©WebNovelPub
The Young master's fake bride and her lucky system-Chapter 235: Father-son talk. [2]
Zhang Xian was not expecting Caishen to be so direct with this question. He didn't even think that the children were aware that the elders had made this request of him already.
He squirmed a little in the chair and gulped some saliva but his mouth felt dry. Before Biming left, he had placed a bottle of water in front of Zhang Xian. He reached for it, opened it and took one big gulp before setting it back down with unnecessary force.
The door opened and Biming walked in with one of Caishen's secretaries. She was carrying two porcelain bowls of mixed fruit and she placed them down. To this, Biming added two cups of honey lemon tea because he had no idea the meeting would run for, after all, it was a family re-union.
"Please excuse us." he said politely.
The door was once again closed and both men were alone again. Caishen immediately looked at his father intensely. They had to start off where they had left.
Zhang Xian sighed. There was no escaping this question, it seemed. Honesty seemed to be the best way to go in this situation.
He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, bending forward and leaning his elbows against his knees. "I want to." he admitted.
Caishen was somewhat pleased with this answer. But he knew that there was so much more his father had to say so he held off on reacting or responding,
Zhang Xian indeed continued on, "I have lived the past twenty six years of my life believing that I was an orphan. I had no memories of my past or relatives. I thought that I was alone in the world.
But, as it turns out, I am not an orphan and I have many relatives. Many people might think that I am excited to return home because of the wealth but that's not it." He looked Caishen in the eyes and said with all the sincerity he could muster, "I am excited because I have parents. I have people to talk to when life gets hard. I have a mother that cries when she thinks of the hardship I have endured or might endure. I have a father that lightly touched my scars and cried when he saw their crude ugliness. I finally have some warmth in my life.
Visit freewebnoveℓ.com for the best novel reading exp𝒆rience.
Many people have no idea how cold the world is when you have no parents. Being an orphan doesn't just hurt when you are child. For adults too, it can be hard."
He noticed the sudden sadness and understanding in Caishen's eyes and it reminded him that he too had grown up without a father. In a way, they had shared some of the same pain.
He sat upright and said softly, "Sorry, I should not be speaking so carelessly ."
"No, it's okay. I want us to be honest with each other because that is the easiest way to rebuild. If you share your thoughts and I share mine, we can forge an understanding."
Caishen felt sorry for his father. He must have endured hardships, many of them on his own without a person to rely on. How lonely could he have been even with Na Na as his side as his wife and Wang Yong as a son.
He pointed at the fruit bowl and gestured. "Eat something, father. My wife prepared these fruits, they are quite delicious."
He had no idea if they were delicious but no fruit Alix had ever given him was not delicious. So, he went with the odds.
"Ah, right. How is your wife? I can't believe that I have a married son and I was not there for his wedding. I have missed out on a lot of things in your life." His voice lowered the more he talked. "I am so sorry."
Again, Caishen detected the guilt in his father's voice and he hated it. Why was he blaming himself for that. Why was he apologizing? How was it his fault that he missed out on such things when he couldn't even remember them?
Logic dictated that he shouldn't be burdened by such feelings, but sometimes, emotions overtook logic and someone ended up where his father was, emotionally.
"My wife is fine. She asked me to send her regards when I saw you." He gestured towards the fruit bowl again, urging his father to taste something.
His father used a small brown vintage two pronged fork to pick one of the red berries and he ate it. It was tasty, and pleasant to his tongue. He couldn't help going for a second helping with a little smile on his face.
Seeing that he was enjoying himself, Caishen too ate one of the red berries. For a minute, both men enjoyed their fruits and paused the talk for a while. Zhang Xian even finished off the cup of tea which Biming had set out for him.
"Your wife has good taste." He told Caishen. "In men and fruits."
Caishen laughed softly and nodded. It was true, why else would she like him. It was because she had excellent taste in men. But he wanted to give his father some advise so he didn't put his mind on his wife's preferences and tastes.
He looked at his father, opened his mouth and said, "Father, I think that you should move in and live with grandmother and grandfather. The truth is that they are old, and they have never stopped missing you.
When we found out about the possibility of your being alive, they didn't even hesitate to find out if it was really you. They never cared about any possible complications like Na Na and....." he took a deep breath and added, 'Wang Yong. So, I think that you should put aside all complications and put yourself first.
As for Na Na and Wang Yong, they are both adults and I believe that they will handle themselves appropriately. You have a right to see your parents and live with them."
"She will create trouble." Zhang Xian said, reluctantly.
You could see that he longed to live with his parents but he was also torn between them and the family he had formed. Caishen was not against breaking that family apart, it was not a good one anyway.
"Don't mind her, we will deal with it. Our Zhang family has many special ways to deal with troublemakers. Father, you used to be such a decisive man in the past. You were also honorable and always did the right thing. You have always been a great son, husband and father. It's why you have been missed greatly and are still loved.
Don't just consider Na Na, think about Zhang An too. She would love to get to know you, mother too, I am sure that it's what she wants. You have had twenty six years with them and less with us. It's only fair that we get our own turn to be with you.
First build these relationships as your memory slowly returns and then you will make your decision in future about the path you want to follow."
He moved to his desk, brought the pills Alix had given him and put them in front of his father.
"This is medicine that will help you regain your memory. Two pills a day dissolved in a glass of water. Let's begin here and take things slow until you heal fully. What do you think?"