“I’ll go first.” Wen Quhua really did not dare stay any longer. She felt that the aura this man gave off was very oppressive, as if the matter of her finding a partner was something extremely serious.
Yang Qin watched her back. Only after a long while did he withdraw his gaze. He lowered his eyes and let out a soft laugh, laughing at himself for being sentimental.
If he kept pestering her, it would only look worse.
The next day, Wen Quhua still bought a bouquet of flowers and brought some fruit to the hospital.
Xiao Xin’s mother and Xiao Xin’s younger sister were busy packing things for discharge. When they heard a gentle knock on the door and looked up, both of them froze.
Wen Quhua was dressed more simply today, in a light white cotton-linen dress. She looked fresh and clean, yet still made people lose focus for a moment when they looked at her.
“Boss Wen?” Xiao Xin’s surprised voice sounded.
Seeing the cast on his leg and the scabbed wounds still on his face, Wen Quhua walked over with the items. “Don’t move around.”
“I heard you’re being discharged today, so I came to take a look.”
Xiao Xin was very excited. He had not expected Boss Wen to come visit him.
“Boss Wen, you didn’t need to bring anything.”
“It’s just a small gesture.” Wen Quhua smiled faintly and handed the items to Xiao Xin’s younger sister.
The girl lowered her head to look at the fruit basket and froze for a moment.
“Boss Wen, I really didn’t expect you to come visit me. I heard from my brother that it was thanks to you calling the car that night. Otherwise, I…” Xiao Xin spoke with increasing gratitude. “I originally planned to thank you in person after I recovered.”
“It’s nothing, just a small effort.” Wen Quhua could not handle such intense gratitude, and she also had her own motives.
Xiao Xin’s mother came over and chatted with her with a smile, probing subtly through her words. Xiao Xin gave his mother a look.
For questions she did not want to answer, Wen Quhua brushed them off casually. She was good at social interaction, and she did not mind Xiao Xin’s mother’s probing. After all, she had only come to visit a patient.
In the end, as if hesitating, she softly brought it up, “Yang Qin, he…”
As soon as Xiao Xin heard his brother’s name, he quickly said, “Brother Qin is also fine now. It’s good, it’s good that he’s fine. Otherwise, I would feel even worse.”
Hearing this, Xiao Xin’s mother secretly curled her lips.
Wen Quhua wanted to ask more about Yang Qin, but did not know how to bring it up. Asking Xiao Xin about a man felt a bit strange.
Forget it. As long as he was fine, that was enough.
Wen Quhua felt it was about time and stood up to say goodbye.
After she left, Xiao Xin’s younger sister whispered to their mother, “That pretty sister just now put a red envelope inside the fruit basket.”
Xiao Xin’s mother immediately went to check. Sure enough, there was a red envelope. When she opened it, she exclaimed, “So much.”
The moment Xiao Xin saw it, he said, “We can’t take this!”
Boss Wen had already saved his life. Taking her red envelope on top of that was something he could not do.
Although his mother was reluctant, she still handed the red envelope to Xiao Xin.
She could not truly anger her son.
Just then, Yang Qin walked in. Since Xiao Xin was being discharged, he had said in advance that he would come help. He had borrowed a cargo vehicle, which would allow Xiao Xin to lie down in the back as they sent him back to the small fishing village.
Seeing him, Xiao Xin said happily, “Brother, Boss Wen just came. If you had come a bit earlier, you would’ve seen her.”
Yang Qin responded with a cold “Mm,” looking indifferent.
Xiao Xin asked in confusion, “Brother, do you really dislike Boss Wen that much? Every time she’s mentioned, you seem impatient.”
“There’s no liking or disliking. We’re just not from the same world.” Yang Qin spoke calmly as he walked over. “Your discharge is done. The vehicle is downstairs.”
In fact, he had seen Wen Quhua, so he had stayed in the corridor smoking, waiting for her to leave before coming in.
He thought Wen Quhua probably did not want to see him.
But she had actually come to visit Xiao Xin. She seemed to treat everyone else quite kindly, except him.
