1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 184 The Heart-Shaped Couple Scarves: The Fate of Xu Weiguo and His Daughter

"After I graduate, who knows, if I'm not happy with my job, I'll do what my sister did and quit to start my own business and take a gamble."

“Good, that’s ambitious! We sisters are of one mind and will make money together. Who says women can’t do business? I refuse to believe it. I’m going to make a name for myself and show them that women are just as capable as men. I’m going to make lots and lots of money and crush those who look down on me. They’ll regret losing me, their capable subordinate.”

"Li Xiao will definitely regret it; she shouldn't have treated you that way."

"And Wang Fan, that brat isn't all that great either. He's become a completely different person since he became a big boss. He's cold-blooded and ruthless, with no human touch at all."

"Wang Fan has changed a lot, so much so that I hardly recognize him anymore."

"Right, my feeling was right. This kid has changed so much that it's hard to accept at first glance."

I heard it from Gu Bin.

Lin Xiyu didn't hide anything: "Something happened in his family. It seems his father is sick, with late-stage cancer. Maybe that's why he had to grow up. With his previous carefree attitude, he couldn't manage the company and his employees wouldn't listen to him."

"No wonder."

My cousin suddenly realized, and felt a little pity for Wang Fan: "No wonder this kid has changed so much, it turns out his father is sick."

"Don't spread this around. Gu Bin told me not to say anything, so I'm just telling you. I guess Li Xiao and the others don't know about this."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing and I won't talk nonsense. His family's mess has nothing to do with us. As long as he doesn't cause trouble or shut down my shop, I'll be grateful."

"He probably won't. Although the branches are responsible for their own profits and losses, they are still operating under the name of Dingsheng, which is to give Dingsheng a good reputation. As long as it doesn't affect his fundamental interests, he won't take us small fry seriously."

"Alright, let's not talk about him anymore. It's getting late, I should go downstairs."

My cousin glanced at the clock; it was almost 21 p.m. She covered her mouth and yawned. "My dad just got back today. Let him go home and rest early. He and my mom will definitely have a lot to talk about. I bet my mom will cry a few times. I'm not going to worry about him now that he's back. Let him handle it all. I've been trying to soothe my mom these past few days, and my mouth is so dry. It's time for my dad to experience that too."

"What a filial daughter you are!"

Lin Xiyu's words were ambiguous and playful.

What a disappointing daughter, she's not exactly filial!

My cousin understood the meaning behind her words and laughed too.

-

The fifth day of the Lunar New Year is commonly known as "Po Wu". On this day, many people set off firecrackers, and the sound of firecrackers can be heard continuously from morning until midnight on Qinglonghou Street.

Gu Bin got up early in the morning, first accompanied his grandfather to Jiefang Pavilion for a stroll, then came home and had lunch with the two elders. In the afternoon, he took Lin Xiyu to the military compound to spend the holiday with his grandparents.

Once the fifth day of the Lunar New Year has passed, according to the customs of old Jinan, the New Year celebrations are considered over.

From the sixth to the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, shops gradually reopened, and firecrackers were set off with deafening noise.

The small commodity market has also reopened, and the streets that were deserted during the Spring Festival have returned to their bustling state.

With a new place to shop, people flocked in and started a new round of shopping.

My cousin was busy with the opening of the branch store, my aunt went to the small commodities market to look after the shop, and Lin Xiyu was idle at home alone. She had the idea of ​​making a scarf for herself and Gu Bin.

While her mother and Xu Yi were taking a nap at noon, she took the opportunity to go to the department store and buy some yarn that she liked.

Knitting a scarf isn't difficult. Just start with a stitch and knit straight down. There's no need to knit any patterns. With Grandma Gu's fast hands, she can knit a scarf in a day.

Lin Xiyu wasn't as skilled as Grandma Gu, but she was still quite fast. She would knit whenever she had a spare moment after buying the scarves, and finished knitting two scarves with the same style and pattern before the start of school.

She wanted to surprise Gu Bin, so she kept the purchase of yarn and knitting of a scarf a secret from him.

When the scarf was finished and I gave it to him, I saw a look of surprise in his clear, bright eyes.

I have to show off the heart-shaped scarf my fiancée knitted by hand.

So, after returning to Shanghai, the top students from the law department of Fudan University were envious once again.

I was so jealous of a classmate who was obsessed with showing off and whose conversations revolved around the heart-shaped scarf.

So much so that one day, when Lin Xiyu suddenly became interested and went to visit the students at Fudan University, she was very surprised to find that the male students in the law department were all looking at her with resentful eyes. They would avoid her as if she were a monster.

There's no way around it, I have to hide, the dog-abusing people are here again.

Being single is tough!

