Cen Zhengnian’s Phone Call?

He rarely made phone calls, and the original owner also rarely called him.

Cen Zhengnian was busy, and the original owner felt phone calls were expensive.

Their relationship was a typical arranged marriage of that era, with both families eager to get them together.

Cen Zhengnian, having reached a certain age, was deeply engrossed in his research, and his parents feared he would spend his life absorbed in it.

The original owner’s parents were keen to attach themselves to the Cen family’s resources, so the engagement and marriage happened very quickly; they barely met twice before getting married.

After the wedding, Cen Zhengnian stayed at home for only three days before quickly heading to the northwest.

He came back once when An’an was a year old, but after that, he was never free to return.

They had no real feelings for each other and no time to develop any, and the original owner didn’t care about Cen Zhengnian’s absence as long as he sent money.

She was only concerned with her own family.

In that era, most arranged marriages were like this; over time, they became family. Of course, Chu Xia had no feelings for Cen Zhengnian now.

How could she develop feelings for a man she had never met?

For Chu Xia, Cen Zhengnian was simply a provider.

So when Cen Zhengnian called, Chu Xia was somewhat surprised.

She took Cen Huai’an to the neighborhood store and returned his call.

“Hello?”

“Hello, is this Comrade Luo?”

The voice on the other end was very formal, like that of a trained soldier.

It wasn’t Cen Zhengnian; he likely wasn’t waiting by the phone since he was so busy.

“Yes, this is.”

The man on the other end quickly said, “Comrade Cen is busy. Please hold on, I’ll get him.”

“Okay.”

Chu Xia hung up and didn’t wait long before the phone rang again.

She answered it.

“Chu Xia?”

The male voice on the other end was pleasant, with a magnetic and gentle tone, like the gentle plucking of a guqin or the clinking of jade.

It sounded like he had hurried over, with a hint of breathlessness.

“Yes, it’s me.” Chu Xia rubbed her ear. “What’s the matter with your call?”

Cen Zhengnian was momentarily taken aback.

He felt that Chu Xia’s tone on the phone was colder than in the letters, but he didn’t dwell on it.

“The beef and mutton, and the fruits from Ganzhou don’t keep well, so I’ve sent dried beef and dried fruit. Is that okay?”

After speaking, Cen Zhengnian felt a pang of guilt.

It was rare for his wife to mention wanting something, and he was unable to fulfill her wish.

Even though they had met through an arranged marriage, once married, he felt a responsibility towards his family.

He knew he was an inadequate husband and father, so he tried to compensate materially as much as he could.

Chu Xia could sense Cen Zhengnian’s apology in his tone.

It seemed he was aware of his shortcomings towards the family but had chosen the country over his family.

Chu Xia had no standing to blame him; she was just a newcomer to this life.

If she hadn’t felt any trace of the original owner when she arrived, she would have tried everything to return her body.

Unfortunately, before she arrived, the original owner had already died, and the soul (if there was one) was gone.

She had a vague feeling that she could only live here and couldn’t go back.

Cen Zhengnian genuinely felt regretful towards Cen Huai’an, the five-year-old who had grown up struggling, often finding his own food due to the harsh conditions he endured.

Chuxia, sensing the awkwardness and lack of conversation between her and Cen Zhengnian, decided to redirect the focus.

She asked Cen Huai’an, “An’an, your father says he’s sending beef jerky and dried fruit. Is that okay with you?”

Cen Huai’an, staring at the ants on the ground, replied tersely, “Whatever.”

He had no idea what beef or dried fruit tasted like, nor did he care much.

He simply didn’t have the energy to be interested.

Chuxia responded to Cen Zhengnian, “An’an says it’s fine.”

Cen Zhengnian pondered for a moment and then asked, “What about you?”

Chuxia smiled and replied, “I’m fine with it too. Do you want to speak with An’an?”

Since there was little to discuss between herself and Cen Zhengnian, she thought it would be better if Cen Huai’an spoke to him.

Cen Zhengnian, naturally eager to speak with his son, agreed, albeit with a voice tinged with emotion, “Yes.”

“An’an, your dad wants to talk to you.”

Cen Huai’an, looking at the phone and then at Initialia, reluctantly walked over.

He took the phone, held it to his ear, and kept his head lowered, not saying a word.

“An’an, it’s Dad,” Cen Zhengnian’s voice was hesitant.

Cen Huai’an remained silent, his fingers playing with the phone cord as he fidgeted.

Not hearing a response, Cen Zhengnian, with a hint of desperation, tried again, “An’an, can you hear me?”

“Hmm.”

