Chapter 24

The train rides during summer vacation were hard.

After sitting back down, Tian Jiao felt a bit tired.

However, when they got off the train and smelled the familiar air, everyone was amazed.

“I’m finally back. My hometown is the best,” Zhang Rui sighed.

Even if life in Kyoto was not as fast as it would be in the future, it was still too quick now, especially for those in business. They were busy every day. Even though Zhang Yanran often cooked various high-calorie meals, he still couldn’t gain weight.

On the other hand, Tian Jiao had quietly… gained weight because she had lived a carefree life.

She used to have a perfect figure, but after two years in college, she became a little chubby. It was because she didn’t worry about anything and focused only on studying. She was smart, so studying was easy for her. Even though she worked hard and learned two years’ worth of material in one year, she still couldn’t lose weight.

Moreover, Kyoto was different from Lanshan. People here did not lack food or clothing. Being in the government center, all news was the most current. While Lanshan was still worried about that incident, they had already started to promote commercial culture.

While commercial culture was encouraged in Lanshan, Kyoto had already become more formal.

There were many better things there than here. As long as you had money, enjoying them was easy.

Plus, with Zhang Rui, Xiao He, and Zhang Yanran, who wouldn’t want to give her money?

Even though she still faced some financial loss, Tian Jiao gained weight due to enjoying herself too much.

When they took the bus back to the village, Li Mizhen, who had been waiting at the entrance, looked at her granddaughter, who was the first to get down, and her eyes filled with tears: “My dear, how come…” She couldn’t say the word “thin.” Looking at her granddaughter’s clearly round face, Li Mizhen didn’t know what to say at that moment.

Tian Jiao jumped around and said with a smile: “Grandma, I’ve gained weight. I didn’t worry about anything all day and just gained weight by eating and drinking well.”

Li Mizhen laughed: “Yes, she is fatter, but she looks better this way. You can tell at a glance that she is a blessed child.”

Tian Jiao chuckled and moved aside.

Zhang Yanran came over again, and Li Mizhen finally said what she had wanted to say: “Oh, you’ve lost weight. Is it because your uncle didn’t take good care of you?”

Zhang Yanran smiled and replied, “No, I just don’t eat much.”

Li Mizhen didn’t believe it and kept looking at her son.

Zhang Rui smiled innocently: “Mom, I’ve lost weight too. Have you noticed?”

“No, haven’t you always been this skinny?”

Zhang Rui: “…”

When everyone arrived, Zhang Rui took his two children to greet the nearby villagers.

After a year, two more buildings had gone up in the village. While they were not as good as theirs, they were also pretty nice. They were all people who seized business opportunities at the right time.

The villagers just came to see what was happening, knowing that their family must have many things going on and that no one would come over at this time.

After the excitement in the village, it became quiet again.

Several people returned to Zhang’s house.

…

Two men and women in their thirties were already standing at the door of Zhang’s house. The man was calm and handsome, with a gentle and elegant vibe, which was different from Zhang Dong’s strong presence.

The woman was very beautiful, and her eyes and eyebrows felt familiar. Tian Jiao blinked and looked at Xiao He, who had been following her silently. They looked very similar. No wonder Grandma was so sure that she was Xiao He’s mother.

Seeing them come in, the two men who had been waiting anxiously for a long time felt a little excited. The man was nervous and caught off guard. He wore a suit and seemed extraordinary, but at that moment, he resembled a boy meeting his first love.

The woman felt very nervous, but she was more worried and uneasy. When she saw the face that looked a bit like her own, tears filled her eyes immediately. In a moment, the tears fell like pearls from a broken string.

“Xiao He…” the woman called softly.

Xiao He bit his lip, looked at her face, and after a moment, nodded lightly: “Mom.”

Tian Jiao was shocked. Wasn’t he accepting this too quickly?

If it were her, she would feel uncomfortable, even if she was sensible.

Now, Xu had a name: Xu Rong. When Xu Rong heard her son’s voice, her legs grew weak, and she nearly fell. The man next to her caught her.

Li Mizhen felt sad too and quickly said, “Okay, let’s go inside first.”

Xu Rong nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving her son.

*****

Li Mizhen did not want her family members to act like light bulbs. She served them some water and gave the main room to them, then gently sent them away. With three houses and space on both sides, they could enjoy themselves.

However, Tian Jiao did not leave. As she was about to go, Xiao He held her hand tightly, so she stayed with him.

