Chapter Thirty: Heartbroken
Worker Liu humd a tune as he placed a pile of items on the counter.
The supermarket cashier glanced over and began scanning each item with the barcode scanner. After a mont, she lifted her eyelids and looked at Worker Liu. "Anything else?"
Worker Liu’s gaze swept over to the display cabinet of cigarettes on the counter. "A carton of Jinling Cigarettes, please."
"The red ones?"
Worker Liu thought for a mont, then with a grand gesture, said, "The gold ones! Give a carton."
Normally, Worker Liu would not indulge like this. But before heading out to the supermarket today, he suddenly rembered he still had an unused supermarket shopping card.
On any other day, Worker Liu would have just smoked Red Jinling Cigarettes. He couldn’t afford the gold ones, which were twice as expensive. But today, why not splurge a bit? It was as if that kid Chen Nuo was sponsoring him.
Worker Liu had calculated his purchases precisely, spending the entire balance of the supermarket shopping card.
"Including the cigarettes, the total is five hundred and six yuan. Are you paying with cash or card?"
Worker Liu slapped a 500-yuan shopping card on the counter. "Use this, use this."
The cashier didn’t say a word, swiped the card on the machine, then tapped away on the register computer, and looked up again. "Not enough credit."
"Hmm, I know, I’m six yuan short, right? I’ll pay the rest in cash."
Satisfied, Worker Liu took out a ten-yuan bill.
The cashier didn’t take it. Looking at Worker Liu, she said, "You’re five hundred and four yuan and twenty cents short."
"What?"
Worker Liu was stunned for a mont, then realized. "Fuck! How much money is on this shopping card?"
The cashier glanced at the screen. "The balance is one yuan and eighty cents."
"..."
Is this sothing a human would do?!
Chen Nuo, be a decent person!
Worker Liu was ntally shattered!
The Jinling Cigarettes were exchanged back for red ones, and he removed almost half of the pile of items he’d originally intended to buy. Gritting his teeth, Worker Liu paid the bill and left the supermarket with a downcast look.
His mind was still churning with anger when he suddenly saw a familiar figure on the street.
"Old Sun?"
Worker Liu was about to say hello when he noticed that Old Sun seed distressed. Rembering the incident at the school in the morning, he hesitated and didn’t call out a second ti.
He watched as Old Sun entered a rather luxurious hotel by the street.
Huh? What’s Old Sun doing at a hotel so late at night...?
Fuck?
Could it be... he’s getting a room?
At that mont, Worker Liu’s mind was suddenly ablaze with curiosity.
Old Sun, who looked quite stern and strapping, seed to be up to sothing secretive.
As if possessed, Worker Liu found himself unconsciously stepping towards the hotel.
「·」
Holiday Hotel was a project introduced to the district last year, backed by foreign investnt. It was currently the most upscale hotel in the district.
Old Sun entered the hotel lobby, inquired with a staff mber, and then ascended the stairs to the Chinese restaurant on the second floor.
Worker Liu stood at the entrance of the lobby, watched Old Sun go upstairs, thought for a mont, and shook his head.
Who knows what Old Sun is up to... Heck, I’m just ddling in other people’s business because I have too much free ti.
He was about to leave when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw an elusive figure flash by with the light from the side of the lobby.
"Chen..."
On closer examination, the figure was gone. He looked carefully again and again, but no one was there.
Worker Liu was conflicted. Could he be so irritated with that kid that he mistook soone else for him?
「·」
Guided by a server, Old Sun arrived at the door of a private room. The server opened the door and courteously invited Old Sun to enter.
Old Sun walked in. The server retreated, closing the door behind him.
The spacious private room was luxuriously decorated.
A large round table was laden with various dishes. In front of it, a middle-aged man with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes sat, a pot of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall before him.
With a spoon in hand, the middle-aged man was savoring the delicacy. He glanced up at Old Sun, set down his spoon, and smiled. "Shengli, you’re here? Take a seat."
Old Sun hesitated for a mont before sitting across from the middle-aged man. "Yao Weishan, calling out this late, what are you up to?"
The middle-aged man, Yao Weishan, looked at Old Sun with an undiminished smile and gently spun the turntable on the table. "Try this Australian lobster sashimi, it’s fresh."
Old Sun didn’t move. He glanced at the Australian lobster sashimi that had been turned to face him before lifting his eyes to continue staring at Yao Weishan.
"Old Sun, Shengli, how many years has it been since we last sat down to a al together?" Yao Weishan took out a pack of Huanghelou cigarettes, lit one for himself, and then tossed another to Old Sun.
Old Sun hesitated but eventually lit it.
