Love and Desire in the Sea [Complete] - 21

Love and Desire (145)

Chapter 143

After the construction workers entered the old house, Ouyang Yiming arranged for them to first tidy up the east wing and the kitchen. Ouyang Anping and Mao Yuqin instructed Ouyang Yiming to only do a simple painting of the east wing. A few days later, the east wing, the kitchen, and the main house were painted. The corridor pillars and beams were then repainted. During those days, the old man did not go out to walk his bird, and Ouyang Anping and Mao Yuqin could not come over because they were at work. Ouyang Yiming, however, often drove over to check on things. After work, he would come to the old house to pick up the old man and take him back to his home at the school for dinner, and then bring him back after dinner. This went on for seven days until the school home moved into the old house.

A month later, the old house and Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui's new house were all renovated and tidied up. Since this family moved into the old house, it seemed to have become very lively, and the old man always had a smile on his face, as if he had become much younger. Ouyang Yiming knew that his grandfather was happy seeing the whole family living together, and he also thought that while his grandfather was alive, it would be best if the family didn't move out of the old house.

A few days later, Ouyang Yiming furnished the new house. His wedding photo with Xu Hui was also hung above the bed and on the wall. A few days after the house renovation was completed, the telephone line, which had been applied for long ago, was installed and connected at the urging of the office director. Two days later, Xu Hui called Ouyang Yiming's office.

Ouyang Yiming smiled and told her, "Now everything is ready except for the final touch. The whole family is looking forward to you marrying into our family soon." Xu Hui giggled on the other end of the line. After laughing, she said, "I estimate it will be possible in July or August. I'm currently participating in an experiment that will finish in July or August. I've already told my supervisor about our wedding. By then, my parents will both be on vacation and will have time to handle things." Ouyang Yiming said, "I'm in a hurry, but I have to consider your schedule. I've already moved into the new house. When can I come back to see if there are any improvements?" Xu Hui laughed and said, "If you're satisfied, I'm satisfied. What else is there to see? By the way, some of my colleagues at work saw the wedding photos you sent. Guess what they said?"

Ouyang Yiming said, "What else could they say? They said I'm handsome!" He then laughed.

Xu Hui said, "They said this guy is pretty silly." She laughed again after saying that. Ouyang Yiming said, "Who said that? I'll go over and let her see it in a few days." Xu Hui giggled and said, "Silly boy, do you really have the guts to come over and let her see you?" Ouyang Yiming chuckled and said, "Why wouldn't I dare? You're my legal wife now, who's afraid of what you'll say if I go to see you? A handsome young man like me, how could I embarrass you?" Xu Hui giggled and said, "You're so smug, the more I talk about you, the more proud you get." After they both laughed, Ouyang Yiming told Xu Hui about the telephone that had been installed at home and gave her the phone number. Xu Hui told him to take care of himself and to say hello to everyone in the family.

Just after hanging up the phone and going to the bathroom, Ouyang Yiming unexpectedly received a call from Wu Yingying. Wu Yingying asked him if he knew who she was. Ouyang Yiming thought for a moment and then laughed and said, "I can't believe it, I can't believe it's my little sister. Yingying, we've only been corresponding for the past few years, and I've already given you my phone number, why haven't you called even once?" Wu Yingying said:

"I was afraid of bothering you. You're not like before, the director of the research institute now, you must be very busy. I called you twice, but no one answered." Ouyang Yiming said, "That must be because I'm not in the office. Xu Hui just called me." Wu Yingying said, "Really? No wonder the line was busy when I called earlier. I was wondering why leaders are so busy, turns out they're busy with their love affairs!" She laughed a few times and continued, "I really miss Xu Hui. Hey, when are you two planning to get married? I haven't heard anything yet." Ouyang Yiming said, "We were just talking on the phone, we're definitely getting married in July or August this year." Wu Yingying said, "I think you two should get married. When you get married, we'll all have a good get-together."

Ouyang Yiming said, "That's for sure. Hey, how's yours going?" Wu Yingying said, "I also want to tell you some good news, I, Wu Yingying, finally have someone who wants me." Ouyang Yiming chuckled. Ha laughed and said, "Congratulations! I heard Xu Hui mention him. What does your boyfriend do in the transportation department?" Wu Yingying replied, "What kind of person could I possibly be looking for? Just a lowly clerk in the transportation bureau." Ouyang Yiming said, "That's not bad either. The transportation bureau is rolling in money these days."

Wu Yingying laughed and said, "Even if it's rolling in money, it's not his turn. Your unit is much better. You're enjoying both career and love success. My current unit isn't doing well either. I don't know how many more years it can last. Products aren't selling well, and the competition is fierce. I'm even thinking that if my unit goes under one day, I'll have to beg for food at your unit." Ouyang Yiming said, "If you could come to our unit, I'd like to welcome you on behalf of our unit. I'm just afraid you'll miss your little clerk in the transportation department."

They laughed a few times, and Ouyang Yiming asked, "When are you planning to get married?" Wu Yingying said, "We definitely can't this year. I haven't even properly assessed him yet." Ouyang Yiming said,

"Don't burn him." Wu Yingying laughed and said, "If he's burnt, we don't want him anymore. We'll get a new one." They laughed again. After chatting for a while, the two hung up the phone. Ouyang Yiming thought that judging from Wu Yingying's tone, she had regained her usual cheerful nature, which made him feel very gratified. He then thought of Zhu Haitao, wondering if he had been released from prison yet. Judging by the time, it should be soon; if he had been granted a reduced sentence, he should already be out.

One afternoon, half a month later, Xu Hui suddenly called, crying, "Yiming, my grandmother... my grandmother has passed away." Ouyang Yiming was stunned for a moment, then quickly asked,

"When did this happen? What illness did she have? How could it happen so quickly?" Xu Hui cried, "At noon, my mother said she ate half a bowl of rice. After eating and resting, she... she never woke up again." She cried again as she spoke. Ouyang Yiming comforted her, "Don't cry. Where are you now?" Xu Hui said, "I just received a call from my mother a little while ago. I haven't gone home yet. My uncle will drive over to my place later, and I'll go back with them." Ouyang Yiming said, "Or I can come right away." Xu Hui said, "The cremation and funeral are the day after tomorrow. You can come tomorrow if you want."

Ouyang Yiming thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll go home and discuss it with my parents. I'll come to your house no later than tomorrow." Xu Hui agreed. Ouyang Yiming then told her not to be too sad.

That evening, when Ouyang Yiming returned home, he told his family about Xu Hui's grandmother's passing. Mao Yuqin thought for a moment and said, "Your father and I will both go this time. You and Xu Hui have been married for over two years. Although we haven't had a wedding ceremony, you are practically married. We haven't visited Xu Hui's parents in these two years, so this trip will be a good opportunity to meet them." Ouyang Anping nodded and said, "We should." The old man said, "According to our local customs, the two of you should visit each other's parents before the wedding, and bring some gifts and a small token of appreciation."

Mao Yuqin smiled and said, "I don't know what the customs are like where Xu Hui is. A token of appreciation should be given to Xu Hui. We've met Xu Hui many times now, but we haven't thought about it. It would be best to give her a token of appreciation when she comes to register her marriage with Yiming." Ouyang Yiming laughed and said, "There aren't so many customs there. Even if you give Xu Hui a token of appreciation, she won't accept it." The old man said, "It's the custom; we should give her whatever we can." Ouyang Yiming said, "This time, Xu Hui..." " It's not really appropriate for you to discuss this matter now that

Xu Hui's grandmother has passed away," Mao Yuqin said. "Your father and I absolutely must go to attend Xu Hui's grandmother's funeral, otherwise people will say we're ignorant of etiquette, especially since you and Xu Hui have already obtained your marriage certificate. As for the custom of giving a gift, we don't know the customs in Xu Hui's hometown. So, let's bring our gifts and money as well. Consider this a funeral visit, and we'll see if it's appropriate. If not, we won't say anything."

Ouyang Anping nodded and said, "The customs will definitely be different, but since we're going to Xu Hui's house, we should bring some gifts." The old man said, "That's only right. So, as Yuqin said, let's bring a gift as well. If it's appropriate, we'll give it to Xu Hui's parents; if not, we'll give it to Xu Hui herself."

Mao Yuqin nodded and said, "It's such a long journey, and it's not easy to go. We're going because it's Xu Hui's grandmother's funeral, and it's only right that we attend. Also, it's a way for us to meet Xu Hui's parents. I think that since we've met Xu Hui's parents, we should definitely talk about their marriage."

The old man nodded and said, "Go fill up a few bottles of that old aged liquor later and take a few with you. You can also buy some other things." Ouyang Anping said, "Isn't it inappropriate to bring such things this time?" Ouyang Yiming said, "This liquor is better than anything else. Xu Hui's father said it's even better than Moutai." Mao Yuqin said, "That's fine, as long as people like it." Ouyang Yiming thought for a moment and said, "I might be a day or two late. How about this, I'll ask my workplace for another car, and you and my dad can talk after Xu Hui's grandmother's funeral and come back in time." Mao Yuqin said, "That's good too." They then talked for a while about finding someone to cover their classes tomorrow.

After dinner, the old man took some empty bottles and called Ouyang Yiming to go to the basement to fill up the liquor. At this moment, they heard someone knocking on the gate of the compound. Mao Yuqin hurriedly went out of the kitchen to open the door and saw an old school worker with a girl of about eighteen or nineteen years old, both of them carrying things.

Mao Yuqin hurriedly greeted them, "It's Master Wei! What brings you here?" Master Wei, around fifty years old, was an honest and simple man. He blushed and said, "Just dropping by for a visit." Mao Yuqin glanced at the things the two were carrying and, not wanting to ask too many questions, simply smiled and said, "Please come in." Master Wei and the young woman entered. As they walked, Mao Yuqin asked, "And this is?" Master Wei replied,

"My second son. Don't you recognize him?" The young woman blushed and called her "Auntie." Mao Yuqin responded, looking at the young woman and saying, "It's been years since I've seen you. You've grown even more beautiful. I wouldn't recognize you if I saw you on the street."

The young woman smiled but didn't say anything. Master Wei chuckled twice.

Mao Yuqin asked, "How did you find this place?" Master Wei said, "We knew your old house was on this street, and there were signs on your gate." He then entered the main room, where Ouyang Anping hurriedly greeted Master Wei. Ouyang Yiming also recognized Master Wei and greeted him as well. Mao Yuqin then introduced Master Wei and the young woman to the old man. Ouyang Anping looked at the things in Master Wei's hands and asked, "Master Wei, what's this?"

Master Wei blushed and said, "I've come to see my uncle." He placed the things on the octagonal table, and Mao Yuqin hurriedly invited the father and daughter to sit down, then quickly poured water. The father and daughter sat down, and Ouyang Anping offered Master Wei a cigarette to light. Mao Yuqin had already poured tea and placed it on the tea table in front of them. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Mao Yuqin asked, "Master Wei, is there something you need?"

Master Wei said, "I've come to ask my nephew for a favor." Ouyang Yiming looked at him. Master Wei turned to Ouyang Anping and said, "I told you a few days ago about my daughter; she hasn't been working. Today I've come to ask Yiming for help."

Ouyang Anping then remembered that a few days ago Master Wei had indeed asked if Yiming was the vice president of his workplace, and had mentioned that his daughter was unemployed, but hadn't mentioned asking Yiming to arrange a job for her. Ouyang Yiming looked at Ouyang Anping without saying a word. Master Wei looked at Ouyang Yiming and said, "I'd like to ask you for a favor. See if your company can get your sister a job." Ouyang Yiming looked at the girl and asked, "You graduated from high school?" The girl blushed and said, "Junior high."

Ouyang Yiming thought for a moment and said, "I'm not in charge of human resources at my company. How about this, I'll ask the HR department when I have time. If they need someone, I'll do my best." Mao Yuqin said, "We're all going to Suzhou tomorrow. We'll ask for you when Yiming gets back." Master Wei hurriedly nodded his thanks, saying, "No rush, no rush." Ouyang Yiming said, "Now we..." "All the workshop workers are contract workers. If you can get in, it will only be on a contract basis," said Master Wei with a broad smile. "Any job will do."

Ouyang Yiming said, "How about I see what happens when I get back from Suzhou? It's hard to say whether we need people right now. Our company is different from other companies. Whether it's office or workshop workers, everyone has a specific role; we don't keep idle people. So I can't guarantee whether we can arrange a job right now. I understand. Even if we can't arrange a job for the time being, I'll have the HR department look into it for you."

Master Wei nodded his thanks again. Ouyang Yiming said, "Uncle Wei, I won't say whether this matter can be resolved or not for now, but please take back what you brought. We understand your feelings, but I won't accept anything from anyone. I will definitely help if I can." Master Wei hurriedly said, "I didn't bring much, just some food for my uncle, and two packs of cigarettes for you and Teacher Ouyang." Ouyang Yiming said, "No matter what you brought, I can't accept it. Uncle Wei, you and my parents are colleagues, there's no need for this. Not just you, I won't accept anything from anyone. If you want me to help you with this, take these things back, otherwise I won't do it."

Master Wei was somewhat embarrassed and said, "I've already brought them all, how can I..." Ouyang Yiming said, "Don't say anything more, I will definitely help you with this, but I will absolutely not accept anything. That's my principle." "Master Wei," Mao Yuqin said, "Yiming is right. We old folks can't let the kids make mistakes, can we?" Master Wei said, "Look at this, I didn't bring anything. I brought it all..." Ouyang Anping said, "Master Wei, don't worry. Since Yiming said he'd ask for you, he definitely will. Don't make things difficult for Yiming. Their unit has very strict rules. How can he explain to his subordinates if he doesn't lead by example?" Ouyang Yiming said, "Uncle Wei, don't have any ideas. Even if they don't accept your things, we'll do what we're supposed to do. If you really don't want to take these things back, I'll have my mother take them back for you." The old man then said, "Yiming is right. Take them back. It's making things difficult for Yiming if you keep them." Mao Yuqin said, "Take them back. They're not strangers. We should help if we can." Master Wei nodded, blushing.

After a while, Master Wei got up to leave, and Mao Yuqin took the things and handed them to Master Wei and his daughter. Looking at Master Wei's expression, Ouyang Yiming said, "Uncle Wei, don't worry. Even if it can't be arranged for the time being, I will definitely think of something for you. Don't have any worries. I really can't accept these things; I won't accept anything from anyone." Master Wei nodded and said, "Then I'll trouble you, nephew." As he left the main room, he said, "Your family are all good people." Mao Yuqin said softly, "Go back and return these things. We all know your family situation. Your eldest son is in university, and your sister-in-law's workplace can't pay her salary. The whole family is counting on you. Don't worry, Yiming will do his best for you."

After seeing Master Wei and his daughter off, Mao Yuqin said, "Yiming, we should understand Master Wei's intentions." Ouyang Yiming said, "I know. I'll try my best to help him when I get back from Suzhou." "Okay.

But we can't accept the gifts. You said if you accept someone's gifts, you have to help them out. We don't even know if they need anyone yet. If we help them out, and this girl gets a job, it won't look good if people say they gave us gifts." Ouyang Anping nodded and said, "That's how it should be. As for Master Wei, he asked about you a few days ago, and we talked about his daughter, but he didn't mention you finding her a job, so I didn't think much of it." Mao Yuqin said, "Try your best to help them out. Help them as long as it doesn't violate your principles." Ouyang Yiming said, "If they need someone, that's easy. If all the positions are full, we'll just have to wait for an opportunity. I'll ask when I get back." Mao Yuqin said, "Master Wei is a good person, and his family is quite poor." Ouyang Yiming nodded.

After sitting and talking for a while in the main room, Ouyang Anping and Mao Yuqin went to the east wing. The old man asked Ouyang Yiming to take the empty wine bottle to the basement. After drinking some wine, Ouyang Yiming looked around again, still thinking about the secret recipe for making vinegar. Each time he came down, he would look around for a while, but each time he found nothing. Ouyang Yiming said, "Grandpa, in my opinion, there's no secret recipe in the basement. It's been like this for generations, we've looked countless times. The basement is only so big, we've searched everywhere, there's no way it could be there." The old man said, "My grandfather said it's here, who dares to say otherwise?"

Ouyang Yiming shook his head slightly and said, "I think it's just speculation, maybe there's no secret recipe at all." The old man said, "There definitely is, but we don't know if it's in this basement. Maybe we just haven't found it." He continued looking around as he spoke. Ouyang Yiming walked to the bottom of the wooden stairs, bent down to look at the pillars supporting the stairs. He noticed that these pillars, about the thickness of a bowl, were a dark yellow color, with the innermost one seeming slightly darker than the others. He patted it and turned to ask his grandfather, "What kind of wood are these pillars made of?" The old man said,

"Probably mulberry wood."

Ouyang Yiming nodded. Looking closely, he noticed a faint medicinal smell, like the spiciness of mothballs, yet with a cool, refreshing aroma. He called out to his grandfather, "Grandpa, it doesn't seem like mulberry wood. It smells like mothballs." The old man came over and said, "Really? My nose isn't good; I've never smelled it before." He looked closer. Ouyang Yiming said, "This one is also darker than the others."

The old man touched it, clearly excited, and said, "Take a closer look." Ouyang Yiming agreed. After a while, he still couldn't see anything special. The old man said, "Go up and get the flashlight. I haven't noticed anything special about this pillar until now; you need to look closely. You can't see it clearly from behind." Ouyang Yiming agreed and went up. After a while, he brought the flashlight, touching the pillar with one hand as he carefully examined it.

Suddenly, Ouyang Yiming noticed something unusual at the top tenon joint. It was slightly raised, and around the palm-sized area, a very faint square seemed to have been carved out. Ouyang Yiming tapped the area, producing a hollow sound. The old man stared intently at it, saying, "Yiming, something seems wrong."