-

The enthusiasm of Jinan people for eating roasted lamb skewers is no less than that of Xinjiang.

In Jinan in the 90s, roadside barbecue stalls were everywhere. They would set up a few small tables and stools on the curb, and serve a large bucket of draft beer. There was no need to solicit business; as soon as it was time to leave work, people would come to patronize the stalls.

There are many kinds of barbecue, such as lamb skewers, chicken wings, heart tubes, beef tendon, red kidney, horse mackerel, and so on. Add a grilled flatbread, and the taste is absolutely amazing.

The most famous place for roasted lamb skewers in old Jinan is the Hui Muslim neighborhood, where barbecue stalls are everywhere, one after another, and every seat is taken.

Most of the people who come to the Hui Muslim neighborhood to eat lamb skewers are regulars who have been coming to the shop for years. Some of them have become friends with the owner after coming so many times that they can enjoy a series of preferential treatments such as free dishes, discounts, and free meals when they come back in the future.

Wang Fan is one of those people.

He eats lamb skewers in the Hui Muslim neighborhood. He's been eating there since he was a child, and he's frequented all the barbecue stalls. He's become friends with most of the owners.

Regardless of age, everyone is addressed as "brother," even elderly men with gray hair.

-

On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, Gu Bin treated everyone to a meal and invited them to meet in the Hui Muslim community in the afternoon.

When Wang Fan heard that it was in a Muslim community, he personally called a familiar restaurant owner and reserved a table for eight people.

Qu Peng was alone, while Li Liang and Wu Meng participated together. Gu Bin brought Lin Xiyu and Xu Yi, a brother and sister, and he himself was accompanied by a bodyguard and assistant who stayed by his side 24 hours a day.

Upon hearing that they were going to have barbecue, Xu Yi followed his sister around like a little shadow all day, afraid that she would go out without him.

Gu Bin came to pick him up in the afternoon, and the little guy clung to him again, hugging his arm and refusing to let go, calling him "brother-in-law" so affectionately.

"This guy gets all excited when there's food involved."

Lin Xiyu sighed and rubbed her forehead: "So spineless, I wonder who he took after?"

"Who else could he take after? His dad, of course."

Chen Xiulan rolled her eyes at her son and blurted out "Dad!"

There was a moment of silence in the living room; everyone's breath seemed to freeze for a second upon hearing that word.

Since the divorce, Chen Xiulan has not mentioned Xu Weiguo for a long time.

She tried to avoid him during the Spring Festival. Xu Yi's grandparents missed their grandson, and when Xu Weiguo came to pick him up on New Year's Eve, she didn't show up and let her son go downstairs by himself.

"I'm nothing like him."

Xu Yi pouted, looking a little unhappy.

"Pah, pah, pah, why did I bring him up?"

Chen Xiulan realized what was happening, spat a few times angrily, and felt bad about it herself.

"I heard from my lawyer that there is a key factor that will help us win this divorce case."

Gu Bin originally didn't want to bring up this person during the New Year, as it would spoil the family's mood, but seeing that Chen Xiulan brought it up herself, he no longer had any reservations.

"What factors?"

Lin Xiyu looked surprised: "Could there be some other inside story?"

"Yes."

Gu Bin carefully said, "During the divorce proceedings, Xu Weiguo told the judge that he had a hidden illness and was unable to have children again, hoping that the judge would have pity on him and award custody of their son to him." "The judge did not listen to his one-sided statement and made it clear that a hospital certificate was required."

"Xu Weiguo had no way out and could only go to the hospital for a checkup. Originally, we thought he was just trying to gain sympathy, but we didn't expect that the checkup would actually reveal a problem. It wasn't that he had a hidden illness or low fertility, but that he had a tumor in his kidney, which had already worsened."

-

"what?"

Lin Xiyu's expression changed upon hearing this: "Doesn't that mean he has cancer and is beyond saving?"

That's how it seems at the moment.

Gu Bin gave an ambiguous answer: "The doctor's initial diagnosis is a malignant tumor. As for whether it can be cured, that remains to be seen. It may require a kidney transplant."

"Kidney transplant?"

Chen Xiulan asked instinctively, "How much will that cost?"

"At least 100,000."

Gu Bin had already found out very clearly: "Moreover, even if you have money, you may not be able to get a replacement; you need to wait for a kidney donor or a donation from your own relatives."

"My God."

Chen Xiulan hugged Xu Yi tightly, still shaken: "Luckily we're divorced. Otherwise, with his selfish and self-serving nature, he would have forced the whole family to donate a kidney to him. Xiao Yi, you're not allowed to go to your grandparents' house anymore. And when you see Xu Weiguo, stay far away from him. Don't let him fool you into donating a kidney to him."