Cen Zhengnian, undeterred by Cen Huai’an’s coldness, softened his voice, “An’an, can you tell Dad what you like? I’ll buy something for you and send it.”

Cen Huai’an, feeling increasingly frustrated, thought to himself: He only sends things and can’t come back himself. What’s the point?

He didn’t want to hear any more and decided to end the conversation abruptly. With a loud “click,” he hung up and turned to run away.

“An’an!” Chuxia hurriedly paid for the call and chased after him.

Meanwhile, Cen Zhengnian, hearing the dial tone after the call ended, gave a bitter smile.

He realized that he had been holding onto unrealistic expectations.

It was natural for An’an to be resentful towards him; he had been prepared for this but still hoped for a different outcome.

“Cen Gong?” The guard, concerned, glanced at Cen Zhengnian.

Cen Zhengnian shook his head, “I’m fine.”

He took a moment to steady himself, gazing at the endless yellow sand outside before returning to his research lab, determined to focus on the crucial project at hand, without letting personal emotions interfere.

Back at the small shop, Cen Huai’an hadn’t run far.

He stood in the shadows by the shop’s entrance, his back to it, lost in thought.

Chuxia approached him and gently touched his head, feeling the roughness of his hair. “What did your dad say that made you hang up the phone?”

“Nothing,” Cen Huai’an muttered, turning his head away, clearly unwilling to talk about it.

Chuxia, sensing his reluctance, decided not to press further and simply took him back home.

“Your punishment for standing hasn’t ended. Let’s continue,” she said.

Cen Huai’an, momentarily forgetting his discomfort, looked at Initialia in shock. “You’re still punishing me?”

Chuxia had been searching for a tool to measure for making clothes and finally found a fabric ruler, similar to a ruler used for disciplinary purposes.

She prepared to continue Cen Huai’an’s punishment, but her actions were tempered with a sense of concern and care.

Cen Huai’an knew he couldn’t escape this punishment. With a book propped up against the wall, he silently thought: At least he was punished after having a full meal this time.

Chu Xia sat down next to Cen Huai’an with a cloth ruler, finally letting her emotions out. “Today, didn’t you promise me you would stay home and be good?”

Cen Huai’an nodded.

“And then you sneaked out without telling me, making me anxious and causing everyone in the compound to run around looking for you. Cen Huai’an, you really have some nerve!”

Cen Huai’an said, “I wanted to make money.” His tone did not seem to acknowledge that he had done anything wrong.

Chu Xia knew he felt insecure, but that was no excuse for lying, deceiving, and sneaking out!

“Wanting to make money is fine, but does that mean you can just run out without telling me? Do you know how I felt when I came home and didn’t find you here?”

As Chu Xia spoke, she recalled the panic she felt earlier.

Seeing Cen Huai’an with his head lowered, not knowing what he had done wrong, made her heart heavy.

She realized that being stern with him was ineffective.

She took a moment to calm her emotions, stopped being angry, and started to cry softly.

Tears rolled down her face, her voice trembled with fatigue. “Cen Huai’an, do you think I’m making a big deal out of nothing?”

Hearing Chu Xia’s crying voice, Cen Huai’an immediately turned his head.

Seeing the tears streaming down Chu Xia’s face, he panicked.

Not knowing what to do, he awkwardly moved closer, accidentally dropping the book on the floor.

He tried clumsily to wipe her tears and anxiously called out, “Mommy…”

Cen Huai’an remembered how his mother would take him out for good food, buy him clothes, trim his nails, cut his hair, and hold him while he slept, making him feel warm and happy.

He had never been as happy as he had been these days, but now he had made his mother, who brought him joy, cry.

No matter how hard he tried to wipe away the tears, they wouldn’t stop.

Cen Huai’an was so anxious that he almost cried too. “Mommy, I…”

Chu Xia, not caring about his actions, cried even more. “Rather than waiting for you to be abducted by someone because you’re not obedient, it’s better if you stop calling me Mom from now on.”

“Mommy…” Cen Huai’an was in a state of panic, not knowing what to do.

His mind was racing, and in his desperation, he extended his small hand towards Chu Xia’s face. “Mommy, I was wrong. Just hit me.”

When other kids made mistakes, adults would usually just give them a beating and be done with it.

His mother used to do that too; when he refused to give money to his grandmother, his mother would cry and beat him, and then everything would be fine.

Now, if his mother would just hit him, she might stop crying.

Chu Xia threw the cloth ruler aside. “Why would I hit you? If you keep lying and breaking promises, and if you don’t want to change, hitting you won’t help. I won’t hit you.”

Without the option of being beaten, Cen Huai’an was at a loss.