Ouyang Yiming nodded, his heart pounding. He moved the flashlight above the square and saw a gap about a finger's width. He pressed the square against the wall and pushed it upwards. Suddenly, he felt it move. Pushing it to the joint of the stairs, the palm-sized, curved piece of wood stuck to Ouyang Yiming's hand.

Neither the old man nor Ouyang Yiming uttered a sound, holding their breath as they stared at the curved recess, but saw nothing. The old man raised his hand and used his fingernail to pry at it, but it was just hard wood; nothing more. For a long while, the two of them carefully examined it, inevitably feeling somewhat disappointed. But since there's this piece of wood that can be taken down, there must be something inside, otherwise it wouldn't be in this state.

Ouyang Yiming moved the flashlight beam onto the piece of wood in his hand and was shocked to find several words written in the concave part of the curved wood: East 10, South 10. Ouyang Yiming looked at the old man and asked, "What does this mean?" The old man pulled Ouyang Yiming down the stairs and stopped under the fluorescent light. The old man said, panting, "Xiaoming, this must be about the secret recipe."

Ouyang Yiming's heart was also pounding, and he nodded, saying, "I think so too." He muttered, "East 10, South 10," and looked southeast. Suddenly realizing something, he excitedly told the old man, "Grandpa, it must be in the southeast! Look, the ground is paved with blue bricks. 'East ten' and 'south ten' refer to these bricks. The thing must be in the southeast corner, at the tenth brick from the east and the tenth brick from the south."

The old man trembled with excitement, his lips shaking as he said, "Yes, yes! Quick, move those wine jars!" Ouyang Yiming hurried over, but before he reached them, the old man said, "Yiming, you...you go upstairs and call your father." Ouyang Yiming agreed and turned back towards the stairs. The old man said, "Don't let your mother know." Ouyang Yiming said "Okay," and hurried up the stairs. He entered

the east wing and called out to his father at the door. Ouyang Anping came out. Ouyang Yiming said, "Grandpa wants to see you." The two went out the door and headed towards the main room. Ouyang Yiming tugged at his father's arm and whispered, "Grandpa's in the basement." Ouyang Anping looked at Ouyang Yiming in surprise and asked, "Going to get more wine?" Ouyang Yiming said, "Something else." Ouyang Anping looked at Ouyang Yiming suspiciously and asked, "The basement? What could your grandpa possibly need there?" Ouyang Yiming said, "You'll find out when you get there." Ouyang Anping didn't ask any further. They went down into the basement and saw the old man sitting on the floor.

Ouyang Anping and Ouyang Yiming were both startled and rushed over to ask what was wrong. The old man squatted down and said nothing was wrong, then said to his son and grandson, "Quickly move the wine jars." Ouyang Anping looked at the old man, then turned back to look at Ouyang Yiming. Without bothering to explain, Ouyang Yiming said, "Dad, the secret recipe might be under these wine jars." Ouyang Anping exclaimed in surprise, paused for a moment, and then joined Ouyang Yiming in moving the wine jars.

After moving the jars in the southeast corner, Ouyang Yiming said to Ouyang Anping, "Ten jars to the east, ten jars to the south." He then squatted down. The blue bricks on the ground were arranged very tightly, making them impossible to remove without tools. Ouyang Yiming said, "I'll go get a knife." Ouyang Anping nodded. After Ouyang Yiming went upstairs, the old man handed the curved wooden block to Ouyang Anping, saying, "Look, it's right here." Ouyang Anping looked carefully and nodded excitedly. He then asked where it was found, and the old man recounted what Ouyang Yiming had seen. Finally, with tears in his eyes, he said,

"This secret recipe should have been found in Yiming's generation."

Ouyang Yiming quickly grabbed a kitchen knife, inserted the blade into the crack between the bricks, and laboriously pried one out. After removing the first brick, the rest were easy to remove. Underneath the brick was a layer of gravel. The father and son removed a section of the brick, and Ouyang Yiming used a knife to scrape away the gravel, revealing a wooden board about twenty centimeters deep beneath. The three became even more excited. Without a word, they quickly cleaned away the gravel and carefully removed the wooden board. Underneath, in a square recess, lay a white porcelain jar, its mouth about twenty centimeters in diameter, sealed tightly with wax.

Ouyang Yiming stretched out both hands, grabbed the neck of the jar, and lifted it upwards, but the jar did not budge. After two more attempts with the same result, Ouyang Yiming said, "It's very heavy." Ouyang Anping reached out and tried a few times, then shook his head and said, "I can't get it out." The old man leaned over to look and said, "There must be something in the jar. Open the mouth of the jar." Ouyang Yiming took the kitchen knife, and Ouyang Anping said, "I'll do it." Taking the knife from Ouyang Yiming, he carefully scraped away the wax sealing the mouth of the jar bit by bit. After a long while, he carefully pried open the large wooden stopper at the mouth of the jar. Feeling that it was loose, Ouyang Yiming reached out and pulled the wooden stopper out with both hands.

Ouyang Anping took the flashlight from the old man and shone it into the jar. He saw something wrapped in dark yellow oil paper inside. He reached out and quickly and carefully opened it layer by layer. He saw several layers of oil paper wrapped around a booklet. The cover read: Ouyang Family Ancestral Secret Recipe for Fragrant Vinegar. The old man, his hands trembling, took the jar and looked at it. Two streams of hot tears flowed down his face as he said in a trembling voice, "Found it, oh, found it!" Composing himself, he said, "Quick, quick, see what's in the jar."

Ouyang Anping hurriedly shone his flashlight on the jar's opening, and what he saw startled him. The jar was filled with gleaming gold bars, neatly arranged. Ouyang Yiming reached in, picked one out, and handed it to the old man, who stared in disbelief. Ouyang Anping then took the flashlight from Ouyang Yiming and shone it into the jar, looking up at the old man and saying in a trembling voice, "Dad, the jar is full of them."

The old man's lips trembled as he said, "Ancestor, you were thinking of us, your descendants." He then knelt down and kowtowed three times towards the jar. Ouyang Anping quickly pulled Ouyang Yiming down to kneel and kowtow as well. Ouyang Yiming asked, "Grandpa, should we take them all out?" The old man replied, "Take them out and put them where! Seal them up, seal them up again." Ouyang Anping hurriedly put the stopper back on the jar. The old man flipped through the booklet and saw a few lines of elegant calligraphy on the last page. The content was roughly as follows: One hundred gold bars are left to future generations. If war or other reasons cause the Ouyang family's vinegar business to decline, but in the future, when the harvest is good and the weather is favorable, the descendants who obtain this secret recipe and these gold bars should revive the Ouyang family's vinegar business. After reading it, the old man said with emotion, "Our ancestors left these gold bars and this secret recipe because they were worried that the Ouyang family's vinegar business might encounter misfortune. They wanted their descendants to revive the Ouyang family's vinegar business."

It turned out that the scholar Ouyang left these gold bars and the secret recipe as a precaution. He knew the family's secret vinegar-making recipe by heart, intending to pass it on to his son when he fell seriously ill. He never imagined his sudden death would cause the once-thriving Ouyang family vinegar business to decline. At the time, the Ouyang family's vinegar business was extremely prosperous. The elderly scholar Ouyang, with foresight, worried about the vinegar workshop's fate due to war or other reasons, and left the gold bars and the secret recipe to future generations of the Ouyang family.

The three men sighed for a while. The old man instructed them to cover it up as it was, lay the floor tiles again, and put the wine jars back in their original places. He repeatedly warned them not to tell anyone. Only then did he hold the secret recipe in both hands, and let Ouyang Yiming carry the bottled wine out of the basement.

Sitting down in the main room, all three were very excited. The old man took a couple of puffs of his pipe and said, "I've been searching for generations, and Xiaoming finally found it. Xiaoming, you're destined to have our family's vinegar!"

Ouyang Yiming said, "But who in our family could possibly get this secret recipe now?" The old man said, "Don't worry, we found it, it's like our ancestors have shown us their power. We don't know when it will be useful."

Ouyang Anping said, "Yes, we've searched for this for generations without success, but you've found it in your generation. It should be useful."

The old man said, "I'll have Xiaoming keep the secret recipe. This is our family's heirloom, something that generations have failed to find; it must be carefully preserved." Ouyang Yiming said:

“I think you should keep it. I’ll take a closer look when I have time,” the old man said. “What you found should be kept by you.” Ouyang Anping nodded and said, “Your grandfather is right. You should keep it carefully.”

Ouyang Yiming thought for a while, unable to imagine how he could be involved with vinegar in his life, but still said, “How about this, let’s keep it with Grandpa for now. I’ll make a copy for myself when I have time. I think it’s safest to keep the original in that jar.” The old man nodded and said, “That’s good. Those gold bars in the jar can’t be used for anything else. Our ancestors wanted their descendants to use these gold bars to revive the vinegar workshop. They can’t be used for anything else.” Ouyang Anping and Ouyang Yiming nodded.

The old man said, "Don't tell anyone about this secret recipe or that jar of gold bars. Anping, you and Yuqin can't tell either. This is what my grandfather instructed us to do. We can't let the women in the family know. It's not that we don't consider Yuqin family, but we can't go against the wishes of our ancestors." Ouyang Anping said, "I know." The old man turned to look at Ouyang Yiming, who quickly said, "Grandpa, don't worry, I won't tell Xu Hui either." The old man nodded.

The next morning, Ouyang Yiming went to his workplace first, explained the situation to Vice Dean Wang, and then had the motorcade send a car. Ouyang Anping and Mao Yuqin had already gone to their workplaces and spoken with the school leaders, and had asked other teachers to cover their classes. Around nine o'clock in the morning, Ouyang Anping and Mao Yuqin sat in Ouyang Yiming's car, while the other car was driven to Suzhou.

The funeral of Xu Hui's maternal grandmother will not be described here. The person most heartbroken by the old woman's passing was Xu Hui, who had raised Xu Hui from childhood and poured immense love into her. Xu Hui considered her maternal grandmother her closest relative. Her feelings for the old woman were arguably even deeper than her feelings for her parents. In the past few days, Xu Hui had barely eaten a grain of rice, and had fainted twice from grief and sorrow.

Xu Hui's grandmother had been a somewhat well-known Kunqu opera actress in Suzhou in her youth. She and her husband had been married for many years before having children, all for the sake of performing Kunqu opera. However, when she was five months pregnant with her second child, Yang Ping, her husband disappeared without a trace in 1948.

Xu Hui's grandmother didn't know where her husband had gone, nor did she know if he was alive or dead after his disappearance. She couldn't understand why her husband would abandon his pregnant wife and five-year-old son without a word, never to be heard from again. Although she later heard whispers that her husband had gone to Taiwan with the Kuomintang, she couldn't understand why her husband, a newspaper editor, would flee to Taiwan with the Kuomintang. In any case, she never saw her husband again after that separation. After that, Xu Hui's grandmother cried until her voice was hoarse, and she could no longer perform Kunqu opera on stage. Even before marriage, she was a devout Buddhist, chanting scriptures and praying daily, silently blessing her husband, whose whereabouts were unknown, and her two children. After Yang Ping was born, the elderly woman raised her two children alone, never remarrying.

After Xu Hui was born, Yang Ping, during that specific historical period, often had to go to the countryside to perform cultural programs, so Xu Hui basically grew up with her maternal grandmother. The old lady poured almost all her affection into Xu Hui. Xu Hui also regarded the old lady as her closest and most trustworthy person in her heart.

Xu Hui's maternal grandmother is buried in Phoenix Mountain Cemetery. Xu Hui's maternal grandfather's hometown was in Wenzhou, Zhejiang. Xu Hui's maternal grandmother had visited Wenzhou once before or after her marriage to Xu Hui's maternal grandfather. After Xu Hui's maternal grandfather left, there was no further news, and Xu Hui's maternal grandmother lost contact with her husband's family. Therefore, Xu Hui's maternal grandfather did not have an ancestral burial plot in Suzhou. Before Xu Hui's maternal grandmother passed away, Xu Hui's uncle and Yang Ping had already bought a double-grave plot for her in Phoenix Mountain. According to Xu Hui's maternal grandmother, if she ever heard news of Xu Hui's maternal grandfather, she wanted him to be buried with her.

Xu Hui's uncle and Yang Ping knew their father would never be found again, but they respected the old woman's wishes.

After burying the old man, Xu Hui sat blankly in front of his grave, unwilling to leave for a long time. For days, she had cried almost all her tears, and her voice was hoarse. Now, though her eyes were dry, her heart was filled with sorrow. Only after repeated persuasion from her family, Ouyang Yiming, and Mao Yuqin did Xu Hui finally leave the cemetery, turning back again and again.

That evening, Ouyang Yiming and his parents, Xu Hui and her parents, and Xu Hui's uncle's family dined at a restaurant. Xu Hui's uncle said, "The old lady is eighty-four this year, which is a significant age. It's a comfort to us younger generations that she passed away so young without suffering. Xu Hui, our whole family knows you love your grandmother, but she can't always stay with us. You need to be obedient and try to be positive." Mao Yuqin said, "Yes, the elderly will eventually leave us; we must maintain a positive attitude." Xu Hui nodded, tears welling in her eyes.

They barely spoke about Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui during the meal. After dinner, while sitting in the restaurant drinking tea, Mao Yuqin said, "We should have come to meet you elders of Xu Hui's family much earlier. Xu Hui is a good girl, and it's a blessing for Yiming and our Ouyang family that

she's taken a liking to him. We're here today, firstly to see off the elders, and secondly to meet the elders of you children and discuss the two children's marriage. Please tell us your specific requirements." Yang Ping said, "The two children have been dating for many years. They've also had their marriage certificate for over two years, so you could say they're already married. Our whole family is very satisfied with Yiming, and we trust him with Xu Hui. You can handle the wedding arrangements; we have no objections." Mao Yuqin said, "The specifics should be decided by the two children, but you elders should also offer some opinions. The two children want to get married in our old house, but where they will live afterward is up to the children to decide."

Xu Hui's uncle said, "These two children are able to..." "They're absolutely wonderful. Both kids are great. The only regret is that I couldn't bring Yiming to Shanghai back then. The thought of them living separately after marriage is a real worry for me. But Yiming is doing well in your hometown, so let's talk about it after they get married. We'll take good care of Xu Hui in Shanghai, so please don't worry."

Ouyang Anping said, "I heard from Yiming and Xu Hui that you've worried a lot about them. Some things aren't as we imagine. As for how the two kids plan to handle their work in different places, we'll respect their opinions. I think they'll have to consider it later." Xu Hui's uncle nodded, "Yes, we can't really make decisions about these things. Actually, as long as the two kids have a good relationship, being far apart isn't a big deal." Xu Hui said, "Let's talk about this in a few years. I've also discussed this with Yiming. If my workplace can't provide me with housing, we plan to buy a house in Shanghai when the time is right. It will be very convenient for Yiming to have a car." Everyone nodded. Mao Yuqin said, "Look, the two children are considering these things."

She then took a thick red paper packet from her pocket and handed it to Xu Hui, saying, "Xu Hui, this is our custom. This two thousand yuan is a gift from us elders before your wedding. You should accept it." Xu Hui was taken aback and said, "Mom, this...how can this be?" Ouyang Yiming said, "Take it. We have this custom where I'm from." Yang Ping said,

"Look, we didn't prepare anything for Yiming either." Mao Yuqin said, "We don't have this custom where I'm from; it's only for girls." Seeing Xu Hui hesitating, Mao Yuqin said, "Put it away. We still need to be mindful of the old customs." Xu Hui looked at Ouyang Yiming and accepted it. Mao Yuqin said, "Do you have any other requests?" Xu Zhenming said, "No requests. Just do what you think is best."

That evening, both sets of parents and Xu Hui's uncle consulted with Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui, and they agreed to hold the wedding on August 18th. This day happened to be the Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day).

The next morning, Ouyang Anping and Mao Yuqin went back first. Ouyang Yiming spent another day at Xu Hui's house before returning to Panzhou.

Love and Desire (146)

Chapter 144

Xu Hui's uncle contacted two job opportunities for Ouyang Mei, but Ouyang Mei was accepted by the university to stay on as a faculty member. That afternoon, Ouyang Mei called Ouyang Yiming. After hearing Ouyang Mei's words, Ouyang Yiming laughed and said, "I didn't expect that I wouldn't be able to stay on as a faculty member, but you want to stay." Ouyang Mei said, "Laughing! I'm asking for your opinion." Ouyang Yiming said, "My opinion is very clear: stay on as a faculty member!

But it's still up to you to decide. What do you think?" Ouyang Mei said, "I'm not sure either. Haven't you heard that 'those who work on missiles are not as well off as those who sell tea eggs, those who wield scalpels are not as well off as those who wield razors, and university professors are not as well off as those who sell sweet potatoes'? Now some professors at our university have gone into business, and I..." Ouyang Yiming felt a little flustered and angry, and interrupted Ouyang Mei, saying, "Don't say any more." "So you think like that too? Knowledge will always be the most important thing. What kind of university professor is less valuable than a sweet potato seller?! These phenomena are abnormal and won't last. There will never be a time when the uneducated are better than the educated! I've heard a lot about professors from your school going into business, but what can you do? Do you think you're something special just because you've studied for two years? Is going into business so easy? Do you have that kind of ability? Listen to me, stop thinking about those nonsense things."

