Chapter 65.2 - The Unconventional "Apocalypse" (1)
She chose Su Aobai because she felt he was a controllable man who could give up his career for her and return to manage the family and care for their child. However, plans didn’t go as expected, and the opportunity to work abroad caused her previous plans to fall through.
If they had remained in the same place, it would have been reasonable for her to insist that Su Aobai sacrifice his career to take care of the family. But with one of them going abroad and the other staying at home, and with her believing she would have better prospects abroad and wanting to stay permanently in that developed country, even as a self-serving person, she felt uncomfortable keeping Su Aobai from pursuing his own life.
So, after deciding to go abroad, she directly proposed a divorce to Su Aobai.
The house had been purchased with Su Aobai’s down payment, and the mortgage was considered joint property. She didn’t want her share of this property and also refused to take their daughter, who wasn’t yet a year old.
Thus, after just over 2 years of marriage, Su Aobai found himself divorced and with a young daughter who needed care.
He clearly couldn’t take care of his daughter while working, so he immediately thought of his mother. After some discussion, Deng Caihua took the granddaughter back to the countryside to care for her, while Su Aobai sent a monthly allowance for their living expenses.
Su Aobai was a man without strong opinions, often just going along with what others said. His romantic relationships and marriage were initiated by his wife, and when she requested a divorce, he helplessly called his mother to discuss the matter with his wife. He was unaware of the tumultuous process during their discussions and only knew that his mother eventually told him that his wife couldn’t be kept, so he should let her go. He then obediently went with the woman to get a divorce certificate.
Now that his mother had arranged for his daughter, he had no objections. He continued as a 996 worker, occasionally taking a day or 2 off to visit his mother and daughter.
Deng Caihua never flaunted her youngest son’s salary, so in the eyes of outsiders, Su Aobai, who worked in a private company, had his wife leave him and was left with a young child requiring his mother’s care, was undoubtedly seen as a failure.
In the competition between Deng Caihua and Ma Aifang over their sons, Su Aobai had undoubtedly been a burden to his elder brother, allowing Ma Aifang to overtake her rival and finally leave Deng Caihua behind.
***
“I’ve resigned.”
Facing Aunt Ma’s inquisitive gaze, Su Aobai spoke calmly.
The “Su Su” Aunt Ma referred to was Su Aobai’s daughter’s nickname. Su Su was 3 and a half years old now, and was a very cute little girl.
“Resigned!?”
Aunt Ma exclaimed, “Why on earth would you resign out of the blue?”
Was he planning to return to the countryside to live? Good grief, Deng Caihua had already been raising his child; now, it seemed he was coming home to make trouble for his mother as well.
“Is it because your boss made you unhappy? Don’t worry. You don’t know this, but your brother Zhiyong just opened a new branch recently and is short of staff. As a graduate of a prestigious university, it would be easy for your brother Zhiyong to arrange a managerial position for you.”
Ma Aifang emphasized the words “prestigious university,” recalling how Deng Caihua’s sons had flaunted their high university admissions back in the day. She had deliberately avoided them, only to be cornered by Deng Caihua and handed two handfuls of wedding candies, which had enraged her.
Now, it seemed that good academic credentials didn’t necessarily guarantee success. If Deng Caihua had been willing to speak a few kind words to her, she would have made sure her son arranged a good job for Su Aobai.
The people around them showed understanding expressions.
Ma Aifang was clearly still holding a grudge against Deng Caihua. She was flaunting her son’s capabilities, suggesting that if Deng Caihua’s son ever worked under her son, Deng Caihua would be inferior to her.
Yet, despite these thoughts, who among them wasn’t envious?
Many villagers had previously hoped that Ma Aifang could arrange jobs for their children through Lin Zhiyong, but Ma Aifang had always declined, citing the company as being related to her in-laws, and she didn’t want to make arrangements for her own family to avoid any accusations of favoritism.
This was the first time she had guaranteed a job for her own son, and even if it was partly to compete with Deng Caihua, it was a genuine offer.
