The place where my heart is at peace is my home.
In the afternoon, a little past three o’clock, Lu Zizheng and Jiang Huaixi, accompanied by the warm sun and gentle breeze, returned to Linzhou.
As the car drove into the Jiang family’s large estate, from afar, Lu Zizheng saw two women standing at the entrance of the Jiang family’s main house. One had white hair and appeared aged, while the other was elegant and poised. They were gazing from a distance at the car as it gradually approached, eagerly anticipating, evidently Jiang Huaixi’s mother and grandmother.
As soon as the car reached the entrance and barely came to a stop, Mother Jiang and Grandmother Jiang eagerly descended the steps, standing in front.
Jiang Huaixi was the first to open the car door and get out. Looking up at her mother and grandmother, she curved her lips into a faint smile and called out, “Mother, grandmother…” Then, she turned around, bent down, and used her hand to protect Lu Zizheng’s head as she helped her out of the car.
As Lu Zizheng stepped out of the car, she saw Mother Jiang and Grandmother Jiang both gazing intently at her and Jiang Huaixi. She couldn’t help but blush, feeling somewhat nervous and uneasy, and softly greeted them, saying, “Hello, Aunt. Hello, Grandmother.”
Who knew that Mother Jiang and Grandmother Jiang did not show the slightest hint of unfamiliarity or awkwardness. With a warm voice and eyes squinting in a kind smile, they each took a side, holding Jiang Huaixi and Lu Zizheng’s hands, and walked towards the house.
Grandmother Jiang looked lovingly at Lu Zizheng and Jiang Huaixi, teasingly saying, “Isn’t it time for Zizheng to start calling us differently?”
Standing between Grandmother Jiang and Jiang Huaixi, Lu Zizheng blushed instantly down to her neck, stammering and unable to reply.
So, Mother Jiang understandingly stepped in to resolve Lu Zizheng’s awkwardness, saying, “Mom, you’ve made Zizheng all embarrassed.” After speaking, she looked at Lu Zizheng with a smile and warmly asked, “Zizheng, Aunt didn’t prepare a separate room for you. Is it okay if you stay in the same room with Huaixi? Huaixi’s bed is very big, so the two of you sleeping together is absolutely no problem, and if you wish, there’s even enough space to roll around a bit.”
Lu Zizheng could clearly hear the teasing tone at the end of Mother Jiang’s words, and she shyly lowered her head, biting her lip, too embarrassed to answer.
Jiang Huaixi bent her eyebrows and eyes, looking at Mother Jiang and Grandmother Jiang who were deliberately teasing Lu Zizheng, as well as the nervous, uneasy, shy, and timid Lu Zizheng. She faintly smiled aloud, released Mother Jiang’s hand, stepped forward, stood in front of Lu Zizheng, turned around, and sincerely said in a warm voice, “Zizheng, welcome home.”
Lu Zizheng gazed blankly at Jiang Huaixi. Upon hearing the word “home,” her footsteps involuntarily paused slightly.
Once, wherever her mother was, was her home, but now that her mother is no longer there, she has become a rootless grass, long without a home to return to. She once despairingly thought that the word “home” was already too distant and unattainable for her.
Beside her, Grandmother Jiang and Mother Jiang seemed to sense her feelings, looking at Lu Zizheng with increasingly loving eyes. Both of them simultaneously held Lu Zizheng’s hand tightly, leading her inside, and said warmly, “Zizheng, welcome home.”
Lu Zizheng looked at Jiang Huaixi’s faint smile in front of her, then turned her head to look at the loving Mother Jiang and Grandmother Jiang beside her. Slowly, her throat choked, and her eyes reddened. For the first time in front of them, she was no longer nervous and uneasy, revealing a bright smile, and responded to them with, “Thank you, Aunt, Grandmother, Huaixi, I am back.”
Lu Zizheng and Jiang Huaixi entered the house, and after a brief rest in the living room with Grandmother Jiang and Mother Jiang, they decided to first visit the Xu family to see Xu Baihan and Jiang Wang.