Ouyang Mei chuckled after listening and said, "Are you done? Are you going to say more?" "Ouyang Yiming said, 'Stop laughing. I'm being serious. You need to be very careful about these issues. Don't be so short-sighted.' Ouyang Mei giggled a few more times and said, 'Brother, you're really something now. Being a leader is different. I was just saying it casually, I didn't say I didn't want to teach. Look at you. I have the ability to go into business!' Ouyang Yiming said, 'Your thinking is wrong. Here's what you'll do: call home tonight and see what Mom and Dad say.' Ouyang Mei said, 'I can already guess what Mom and Dad will say. Okay, I'm not going to say anything more. I'll see if you listen to me.'" "You can eat me too. But if I can't eat in the future, I'll have to eat you."

Hearing this, Ouyang Yiming felt relieved and said, "Meizi, don't worry, this won't last long. If you can't eat, your brother will support you. Meizi, let me tell you, don't worry about money in the future. Your brother can take good care of you and Dongdong. Don't ask Mom and Dad for anything you really need; I can solve it for you. But you must be obedient and not act impulsively."

Ouyang Mei was touched and said, "Brother, I know what you mean. Even if I have my own ideas, I'll listen to you. I know you're doing this for..." "Hello." Ouyang Yiming said, "It's good that you know. Here's what we'll do: now that it's time for you to decide, make your decision. If the school gives you time to consider, call home tonight. You need to talk to your parents about this." Ouyang Mei said, "I know. Actually, I'm also leaning towards staying at school. But some things still need to be considered. Since you've said that, I won't think about it anymore. I'll stay at school."

Ouyang Yiming laughed and said, "Weren't you doing this on purpose? You scared me half to death. I was really worried you'd overthink things. Okay, you should still talk to your parents about it after you've made your decision." "Yes, I think Mom and Dad will be very happy," Ouyang Mei said. "I'll call home tonight." Ouyang Yiming said, "Your school will be out for break soon, right? Come home quickly after the break starts." Ouyang Mei said, "I want to stay with Sister Hui for a few days after the break starts." Ouyang Yiming said, "That's fine. But don't stay too long, Grandpa misses you." Ouyang Mei said, "I know. I'll tell you when I get to Sister Hui's in a few days."

After returning home that evening, Ouyang Yiming told his parents about Ouyang Mei's call that afternoon. Mao Yuqin said, "Your idea is right, staying at school is the right thing to do." Ouyang Anping said... “Your mother and I are both teachers. Although there are many opinions in society now, we should treat them correctly. She should stay at the university.” Ouyang Yiming said, “I told Meizi on the phone that you would also support her staying at the university.”

Mao Yuqin said, “The current social phenomena cannot help but make these college students consider things. After all, the treatment of intellectuals is generally not very high. Sayings like ‘Nine out of ten people are merchants, and the remaining one hundred million are waiting to open’ and ‘Those who build atomic bombs are not as well off as those who sell tea eggs’ will also influence the thinking of these young people.” Ouyang Anping said, “The country’s idea of ‘letting some people get rich first’ also…” "That's absolutely right. The treatment of intellectuals will gradually improve in the future. The phenomenon of 'those who build atomic bombs are not as well off as those who sell tea eggs' won't last long,"

Ouyang Yiming said. "I firmly believe that knowledge and culture will always be valuable. I don't believe in the idea that 'university professors are not as well off as those who sell sweet potatoes.' They might earn more than university professors temporarily, but university professors still possess more knowledge. Intellectuals create greater value. Our research institute is a good example; researchers are still paid much more than manual laborers." Ouyang Anping and Mao Yuqin nodded with smiles.

That evening, Ouyang Mei called to tell her family that she had confirmed her stay at the university, and the whole family was finally relieved. Ouyang Yiming talked with his grandfather, Ouyang Anping, and Mao Yuqin about Ouyang Mei in the main room, and then they discussed Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui's wedding.

Mao Yuqin said, "The wedding is almost here. Xu Hui's home is so far away. I've been thinking about something these past few days: should the wedding ceremony be held in Suzhou? If so, we'll have to send a car there the day before, which will take seven or eight hours. According to our local custom, the wedding ceremony must be held before noon. I'm worried that any delays on the road might interfere with the ceremony. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and we can't be careless."

Ouyang Yiming said, "That's true. Originally, we planned to send the car that picks her up the day before, without considering any potential delays on the road. We discussed this when Xu Hui's grandmother passed away, and we considered the timing. If we drive over at four or five in the morning, we can get home before noon."

Mao Yuqin said, "We still need to consider any special circumstances on the road. The safest approach is to have Xu Hui come first and find a place here for the wedding ceremony." "I wonder if Xu Hui's family will agree," Ouyang Yiming asked. "Is that alright?" The old man said, "That's fine. We have brides who live far away who do it this way." Ouyang Yiming said, "That would be convenient." The old man said, "But we have a custom here called 'borrowing a bride, not a borrowing a dowry,' which means it's not easy to find someone to send the bride off. In the past, some people sent the bride off from a hotel."

Ouyang Yiming said, "Sending the bride off from a hotel isn't good." After thinking for a moment, he said, "My apartment at work has been completed. Can we send the bride off from there?" Ouyang Anping said, "Actually, there aren't so many customs now. We don't want to ask someone else to send the bride off. If they have these customs, we won't be able to say anything. I think sending the bride off from Yiming's workplace to our old house is fine. But we need to discuss this with Xu Hui's family. If they don't agree, we'll have to go to her house." "

Ouyang Yiming said, "Xu Hui's family is very open-minded, so I don't think there will be much of a problem if I tell them. How about this, I'll talk to Xu Hui when I have time, but we still need her family's consent. There's still a little over a month until the wedding. Let's talk about it in a few days." Mao Yuqin said, "A little over a month will pass quickly. We need to consider some things now, otherwise we won't be able to think of anything later." Ouyang Anping said, "Some things can be written down, and some things need to be handled by Yiming, such as what the customs are for Xu Hui's wedding. We must be clear about them so that people won't say anything."

Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "I'll ask them about these things." Mao Yuqin said, "As for Xu Hui's parents, even if there's something they can't do, they certainly won't blame us. The key is that some of her relatives and neighbors might have something to say, so we..." "We'll try our best to make it as perfect as possible; it's also a matter of Xu Hui's pride. Yiming, try to find out as much as possible about everything when you have time." Ouyang Yiming said, "When I talked to her parents about these things last time, I didn't say much. I think her parents won't care about these things."

The old man said, "Try to follow their customs. We have customary gifts for getting in and out of the car here, but I don't know if they have them there. It's good to find out." Ouyang Yiming said, "Even if they do, Xu Hui won't accept it. Last time, my mother gave Xu Hui two thousand yuan as a meeting gift, but Xu Hui refused to accept it no matter what. She asked me many times to bring it back. I said it was from my mother and I didn't bring it back for her, but she said she would give it to her mother when she had the chance. She said that we children have all started working, how can we take money from our parents? She said that our wedding can't use your money either. Do you think she would accept gifts for getting in and out of the car?"

The old man clicked his tongue twice and said, "Look how sensible Xu Hui is. A college graduate is different. How many arguments have we had over the amount of money for the wedding gift?" Mao Yuqin said, "Xu Hui is a good girl. The more she acts this way, the more we should follow the old ways. Even if Xu Hui doesn't want it, we should still give her face and not let people talk about her." Ouyang Anping nodded and said, "That's right. Yiming, you should inquire carefully, after all, we don't know their customs there. Let's try our best." Mao Yuqin said, "A girl's face is important when she gets married, we should understand." Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "I'll ask in a couple of days."

Ouyang Yiming returned to the west wing, sat at the table, and thought about his marriage to Xu Hui for a while, a sweet hope welling up in his heart. Turning to look at the wedding photos hanging on the wall and above the bed, he secretly felt excited to have such a beautiful wife. Suddenly, Liu Yan's image flashed into his mind, and a sudden panic gripped him. It was as if Xu Hui in the photograph had seen right through him, filling him with a chilling fear. He quickly looked down at the bed, still unable to calm himself. He paused, then turned and went outside to stand in the courtyard. Gazing at the twinkling stars, the images of the two women he loved kept flashing through his mind, Liu Yan's sorrowful expression at their parting constantly replaying in his mind. A gentle breeze blew by, seemingly clearing his head somewhat. He turned to look at the main house, and suddenly the yellowed secret recipe and the jar of gleaming gold bars flashed through his mind again. Seeing that the door to the main house was still open, he knew his grandfather was still awake, and he walked towards the house.

At the door, he saw his grandfather sitting on a stool, wearing reading glasses, a small winnowing basket on his lap, picking grains to feed the birds. Seeing Ouyang Yiming enter, the old man glanced up at him and asked, "Still not asleep?" Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "No." The old man asked, "Is something the matter?" Ouyang Yiming said, "Nothing much, just thinking about that secret recipe, so I wanted to talk to you about it." The old man took off his glasses, stood up, and said, "Alright, let's have a chat, you and me." He placed the winnowing basket on a small square table, clapped his hands, walked to the chair on the east side of the eight-immortal table, took out his eye bag, filled it with cigarette smoke, and Ouyang Yiming got up, took a lighter, and lit it for the old man. After sitting down, he looked at the old man and said, "Grandpa, I always think that even if we find this secret recipe, it's not very useful. Before we found it, we thought it didn't even exist, but now that we have, we can't put our minds at ease. Who in our family do you think can take over this business?"

The old man took a drag of his cigarette, exhaled a puff of smoke, and said, "Xiao Ming, I've been thinking the same thing. You've found something that generations of people couldn't find, so it must be destined for you. I think it might be through you that our family's vinegar business will be revived." Ouyang

Yiming thought to himself, "Even if I found it, it doesn't mean I'll inherit this lost business. I'm a researcher now, a government employee, how could I possibly run this workshop?"

Ouyang Yiming said, "Grandpa, you can see my current situation. I can't possibly give up my job to do this."

The old man said, "Even if you wanted to give up your job, I wouldn't agree. But I always feel that since you found this secret recipe, it must be destined for you. I can't say for sure.

But I've lived so long, I've experienced so much. A person experiences many things in their life. Some things you can't imagine, you simply can't foresee. What you're meant to experience is fate. You're only in your twenties now, you have a long life ahead of you, who knows what you'll experience?" "Let's not think too much about this vinegar right now. Having this treasure will come in handy sooner or later. If we encounter any difficulties in the future, this family heirloom can help us. There's something I need to tell you. You're doing well at work now, but you can't keep thinking about this family secret recipe, and you certainly shouldn't intentionally do anything about it. Everything will happen when it's meant to happen; no one can stop it when the time comes. You just have to accept whatever fate brings you to. This stuff will definitely be useful, very useful." Ouyang Yiming nodded. Although his career was going smoothly, he knew life would have its ups and downs. His grandfather's words made sense, but he still couldn't connect it to the vinegar. He was a researcher, and he didn't think he had the talent for business. He said, "Grandpa, I believe you, but I'm afraid no one in our family is good at business."

The old man smiled and said, "When I was young, I also thought I wasn't good enough, so I sold wine for many years." People say you need to be cunning and shrewd to do business, but I don't believe that. I believe honest business will last longer than cunning. You have no experience in business now, and given your position at work, I don't want you to do business. But then again, who knows how the world will change in the future? Even if you succeed in this life, can you guarantee that the world will be better in the next? Let's not talk about these things now. Just keep this family secret recipe safe. You might not need it in this life, and there's no guarantee that the next generation won't need it either. This was left to us by our ancestors, and we absolutely cannot give it to anyone. I've told you this today: you're a leader at work, so you can't be foolish enough to bring this secret recipe to your workplace. If you do, we'll be letting our ancestors down."

Ouyang Yiming said, "Grandpa, don't worry. This is something our family has passed down, and I have no right to do that. Even if I don't need it in this life, I will pass it down to future generations."

"Don't worry about that jar in the basement. No matter what happens, it won't be touched. That's money specifically for revitalizing our family's vinegar business. I know that." The old man nodded and said, "Xiaoming, I'm relieved to hear you say that. Xu Hui is a good girl, and Grandpa treats her like his own granddaughter. But there's one rule our ancestors established that can't be broken: this secret recipe can't be known by the women in our family. Your mother can't know either; your father understands." Ouyang Yiming said, "Don't worry about it." The old man said, "I trust you. Right now, only the three men in our family know. Dongdong can't tell you yet, but you'll know when it's time to tell." Ouyang Yiming said, "I understand." The old man took two puffs of his cigarette, but no smoke came out. He tapped it on the chair leg, then filled another bag. Ouyang Yiming got up and lit it for him.

The old man said, "If you two are going to make our family's vinegar in your generation, whether it's you or Dongdong, you must remember: honesty is the foundation, honesty builds wealth. This is the basis of our family's business. My grandfather often told me this when he was alive. He hoped that I could find the secret recipe in my generation. It's just as well that I couldn't find it. Look at what I've been through in my life. I've experienced a lot of chaos, and after liberation, the country didn't allow us to make it. I've never had such good times as these." Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "Yes, even if you had found it back then, they wouldn't have let you make it."

The old man said with some pride, "It's a good thing I didn't find it. This stuff has a spirit. Now that I think about it, if I had found it before liberation and run the vinegar business very well, wouldn't our family have been classified as high-status after liberation? If that had happened, our family's life would have been very difficult." "Don't be fooled by our large house; it's a legacy from our ancestors. After the Japanese were driven out, I had to stop selling alcohol. Your Grandma Liu's family ran a small tobacco and liquor store, a small business, and they couldn't hold their heads high for years."

Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "Our family is quite lucky. Grandpa, don't worry about the secret recipe. I'll keep it safe for our family. If Dongdong and I ever do this, I'll tell Dongdong what I told him. If our next generation does it, I'll make sure they're all in charge. Grandpa, do you think we should make another copy of the recipe? I think we should keep the original in its original place, or maybe keep it in the basement for safety." The old man said, "Okay, but if you make a copy, you must keep it safe and don't let anyone see it." Ouyang Yiming said,

"I know." "

The old man said, 'I told you a while ago that I'd keep it for you. You said you'd keep it with me first, or you should keep it. I'm getting old, and frankly, I don't know when I'll…' Ouyang Yiming quickly interrupted him, 'Look at you, saying things like that.' The old man laughed twice and said, 'It's true even if you don't say it, but saying it won't cause any harm.' Yiming smiled and remained silent. The old man stood up and said, 'I'll get it for you.' Ouyang Yiming said, 'After I make the copy, I'll put the original in the basement. You should keep this copy too. I'm sometimes very busy, and besides, my room will be quite messy after I get married to Xu Hui.' The old man agreed."

The old man took it out and handed it to Ouyang Yiming. Returning to the west wing, he closed the door and went into the inner room, sitting at the table. He carefully opened the booklet wrapped in several layers of oiled paper. Turning the pages one by one, he saw that it was written in great detail. The secret recipe for making vinegar and the specific procedures were written separately. Even the recipe section included detailed explanations of the parts added by the old scholar's father.

The tools used in each step, the fermentation time, and so on, were all recorded in great detail. According to these descriptions, it was entirely possible to make the original vinegar without any effort.

The book also clearly stated where the Ouyang family had moved from and why, and that their family hall name was "Zai De Tang." Finally, it stated that the reason the Ouyang family had been able to develop such a large vinegar business and achieve such success was because their business emphasized "honesty and integrity." The descendants of the Ouyang family should remember that honesty is the most important quality in life. Then came a few larger characters: Be honest, be kind, be practical, be meticulous. Ouyang Yiming thought, perhaps this was also his family motto for the descendants of the Ouyang family!

Five days later, Ouyang Mei returned home from Shanghai. She mentioned that she had stayed with Xu Hui for a few days and noticed that Xu Hui's appetite had been very small and she seemed somewhat weak, but she hadn't lost weight. Ouyang Yiming felt very uneasy, so he asked, "Did your sister Hui say anything about feeling unwell?" Ouyang Mei said, "I asked her, and she said she didn't feel any discomfort anywhere."

Mao Yuqin sighed and said, "It might be because of her grandmother's passing."

Ouyang Yiming felt a little panicked and thought for a moment before saying, "Her grandmother has been gone for a while now, how can she still be like this! Mei, did you ask her to go to the hospital for a checkup?"

Ouyang Mei said, "I did, and she said she's fine and doesn't feel any discomfort anywhere." Mao Yuqin said, "When you have time in a few days, you should still go to her place, and it would be best to have her checked at the hospital." Ouyang Yiming nodded.

Love and Desire (147)

Chapter 145

After dinner that day, Ouyang Mei and Ouyang Yiming were talking with the old man and Ouyang Anping in the main room. Mao Yuqin called Ouyang Yiming to answer the phone at the kitchen door. Ouyang Mei said, "It might be my sister calling." As she spoke, she ran to the west wing, picked up the phone, and listened. Sure enough, it was Xu Hui calling. Xu Hui was asking if Ouyang Mei had arrived home safely. Ouyang Mei said a few words to her, and Mao Yuqin, who had rushed over, took the receiver and said, "Xu Hui, Meizi said you haven't been eating lately. Are you feeling unwell?" Xu Hui said, "I'm fine. I don't feel unwell." Mao Yuqin said, "Xu Hui, I think it's a problem with your mood. Xu Hui, we all know you are a filial child, but the elderly will eventually leave us. You must think more positively and face reality. Xu Hui, we are all worried about you being alone there. You must take care of yourself. Be obedient." Xu Hui agreed repeatedly.

Ouyang Yiming still felt uneasy, and Mao Yuqin handed him the phone. Ouyang Yiming said into the phone, "Xu Hui, you need to go to the hospital for a checkup tomorrow to see if there's anything wrong." Xu Hui said, "I'm fine, I don't feel uncomfortable anywhere." Ouyang Yiming said, "That won't do either. You need to go to the hospital first thing tomorrow morning, and let me know immediately after the checkup." Xu Hui said, "Look at you, making such a fuss, I'm perfectly fine." Ouyang Yiming said, "I'm serious, you absolutely must go for the checkup tomorrow."