"...Over a decade, I guess, since you went abroad." Old Sun took a puff of the cigarette, his tone complex. "I never thought you’d co back."
"Actually, I returned in the latter half of last year... Didn’t Yang Xiaoyi tell you?" Yao Weishan chuckled. "I ca back to invest in a project, and it just so happened to involve Yang Xiaoyi’s workplace."
Old Sun looked up at Yao Weishan, a fiery look in his eyes. "Just happened? That’s quite the coincidence!"
"Alright, alright. With decades of friendship, there’s no need for such hollow pleasantries," Yao Weishan nodded. "I admit, I deliberately brought the project here. Then I t up with Xiaoyi."
"So, the trap was also set by you?" Old Sun laughed bitterly. "You plotted the sche, and Xiaoyi fell headlong into it?"
"That’s a malicious accusation. I simply guided Xiaoyi to make so financial investnts, allowing her to earn a little money, that’s all."
"And then?"
"Then, she was quite interested, so I helped her open an M Country account for investing." Yao Weishan shook his head. "I didn’t expect her to be so bold as to invest so much all at once. Old Sun, the futures market is fickle and unpredictable. Xiaoyi really didn’t give it enough thought!"
Old Sun’s voice trembled. "Was it her boldness, or your deliberate setup of the trap!"
After a pause, Old Sun said through gritted teeth, "She doesn’t understand futures. You led her to make a profit and got her hooked, then went out of your way to help her open an account, letting her do it on her own? We’re talking about futures here! The futures market in M Country!"
Yao Weishan remained silent.
"Then, she got in deeper and deeper. Just before the position was closed, she realized she couldn’t hold on and ca to you for help." Old Sun’s voice was heavy. "And how did you ’help’ her? You used the account of the joint venture company investing in the project to let her withdraw hundreds of thousands! Yao Weishan! What a ga you’ve played! Under the guise of a contingency fund, she could withdraw hundreds of thousands! If you, the CEO, didn’t sign off, could she have accessed the money? Now, financially, she’s the one who withdrew the funds; the contingency fund was taken out under her signature!"
"And then? Just as she used the money to cover the futures losses... Right after the New Year, your company suddenly decides to audit the accounts? What company suddenly audits its accounts right after the New Year? You planned every step, deliberately maneuvering, just to utterly ruin her, didn’t you?!"
Yao Weishan was still silent.
"Xiaoyi might be a bit impulsive, but she’s not bold enough to make such a muddled and foolish move on her own!" Old Sun said through clenched teeth. "If it wasn’t for you telling her in the beginning that you had insider information and it was a sure win, would she dare to throw in all the money at once? She... she trusted you."
Suddenly, Yao Weishan extinguished his cigarette and looked at Old Sun coldly. "Sun Shengli, if you have no evidence, there’s no need to say more."
After a pause, a cold smirk appeared on his face. "So what do you think, why would she trust so much?"
Now it was Old Sun’s turn to be silent as he clenched his teeth.
"If she had gone abroad with all those years ago, none of these complications would have arisen now," Yao Weishan lit another cigarette for himself.
Both middle-aged n lapsed into silence for a while.
Old Sun said gravely, "After everything that happened back then... why on earth did you co back now!"
Yao Weishan let out a long sigh. "Jinling... has soone I can’t let go of."
SMACK!!!
Old Sun slamd the table with his palm, stood up abruptly, and pointed at Yao Weishan, shouting angrily, "Yao Weishan! Don’t be shaless! Xiaoyi is now my wife!!"
Yao Weishan watched Old Sun calmly, slowly saying, "Do you think I was talking about Xiaoyi?"
"..."
Old Sun was stunned for a mont. After a few seconds, as if he realized sothing, his face suddenly turned deathly pale!
Pointing at Yao Weishan, Old Sun’s voice trembled, "You, you... what are you saying... I, I don’t understand what you’re talking about!"
With that, Old Sun collapsed back into his seat.
A victorious smirk surfaced on Yao Weishan’s face as he slowly said, "You see, Old Sun. I’ve always said you’re actually quite clever."
"Your mind works well. It’s just that in how you conduct yourself, there’s always a touch of foolishness, rigid and unyielding."
"Actually, you’ve understood, haven’t you?"
"Or perhaps... over these years, you might have already considered the possibility yourself. You just never dared to think deeply about it, never dared to delve into it, right?"
"Stop, stop talking," Old Sun’s eyes showed a hint of weakness and pleading. "Please, stop talking!"
"Stop talking?"
Yao Weishan smiled. "How could I not speak? Old Sun! I have waited so long for tonight’s situation to arise, how could I possibly remain silent? You cannot escape!"