The onlookers were eager to agree on Su Aobai’s behalf. He wasn’t particularly capable, and working for Lin Zhiyong, who had grown up with him, should pose no risk of being mistreated.
Unlike their competitive mothers, the children of these two families had a good relationship from childhood.
“I’ve been busy with work all these years. Now, I just want to take some time off to rest and spend time with my mother and Su Su.”
Su Aobai declined Aunt Ma’s kind offer.
This distressed Ma Aifang. Was he really not going to earn money anymore? Was he expecting Deng Caihua to farm and support him?
Enough of that. That woman is all talk and no substance, as thin as a door panel, and she’s not even enjoying the benefits of her children at her age. It’s truly impressive how she manages.
If she worked herself to death, who would argue with me in the future?
Aunt Ma’s long face grew even longer. No, she had to call her son and have him talk to Su Aobai’s elder brother. She couldn’t let Su Aobai’s family continue their recklessness. With that thought, Ma Aifang hurried home.
***
When Su Aobai returned home, dragging his large and small bags, Deng Caihua was watering the vegetable garden in the front yard. With a wet towel on her head and under the blazing sun, she occasionally rubbed her chest, looking a bit pale.
“Mom!”
Hearing her beloved youngest son’s voice, Deng Caihua turned around with a look of surprise.
“Er Bai!”
Although she had initially thought that the name Er Bai sounded somewhat harsh and unappealing, it had eventually become Su Aobai’s nickname. Nicknames weren’t as particular as formal names, and everyone around used it.
The old lady placed the watering can in the nearby bucket and happily went to greet him.
The little girl, who had been searching for ladybugs in the garden with her face flushed and sweat on her forehead, also looked up. However, she lifted her head too quickly, causing her chubby body to fall backward, and she landed on her bottom.
She blinked twice and was about to cry when she saw her grandmother eagerly moving towards her father. The little girl considered the effort required to cry with no audience around. She then braced herself with her hands, stood up, patted the dirt off her bottom, and waddled towards the man who had appeared without warning.
“Daddy!”
She called out with a childish voice, her short and chubby figure spinning around Su Aobai and her grandmother like a little butterfly.
Her large eyes were fixed on the luggage Su Aobai was carrying.
Daddy = snacks = toys!
The little girl licked her lips, her chubby hands hugging the suitcase, wishing she could dive right into it.
“Why didn’t you let us know you were coming back?”
After saying that, Deng Caihua noticed the large and small bags her son had brought.
This…
Before she could ask further, she felt a momentary dizziness due to her earlier excitement and the fast walking. If Su Aobai hadn’t been quick to support her, the old lady might have fallen face-first to the ground.
“It’s nothing, nothing at all. The weather is just too hot. Mom will sit down and rest for a bit.” Deng Caihua waved her hand. She had felt a bit unwell when she woke up that morning, and now her ears were buzzing.
But the older generation always preferred to endure discomfort, and Deng Caihua didn’t think much of it.
“No, Mom, you look too pale. I’m taking you to the hospital.”
Su Aobai set down his bags without bothering to organize them and, taking the woman’s arm, started to lead her outside. He also reminded his daughter to follow along.
The little girl, drooling, glanced at the bags left behind and then looked longingly at her father and grandmother.
Going to the hospital?
Would Grandma also get needles?
The little girl thought Grandma would surely cry, so she needed to stay by Grandma’s side to comfort her.
She soon made up her mind and ran after them with short, quick steps.
In Su Aobai’s memories, his mother had passed away suddenly from a heart attack the day after tomorrow, and then the world had undergone drastic changes. In the upheaval that altered people’s lifestyles for decades, the absence of Deng Caihua as the mainstay had led Su Aobai to live in chaos and had also dragged down his only daughter, Su Su.
After arriving in this world, Su Aobai made a decisive choice to resign and return to the countryside.
Besides wanting to prevent his mother’s death, it was also to prepare for the forthcoming major upheaval.