He paused and said, "How about this, I'll see if I can get away from the research institute these next few days, I think I'll go."

Xu Hui laughed and said, "I'll go for the checkup. If you can't get away, don't come. I'm fine, and you can't neglect your work." Ouyang Yiming said, "I'll make time.

So, you absolutely must go to the hospital tomorrow, and tell me the results as soon as possible. I'll definitely come over in a few days. Don't lie to me and not go to the hospital, otherwise I'll have to take you there too."

Xu Hui chuckled a few times and said, "I know, I'll definitely go tomorrow. Aren't you afraid Meizi will laugh at you for talking like that?" She paused and said, "Yiming, I really hope you come. I really miss you. I don't know why, but lately, you've been all I can think about, and I just want to see you. But if you come, please don't let it interfere with your work." Ouyang Yiming said, "I'll arrange it."

He thought of what the old man had said a few days ago about the customs for girls getting married in Xu Hui's area, and thought that going there would be a good opportunity to clarify these things. Of course, he also hoped that Xu Hui could come here as soon as possible and get married here.

Xu Hui asked, "Will you be driving?" Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "Of course." Xu Hui said, "Then you must be careful on the road. It would be best if you could come on Saturday, as I want to go back to Suzhou." Ouyang Yiming agreed, and before hanging up, he reminded Xu Hui again to get a medical check-up.

After hanging up the phone, Ouyang Mei covered her mouth and laughed. Ouyang Yiming glanced at her and asked strangely, "What's so funny?" Ouyang Mei looked at her brother and said, "I'm actually quite envious of Sister Hui now." Ouyang Yiming looked at her but didn't say anything. Mao Yuqin looked at Ouyang Yiming's expression and turned to ask Ouyang Mei, "Do you think Xu Hui is really normal?" Ouyang Mei said, "I really can't see anything special. She goes to work normally every day, but I see she eats very little at meals, and her body seems less robust than before, a bit weak. This might also be related to her mood."

Mao Yuqin nodded and looked at Ouyang Yiming, saying, "It's nothing serious. I think it's just the impact of her grandmother's death. Xu Hui was raised by her grandmother since she was little, and it should be said that Xu Hui's feelings for her grandmother are deeper than her parents', which is understandable. It won't be long before she gets over this shadow. When your grandmother passed away, didn't she also..." "It's very heartbreaking. This child is so kind-hearted. I think you should go visit her in a few days and talk to her. After her grandmother passed away, having a relative to talk to would help her feel better, but who can be by her side often when she's so far away?"

Ouyang Mei said, "I spent every Sunday with her when I was at school, and she didn't seem too depressed. It was only during my vacation that I noticed she ate very little. Don't worry too much; her appetite sometimes fluctuates. She looks very healthy; you'll know that as soon as you see her. I don't think she's experiencing any physical discomfort." Ouyang Yiming felt relieved after hearing this. He smiled and said, "She's always been very healthy during all these years at school. I don't think she's ever been sick. I only remember her catching a cold twice, but it wasn't very serious." Ouyang Mei smiled and said, "You were so observant back in school. Brother, you're really thoughtful." Mao Yuqin laughed. Ouyang Yiming blushed suddenly, turning to Ouyang Mei and saying, "So what? It's not okay, it's about caring for each other. Now she's your sister-in-law." Mao Yuqin smiled, got up, and left.

As Ouyang Yiming said this, Ouyang Mei suddenly thought of her brother and the army nurse. She wondered, since her brother cared so much about Xu Hui back then, how did he get involved with that nurse? What was her brother thinking at the time? Was he two-timing her, as she suspected? Thinking about these things made her uncomfortable. She had always respected her brother, but ever since learning about his affair with the nurse, she felt disgusted whenever she thought about it. As a girl, she also felt disgusted and even looked down on such behavior from men. In Shanghai, she had asked Xu Hui about this twice, and each time Xu Hui said that her brother was confused at the time, unwilling to elaborate on the details. When she was with her brother, she sometimes thought about this matter and wanted to ask him about it, but she didn't for fear of affecting his mood. She also knew that her brother seemed to care about that nurse very much.

Ouyang Yiming smiled and asked, "Meizi, give your brother a report." Ouyang Mei turned to look at him and asked in confusion, "Report on what?" Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "You've finished your studies, and you haven't officially started working yet, so what's left?" Ouyang Mei looked at him and said, "Life? What's there to report?" Ouyang Yiming laughed twice and said, "The most important thing in life is love. You're not saying you haven't met anyone yet, are you?"

Ouyang Mei blushed slightly, chuckled twice, and said, "A beauty and talent like your sister, who would believe I haven't met anyone?" Ouyang Yiming said, "I believe that." Ouyang Mei tilted her head and said, "But none of them are worthy of me." Ouyang Yiming laughed and said, "Really? Such a big school, isn't there anyone good enough for you?"

Ouyang Mei smiled and said, "Some are within my consideration range." Ouyang Yiming said, "Now that they've all graduated, there's no chance to consider them anymore." Ouyang Mei said, "I didn't consider those who graduated and left. Now, the ones I need to consider are those who stay in Shanghai." Ouyang Yiming knew there was a story behind this, so he asked, "Tell me, what does this person do?" Xu Hui thought for a moment, smiled, and said, "You shouldn't talk to Dad now..." "My mom mentioned it, but I don't know if it will work out. I don't want to say too much right now. I just wanted to tell you first so you can give me your opinion." Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "I won't tell my parents."

Ouyang Mei blushed and said, "He's also a teaching assistant, he graduated two years before me, and now he teaches English." Ouyang Yiming asked, "What's he like?" Ouyang Mei said, "He's a good person and good-looking, but he's not very talkative." Ouyang Yiming smiled and asked, "So how did he win you over?" Ouyang Mei said, "It wasn't really a matter of pursuing. He wrote me a few letters about you, but if I asked him to say it to my face, he really wouldn't dare." Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "Yes, you can imagine." Ouyang Mei said, "His hometown is Lu'an, Anhui, and his family's financial situation isn't good." "Okay, from the mountains."

At this moment, Ouyang Yiming thought of his relationship with Liu Yan and said, "Meizi, you're looking for a person, not a family. As long as the person is excellent, that's enough. There's no need to, and you shouldn't, consider their family background." Ouyang Mei said, "I know, and I don't look down on him because he's from the countryside. The fact that he was able to stay at the university shows he's very capable. It's just that I can't accept anyone so easily right now; I need to observe him for a while longer." Ouyang Yiming asked, "How long have you two been together?" Ouyang Mei said, "It's been over a year since he wrote me his first letter."

Ouyang Yiming asked, "Have you dated?"

Ouyang Mei blushed and said, "We've only gone out together a few times at night. You don't know, he's really unpredictable; even when we're together ..." "How much he's said. He's quite talkative in class." Ouyang Yiming laughed and said, "Is he afraid of you?" Ouyang Mei said, "Well, I really feel like he's a little afraid of me." Ouyang Yiming laughed twice and said, "He's afraid you won't want him." Ouyang Mei smiled and said, "That's part of it." Ouyang Yiming said, "You can't let him feel intimidated by you. If you think he's a good person, just say yes. Don't make him feel anxious all the time." Ouyang Mei said, "I can't listen to you. I have to thoroughly investigate him before I can express my opinion."

Ouyang Yiming asked, "Tell me the truth, what do you feel about him?" Ouyang Mei said, "To be honest, I'm quite satisfied with him. He's a good person, and he's handsome too." Ouyang Yiming asked:

"Do you have a photo of him?" Ouyang Mei shook her head and said, "No, he gave me one once, but I didn't take it." Ouyang Yiming pointed at her and said, "Foolish! You should have one too, so I can see it and give you some advice!" Ouyang Mei said, "Back then, I thought, why would I want someone's photo if we weren't officially dating? Now I really should have asked for one. Hey, how about this, after the semester starts, you can come to our school and see him in person. That way, it'll be more direct. How much can you tell from a photo?" Ouyang Yiming said, "Okay, next semester I'll make a special trip to Shanghai just to see him."

Ouyang Mei said, "Come on, you go..." "The most important thing about Shanghai is visiting Sister Hui; this is just a side trip," said Ouyang Yiming. "You're so shrewd! I'm your brother; how could I not care about your affairs?" Ouyang Mei said, "That's true." Ouyang Yiming said, "If you really feel good about someone, you should tell them directly. It's not good to keep things lukewarm. You're twenty-two this year; this is something you should consider." Ouyang Mei said, "Twenty-two is old? Are you worried I won't get married?" Ouyang Yiming laughed and said, "No, not at all. How could a beauty and talented woman like my sister have trouble getting married?" Ouyang Mei raised her head and said, "That's right." The two laughed happily.

Ouyang Mei said, "Actually, sometimes I think about how brave Sister Hui was back then. She came to our house alone without even telling you. I wouldn't have that kind of courage. Now, just thinking about meeting her parents one day makes me a little scared." Ouyang Yiming then recalled the first time Xu Hui came to his house. Naturally, he also thought of Liu Yan. He had invited Liu Yan, but Liu Yan didn't come; Xu Hui came instead. Thinking about it, it's fortunate that Liu Yan didn't come. If she had, his family and neighbors would have met her, and later, because Liu Yan's family disapproved, the relationship would have been broken off, which would have become the subject of gossip. What he feared most was people saying that he intentionally tried to climb the social ladder by marrying into a high-ranking cadre's family like Liu Yan's.

Ouyang Yiming said, "I really didn't expect Xu Hui to come that time. Sometimes Xu Hui's actions are quite surprising." Ouyang Mei said, "Sister Hui cares about you too much. I really admire her courage." Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "But sometimes it's hard to accept. That's just her personality. Everyone has their own personality."

Ouyang Mei said, "Yes, but thinking about what Sister Hui did, it's very simple. It seems like she was quite naive when considering these issues, but it's also very innocent." Ouyang Yiming said, "Yes, that's true." Ouyang Mei said, "She considers some things very thoroughly, and her patience also surprises me. But that time when the two of us went to her house, I really admired how calmly she handled things after seeing the photo of you and that nurse. I probably couldn't do that." Ouyang Yiming suddenly blushed, and he thought of Liu Yan again, and then of the scene at Xu Hui's house. He sighed inwardly.

Ouyang Mei thought for a moment and said, "That time before she went abroad, she came to our house and asked to get a marriage certificate with you. I've thought about it many times since then. I can understand how she felt at the time." Ouyang Yiming lowered his head and didn't speak. Ouyang Mei looked at her brother and asked, "Brother, I've wanted to ask you for a long time, what exactly happened between you and that nurse?" Ouyang Yiming's heart trembled, and his mood suddenly became extremely heavy. He looked at Ouyang Mei and said, "These things are all in the past, and I don't want to talk about them anymore." After speaking, he lowered his head.

Ouyang Mei looked at him for a while and said, "Brother, I won't hide my opinion. To be honest, I've always been disgusted and confused by this. I always felt that you shouldn't be doing something like this, two-timing. Did you really not want to lose either of them back then? Didn't you consider what the consequences would be?" Ouyang Yiming shuddered, looked up at his sister, his facial muscles twitching a few times, and asked, "Meizi, have you always thought I was two-timing?" Ouyang Mei looked at him questioningly and asked, "Wasn't that what you did back then?"

Ouyang Yiming shook his head slightly and said, "Meizi, I'll also tell you the truth. When I was dating Liu Yan, I never talked about our relationship with Xu Hui. I knew Xu Hui's feelings for me, but we never really discussed our feelings openly. Even when Grandma passed away, I didn't talk to Xu Hui about our relationship. But I can't deny that I was wrong. At that time, I was always afraid of hurting Xu Hui, so I never told her about Liu Yan and me. Therefore, I did hurt Xu Hui. Now, thinking back, I don't know..." "Whether it was right or wrong, if I had told Xu Hui about my relationship with Liu Yan back then, maybe Xu Hui and I wouldn't be in this relationship now. So, sometimes I think, maybe I was two-timing back then, just unwilling to give up either of them. So now I feel sorry for Xu Hui, and I want to give her even more of my feelings."

Ouyang Mei had been staring intently at Ouyang Yiming while he was speaking. After listening, she frowned and said, "Brother, I never knew the truth. You mean you didn't publicly acknowledge your relationship with Sister Hui when she came to our house twice?" Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "You might not believe it, but it's true. But I can't deny that I cared a lot about Xu Hui when I was dating Liu Yan. In a sense, I considered Xu Hui as part of our family. I was really in pain back then; I was so afraid of hurting Xu Hui. That time we went to Xu Hui's house, which was during the semester when Liu Yan and I broke up. It was only through your brother Xu Rui's efforts that I publicly acknowledged my relationship with Xu Hui." Ouyang Mei asked, "But why did that nurse break up with you back then? Weren't your feelings for her very deep?"

Ouyang Yiming pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps it was fate. Heaven didn't want me to hurt Xu Hui, or at least wanted me to hurt her as little as possible. When Xu Hui came to our house to get our marriage certificate, I understood her feelings very well. Besides being moved by her feelings for me, I also felt sorry for her." Ouyang Mei said, "Brother, can you tell me about what happened between you and that nurse?" Ouyang Yiming sighed and said, "I really don't want to talk about this anymore. Since I've brought it up with you today, I'll tell you everything. But don't tell anyone else about this, and don't mention it to your sister Hui again."

Ouyang Mei nodded.

So Ouyang Yiming recounted how he met Liu Yan during his hospitalization, and how they fell in love for over a year before Liu Yan broke up with him. Tears welled up in her eyes as she said, "That's why I say, when looking for a partner, don't look at their family background; the key is the person. You're going to live with your partner, not their family. Of course, Liu Yan's family is very special. I know she had no choice but to break up with me. I don't blame her; I just wish her happiness. I've never regretted my relationship with Liu Yan. Sometimes I feel sorry for Xu Hui because, even though we didn't publicly acknowledge our relationship, neither of us ever openly discussed our feelings, and we never went on a date, I knew in my heart that Xu Hui liked me. But sometimes, matters of the heart are beyond our control. I had an indescribable feeling as soon as I met Liu Yan. It was Liu Yan who initiated things between us, but I still can't say I don't feel guilty towards Xu Hui. After Xu Hui came to our house twice, my feelings were very..." "Oh no, and with the passing of my grandmother and my mentor Professor Cheng, I was really on the verge of collapse. I can't describe how I felt then. I knew I couldn't bear to hurt Xu Hui, yet I also knew that the day would come when I would have to hurt her. I knew in my heart that I also had feelings for Xu Hui. At that time, I only wanted to treat her as family, but I knew it was impossible. If I confronted Xu Hui about Liu Yan, she might also break down and hate me for life. So, I hesitated, unwilling, or rather, unable to bear telling her about Liu Yan. Meizi, that kind of emotional experience is painful. I just want you to never experience what I went through.

Sometimes I think that what happened between me and Liu Yan might just be fate playing tricks on me, deliberately making me suffer the torment of that relationship, wanting me to remember that pain so that I can treat Xu Hui better in the future." Ouyang Yiming said, tears welling in his eyes.

While her brother was speaking, Ouyang Mei listened quietly without interrupting. She said, "Brother, I didn't know about these things. I always thought you and Sister Hui were dating, but then you got together with a nurse while you were in the hospital. I thought you were two-timing me. So I was very angry then. I also said some hurtful things at Grandma's grave. If I had known, I wouldn't have said anything. Brother, please don't blame me, don't be angry with me."

Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "How could I be angry with you? I know that even though you were angry with me then, could you really be truly angry with me inside? After all, you're my own sister. But I really do feel indebted to Xu Hui. Xu Hui is a good girl, I know that in my heart, and her feelings for me have deeply moved me. So now I just want to repay her with even more love, and I will be with her for the rest of my life." "Okay."

Ouyang Mei nodded, lowered her head to think for a while, then looked up at Ouyang Yiming and asked, "Brother, tell me the truth, do you still think about that Liu Yan?" Tears silently streamed down Ouyang Yiming's face, a wave of sorrow washing over him. He shook his head slightly and said with his head down, "Sometimes I think about her. It wasn't her fault that she broke up with me; her family forced her. I have no reason to blame her." He quietly wiped away a tear, looked up at Ouyang Mei, and smiled bitterly, saying, "Let's not talk about it anymore. It's all in the past. Now, my heart is only for Xu Hui."

Ouyang Mei had noticed Ouyang Yiming quietly wiping away a tear and felt a pang of sadness herself, but she pretended not to notice and said, "Yes, Sister Hui is a rare good person."

She thought to herself, "Liu Yan didn't truly love my brother. Otherwise, how could she bear to succumb to her family's pressure and separate from him? To marry a high-ranking official's son who was a good match for her?" She felt sorry for her brother's feelings for Liu Yan and sighed with regret.

Love and Desire (148)

Chapter 146

Two days later, Xu Hui called Ouyang Yiming's office and told him that she had gone to the hospital for a full physical examination and everything was normal. Ouyang Yiming was relieved and said, "In that case, it's a problem with your mood. You need to know how to regulate your mood and not always think about unpleasant things. How can you have a good appetite if you're in a bad mood?" Xu Hui said, "I didn't really think too much about it, it's just that my appetite has decreased a bit. In this hot weather, it's normal to eat less. It's not as serious as you think. Come over in a few days, I really miss you."

Ouyang Yiming laughed and said, "You're not so much missing me that you've lost your appetite, are you?" Xu Hui laughed and said, "That's quite possible." Ouyang Yiming said, "The day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow is Saturday, I'll come over." Xu Hui said, "Be careful on the road."

