Chapter 338 - 337: To Tell the Truth
Chapter 338 - 337: To Tell the Truth
Although Luo Xuhua ostensibly brought his wife and child home, he stayed at Luo’s house for less than a day in total and never spent the night there. Luo Aiguo felt both ashamed and guilty.He knew that his son was becoming increasingly distant from him.
That day, it was just Luo Aiguo and Luo Xuhua, father and son, smoking by the wall and reminiscing about the past.
"Huazi, I’ve let your mother down." Luo Aiguo said, his face full of shame.
Luo Xuhua remained noncommittal; indeed, his father had let his mother down.
"Actually, your Aunt Qin didn’t have any malicious intentions..." Luo Aiguo attempted to say some good words for Qin Hongmei, but found himself unable to continue. If Qin Hongmei didn’t have malicious intentions, then everyone in the world must be a good person.
He wasn’t trying to make Luo Xuhua forgive her, just hoping that if Luo Xuhua had a slightly better perception of Qin Hongmei, he might visit more often in the future.
Luo Xuhua exhaled a ring of smoke, his face expressionless, and after a long pause, he sighed and said, "If I hadn’t left back then, I might have died again. If it happened again, I wouldn’t be so lucky."
Luo Aiguo was slightly moved; he had known what had happened back then for a long time!
"You..." Luo Aiguo momentarily didn’t know what to say, his face terribly conflicted, his emotions exceedingly complex.
Luo Xuhua took two thousand yuan from his wallet and handed it to Luo Aiguo, "Dad, take this money. If I’m busy in the future, I might not be able to come back for New Year’s."
Luo Aiguo held the stack of money in both hands, his hands trembling slightly. His eldest son generously gave two thousand yuan; it seemed he was doing very well outside!
Once Luo Xuhua handed the money to Luo Aiguo, he didn’t say more. He extinguished the cigarette butt and walked towards Luo Er’s house. He feared he wouldn’t return in the future. Though this was his home, besides sorrow and hurt, there was nothing else to linger for.
Once he gave the money to Luo Aiguo, it was up to him to handle it.
Luo Aiguo watched his son gradually fade into the distance, suddenly losing the excitement he felt upon receiving a large sum of money. His heart felt empty, as though something important had vanished from his life.
Luo Xuhua left on the third day of the month. He drove to Dayan, stood by the embankment, and looked at the village below while gently exhaling smoke.
"Xuhua." Shao Simin saw his slightly melancholic silhouette and couldn’t bear it. She wanted to say something but didn’t speak in the end.
She understood that Luo Xuhua had complex feelings for this hometown; it wasn’t entirely longing, nor was it entirely loathing.
Luo Xudong stood silently with his hands in the pockets of his military trousers, accompanying Luo Xuhua as they both looked down at Kao Village.
"Xudong, take good care of Uncle and Aunt." Luo Xuhua said softly after extinguishing his cigarette on the ground and walked towards the car.
"Mm." Luo Xudong responded, watching Luo Xuhua start the car and wave at him before driving away in a cloud of dust.
After seeing Luo Xuhua off, Luo Xudong returned home.
Luo Jiacheng left, and Luo Xuping felt very sad. Although in terms of seniority he was older, they were of the same age, and they got along really well. He even gave a bunch of toys to Luo Jiacheng, promising that they would hunt wild rabbits together in the haystack next year. Zhuangzhuang was very skilled at catching wild rabbits!
"Brother, Sister, I have finished my homework today." Luo Xuping handed over his homework book, eagerly looking at the two, wanting to take Zhuangzhuang out to play.
"Go ahead and play." Luo Xudong said after looking through his homework.
Luo Xuping was delighted and quickly called Zhuangzhuang to run outside, playing wildly again in the village.
They planned to leave after eating dumplings on the fifth day, as it would take them quite some time to get to Beijing, and Luo Xudong didn’t have much leave.
Upon hearing that they would leave on the fifth day, Mrs. Qin couldn’t help but feel sad. This New Year passed a bit too quickly.
No matter how Mrs. Qin calculated the time, the fifth day still arrived.
Early in the morning, Mrs. Qin started making dumplings, her expression somewhat listless. After tidying up, Beisitian also joined in to help, perfectly aware of her mood.
"Mother, after a while, when it gets warmer and Xudong is not busy, you and father should come to Anding City to visit us. I’ll take you out to have some fun." Beisitian said with a smile.
She’d already had this idea for a long time. As for Luo Anguo, he didn’t mention it, but Mrs. Qin probably hadn’t left the area around Kao Village within a hundred kilometers for her entire life, at most visiting the town. She wanted Mrs. Qin to see the beautiful landscapes of their country.
Mrs. Qin knew that Beisitian never spoke unreliably. Hearing this, she realized her intentions were sincere, and her heavy heart lifted. At least she didn’t have to wait until New Year to see the two of them again!
After eating the dumplings at noon, they prepared to leave with Zhuangzhuang. Luo Xuping wiped away his tears, reluctantly. Now, he only wished he could grow up quickly. That way, he could study well and make money in the future to visit them.
Luo Anguo and Mrs. Qin watched sadly as the military vehicle moved further and further away. They could faintly hear Zhuangzhuang’s murmuring, and Luo Xuping waved at the back of the military vehicle, crying.
Beisitian waved at them through the window, feeling somewhat sad herself. Luckily, her mood improved after leaving Dayan.
From beginning to end, Luo Xudong remained silent, seemingly focused on driving. This temporary separation didn’t stir his emotions at all.
Once they reached the town, Beisitian first called Tian Qiu.
"Xiao Wu, no hurry, no hurry. If you’re too busy, it’s okay not to come. After all, Anding City is close to Beijing, you can come anytime in the future."
Beisitian was stunned. They were already on the way, why was Tian Qiu saying such a thing?
Did this mean they shouldn’t go?
Luo Xudong filled up the tank, noticing Beisitian’s somewhat strange expression, he asked, "What’s wrong?"
Beisitian recounted Tian Qiu’s previous words, feeling a bit puzzled. Luo Xudong said, "Ask Tian Lei."
Beisitian’s eyes brightened, and she dialed Tian Lei’s number.
The phone rang for a long time before someone answered. After explaining who she was looking for, Beisitian waited briefly until she heard Tian Lei’s voice.
"Is it Beibei?" Tian Lei sounded somewhat surprised.
"We’re on our way, expected to arrive at West Station tomorrow night." Beisitian didn’t mention calling Tian Qiu.
After she spoke, there was a moment of silence on the other end, as if there wasn’t much enthusiasm about her going to Beijing. Moreover, the feeling she got was more like they didn’t hope for her to come.
"Well... Beibei, here’s the situation: Grandpa and Grandma went out traveling, and our families are spending the New Year separately at our own homes. You won’t be able to see Grandpa and Grandma if you come." Tian Lei spoke rather hesitantly.
Beisitian furrowed her brows slightly, "So, if I come, no one will greet me, and cousin won’t host me~"
Suddenly, the voice on the other end became flustered, "No, no, it’s not like that. Of course someone will host you if you come. It’s just... it’s just... sigh, fine, I’ll just tell you the truth..."
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