"Uh-huh."

Xu Yi clutched his lower abdomen and shuddered in fear.

"The judge also took into account Xu Weiguo's medical condition."

Gu Bin patted his little head reassuringly and said, "Not only will you not be able to take good care of your son, but you will also be a burden to him, which is why the final judgment was to give custody to the woman."

He deserved it.

Chen Xiulan spat angrily: "Only when the inside is rotten can one get sick."

"Being careful is the right thing to do."

Lin Xiyu had no liking for Xu Weiguo: "This man is so selfish, he might actually get his children to donate kidneys to him, either Xu Jie or Xiao Yi."

"Xiao Yi, when you went to your grandparents' house on New Year's Eve, did they say anything strange to you?"

Chen Xiulan was both surprised and frightened: "For example, asking you to be filial to your parents."

"Uh."

Xu Yi was taken aback, unable to grasp his mother's deeper meaning for a moment.

"You're just kidding."

Lin Xiyu bluntly stated: "It's to make you filial, so that when your parents are sick, you should take the initiative to fulfill your obligations and donate a kidney to Xu Weiguo."

"Oh."

Xu Yi understood, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes.

"Did you say that?"

Chen Xiulan kept her eyes fixed on her son, not missing a single subtle expression.

"Ah."

Xu Yi shuddered again in fear, letting out a weak groan through his nose.

"I knew it, there wasn't a single good person in that family."

Chen Xiulan angrily cursed, "Xiao Yi is still a child, and they dare to plot against him, making my Xiao Yi donate a kidney? Why doesn't he just die?"

"Xiao Yi, don't go back to your grandfather's house anymore."

Lin Xiyu squatted down, hugged her younger brother, and comforted his frightened little heart: "Just like Mom said, you should stay far away from Xu Weiguo when you see him, and you won't listen to anyone who tries to fool you."

"And Xu Jie."

Gu Bin, being meticulous, added, "We also need to be extra careful with that woman. If Xiao Yi refuses to donate a kidney, we have to make her do it. She'll definitely be unwilling and might deliberately do something bad to harm Xiao Yi."

"Xiao Yi, did you hear that?"

Lin Xiyu patted her younger brother's back reassuringly and whispered, "From now on, you must always be vigilant and not let Xu Jie get close to you."

"Uh-huh."

Xu Yi understood and nodded vigorously.

-

Chen Xiulan and her daughter's premonition was correct: Xu Weiguo had cancer, and tumors were found in both of his kidneys. To survive, he needed a kidney transplant.

He is an extremely selfish person who would abandon even his closest relatives for his own sake.

The Xu family initially set their sights on Xu Yi, thinking that the child was naive and easy to fool. However, Chen Xiulan had foresight. After learning about this, she stopped letting Xu Yi go out alone and personally picked him up and dropped him off at school.

Xu Weiguo had no choice but to use familial affection and filial piety to pressure his daughter.

Xu Jie was no pushover either; she refused to donate a kidney, causing the father and daughter to become enemies.

During this period, as Gu Bin had predicted, Xu Jieguo came to the school to find Xu Yi, using the pretext that Xu Weiguo was sick, in an attempt to trick Xu Yi into going to the hospital, where she would drug him and forcibly remove his kidney.

Xu Yi refused on the spot. When the siblings were struggling, a teacher from the school intervened in time, preventing a tragedy.

After falling out with her family, Xu Jie found a wealthy older man and became his mistress.

The man's wife brought people to their home and caused a scene. Xu Jie, who was five months pregnant, was forced to abort her baby. She suffered severe bleeding and died before she could be taken to the hospital.

With this woman's death, Xu Weiguo lost all hope of receiving a kidney transplant. He survived for less than a year before passing away himself.

-

What happens to the Xu family has absolutely nothing to do with Lin Xiyu.

On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, in order to make my younger brother happy, I went to the Hui Muslim community and specially ordered his favorite roasted chicken wings.

With the roasted chicken wings, Xu Yi's frightened little heart finally calmed down.

The little guy ate with his mouth full of oil, instantly forgetting all about his unhappiness.

-

"Mengmeng, has your family's problem been resolved?"

Lin Xiyu is thoughtful and considerate; while comforting her younger brother, she didn't forget her good friend.

"Nope."

The thought of her parents still being in the countryside and not yet back made Wu Meng lose her appetite for the lamb skewers.

She chewed it without any flavor, and surprisingly, she tasted a bit bitter.

"What's wrong with the lamb skewers at this place? Are they spoiled? The meat tastes bitter."

"Don't blame the mutton for your own bad mood."

When Li Liang saw the proprietress looking at him with displeasure, he quickly interrupted her.