Not exactly. At the beginning, she had also smiled brightly and called him “Master Yang.” Later, when he let her glimpse his feelings, she became distant and cold toward him.
He stopped thinking about it. Yang Qin still needed to send Xiao Xin’s family back to the small fishing village. He could also take the chance to spend some time with his grandmother. In the afternoon, he still had to rush back to work.
Xiao Xin’s mother felt a bit awkward when she saw Yang Qin, because she had taken all of his savings, a full three thousand yuan. It was likely money he had saved over several years.
Xiao Xin only earned sixty or seventy yuan a month. That amount equaled several years of his wages.
When his mother and sister lagged behind, Xiao Xin, looking at the man carrying him, said uneasily, “Brother, when I recover and start earning, I’ll pay you back.”
“No need.” Yang Qin truly did not care about those few thousand yuan. If it could save his brother’s leg, it was worth it.
Compared to money, he disliked owing favors even more.
But Xiao Xin insisted that he had to repay it. His brother did not earn money easily.
He then took out a red envelope from his pocket. “Brother, this is the red envelope Boss Wen put in the fruit basket. I really can’t accept it. Can you help me return it to her?”
“If you want to return it, do it yourself.” Yang Qin replied coldly.
By the time his leg recovered enough to walk, who knew when that would be. It was better to return it sooner.
“Brother, help me out? At worst, when you pass by, give it to Aunt Lu and let her return it for me?” Xiao Xin had not expected Yang Qin to be so unwilling to deal with Boss Wen.
This time, however, Yang Qin took the red envelope and casually glanced at it. It felt thick in his hand; no wonder Xiao Xin did not dare accept it.
After settling Xiao Xin, just before leaving, Xiao Xin’s younger sister handed him a small basket of red cherries.
“Brother Yang Qin, these are cherries grown by our family. Take them.”
Xiao Xin’s younger sister was shy. After their family suffered such a major change, she had matured early. She did not dare oppose her mother, but she also believed that accidents were part of the risks of her brother’s work and should not be blamed on Yang Qin.
Yang Qin’s expression softened a little, but he still said, “No need. Take them to the morning market to sell.”
He knew about the cherry tree at Xiao Xin’s home. Every year, the fruit was picked and sold at the morning market for money.
Xiao Xin’s younger sister shook her head and pushed it into his hands. “If you don’t want them, then please give them to that pretty sister.”
Other than Yang Qin, only that pretty sister had come to visit her brother at the hospital. Their relatives disliked them for being poor and rarely visited.
Since it was meant to be given to Wen Quhua, Yang Qin could not refuse. After a moment of silence, he carried the basket and left.
Xiao Xin’s mother was outside drying quilts. When she saw her daughter pick a basket of red cherries, she did not say anything in the end.
Yang Qin went to visit his grandmother again. Fortunately, her health had been fairly stable recently, and she was taking her medicine on time.
Seeing her grandson grow steadier and more mature, Grandma Yang felt both reassured and worried. He was sensible and capable, so she did not need to worry about him, but his lifelong matter still had no direction.
“Ah Qin, money can never all be earned. You’re not young anymore. You can start considering your personal situation.”
“No rush.” As usual, whenever Yang Qin came back, he mopped the floor and cleaned, doing as much as he could for his grandmother.
Grandma Yang sighed repeatedly. He kept saying there was no rush, yet year after year passed just like that.
“You’re already twenty-six. You don’t even say what kind of person you want. As long as it’s suitable, it’s fine. Having someone by your side to care for you, to know when you’re cold or warm, then Grandma can feel at ease…”
Her health was not good. She did not know how many more years she could live. Before she died, she only wanted to see her grandson settled.
Yang Qin fell silent. He could not brush the old lady off, but he also did not want to casually settle down with just anyone suitable.
Grandma Yang sighed again.
Just as Yang Qin was about to leave, Miao Qinglan from next door came over carrying freshly washed and dried quilts. When she saw Yang Qin, her eyes lit up with surprise.
