Chapter 238: Unfathomable
Chapter 238: Unfathomable
In the afternoon, Lucas Thompson tidied up his desk and prepared to leave work. This year, after graduating from university, he was assigned to work here. The bureau, whether in this life or the previous one, was always a good place to work. Given his background, he never would have had the chance to be placed in such a desirable position. However, during his university days, he met a girl whose family had considerable influence.
They got married before graduating, and with the help of her father, Lucas Thompson was assigned to work at the bureau. Lucas Thompson was naturally content with his current wife. She was knowledgeable, well-mannered, and came from a family with a strong background. The only downside was that she had an ordinary appearance, but everything else was beyond reproach.
Speaking of appearance, Lucas Thompson couldn’t help but think back to a girl he dated a few years ago in Bose, Guangxi Province. Although she came from a rural background, she was the most beautiful girl in the village, and her appearance and charm had truly captivated him. Even when his parents opposed the relationship, he was determined to marry her.
However, plans often fall short of reality. Just as he had decided to marry her, the news of the national college entrance exam resurfacing spread across the country. The prospect of a guaranteed job after university was an offer no educated youth could refuse, and Lucas Thompson was no exception. He took the exam and, with a stroke of luck, was admitted to university.
The moment he received his university acceptance letter, Lucas Thompson knew their relationship was over. He still remembered the heartbroken tears of the girl when he told her they were breaking up.
Despite his guilt, Lucas Thompson never regretted his choice. If he had married her back then, he would have been stuck in that remote village, with little chance of making a name for himself. Now, he was in the bustling capital, with a job that many envied, and a promising future.
To regret it would have been strange indeed.
However, while he didn’t regret his decision, a tinge of regret still lingered in his heart.
...
Three minutes later.
Lucas Thompson chatted with a colleague while pushing his bicycle out of the bureau’s entrance. After his colleague rode off, Lucas Thompson was about to head home when a voice from his memory called out from the left: “Big Brother Thompson!”
Lucas Thompson turned to see a woman in patched clothes, her face weathered by time. Despite the significant changes in her appearance, he recognized her immediately. After all, she was his first love, and first loves are never forgotten.
Upon recognizing her, Lucas Thompson’s face filled with disbelief as he stammered, “Daisy, how could you be here?”
Jasmine looked at the confident, mature, and more charming man before her, her heart churning with mixed emotions, and she said with a bitter smile, “Big Brother Thompson, I came here to find you.”
Lucas Thompson, though shocked, quickly regained his composure and said, “Daisy, this isn’t the place to talk. Follow me.”
Jasmine also knew this wasn’t the place to speak. Her purpose was to resolve her son’s living conditions, not to break up his family. This was why she hadn’t brought her son directly.
She pointed to a General Store across the street and said, “I’ll wait for you at that General Store. Come over in a bit.”
With that, she quickly walked across the street. The entire exchange took only a few seconds, and no one noticed their interaction.
After Jasmine crossed the road, Lucas Thompson, with a complex heart, followed on his bicycle.
He truly never thought he would see Jasmine again. After leaving that small village filled with memories, he had lost all contact with her. Logically, she shouldn’t have known where he was.
Yet, she appeared, which meant someone must have told her about his job here. The person was most likely one of the educated youth he had worked with, as they had always kept in touch and knew his work address.
So, why had Jasmine traveled thousands of miles to find him?
To rekindle their past romance?
To seek his help with a problem?
Or to be sent to destroy his family?
As these thoughts raced through Lucas Thompson’s mind, he and Jasmine arrived at the General Store almost simultaneously.
Just as Lucas Thompson was about to ask why she had come to find him, a little boy ran up to her, shouting, “Mom!”
Seeing Jasmine embrace the boy, Lucas Thompson felt a mix of relief and discomfort. The boy’s age suggested she had remarried soon after their breakup.
However, looking at the middle-aged man sitting on a sack, Lucas Thompson wondered why she had married someone so much older.
As Lucas Thompson’s mind swirled with mixed emotions, Jasmine said to her son, “Little Wind, this is your dad!”
Little Wind looked at Lucas Thompson and timidly called, “Da...Da!”
Lucas Thompson was so startled by this that he nearly fell off his bicycle. He looked sharply at Jasmine, recalling the intimate moments they had shared before their breakup. Considering the boy’s age, a thought he dared not believe formed in his mind.
“He… he is…”
Jiang Xiaoxue understood his shock and nodded, confirming his thoughts. “Changsheng, his name is Li Feng. He’s our child.”