He picked up a bottle of red wine from the table, poured himself a glass, and drained it in one gulp.
"The year before last, when I was in M Country, a friend from China sent a photo. The mont I saw it, I couldn’t let it go. Yes, I couldn’t let it go!" Yao Weishan smiled sardonically. "What do they call it? Blood is thicker than water. Let tell you, you have no choice! Neither do I! Do you think I ca back to snatch Xiaoyi from your grasp? Ha! Over a decade ago, I understood one thing: if a man wants to succeed, he shouldn’t take won too seriously. With my status and wealth today, in M Country, would I lack won?"
"Then why did you co back..."
"I had to. Old Sun, I had to co back!" Yao Weishan grimaced, a self-mocking chuckle escaping him as if sighing. "A few years ago, I fell ill. After recovering, the doctors told ... down there, I can’t produce offspring anymore. Uh, what’s the dical term? Pathological sperm deformity."
"Now, it still works, but I can’t father children anymore."
"But, Keke, Keke is my daughter!" Old Sun tried to resist verbally.
"Your daughter?" Yao Weishan snorted. "Old Sun, look at yourself, then look at Keke. In what way does she resemble you?" He pointed to his own nose. "Then take another look at my face!"
After a pause, Yao Weishan slowly stated, "As soon as I got the photo of Keke, I knew. Damn it, she’s my seed! She’s the seed of Yao Weishan! Without a doubt!"
His words, each and every one, hamred down like a sledgehamr, brutally smashing into Old Sun’s heart!
With each strike, they heavily crushed in!
They shattered a fragile bubble that this middle-aged man had cautiously maintained deep within himself for more than a decade, like glass breaking!
"It’s not true, it’s not... Keke is indeed my daughter," Old Sun muttered, dispirited.
In his mind, scenes flashed by like a movie.
At their wedding, a room full of guests, the cheerful bride and groom...
The mundane happiness of their life after marriage: him sitting in the study reading, his wife preparing tea for him by hand...
The warmth of ho when his wife Yang Xiaoyi’s belly was slightly bulging, his excitent as he lay on her stomach to listen...
In the delivery room, when the nurse handed him the child wrapped in a sheet, his mixture of cluelessness and excitent...
When the child had jaundice after birth, he’d hold her in the sun, humming a song while making her laugh...
When Keke started elentary school, he tied a red scarf around her neck, had her sit on the back of his bicycle, and took her to school...
Keke jumping Chinese jump rope with classmates downstairs, him pushing his bike ho from work, she laughing happily as she ran into his arms...
One by one, these images, like colorful bubbles, seed to flash before his eyes...
Yao Weishan’s icy voice rang out, "I know you cherish them, mother and daughter, as your life. Xiaoyi caused big trouble. The company was about to reconcile its accounts. She panicked and told you, but you couldn’t bear to lay a finger on her. Your family’s money was long gone. You begged everywhere, leveraging your decades of good reputation as Old Sun, and rounded up over one hundred thousand yuan. But it still wasn’t enough. Selling the house was too slow, so you could only turn to a loan shark for one hundred fifty thousand yuan. That’s how you scraped together three hundred thousand yuan."
"But what of it? It was still just short."
"Old Sun, you ambushed on the roadside last night. You tried to give that money first, hoping I would suppress this matter within the company. But do you think I would?"
"What... what exactly do you want!!"
"I want Keke!" Yao Weishan stated coldly. "I want your daughter... no, I should say, my daughter!!"
"Impossible!" Old Sun’s eyes reddened, his teeth clenched. "Give up that idea! Keke is my daughter!"
"Hahahahaha! Still don’t accept it? Should I arrange a paternity test for you?" Yao Weishan laughed.
"I don’t believe it!! I don’t believe your lies!!!"
Old Sun roared hopelessly, like an animal trapped in a snare.
Yao Weishan shook his head, glanced at the Rolex on his wrist, and sneered, "Fine, I’ll put you out of your misery quickly. Well, it’s about ti."
"What ti?"
"Tonight, not only did I arrange to et you, but I also arranged with Xiaoyi! All three of us, let’s clear this matter up."
Old Sun was taken aback.
At that mont, the door was pushed open, and Yang Xiaoyi walked in. As soon as she saw Old Sun, she froze, her face turning pale on the spot. "Old, Old Sun?"
"Everyone’s here, that’s great! We’re all present now."
Yao Weishan stood up, walked over and grabbed the arm of Yang Xiaoyi, who seed to want to back away, pulling her to the table as he smiled, "Co on, tell Old Sun, who is Keke’s real father?"
