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Chapter 59: It’s natural to please people you like.
The tall antique clock next to the wall struck nine times in a row.
Huo Zhenfei turned around and glanced, “It’s already this late.”
He turned his head back to face Huo Niansheng, “After that incident, nobody will mention it again. Huo Yingfei, I believe, wouldn’t even dare go out and talk about it. I had my secretary contact that girl recently. She’s grown up now, much more mature, and she already knows it wasn’t you. Neither she nor her family will speak to the media.”
Huo Niansheng said, “You’re reminding me not to talk carelessly, aren’t you?”
Huo Zhenfei said, “Our family indeed doesn’t need to stir up old matters again.”
Huo Niansheng smiled with a hint of playfulness, “Let’s hope for a happy ending then.”
“We compensated back then,” Huo Zhenfei interrupted him, “It’s enough. Let’s stop this topic. Sometimes I wonder if you’ve let it go, but after all, it’s been ten years. We can’t gather all the parties involved just to give you justice.”
He looked at Huo Niansheng and said, “But the people who need to know the truth already know, even Grandfather, he just doesn’t want to stir up more trouble in the family—otherwise, your father’s share wouldn’t have been handed over to you. Huo Jingsheng didn’t get anything.”
Huo Niansheng made a sudden realization, “I see, I hadn’t thought of it that way until you mentioned it. So, it’s Grandfather’s way of expressing…”
Huo Zhenfei paused, “It’s not exactly like that. What you got is what you deserve.”
Huo Niansheng stared at him for a while, long enough for Huo Zhenfei to feel uneasy and shift uncomfortably. Then, Huo Niansheng suddenly laughed, “Don’t take it seriously, I understand. I’m actually grateful for Third Uncle’s guidance. Now that Third Uncle is the chairman, I don’t see Second Uncle making any waves. Eventually, won’t that position belong to you? I should start buttering you up early.”
“Always talking nonsense,” Huo Zhenfei said with a smile.
Huo Zhenfei brought the cup to his lips but drank nothing, looking down to find it already empty.
Setting the cup aside, he suddenly remarked, “By the way, don’t underestimate Second Uncle too much. He’s not that honest of a person. I think many of his investments are involved with some shady industries. Although it’s just minor trouble, we shouldn’t let him drag us down.”
Huo Niansheng pushed his chair back with his feet and said, “I’ll keep an eye on it. Well, it’s time to rest.”
Before he went upstairs, Huo Zhenfei stopped him again.
Huo Niansheng asked, “Is there anything else?”
Huo Zhenfei hesitated for a moment, “I seem to have not asked you—how was your time abroad?”
Huo Niansheng said, “You’re wondering if I was resentful back then but lacked the ability to confront Grandfather directly, so I deliberately caused scandals every day to shame the family together?”
Huo Zhenfei said, “I’m asking about that part, but not only. Was it like that?”
The two faced each other from a distance, one on the stairs, the other below, their gazes meeting.
Huo Zhenfei felt there was something still the same in his eyes as it was ten years ago.
Equally indifferent.
Huo Niansheng smiled, “As you said, it’s been ten years. Who remembers how they felt back then? But I’ve always believed in an old saying: ‘A dragon begets a dragon, a phoenix begets a phoenix, and the son of a mouse is good at digging holes.’ Whatever one is, one should live according to that. Whether dragon, phoenix, or mouse, one should live accordingly. There’s nothing to be resentful about. You’re the future head of the family, don’t waste your energy worrying about these trivial matters.”
***
Just before the end of summer vacation, the renovation project of Chen Wengang’s family’s old house was completed successfully.
Normally, the renovation process could take one to two months, but he had modest demands and skipped the design phase, leaving all construction details to the renovation team’s discretion, and they finished all the work in just over twenty days. Chen Wengang treated the foreman and the workers to a meal at the Wanghai Restaurant.
Afterward, they cleared away the construction debris, performed initial cleaning, and hired two more workers to move the old furniture back in.
The house now had a preliminary livable appearance.
The foreman was a practical person, and the construction team also tidied up the courtyard, removing years of accumulated moss and stains. The walls were plastered straight and smooth, and opposite the kitchen, a small flowerbed was refurbished with blue bricks. This flowerbed had existed before but had been used by tenants to pile up rubbish and waste, originally filled with beer bottles, soda cans, stacks of delivery boxes, and broken tables and chairs.
Now all the junk had been cleared away, the flowerbed was filled with moist soil, and the courtyard looked much more spacious.
When Huo Niansheng came over, Chen Wengang was sitting alone at the edge of the flowerbed.
“What are you doing?” he asked with a smile, “Trying to plant yourself in there?”
“It’s not a bad idea,” Chen Wengang said, looking up at him.
“Forget it, I wouldn’t bear to,” Huo Niansheng said, “I’m not greedy; having one is enough.”
Chen Wengang smiled and lowered his head again, crumbling the biscuit into powder bit by bit as a large group of ants gathered on the ground.
Huo Niansheng sat with him for a while, stretched his legs, and looked around. Chen Wengang asked, “What are you looking at?”
Huo Niansheng put his arm around his shoulder and said, “Just looking at where you grew up.”
Imagine what he looked like as a child, and whether he enjoyed feeding ants like this under the flowerbed.
“From birth until I was nine,” Chen Wengang said, “I lived there. Until one day after school, Uncle told me something happened… and then we moved out.”
“It’s all in the past,” Huo Niansheng knew there was a large chunk missing in between.
