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Chapter 47: Why do you like feeding me so much?
On the way back, Diandian started crying again, both because the day was ending and because she was reluctant to see Chen Wengang leave.
Chen Wengang had been paired with these two girls with congenital heart disease two years before Huang-jie. The children all had a fondness for him, but Tongtong was more resilient, while Diandian’s emotions tended to be more intense. Every time Chen Wengang left the welfare home, he had to say a special goodbye to her.
“In the past, there was a time when he left in a hurry and forgot to say goodbye. She cried until midnight,” Huang-jie recalled. “And then we had to call Wengang back in the middle of the night.” They were afraid her emotional distress might lead to health issues.
Outside the Love Home, the two little girls hugged their teddy bears tightly, said their difficult goodbyes, and then went to Lu Chenlong’s house.
Before getting off the car, Lu Chenlong suddenly handed Chen Wengang a key: “By the way, your tenant has moved out.”
“Oh, alright,” Chen Wengang took it, “thank you.”
“They didn’t even last two days; that group of debt collectors sang all night in the yard, and on Friday, they called a moving company.”
Lu Chenlong enjoyed the commotion and wasn’t bothered by the trouble. Chen Wengang chuckled, “I’ll go check it out now.”
“It’s a good idea to check; make sure nothing’s missing. I specifically told them that they couldn’t take anything that wasn’t theirs,” Lu Chenlong said.
Huo Niansheng focused on steering, not interrupting their conversation.
More and more people owned cars now, but parking facilities couldn’t keep up, and the old alleyways were always congested. Huo Niansheng drove a bit farther to find a parking spot, while Lu Chenlong led his brother and Chen Wengang inside.
The two brothers entered the house, and Chen Wengang took a couple more steps toward his own door.
But even with the key, he couldn’t get in. The old wooden door had a decorative handle; aside from the anti-theft lock, it also had an extra iron bolt.
It dawned on him that the tenant had intentionally caused trouble for him.
Huo Niansheng quickly caught up and, seeing the situation, snickered, glanced around, and picked up half a brick.
With two knocks, before Chen Wengang could see what he was doing, the lock snapped open effortlessly.
With a creak, Huo Niansheng pushed the door open and said, “Let’s take a look at what your home looks like.”
Outside and inside the courtyard, everything was swept clean.
Lu Chenlong warned the household not to touch the furniture, and they only left a few pieces of old elm furniture. Everything else, including the appliances in the kitchen, the range hood, water heater, and air conditioner, was removed or possibly sold.
It had been used for many years, perhaps added by his uncle later on; second-hand goods weren’t worth much, so Chen Wengang didn’t mind.
But without the air conditioner, the indoor air was stifling, and sweat covered their bodies as they stayed inside.
To ventilate the room, Chen Wengang paced around, opening all the doors and windows, trying to create some airflow. Then he reached for the switch and turned on the overhead light. The light had been used for a long time, and it shone weakly, with black spots accumulating under the lampshade, likely dead insects.
Huo Niansheng stood at the doorway, watching his movements, his face showing no particular expression.
There were no tables or furniture in the room, not even a single chair. After a moment, Huo Niansheng seemed to come to life and walked a few steps inside, beginning to assess the layout of the house. Stepping into the bedroom, there was only a bed frame left that one could barely sit on, although the rib frame was still intact.
“Though it’s old, the furniture seems quite sturdy,” Huo Niansheng remarked. “So, did you lose much?”
“Shouldn’t have, just these,” Chen Wengang said softly. “In the past, people used to have their furniture made by carpenters when they got married.”
He looked somewhat puzzled or bewildered, as if trying to reconcile the scene before him with the memories of his small home.
There was also a loft above, with a staircase made of tin that creaked with every step, all rusty and devoid of paint.
The walls hadn’t been painted in years and were covered in severe blotches, scratches, and peeling paint. The blackened areas looked like festering wounds.
Some previous tenant’s child had scratched “1+2=3” into the wall, but the mark near the door frame was Chen Wengang’s own.
“This is my height mark,” he finally smiled.
“What age is this height?” Huo Niansheng asked, squatting down to look.
Chen Wengang gave him a wary glance: “I can’t tell you.”
Huo Niansheng burst into laughter, then surveyed the surroundings like a professional, pointing to the corners of the walls. “This part of the wall has moisture returning; probably a burst water pipe inside. You’ll need to get a worker to handle waterproofing.”
“Alright.”
“And this wall needs repainting and re-plastering… Are you thinking of fixing it up and renting it out again?”