As if struck by lightning, Yang Xiaoyi’s eyes widened. She stared at Yao Weishan in horror, her eyes full of resentnt. "You, you... you..."
" what?" Yao Weishan laughed. "I’ve already told Old Sun! He just doesn’t believe it yet! Why not tell him yourself?"
Yang Xiaoyi instinctively tried to shrink back, to retreat; she even wanted to turn and flee the room. But Yao Weishan held her arm tightly.
She looked pleadingly at Yao Weishan. "You. Why are you doing this... I, I don’t know anything..."
Yao Weishan laughed heartily, refusing to let go of Yang Xiaoyi’s arm.
"...Let her go," Old Sun suddenly spoke up.
Yao Weishan frowned. "Hmm?"
"I said! Let go of my wife!!!"
Old Sun suddenly leaped up like a madman, rushed forward, smacked Yao Weishan’s hand away, and pulled his wife behind him!
Old Sun raised his hand and slapped Yao Weishan on the face, sending him stumbling.
After receiving the slap, a trace of malice flashed in Yao Weishan’s eyes but quickly vanished. Touching his face, he said in a sullen voice, "Fine. For the fact that you’ve raised Keke for for over ten years, I won’t hold this slap against you."
Old Sun was no longer paying him any attention.
He turned his head and looked at his wife, whose face had turned deathly pale.
It was as if he wanted to ask sothing.
But under the circumstances... it seed there was no need to ask anymore.
Old Sun took a few steps back and sat back down in his chair.
He fumbled in his shirt pocket, then in his pants pocket, until he finally took out a crumpled pack of cigarettes, drew one out, and, with trembling fingers, lit it for himself.
With the first puff, Old Sun coughed several tis.
Then his tone beca as calm as death itself.
He spoke very slowly, very slowly, very slowly...
"Keke’s birthday is March 25. She was born prematurely... Well, I always thought she was premature. Now that I think of it, it turns out I’ve been deceived all along."
"As a child, she was always sick. She recovered from jaundice only to begin vomiting milk due to digestion issues. At one year old, she started to catch colds. On snowy days, I would carry her to the hospital again and again."
"Back then, I always thought that since she was born prematurely, her body was weaker. We just needed to nourish her well to make her stronger."
"Whatever good food or drink I had, I always prioritized the child."
"A few years ago, ’bone-strengthening powder’ beca popular. It was said to be good for children’s calcium intake, so I bought tin after tin for the house. The cigarettes I smoked went from eight yuan a pack to three yuan a pack."
"When Keke was eight, we went to her maternal grandmother’s house for the New Year. Out of all the relatives’ children there, she wore the cheapest clothes. I was poor back then, having just secured my permanent position, and had no savings."
"But I still thought that a girl should be raised well. So, I bit the bullet. I used the money I had set aside for gifts to my superiors and bought her two new outfits for the New Year."
"Because of that, my promotion was delayed by a full two years."
"During the housing reform, we couldn’t afford to buy our unit."
"For two consecutive years, I spent my sumrs teaching cram school classes. Xiaoyi, you know I don’t like doing that sort of thing."
"I am a teacher! A teacher should dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to teaching students in the classroom."
"That practice of not teaching properly in class but saving it for the cram school... I couldn’t bring myself to do it."
"I did that for two years. I nearly got heatstroke several tis during those sumrs."
"Once I’d saved enough money, we bought the housing reform unit. I just wanted you and Keke to have a stable ho, so our hearts could be at ease and not always anxious."
"Keke isn’t good at studying; she’s not really cut out for academics. Her high school entrance exams were a ss."
"With her scores, she could only go to a vocational school. I swallowed my pride and pulled strings to get her student status."
"I got her a spot at my school."
"I’ve never shown favoritism in my life. But for this, I did."
"For this, I’ve endured countless whispers behind my back, people saying Old Sun was a hypocrite his whole life, feigning integrity but resorting to backdoor dealings for his own family... I accepted it!"
"Keke... she’s my daughter!"
At this, Old Sun looked at his wife with imploring eyes.
His tone was nearly pleading, "Xiaoyi, tell ... Keke, she’s my daughter, isn’t she? She is my daughter, right?"
"..."
Yang Xiaoyi, deathly pale, trembled as she looked at the middle-aged man before her. He seed so desolate, his back bent as if by the weight of the world.
Then, after a mont, THUMP!
Yang Xiaoyi knelt on the ground before him.
It was quiet for a long ti.
"...Sigh..."
Old Sun let out a long sigh.
It was as if, at that mont, so part of his heart had died.
「·」
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