F1: In Ferrari, Schumacher at the start.

Chapter 106 The Two Elders Visit the Sick

"Good evening, everyone. Welcome to CCTV Sports Channel. In the just-concluded Italian Grand Prix, our driver Lin Feng competed despite being ill. Despite suffering from a sudden high fever of 40 degrees Celsius, he withstood immense pressure with amazing perseverance and ultimately won the race."

"After the race, the sight of him collapsing from exhaustion beside the podium moved countless Chinese and foreign cycling fans. Lin Feng demonstrated to the world the indomitable fighting spirit of China's new generation of athletes. Please see the detailed report below —"

Two days later, Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, France.

Gu Ailing was wearing a white T-shirt and denim shorts today, with sunglasses perched on her nose, and was standing in the crowd at the arrival gate, eagerly waiting.

Shortly after, the sliding glass doors opened to the sides.

Among a group of European travelers pushing various high-end suitcases, a middle-aged Asian man and woman pushing an airport trolley with several huge woven snakeskin bags stacked on top stood out.

"Uncle! Auntie! Over here!"

Gu Ailing's eyes lit up, and she quickly took off her sunglasses, waving vigorously as she went to greet him.

Lin Guoqiang and his mother saw their daughter-in-law from afar and quickly pushed the cart a few steps forward.

"Oh, Ailing, it's so kind of you to come all this way to pick us up. You've really gone to a lot of trouble." Lin's mother grabbed Gu Ailing's hand, looked her up and down, and her eyes were full of affection.

"Auntie, you're too kind. I just happen to have some free time." Gu Ailing reached out to help Lin Guoqiang push the luggage cart. "Uncle and Auntie, you must be exhausted from the long flight, right?"

"I'm not tired, but I'm so anxious!" Lin's mother sighed, her brows furrowing immediately. "How is that brat Xiaofeng doing now? I saw him vomiting like that on TV, he couldn't even stand up straight, and my heart is breaking."

His dad and I haven't slept a wink these past two nights. As soon as the visas were approved, we flew over immediately.

"Yeah," Lin Guoqiang said sternly from the side, "This kid has been a stubborn mule since he was a child. He drove so fast even with a high fever. He really doesn't value his life! When I see him later, I'm going to give him a good beating."

Gu Ailing couldn't help but laugh as she listened to the two elders' nagging, and comforted them as she led them to the parking lot.

"Uncle and Aunt, please don't worry. He was just dehydrated and exhausted from the competition that day. His fever subsided the next morning. Now he's lively and energetic, and he can eat three big bowls of rice in one meal. He's as strong as an ox."

"It's good that you've withdrawn, it's good that you've withdrawn." Hearing this, the elderly couple finally felt much relieved.

Upon reaching the parking lot, Gu Ailing opened the trunk of an SUV and helped stuff the heavy snakeskin bags inside.

The three got into the car, which drove out of the airport and headed east along the scenic coastline toward Monaco.

The Mediterranean sun shone brightly in early autumn, and the sea breeze blew in through the slightly lowered car windows, carrying a faint salty smell.

Lin Guoqiang sat in the back row, looking out at the vast, almost unreal blue sea, and couldn't help but slap his thigh.

"Honey, look at this sea, it's so bright! It's much bluer than the sea we saw when we went to Beidaihe last time."

Lin's mother rolled her eyes at him, her mind completely elsewhere than on the scenery.

"What are you looking at the sea for? Foreign seas are all just water. Ailing, let me ask you, what does Xiaofeng usually eat here? Foreign food isn't nutritious at all. Can his stomach handle it? I specially brought a lot of noodles, pickled vegetables, and a few cleaned black-boned chickens from China this time. I need to make him a soup to nourish him when we arrive."

As Gu Ailing drove, she smiled and chatted, "Auntie, there are Chinese restaurants and supermarkets in Monaco too. But he'll definitely love the black chicken soup you brought him the most; he's been asking for your cooking every day these past few days."

