As they ate and chatted, Zhang Wei felt as if he had returned to over twenty years ago, when his father would always engage him in conversation at the dinner table. The difference this time was that, in his past life, his father had expounded on the philosophy of life, while now, it was Zhang Wei who was sharing insights on how to navigate the world.
Halfway through the meal, the sound of a bicycle stopping outside interrupted their conversation. Zhang Wei paused and curiously looked out.
He saw his mother, Cheng Lin, pushing her bicycle inside.
"Mom, you're back!" Zhang Wei exclaimed, excitement bubbling over as this was the first time he had seen his mother directly since his rebirth.
Unlike the image of his mother filled with hardship and exhaustion from his memories, she looked young and beautiful now, with her shiny long hair and delicate oval face.
Zhang Aiguo glanced up briefly, then lowered his head to continue eating, seemingly still sulking.
Cheng Lin parked her bicycle next to the stove and walked over to the table. Ignoring her husband, she picked up her son and sat down, her eyes crinkling with a smile as she praised, "My little Wei is so clever! The news of you helping the police solve a case has even reached your grandmother's house!"
Zhang Wei suddenly understood. He had been wondering why his mother seemed to have calmed down so quickly; it turned out she had rushed back after hearing about the incident with Dr. He. This was indeed something worth celebrating!
"Mom, Dad said he was planning to come and pick you up tomorrow!" Zhang Wei said, telling a little white lie to smooth things over.
"Hmph!" Zhang Aiguo coldly denied it with a grunt.
Cheng Lin pretended not to hear, holding her son and saying, "Son, when you grow up, you must be a smart person. Don't be like someone who is so useless that creditors come knocking at our door."
Zhang Aiguo continued to eat in silence, his face dark.
Zhang Wei found it both amusing and exasperating that his parents were still sulking at each other. To help lighten the mood, he said, "Mom, the village chief gave us two thousand yuan!" He carefully recounted the events of the afternoon, understanding that the reason for his mother's unhappiness was their financial struggles. With this two thousand yuan, their situation could improve significantly, and she might not be so upset anymore.
Cheng Lin's mouth fell open in surprise. She felt a bit dreamy, not expecting their family to have connections with the village chief.
After a moment, she accepted the news and turned to Zhang Aiguo, saying, "With this two thousand yuan, we can pay back Auntie's debt, right?"
Of course, the debt had to be repaid, but not immediately. Zhang Wei spoke up for his father, "Mom, Dad and I have already discussed it. We plan to go to Shanghai to sell rice, and we'll pay Auntie back once we've made some money. Right, Dad?" He shot a meaningful glance at his father.
Zhang Aiguo sighed helplessly, "Yes, that's the plan."
Cheng Lin's eyes widened, "Going to Shanghai to sell rice? Can we really make money? When are we going?"
"Absolutely, don't worry!" Zhang Wei smiled. "The day after tomorrow, I'll go with Uncle!"
…
Riding the waves of fortune, the bus sped straight to Shanghai.
On the sixth day of the new year.
In Shanghai, Bay Area.
Zhang Wei's family followed his uncle, Zhang Jianguo, to their destination.
As they traveled, Zhang Wei couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic. Although Shanghai was the economic center of the nation, it was still far from the bustling metropolis he remembered from his past life. There weren't as many skyscrapers, nor was the traffic as congested.
That night, the three of them slept in the apartment rented by his uncle, while his uncle spent the night with his brother-in-law, Wei Shuilin.
The next morning.
Amidst the clamor, Zhang Wei opened his eyes. He glanced at the clock on the bedside table—it was already past six—but it was still quite dark outside. He wondered where his father had gone, while his mother was busy preparing breakfast.
"Where's Dad?" Zhang Wei mumbled through a mouthful of toothpaste.
"He went to learn how to sell rice from your uncle. We'll have breakfast first, then take it to them," Cheng Lin replied, wiping the sweat from her forehead. After the incident with Dr. He, the relationship between her and her husband had improved significantly.
Once indifferent to cooking, Cheng Lin had taken the initiative to make breakfast since arriving in Shanghai, indicating that she was
"Really?" Chen Yingying asked excitedly.
Zhang Wei nodded seriously and said, "More real than pearls!" He felt that this little girl's situation was quite similar to his son's in his past life, and he couldn't help but want to comfort her. Besides, since they wouldn't be seeing each other every day, he considered it a kind-hearted lie.
"Let's make a pinky promise." Chen Yingying extended her finger.
Zhang Wei solemnly extended his pinky and hooked it with hers.
"Pinky promise, one hundred years, no changing! Whoever changes is a little bad egg!" Chen Yingying joyfully shook her finger. Once the promise was made, she cheered and ran over to her father, hugging his leg and sweetly saying, "Daddy, I have a good friend now!"
Zhang Wei couldn't help but laugh. It was heartwarming that such a simple promise could make a little girl so happy; he felt it was worth it.
After weighing the rice, Chen Laosan (Chen's father) carried the rice bag in one hand and patted the little girl's head with the other. "Daddy knows. I'll bring you here to play often from now on."
"Daddy is the best, and Zhang Wei is the best too!" Chen Yingying exclaimed happily.
Her words made everyone burst into laughter.
As Chen Yingying followed her father out, she kept looking back at Zhang Wei, as if she was reluctant to leave her newly made friend.
After the father and daughter left, Zhang Wei curiously asked, "Uncle, do you know this little girl's family?"
"Does Xiao Wei like this girl?" Zhang Jianguo teased, then added, "Chen Laosan is divorced, and this little girl has had a tough time. Sigh, what a pity!"
Zhang Aiguo and Cheng Lin exchanged glances and smiled. Thankfully, they hadn't gone through a divorce.
Cheng Lin teased her son, "How about you take this little girl as your wife?"
Zhang Aiguo chuckled along.
Zhang Wei laughed and casually retorted, "Sure! Mom and Dad, please prepare a huge dowry for me. She's from Shanghai, so I'm sure a couple of tens of thousands will do!"
The couple was momentarily speechless, unable to respond.