"No, it's fine. I've become accustomed to living here over the years. I don't want to move to a new place, since I'm already familiar with the neighbors here. The other women all have big mouths, but they're not bad people. They've been a great help to the three of us over these years without your Uncle Jing. I like it here. In the future, after you and Zhixin both start families, come visit as often as you want to. If you don't, at least I won't be bored here."
Yang Meirong seemed to have let go…
"Mom… I'm sorry." Huo Mian lowered her head in guilt.
"Never mind it. I can't really blame you for what happened. A few days ago, I went to light incense at the temple and listened to a monk explain Buddhist scriptures. I couldn't understand the deep stuff he talked about, but I did understand when he said 'so long as humans are born into this world, everything is a cycle of cause and effect'. The death of your Uncle Jing was his fate; even if he didn't pass away to save you, he probably would still have met with some other disaster."
"Mom…" Huo Mian was surprised to hear her mother speak of these words.
Moreover, she actually understood it… the knot between them seemed to loosen up quite a bit.
At least her mother no longer blamed and hated her for Uncle Jing's death. This comforted Huo Mian, as she felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"Your salary isn't high, but it's enough to live off of. You don't have to give Zhixin money all the time, I saved up quite a bit over the years. Since Zhixin is graduating soon, we'll need to help him find a wife and start a family."
"Mom, don't worry. I will help him find a wife and buy an apartment."
"Just help what you can. He's a man and needs to learn to do things on his own. It's not like he doesn't know our family situation."
"He will, Mom, Zhixin is a good kid. He never spends money that he's not supposed to."
After Uncle Jing passed away, Huo Mian hadn't had the chance to peacefully converse with her mother in years.
She was deeply touched; it was a feeling she hadn't felt in years…
That night, Zhixin was too excited to go to bed, and he chatted with Huo Mian as they sat in the rocking chair inside the yard.
Suddenly, she got a WeChat message…
Nervous, Huo Mian took out her phone and sneaked a peak.
It was from Qin Chu…
"Where are you?" Qin Chu asked.
"Home." Her reply was short.
"I'm home too, but you're not here." Qin Chu thought that she was at Imperial Park.
"I'm at my mother's, the old house. It's her birthday today so I won't be going home. I'm staying the night."
"Oh." Qin Chu showed his acknowledgement with one simple word.
He was going to take her to the new seafood restaurant in the northern end of the city, but sadly didn't see her when he arrived at home.
Upon hearing that Huo Mian wasn't coming home, Qin Chu didn't have anything else to do. Therefore, he drove back to the company.
Assistant Yang was getting ready to go home when he saw the president come back to the office. He was instantly alert.
"President Qin, is something wrong?"
"No, I'm just going to work for a while."
Assistant Yang pulled a long face; he told his wife that he would go to the movies with her and just now, she had informed him that she bought the tickets. If he didn't go, his wife might skin him alive. After all, being stood up was despicable.
"You have plans?" Qin Chu noticed Assistant Yang's struggling expression.
"President Qin… I heard that a new movie just came out. It's gotten good reviews," Assistant Yang slowly eased in.
"So?" Qin Chu asked Assistant Yang.
"So would you mind if I left first to go watch that movie with my wife? She already bought the tickets. If I don't show up, she will kill me."
Obviously, Assistant Yang was terrified of his wife.
"If she knew that you might be fired for going to a movie, would she still kill you?" Qin Chu asked faintly.
Assistant Yang was close to tears, "President Qin, please don't…"
"Which movie theatre?" Qin Chu randomly asked.
"Wanda Square on the First Ring Road," Assistant Yang looked at his boss with a bitter face.
Qin Chu got up, "Let's go, I'll drive you."
"What?" Assistant Yang was immediately dumbstruck; was he hallucinating?
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