121 Understanding the Reason
âI know.â Pei Zicheng put away his chess piece and dragged the stool to their side.
He summarized it in a few words, âIn order to invest, your father sold the antiques at home without telling Uncle Lin.â
âWhat antiques?â
âI heard they were some kind of porcelain.â
!!
Lin Jiao frowned.
She recalled the frequent quarrels between her parents during her poor childhood and felt that something was wrong. âWhere is the money he got from selling antiques?â
âI lost it all.â Pei Zhen suppressed the emotions in his eyes.
He blew away the tea leaves on the edge of the cup. âFirst time he invested, Old Lin took half of his savings to help him, but he lost everything.â
Lin Jiao guessed boldly, âGrandpa refused to help him the second time, so he sold the antiques?â
âRight.â
âDid he get the antiques back in the end?â
Pei Zhen nodded.
At the thought of what Lin Kanglu had suffered, Lin Jiao was angry with her father. âI didnât know he was such a scumbag.â
âItâs all in the past.â Pei Zhen patted her shoulder comfortingly and said gently, âHeâs not as frivolous as before.â
âHave you seen him in the past few years?â
âNo, I heard it from your brother.â
Lin Jiao replied, âMy father talked to me last time. He said he wants to fulfill his filial responsibility to Grandpa.â
âHe never went back to visit your grandpa?â
âHe did, but Grandpa refused to see him.â
âOld Lin is as stubborn as ever.â Pei Zhen curled his lips at the thought of his stubborn look. âIâll have a good chat with him tomorrow.â
âCan you persuade him?â
âOf course.â As long as he found where Old Lin lived, he was confident to persuade him.
Pei Qisheng saw through his thoughts at a glance. âAre you planning to stay at Uncle Linâs house uninvited?â
âWhat do you mean uninvited?â Pei Zhen picked up a peanut and threw it at his son. âThe air in the countryside is good. Canât I stay there for a few more days?â
Pei Zhi smiled. âIâm afraid you wonât stay there for long.â
âAnd why is that?â
âHe lives in a very remote place. He usually has to grow and pick the vegetables himself. Can you walk in the muddy field with your walking stick?â
âYouâre underestimating me!â Pei Zhen threw his walking stick to the side and stood up agilely.
He slapped his thigh. âIâm not a cripple.â
âAre you pretending to be a cripple all these years?â A teasing voice attracted everyoneâs attention.
Chu Kui walked leisurely towards the living room.
He was about the same height as Pei Zhen and looked energetic, nothing like an old man in his seventies.
âIâm not crippled to begin with!â Pei Zhen moved to the right and sat in front of the white chess piece, waiting for him to come over.
âThen why do you use a walking stick all day?â
âItâs nothing to do with you whether I use it or not. Hurry up and come over.â
Just as Chu Kui was about to scold him, he saw Lin Jiao from the corner of his eye and smiled. âJiaojiao, youâre here.â
His expression changed especially quickly, and the gentleness he revealed was a stark contrast to before.
âUncle Chu.â Lin Jiao placed the peeled peanuts on the small table by the chessboard. âHave some.â
âSure.â Chu Kui took two to try.
When he picked up the black piece under Pei Zhenâs nagging, he suddenly realized something. âWhat did you call me?â
âUncle Chu.â
âAre you in a relationship with Pei Zhi?â
âTheyâve been together for a few months.â Pei Zhen swallowed a mouthful of tea. âIs your son, Chu Yuzhou, dating anyone?â
Chu Kui placed a piece on the chessboard. âYes.â
âWith whom?â
âI didnât ask. I canât be bothered with him.â
âIs Yuzhou at home?â Pei Zhi held Lin Jiaoâs hand that he had not touched all morning and rubbed it gently.
âYes.â
âThen weâll go over to see him.â