“I am not planning to rent it out again. It’s not much money, so I’ll just keep it. Maybe one day I’ll live here myself.”
Huo Niansheng chuckled as if he’d heard something amusing. “You want to live here again?”
Just as they were speaking, the darkening sky suddenly plunged into darkness, as if the power had been cut off.
Outside, raindrops began to fall swiftly, hitting the ground with the speed of lightning, instantly soaking the cement courtyard. It was such a rainstorm that not even the weather forecast had predicted, leaving no time for reaction and pouring down as if the heavens themselves were pouring water from a bucket.
Chen Wengang didn’t say anything, walking to the door to look outside at the rain.
The faint moisture mixed with the lingering heat, hitting them in the face.
They also didn’t have an umbrella, and the sudden downpour trapped the two inside the house.
Compared to the Zheng residence, if you were to use a fairytale analogy, this house was like the difference between a king’s palace and a fisherman’s hut.
But it was still livable.
Chen Wengang leaned against the door frame, contemplating whether to tear it down completely and renovate it thoroughly. After so many years, the plumbing and electrical systems in the house were aging, and a complete renovation would be best. However, he also considered that the old street might be demolished in a few years. No matter how well renovated, it would all be for naught if the area underwent redevelopment.
Or, as Huo Niansheng suggested, just waterproof it, paint the walls white again, and it could still be used for a few more years.
Huo Niansheng also came over, leaning against the door frame on the other side, his sharp and analytical gaze fixed on Chen Wengang’s face.
With his long arms and legs, deliberately lifting one leg to block the doorway, he barred Chen Wengang inside.
“Why the bad mood… I said something wrong just now. This is your home, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s okay. I’m also thinking that this house is quite dilapidated. After all, it’s twenty years old. Maybe we should just wait for the demolition.”
“The government has been pushing forward with urban renewal projects these years. Redevelopment of this street is inevitable; there have been rumors since last year.”
“Is that so?” Chen Wengang wasn’t surprised but pretended not to have heard about it.
“But complete demolition isn’t certain,” Huo Niansheng said. “The Li family, especially Li Hongqiong, has close ties with the government and has targeted several old city renovation projects in recent years. From what I know, they are more inclined to preserve the old fishing village charm of Jincheng and develop it into a tourist area, boosting tourism—she hasn’t spared any effort in promoting this idea and has even been interviewed on TV. You can ask her about it later.”
The Zhengs, Huos, Lis, and Hes were all old maritime shipping giants. However, while the Zhengs and Hes still focused on shipping as their core business, the Huos and Lis gradually shifted their development strategies, investing their funds in real estate and mining. The Huos had already made the transition, while the Lis were in the process.
In his previous life, the Li Group did not participate in the development of Jiangchao Street. If what Huo Niansheng said was true, perhaps this street would present a different image. It could be related to strategy or unsuccessful land bidding. There might be a chance to chat with Li Hongqiong about it later.
But all this competition among the elite families and the changing tides had nothing to do with Chen Wengang.
Zheng Yucheng, Huo Niansheng, or Li Hongqiong were all important figures on this stage, but he was not.
The rain continued to pour down unrestrained, showing no signs of stopping.
Huo Niansheng wasn’t in a hurry either, leisurely spending time with his little companion in this place.
He gestured and advised Chen Wengang on how to renovate this old house. Huo Niansheng’s peach blossom eyes were slightly upturned at the corners, and when he wasn’t sincere, there was always a hint of a smile in his eyes, containing an inexplicable amusement. However, Chen Wengang didn’t mind.
As he listened, he moved to the other side, leaning against the door frame with Huo Niansheng, resting his head on his shoulder.
His clinging to Huo Niansheng reminded him of how those kids used to cling to him. He even felt a strange sense of empathy, understanding the pleasure of being relied upon. He leaned in closer and teased, “Do you like being this close too?”
As Chen Wengang tried to pull back, Huo Niansheng pushed him back gently, “It’s okay; I like it too.”
The door banged loudly, making Chen Wengang jump slightly and stand up to look outside.
A young man ran in through the door. It was Lu Chenlong, wearing a raincoat and holding a large black umbrella under his arm. Water flowed on the ground, and he had changed his sneakers to flip-flops, struggling against the force of the water, giving the impression of a journey.
“I don’t know if this rain will stop. I guess you don’t have an umbrella either,” Lu Chenlong entered the house. “Oh, Mr. Huo is here too.”
“Thanks.” Chen Wengang took the umbrella and said, “I’ll return it to you when I visit your place next time.”