“Brother Yang, you’re back?”
Yang Qin nodded when he saw her. “How has Grandma been eating lately?”
“It’s almost summer, so Grandma’s appetite isn’t great. I’ve been changing up the dishes, and she can eat a bit more. Brother Yang, don’t worry. I watch her eat and take her medicine every day!”
She smiled brightly and moved closer to Yang Qin.
Yang Qin subtly stepped aside.
Miao Qinglan was from the neighboring house. Previously, Yang Qin had given her mother thirty yuan every month to cook and do laundry for his grandmother.
Who knew that later, Miao Qinglan took over the job. He did not mind. As long as the money was paid and his grandmother was well taken care of, it did not matter who did it.
Miao Qinglan wanted to talk to him more, but Yang Qin did not stay long. After saying a word to Grandma Yang, he picked up the basket and left.
Miao Qinglan noticed that the basket contained cherries. Yang Qin, as a grown man, would not bother bringing cherries into the city.
Then who were these cherries for?
After entering the house, Miao Qinglan casually asked Grandma Yang, “Grandma, is Brother Yang seeing someone?”
“No.”
“Oh, I saw him carrying cherries, so I thought…”
“If he were seeing someone, that would be good. I don’t expect him to find anyone in particular. As long as he likes her, that’s enough.”
Miao Qinglan chatted with the old lady with a smile, subtly asking about how much Yang Qin was earning in the city.
Grandma Yang gave her a knowing glance and steered the topic away from her grandson.
The Miao family was too calculating, and Miao Qinglan had too many schemes. She was not suitable for her grandson.
After Yang Qin drove the small cargo truck back to Langcheng, he looked at the cherries in the basket and the red envelope in his pocket. Frowning, he still decided to make a trip. The cherries would spoil if left too long.
However, he did not plan to deliver them himself. He did not want to make himself unwelcome, so he went to Aunt Lu.
After hearing his explanation, Aunt Lu looked at the red cherries and raised her brows with a smile. “Boss Wen is a thoughtful person, and Xiao Xin is a sensible child.”
But still… “Why don’t you deliver it yourself? It’s just next door, yet you insist on having me pass it along.”
Yang Qin was just about to say something when Uncle Zhang spotted him and hurried over from the small shop, calling out loudly.
“Xiao Yang! You came at the perfect time!”
This shout was loud enough that even Wen Quhua, who was idly reading in the shop, heard it. She looked out through the window and happened to meet Yang Qin’s cold gaze.
Wen Quhua paused. The next moment, Yang Qin calmly withdrew his gaze.
Uncle Zhang’s wife’s niece had come to their shop today to deliver something, and she had casually mentioned Yang Qin. As soon as Uncle Zhang saw him, he immediately ran over.
He handed Yang Qin a cigarette. “How about today? Just meet her and take a look. If it’s not suitable, it’s fine.”
Originally, when the construction site accident happened and Yang Qin was taken in, he and his wife had given up on matchmaking.
But who would have thought that Yang Qin was so capable? He came out quietly after just a few days. It was said that he had taken on the old station project again. His future looked very promising.
Yang Qin had almost forgotten about this matter. Listening to it now, he felt a headache. But since the person was already here, he could not refuse.
Aunt Lu also chimed in enthusiastically, “Old Zhang, bring your niece over to my place. I just marinated some small seafood today. I’ll cook a couple of dishes.”
“Alright!” Uncle Zhang went back happily to call her over.
Now, Yang Qin could not leave at all. After knowing each other for so many years, he could not refuse this favor.
He frowned, then unconsciously glanced toward the dessert shop again. Through the window, he could see her resting her head on one hand, leisurely reading while enjoying the breeze from the fan.
She had definitely heard everything, yet she did not care.
Yang Qin suddenly relaxed his brows and found a place to sit.
He was actually on a blind date.
Wen Quhua was looking at her book, but her mind was elsewhere. So soon, he was already going on a blind date. It seemed he was quite realistic.
But that was good too. This way, she would feel even less burdened.