Chapter 574 Family Affairs
Those quarrels, cold wars, and even suspicions of betrayal were like sharp blades that cut her heart into pieces.
She also recalled her own experience in the family, the change in her father Liang Qunfeng's attitude towards Qi Tongwei, from initial appreciation to later disappointment and opposition, which is also a complex manifestation of human nature under the influence of interests, family reputation and other factors. Her father's stubbornness and toughness put her in a dilemma in the family. On one side is her beloved husband, and on the other side is her majestic father. She is caught in the middle, powerlessly bearing the pressure from both sides, feeling the pull and deformation of family affection and love in the entanglement of human nature.
In social interactions, she has also seen too many scenes of hypocrisy and sincerity intertwined. Those so-called friends who smile on the surface but stab you in the back; those colleagues who flatter for the sake of profit, but once their goals are achieved, they will cross the river and destroy the bridge. These experiences made her deeply understand the complexity and changeability of human nature. It is not simply black and white, but presents different faces in various situations and temptations.
Now, in the process of telling children Qi Tongwei's story and exploring human nature, she seems to be re-examining her own life. She understands that her past pain, confusion and struggle were all struggles against the multifaceted nature of human nature. She once thought that love could overcome everything and that the warmth of family could withstand the wind and rain of the outside world, but she did not expect that the weaknesses and dark side of human nature would be so powerful, shattering her beautiful visions one by one.
But she also knows that we cannot completely deny the beauty of human nature because of these painful experiences. Just like the stories she told the children, behind Qi Tongwei's heroic deeds is the shining kindness and justice in his heart. In her own life, there are also people who gave her support and comfort in her most difficult times. Even if it was just a warm word or a caring look, it made her feel that the kindness and warmth of human nature still exist.
She looked at the innocent faces of Qi Dawei and Qi Xiaowei, and silently vowed in her heart that no matter how difficult the road ahead would be, she would protect the innocence of the children, so that they could understand the complexity of human nature while still being kind and brave in their hearts. She knew that this time, bringing the children to find Qi Tongwei was another struggle and fight against fate.
And at this time.
Qi Tongwei paced back and forth in the shabby house, looking at the door from time to time, his anxiety surging like a tide. He hadn't seen his wife and children for a long time, and his longing and guilt were intertwined, making him suffer.
Finally, he couldn't hold back his excitement and turned to the simple kitchen. He decided to prepare a sumptuous meal for them. Although the conditions were limited, he wanted to do his best. Qi Tongwei came to the small courtyard outside the house, looked around, and saw an unknown tree at the corner of the wall, with tender green leaves swaying gently in the breeze. He walked over quickly and reached out to pick a handful of leaves. Back in the kitchen, he carefully cleaned the leaves, put them in the pot, added the right amount of water, and started to cook the leaf soup. He stared intently at the movement in the pot, as if he had poured all his love and expectations into this simple cooking process.
Then, he took out a handful of spinach from the basket beside him. He had picked it from the mountain a few days ago. He washed the spinach, cut it into pieces skillfully, put it into another pot, and boiled it. There was a hint of tenderness in his eyes, and his thoughts seemed to have drifted to the beautiful scene of reuniting with his family.
While cooking spinach soup, Qi Tongwei began to look for other ingredients in the house. He found some dried mushrooms that he had collected, soaked them in water, and put them into the pot to stew with the leaf soup. The light mushroom fragrance gradually spread, and mixed with the fragrance of the leaves, it unexpectedly had a unique flavor.
He took out a piece of bacon from the cupboard, cut it into thin slices, and fried it in the pan. The fat of the bacon oozed out, sizzling, and the whole room was filled with tempting aroma. He scooped out some of the fried bacon as a side dish, and put the other part into the cooking spinach soup, which gave the spinach soup a mellower taste.
Qi Tongwei hadn't stopped his busy pace. He took out a few eggs from the corner, beat them, poured them into the pan, and fried them into golden omelets. He cut the omelets into small pieces and placed them at the bottom of the bowl for the soup.