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Grandmother Jiang and Mother Jiang helped by having someone bring out the gifts Jiang Huaixi had previously called to ask them to buy, and gave them to Jiang Huaixi and Lu Zizheng. While seeing them off, they reminded Jiang Huaixi and Lu Zizheng that they must return home for dinner. They mentioned that Father Jiang, Jiang Huaichuan, and Qiao Xin had heard of their return and would come back early for a family reunion dinner.
Jiang Huaixi and Lu Zizheng naturally smiled and nodded in agreement.
When they arrived at the Xu family home, Xu Baihan had already arranged for someone to stand at the door to welcome them. Jiang Huaixi and Lu Zizheng followed the servant to the second floor. As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, they saw Xu Baihan sitting in the living room in front of the tea table, smiling as she looked at them.
The moment Lu Zizheng saw Xu Baihan’s safe and sound smiling face, her long-held anxiety finally settled. She quickened her pace, then jogged over and threw herself onto Xu Baihan’s legs: “Sister, you’re okay, that’s great, you scared me to death…”
Xu Baihan lowered her head and tucked a strand of fine hair behind her ear, gently smiling as she touched Lu Zizheng’s head, and comforted her, saying: “Mm, it’s sister’s fault, it won’t happen again, okay?”
Jiang Huaixi sat down on the sofa nearby, smiling faintly as she watched them.
Suddenly, a disharmonious cold female voice interrupted the warm atmosphere: “Miss Lu, that is my seat, please do not occupy it casually.”
Startled, Lu Zizheng quickly raised her head and followed the voice, seeing Jiang Wang sitting in a wheelchair, her expression faint and showing no emotion, slowly pushing herself towards them.
Lu Zizheng quickly stood up, glanced at Jiang Wang, and then involuntarily turned her head, her gaze worriedly looking towards Xu Baihan, wanting to speak but stopping short.
Evidently, when Jiang Huaixi saw Jiang Wang sitting in a wheelchair, she was also somewhat surprised and worried, and couldn’t help but frown and ask Jiang Wang: “Didn’t you say the injury wasn’t serious?”
Jiang Wang’s gaze turned towards Xu Baihan, with a flash of helplessness seeming to pass across her face.
Xu Baihan then smiled and explained: “It’s okay, Huaixi, don’t worry. The doctor advised her to try to move as little as possible temporarily, but she can’t stay still and was running around everywhere with crutches, so I told her to either use this temporarily for moving or to lie down and not move.”
Jiang Huaixi couldn’t help but curl her lips into a slight smile, her gaze teasingly looking at Jiang Wang. The always opinionated Jiang Wang, who was as stubborn as nine oxen that couldn’t pull her back, also had a day where she would obediently listen, compromise, and surrender.
Jiang Wang’s eyes were calm and unruffled as she responded: “I also wanted to personally experience the pain that Baihan has endured over these years, having to sit in a wheelchair.”
Xu Baihan looked into Jiang Wang’s eyes, and for a moment, her gaze became increasingly gentle like water.
Lu Zizheng sat beside Jiang Huaixi, and couldn’t help but laugh softly, quietly asking Jiang Huaixi, “Are all your Jiang family members so good at speaking?”
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Jiang Huaixi, however, did not answer and instead asked, “So, are you praising me?”
Lu Zizheng blinked her eyes, gave a light snort, and did not satisfy Jiang Huaixi by answering her.
Jiang Huaixi squinted her eyes, looked at Lu Zizheng with a faint smile, and without minding, changed the topic, seriously asking Xu Baihan and Jiang Wang, “Earlier, I heard you say that uncle and aunt already know about your matter. How is it going now?”
Jiang Wang turned her head and glanced at Xu Baihan, pulling the corner of her mouth into a faint smile, and said in a light voice, “Uncle and Aunt have already accepted us, it’s no problem.”
Lu Zizheng and Jiang Huaixi were somewhat surprised, noticing that Xu Baihan’s expression was a bit dim, intuitively feeling that it might not be as breezy as Jiang Wang made it sound.
Sure enough, Xu Baihan bit her lip and added, “Although Father and Mother said they accepted us, they proposed several harsh and excessive requests.”
