his parents wouldn't be able to accept it all at once. Otherwise, he could give them much more, and they would need time to adapt.
After lunch, Chen Liming didn't even take a nap. Chen Yang originally wanted to catch a bit of sleep, as he hadn't slept well at his aunt's house yesterday. The bamboo bed was still cool in the summer.
But as soon as he moved, it creaked. Unlike in winter, when he was wrapped in a quilt, he couldn't help but move around a bit, and the noise made it difficult for Chen Yang to fall asleep.
But there was no other way. Chen Liming had arranged for him and Li Zhengpeng to go to the train station to pick someone up at one o'clock. Chen Yang's plan to catch up on sleep had to be put on hold.
In those days, you could go onto the platform to see someone off at the train station. Similarly, you could wait by the platform to pick someone up.
Chen Yang waited while yawning. There weren't many train services back then. Chen Yang and the others arrived at the train station before two o'clock. By now, it was almost three o'clock, and no train had arrived at the station yet.
They waited until a quarter past three when the clanking sound finally came from afar.
A green-skinned train, delays were very normal.
"It's coming, it's coming. You two, pull yourselves together. Your uncle dislikes listless juniors the most."
Seeing the train arrive, Chen Liming immediately reminded Chen Yang and Li Zhengpeng.
Chen Yang had been standing for over an hour, his legs were sore. There were no benches on the platform, and he hadn't rested well last night.
However, considering that he only saw his uncle a few times a year, and his uncle was finally coming back from the capital, he still had to show respect to his elders.
Moreover, in his memory, although his uncle didn't come home often, he was very close to his family members. Every time he returned, he would bring gifts.
Chen Yang remembered that when he was a child, his uncle had brought him a pendant made from a bullet casing. Boys, who didn't like things like guns and bullets? That little thing was still in Chen Yang's room.
"Big brother, big brother, over here, over here."
Chen Yang was still reminiscing when his father suddenly called out, running alongside the still-moving train.
"Dad, slow down. Wait for the train to stop."
Chen Yang was a bit stunned to see his father spot his uncle through the train window and then run alongside it.
This old man, already a grandfather, at his age, was acting like a child, so unstable.
Since his father was running, what could Li Zhengpeng do? He could only follow. Fortunately, bicycles could only be parked outside and couldn't be pushed onto the platform, otherwise, they wouldn't be able to keep up with Chen Liming's speed while pushing their bicycles.
After chasing several carriages, the train hissed and finally stopped.
Then Chen Yang saw his father, who usually had the final say at home, standing obediently by the train door like an elementary school student.
Not long after, a man who looked about six or seven parts like his father descended from the train, carrying two large leather suitcases.
"Uncle, Happy New Year."
Chen Yang and Li Zhengpeng didn't need their father to tell them; they quickly went to help carry the suitcases. As juniors, they had the sense to do so.
"Big brother, you don't need to introduce Yangyang. This is Li Zhengpeng. Juanjuan picked him as our son-in-law. Zhengpeng, come and say hello to your uncle."
Chen Liming's elder brother, Chen Liqi, had his luggage taken by the two young men as soon as he alighted. He was wondering, he knew Chen Yang, but he had no impression of Li Zhengpeng.
Chen Liming quickly introduced them, and upon hearing this, Chen Liqi immediately smiled.
"Young man, you're good. Have you served in the army?"
Chen Liqi looked at Li Zhengpeng, clearly, Li Zhengpeng had made a good first impression on him.
"Uncle, your insight is extraordinary. I'm a worker-peasant-soldier university student. I spent three years in the army before entering university. Juanjuan said that uncle is an old soldier who has been on the battlefield."
Li Zhengpeng looked at the slightly aging man before him. He could clearly feel a pressure emanating from this man.
This kind of aura was definitely not something that could be faked.
"You've got some discernment, kid."
"My father won a second-class combat medal back then. We still have a row of his honor certificates and medals hanging at home."
Just then, a slightly proud voice came from behind Chen Liqi.
"Don't you see this young lady carrying things and getting tired? You're not even going to help me. I praised you for your discernment, and this is how you repay me."
Chen Yue, behind Chen Liqi, pouted unhappily. In the capital, countless men would be vying to carry things for her.
She just couldn't understand why her father insisted on dragging her back from the capital to their hometown. What was so special about this impoverished place?