Chapter 47 Part 1

Xiao Kai and the others packed up and left the next morning. Xiao Kai said reluctantly that he hadn't stayed long enough and wanted to come again in the future. Grandma Chen walked them to the intersection, saying they were welcome to come and play again during the holidays.

Xiao Kai had tried to talk to Chen Chao about the money before, but as soon as he started, Chen Chao told him he was crazy and changed the subject. Xiao Kai didn't bring it up again. Given his relationship with Chen Chao, he just made a mental note to find another opportunity to pay him back later.

Chen Chao also left that evening. His flight was the next day, so it would be more convenient to go straight to the airport from the city. Chen Guangda drove him, Jiang Xun, and Ding Wentao all back to the city.

Before leaving, Jiang Xun spoke to Miao Jiayan, telling him to come find him after staying home for a couple of days, as it was time for the two of them to get down to business.

Miao Jiayan nodded and said, "Okay."

After saying that, he looked at Chen Chao and asked, "Are you coming back for the New Year, Brother Chao?"

"I will," Chen Chao replied.

Miao Jiayan then said "Okay" to him once more.

They parted often, so there wasn't much need for parting words. Miao Jiayan saw the whole car off.

Grandma Chen felt a little down; the house suddenly became empty and deserted.

"But you still have me. I'm not leaving yet," Miao Jiayan said, putting an arm around her shoulder. "How about we call Auntie Zhang and Auntie Wang, and my grandma, so you all can play cards?"

Grandma Chen waved her hand. "I'm in a bad mood. I'll definitely lose if I play cards."

Miao Jiayan smiled and said, "You won't. I'll watch for you, you'll definitely win."

Grandma Chen thought about it and finally perked up a little, saying, "Alright, then."

"Then I'll go get Auntie Zhang in a bit," Miao Jiayan said, then suddenly remembered something and asked with a chuckle, "Did she pay back the thirty yuan she owed you last time?"

"She did," Grandma Chen laughed too. "If she hadn't, your grandma and I wouldn't have played with her anymore. We have plenty of other card partners."

Miao Jiayan stayed home and kept the few elderly women company for two days. While they played cards, he would watch from the side and help. Being older, they sometimes couldn't keep up and would miss the cards others played.

Two days later, he also left. Grandma Miao and Grandma Chen found it dull, so they went to work in the flower shed together. With the kids all gone, the two families didn't even need to cook much. When it was time to eat, they would just whip up something simple, enough for the four of them.

The elderly thought the children had all gone off to their own business, returning to where they were supposed to be.

Little did they know that in the city, there was a certain father and son, both in dire straits, in an anxious, topsy-turvy state.

—Literally topsy-turvy.

Chen Chao lay on the hospital bed, listening to the loud wails of the small child next to him for at least ten hours a day, his heart exceptionally calm.

Not annoyed, nor did he want to lose his temper. It was a calmness born of utter despair.

The only thought in his mind was, once again, the desire to go back nine years, to the spring before his parents' divorce, and choose to live with Jiang Li.

Chen Guangda lay on the hospital bed next to his by the window, his upper body twisted to lie on his side, watching some random, dumb short video on his phone and letting out "hehe" laughs.

This matter had to be traced back to the evening before Chen Chao left.

Chen Chao came out after a shower, bare-chested and wearing a pair of baggy shorts, and went to sit with his dad on the sofa. Chen Guangda pulled out a small lamp from somewhere and asked Chen Chao, "Isn't it nice?"

It was a small lamp with a nice design. Chen Chao glanced at it and said, "It's nice."

"You install it for Dad," Chen Guangda beckoned to him. "I've had it sitting here for a long time because I'm too lazy to move. It's perfect now that you're back, you can install it for me."

So Chen Chao went and flipped the circuit breaker, studied the lamp for a moment, and said to his dad, "Get me a chair."

It was a small entryway lamp that needed replacing. Chen Guangda went to the balcony and brought back a plastic stool.

Chen Chao pointed to a dining room chair and said, "Bring me that one."