Huo Niansheng had already retreated into the house, making his way to the door. Lu Chenlong stared at him, then, after a moment, averted his gaze and coughed discreetly. During the day, Chen Wengang brought this person along, and the atmosphere between the two was unclear, so he had his suspicions. It was Lu Chenlong’s first time meeting him, and he was unsure whether this person would bring good or bad, so he maintained basic politeness.
Lu Chenlong pulled out a plastic bag from under his raincoat and said, “Mrs. Zhou sent some sweet soup, two portions, one for Xiao Bao and one for you.”
“Oh,” Chen Wengang took it, “you keep it for yourself.”
“Her shop is just next door, and I can get it anytime I want.” Lu Chenlong glanced at Huo Niansheng and said, “Sorry, I didn’t expect Mr. Huo to be here, and there’s only one spoon inside… Why don’t you share it? I have to get back; I have a child at home.”
After speaking, he didn’t linger, trudging back through the water.
Chen Wengang opened the package, and Huo Niansheng leaned over, “What is it?”
Inside the plastic bowl was sesame paste, which was dark and fragrant. Chen Wengang handed the bowl to him, rummaging through to find the spoon at the bottom.
Huo Niansheng also unwrapped the transparent plastic, sealing the spoon. “Let’s make do with it.”
Taking the spoon from Huo Niansheng, he studied the thick sesame paste in the bowl, stirred it, scooped up a spoonful, and fed it experimentally to Chen Wengang before taking a bite himself. It was still warm, smooth, not overly sweet, and perfectly satisfying from the tongue to the stomach.
Chen Wengang’s tongue recognized the taste of hand-ground sesame paste. Mrs. Zhou’s shop didn’t make sesame paste like this; it took over an hour to grind it manually, and the elderly lady wouldn’t have had the energy for it. Occasionally cooking it, she reserved it for special occasions.
“Nowadays, sesame is ground with a food processor. You can’t get this handmade flavor… You eat; don’t give it all to me,” Chen Wengang said.
Huo Niansheng only tasted two spoonfuls, feeding Chen Wengang spoon after spoon attentively. “Hmm, I’ve tried it now.”
Finally scraping the bottom of the bowl, the spoon touched Chen Wengang’s lips again.
After a moment’s hesitation, Chen Wengang opened his mouth and accepted the spoon-feeding.
Huo Niansheng smiled brightly, pinched the empty bowl, leaned down, and tasted the sweetness on his lips. “The taste is different… What’s wrong?”
The light covered Chen Wengang’s flushed face, but he gradually smiled. “Why do you like feeding me so much?”
Did there need to be a reason for it?
Huo Niansheng felt that Chen Wengang was thin. Stripped of his clothes, his toned physique was there, supported by a thin layer of muscle on his bones, sleek and strong. However, a little more flesh wouldn’t hurt. With his height, being too thin gave him a sense of loneliness and frailty.
Sometimes Huo Niansheng didn’t realize it, but he felt a strange pity for Chen Wengang.
With Lu’s umbrella, the two returned to the car. Huo Niansheng held the umbrella with one hand and tightly embraced him with the other. He opened the car door, and Chen Wengang got into the passenger seat while Huo Niansheng took the driver’s seat. In the gap between closing the umbrella and the door, he still got soaked with mist.
The interior of the business car was spacious, like an ark, providing a safe and cool space amidst the pouring rain.
The driving was smooth, and Chen Wengang couldn’t help but doze off for a while, with a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.
Huo Niansheng turned his head and saw him frowning unconsciously, perhaps dreaming about something.
Even when the car stopped, Huo Niansheng didn’t wake him up, leaning on the steering wheel and raising the air conditioning temperature by two degrees.
Chen Wengang, in a daze, felt as if he were still in the half-mountain villa from his previous life, with a figure holding a bowl, speaking in a relaxed tone:
“The medicine you took has side effects, affecting your appetite… Have a few bites, quick, or do you really want me to feed you?”
Chen Wengang frowned at the figure. “I said put it there… I’ll eat it later.”
Huo Niansheng dragged a chair next to him, holding the bowl of porridge, and actually scooped a spoonful:”Let me feed you, okay?”
Chen Wengang looked helplessly at him and finally opened his mouth to swallow half of the bowl, then rushed to vomit it out again. The doctor said it wasn’t just the medication irritating his stomach but also his psychological aversion to food. Huo Niansheng followed, sitting on the edge of the bathtub, saying nothing, just patting his back.
As he patted, the force suddenly increased, and Chen Wengang’s head drooped, abruptly waking up.
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