The car drove along the winding mountain road for a while and soon entered the city of Monaco.

As the view opened up, luxurious buildings built against the mountainside and countless white yachts moored in the harbor were displayed before the elderly couple without reservation.

"Wow!" Lin Guoqiang exclaimed, his eyes wide as he pointed at the massive yachts, some several stories high, in the bay outside. "This place is so bustling! Are all those boats docked here? How much do they cost?"

"Uncle, that's a private yacht. Monaco is one of the places with the most wealthy people in the world, and the housing prices and cost of living are quite high," Gu Ailing explained patiently.

"A lot of rich people? Xiao Feng must be spending a lot of money here." Lin Guoqiang smacked his lips, the thrifty genes of the older generation kicking in again. "This kid doesn't know how to spend money now that he has a little bit. I'll have to talk to him about it later."

A dozen minutes later, the car smoothly drove into the underground parking garage of a high-end apartment building in the Fontevier district.

Gu Ailing led the two elders into the elevator with ease and swiped their cards to press the button for the top floor.

With a crisp "ding," the elevator doors slid open to both sides. The front door had a smart lock, and Gu Ailing skillfully entered the password and pushed the door open.

"Lin Feng, your aunt and uncle have arrived!" Gu Ailing called out into the house.

Lin Guoqiang and his mother walked into the entrance hall, changed into slippers, and when they looked up, they were both stunned.

What unfolded before them was an extravagantly large, single-level living room. The front of the living room featured a single, floor-to-ceiling window, completely unobstructed by the azure Mediterranean Sea and abundant sunshine streaming into the room. While the interior decoration was simple, it exuded an understated elegance, a quality achieved through sheer wealth.

"Dad! Mom!"

Lin Feng, dressed in loose loungewear and holding a game controller, sprang up from the large leather sofa and shuffled towards us in his slippers.

His complexion was rosy and he was full of energy, showing no trace of the sickly, weak appearance he had on television, as if he were about to die at any moment.

Lin's mother was still reveling in the grandeur of the ocean-view penthouse, but upon seeing the door, all thoughts of houses and yachts vanished. She threw down her bag, strode over, and without a word, placed her hand directly on Lin Feng's forehead.

"Don't move! Let me feel it!" Lin's mother nervously checked the temperature. "Hmm, it's not hot anymore. Is there anything else that feels uncomfortable? Are you dizzy? Does your stomach still hurt?"

Lin Feng was both amused and exasperated by his mother's barrage of questions, and quickly grabbed her hand and let go.

"Mom, I'm really fine! My fever broke a long time ago, and the doctor checked me out. Look at me now, I could go up the mountain and fight a tiger without any problem." Lin Feng even jumped up and down a couple of times to show off his abundant energy.

Lin Guoqiang watched from the side, snorted, and adopted a stern fatherly demeanor: "Now you know how to be lively and energetic? Who was that on TV vomiting like a limp shrimp? If you continue to treat your body so carelessly, I'll go to the fleet and find your leader, and have you sent home to sell sweet potatoes!"

"Yes, yes, you're right to teach me a lesson. I won't do it again, absolutely not again." Lin Feng quickly raised his hands in surrender, and then cast a pleading look at Gu Ailing, who was standing behind the two elders.

Gu Ailing covered her mouth and chuckled from behind, then stepped forward to smooth things over: "Uncle and Aunt, let's sit down and rest for a while."

I'll get you some water.

The family sat down on the sofa in the living room.

Lin Guoqiang touched the soft, delicate leather of the sofa, looked out the window at the boundless sea, and finally couldn't help but speak.

"Xiaofeng, tell Dad honestly, how big is this house? How much is the rent per month?"

Lin Feng rubbed his nose and answered vaguely, "It's not very big, only about 200 square meters. The rent—it's alright, the sponsor reimbursed part of it."

"Over 200 square meters?! And you live there all by yourself?!" Lin Guoqiang's eyes widened, his voice rising instantly. "This is utterly extravagant! In Beijing, the three of us lived in 50 square meters, and it was just fine. You rent such a big place; won't you be exhausted from cleaning it?!"