“Before leaving, they gave me a suitcase and told me to pack what I wanted to take. I didn’t know what to pack; there were so many things at home. What should I take? And the suitcase wasn’t big enough; it could only fit a few sets of everyday clothes at most. What about the bowls I liked at home, the cups I drank water from, the complete set of toys I collected, and the books… What should I do with those? Uncle said they would take care of them for me. When I got in the car, the key to our house was still hanging around my neck. It felt strange; I always felt like I could come back in the afternoon.”
“What happened to the things at home?”
“I don’t know. Sell what can be sold; throw away what can’t?”
“Now you can start fresh,” Huo Niansheng said, “What do you need to buy here?”
“I need to buy a mattress.” Chen Wengang also looked around the house, “And also a dining table, sofa, gas stove, washing machine…”
“Speaking of which,” Huo Niansheng said, “Yu Shanding seems eager to decorate for you. Why don’t you just agree with him?”
Mrs. Zhou had been taken back home by her unworthy grandson, and Yu Shanding had indeed been very attentive lately, so attentive that it made people want to avoid him. Chen Wengang couldn’t help but smile, “If he’s comfortable like that, I’m not. It feels like I owe him something if he keeps doing this.”
Huo Niansheng also chuckled, looking at his face, “In that case, why not let me handle it?”
“You want to help me tidy up the house? Don’t you have other things to do?”
“What else do I have to do? Right now, isn’t my main task to please you?”
“What?” Chen Wengang was puzzled, “Why would you say that?”
“Why do you think?”
“…”
“Even good students have their moments of dullness, don’t they?” Huo Niansheng looked at him almost tenderly and reached out to touch his hair, “I thought pleasing the person you like was just natural.”
***
Chen Wengang went to work at the company early in the morning, and his colleague teased him, “Have you encountered something good?”
He smiled and asked back, “Why do you say that?”
The colleague asserted weakly, “No one can smile so gently on a Monday unless they find money on the way.”
Of course, there was another situation—most people were happy nearing their resignation. Chen Wengang couldn’t say whether he was happy or not, but he did feel a sense of impending freedom. He opened his computer and began to draft the wording for his resignation letter.
He was probably going to hand the resignation letter directly to Zheng Bingyi. Just saying “personal development reasons” wasn’t explanatory enough. He needed to think carefully about what to say. So, even though he wasn’t going to submit it right away, it was better to be prepared.
At noon, Zheng Yucheng came to the documentation department.
He called Chen Wengang out and spoke in a small meeting room, “I heard about your uncle’s situation.”
Chen Wengang wasn’t surprised at all; last time, Chen Zeng wouldn’t have hitched a ride with him for nothing. “Are you going to meddle in this matter?”
Zheng Yucheng hesitated under his gaze but nodded, “Yes, I recommended Lawyer Cao to him.”
Chen Wengang feared it wasn’t as simple as him just recommending the lawyer. Lawyer Cao’s team was the official legal team funded by Zheng Bingyi, and they weren’t obligated to solve personal matters for relatives and friends for free. Zheng Yucheng’s assistance in legal matters was like extending a favor, and he would expect Chen Wengang to repay it.
He smiled and said, “Thank you for your kindness. However, these legal fees are not something my uncle can easily afford.”
Zheng Yucheng hadn’t caught on yet, “Are you concerned about the cost? That’s not necessary…”
Chen Wengang said, “I will recommend him to a more suitable lawyer within his financial means.”
Slowly, Zheng Yucheng’s expression revealed a sense of absurdity, “Lawyer Cao is not so unattainable! So—your uncle is in trouble, there’s clearly a way to help him through the crisis, and all you care about is drawing boundaries with me?”
Chen Wengang frowned at him and said, “Don’t make it sound like I’m standing idly by. I said I would find a solution for him.”
Zheng Yucheng also frowned, “I don’t think this is ‘meddling’. No matter where our relationship stands, at least your uncle is your closest relative by blood. I can’t just pretend not to know when I hear about it. What’s your solution? Calling the legal aid hotline to see if there’s free support? Choosing a method he can afford?”
Chen Wengang looked at him and said, “What’s your solution? Donating millions to help him clear his debts?”
Zheng Yucheng was taken aback.
He softened his tone, “Okay, Wengang, I don’t want to argue with you. But please think about it. Your uncle is now a middle-aged man with a family to support. He has been set up by his boss, lost his job, and still has your three younger siblings to take care of at home. If he’s sued and can’t afford to pay, he’ll become a defaulter. I know he’s at fault, but is this the outcome you want to see just to stick to principles? You can rest assured that helping him a bit is my own decision, and I won’t use it to manipulate you in the future.”
Colleagues saw both of them coming out of the meeting room with a bit of low pressure, so no one dared to approach and ask about the situation.
For a while afterward, Zheng Yucheng indeed delivered on his promise. Chen Wengang knew he had arranged a position as a dock supervisor for Chen Zeng.
This arrangement also received Zheng Bingyi’s approval—Chen Wengang couldn’t object. But to Zheng Bingyi, it wasn’t really a big deal. There were plenty of personal connections within the family business, with relatives, hometown acquaintances, and friends all intertwined in their interests. Chen Zeng couldn’t even rank among them; giving him something to do was just a gesture.
However, when he walked out of the study after reporting, Zheng Yucheng felt deeply conflicted.
He knew that saying he wouldn’t manipulate was just a lie. The truth was, he had known for a while that Chen Wengang was considering resigning and placing his uncle in the Zheng family was just a way to tie him down a bit more. It wasn’t a particularly brilliant tactic, but Zheng Yucheng couldn’t think of anything else.
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