His face showed even more fear and unease as he frantically tried to wipe Chu Xia’s tears, feeling a heavy discomfort in his heart from her crying.

Seeing Cen Huai’an’s expression, Chu Xia’s heart softened for a moment, but that wasn’t enough.

It was too difficult to correct Cen Huai’an’s bad habits without being strict.

No matter how she ended up here, she had been given a second chance at life.

Since she had received this benefit, she had to take on the responsibility for Cen Huai’an.

She steeled her heart, cried even harder, and spoke with resignation, “It’s my fault for being such a useless mother, unable to manage you. From now on, do whatever you want.”

As she said this, Chu Xia stood up and headed towards the house.

At that moment, Cen Huai’an felt as if he was about to lose something extremely important.

His hands were trembling with anxiety.

He lunged forward and hugged Chuxia’s waist, his voice breaking into sobs: “Mom, I’ll change, I won’t do it again. Mom, don’t ignore me.”

He liked the mom he had now; every time she cared for him, he felt like he was no longer a child no one wanted.

He didn’t want to lose her, so even though Chuxia struggled to break free, Cen Huai’an held on tightly and she couldn’t escape.

After a while of this stand-off, Chuxia stopped insisting on going to the inner room.

She sighed deeply and said, “An’an, I am your mom, and I will always be soft-hearted towards you.”

She turned around and gently wiped Cen Huai’an’s tears. “Don’t cry.”

“Mom, do you still want me?” Cen Huai’an looked up with tears still in his eyes, resembling a truly abandoned child.

Chuxia felt a pang of pain in her heart, but she had to force herself to be stern, or Cen Huai’an’s bad habits wouldn’t change.

He was used to being self-centered and not considering others.

While this had been a defense mechanism in the past, if she let him continue this way, he would end up in the fate described in the books, which was not what Chuxia wanted to see.

“Yes, how could a mother not want her own child? But if you lie, deceive me, run away secretly, and don’t correct your mistakes, I will be sad, anxious, and disappointed too.”

“Mom, I’m sorry.”

Chuxia could tell that Cen Huai’an genuinely realized his mistake and had learned to reflect.

She completely dried his tears and patted his scruffy hair. “Okay, this time Mom forgives you. Making mistakes is fine; everyone makes mistakes, but you need to learn to correct them, understand?”

Cen Huai’an nodded earnestly.

He might have been genuinely scared, as he clung tightly to Chuxia when going to bed, afraid she might disappear.

Chuxia started to question whether her tough love approach was correct and if she had scared Cen Huai’an too much.

But she had been firm before, and Cen Huai’an still didn’t follow her directions.

Only by making him understand the serious consequences of his mistakes could he learn not to repeat them.

She adjusted his blanket, pulled him closer into her arms, and sighed: Raising a child is truly a long and challenging task.

The next day, Chuxia felt dizzy, weak, and as if she were a small boat adrift at sea—swaying without end.

She forced her eyes open, touched her forehead, which was burning with fever. As expected, she was running a fever.

The shock from the previous day and the prolonged search for Cen Huai’an had drained her physically.

The combination of shock and exhaustion, with the wind getting into her body, made her prone to illness.

Moreover, her health was not great to begin with, so a fever was quite normal.

When Cen Huai’an woke up, he saw his mother still lying in bed, her eyes slightly closed, and her face red with fever.

Usually, at this time, his mother would be up cooking in the hallway.

Noticing something was wrong with Chuxia, Cen Huai’an quickly got up and called out to her: “Mom!”

He carefully reached out and touched Chuxia’s face; it was so hot.

His mother was sick, and Cen Huai’an remembered being sick himself and how uncomfortable it was.

Back then, his mother could only cry.

It was the neighbor’s aunt who had given him bitter medicine, and after he recovered, he never wanted to be sick again.

Cen Huai’an felt panic and kept thinking:

Did he make his mother sick?

If he hadn’t run away yesterday, she wouldn’t have fallen ill.

A strong sense of guilt enveloped Cen Huai’an, making him feel truly wretched.

“Mom…” Cen Huai’an’s voice trembled.

Chuxia could hear Cen Huai’an’s concern and panic, and a warm feeling surged within her.

She felt comforted, realizing her efforts to care for him were not in vain.

Chuxia struggled to raise her hand, touched his face, and weakly said, “I’m fine, just have a fever. There’s medicine I bought in the drawer; can you get it for me?”

Cen Huai’an didn’t even bother to put on his clothes, scrambled up, and ran to the drawer to search.

He didn’t know which medicine was effective, so he brought all the medicines from the hospital to the bed.

He anxiously asked, “Mom, which one do you need?”