"Fan'er! Fan'er!" Chen Lu walked into the room while carrying several shopping bags.
"Today we were lucky.
The eggs were on sale and Butcher Wan was kind enough to give me the excess pork.
Let's have a good dinner tonight."
Hearing his mother's voice for the first time in years Lu Fan teared up.
He quickly composed himself and hurriedly went to greet his parents.
He knew well that it was not that they could not afford better meals, it was just that his parents still had hope of him joining a university.
They worked hard and endured so much to save as much as possible for tuition.
"Why are you so loud, can't settle in first" a rough voice sounded from the door.
Due to his work, Lu Ling, his father had a hoarse voice but it was not uncomfortable to the listener, instead, it had a manly charm.
Although that's what he said, he was clearly happy, after all, his son managed to get into a rather decent high school.
Lu Fan didn't care much about these details as he was carefully observing their faces.
The regret for not cherishing them back then crippled him, leaving a scar that even he never expected.
He had always wanted to end his life but his mother's face always pulled him back, and his father's presence was as though a mockery for not being man enough.
Suicide was the easiest way out. He would be disappointed if he did.
"Lil Fan, what are you dazed for? Help your mother with the heavy stuff."
Lu Fan obeyed without any hesitation.
He was so happy that he could not stop smiling.
He tried his best to hide the excitement.
He knew he couldn't act too out of character so as not to worry them too much.
He had to make changes slowly and naturally.
Though he didn't help prepare dinner, he watched them on the side, as they talked about many things.
Although money was a problem, it did not weaken his father's spirit or his mother's cheerful soul.
She was like a high school girl who had just found out her crush liked her.
This was great because she could feel that her son was truly happy.
Although she did not know the reason, she was already satisfied with his current state.
"Lil Fan, did something good happen? Did you get a girlfriend?"
"...ah, no nothing.
It's just that I recently won a Lucky Draw and invested in the stock market."
"Oh, stock market, is it safe? I heard that people lose money."
"It's alright Father, I've already earned 100,000 yuan. I plan on investing some more."
"Ah! Really.
Fan'er is really lucky. When you get rich, remember to buy better clothes for yourself.
Then with your handsome face, you'll be able to get a girlfriend."
And then she went on and retold about their high school love for the thousandth time.
The tenderness could be felt in the air, he could only swallow the dog food, he missed this too.
After dinner and some cleaning, Lu Ling, who could feel the change in his son had a heart-to-heart with him.
"Lil Fan, although I don't know about stock exchange and the like, I still know that money isn't everything.
Especially at your age where we can still provide for you."
"Your mother might seem happy but she is worried about you constantly and hopes you can have a stable life in the future.
Even if you fail you can still come and work with me, you don't need much math to move manufactured goods."
"But you have to try your best for your mother's sake, then she won't have to avoid other women when they talk about their children."
"I know Father, I'll work harder and give you and Mom a more comfortable life." Lu Fan said with a solemn expression.
Lu Ling looked at his son's expression and was very happy.
He no longer showed that gloomy expression, feeling sorry for himself.
At least now he had the makings of a man.
"Then you can do whatever you want, just don't end up in jail or out of school."
"I know, don't worry, I promise to make you proud"
"That's the spirit" Although he didn't expect much, Lu Ling still cheered him on.
In his view, his son had inherited his 'brain'.
He also didn't perform so well back in the day.
He had to scrap to get his current position.
He was worried his son might be having high expectations, only to be severely disappointed.
"You two have been talking there secretly, mother wants in too."
Although she looked like an airhead, Chen Lu had great interpersonal and communication skills.
She was the type of person who could bring up the mood with a few words, and change the topic as if a page, and her timing was always right.
It was as if she knew when to bring in her persona and when to be silent.
If she had better education and experience she could do great in the entertainment industry or even a human resource personnel.
"No, it's nothing big, I was just starting to worry.
It's been a month since he joined high school yet he hasn't even mentioned a girl's name let alone a girlfriend."
"Do we need to start talking to the neighbors? Zhang Min's daughter looks pretty good."
"No need, I was just worried that his Lil bro had a problem, fortunately, it's healthy and strong, second only to mine." Lu Ling connected in perfect sync.
Chen Lu's face turned red, then angry out of embarrassment.
"You hooligan, what are you saying in front of your son?
Watch how you sleep on the couch tonight"
"No, not that old coach, my back can't handle it!"
Watching his parent's antics, Lu Fan's smile was even brighter.
He had to protect them, this he had to do, even if the whole universe went down for it.