In the main room, four people sat on benches opposite each other.

Tian Jiao was quiet and said nothing. She just held Xiao He’s hand to encourage him.

It wasn’t right for others to get involved in such matters.

Xu Rong’s voice trembled a bit: “Xiao He, do you blame your mother?”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t in the right mental state and didn’t know what I was doing.”

“Sorry…”

Xiao He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, the man spoke.

“Hello Xiao He, I’m Huo Yian, your mother’s husband and legally your stepfather.”

As the man spoke, Xu Rong pulled his sleeve, but he continued gently, “When I met your mother, she was being chased away as a beggar. I helped her, and then I met her again two days later. She was feeding stray cats with what she had begged.”

People start with looks but end with character.

Even though she appeared as a beggar and looked miserable, Xu Rong’s face and eyes left a strong impression on him, so he recognized her easily the second time.

Huo Yian recalled what happened, took a deep breath, and said seriously, “She was weak and fainted. I took her to the hospital. Along the way, I heard her calling Xiao He. Later, the doctor found out she had suffered domestic violence for a long time and had mental problems. She left you when she was most scared, so she subconsciously fled from the environment she feared.”

Xiao He bit his lip, his already pale lips getting paler, and his grip on Tian Jiao’s hand tightened.

Tian Jiao comforted him by patting the back of his hand.

Huo Yian didn’t plan what to say; he just shared what he knew, “I hope you don’t blame her for leaving you for so long. She just couldn’t face it. Over time, with treatment, she recovered, but the memory of you was still painful for her. This year, she improved a lot and returned.”

Xu Rong covered her mouth, crying silently with many tears.

Tian Jiao felt sad seeing this.

Seeing he still wouldn’t speak, Xu Rong said hoarsely, “Xiao He, they said you can speak now. Please say something to your mother… I beg you…”

Tian Jiao’s heart trembled at this, and she pinched Xiao He’s fingers.

Xiao He took it as a hint, nodded, and looked at Xu Rong: “Mom.”

Xu Rong cried even more: “Oh, Xiao He, Mommy is sorry for you.”

Xiao He shook his head: “You haven’t let me down.”

Xu Rong: “…”

She paused in her crying, unsure how to react.

Tian Jiao’s eyebrows shaped like the word “囧.” Even though Xiao He knew how to handle business, he was direct in their daily interactions.

Thinking back to when Xu Rong disappeared, Tian Jiao felt that Xiao He didn’t have deep feelings for Xu Rong.

She was not a psychiatrist, so she could only guess based on her understanding of Xiao He over the years.

Xiao He waited for the conversation to pause, then stood up and leaned over: “You’ve done nothing wrong to me. You had your difficulties, and I understand.”

At that moment, Xu Rong didn’t know if she should be relieved or cry. Her son was so sensible, but she felt no happiness at all.

She quickly pulled Xiao He to sit down and said softly, “Xiao He, I want to take you with me. I live in Kyoto now. I heard you lived in Kyoto before. That’s perfect. You also…”

Xiao He shook his head: “I’m not going.”

Xu Rong’s voice faltered, and she became sadder: “Are you still blaming me?”

Xiao He shook his head again: “No, I don’t want to leave.”

Xu Rong smiled: “You don’t have to leave; you can still see Jiaojiao later.” She finally looked at Tian Jiao: “Your name is Jiaojiao, right?”

Tian Jiao smiled and said, “Hello, Auntie.”

She had already greeted her when she came in, but Xu Rong was focused only on Xiao He at that time.

Xiao He said firmly, “I won’t leave.”

Xu Rong felt embarrassed and looked at her husband.

Huo Yian comforted her by putting his arm around her shoulders and whispered, “Your mother and I have no children. You will inherit everything from me in the future. This can help you get established in society faster.”

Xiao He still refused: “I don’t need it.”

Huo Yian frowned, a bit angry, but he didn’t say anything harsh. Instead, he looked at Xu Rong.

Xu Rong nodded slightly and said, “Xiao He, you are not yet eighteen years old, so I have custody rights.” 

Xiao He looked up at Xu Rong with a puzzled expression. 

Xu Rong added softly, “Is there something wrong? Please tell me.” 

Xiao He replied seriously, “With how you treat me, aren’t you afraid I will waste all your wealth in the future?” 

Xu Rong was taken aback and looked to Huo Yian for help. 

Huo Yian, without being modest, replied firmly, “You won’t want to do that.” 

