Chapter 16 — The Day My Father Remarried

No.

You can go on ahead first.

I will sit here for a moment and then leave.

He waved his hand, sinking down onto the stone steps. I hesitated for a fraction of a second, but ultimately decided against leaving. Silently, I took a seat beside him. It was late November, and the night wind bit sharply against our skin. Ginkgo leaves blanketed the pavement, glowing a brilliant, luminous gold beneath the amber streetlights. He raised his head to stare up at the metallic pole of the lamp, then spoke with sudden abruptness.

Wan Wan.

Regarding your father's loan.

I have made my decision.

Next month.

I will pay the initial one hundred and twenty thousand.

I asked quietly.

Are you using your own money?

Yes.

From my personal savings.

Funds meant for my old age.

Whether I spend them sooner or later.

Money is meant to be spent anyway.

I kept silent for a few long seconds.

Uncle.

Perhaps I could contribute as well.

I have about twenty-six thousand.

I already told you that is unnecessary.

He turned his head to look at me. Despite the alcohol he had consumed earlier, his gaze remained remarkably clear and sharp.

That money.

You should keep it for yourself.

As a safeguard.

Just in case you fall ill down the road.

What would you do without any funds?

But...

You are draining your retirement savings.

How do you plan to manage later on?

He smiled. Beneath the harsh glare of the streetlight, his smile seemed to age him by a decade all at once.

I am different from your father.

I never remarried.

I have no major expenses.

Every year.

My workshop still turns a modest profit.

Supporting myself in my old age is the least of my worries.

As for your father...

If he truly loses this house.

He can always rent a place to live.

However...

The home your mother left behind.

That would be lost forever.

I lowered my head, staring fixedly at the tips of my shoes as a familiar, stinging sensation burned at the bridge of my nose.

Wan Wan.

Your mother...

Was the finest person I have ever known.

His voice was barely a whisper.

When she married your father.

I had just opened my workshop.

We were so poor we possessed virtually nothing.

It was your mother.

Who took twenty thousand from her own dowry.

And lent it to me as seed capital.

Later on.

I repaid the money in full.

But that debt of gratitude.

Is something I shall never forget for as long as I live.

He paused for a brief moment, then continued softly.

Before she passed away.

She asked me to look after you.

If I cannot even manage to protect this house.

When my time comes and I descend into the earth.

I will have no face left to look her in the eye.

Tears streamed down my face in an unbroken torrent, entirely beyond my control. Noticing my crying, he gently patted me on the back.

There now.

Do not cry anymore.

We are still out on the street.

Go home and get some rest.

You have to work tomorrow.

I drew in a ragged, deep breath and stood up. He slowly rose as well, dusting the dirt from his trousers. After walking just a few paces, he suddenly called out my name.

Wan Wan.

Yes?

He stood beneath the circle of light, his shadow stretching out long and thin across the pavement. His expression was heavy and complex.

Once your father's situation.

Is fully resolved.

Perhaps...

He will eventually realize.

That I was the one standing quietly behind you, offering my help.

If at that time.

He says anything harsh or unpleasant.

Do not take it to heart.

Your father's temperament...

He only ever puts up a stubborn front.

I nodded.

I understand.

He nodded back, then turned on his heel and walked at a measured pace toward his car. I stood before the entrance of the restaurant, watching his slightly stooped figure recede into the biting wind. For the very first time, I truly believed that in this vast world, there exist family members who give of themselves without expecting a single thing in return. He had no legal obligation to pay my tuition. He had no obligation to secure my house. Nor did he have any obligation to hide behind the scenes and do all of this behind his own brother's back. Yet... he had done it anyway. Merely because of a single request made by my mother long ago. That night, upon returning to my rented room, I shed no further tears. Nor did I suffer from insomnia. On the contrary, I slept soundly and deeply. When I woke up the following morning, the season's very first snow had fallen outside my window, laying a delicate, pristine blanket over the tiles of the building across the alley, dazzlingly white. I stood by the glass for a long time, watching the flakes drift, before changing my clothes and heading to the office. The moment I stepped through the doors, my uncle waved me over.

Hoang Vien Corporation.

They just sent a WeChat message.

Next week.

They want us to come in and sign the framework agreement.

The very first order.

Will be around...

He raised his hand and gave it a playful shake. My eyes widened in shock.

Fifty million?

He burst into a hearty laugh.

Five million.

I froze in disbelief, then broke into a matching laugh. My uncle laughed right along with me, the deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes folding into rich creases, his gaze burning bright with conviction.

Wan Wan.

Just keep following my lead.