Hearing Jiang Xiaoxue’s affirmation, Li Changsheng could no longer contain his shock. He carefully examined the child in front of him and realized that the boy looked almost identical to him as a child. There was no need for further verification; he knew this was definitely his son.
At that moment, Li Changsheng didn’t know whether to feel joy or headache.
Deng Shirong, seeing that Jiang Xiaoxue had found the person she was looking for, stood up and lifted the burlap sack. “Xiao Jiang, since you’ve found who you were looking for, I won’t disturb your family reunion anymore. I have my own matters to attend to.”
Seeing Deng Shirong get up to leave, Jiang Xiaoxue expressed her gratitude. “Uncle Deng, you’ve done so much for my son and me. I don’t know how to thank you. It’s getting late, why don’t I treat you to a meal?”
“No need, don’t worry about me. Take care of your family affairs first.”
With that, Deng Shirong looked at Li Changsheng, who was in a state of turmoil, and couldn’t help but advise, “Young man, I have some understanding of your situation. If it weren’t absolutely necessary, I doubt Xiao Jiang would have traveled thousands of miles with her child to find you.
This is your biological son. As a man, you must take responsibility for what you’ve done. I’ve said my piece. We’ll see each other again if fate allows it.”
Li Changsheng, now realizing he had misunderstood the relationship between the middle-aged man and Jiang Xiaoxue, knew from their conversation that the man had helped her significantly. He nodded and said, “I understand. Thank you, Uncle Deng!”
“Feng, quickly thank Grandpa Deng!”
“Thank you, Grandpa Deng!”
“You’re welcome, Feng. Listen to your mother and take care. Goodbye!”
“I will, Grandpa Deng. Goodbye!”
Watching Deng Shirong walk away, Jiang Xiaoxue sighed. “Uncle Deng is a good person. He’s also from our hometown in Guangxi. Knowing it was my first time traveling far from home and that I might get lost, he kindly brought us here.”
Li Changsheng had no interest in understanding others at the moment. His mind was a mess, and he just wanted to get to the bottom of everything. He looked at the time and said, “Xiaoxue, let’s find a place to eat first, and then you can tell me everything about Feng.”
Jiang Xiaoxue nodded. “Alright!”
…
Half an hour later.
At a state-owned restaurant, Li Changsheng invited Jiang Xiaoxue and her son Li Feng to eat.
Four dishes and a soup, with fish and meat, this was a feast that Jiang Xiaoxue and her son rarely enjoyed even during the New Year.
Once the mother and son had their fill, Li Changsheng said with a complex expression, “Xiaoxue, I was the one who wronged you back then. But why were you so foolish? I was gone and wouldn’t be coming back. Why did you still choose to have the baby…?”
Jiang Xiaoxue was silent for a moment before she said, “He is our child, after all. Once he came into this world, I had to raise him, no matter what. Unfortunately, I was too young and didn’t foresee…”
Then, Jiang Xiaoxue recounted in detail how she had decided to give birth to the child and the life they had led in the village over the past few years.
In the end, she said, “Changsheng, I know you’re already married and have your own family. Don’t worry, I didn’t bring Feng here to disrupt your life. I just want to give him a better environment, so he doesn’t have to endure the bullying and ridicule in the village anymore!”
In those times, having a child out of wedlock, even if Jiang Xiaoxue didn’t say it, Li Changsheng could guess what kind of life they had led in the village.
After all, this was his biological son. Not only was he isolated by the other children in the village, but he was also bullied frequently. It was impossible for Li Changsheng not to feel heartache, and he agreed with Jiang Xiaoxue’s idea of changing their environment.
“Xiaoxue, just tell me what you’re thinking.”
Jiang Xiaoxue mustered her courage and said, “Changsheng, I want to stay in Beijing with Feng. I hope you can help us find a temporary place to stay. I can do any kind of work to support us.”
Li Changsheng was silent for a full minute before he said, “For the next couple of days, you can stay at a guesthouse. I’ll try to find a more permanent place for you, but I can’t help with work. I just started my job myself.”
Making this decision, Li Changsheng was very hesitant. Keeping this mother and son in Beijing was undoubtedly a time bomb for him.
But if he ignored them and let them return to the village, his son’s life would be ruined. He couldn’t bear to do that.
After much deliberation, he made this risky decision.
Hearing this, Jiang Xiaoxue breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Changsheng. Having a place to stay is enough. I’ll find work on my own and won’t trouble you.”
Phew, are all of you so worried for the protagonist?
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
