PDLP Chapter 47 The Zhang Family Celebrates the New Year
Chapter 47 The Zhang Family Celebrates the New Year
On the 28th day of the Lunar New Year, Zuo Cheng boarded the green train home.
Same train as last year, same hard seat, same smell of instant noodles and the sound of people cracking sunflower seeds. The only difference was the balance in my bank card and the message from Yu Ying on my phone: "Brother, I'll arrive tomorrow, train K1172, 2:10 PM."
Zuo Cheng replied, "I'll come pick you up."
It was already 8 p.m. when he got home. The first thing his mother said when she opened the door wasn't "You're back," but "You've lost weight."
"I haven't lost weight, I'm just busy."
"Even when you're busy, you still need to eat." His mother ushered him into the house; a pot of pork rib soup was already heating up on the stove in the kitchen. "Your dad's watching TV in the other room. Go tell him."
Zuo Cheng put down his luggage and went into the inner room. His father was sitting on the sofa watching the news. On the coffee table were boxes of blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering drugs—he had been taking medication to control the problems that were diagnosed during a physical examination six months ago.
"dad."
"You're back." His father said without looking up, "Sit down."
Zuo Cheng sat down next to him and glanced at the medicine box on the coffee table. The expiration date on the blood pressure medication showed that it was newly opened last month, indicating that he had been taking it on time.
How have you been feeling lately?
"Same as always. Blood pressure is under control, and the doctor said to keep taking the medication." His father finally turned to look at him. "You said on the phone that you landed a big project, over three million?"
"Yes. For Blue Bay Communications' Sky Dome satellite project, our company is responsible for the software development of the ground terminals."
His father was silent for a few seconds. This man, who had spent his entire life doing renovations in a small town, probably only knew about satellites and software from the occasional space-themed footage on the evening news. But he understood two key words—more than three million, and "our company."
How many people are in your company now?
"Ten full-time, plus a few part-time."
"A company of ten people, handling over three million in business." His father read it aloud, his tone neither surprised nor questioning, but simply processing the fact. "Can you manage?"
"We can hold on."
His father nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He turned back to watching TV.
Zuo Cheng knew that this was his father's way of expressing "I believe in you".
At 2:10 p.m. the next day, Zuo Cheng stood at the exit of the town's only train station, waiting for someone.
When Yu Ying walked out of the station exit, Zuo Cheng was stunned for a moment—she was wearing a red down jacket, a beige scarf, and carrying a large tote bag that was bulging with stuff.
"What is this?" Zuo Cheng took the bag; it was surprisingly heavy.
"These are for my aunt and uncle. Two bottles of good wine, a box of tea, a carton of milk, and some braised beef made by my mom—she says homemade is cleaner than store-bought."
Zuo Cheng glanced at her. Yu Ying's ear tips were slightly red from the cold wind, but her eyes were bright, carrying a hint of nervousness and anticipation.
"Don't be nervous. My parents are easy to talk to."
"I'm not nervous." After saying that, Yu Ying pulled her scarf up and buried half of her face in it.
Zuo Cheng smiled. He freed one hand to take her finger and led her towards home.
The town wasn't big; it was a fifteen-minute walk from the train station to Zuo Cheng's house. Shops on both sides of the road were adorned with red lanterns and Spring Festival couplets, and the air was filled with the smell of firecrackers and the aroma of fried meatballs. An old man selling candied hawthorns recognized Zuo Cheng and called out, "Zuo's second son is back!" Zuo Cheng nodded in response. Yu Ying's eyes darted left and right, and she muttered, "It really feels like the New Year here."
When Zuo Cheng arrived at the door, his mother was already waiting. She was wearing a bright red sweater and her hair had just been permed, clearly having made careful preparations to welcome her future daughter-in-law.
"Hello, Auntie." Yu Ying released Zuo Cheng's hand and handed him the shopping bag with both hands. "This is for you and Uncle. My mom said that braised beef should be eaten fresh; it can be kept in the refrigerator for a week."