Lin's mother chimed in, "Exactly. Wouldn't it be better to save this money for getting married and buying a house later? Why do you have to show off like this? Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. You must be hungry. Ailing, Xiaofeng, wait here, Auntie will go and make you some chicken soup and noodles."

As she spoke, Lin's mother stood up and made a move to untie the snakeskin bags.

"No, no, no! Mom! Please don't!"

Lin Feng was startled and quickly grabbed his mother's shoulders, forcibly pressing her back onto the sofa.

"You two have been on a plane for over ten hours and are still jet-lagged. How can I let you cook? I've already made a reservation at a restaurant downstairs. I'll take you there for a nice meal."

"Why eat out! Food outside is never as clean and hygienic as home-cooked food." Lin's mother firmly disagreed. "Besides, foreign food is just cold sandwiches and bloody meat. I can't stand it."

"It's not a sandwich. I've booked a really authentic Michelin-starred French restaurant," Lin Feng explained patiently. "You've all heard of French cuisine, right? You've come all this way to Europe, you have to try it out. I've already made the arrangements, and Ailing is coming with us too."

Upon hearing that they were going to eat some kind of French cuisine, Lin Guoqiang frowned, his face full of resistance.

"French food? Is it like that kind of meal where the plate is bigger than the pot, and there's only a piece of meat the size of a thumb in the middle? I heard it takes several hours to eat there, it's expensive, and you're not even full. No way! Why waste money like that? Wouldn't it be better to buy two pounds of pork ribs and stew them?"

Seeing his father's stubbornness, Lin Feng scratched his head in frustration. He knew his parents' frugal nature all too well; if he didn't find a suitable excuse, they could definitely whip up a pot of stewed cabbage and tofu in the kitchen tonight.

At this moment, Gu Ailing came over with two glasses of warm water, placed them on the coffee table, and then winked at Lin Feng.

"Uncle, Auntie," Gu Ailing sat down next to Lin's mother, her voice gentle and her demeanor obedient, "Actually, Lin Feng booked the table half a month ago. That restaurant is incredibly popular; reservations have to be made well in advance. And—"

Gu Ailing paused deliberately, lowered her voice, and spoke in a tone of great regret.

"And that restaurant has really strict rules. They take the full deposit when you make a reservation, which is several hundred euros. If you don't go today, they won't refund a single penny of the deposit."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Guoqiang sprang up from the sofa as if he had a spring in his buttocks.

"No refund for the deposit?! Isn't this blatant robbery?! How can these foreigners be so unscrupulous in their business dealings!" Lin Guoqiang slapped his thigh in anguish. "Several hundred euros, that's several thousand yuan! We're just throwing that money away to them?!"

Lin's mother gasped, her heart aching as she clicked her tongue: "Oh dear, you spendthrift son! You could have done so many good things with those thousands of dollars, why did you have to throw them away like that!"

Lin Feng silently gave his girlfriend a thumbs up. When dealing with this elderly couple, the phrase "deposit non-refundable" is far more effective than any other reasoning.

"So, Dad, Mom," Lin Feng feigned a pained expression, seizing the opportunity, "Look, we've already paid the money. If we don't go, wouldn't that be letting those capitalists profit? We're not going to eat, we're going to cut our losses!"

Lin Guoqiang gritted his teeth, waved his hand, and the resistance on his face instantly turned into a resolute determination like a warrior cutting off his own arm.

"Honey, stop cleaning! Let's go! We're going to see what this French feast is all about! It cost me thousands of dollars, so tonight we have to lick the plates clean. We can't let those capitalists take advantage of us in the slightest!"

"Let's go! Change your shoes!" Lin's mother was also spurred on.

Watching the two elders rushing towards the entrance to prepare to leave, Lin Feng and Gu Ailing exchanged a glance and finally couldn't help but laugh out loud at the same time.