Since her grandmother passed away, Xu Hui's mood has never been good. For her, her grandmother's death felt like she had lost her guardian angel. For days, she had felt incredibly depressed, sometimes experiencing inexplicable panic, as if something was about to happen. She couldn't imagine what might happen, yet she couldn't control her feelings. Many nights she would wake up startled from her dreams, unable to recall what they were about. In those dreams, her mind was filled with images of Ouyang Yiming. She wanted to see him, but knew his work was demanding, making frequent meetings impossible. She thought that after getting married, they should be transferred to each other's locations for a year or two, otherwise this longing would be unbearable. Ouyang Yiming's career was flourishing, so transferring to his location was the only option.

She knew her appetite was decreasing, yet she didn't feel hungry; instead, she seemed to loathe the food. However, she felt no physical discomfort. She was bewildered; she didn't understand why she felt this way since her grandmother's death, a feeling she had never experienced before. Even when she learned of the relationship between Ouyang Yiming and Liu Yan, she had never felt this way, nor had she ever experienced such anorexia.

Ouyang Yiming drove Ouyang Mei out early in the morning and arrived at Xu Hui's workplace before noon. Ouyang Mei found Xu Hui in the laboratory. When Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui met, they looked at each other, and tears welled up in Xu Hui's eyes. Seeing that Xu Hui seemed perfectly normal, Ouyang Yiming felt relieved, but still asked anxiously, "Are you really feeling normal?" Xu Hui smiled and said,

"What's wrong with me right now?" Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "You seem fine."

Xu Hui glanced at her watch and said, "It'll be almost another hour before I get off work. I'll go talk to them and ask for leave so we can go back to Suzhou." Ouyang Yiming nodded. A while later, Xu Hui came out after changing her clothes and said, "I just called Dad from inside. Let's go home for dinner." With that, she got into Ouyang Yiming's car.

The car stopped downstairs at Xu Hui's dormitory. The three of them went upstairs together. Once inside, Xu Hui took out her medical reports and handed them to Ouyang Yiming, saying, "Look, everything is normal."

Ouyang Yiming smiled after looking at them and said, "That's good. But why are you eating so little?" Xu Hui glanced at Ouyang Mei, then turned back to Ouyang Yiming and said, "Didn't I tell you on the phone? I miss you." The three of them laughed. Xu Hui grabbed a couple of things, went downstairs, got in the car, and drove towards Suzhou.

They chatted idly along the way, naturally bringing up the topic of marriage. Xu Hui said, "I've already told the leaders about our wedding date, and we're officially married. The legal marriage leave is half a month, but the leaders have been considerate and given us twenty days off. I'm thinking we can go on a trip for a few days." Ouyang Yiming said, "Otherwise, you could just drive there; it's more convenient." Ouyang Mei laughed and said, "That's right. It's different for leaders to go on wedding trips; it might seem like an abuse of power." Ouyang Yiming then smiled and said, "When you get married, I'll be your driver and take you there." Ouyang Mei said, "I wouldn't dare trouble you."

They arrived at Xu Hui's house around noon, where Yang Ping had already prepared lunch. Xu Hui ate very little, managing only a few bites of rice before struggling to swallow more. Ouyang Yiming, seeing this, was anxious and asked, "Xu Hui, do you not want to eat or can't eat?" Xu Hui smiled and said, "I'm not hungry. It might be related to the weather." Yang Ping then chimed in, "Xu Hui,

are you feeling unwell?" Xu Hui hadn't told her parents about her recent health condition, so Yang Ping and Xu Zhenming were unaware. Xu Hui said, "I'm fine, I don't feel unwell. I had a full checkup a couple of days ago, and everything was normal." Ouyang Yiming looked at her intently and said, "Let's go to the hospital this afternoon and get some stomach medicine. It's not normal to eat so little." Xu Hui nodded.

Xu Zhenming asked, "How long has this been going on?" Xu Hui said, "Ever since Grandma passed away, her appetite hasn't been very good. But I've always felt quite healthy." She smiled and said,

"Look at you both, you've both had medical checkups, and everything's normal. Don't worry." Yang Ping asked somewhat anxiously, "Is her digestion good?" Xu Hui smiled and said, "It's fine. Oh dear, I already told you her checkups were normal, please don't look at me like that, okay?"

Ouyang Yiming looked at Yang Zhenming and Yang Ping and said, "Dad, Mom, don't worry. I'll take her to the hospital again this afternoon to get some appetite-stimulating medicine. I think it might be the effects of Grandma's passing and this hot weather." Hearing

this, Xu Hui's eyes reddened. She put down her chopsticks and said to Ouyang Mei, "You two eat slowly, I'm going to my room to rest for a while." With that, she stood up and went into her room. Xu Zhenming leaned closer to Yang Ping and said, "It's alright, it's probably just the impact of our mother's passing on Xu Hui. We all know how much she loved our mother."

Ouyang Yiming said, "I think so too. She's always been in good health during her years at school, so I think it's related to her grandmother's death. A few days ago, Meizi stayed at Xu Hui's place for a few days during her vacation and came back saying that Xu Hui had a poor appetite. I called Xu Hui and had her go to the hospital for a checkup. Everything was fine, and I've seen the medical report. Don't worry, I'll take her to the hospital this afternoon for a checkup, get some medicine, and buy some supplements. After a while, her mood will gradually improve, and she'll be back to normal."

Xu Zhenming and Yang Ping nodded. Yang Ping said, "In the days after her grandmother passed away, she cried a lot after you went back, and she didn't eat much either, but we didn't pay much attention. But now that your grandmother has been gone for more than two months, her behavior is abnormal. I'll go to the hospital with you this afternoon." Ouyang Yiming nodded.

Xu Zhenming looked at Yang Ping and said, "Alright, let's talk about this after lunch. Let the two children eat first." Yang Ping said "Oh," and quickly urged Ouyang Mei and Ouyang Yiming to eat.

But they ate very little. Ouyang Yiming also felt a little heavy-hearted.

After lunch, Xu Zhenming told Ouyang Yiming to rest at the guesthouse, saying that he had arranged everything. Yang Ping said, "Let Xu Hui take you with you."

Ouyang Yiming said, "No need, let Xu Hui rest." Just as he finished speaking, Xu Hui came out of the room and said, "I'll take you." Ouyang Yiming said, "No need, you rest for a while, and after your nap, we'll go to the hospital together."

Xu Hui frowned and said, "Look at you two, is it really necessary to go to the hospital again? I'm perfectly fine now, aren't I? How much can you eat in this hot weather? I've already had all the checkups in Shanghai, and there's nothing wrong with me. You've seen the test results." . Ouyang Yiming said: "No matter what, it's not normal to be unable to eat." There’s nothing wrong with going and taking a look. Let's go shopping in the afternoon.

Ouyang Mei said: "That's right, just go shopping." "Xu Hui said: "Okay, you just went as you said, but now you think that I am too delicate. Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "You can rest, I'll go to the guest house myself." "

At around two o'clock, Ouyang Yiming got up and came to Xu Hui's house. Yang Ping, Xu Hui, and Ouyang Mei were already sitting in the living room. Yang Zhenming was about to go out to work. After saying a few words, Xu Zhenming went out. Ouyang Yiming sat down on the sofa, looked at Xu Hui and asked, "The weather is a little hot now. Should we go later or now?" Yang Ping took over and said, "Go right away. I have an acquaintance in the facial features department of the Second Hospital. Let her take us to find an expert to take a look." Ouyang Yiming said: "That's fine." He turned to Xu Hui and asked, "You haven't eaten much. Do you feel a little weak?"

Xu Hui said: "It's okay, let's go." "

Ouyang Yiming drove a few people to the Second Hospital. Yang Ping found an acquaintance in the ENT department. This person was the head nurse of the ENT department, a woman in her forties, and the wife of a logistics officer in Yang Ping's theater troupe. Yang Ping explained her purpose, and the head nurse looked at Xu Hui and Ouyang Mei, asking, "Is that your daughter?" Xu Hui hurriedly called out, "Auntie." The head nurse responded with a smile. Yang Ping then pointed to Ouyang Yiming and said, "This is Xu Hui's boyfriend." Then she pointed to Ouyang Mei and said, "This is his sister." Ouyang Yiming and Ouyang Mei both addressed her. The head nurse looked at them and smiled, saying, "When these young people walk together, people really think they're all movie actors."

After a few words, the woman led them upstairs to the internal medicine department, where they found a doctor in his fifties. The head nurse introduced him as Director Dang. After explaining her purpose, Xu Hui handed the director her medical examination report from Shanghai. After examining the report for a while, the head doctor said, "Everything is normal." Yang Ping said, "She's always had a poor appetite and can't eat." The head doctor then asked Xu Hui, "Is it that she doesn't want to eat or can't eat?" Xu Hui said, "I have no appetite." The head doctor

said, "Hot weather can affect appetite." Yang Ping then told the head doctor about Xu Hui's poor appetite since her grandmother passed away. The head doctor said, "Mood and weather can both cause loss of appetite. This test report shows no problems." Yang Ping asked, "Should we do another checkup?" The head doctor smiled and said, "No need. How about this, I'll prescribe some medicine for her, and she'll get better after taking a little." Mao Yuqin quickly thanked him. Ouyang Yiming said, "Prescribe some tonics if you have any." Xu Hui said, "No need."

The head doctor looked up at Xu Hui and then at Ouyang Yiming and asked, "Who are you two?" The head nurse said, "They're a couple." The head doctor smiled and said, "They sound like it." Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui blushed slightly. Ouyang Yiming said, "Just prescribe some tonics." The head doctor nodded and said, "Okay, I'll prescribe some for you." Xu Hui wanted to say something, but Ouyang Yiming pulled her back, so Xu Hui remained silent. After writing the prescription, the head doctor said, "Don't worry, there's no problem." Yang Ping took the prescription, and the group thanked the head doctor and left.

The head nurse took the prescription from Yang Ping and looked at it, saying, "Can you get these medicines reimbursed?" Xu Hui said, "Definitely not. My workplace is in Shanghai, and I can't even get reimbursed for medical treatment here, let alone tonics like these." Ouyang Yiming said, "If you can't get reimbursed, we'll just pay for them ourselves." Xu Hui said, "There's no need at all, just get some appetite stimulants." The head nurse smiled and said, "They really care about you." Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui both blushed again. The head nurse said, "Okay, I checked and all the medicine listed here can be bought at pharmacies outside. Don't get it from this hospital; the medicine here is much more expensive than in pharmacies outside." Yang Ping asked, "Won't it be fake if I buy it outside?" The head nurse said, "Go to Changshou Pharmacy; it's a state-run pharmacy, so the quality is guaranteed."

After saying goodbye to the head nurse downstairs, the group left the hospital. After getting in the car, Xu Hui said, "I think you're just throwing money away; there's absolutely no need for this." Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "There's no harm in taking supplements. Your body is weak, so you should take some supplements. What's more important than health!" Ouyang Mei laughed and said, "Isn't my brother just being nice to you?" She turned to look at Yang Ping, who was also laughing. Xu Hui said, "Okay, whatever you say. As long as you have money, why would I be afraid to eat these things? I'd be willing to eat these for 365 days a year." Ouyang Yiming laughed and said, "Then I can't afford it."

Then the group laughed.

After buying the medicine at the pharmacy, the group went to the mall. While Xu Hui, Yang Ping, and Ouyang Mei looked at clothes, Ouyang Yiming bought some health supplements from the food section. Xu Hui glanced at him but didn't say anything, secretly thinking that this man was quite thoughtful, and she was quite touched.

Xu Hui, Yang Ping, and Ouyang Mei each bought several pieces of clothing, and Ouyang Yiming paid for them. Yang Ping felt embarrassed, and Xu Hui whispered, "It's only right that he buys you clothes!"

Yang Ping then asked Xu Hui to pick out a T-shirt for Ouyang Yiming. Yang Ping insisted on paying, and after a few words of argument, Ouyang Yiming couldn't insist and let Yang Ping pay.

After leaving the mall, Xu Hui laughed and said, "Mom, you really are something. Yiming bought you something, so you have to buy him one too. Isn't that too materialistic?" Yang Ping blushed slightly and said, "It's only right that I buy clothes for you kids." Ouyang Yiming secretly shook his head. Yang Ping whispered to Xu Hui, "How can I let my son-in-law buy me clothes now? I'd be happy if you paid for them." Xu Hui said, "It doesn't matter who buys them for you, besides, I'm not as rich as him!"

After returning home, Xu Hui took her medicine and some supplements. Ouyang Yiming brought up Xu Hui's wedding: "Mom, Xu Hui and I are getting married in about a month. My family was worried about the long journey and whether something might happen on the way that would delay the wedding ceremony at noon. I don't know if it's allowed here for the bride to be married off in the groom's city." Yang Ping asked, "Does your family mean Xu Hui should be married off in your city?" Ouyang Yiming said, "We're just worried about delaying the wedding ceremony. Maybe we should stick to my original plan: come early the day before, and the wedding ceremony should start early, so it won't be delayed before noon." Yang Ping

thought for a moment and said, "If the wedding ceremony is to start here, it has to be at three or four in the morning, otherwise it will definitely delay the wedding ceremony. Ideally, we could find a place in your city to have the wedding ceremony, that would be the safest. If it's at three or four in the morning, the relatives would have to arrive very early. Actually, all the colleagues and friends who came..." "It's just lunch. We do it this way here. If

the bride and groom live far apart, the bride can go to the groom's place first to have the wedding ceremony, and her family can go with her. After the wedding at the groom's place, they can come back to the bride's house for a banquet."

Ouyang Yiming said, "That works too." Xu Hui said, "That's so much trouble!" Yang Ping said, "Marriage is inherently a complicated matter. Your father and I are both leaders in our work units, and we'll definitely be attending your wedding banquet. How about this, we'll discuss it with your father tonight, and also with your uncle. Marriage is a big deal, and we need to consider all aspects." Ouyang Yiming said, "I will discuss it with my father and uncle."

At dinner that evening, Xu Hui ate more than at lunch, and everyone was very happy to see that. Yang Ping said, "You too, why didn't you get some medicine after the checkup? Look, your appetite has increased after taking some medicine." Xu Hui laughed, "I don't feel hungry at all, that's for the best, it saves a lot on food expenses." Yang Zhenming scolded, "You're just talking nonsense. Won't this ruin your health in the long run?" Xu Hui said, "I don't feel anything, I'm perfectly normal." Ouyang Yiming said, "You may feel normal for now, but how can you be normal in the long run?"

Xu Hui smiled and said, "I really have to thank you for this. If you hadn't cared for me like this, taken me to the doctor, and bought me supplements, I would have collapsed in the long run. Thank you so much." Everyone at the table laughed.

After dinner, everyone sat in the living room talking about Xu Hui's marriage. It was basically decided that Xu Hui would first go to Ouyang Yiming's house for the wedding ceremony, and three days later, Xu Hui and Ouyang Yiming would return to Suzhou to hold a banquet to entertain their relatives and friends.

After a while, guests arrived. Ouyang Yiming, Xu Hui, and Ouyang Mei went into Xu Hui's room. After chatting for a bit, Ouyang Yiming said he was going to rest at the guesthouse. Xu Hui pulled Ouyang Mei to her feet, saying she would see him off. Ouyang Mei hesitated for a moment, then gave Xu Hui a sly smile and said, "Sister Hui, I'm not feeling well, I'm not going." Xu Hui hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"

Ouyang Mei whispered in her ear, "I'm not feeling well, I don't want to interrupt your private conversation." Xu Hui laughed, pointed at Ouyang Mei's forehead, and said, "You always have so many clever ideas. Come on, let's go together." Ouyang Mei shook her head and said, "No." She lowered her head and chuckled. Xu Hui blushed slightly and said to Ouyang Yiming, "Come on, if she's not going, she's not going." Ouyang Yiming smiled and went with Xu Hui to the living room to tell Yang Ping before leaving.

After going downstairs, Xu Hui took Ouyang Yiming's arm and tilted her head to ask, "Do you know what Ouyang Mei said just now?" Ouyang Yiming chuckled twice and said, "Yes, she was probably afraid of interrupting our conversation." Xu Hui said, "Smart." Ouyang Yiming said, "She's just being sensible; if she came along, I'd be annoyed to death." Xu Hui giggled and said, "Silly girl, what's your secret?" Ouyang Yiming said, "That depends on what you want to say. If you're saying you miss me or love me, you can't say it in front of others, can you?" Xu Hui laughed and said, "I won't say it. Hey, do you miss me?" Ouyang Yiming said, "Of course I do. See, you can't say that in front of others." They both laughed again.

Xu Hui said, "I really do miss you. Lately, I keep having dreams at night, and when I wake up, I can't remember what the dream was about. I can't fall back asleep after waking up, and I keep thinking about you." Ouyang Yiming said:

“When Ouyang Mei got home, she said you couldn’t eat either, and I was so worried. You too, knowing you can’t eat and aren’t resting well, why don’t you get checked out? At the very least, you should buy some supplements. I can afford to give you supplements every day, what do you need money for? Good health is the most important thing.” Xu Hui said, “I just can’t eat, I don’t feel any discomfort. I thought it was because of the hot weather, but there’s nothing wrong. The tests were all normal. It’s just that sometimes I don’t sleep well at night, which bothers me.” Ouyang Yiming said, “You didn’t even mention it when you saw the doctor this afternoon. You could have just gotten some medicine.” Xu Hui said, “It’s not often, sometimes it’s just like that. I think it might be related to my loss of appetite. Don’t worry, I have the supplements you bought for me, I’ll be fine after taking them.”

Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, “Then take them. I’ll buy more when you’re done. I didn’t bring much money with me this time, I’ll go back… ” "I'll send you some money after I get there." Xu Hui said, "No need, I have money. Otherwise, we'll be getting married in a few days, and I can just take it from you if I need it when I get back. There's no need for you to send me money." Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "You need to cherish your body. Now you need to remember, your body doesn't just belong to you, Xu Hui, but also to me, Ouyang Yiming." Xu Hui laughed and said, "Get lost, aren't you ashamed to say that?" Ouyang Yiming laughed and said, "That's exactly right. After we get married, I'll have half of you, and you'll have half of me." Xu Hui said shyly, "I haven't married you yet." Ouyang Yiming said, "Wrong, you already were two years ago. Can you say you weren't?" Xu Hui giggled and said, "I admit it, is that not enough? Silly girl." They

entered the guesthouse laughing and talking. Xu Hui asked the waiter to help her go upstairs and book a single room. After thanking Ouyang Yiming, Xu Hui closed the door. The two sat down hand in hand on the edge of the bed. Ouyang Yiming couldn't wait to lift Xu Hui onto his lap, and they embraced tightly, kissing passionately. When their lips parted, their flushed, burning faces faced each other, their fiery eyes locked. Ouyang Yiming said in a trembling voice, "Xu Hui, I missed you, I love you." Xu Hui replied,

"Me too." Ouyang Yiming held her tightly. The thin summer clothes pressed their bodies together, Xu Hui's full breasts pressed against Ouyang Yiming's broad chest. At this moment, Ouyang Yiming was overcome with a sense of infatuation. His primal male desire surged instantly. Looking at Xu Hui in his arms, he wanted to reach out and caress her body, even to fulfill the sexual desire he had long yearned for. But looking at Xu Hui, he couldn't help but feel a silent fear. He knew that Xu Hui would never agree to do that before the wedding. At this moment, he could only suppress his pain.

Ouyang Yiming felt this suppression making him tremble all over. He said in a trembling voice, "Xu Hui, I, I really want us to get married soon." He paused and said, "I mean, we, we will have a wedding soon."

Looking at Ouyang Yiming's expression and hearing his eager voice, Xu Hui knew his thoughts and felt a vague, inexplicable fear, a fear that chilled her to the bone. This involuntary fear was inexplicable to Xu Hui herself. She was a woman, and of course, she had fantasies about sex, which could excite her for a moment, but these were always replaced by this overwhelming fear. She knew that day, that moment, would come. She thought that even with the fear, she would give herself to Ouyang Yiming on their wedding night. She thought that perhaps all women felt fear the first time they gave themselves to a man, and that it would become natural afterward. But she would never give herself to Ouyang Yiming before their wedding; this first time, which she cherished as her life, would only be given to him on their wedding night.

Xu Hui said, "Yiming, I'm sorry, I know what you're thinking, but please respect me. I want to give this to you on our wedding night, otherwise I'll regret it for the rest of my life." Ouyang Yiming looked at her, panting, and said, "But we've already had our marriage certificate for over two years, we're legally married..." Xu Hui said, "I know, but I just want to give it to you on our wedding night. I care about this so much. Just wait a little longer, we'll be married soon."

Ouyang Yiming stared at her blankly. He couldn't understand, and even couldn't comprehend why Xu Hui had such a stubborn idea. He even felt a surge of anger towards Xu Hui's actions.

But he also knew that he had to respect Xu Hui's wishes, otherwise he would hurt her and break her heart. After a moment, he secretly admired Xu Hui's concern for her chastity. He thought that perhaps only a pure woman like Xu Hui would have such a view of chastity. His mind drifted back to the sexual encounters he had with Liu Yan, and he felt an overwhelming urge to hold Xu Hui tightly, burying his face in her neck.

For a long while, they remained silent, the only sound the rapid breathing from their nostrils. Xu Hui struggled slightly and said, "Yiming, let me get up. Can we talk?" Ouyang Yiming didn't speak, but looked up at her, then pressed his lips to hers again. They kissed for a long time… After separating, Xu Hui struggled to sit up, smoothing her hair, her face flushed as she looked at Ouyang Yiming and said, "Sit on the sofa and talk. This… this… you'll…" Ouyang Yiming suppressed his burning desire; he felt unbearable pain, both physically and emotionally. He nodded but didn't get up, his eyes reddening and stinging, a feeling of wanting to cry rising within him, a deep sense of grievance and injustice in his heart.

Xu Hui noticed Ouyang Yiming's emotions and felt a surge of intense guilt. She hugged him tightly for a long while before finally saying, "Yiming, are you angry with me?" Ouyang Yiming said, "No." Xu Hui said, "I'm sorry." Ouyang Yiming said, "Don't say that, I understand, I understand." As he spoke, tears streamed down his face.

Xu Hui sensed this and felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. She looked up at Ouyang Yiming, then buried her face in his chest, breathing heavily. After a while, she called out in a trembling voice,

"Yiming." Ouyang Yiming responded. Xu Hui asked, "You...you really want to?" Ouyang Yiming's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly said, "No...no...I didn't." Xu Hui blushed and said in a trembling voice, "If...if you really want to...I...I'll give it to you..."

Ouyang Yiming felt a sudden dizziness, staring blankly at Xu Hui, who hadn't looked up but whose body was trembling, and said, "No, no, I will definitely respect you. Soon, very soon we'll get married, just like you said, we'll wait until that day." Xu Hui slowly raised her head, her face flushed, and looked at Ouyang Yiming, saying, "It's really...it's really unfair to you." Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "Don't say that. I...I admire you." Xu Hui smiled, but after a moment, her face showed a pained expression, and she said, "Yiming, I...I'm really scared. To be honest, I want to, but I'm just afraid." Ouyang Yiming hugged her tightly without saying a word.

After a while, Xu Hui got up to leave, because she also felt that if they stayed together like this, she might not be able to control herself, and Ouyang Yiming might really do something.

Ouyang Yiming escorted Xu Hui home, as he was somewhat worried about her walking alone in the dormitory area at night. Although Xu Hui kept saying that she was at home and it would be fine, Ouyang Yiming still took her to her apartment building.

That night, after returning home, Ouyang Yiming lay in bed, overwhelmed by the passion that erupted within him. He masturbated and ejaculated. But strangely, when he tried to connect this incident with Xu Hui, he couldn't help but think of the scene of making love with Liu Yan.

Love and Desire (149)

Chapter 147

Jin Ling and Liang Chao After seeing Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui in Panzhou, Jin Ling and Liang Chao originally intended to never mention seeing Ouyang Yiming to Liu Yan again. However, thinking about the love between Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui and the helplessness of Liu Yan raising her child alone, they couldn't help but feel uneasy. Whenever they thought of Liu Yan living with her lovely son, they felt very heavy-hearted; whenever they had a passionate encounter with Liang Chao, they would think of the lonely Liu Yan sleeping on that large bed. Many times, lying in bed with Liang Chao, Jinling would talk about Liu Yan, her eyes always brimming with tears.

From their conversation on Liu Yan's bed, she knew that Liu Yan currently had no plans to remarry. After returning from her trip, she did call Liu Yan, but as planned, she didn't tell her about her trip to Ouyang Yiming's place. She worried that Liu Yan would be emotionally devastated if she knew about Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui. After several more phone calls, she felt an increasing urge to tell Liu Yan about her meeting with Ouyang Yiming.

That night, lying in bed, he brought up the issue with Liang Chao: "Liang Chao, I'm increasingly tempted to tell Liu Yan about our meeting with Ouyang Yiming." Liang Chao glared at her for a moment and said, "What's wrong with you? Didn't we agree not to tell Liu Yan? What good will it do you to tell her we met with Ouyang Yiming? Won't it just hurt her more? There's no hope for Liu Yan and that Ouyang. Not only has Ouyang and Xu Hui already gotten their marriage certificate, but they might have even had a wedding ceremony. Even if they didn't have a wedding ceremony, they're practically husband and wife. Didn't you hear Ouyang introduce Xu Hui as his wife that day?" "Look at those two, they're the perfect match. They're perfectly matched in every way. They're university classmates, both very learned. Ouyang is now the dean, and Xu Hui even studied abroad for two years. They're both very capable. Besides, I think Xu Hui is prettier than Liu Yan. Ouyang has probably already forgotten about Liu Yan. Why are you still telling Liu Yan all this? Do you think she'll feel good about it?"

Jin Ling looked at Liang Chao for a long time after he finished speaking and asked, "Are you done?" Liang Chao smiled and said, "Think about it, isn't that right? Even if you tell Liu Yan, she can't go back to Ouyang, can she?" Jin Ling pointed to Liang Chao's forehead. He said, "I see you're getting more and more stubborn. You know what I wanted to say and I've already said so much? I think you men shouldn't be spoiled! Did I say I wanted Liu Yan to go see Ouyang? Do you think I don't know that Liu Yan and Ouyang have absolutely no hope now? What I meant was that telling Liu Yan about seeing Ouyang might actually help her remarry. I want her to completely lose hope in Ouyang. I can see and hear that even though Liu Yan says she has no hope for Ouyang and that she's divorced with a child and not good enough for him, she still thinks about him. I wanted to tell her about Ouyang's current situation." Liu Yan might completely give up on Ouyang

after hearing about Ouyang and Xu Hui. Perhaps she'll be in pain for a few days after hearing about Ouyang and Xu Hui, but that might also provoke her and make her consider remarriage soon. Otherwise, she might continue to harbor fantasies about Ouyang. Don't you think so? Liang Chao smiled and said, "That's probably what you're thinking. I think Liu Yan hasn't met the right person yet; she still compares her potential remarriage partner to Ouyang. Seriously, do you think Liu Yan was right to do what she did? Even if her family pressured her, if she truly loved Ouyang and cared about him deeply, could she be so heartless as to abandon him and marry Zhang Lei?"

To put it bluntly, it all comes down to social status. Ever since I learned about Liu Yan's situation, I've been thinking about it too. With Liu Yan's personality, she was so resolute in divorcing and raising a child alone. If she didn't care about social status, who could have swayed her? Or is that factor something deep down? Jin Ling said irritably, "If she really cared about social status, would she have divorced Zhang Lei?!" Liang Chao said, "She had no other choice. She realized she couldn't accept Zhang Lei's character anymore. That's just Liu Yan's personality. With that kind of personality, how could she tolerate her man having other women for so long? I believe Liu Yan's parents must have tried to stop her and put pressure on her after they found out about her relationship with Ouyang. But she shouldn't have dumped Ouyang so early and married Zhang Lei."

Jin Ling thought for a moment and said, "I've always been curious about why Liu Yan got married so early and had a child so early. I asked Liu Yan, but I know she wasn't telling the truth."

"What you said is possible, but I think Liu Yan faced immense pressure from her parents back then, otherwise she wouldn't have rushed into marriage. Perhaps she just wanted to escape her parents' pressure as soon as possible and marry according to their wishes. To some extent, Liu Yan was also very helpless and pitiful."

Liang Chao nodded and said, "Regardless of Liu Yan's family status, her current situation is very pitiful. However, I think you don't need to bring up Ouyang and Xu Hui's matter with her anymore. I think the reason Liu Yan is unwilling to remarry now might be that she has too high aspirations and still believes that she and her family are superior. We shouldn't say these things now. We can't exactly tell her that she's divorced now and has a child, so she should lower her standards for remarriage, right? Someone of her status might be indignant and might say something about us."

Jin Ling said, "Of course we can't say such things, but we can at least try to persuade her to remarry. I still can't let her go." "Liang Chao said, 'It's fine to say a few words when you contact her, but there's no need to say too much. Liu Yan is a very thoughtful person, and sometimes she can be quite stubborn.'

Jin Ling said, 'That's why I want to tell Liu Yan about Ouyang's situation, so she can completely give up on him. After hearing about Ouyang, she might be in pain for a few days, then she'll lose interest in him and might consider accepting another man and remarrying. Don't say she cares about her family status; honestly, given her own conditions and family status, even if she were divorced with a child now, she could probably find a very good man who has never been married. Liang Chao, you know how grateful I am to Liu Yan, and you know how close we are as sisters. To be honest, I really can't help her much; I just want to try to persuade her. As long as she can be happy, I'll be at peace. Just thinking about her current state makes me feel bad. I'm willing to try anything to help her.'" "

Liang Chao said, 'If you really want to do this, then you should tell her, but it might backfire. You should think about it carefully.' Jin Ling said, 'What backlash could there be? I think Liu Yan will feel bad for a couple of days after hearing about Ouyang and Xu Hui, but I don't think she'll stay that way forever. She's already accepted this reality in her heart, but she doesn't know the current situation between Ouyang and Xu Hui. Maybe she still hopes that Ouyang will come back to her, but she just doesn't dare to say it. Telling her about Ouyang and Xu Hui will cut off all her hopes. Don't you think so?'

Liang Chao said, 'Since you think that way, then you should try it. I don't know if it's right or wrong. But don't give Liu Yan Ouyang's contact information. If Liu Yan contacts Ouyang again, it will affect the relationship between Ouyang and his wife, and Liu Yan won't get anything out of it. Ouyang won't leave Xu Hui and come back to Liu Yan, will he?' Jin Ling said, 'You think too highly of Liu Yan!'" I think even if Liu Yan knew where Ouyang was, she wouldn't contact him after knowing he was already married. Otherwise, wouldn't she have gone to find him during the past year or two when she wasn't sure if he was married? Liu Yan isn't that kind of person, don't worry.” Liang Chao said, “It's up to you, do whatever you think is best. But I think even if Liu Yan contacted Ouyang, he might not even respond. After all, Liu Yan hurt him deeply.” Jinling was displeased after hearing Liang Chao's words, but she didn't know how to refute them, so she turned over and went to sleep.

The summer solstice had just passed, and the weather was already very hot. Everything on earth was brimming with vitality and beauty. The sky was blue, the sun was bright, and white clouds drifted slowly across the sky, romantically and leisurely overlooking the men and women on earth, each carrying their own thoughts and experiencing their own lives. "After eating summer solstice noodles, the days shorten by a thread," the days were gradually getting shorter.

That evening, Liu Yan received a call from Jinling at home after dinner. Jinling exchanged pleasantries, inquired about the children, and then brought up Liu Yan's personal life. Jinling asked,

"Liu Yan, aren't you tired of me bringing this up every time I call?" Liu Yan pondered for a moment and said, "Jinling, I know you mean well, but I really don't want to talk about this."

Jinling said, "I'm really afraid of bothering you, but I just can't help it. When will you consider your personal life and settle down? Then I'll be at ease."

Liu Yan smiled bitterly and said, "It's not that easy." "This isn't like going to the market to buy groceries. A divorced woman wouldn't just accept any man so easily." Jinling thought for a moment and asked, "Liu Yan, tell me honestly, are you still thinking about Ouyang?" Liu Yan's heart trembled, and she felt an intense pain. She said, "Jinling, what good will it do even if I think about him? It's useless." Jinling said, "That's the right way to think. There's no need to think about him anymore."

Liu Yan thought, how could she not think about him? His child is with her every day; she can't help but think about him. She said, "Jinling, how could I forget him? I try to force myself not to think about him, but I can't control myself." Jinling said, "If you find someone else you like, you'll forget a lot." She paused and asked, "Liu Yan, tell me honestly, do you still have any illusions about Ouyang?" "

Liu Yan thought to herself, 'What illusions are there left?' She knew in her heart that Ouyang wouldn't stop loving Xu Hui, and she herself felt unworthy of Ouyang. What illusions could she still hold onto? She just couldn't let go. She said, 'Jinling, I didn't hold any illusions at all. I've told you that before.' Jinling said, 'I always felt that you still harbored illusions about him, but you just didn't want to admit it. Liu Yan, what would you think if you knew that Ouyang was already married?'

Liu Yan's heart ached as if it had been ripped apart, but she still said, 'This is within my expectations, it's normal.' Jinling said, 'What would you think if you knew that Ouyang was now married to Xu Hui, that they were very happy, and that Ouyang was doing very well?' Liu Yan said, 'I could also imagine that he would be very happy and that he would do very well.

I have always wished him well.' After saying this, she seemed to realize something, and her heart started pounding as she asked, 'Jinling, why are you saying such things? Did you see Ouyang Yiming?' Jinling said, 'I haven't told you about this, I was afraid it would hurt you.'" Liu Yan, I won't hide it from you anymore. After Liang Chao and I left your place last time, we went to see Ouyang on our way back from the north.

Liu Yan froze, her face flushing red. She asked urgently, "What? What did you say? You...you went to see Yiming back then? You went to the university where Yiming is to see him?"

Jin Ling said, "I went to that university, but I didn't see him. He's not teaching there anymore. Do you know where he is now?" Liu Yan's heart pounded, her lips trembling as she asked, "You mean...you mean Yiming isn't teaching at the university? Then where did he go? Where is he now? Is he doing well?" Jin Ling said, "I knew you couldn't let him go. Ouyang is now working at a research institute in his hometown. He was originally offered a teaching position at the university, but the city's research institute took him away. The mayor personally sent a car to pick him up from the university. He's now the vice president of the research institute."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yan burst into tears. After a moment of silence, she said, "I knew he would amount to something. I knew he was the best. No one can compare to him." Jin Ling sighed and said, "Liu Yan, it's so rare to see your feelings for him. Liu Yan, I knew you couldn't let him go. I even hoped that even if he hadn't married, he would still care about you as much as you care about him. "

So I went to Panzhou from that university, the city where Ouyang is. Liu Yan's heart pounded again, feeling a little suffocated. She hurriedly asked, "You...you mean you went to see him? You saw him?" Jin Ling said, "I saw him, and...I also saw Xu Hui. They went public with their relationship at school, and got their marriage certificate shortly after graduation. Xu Hui went to Germany to study for two years and came back. The day Liang Chao and I met them, Ouyang introduced Xu Hui as his wife. He said they would have a wedding soon, and these past few months have passed, so I think they've already had their wedding."