"Oh dear, you brought so much stuff!" His mother's grip on the bag was so strong it almost made Yu Ying stumble. "Come in, come in, it's cold outside."
Upon entering, Yu Ying changed into the cotton slippers that Zuo Cheng's mother had prepared—pink ones embroidered with small flowers, clearly newly bought. Zuo Cheng glanced down at his old slippers and his lips twitched.
A biological son is not as good as a new daughter-in-law.
His father was sitting in the living room. When he saw Yu Ying stand up, he nodded and said, "You're here. Have a seat."
Like Yu Jianguo, he was sparing with words.
Zuo Cheng thought to himself, "These two dads will definitely get along well when they meet, because neither of them likes to talk."
Yu Ying sat down on the sofa, and his mother immediately brought over a plate of fruit and a plate of candy. Then she started asking all sorts of questions—where are you from? How many people are in your family? Are you currently pursuing a PhD? What is your research area? Yu Ying answered them one by one, with a polite attitude and a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, and she smiled after answering each question.
Zuo Cheng could tell she was actually quite nervous—her hands remained on her knees, her fingers occasionally twitching. She was completely different from the confident and composed girl she was at home.
"Alright, alright, stop bothering them with your questions." Zuo Cheng interrupted his mother's barrage of questions.
"I'm just concerned!" His mother rolled her eyes at him, then turned to Yu Ying, her eyes crinkling with laughter. "Xiao Ying, don't listen to him, Auntie's just happy. Zuo Cheng has never brought a girl home before, you're the first."
Yu Ying blushed slightly and glanced at Zuo Cheng. Zuo Cheng continued drinking his tea without changing his expression.
Dinner was his mother's specialty—braised pork ribs, sweet and sour fish, stir-fried cured pork with garlic sprouts, and a big bone soup. A whole table full, enough for six or seven people.
"Auntie, isn't this too much?" Yu Ying looked at the table full of dishes.
"No, no, eat more, you're too thin." His mother said as she put ribs into Yu Ying's bowl.
Zuo Cheng noticed that his father was talking more than usual tonight. He asked Yu Ying about her research area, and after listening, he surprisingly remarked, "Satellite signal processing? Isn't that similar to what Zuo Cheng does? You two are going to be doing research together in the future."
The words "couple" almost made Yu Ying drop her chopsticks.
Zuo Cheng coughed. "Dad, we haven't reached that point yet."
"It's only a matter of time." His father said calmly, picking up a piece of fish.
After dinner, Zuo Cheng stood in the yard with his father for a while. The winter night sky in the small town was very clear, with ten times more stars than in Huaxia City, and the Milky Way faintly stretched across the sky.
"Dad, what do you think of her?" Zuo Cheng asked.
His father exhaled a puff of smoke, which dispersed into a white cloud in the cold air.
"A PhD student must be very intelligent. And she's good-looking too." He paused, "Most importantly, the way she looks at you is genuine."
What does "correct" mean?
"I don't want anything from you." His father stubbed out his cigarette on the sole of his shoe. "Now that you have a company and money, it's inevitable that some people will come after you for those things. But this girl isn't like that. There's a light in her eyes when she looks at you, a light that's not for money."
Zuo Cheng was stunned for a moment.
His father was considering things from his perspective, which was understandable, but he didn't expect his father to be so perceptive.
"Dad, don't worry. I won't mistreat her."
"I know." His father turned and walked into the house, then turned back after a couple of steps and added, "Your mother is already thinking about when to hold the wedding. I'm trying to stop her, but you need to be clear about what's going on. Don't keep the girl waiting too long."
Zuo Cheng gave a wry smile.
He looked up at the Milky Way overhead and remembered what Yu Ying had said on New Year's Eve last year: "I envy you for being able to see the Milky Way."
She saw it this year.
Not just the Milky Way.