DLRAS Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Bah, believe in Buddhism? Quite hypocritical.

Zheng Baoqiu distinctly saw Mu Qing roll his eyes subtly.

After the meal, she caught up with Chen Wengang. “Don’t mind Mu Qing. He’s been floating on air lately. Just because he sold two paintings, appeared on TV once, and gained a few tens of thousands of followers, he thinks he’s some big shot now. Look at him, even his nostrils flare differently when he talks.”

Chen Wengang smiled and walked upstairs shoulder-to-shoulder with her.

Passing by the study, Chen Wengang turned in, saying he needed to find a book. Zheng Baoqiu followed him in; she didn’t have anything in particular to look for, just wanting to chat along the way. Chen Wengang saw the raccoon smiling at him again. He walked over, picked up the set of animal flashcards, and played with them for a moment.

The day’s newspaper was lying on the desk. Seeing it, Zheng Baoqiu felt a wave of melancholy. “Sigh, Grandpa is going to pass away soon.”

“Don’t be sad.” Chen Wengang comforted her. “Have you gone to visit him recently?”

“It’s okay, Mom and I went once. Actually, rather than feeling sad, it’s more like a sense of poignant realization. He’s been sick for so long; no matter what happens, we’ve been mentally prepared for a while. But it doesn’t feel real. It just feels strange that this time, he might actually be leaving for good.”

The two sat down by the floor-to-ceiling windows. Outside, the wind suddenly picked up. The temperature had dropped in the evening, and the weather forecast predicted continuous heavy rain for the next few days.

Flipping through the newspaper, the front page was filled with the big and small affairs of the Huo family. The magazines were the same, just repackaging the stories in a different format.

Until there was a new development in Huo Kaishan’s health, this endless recycling of the same material was getting a bit tiresome.

Chen Wengang turned the page and unexpectedly saw a photo of Huo Niansheng, meeting his gaze with a teasing smile.

It was an easily searchable image online, taken against the backdrop of that yacht of his. Huo Niansheng leaned against the deck railing, holding a wine glass by its stem, his peach-blossom eyes raised in an alluring arc. It was unclear who he was talking to across from him, but the word “Playboy” was practically written all over his face.

The boat, in name at least, now belonged to Chen Wengang. But the stories endlessly circulated were still those of his past romantic escapades.

Chen Wengang was actually prepared to see his own face in these tabloids at any moment.

But he had been quite lucky; so far, no reporter had managed to snap a clear, frontal shot of him.

Zheng Baoqiu rested her chin on her hand, bending the spine of the magazine. “Grandpa and I aren’t actually very close. In some ways, he’s even more rigid and unfeeling than Dad. I still remember visiting him when I was very little. I didn’t know what the adults were talking about, but he was a bit angry. I didn’t know how to read the room and went up asking for a hug. Guess what he said? He said hugging me is useless; Grandpa’s money will all go to your uncle in the future. You are a granddaughter, it won’t go to you. No matter what they were arguing about, what kind of grandfather talks to his granddaughter like that?!”

“The older generation has stubborn, outdated ideas.” Chen Wengang leaned against the sofa. “Just don’t take it to heart.”

“He can rest easy; I have nothing to scheme for from him now. I’m purely here for the drama. Like, I just found out my youngest uncle and aunt have been trying to divorce for two years. Think about it, two years! Last Spring Festival, I still thought they were deeply in love, treating each other with the utmost respect.”

“Divorce involves splitting shares; exposing it casually is a major taboo. They probably didn’t want outsiders to guess.”

“Exactly, they could win an Oscar. Anyway, it’s none of our business.”

She flipped through the glossy pages noisily, then suddenly realized something. “Oh, wait, it is your business—you still have my cousin. I’d say you need to be extra careful not to get dragged into irrelevant drama. If anyone comes asking you questions recently, don’t reveal a single thing.”

Chen Wengang laughed instead. “It’s fine, I don’t know anything. He’s never told me a thing.”

Zheng Baoqiu was stunned, not grasping the dynamic between them. “Huh? What? You guys never talk about this stuff?”

Chen Wengang waved the newspaper. “According to you, since your grandfather has that kind of personality—suspicious and controlling—and with all the complex relationships in the family, what good would telling me do? He probably thinks it’s better to just let me remain an outsider.”

Just when all the reporters were waiting for the “beeeeeep” of the heart monitor to flatline, Huo Kaishan unexpectedly pulled through once again.

Counting the time, it had been one week, two weeks, three weeks… Three weeks had passed, and the hospital remained entirely quiet, with no new developments.

Unable to wait out that critical illness notice and the subsequent obituary, the media crews felt as though they had been strung along for nothing. Having expended massive amounts of manpower and resources, they began to withdraw team by team, waiting to return and make a comeback next time.

However, those in the know were well aware that Huo Kaishan’s health was indeed deteriorating, growing worse with each passing day.

Not long after, the days of torrential rain began, pouring non-stop for a full week.

