"If worst comes to worst, when Little He comes by next time, I'll give him something in return!"
Aunt Xu was not one to take advantage of others, and even though a watermelon wasn't expensive, she couldn't just accept it for nothing.
Besides, penny wise, pound foolish—as a retired worker, Aunt Xu still had at least a basic sense of vigilance.
Aunt Xu was somewhat fond of Little He, but times had changed since her youth; nowadays, everyone is after money, and swindlers are increasingly sophisticated.
Retired old ladies like Aunt Xu, who receive a considerable pension and whose children are devoted, are often prime targets for scammers.
Aunt Xu placed the watermelon in the kitchen and took a turn in the second bedroom, where she found several sets of newborn gift boxes on the bed.
Although her eldest grandson had taken his wife and child back to Provincial City, the news of the child's birth in their hometown had spread to relatives and friends.
Relatives and friends going to the hospital to visit would bring some gifts.
For practical gifts, they'd give things like eggs and milk.
For the sake of appearances, some would give a fruit basket or a newborn gift set.
These gift boxes were elegantly packaged, but inside were just some small Monk clothes and swaddles.
Children grow quickly, and just two sets of such small clothes and swaddles would suffice.
But relatives and friends had brought several gift boxes, which were far too many to use.
When her eldest grandson left, he had left behind several sets.
Looking at these gift boxes, Aunt Xu estimated their value: they were worth far more than a watermelon.
However, seeing how well-versed Little He was in social decorum, he would probably bring a small gift if he visited again.
An exchange of two for one—no one would be at a loss!
Aunt Xu quietly calculated, but she maintained her caution towards He Hongtu.
He Hongtu, of course, knew none of this. After leaving Aunt Xu's house, he did not rush home but turned the corner to another block.
"Uncle Chen, it's me, Little He! Are you feeling better today? Have you had dinner yet?"
He Hongtu entered a residential building, confidently made his way to a particular block, and pressed the intercom button at the entrance.
"Little He ah, come in!"
An elderly male voice emerged from the intercom, followed by a click, and the security door was opened.
Entering the residential hallway, he arrived at the east apartment on the first floor, where the door was already open.
He Hongtu familiarly pushed the door and entered, but he didn't forget to announce his arrival, "Uncle Chen, I'm coming in!"
Once inside, He Hongtu smelled an odor mixed with the scent of cooking.
However, there was no sign of reaction on He Hongtu's face; he entered the living room with a beaming smile.
"Little He, have you eaten? Ah, I'm really sorry I couldn't help you last time. I thought—" you wouldn't come to my house anymore.
The speaker was an old man in his sixties or seventies, chubby and white-haired, looking quite content and prosperous—a man whose life seemed to be going smoothly.
"I haven't eaten yet! These last few days my daughter-in-law gave birth, and I've been sticking by the hospital, taking care of everything, so I haven't had time to see you. How's your health? Are you recovering well?"
He Hongtu, apparently not noticing the old man's somewhat embarrassed smile, interacted with him as affectionate and attentive as ever.
He glanced at the living room, where two freshly cooked dishes were laid out on the dining table beside the wall, and a nanny-like person was bustling about in the kitchen.
Soon, the nanny came out with a stainless steel basin, seemingly eager to show her value, and said to the old man, "Old Master Chen, when I went to the market today, I saw some freshly harvested peanuts, so I bought you some. I boiled them in water for you to try today. If you like them, I can fry up some peanuts for you tomorrow!"
Before the old man could speak, He Hongtu quickly interjected, "Peanuts? Absolutely not, Uncle Chen is allergic to peanuts!"
The nanny's smile stiffened as she looked at He Hongtu and then at Old Master Chen.
Old Master Chen's face was impassive, but he slowly nodded. He was, indeed, allergic to peanuts; just a little would cause him breathing difficulties and red rashes on his body.
The caregiver became increasingly embarrassed and tried to remedy the situation by explaining, "Well, Teacher Chen didn't tell me you couldn't eat peanuts when giving me instructions."
How could a caregiver, who had only arrived a couple of days ago, know that Old Master Chen couldn't eat peanuts when even his own son didn't know?
After the caregiver finished speaking, she noticed that Old Master Chen's face darkened even more.
Upon a moment's reflection, the caregiver understood: Not knowing about his own father's peanut allergy was hardly a pleasant matter for Old Master Chen.
The caregiver opened her mouth, wanting to say something more but unsure of what to say. So, she pretended to check the time, glancing at the quartz clock on the wall.
She deliberately exclaimed, "Ah, it's almost five-thirty now, Uncle Chen, I, I should be going!"
She was not a live-in nanny, but a part-time worker.
When the Chen Family's son hired her, the agreement was to cook two meals a day and do some light housekeeping and laundry.
She would come at noon and leave in the afternoon, exactly five hours.
"...Alright, you may go!"
Old Master Chen's mouth opened as if he were about to speak, hesitant, but in the end, he did not voice the difficult words bubbling up inside him and simply nodded, allowing the caregiver to leave.
After the caregiver had left, He Hongtu put down his basket of groceries and approached Old Master Chen's wheelchair, asking softly, "Uncle Chen, have you had an accident?"
He Hongtu respected the old man's pride, avoiding a direct inquiry as to whether he had soiled his pants.
Still, Old Master Chen's face flushed red with a surge of embarrassment and discomfort.
He Hongtu, unfazed, rolled up his sleeves and pushed the elderly man directly into the bathroom.
He Hongtu placed the lid down on the toilet and then lifted Uncle Chen, allowing him to sit on the closed fixture.
Supporting the old man with one hand to prevent any slips and removing his clothes with the other, He Hongtu tossed the soiled pants aside without changing his expression and picked up the showerhead to begin cleansing the old man's body.
After bathing and dressing him in clean clothes, he then transferred him back to the wheelchair.
"...Little He, I really, really appreciate this. You, you didn't need to go to such lengths—"
That day in the park, when Uncle Chen accidentally broke his leg, it was Little He who found him and kindly helped get him to the hospital.
During the recovery period where Uncle Chen was immobilized, his son might have hired a caregiver, but they weren't very devoted.
It was Little He who came to help him daily, assisting him to the toilet and cleaning him up, more thorough than even the pricy professional caregivers.
Last week, Little He asked for a small favor, nothing major, simply to join him in completing a group.
But when his son heard about it, he insisted Little He was a swindler, loudly shouting on the phone, telling his father not to go.
Uncle Chen, considering his son's feelings and also fearing that Little He might have ulterior motives, did not agree.
Afterward, Little He stopped visiting.
Once his son learned about this, he became even more smug, "See, I told you he was a scammer. All that rescue? All that help? It's all about money!"
"Now that he sees you're not taking the bait, he's just taken off!"
"Dad, you'd better be more cautious from now on, don't end up counting the money for someone who's sold you off!"
"There's no such thing as selfless love in this world, no one gets up early without a reason! They coddle you like an ancestor, why? It's all for the money in your pocket!"
But just now, after hearing Little He's words, Uncle Chen realized that his wife had just given birth, which was why he hadn't come.
It wasn't that he took issue with Uncle Chen.
And he certainly wasn't a swindler!
Actually, even if he were, what of it?
Sitting comfortably in his wheelchair, Uncle Chen watched the figure in the kitchen making noodles for him and suddenly this thought crossed his mind...
PS: The new book is fledgling, seeking collections, investments, and all forms of patronage (～￣▽￣)～!