He had not yet seen the Huo family’s wealth. If he had, he would understand that some things cannot be given away easily. 

Xiao He then looked at Tian Jiao. 

Tian Jiao was also confused. She wondered if they were truly in need of an heir. 

She said, “Uncle and aunt, I don’t understand why you need another child so much. If you really want to have one, don’t force it. If Xiao He doesn’t want to, don’t push him. Forcing him could make him rebellious, and even the biggest business empire can be ruined because of that. Trust me.” 

****

In the end, the group parted on an unhappy note. 

Huo Yian couldn’t grasp Tian Jiao and Xiao He’s thoughts, nor could Xu Rong, but Xiao He didn’t want to stay either. A forced situation is never pleasant, so the two left for now. 

Tian Jiao watched them leave and felt something was off. There was no need to bring Xiao He along. Before he spoke, everyone thought he was just a quiet oddball. 

This news must not spread. Given the circumstances, he needed to be taken away, but Tian Jiao felt guilty and a hint of love for Xu Rong. 

After almost ten years apart, suddenly discussing this was strange. 

However, it made sense. Huo Yian must come from a good family. It also explained why Xiao He could eventually become a villain. In the end, neither the hero nor the heroine could compete with him and could only wait for his downfall. 

Tian Jiao didn’t want him to leave, believing it was not the right place for him. 

He should have a simple life. 

Maybe that was just her perspective. 

Xiao He was very clever. 

Seeing her worry, he said softly, “I won’t leave.” 

“Yes,” Tian Jiao agreed enthusiastically. “If you don’t leave, no one can take you away.” 

Her voice was clear and gentle but firm. It gave Xiao He confidence and made him smile a bit. “Yeah.” 

After their conversation ended, Zhang Rui came over quickly and asked, “What happened?” 

Tian Jiao explained what just took place. Throughout the entire time, Xiao He was quiet, as if he wasn’t talking about his own situation. 

Zhang Rui thought for a moment and said, “The last name Huo sounds familiar to me.” 

“Hmm?” Tian Jiao pressed curiously, “Tell me more.” 

Zhang Rui thought hard but eventually shrugged, “I can’t recall. I will look it up when I go to Kyoto.” 

“……Okay.” 

Tian Jiao felt disappointed, but only briefly. Now that they were back home, it was not as convenient as the city, and there weren’t as many delicious foods, but she felt comfortable with her family around. 

It was very hot in summer, but the countryside was much cooler than the city. Lying in a cool room felt good. 

The eldest child was on vacation, playing with other kids all day. The second child was one and a half years old and could walk on his own, but he often fell after just two steps. 

Tian Jiao enjoyed playing with young children like that. 

When she got tired of drawing, she took her second baby for a walk. 

When she got tired of playing, she returned to her room to rest or draw again. 

After finishing a painting, Tian Jiao rubbed her neck. 

Seeing this, Xiao He came over to help her with a shoulder massage. 

“Right here feels a bit sore. Press a little harder,” Tian Jiao pointed to her right shoulder, where the soreness was from using her right hand more. 

Xiao He remained quiet but applied more pressure. His bony fingers looked even paler as he pressed down, but it still wasn’t enough. 

Tian Jiao didn’t ask for more. She just closed her eyes and enjoyed it. 

When the time came, she said, “Let’s go find Erbao to play. He should be awake by now.” 

It was three o’clock in the afternoon, and her second baby had fallen asleep around one. 

But when they went downstairs and into the yard, they saw Xu Qiu with a gloomy face and Zhang Zhi, who returned with Xu Qiu, looking apologetic and guilty. 

“Qiuqiu, she is the mother. There’s nothing I can do if she wants to take care of the child,” Zhang Zhi explained awkwardly. 

The two had received their marriage certificate after the Chinese New Year and lived together, but they had not held a wedding banquet. 

Before today, their relationship was good. Although Xu Qiu didn’t do much hard work, she helped with daily tasks. Compared to his previous wife, Li Mizhen, Zhang Zhi was satisfied with her and did not demand much. 

What caused this sudden argument? 

Tian Jiao looked at Xiao He, and he blinked back at her, confused about the situation. 

After Zhang Zhi explained, Xu Qiu suddenly stopped and glared at him, saying, “What about me? I worked hard to raise a child, but now you want to give him to someone else, right? In that case, I will not take care of Erbao anymore.” 

Dabao was a sensible boy. He knew what kind of person his mother was and usually stayed away from her.