By the second week, flood prevention measures became serious, and citizens received daily warning texts on their phones.

Other areas were fine, but the old city district had a weak drainage system and was prone to waterlogging, harboring hidden dangers.

For a while, Chen Wengang had endless things to worry about.

He instructed Chen Xiangling to study at home these days and not to go out unless necessary. After work, he bought two large bags of fresh ingredients from the supermarket and delivered them to her. Then, Luo Suwei came looking for him.

The Houren Special Education School was a newly constructed campus, and it was unknown if it could withstand the test of the storms. Along with a few other management staff, three or four of them went together to inspect it. Fortunately, they found no issues like leaks or waterlogged playgrounds. Unfortunately, just as they were leaving, the rain suddenly intensified, trapping them inside the academic building.

Outside was a vast expanse of white; it was impossible to distinguish anything even half a meter away. The wind howled fiercely, the noise making one suspect a tornado was tearing through.

But the academic building lacked food and water, and power was insufficient. As soon as the rain let up a bit, they immediately figured out ways to head back to their respective homes.

The roads were flooded like Jinshan Temple; driving a car felt like sailing a boat at sea. Many small cars with lower exhaust pipes broke down.

Chen Wengang checked the route. His eyelid had been twitching violently all day; he had a persistent feeling that something was going to happen.

The navigation app notified him of a roadblock ahead. He made a U-turn and headed toward Lu Chenlong’s house instead.

As it turned out, his timing was impeccable—the Lu family was in desperate need of an emergency rescue.

The terrain of Lu Chenlong’s courtyard was low-lying, causing the accumulated water to flow backward. The water line was rising steadily, threatening to flood right into the house. When Chen Wengang arrived, Lu Chenlong, wearing a raincoat, was frantically scooping water out the door basin by basin. A row of sandbags was stacked at the entrance.

The surrounding neighbors were also suffering the same disaster and were all bailing water. It had been many years since they had experienced such a high water line.

Chen Wengang was handed a metal bucket.

Finally, the two of them managed to salvage the situation, bailing out more than half the water in the courtyard. Returning indoors, wearing a raincoat meant the outside was wet, but taking it off revealed the inside was even wetter—they were completely soaked through, leaving two dripping puddles on the floor.

The bedroom door was ajar. Xiao Bao was still inside on the bed, sleeping soundly without a care in the world.

Lu Chenlong didn’t even bother changing clothes; he went straight to find a towel. Suddenly, he jerked his head up, realizing a problem—

“Oh crap, is your courtyard okay?!”

Chen Wengang’s house was still undergoing renovations, and the project was nearing its end. If the house flooded, who knew how many things would have to be redone.

Just thinking about it caused a headache; it was yet another troublesome matter.

Chen Wengang thought about it. “I remember the courtyard of our house was raised. Even when I was little, it rarely flooded. It shouldn’t be that bad.”

Just in case, he grabbed an umbrella and went to check on the house. There was no need to take off his wet clothes, as the new ones would just get wet anyway. In this weather, umbrellas and raincoats were nothing more than psychological comfort.

Fortunately, the house was clean and dry. Chen Wengang had to thank his parents for their foresight all those years ago in adding an extra layer of bricks to the courtyard.

Lu Chenlong opened the door and let him back in. With a roof over their heads, both let out a sigh of relief.

Opening a wardrobe drawer, Lu Chenlong found an old T-shirt of his and tossed it to him to change into first. He then rummaged around for a long time, hesitating between baggy shorts and pajama pants. Chen Wengang had already changed his shirt, and this time it was his turn to remember a problem: “What about Granny Zhou’s place?”

Although Granny Zhou’s shop was next door, she lived on a different street, not on Jiangchao Street, though it wasn’t far—just one street over.

Lu Chenlong tossed the baggy shorts onto the bed and gave her a call to see if everything was okay.

The phone rang rapidly a few times.

A female voice on the line said: “The number you have dialed is not answering. Please try again later.”

The two exchanged a glance, seeing a certain gravity reflected in each other’s faces.

Lu Chenlong tried to think positively: “Maybe she’s hard of hearing and didn’t hear it? Or she’s not home.”

Chen Wengang asked, “With rain this heavy, where else could she be if not home?”

Lu Chenlong said, “Keep calling, try a couple more times. If it really doesn’t work, we’ll go check her house. It’s not far anyway.”

Fifteen minutes passed, and still no one answered.

Chen Wengang’s eyelid was still twitching. He thought of something, picked up his dripping raincoat, and put it back on. Lu Chenlong looked outside and suddenly grabbed him. “Don’t go. I’ll just go check by myself. You stay here at the house with Xiao Bao.”

Chen Wengang said, “It’s better if you stay.”

He had a bad premonition. Before leaving, he hesitated for a moment and grabbed his car keys.

Lu Chenlong simply locked the bedroom door, threw on his raincoat as well, and the two dashed into the curtain of rain, one after the other.