As Jin Ling spoke, Liu Yan's heart ached in waves. After a while, she asked softly, her voice trembling, "Did he...did he ask about me?"

Jin Ling said, "Liu Yan, don't be sad about what I'm telling you. Ouyang didn't ask you a single word. I'm telling you all this today so you know that even if you still have feelings for Ouyang, he may no longer have feelings for you. Why should you hold onto those feelings for him?" There are plenty of men in the world, is Ouyang Yiming the only outstanding one? With your qualities, you can easily find a man who is equally outstanding, Liu Yan, just forget about him. Originally, I went to see Ouyang Yiming with hope, hoping that he still had feelings for you, hoping that since he wasn't married, there was still hope for you two to get back together. But after seeing him, I completely gave up. Liu Yan, just give up on him too. In my opinion, no man can be as devoted as we women. We women are sometimes really foolish. Forget about him, you need to have your own life, you deserve your own happiness, you will definitely find your own happiness.”

Liu Yan said, “Jinling, none of this is Yiming's fault, it's all my fault, I didn't treat him right. Well, now I know he's very happy and doing well, I'm quite happy. Thank you for going to see him specifically for my sake. Actually, there was no need to go to see him, I thought he would be very happy, if I had known you would go to see him I would stop you. But now that you've brought me news about him, I'm still very grateful and gratified. Thank you.” "

Jin Ling said, 'I'm not telling you this so you'll thank me or anything. I want you to completely give up on him. He's very happy, so why can't you go find your own happiness? Liu Yan, promise me, promise me you'll consider your personal life. Otherwise, as you get older, you won't have the same opportunities. Besides, the child is still young. If you marry someone else, the child can easily accept that man. Otherwise, when he grows up, he'll have his own thoughts, and some distance will inevitably grow between you. You need to consider your personal life from all aspects.'

Liu Yan's heart trembled as she listened. She said, 'Thank you, Jin Ling. I know you genuinely care about me, but I still need to consider this carefully. I will consider it.'" At this moment, Liu Yan felt extremely tired, even a little dizzy. She gave Jin Ling a few perfunctory words and hung up the phone.

After putting down the phone, Liu Yan stared blankly at the ground, her mind blank for a moment. Then, Ouyang Yiming's image appeared clearly in front of her, as if Ouyang Yiming was right in front of her, the two of them gazing at each other. Then, Xu Hui's figure appeared next to Ouyang Yiming. The image of Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui walking together at the entrance of the ward flashed before her eyes.

At this moment, she seemed a little manic, a little neurotic. She stood up abruptly, muttering to herself, "He is mine, he is mine, Liu Yan's..." The nanny, who had just finished putting Ru Han to sleep, came out at this moment. Seeing Liu Yan's expression, she panicked and hurriedly asked, "Sister Liu, what's wrong?" Liu Yan turned to look at the nanny, instantly came to her senses, blushed and said, "Nothing, nothing's wrong." "

As she spoke, she took weak steps into her room, sat on the edge of the bed, unable to suppress the sorrow in her heart, tears streamed down her face, and then an uncontrollable outburst of grief erupted. She turned around and threw herself onto the bed, sobbing uncontrollably.

After a long while, Liu Yan stopped crying. At this moment, she felt a lot of the pent-up anger in her heart was released. She rolled over and lay flat on the bed, her lifeless eyes staring intently at the ceiling, thinking helplessly and sadly, 'It's all in the past, why think about these things? Why think about him? I had already thought about these things in my heart long ago.'" "But she also knew that she could never erase that memory from her heart, never forget the man she loved most. Only then did she realize that although she had thought countless times that Ouyang Yiming would marry Xu Hui, deep down she still harbored some hope for him. It seemed she had never truly given up her desire to be with him. Now, knowing everything about Ouyang Yiming from Jin Ling—that he and Xu Hui had already obtained their marriage certificate and possibly even held a wedding, living a happy life together—she couldn't help but feel immense jealousy and sadness. She felt a sharp pain in her heart.

Thinking about Jin Ling's words, she understood that Jin Ling was somewhat resentful of Ouyang Yiming's heartlessness. She thought to herself, 'Yes, Yiming, I've never let you go. I always wish you happiness, but why didn't you ask Jin Ling a single question about me? Have you really completely erased me from your heart? Can you really forget all the moments we spent together?'" Am I nothing more than a worthless woman in your heart? Will you truly hate me for the rest of your life? Yiming, do you know that no one else can make me care like you? I love you, I will always love you, no matter what. I will never forget you! How could you be so heartless as to forget me? Is it really as people say, that having a beautiful woman by your side makes you treat past lovers like worthless weeds? Yiming, can you even imagine the feelings I have for you? Can you even imagine that I had your child because I loved you so much? Now, your child and I are together every day; that's where all my love for you resides! How could you not even ask a single question about me when you saw Jinling?! Is it really as Jinling said, that no man can be as devoted as a woman? "Now it seems that's how it is, otherwise Ouyang Yiming wouldn't have been so lazy as to not even bother to listen to my situation..." Thinking this, another wave of sadness welled up in her heart, and tears streamed down her face. She didn't move, not even blink, her tear-blurred eyes still fixed on the ceiling.

"Perhaps he didn't ask about me because Xu Hui was there?" This thought suddenly occurred to Liu Yan. She shifted slightly, and in an instant, she firmly told herself, "Yes, that's it. He didn't ask about me because Xu Hui was with him. He didn't have a chance to ask; he had to consider Xu Hui! Yes, he definitely wanted to know about me but didn't have the chance to ask. He definitely wanted to know about me. He wouldn't not miss me; he definitely cares about me. He definitely still loves me in his heart..." Thinking this,

she seemed somewhat excited, but as she sat up, a chill ran through her. She thought, "Isn't thinking like this just self-deception?" If he wanted to find out about me, he must have found an opportunity to ask me something after spending several hours with Jinling! He wouldn't have just left without asking a single question, not even mentioning my name, would he? Or is it that he no longer cares about me? He knows my club's contact information; if he truly cared, he would have contacted me long ago. He just wants to completely forget me! He hates me! I want to contact him, but I'm too ashamed to. The truth is, I'm the one who wronged him, I hurt him!" At this moment, she felt particularly disappointed and sad. She lay heavily on the bed again, unable to stop crying. "Jinling

also blames Ouyang Yiming for being heartless. Otherwise, she wouldn't have said that Ouyang Yiming no longer cares about me, wouldn't have told me not to cling to my feelings for him, wouldn't have said that he's the only outstanding one?! Jinling genuinely wanted to help me; otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to find Ouyang Yiming, hoping for a miracle." Jinling didn't tell me about this after meeting Ouyang Yiming because she was afraid I would get hurt. "

Jinling, I know you mean well, but you're really too naive. How could someone as talented as Ouyang Yiming not be loved? How could Xu Hui possibly abandon Ouyang Yiming?"

This is the ending I've imagined countless times. Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui will be very happy, and he will also do very well. He's already the vice president of the research institute, which speaks volumes about his abilities. No matter what, this man once deeply loved me, even though we didn't get married or live together. We loved each other after all. And we have a child together, and he's with me. We spend every day together." Thinking of this, she felt a strange sense of comfort. What a desolate and pathetic comfort!

Lost in thought, she thought of Xu Hui again: "She's a very beautiful, talented, and outstanding woman. She and Ouyang Yiming are the perfect match. She went abroad to study after graduating from university, which shows she's very capable. How can I compare to her? They are a perfect couple, sharing the same ideals!" Thinking this, her heart ached again… "Jinling is telling me about Ouyang Yiming now to make you completely give up on him, but how can you forget Ouyang Yiming?" "I have Ouyang Yiming's child right here!

Jinling said Ouyang Yiming is very happy and content, and she wants me to go find my happiness too. Can I find it? Where is the man who can bring happiness to me and Ruhan?" At this moment, she felt very guilty.

Suddenly, she remembered what Jinling had said, "The child is still young. If you marry someone else, the child can easily accept that man. Otherwise, when he grows up, he will have his own thoughts and will unconsciously create some distance between them." "Thinking of that," Liu Yan's heart tightened again. What Jinling said wasn't without reason. If she could find a man who would accept Ru Han in the future, would Ru Han be able to accept that man when she was older? Would she be able to develop feelings for him? If she couldn't develop feelings, it would have a certain impact on Ru Han. If she married that man and had his child, Ru Han would definitely have some thoughts about it. So, should she really rush into remarriage now?

Liu Yan understood perfectly what Jinling meant by "considering personal matters from all aspects." Of course, Jinling's words also included physical needs. Yes, physical needs were very important. How could a married woman of this age not have desires? How could she not need them? This physical desire made many nights very difficult for Liu Yan.

"Tell me the truth, do you still have fantasies about Ouyang?" Liu Yan pondered Jinling's words. "Yes, do I still have fantasies about Ouyang Yiming? Now that I think about it carefully, subconsciously, I still consider Ouyang Yiming as my own." She still refused to believe that Ouyang Yiming was now with another woman. She still felt as if Ouyang Yiming were her husband, like a wife who feels her husband is working far away while she stays home with their child, constantly worrying and longing for his return. Now, this hidden fantasy shattered with the news Jinling brought her; Ouyang Yiming could never have any contact with her again. It seemed he would never forgive her, would utterly disregard her. Even if she loved him, what could she do? He was, after all, someone else's husband, the husband of a woman she envied, someone she dared not compare herself to.

So, should she try to forget him? Should she accept another man? In fact, as Jinling said, considering everything, she had to accept another man; now she had to consider it. Yes, it's something to consider…” Thinking this, her heart still ached.

On Saturday afternoon, Director Qin called the club as usual; as usual, he asked Liu Yan if she was going home; as usual, he said Liu Yan's father missed Ru Han; of course, Liu Yan still agreed to go home; Director Qin also went directly to Liu Yan's house after work; after Liu Yan got off work, he picked her up, Ru Han, and the nanny and took them to the logistics department's house.

That evening, after a walk after dinner, Ru Han jumped around in the living room for a while before being led to her room to sleep by the nanny. After Liu Yan took a shower and returned to her room, Director Qin thought for a while on the sofa before getting up and going upstairs to Liu Yan's room. She still wanted to talk to Liu Yan about remarriage. She also wanted to tell her something, but she didn't know how Liu Yan would react.

She hoped for a miracle, hoped Liu Yan wouldn't reject it… (

Love and Desire - 150) Chapter

148.

Director Qin entered Liu Yan's room and sat down on the edge of the bed. Liu Yan knew that her mother's arrival at this time meant she wanted to talk about her remarriage. Looking at her mother, she asked, "Do you want to bring that up again?" Director Qin nodded and said, "Yes, I want to talk to you about it." Liu Yan frowned and said, "It'll just be the same old thing again. Can this be forced?" Director Qin sighed and said, "Liu Yan, I know it'll be the same old thing again, but I can't help but say it. Your father has always slept very well, but lately I've noticed he's not sleeping well. He often coughs and sighs in the middle of the night. Liu Yan, I know why your father is like this, and you should know why he's like this too." Liu Yan's heart tightened, and she felt a sudden pang of sadness.

Director Qin said, "We've said these things countless times. It's the same old story: you need to consider remarriage." Liu Yan still felt a sense of unease as she listened, glancing at her mother without saying a word.

Director Qin sighed and said, "Zhang Lei got married the same year you divorced him. You should have considered it." Liu Yan said, "Is this something that can be done just like that? I can't just marry anyone I meet!" Director Qin sensed Liu Yan's unfriendly tone, looked at her, and then lowered her head. After thinking for a moment, she glanced at Liu Yan cautiously and said, "Liu Yan, I want to talk to you about something."

Liu Yan looked up at her without speaking, wondering what her mother wanted to say. Director Qin said, "Actually, many people already know about your divorce. Although Zhang Lei is in Guangzhou, news of his marriage spreads very quickly. Many people have asked me directly, and even if they don't ask, they probably know the truth. You can't hide this from people."

Liu Yan became impatient and asked, "Mom, what exactly do you want to say?" Director Qin coughed and said, "

It's like this, actually, many people have been bringing up your marriage with me, but I haven't dared to tell you, afraid you'd think I'm trying to interfere in your marriage again.

I hoped you could find someone yourself, but seeing that you haven't made any moves, I thought I'd talk to you about it, and I wonder if you'd like to hear it." Liu Yan asked, "Many people have proposed to me?" Director Qin said, "Several." Liu Yan smiled and asked, "Really? It seems I still have suitors. Did you ask someone to introduce me to them?"

Seeing the smile on Liu Yan's face, Director Qin felt relieved and smiled as well, saying, "Some I asked to introduce you, and some others brought it up to me on their own initiative." Liu Yan asked, "What kind of people are they?" Director Qin said, "Some are from the military, and some are from civilians. I didn't know what you were thinking, and I didn't tell you, but now there's one I feel is very suitable, so I wanted to talk to you about it, and I wonder if you'd be interested." Liu Yan felt very amused at this point and said, "If you want to talk about it, then just say so." "Director Qin said, 'This man is a teacher at Jianghan University, twenty-eight years old this year. He's from Xi'an, and both his parents are intellectuals, working at some design institute. I thought you'd be interested in intellectual families, so I wanted to tell you about him.'

Liu Yan said 'Oh' expressionlessly. Director Qin continued, 'This man has been married before. His ex-wife was a doctor, and she died in a car accident less than two years after their marriage. I heard this young man is very nice, honest, and good-looking. I was thinking, would you like to meet him?' Liu Yan said, 'Oh, he's married too. I thought he was single.'

Director Qin didn't detect the dislike in Liu Yan's words and quickly said, 'There are single men too. I was just considering that this man is a university teacher, so I told you about him first. If you don't like that he's married, then I…' Liu Yan said, 'Okay, I don't want to hear any more. To be honest, I'm not interested in introductions. What kind of arrangement is it to bring two complete strangers together?'" "Director Qin said, 'We've introduced quite a few couples. As long as they have feelings for each other and can get along well, what's wrong with that? It doesn't matter if they don't work out, meeting in person is always a good thing.'

Liu Yan asked, 'How did you get in touch with people at the local university?'"

Director Qin said, "This boy's aunt works in our provincial party committee. A colleague from my unit arranged this; I don't know anyone from universities." Liu Yan asked,

"Did you tell them about my situation? Did you mention I have a child?" Director Qin said, "Of course I told them. They want to meet you and talk to you. It's just a meeting; whether it works out or not is secondary."

At this moment, Liu Yan felt a pang of sadness. Had she really fallen so low as to have to go through an arranged marriage? Was she really going to have to seriously consider remarriage? She recalled Jin Ling's mention of Ouyang Yiming on the phone, and some of Jin Ling's words and things about Ru Han. Although she had reservations about the introduced man, the university professor was somewhat similar to Ouyang Yiming. After all, he was an intellectual; she hoped his appearance would resemble Ouyang Yiming's—wearing glasses like him, a man exuding a scholarly air.

But she still had doubts about whether any man could accept Ru Han, so she asked, "Do you think this person can accept Ru Han?" Director Qin said, "Since you've already told him about the child, and he's willing to meet, I think he'll accept the child."

Liu Yan thought, yes, since she had made it clear to him that she was a woman with a child, he must have considered that. However, whether he could truly accept her child from the bottom of his heart, whether he could treat her like his own child, still made her doubtful. Although there were such men, and she believed there were, whether she would meet such a man was still unknown. No matter who it was, if he couldn't accept the child, and couldn't treat Ru Han like his own child, it was absolutely unacceptable. Since she was already planning to remarry, meeting him wouldn't hurt.

Before she could speak, Director Qin said, "I heard this child is quite good-looking. If you'd like to meet him, I can talk to the matchmaker and arrange a meeting." Unexpectedly, Liu Yan then said, "Don't you sense that this person is also after our family?" Liu Yan's words came out unconsciously. In her mind, her mother should care a lot about social standing, yet she was being introduced to someone with no status, not a good match, and who had hurt her husband's wife. Liu Yan was puzzled.

Director Qin's face flushed red. He glanced at Liu Yan a few times and said, "Liu Yan, I didn't mean anything by it. I just want you to have a happy family. Don't keep reopening old wounds like this. I don't mean any harm." His eyes were red as he spoke.

Although Liu Yan hadn't thought much about what she'd said earlier, she felt guilty for hurting her mother. She said, "Mom, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just meant, how could he possibly accept Ru Han?"

Director Qin said, "He's been married before. Liu Yan, I've considered this matter today. I won't hide it from you; I know you care about Ouyang Yiming, you care about intellectuals like him, that's why I'm talking to you about this person. He's similar to Ouyang Yiming to some extent, so I feel he's a good match for you, and I feel you might be interested. Liu Yan, I didn't want to mention Ouyang Yiming, but now..." "Let me say a few more words. It's impossible for you and Ouyang Yiming to be together in this lifetime, so try to accept it. I can't ask you to forget Ouyang Yiming, and in fact, you can't. Just think of it as something for Ouyang Yiming's child, and for your own happiness; you have to consider your personal matters. I won't interfere with your marriage, nor will I try to control your thoughts. Whichever option you're satisfied with, marry him. If you're not satisfied, I will never say a word about you marrying him. If you want my advice, I'll give you some suggestions; if you don't want my advice, I absolutely won't give any. Yanzi, you need to consider your personal matters." Liu

Yan felt a pang of sadness after hearing her mother's words. She thought for a moment and said, "Mom, I'll think about it." Director Qin said, "Alright, we'll talk about it when you've thought it through." He stood up, looked at Liu Yan, and left. After

Director Qin left, Liu Yan lay on the bed, pondering. Was it really time to actually remarry? Was it really time to find a man to live with? Was it really time to find a father for Ruhan? Although she had thought about this before, she only made up her mind after Jinling brought her news of Ouyang Yiming. Now, putting this into practice still felt sudden. Should she

just continue like this without looking? How could she possibly live her whole life with Ruhan without considering remarriage? Now she understood that there was no hope for Ouyang Yiming in this lifetime, and that he might already be slowly forgetting her. Just as Jinling said, why cling to that impossible relationship? She could meet him, and if she wasn't satisfied after one meeting, she could stop seeing him. Even if they spent some time together and she wasn't satisfied, they could separate. But ultimately, there was a goal: she could never be with someone who couldn't accept Ruhan.