On the evening Xu Baihan confessed to her parents, Xu Baitao was ordered to return and explain the whole story to them. While stating the facts, he repeatedly emphasized Xu Baihan’s unwavering love for Jiang Wang, insisting that it could only be her, and she would rather die than yield. He pleaded with their parents to consider more and understand more, giving Xu Baihan and Jiang Wang a good assist.
That night, Father Xu and Mother Xu were sleepless until dawn, as if they had suddenly aged ten years.
The second day, just after breakfast, Father Xu took a car to the hospital and sent away Xu Baihan, who was feeding Jiang Wang, to conduct a serious negotiation with Jiang Wang.
He had originally thought that, based on Xu Baitao’s description of Jiang Wang’s temperament and the fact that his own daughter seemed to love Jiang Wang more than Jiang Wang loved her, this would probably be a tough battle. So he prepared himself thoroughly to ensure a victory for his foolish daughter. Unexpectedly, Jiang Wang agreed to all his demands without much hesitation.
The first point was the most basic requirement. He demanded that Jiang Wang persuade Xu Baihan to go to America for leg treatment and accompany her there. Jiang Wang naturally had no objections to this.
The second point was that he required Jiang Wang and Xu Baihan, after being together, to live at the Xu family home, making it convenient for them to help take care of Xu Baihan. Jiang Wang agreed without any hesitation.
The third point was that, after returning to the Xu family, Jiang Wang must personally explain to her father her relationship with Xu Baihan and obtain her father’s consent. At this point, Jiang Wang frowned and was unwilling to agree.
Father Xu knew of Jiang Wang’s resentment towards his eldest brother, so he took a step back and explained, “I am not demanding that you forgive your father. It’s just that at home, where you will see each other frequently, at least don’t let our family, and Baihan, be unable to hold their heads high in front of your father, or unjustly bear a bad reputation. This demand isn’t excessive, is it?”
Jiang Wang, biting her lip, pondered for a long time, and finally, for Xu Baihan’s sake, nodded her head.
Thus, the fourth point was his final demand. He required that after Jiang Wang accompanied Xu Baihan for her leg treatment, Jiang Wang should resign from her work as a doctor, join the Xu family company, manage the company together with Xu Baitao, and, at an appropriate time, have a child with Xu Baihan.
He said, “I only have Baihan and Baitao, these two children, and both are equally precious to me. Baitao is now close to Baihan, but he hasn’t yet started his own family, and his heart is unsettled. I must ensure a way out for Baihan so that after her mother and I are gone, she can live a life without worries. Baihan’s heart is too soft, not suited for business, and I cannot bear to force her. Her mother and I hope that she finds a partner who can support us and promise her a life without worries. We hope that you will not let us down.”
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“As for the child, I know Baihan’s temperament. She has been very close to and fond of children since she was young, and she likes you so much that eventually, she will want to have a child with you. However, you also know that over the past decade, she has tormented herself for your sake, and her body can hardly endure it. I don’t want Baihan to have regrets, but I am even more afraid of her getting hurt, so I can only place my hopes in you.”
Jiang Wang looked steadily at Father Xu for a while and lightly said, “Uncle, I promise you, I will prove to you and Aunt that I can achieve it, please rest assured. I have seen your kindness to Baihan, and I also feel happy for Baihan.”
Father Xu, hearing this, found his gaze towards Jiang Wang involuntarily softened, with more praise and reassurance. It seemed it wasn’t entirely just his own daughter’s unrequited infatuation.
Hearing Xu Baihan speak with some dimness, Jiang Wang, rarely showing some warmth, comforted her by saying, “It’s not excessive. Baihan, you don’t need to be bothered by this, I am not wronged.” Her gaze towards Xu Baihan was a gentleness that Jiang Huaixi, in many years of knowing her, had never seen.
Xu Baihan gave her heart a resting home, and Father Xu asked her to give Xu Baihan a reliable home. And this is also what she wants to give Xu Baihan. So, even if there were some deviations in between, she and Father Xu were considered to coincide in their intentions. She was willing to make more concessions for Xu Baihan.
Lu Zizheng leaned on Jiang Huaixi’s body, exchanged a smile with Jiang Huaixi, and softly laughed, saying, “Suddenly, they seem very bright, and we are even brighter.”
LP: Re-translated on October 02, 2024