??Chapter 352: 352. Life ah_1
Chapter 352: 352. Life ah_1
Song Tan’s ho was bustling with activity, and Brother Xiaozhang’s car was almost smoking, confidently hauling express deliveries back and forth every day.
anwhile, in the peaceful neighborhood of Imperial City, Old Zu gleefully placed the 10 cigarettes he’d just rolled into his specially bought cigarette case, tucked it into his pocket with excitent, and prepared to step out, hands clasped behind his back.
Just then, his phone rang.
His incredibly busy son was calling: “Dad, how have you been lately? I happen to have the day off today, so I thought I’d co over to see you.”
Old Zu wasn’t too pleased—his son was so inconsiderate, resting whenever he wanted and busying himself with his own things, while he had been planning to boast to his old buddies!
So he grunted, “Where have you been?”
If he hadn’t left yet, better not co.
However, the person on the other end just laughed: “Dad, I’m at the foot of the mountain.”
Old Zu: …
Reluctantly, he grunted an acknowledgnt and headed back into the yard.
After thinking it over, he decided that this was his own son after all, so he began making preparations:
“Is there any more trella soup? Serve a bowl first when he gets here.”
“And the pepper sauce pancakes we had the day before yesterday were pretty good too, can you still make those?”
“Right, where did I put my honey?”
“Prepare a cup of honey water for Yuntao when he arrives.”
In the end, he took out his rolling machine and started rolling the tobacco—one cigarette after another—with the finely acquired tobacco.
Old Zu thought to himself, it was indeed his deep love for his son—give him ten!
But after rolling five, he started to feel a bit reluctant. His granddaughter had said these were hard to co by, and people barely had any to spare.
As a fellow smoker, he knew all too well how precious this was to them, so he simply put away the rolling machine—
It wasn’t that he was reluctant, mainly he was considering his son’s health.
Smoking is harmful to one’s health.
It didn’t matter much if an old man like him smoked, but his son in the pri of life should not be hindered.
All this fuss, and before long, his son arrived up the mountain.
Old Zu’s son, Zu Yuntao, was also swamped with work on any regular day. Now, finding so rare ti, he rushed up the mountain to visit his old father.
As soon as he entered the yard, the gentle breeze soothed his restless heart.
Upon entering the house, he saw Old Zu sitting in the living room with the fan blowing gently, even more comfortable than if the air conditioning had been on.
Seeing his son co in, Old Zu lifted his chin: “Yuntao, drink this cup of honey water, I just prepared it.”
At this age, who didn’t know a bit about health preservation? The honey water Old Zu had soone make was warm.
As he held the cup, Zu Yuntao felt resistant due to its warmth. But once the honey water went down his throat, the cool, sweet taste of the honey spread densely in his mouth.
Combined with the warm water, it felt as though his whole body was washed clean from the inside out, utterly soothing.
A fine sweat ford on his body, and the slight irritation he had felt slowly cald down.
“This honey is really good!”
Old Zu slowly furrowed his brows.
Zu Yuntao, however, didn’t notice; observing the look on his old father’s face, he couldn’t help smiling: “Dad, you’ve been looking really good lately with all the care you’ve taken.”
No sooner had he sat down than soone hurriedly brought over a large bowl of trella soup from the kitchen.
It must have been taken out of the fridge not long ago since it still felt cool to the touch.
Old Zu commanded again: “Quick, drink the trella soup.”
Zu Yuntao: …
So, how co his dad was being so attentive and considerate all of a sudden?
He was quite unaccustod to it.
Moreover, drinking honey water first, followed by the sweet taste of silver ear mushroom soup… wasn’t there sothing odd about this?
However, thinking about the pleasant taste of the honey water he had before, he obediently picked up the spoon and scooped a spoonful of soup into his mouth.
Wow!
“This silver ear mushroom is really good!”
He set down his bowl to take a closer look, noticing that the silver ear mushrooms weren’t too many, torn into tiny shreds, yet the gelatinous, smooth, and rich texture tasted exceptionally good.
“Dad, where did you get this great stuff from?”
Old Zu could no longer hold back, “This is what my eldest granddaughter sent ! What about it, wasn’t the tea and honey I gave you before?”
This really made Old Zu feel quite envious!
Zu Yuntao was taken aback for a mont, then he rembered and couldn’t help but feel sowhat amused:
“It’s been at ho since it was sent over, and as you know, we are not short of these things. I haven’t finished what I opened before; it’s probably stuffed in the storage room… I didn’t expect it to taste this good…”
Just one taste had already astounded him, and he thought he had to find it when he got ho, no matter what.
Yet this was already enough to make Old Zu very angry:
“You, with no eye for good stuff! Not eating what’s good, just keeping it in the storage room as if waiting for it to breed!”
“Despite my granddaughter having such filial piety, sending it to you first, I, as her grandfather, am placed at the back of the line!”
Zu Yuntao: …
He looked up, completely bewildered: Why turn angry so suddenly? The stuff is indeed good, but it won’t go bad if it’s just stored!
Although now thinking about that taste, he also felt a bit regretful…
Old Zu, like punching cotton, gave him a glance but said no more.
Only after his son finished the silver ear mushroom soup, and his restless yet excited expression cald down, did the father and son sit down and have a steady conversation.
As for work matters, Zu Yuntao seldom talked about them at ho. But having not seen each other for a long ti, there were still a few different things to talk about, such as how his old father’s life in this sanatorium was—
The complexion seed quite good, but as his son, he wanted to hear more details.
While they were talking, he saw Old Zu take out a rather stylish cigarette case from his pocket, then pull out a slender and unbranded cigarette.
His eyebrows shot up, “Dad, you really shouldn’t smoke too much now!”
Old Zu grew even angrier upon hearing this, “Smoke too much?! Do you have any idea how frugal I am? Now I limit myself to 10 cigarettes a day! I don’t dare to have half a one more!”
The fact was there was just too little tobacco, and he felt reluctant every ti he smoked one.
In the past, he was a heavy smoker; a minimum of two packs a day was his norm, and only under strict orders did he reluctantly cut down to a pack and a half.
But now, just 10! The re thought was saddening.
However, Zu Yuntao’s eyebrows jumped again, looking at his father’s rosy cheeks, he was inclined to believe him. But all smokers know each other, don’t they?
How could a habit that hasn’t changed for decades suddenly drop to 10 a day?
And also…
“Where did you get this cigarette? It doesn’t look like one from our ho.”
Speaking of this, it was arguably Old Zu’s proudest achievent of the year. At this mont, he displayed the treasure to his son like a child, pushing the 5 cigarettes he had prepared ahead of ti toward him:
“Here, give it a try. These are for you.”
Zu Yuntao: …
It really didn’t co to that.
However, this inevitably reminded him of the past—when he was 16 and learned to smoke, his father blocked him outside the door and lashed him half to death with a belt.
Now he was in his forties or fifties, and his father was offering him cigarettes to smoke—
Life, oh life!
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