Trudging unsteadily to old Granny Zhou’s house, the accumulated water on the road was already calf-deep, with countless unidentifiable objects floating in it. They climbed two stone steps; her house was situated on higher ground, so there was no flooding here. Chen Wengang pressed his face against the crack of the door and peered inside. A blurry, elongated shadow stretched across the floor.

But it wasn’t very clear. Lu Chenlong slammed his hand against the door, but there was no response from inside.

Chen Wengang looked around, tilting his head up to study the courtyard wall. “Give me a boost.”

The rain pelted down, making it impossible to keep his eyes open. Lu Chenlong crouched low, and Chen Wengang stepped on his shoulder, scrambling up to the top of the courtyard wall, finally seeing past the obstruction.

The door to the house was open. The old lady was collapsed on the threshold, head inside, feet outside.

Chen Wengang hurriedly told him to hold steady as he continued to climb over. The moss was slippery and the wall was slick to the touch, offering no handholds. Lu Chenlong watched with his heart in his throat as Chen Wengang slipped several times, swaying precariously as he managed to swing one leg over. “Can you do it? If not, let me try, you come down…”

Thanks to his regular workouts, Chen Wengang had some core strength. Gritting his teeth, he pushed off the wall and finally hauled himself up.

He steadied himself and leaped inside like a cat.

By some stroke of luck, the Lexus didn’t stall the entire way, slowly wading out of the flooded area and delivering them straight to the emergency room.

The old lady was wheeled inside by nurses for an examination, leaving them with nothing to do but wait.

Lu Chenlong had never met Granny Zhou’s children, only hearing she had an unfilial grandson who spent years working away from home, rarely making an appearance. But her family still had to be contacted. The old lady suffered from chronic illnesses and frequently visited this hospital, so the nurses eventually found a family member’s phone number in her files.

“You head back first?” Chen Wengang asked Lu Chenlong. The two of them were sitting dripping wet on the public chairs outside the department.

“Forget it, I’ll wait too,” Lu Chenlong said. “I’ll leave when it’s light out; it’ll be easier to walk.”

Having noticed a 7-Eleven downstairs earlier, he went down, bought two towels, and handed one to Chen Wengang when he returned.

Chen Wengang dried his hair, subconsciously holding his hand up to his eyes—it was pale and wrinkled from soaking in the rainwater.

Lu Chenlong gave him a strange look, seeing him sitting on the chair in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking.

Finally, Chen Wengang swept his damp hair back, only for wet strands to fall back over his forehead.

The sky gradually brightened.

The examination results came out. In the dark, with slippery footing, old Granny Zhou had tripped over the threshold and hit her head, knocking her unconscious. She had woken up briefly but, lacking energy, fell asleep again. She was currently lying in a hospital bed receiving an IV drip. More scans would be taken tomorrow when her family arrived.

A little past seven o’clock, a burly man arrived in a hurry.

Lu Chenlong had made up his mind to see what this unfilial descendant looked like. Before he could make out his face, he first noticed two strings of Buddhist prayer beads on his wrist.

Pfft, a Buddhist? How hypocritical.

Yu Shanding rushed into the hospital room in a state of utter panic.

Chen Wengang saw him from afar, but his throat was sore, and he couldn’t be bothered to call out, so the man ran right past them. The old lady was still sleeping with her eyes closed. After speaking with the nurses, Yu Shanding backed out, overflowing with gratitude, and asked where the kind-hearted people who brought his grandmother to the hospital were.

The nurse pointed toward the wall.

He was surprised for five seconds, but without another word, Yu Shanding charged forward looking like he wanted nothing more than to plant two kisses right on Chen Wengang’s face. Suddenly remembering something, he stopped himself in time, changed direction, and wrapped Lu Chenlong in a massive bear hug. “Little brother, I owe you a huge thanks this time.”

Lu Chenlong tried to push him away: “No need, no need. Big bro, don’t hug me, go hug that guy…”

Despite being a tall and sturdy young man, he couldn’t immediately break free. Yu Shanding grabbed his hand: “I know, I know. I’m very familiar with Wengang. I never expected we’d have such an affinity. You’re neighbors with my grandmother, so both of you are my benefactors. I, Yu Shanding, might not have much education, but I’m not someone who forgets a favor. If you don’t mind, consider me a friend from now on. If there’s ever anything you need, just say the word.”

Lu Chenlong struggled to reclaim his arm: “No need, no need… The old lady still needs to get scans done, you should hurry up and deal with that. I really have to head back.”

Chen Wengang waved to him: “Take it slow on your way back. I won’t walk you out.”

Lu Chenlong noticed his voice sounded off: “Why is your voice so hoarse? Did you catch a cold?”

He called over a passing nurse. Seeing the flush on Chen Wengang’s cheekbones, he reached out and touched his forehead, unsurprised by what he felt. “You’re burning up, you definitely have a fever. There are a lot of people catching colds lately. Go sit inside, I’ll go get a thermometer for you.”

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