At this moment, she suddenly thought of matters of the heart, and her heart fluttered a little, but she quickly said firmly to herself, "This time, no matter what the situation, I must be very careful about this. I absolutely cannot let anyone catch me like before I married Zhang Lei."

She felt a surge of excitement, wondering what kind of man he would be. She imagined him as a university professor, a very refined and cultured type—exactly the kind of man she hoped to find. What does he look like?

Can he resemble Ouyang Yiming? At the very least, his demeanor should be somewhat similar to Ouyang Yiming's refined elegance. Will his temperament and personality satisfy her? If she really develops feelings for him after meeting him, and they can get along well in the future, should she really marry this man? At this moment, Ouyang Yiming's image reappeared before her eyes. She thought to herself, "Ouyang Yiming, you've probably already forgotten me, and I can't keep clinging to this affection of yours. If you haven't forgotten me or don't hate me, then wish me and your son happiness."

As she thought this, she couldn't help but get out of bed again, take out the suitcase containing photos of Ouyang Yiming and herself that she had always kept there, and look through the photos. As she looked at each one, a wave of bitterness and sadness welled up in her heart, and she couldn't help but shed tears again.

A week later, on a Sunday afternoon, arranged by Director Qin's colleague, Liu Yan met the man at a teahouse. The man was about 1.75 meters tall, with a round face, glasses, a high nose, and a broad forehead. He wasn't particularly thin or fat, but fair-skinned and possessed a scholarly air. Upon meeting, their eyes met, and the man blushed, his shy demeanor reminding Liu Yan of her first encounter with Ouyang Yiming.

Liu Yan smiled and generously invited him to sit down. The man didn't sit, but instead bowed to refill Liu Yan's tea. Liu Yan noticed his plump, white hands trembling slightly. After sitting down, the man glanced at Liu Yan and then lowered his head. Liu Yan said, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Liu Yan. You know my situation, right?" The man looked up and nodded, saying, "I know. My name is Tan Qihao. I teach engineering mathematics at Jianghan University. You know my situation too, right?"

At this moment, Liu Yan felt extremely ridiculous. She suddenly remembered a joke she had told Jin Ling and the others at the hospital. It was about a man and a woman who met through an introduction. They didn't have much to say at first, so they introduced themselves. After that, they ran out of things to say and started listing their height, weight, and so on. She thought to herself that her current situation was very similar to that joke. Would she then have to introduce herself and her weight next? Thinking about this, she no longer felt amused, but rather a sense of sadness.

Looking up at the man, she noticed he kept glancing at her. She said, "Engineering mathematics must be very complicated; I know absolutely nothing about it. Haha, I'm just a vocational school graduate."

The man smiled and said, "Once you understand it, it won't seem difficult." Liu Yan thought to herself, "That's obvious; of course it won't seem difficult once you understand it." She smiled and said, "You're quite knowledgeable." The man quickly replied,

"So-so, so-so." Looking at the man who avoided eye contact, Liu Yan found his words amusing and asked, "How many years have you been teaching?" The man said, "Six years. I stayed on to teach after graduating from university; I'm a lecturer now."

Liu Yan didn't understand the difference between a lecturer and a professor, so she didn't ask. She said, "I heard your hometown is Xi'an. Are you settling in well here?" The man replied, "Yes, I'm settling in well. I went to school here, and I've been here for ten years." Liu Yan thought to herself that her questions were pointless. She figured he'd been in this city for many years; how could he stay if he wasn't comfortable?

But she really didn't know what to say. It seemed this man was unwilling to initiate conversation. She wondered what to say next. Watching the man pick up his cup and take a sip of tea, she also picked up her cup and took a sip, then put it down and lowered her head, thinking, "Is this man really so taciturn? Living with someone like this would be unbearable." A gloomy feeling settled over her. Then she wondered, "Is this what intellectuals are like? Is this the kind of personality I admire or dislike?" She thought to herself, "I neither admire nor dislike his personality." Perhaps he was a little reserved at their first meeting, and then she thought back to how she first met Ouyang Yiming.

At this moment, Liu Yan hoped the man would say something. After a period of silence, the man remained silent, and Liu Yan grew somewhat annoyed and bored. She felt a urge to leave, but she felt a little embarrassed to leave after only a few words. So she asked, "Do you like children?" The man said, "Yes, I do." Liu Yan said, "I have a child, a boy." The man said, "I like boys." Liu Yan asked, "Will you love my child the way you love your own?" The man said, "I love all children. If, if… I would treat this child as my own." Liu Yan's heart skipped a beat. The man didn't say much, but Liu Yan believed his words were sincere, and her heart stirred. However, it wasn't appropriate to talk too much about children on their first meeting. Liu Yan asked, "Why did you decide to have someone introduce you?" The man blushed and said, "I'm not very good with words." Liu Yan thought to herself, "I can tell."

Liu Yan asked, "So, were you and your ex-wife introduced by someone?" The man shook his head and said, "No, we were classmates, high school classmates. We're both from Xi'an, and we both got into two different universities in this city after graduation, and then we were both assigned here."

Liu Yan thought to herself, "They were already dating in high school. I really didn't realize this man, who isn't good with words, had such an ability." Liu Yan looked at him and asked, "So, you and your ex-wife were in love for many years. You must have loved her very much." The man's eyes reddened, and he nodded, saying, "Our feelings for each other were very deep. When she had her car accident last year, we had been in love for over ten years. She was a good woman, a very good woman." Tears streamed down his face as he spoke, and he looked up at Liu Yan, saying, "I never thought she would leave so soon, I never imagined it. You don't know, she was already six months pregnant. With her passing, I've lost two loved ones." He shook his head painfully and said, "I never thought, I never dreamed she would leave me so soon. That afternoon, she was riding her bicycle home after work, passing by that place without red..." A car crashed into her at the intersection with the green light. I had told her many times before that she shouldn't ride her bike to work during her pregnancy, but she thought it was too much trouble to change buses, so she didn't think about it. She never imagined something like this would happen. If she had listened to me, this would never have happened! I had a premonition that something was going to happen that day, and I was anxious all day. And then, this happened. That night, I had already prepared dinner, and I waited and waited for her to come home, but she didn't. I was very worried, so I couldn't help but go look for her. At that intersection, I heard people talking about the car accident, and I had a feeling that something had happened to my wife. I rushed to the nearby hospital, and sure enough, it was her…" The man stopped speaking here, tears streaming down his face.

Liu Yan felt a pang of sadness as she listened, moved by the man's deep affection for his deceased wife. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she said, "Don't be sad.

I'm sorry, I made you sad." She thought to herself, "I never imagined that my question would plunge this man into such profound grief." A sense of unease crept into her heart.

The man, realizing his lapse in composure, quickly pulled out a tissue to wipe his tears. He looked up at Liu Yan and said, "I'm sorry, I lost my composure." Liu Yan said, "It's alright, I understand.

I can see you have deep feelings for her." As she spoke, Liu Yan thought of Ouyang Yiming again, and tears welled up in her eyes. The man, noticing her distress, said somewhat uneasily, "I'm sorry, I... I made you sad."

He handed her a tissue. Liu Yan smiled faintly, took the tissue, and wiped her tears. The man said, "I can tell you're a kind-hearted woman." Liu Yan looked at him but remained silent. The man said, "I shouldn't be telling you this now." Liu Yan said, "It's okay, it's okay."

They were silent for a moment, heads bowed. The man said, "Tell me about your situation, about you and your..." Liu Yan looked up at him, shook her head slightly, and said, "I have nothing to say. My ex-husband and I just had relationship problems, nothing more." The man said "Oh," looked at Liu Yan, and didn't ask any more questions.

Liu Yan said, "I got married rather hastily, without getting to know each other thoroughly, so I regret it." The man nodded and asked, "Didn't he ask for custody of the child when he divorced you?" Liu Yan's heart skipped a beat. She said, "He did ask, but I won't give it to him. For me, the child is my life." The man nodded and said, "I understand. Maternal love is the strongest and greatest." Liu Yan appreciated this statement, but in her heart she thought, "This child isn't Zhang Lei's; it's the child I have with the man I love most. Of course, I won't give it to him."

But she would never tell this man about it.

The man asked, "Did you and your ex-husband have a love marriage?" Liu Yan thought for a moment and said, "Not really. We lived in the same compound when we were little. I served in the army for many years and was transferred back here, where we met again. My father and his father were old comrades-in-arms, that's all." Liu Yan didn't want to talk about this topic with him, nor did she want him to ask again. The man nodded and asked,

"I heard his father is also a high-ranking official?" Liu Yan was starting to feel a bit disgusted by this topic. She hummed in agreement, picked up her cup, took a sip of tea, and looked at the tea set on the table, thinking about changing the subject, but couldn't think of anything to say for a moment. The man said, "My parents are both intellectuals, you know?" Liu Yan nodded and said, "Yes." The man said, "I never thought my aunt would introduce me to the child of a high-ranking official."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yan became interested again, suddenly remembering that Ouyang Yiming had also been very worried about this issue. She also suddenly thought of her own mother, who had always boasted about her family background and was unwilling to accept a child from an ordinary family like Ouyang Yiming. Unexpectedly, several years later, she married a man of equal social standing, then divorced, and now, under her mother's manipulation, is in the prelude to remarriage with a man from an intellectual family. Life is a cycle; the child from the family her mother once looked down upon is now being enthusiastically matched with her. It's truly absurd. What's sad is that this man is no longer Ouyang Yiming.

At this moment, Liu Yan wanted to hear this man's views on the children of high-ranking officials, so she asked, "Do you care a lot about the children of high-ranking officials?" The man was taken aback. Liu Yan felt her question was inappropriate and quickly said,

"What I mean is, do you have a prejudice against us children of high-ranking officials?" The man smiled and said, "No, no, to be honest, I'm a little intimidated by you children of high-ranking officials, but you don't seem like it." Liu Yan smiled and said, "You don't seem like it, but you definitely are." The man smiled and said, "You definitely are, but I don't see that kind of air about you." Liu Yan smiled and said, "I don't know what that kind of air should look like. I'm just like this, and I don't pretend." The man said, "That's for the best. There's no need to pretend."

At this moment, Liu Yan was surprised to find that the man's demeanor was already very relaxed, without the restraint he had shown when they first met. Liu Yan smiled and remained silent. She thought to herself, when she met Ouyang Yiming, he didn't know she was the child of a high-ranking official. Even after Ouyang Yiming found out, he was still somewhat intimidated. Does this mean that children of high-ranking officials are intimidating to everyone, giving them a sense of being unapproachable? Thinking about it, she had been divorced for two or three years. Everyone should know that she was a divorced woman, but no one had ever expressed this to her.

Aside from her parents' status, her own circumstances are quite good. Although she has a child, if she goes out alone or with colleagues without telling others, no one would believe she is a mother. This is likely because she is the child of a high-ranking official. Men from similarly privileged backgrounds might look down on her for being divorced and having a child, while men from slightly lower backgrounds might fear her parents' status. Therefore, no man has expressed interest in her so far. If this is all because of her family, it's truly pathetic. Must she only meet through introductions? Only then can she find a remarried man?

Liu Yan nodded and said, "Yes, one should be open and honest; one shouldn't hide their feelings." At this moment, she thought of her child again, saying this to remind the man that if he had any concerns about her having a child, he should speak up as soon as possible. Liu Yan's biggest worry is whether a remarried man would truly accept her child. Liu Yan didn't want to speak frankly, and the man, of course, wouldn't understand her true meaning either. So he just smiled and agreed, saying, "That's right, that's right, don't hide your thoughts." At this moment, the man was also reminding Liu Yan that if she looked down on his family, she shouldn't keep her thoughts to herself. In this light, the two of them were quite comical.

Liu Yan smiled, picked up her cup, took a sip of tea, and thought, "It's really not good to express too much now. It's not good to be too blunt on a first meeting." So what should she say? A first meeting is probably just about getting a sense of the other person's impression on you! So what was her impression of this man? She quickly came to an answer: "I don't dislike him, but I don't particularly like him either. He hasn't stirred any feelings in me. But we could continue to get to know each other." Thinking this, she still felt a little ridiculous. After thinking for a moment, she didn't think there was much more to say, and smiled, saying, "I should go back now. I'm afraid my child will miss me at home." The man looked at her with some reluctance and nodded.

Back home, Director Qin hurriedly asked her, "Back so early? How was it?" Liu Yan looked at her and said, "What could it be like on our first meeting?" Director Qin smiled and said, "I'm asking how you feel about him." Liu Yan understood her mother's meaning from the first question, but she just didn't want to say. Now that her mother was asking so directly, she said, "Well, he's alright." Director Qin seemed unusually excited and said, "That's good. I heard he's quite good-looking." Liu Yan said, "He's alright." Director Qin smiled and said, "Alright means you're at least somewhat attractive. We wouldn't want a man we don't like. Let's see how things go in the future." Liu Yan hummed in agreement and asked, "Where's Ru Han?" Director Qin said, "The nanny took him out to play." Liu Yan asked, "Dad went out too?" Director Qin said, "He said he had something to do and hasn't come back yet." Liu Yan said "Oh" and sat down on the sofa.

Director Qin smiled at Liu Yan, who blushed and turned to her mother, asking, "Why are you looking at me like that?" Director Qin felt pleased; regardless of whether this marriage would work out, Liu Yan was starting to consider remarriage. As long as she had this thought, finding a decent man wouldn't be a problem. Director Qin said, "I've heard this young man is quite steady."

Liu Yan said, "He seems that way." Director Qin said, "Cultivated men are often very shrewd." Liu Yan pictured the man; he seemed quite refined. Director Qin said, "You'll get to know him better after a few more meetings." Liu Yan said, "No matter what, I won't accept a man who isn't genuinely virtuous, no matter how good he is." Director Qin paused, then said, "You should be able to accept him. A highly educated person should have that kind of open-mindedness."

Liu Yan thought to herself, "That's not necessarily true; it's determined by a person's inner qualities," but she didn't say it aloud. Director Qin said, "We didn't hide anything from him. We made it clear from the beginning that if he couldn't accept it, we wouldn't meet him." Liu Yan thought this made sense and remained silent. Director Qin said, "If you feel there's potential, then give it a try." Liu Yan said, "That's right. You can't truly understand someone without a long period of getting to know them." She wondered why she didn't feel the same way she did when she first met Ouyang Yiming; it felt more like a routine. But she didn't feel any aversion towards him. She'd give it a try.

Just then, Ouyang Yiming's image flashed before Liu Yan's eyes, and she instantly felt a little irritated. She stood up and said, "I'm going upstairs to rest for a while." Director Qin quickly asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Liu Yan nodded. Director Qin looked at her and said, "You should rest. I'll call you when it's time to eat."

Liu Yan returned to her room, closed her eyes, and lay down on the bed. Her mind kept wandering to that man, but it was quickly replaced by the image of Ouyang Yiming. She felt agitated, thinking, "Ouyang Yiming, you don't care about me anymore, so why are you still hovering in front of me? You have Xu Hui by your side, and I should have a man by my side too!" Thinking this, she felt a pang of sadness, silently blaming herself, "Ouyang Yiming, how could you forget me? How could you forget me?" A feeling of heaviness and suffocation settled in her heart, so she told herself, "Don't think about it anymore, don't think about anything." But the image of Ouyang Yiming wouldn't leave her mind. Her mind was a jumbled mess. Just then, she heard Ru Han's voice downstairs, so she got up and went down. That evening,

after dinner, she returned home and lay in bed, still thinking about her meeting with that man that afternoon. Thinking about the sadness he showed when he spoke of his deceased ex-wife, she sighed inwardly: "

What a loyal and devoted man!" He seems very devoted to women. This man says he loves children and will treat them like his own. Can he really treat Ruhan like his own child? If he truly accepts Ruhan from the bottom of his heart, with his university professor education, he can certainly provide Ruhan with a good education. This man is quite good-looking and has a refined air that I admire; he should be satisfactory to me. My first impression of this man is really quite good. But why don't I feel that irrepressible heartbeat?

Will I really live with this man in the future? Can I really let go of Ouyang Yiming and accept him? Will he really be Ruhan's future father? Will we really marry and have his children? As I think about this, Ouyang Yiming's image reappears before my eyes, and I feel somewhat troubled again. I close my eyes and think for a while, but I still can't figure out if I can accept, or should I accept, this man.

"This is only our first meeting. There's so much more to learn about him. Whether I can be with this man, or whether I'd be unsuitable and choose another, requires extreme caution," Liu Yan thought to herself.

"What's his name again?" Liu Yan wondered, racking her brain for a while but still unable to recall it. She found it both funny and ridiculous. "How could I not even remember his name?"

That night, Liu Yan had a dream in the middle of the night. In the dream, she and Ouyang Yiming were having sex under that tree. Liu Yan woke up in a state of extreme excitement, her heart pounding wildly. She was astonished, wondering how she could have such a dream on the night she met that man. Images of Ouyang Yiming and the other man flashed before her eyes. Staring blankly at the ceiling for a while, she suddenly realized that her lower body

was already soaking wet…

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