LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 576 - 574: The Person Who Stays with You Until the End
Chapter 576: Chapter 574: The Person Who Stays with You Until the End
Jiang Feng knew the disastrous outcome of the matchmaking dinner as soon as he came out of the kitchen.
It had not worked out.
In Comrade Zheng Siyuan’s heart, watching a movie with his blind date was less important than going back to make another batch of pastries.
Zheng Da was very sad.
He had been very sad from the moment Zheng Siyuan resolutely put on his coat, didn’t look back, and strode away from Taifeng Building.
He had never realized so profoundly that, with his son’s stubbornness, dying alone was not going to be a problem.
He feared he would never get to hold his own grandchildren in this lifetime.
When Jiang Feng came out, Zheng Da had already begun pondering what had made his son, who had been indifferent to others and somewhat irritating since childhood, become the unbearable person he was today.
“Master Zheng, I’m really sorry about what happened today.” Jiang Feng only knew that Zheng Siyuan’s blind date had been unsuccessful, not the specific details of the failure.
But since he had boasted about it earlier and the event had fallen through, an apology was in order, and it looked like Ji Xia’s chance of gaining Master White Chef as a father-in-law had flown away.
“This isn’t your fault; it’s that kid Siyuan who’s disappointing. The girl was perfect in every aspect and quite satisfied with Siyuan, suggesting a movie after dinner. But that boy just put on his coat and left.” Zheng Da grew angrier as he thought about it.
“Could it be that Zheng is not satisfied?” Jiang Feng asked.
“I just called to ask him, and he said he was quite satisfied with the girl. He just wanted to hurry back to make pastries.”
Jiang Feng: ???
“It really makes me mad.” Zheng Da muttered something under his breath that Jiang Feng could not quite catch, but it was probably a diss at Zheng Siyuan, as he took out his phone and sent a few WeChat messages.
“Jiang, I still want to thank you for today. I think that set meal idea of yours was quite useful. Of all the times Siyuan has had blind dates, this was the one where the girl was most satisfied with him. I think we should continue. I’ll ask Ling if he can introduce another suitable girl for another try! If that kid dares to say again that he needs to rush off to make pastries instead of going to see a movie or shopping, see if I don’t wallop him.” Zheng Da viciously threatened.
Seeing Master Zheng like this, Jiang Feng felt that his Master Zheng was perhaps a little too anxious.
Even though Zheng Siyuan was already 35 and still a bachelor, indeed a bit older, there were many men who didn’t get married until their 30s or even 40s and had successful careers. Jiang Feng, as a young man in his early 20s, still thought that matters of love were better left to take their natural course.
If Zheng Siyuan hadn’t found a girl willing to give up pastries for her, then he just had to keep looking. Luck would eventually bring the right person along.
“Master Zheng, I think one can’t rush into marriage. Even if Zheng’s blind date is successful, he still has to date for a while to see if they are compatible. Even if they decide to get married, that will be at least a year or two down the line. You don’t have to be so… agitated.” Jiang Feng tried to find relatively gentle words.
“Look at my grandfather, he got married at 30 and still had my father and four siblings with my grandmother, and he’s very healthy now. You don’t need to worry too much.” Jiang Feng advised.
“I’m not urging him to have children, I’m just…” Zheng Da stopped mid-sentence and sighed. “Jiang, you’re still too young to understand.”
Zheng Da had a son, a daughter, and even a granddaughter. He considered himself to have been somewhat biased toward his son, but he had never shorted his daughter at all; whatever Zheng Siyuan had, his sister had too. In fact, because of Zheng Siyuan’s standoffish nature, he had spent more effort on his daughter and granddaughter than on Zheng Siyuan.
Wanting to hold a grandson or pushing for offspring were just excuses for his eagerness for marriage. What he was truly worried about was not Zheng Siyuan’s future without offspring if he remained unmarried; he was worried about Zheng Siyuan ending up lonely like his master, Jiang Weijin.
But he dared not say it because he knew that if he voiced the real reason, the first to slap him would be Master Huang.
But Zheng Da was afraid, he was really afraid. He feared that if Zheng Siyuan truly decided not to marry and to live his life alone, one day he would end up like Jiang Weijin.
His master was relatively fortunate, his master had two disciples. He and his elder apprentice brother took care of their master like their own biological sons while he was alive, but what of it?
Even a biological son cannot be by his father’s side at all times. Even though he and his elder apprentice brother visited and took care of their master daily, they still could not be there the moment he collapsed by the coal stove.
Zheng Da could never forget when he returned home with a lunch box to discover his master on the ground with several burning coal briquettes on his leg.
Even if a person passes out from pain immediately, the burning coal briquettes would not easily go out. Jiang Weijin didn’t even have time to cry for help, and even if the neighbors heard the stove falling, they wouldn’t pay attention.
Just because there was nobody at home, just because Jiang Weijin had no wife or children, the coal briquettes burned on his leg for nearly an hour.
Zheng Da would never forget that scene, the leg horribly charred, a shocking sight where blood, flesh, and skin were indistinguishable. Among the black, only the faint red light given off by the coal briquettes fluttering in the breeze was both glaring and cruel.
After Jiang Weijin passed away, Zheng Da would often dream of that scene, and even now he would occasionally have that nightmare. He dreamed of Jiang Weijin falling alone and helpless, unnoticed and unaided. The dream was pitch black, everything was black, with only the coals emitting a sinister red glow, like wicked eyes staring fixedly at him.
Every time Zheng Da saw a news report about a single man dying from an electric shock at home, falling to his death, dying suddenly from an illness, or being crushed to death by a heavy object, he would startle because he feared that his own son would be the next headline.
Siyuan was young and strong, in his early 30s, but what about later?
He and his wife would grow old one day; they couldn’t accompany Siyuan through the final journey of his life.
Parents can’t be with you, friends can’t be with you, not even children can be with you. Having sent off his parents and raised his children, Zheng Da knew better than anyone that the person who could accompany you quietly through life, together until the departure of the other, is only your spouse. (Even though his wife is now completely engrossed in doting on their granddaughter and hardly pays him any attention.)
Even if there was no love left, by the end, a marriage that has only kinship left is a bond that is stronger than any other familial relationship, forged through the long years.
Such a bond can only be cultivated over time and only built through marriage.
At least that’s what Zheng Da believed.
He didn’t want to wait until the day Siyuan grew old and fell at home, unable to call out, with no one to answer, no one to lend him a hand. Every time Zheng Da thought of this dreadful scenario, he couldn’t help tearing up, even though Siyuan was only in his 30s.
So Siyuan had to get married, whether at 30 or 40, whether or not he would have children in the future, he hoped there would be someone to accompany Siyuan to the end.
Just like every old couple he saw, growing old together.
“Jiang, just follow today’s menu from now on. I’ll inform you when Ling contacts a new matchmaking prospect. Keep going, I just don’t believe we can’t find a suitable girl in Gusu, can’t find a girl in Beiping that Siyuan approves of, I would even accept someone from abroad.”
“Don’t worry, Jiang. Master Zheng wouldn’t take advantage of you. As long as your brother Zheng is still in the matchmaking process, I’ll stay here and teach Ji Xia the white-case pastry without holding anything back, until he succeeds!”
“I want to see what new tricks he can come up with!”
Jiang Feng: …
Although the thought was somewhat unkind, he really did hope that Zheng Siyuan’s matchmaking would take a bit longer, maybe for a year or two, until Ji Xia had mastered his skills, then…
(:3_ヽ)_
After all, it’s not easy to find a skilled white-case pastry chef these days.