At this time, the leaf soup and spinach soup were cooked. He carefully poured the soup into the bowls. The emerald green color and rich aroma made people hungry. He also placed the fried bacon and some wild fruits picked from the mountains on the table. Although this was not a full banquet, in Qi Tongwei's eyes, this was the most thoughtful meal he could prepare for his family.
He looked at the door again, silently praying in his heart that his wife and children would come soon. He couldn't wait to see their smiling faces, to sit around this simple dining table with them, to share this loving dinner, to make up for the company he had been missing for a long time. However, behind this seemingly calm waiting, there are countless unknown waves and entanglements of fate. What kind of changes and impacts will their reunion bring to each other's lives? Everything is quietly building up in this waiting.
Qi Tongwei stood in the house, his expectations shattered by this sudden phone call. When he learned that Gao Yuliang had been in a car accident, his hands shook violently and the phone almost slipped. "Teacher Gao...how could this happen?" His voice was trembling and panic that was difficult to conceal. Countless thoughts flashed through Qi Tongwei's mind in an instant. Gao Yuliang was not only a mentor to him, but also a key figure who gave him a lot of guidance and support in his career.
He paced hurriedly in the room, frowning, his eyes full of confusion. On the one hand, he was deeply worried about the safety of his mentor. He knew that Gao Yuliang was like a stabilizing force in the complex situation in Handong. If he was lost, the whole situation might be turned upside down. On the other hand, his wife and children were coming soon. They had overcome many difficulties to reunite with him. He had imagined the scene of reunion countless times in his mind, eager to use this rare time to make up for the alienation and debt in the past.
If he went to Handong to visit Gao Yuliang now, his wife and children would be in deep panic and confusion if they could not see him after they arrived. He could not imagine that the innocent eyes of the children would be filled with disappointment and anxiety. But if he stayed here to wait for his family, how could he feel at ease and ignore the fate of his mentor? He seemed to see Gao Yuliang lying on the hospital bed, who was once full of vigor and vitality but now might be dying, and his heart was like being grabbed by an invisible big hand.
Qi Tongwei walked to the door and looked at the mountain road in the distance, hoping to see his wife and children, but the road was empty. He turned around and looked at the simple but thoughtful meal that had been prepared in the house. The heat was slowly rising and gradually dissipating in the air, just like his wavering determination at the moment. Time seemed to freeze at this moment, and every second that passed was accompanied by an intensification of inner conflicts. His palms were full of sweat and his breathing became rapid. In this dilemma, he felt like he was trapped in an invisible net. No matter how he struggled, it was difficult to find a perfect exit.
He tried to call his wife to inform her of the sudden situation, but the signal in the mountainous area was intermittent and the call never went through. This made him even more anxious, and he had no choice but to continue waiting at the door, his eyes moving back and forth between the mountain road and the phone in the house, his heart constantly struggling in the vortex of family affection and gratitude, and every minute of waiting was torture. He didn't know why fate had given him such a difficult problem at this time, and how he should choose to live up to the expectations and emotions of either party.
Qi Tongwei waited anxiously at the door like an ant on a hot pot. Finally, a bullock cart slowly drove up on the mountain road in the distance. A complex emotion of excitement and guilt suddenly surged in his heart. Qi Dawei and Qi Xiaowei sat on the bullock cart, looking around with sparkling eyes. When they saw Qi Tongwei, their two little faces immediately broke into bright smiles and shouted excitedly: "Dad! Dad!"
Liang Lu pulled the reins, and the ox cart slowly stopped in front of Qi Tongwei. Qi Tongwei was about to greet him, but was driven by his inner anxiety and blurted out: "Gao Yuliang is in trouble!" When Liang Lu heard this, the smile on her face froze instantly, replaced by shock and worry. "How could this happen? What should we do now?" Liang Lu asked. Qi Tongwei gritted his teeth and said, "We have to go back to Handong as soon as possible."
