Tenant’s Secret Love

Chapter 69: After returning home

After a long six-hour journey, I finally arrived in Xuzhou, my long-lost hometown. I remembered that the last time I was here was just before last year, and it had been more than half a year since then.

Carrying my luggage, I walked out of the train station, immediately blinded by the afternoon sun. The air still had the same familiar smell, the unique smell that belongs only to Xuzhou.

In front of the train station square, I followed the crowd to the fruit stalls lining the road. I opened my wallet, and there was only 100 yuan left. This last 100 yuan was the material gain I had made in Suzhou over the past two years.

I bought some fruit and two packs of cigarettes. The fruit was for my parents, and the cigarettes were naturally for myself.

Carrying the fruit, smoking a cigarette, with my backpack on my back, and only 36 yuan left, I walked along the left side of the road towards the bus stop. These were all the things I could show my mother and father when I saw them again.

...

After 20 minutes of swaying on the bus, I finally stood in front of my house. I raised my hand twice but couldn't press the doorbell because I didn't know how to face them or explain why I had come back.

“Lucas?” A voice that was not quite sure if it was mine suddenly sounded in my ear.

I looked back and saw my mother standing there with a shopping basket. She must have gone to the supermarket again to buy the cheap vegetables that were being sold in the afternoon.

I said with a smile, ‘Mom, your son is back.”

My mother smiled, opened the door and asked me again, ’Why have you suddenly returned? Have you had a long holiday recently?”

I still said in a fake, relaxed tone, “Mom, this time I'm not going to Suzhou when I come back. I'll stay in Xuzhou by your side and do my filial duty!”

My mother is a person with no temper, but my words still made her frown. She put down the shopping basket and asked me, ”You were working well over there, weren't you? Did you quit your job? Why can't you settle down?”

“Mom, this isn't about whether I can settle down or not. Besides, haven't you been wanting me to come back to Xuzhou for a long time? Now that I'm back, shouldn't you be happy?”

“If you had come back two years ago, your father and I would have been happy. But now you're not young anymore, and you don't even have a girlfriend... How can we be happy?” Mom's tone was very unhappy.

“Mom, my dear mom, please don't nag me. I've come back this time to settle down and work hard. I promise I'll work hard, find a girlfriend and fall in love, and in a year or two you'll have a grandchild to hold! You and dad will be so happy!”

My mom looked at me with a mixture of anger and amusement, and said after a while, “You're still not serious. When your father gets back, I'll see how you explain this to him.”

I still laughed, saying, “Maybe he's looking forward to my return. Later, he might even have to take out the old vintage wine he's been saving for ten years to celebrate!”

“I don't think so!” said my mother, picking up the shopping basket and heading for the kitchen. She asked me, “Have you eaten yet? I'll cook you some noodles.”

“No, I'll wait for Dad to come back for dinner. I'll just have some fruit.”

...

Before dusk fell, I had unpacked my luggage and made the bed. I felt the smell of home and gradually forgot about the heavy things in my heart. But I was still worried about my future life. After experiencing the setbacks of life, I no longer longed for the future as I once did, but was more worried. For example, if my mother introduced me to a girl now, but I didn't even have the money to treat her to dinner, would I dare to look forward to the future in such a dilemma?

After taking a nap for a while, I heard the door open, and then my mother shouted to me, “Lucas, your father is back, get up and eat.”

I answered, ran in my slippers to the living room, and sure enough, I saw my father carrying a fishing rod and basket.

I quickly took the fishing gear from my father and said with a smile, ”Dad, you caught a lot of fish today, let's let my mom cook it for a snack.”

He nodded, then asked curiously, “Why have you suddenly returned?”

“You should ask my mother.”

“Your mother told you to come back?”

“No, my mother already knows why I'm back. You and I don't see eye to eye, and you can communicate better with my mother.” I laughed sheepishly, and the reason I didn't want to tell my stubborn father in person was that I was afraid he would be angry. He may seem dull, but he really is a man in menopause with a temper.

He looked at my mother again, and she said concisely, “He quit his job and said he wants to stay in Xuzhou and be with the two of us.”

My 'Stubborn-Father' didn't care about me quitting my job, but frowned and asked, “I see that you get along well with that girl, but what about her if you go back to Xuzhou?”

My ‘Stubborn-Father’ suddenly mentioned Renee, and I felt another inexplicable emotion in my heart. But I comforted myself by saying, ”There is no harm done. Although I indirectly lost my job because of her, it might be a new beginning in Xuzhou, and I will live my life well from now on.”

Rarely did I call my 'Stubborn-Father' a 'Dear Dad' and said with a long face, “Whether I go back to Xuzhou or not has nothing to do with her. We are just normal friends. You have been to Suzhou twice, and I have emphasized this twice to you, but you just forgot again.”

But he was silent for a long time, saying, “I don't understand you young people!”

I didn't respond to him, and my 'stubborn father' didn't complain about me quitting my job and returning home as I had expected. This was understandable, after all, they were my parents, and how many parents in the world don't want their children to stay by their side? So I could let my mind rest and live the rest of my life in Xuzhou.

...

During dinner, the family sat together, and my 'stubborn father' also took out a rare bottle of old wine from his collection and poured a glass for both of them.

I toasted my father and, still not at ease, I asked tentatively, “Dad, you won't be upset if I quit my job and go back to Xuzhou, will you?”

“No matter how good the job is, it's useless if you can't save any money. It's the same in Suzhou as it is in Xuzhou.”

He made me feel a little ashamed, so I quickly gave my word, saying, ”Xuzhou is not the same as Suzhou. In the future, you and my mother will keep an eye on me, and I will definitely not waste a single penny. I will give you both my monthly salary to keep safe.”

My father and mother did not say a word, and I was not sure if they did not trust my future or were dissatisfied with my past.

My parents and I were not embarrassed, and I took advantage of the situation to say, “Father, can you help me arrange a job at your unit?”

My ‘Stubborn-Father’ put down his chopsticks and looked at me. Without even a moment to think, he said to me, ”You figure out how to get a job yourself.”

My 'stubborn father' was so rigid that I suddenly became a little uneasy and said, “You are my real father, can't you consider this matter before replying to me? After all, you are a deputy section chief. Why don't you arrange a job for me in your section that involves keeping data? I promise to work hard and not bring you any shame! How about that?”