"That one's too heavy, just step on this," Chen Guangda said, placing the stool by Chen Chao's leg. "Dad will hold your legs. Just get it done, what's there to be afraid of?"

Chen Chao didn't argue, just went to get some black electrical tape. For such a small lamp, just connecting two wires would do the trick.

Chen Guangda was truly his biological father, specially going to the balcony to bring back this six-year-old stool. When it was bought, the 200-jin shop owner could stand on it with both feet off the ground, and it was so sturdy it wouldn't budge an inch. Six years later, it had admittedly changed.

Chen Chao stood on top of it to take the pliers his dad was handing him. As he bent over, he heard a "crack." Chen Chao's nerves tensed, and he immediately wanted to jump down.

However, his dad was holding his legs quite firmly, even shouting, "Hey, hey, it's fine!" Before Chen Guangda could even finish the second half of his sentence, "Dad's got you," the stool had completely shattered. Chen Chao had no leverage point, no way to jump clear, and nothing to grab onto. He came crashing down hard.

A loving father dotes on his son—he would truly rather be hurt himself than let his son fall. In the end, he didn't let go. When Chen Chao fell, he went down with him. His son, weighing over a hundred and fifty jin, smashed onto his shin, and with an unlucky twist, another "crack" was heard.

On his hospital bed, Chen Chao turned his head to look at his dad.

His dad felt his gaze and looked over, the amusement from his laughter not yet faded, and asked with a smile, "What is it, son?"

"..." Chen Chao turned his face back, his expression blank, unable to understand how he had ended up in his current predicament.

Ever since he was young, Chen Chao had considered himself respectable and was particular about appearances. Jiang Li had taught him that no matter what, he must not lose his composure; he had to have class, to have style.

Three or four days had passed, and Chen Chao still couldn't bring himself to recall how the father-son duo had gotten to the hospital, or how they both ended up hobbling into the emergency room.

His dad's shin was immediately immobile. Chen Chao was better off; it hurt, but he could still walk.

Chen Guangda sat on the floor and asked, "How are we supposed to get to the hospital?"

Chen Chao's patience was completely gone. He said calmly, "I can't carry you on my back right now."

Later, Chen Guangda called a friend who lived nearby to take them to the hospital. Chen Chao limped on his own, while his dad had to be supported, hopping on one leg.

After hopping all the way there, Chen Guangda's leg had swollen up like a club, and Chen Chao's ankle was also badly swollen. Chen Guangda went into the operating room via emergency that very day and had three steel pins inserted into his shin to fix it. Chen Chao's injury wasn't as severe; he had a pulled ligament and needed to rest quietly.

The next day, fruit baskets started arriving at the ward in a steady stream. Hospital beds were tight, so it was already quite a feat for both of them to get a bed, let alone request a single or double room. Chen Guangda's friends came to see them, offering condolences to the suffering father and son, but they'd only sit for a while before leaving, accompanied by the resounding cries of the child next to them.

Later, Chen Chao stopped letting Chen Guangda see any more visitors. His pride really couldn't take it. He was young and needed to save face.

"How are we going to manage when we go home?" Chen Guangda asked his son.

Chen Chao closed his eyes and didn't speak, pretending to be asleep.

"Hey, talk to Dad, my leg hurts." Chen Guangda had been lying down for several days and was uncomfortable. He called out to Chen Chao, "Neither of us can take care of ourselves. Should we hire a caregiver?"

Chen Chao still didn't open his eyes, only asking, "Don't you have a girlfriend or something? Someone who can take care of you."

Chen Guangda let out a laugh. "If I did, wouldn't I have told you? What would I have to hide from you about that?"

First, Chen Chao had been screwed over by him, and then he'd been embarrassed with him for so many days. What little father-son affection there was had nearly vanished. He just said, "Figure it out yourself."

Miao Jiayan stayed at Sister Fangfang's place for four days, met some people, and discussed some collaborations.

In the middle of it, he called Chen Chao once to ask if he had reached Guizhou.