So the family hurriedly got on the oxcart and headed back to Handong along the same route. However, halfway through the journey, the oxcart suddenly shook violently with a "click" and stopped. Qi Tongwei jumped off the car to check and found that the axle of the wheel was broken. His brows were furrowed tightly, time was running out, but in this desolate wilderness, there was no village in front and no shop behind. If he wanted to get back as soon as possible, he had to repair the oxcart as soon as possible.
Qi Tongwei took a deep breath, calmed down quickly, and began to check the various parts of the oxcart. He first found a few stones and placed them under the wheels to prevent the oxcart from sliding further. Then, he found some spare tools from the toolbox of the oxcart. Although they were simple, they could only be used as a makeshift tool. Qi Tongwei squatted down and carefully observed the broken axle. His eyes were focused and firm, as if everything around him no longer existed. He had only one belief in his heart, which was to repair the car as soon as possible and rush to Gao Yuliang.
He tried to temporarily tie the two ends of the broken axle with a rope, but found that it was not strong enough. So he looked for branches nearby to reinforce it. Qi Xiaowei and Qi Dawei gathered around curiously, their eyes full of admiration and trust for their father. Qi Tongwei broke off a few suitable branches, cut them into suitable shapes with a knife, and then skillfully tied the branches to the broken axle, and then tightly wrapped them with wire to increase its stability.
Sweat continued to drip from Qi Tongwei's forehead, and his clothes were soaked, but he did not stop at all. Liang Lu watched from the side, and could not help but feel a surge of admiration for Qi Tongwei. Qi Tongwei, who usually rises and falls in the officialdom and is full of complex emotions and contradictions, now showed unparalleled perseverance and courage in this predicament.
After some efforts, Qi Tongwei finally fixed the ox cart. He stood up, patted the dust off his hands, and a relieved smile appeared on his face. "Okay, we can go now," he said. Qi Dawei and Qi Xiaowei cheered: "Dad is great! Dad is a hero!" Qi Tongwei touched the children's heads, then helped Liang Lu and the children get back on the ox cart, raised the whip, and drove the ox cart towards Handong. On this bumpy ox cart, Qi Tongwei's heart was still full of worries about the unknown, but at this moment, he also established an image of a brave and fearless hero who could hold up the sky in difficult situations in the hearts of his family.
Qi Tongwei was immersed in the urgent thoughts of repairing the ox cart and heading to Handong, when suddenly, Qi Xiaowei beside him fell headfirst without any warning. "Xiaowei!" Qi Tongwei screamed in fear, and immediately rushed over and picked up Qi Xiaowei's small body.
His hand frantically probed under Qi Xiaowei's nose, and when he felt the faint breath, he felt relieved a little, but he was still shrouded in great fear. "What happened? God, why are you so unfair!" Qi Tongwei raised his head and roared at the sky, his eyes full of anger and despair, "I just experienced Gao Yuliang's accident, and I finally fixed the car after all the twists and turns. Why did Xiaowei have to get into trouble again? How are you torturing me!" His voice echoed in the empty wilderness, with endless sadness and unwillingness.
Liang Lu was also frightened by this sudden scene and turned pale. She came over with trembling hands and cried, "Tongwei, Xiaowei... Is he okay?" Qi Tongwei did not respond, but just hugged Qi Xiaowei tightly, his mind in a mess. He didn't know whether Xiaowei was feeling unwell due to the bumpy road or had a sudden illness. This place was quite far from the nearest town, and medical conditions were scarce. It was not easy to get timely treatment.
He paced quickly on the spot, weighing various options in his mind. Should he continue to Handong and look for possible medical assistance on the way? But what if Xiaowei's condition was delayed? Or should he turn back and find a local doctor in a village? But in this way, Gao Yuliang's situation would be even more difficult to know and deal with. Each choice was like a double-edged sword, stabbing his already exhausted heart.