thebusnovel Chapter 153 The Road Chen Lingling Came From
Chapter 153 The Road Chen Lingling Came From
At 9 PM, Xinghuo Internet Cafe closed.
Only Zhao Weiguo and Chen Lingling remained in the office on the second floor. The accounts had been settled, but neither of them left.
The faint chirping of cicadas drifted in from outside the window.
"Lingling," Zhao Weiguo said hesitantly, "what exactly happened in your family? If you don't want to talk about it, then don't."
Chen Lingling paused as she was sorting through the receipts.
She was silent for a moment, then put the tickets away and sat up straight.
"My hometown is Zhoucun, Zibo. My mother was a laborer on a construction site, and my stepfather... used to be a carpenter."
Her voice was calm, as if she were talking about someone else's business.
"In 1993, I was admitted to the Chinese Department of Shandong Normal University. At that time, my family was doing well. My mother worked on a construction site, and my stepfather did some carpentry work, earning a few hundred yuan a month. I would go home every weekend to cook for my mother."
"I remember it very clearly. That afternoon, I was writing my thesis in my dorm when the head of the department came to me and said that something had happened to my family."
Chen Lingling paused for a moment.
"My mom fell from the third floor of scaffolding at the construction site and died before she could be taken to the hospital."
Zhao Weiguo handed her a glass of water, which Chen Lingling took but didn't drink.
"The construction site boss paid me 50,000 yuan in compensation. That was a lot of money back then. My stepfather took the money and started drinking. When he got drunk, he smashed things and said that my mother's life was cheap and only worth 50,000 yuan."
"Later, he drank more and more and started gambling. He lost 50,000 yuan in less than six months. When he ran out of money, he came to me for more."
"By then, I had already graduated and was working as a Chinese language teacher at a junior high school in my hometown. My monthly salary was 420 yuan. Every time he came to ask for money, if I didn't give it to him, he would make a scene at the school gate, lying on the ground and rolling around, cursing me for being heartless."
"The principal talked to me, saying that it had a bad influence and that the students' parents had objections. He advised me to go home and deal with my family matters first."
Chen Lingling's eyes looked somewhat vacant.
"I tried to reason with him. I said that Mom is gone, and we have to live our lives properly. He got drunk, slapped me, and said that I was like my mother, both of us are jinxes."
"Last winter, around December, he came to ask for money again, and I told him I really didn't have any more. He then shouted at the school gate that I was cheating on him and that I was shameless. A lot of students gathered around to watch."
"The next day, the school officially asked me to leave. The principal said, 'Lingling, you are a good teacher, but this can't go on. Let's put you out of the picture for a while.'"
Zhao Weiguo clenched his fist, "That bastard..."
"I was packing my things to come to Jinan," Chen Lingling continued. "I had only packed half of my luggage when he came back. He was drunk, and when he saw me packing, he blocked the door and wouldn't let me leave."
"He said he had raised me and I had to repay him. I said, 'Mom raised me, but you never cared about me.' Then he pounced on me..."
Her voice lowered.
"My brother was a senior in high school at the time and lived at school. That day, I happened to come home to get my study materials. When I pushed the door open, I saw him pinning me down on the bed."
Zhao Weiguo's breath hitched.
"My brother grabbed a stool from the doorway and smashed it on his head. Blood gushed out immediately. He stopped moving."
"We were terrified. We checked his breathing, and he was still breathing. My brother grabbed me and we ran. We ran to the village entrance, flagged down a tractor, and got to the county town. At the bus station, my brother stuffed all his living expenses into my hands, more than fifty yuan."
He said, "Sister, you should leave quickly. I'm going to work in another city to hide for a while. I'll write to you when things calm down."
"We went our separate ways. I came to Jinan, and he... I don't know where he went."
The office was quiet for a long time.
Only the cicadas chirping outside the window, in bursts.
Zhao Weiguo stood up, walked to the window, and then walked back.
"Any news about your brother?"
"No," Chen Lingling shook her head. "It's been more than three months, and not a single letter. I don't dare go back to the village to inquire."
Where is your stepfather?
"I don't know. He might be dead, or he might not. If he's dead, my brother is a murderer. If he's not dead, my brother is seriously injured."
Her tone remained calm, but her fingers gripped the cup tightly.
Zhao Weiguo didn't know what to say. He had grown up in a harmonious family; both his parents were factory workers. Although they weren't wealthy, they had never worried about money, let alone experienced this kind of violence.
"Lingling," he said finally, "you'll stay here and not go anywhere else. From now on, this is your home."
Chen Lingling looked up at him, her eyes a little red, but she didn't cry.
"Brother Zhao, I'm sorry to have troubled you."
"No trouble at all," Zhao Weiguo said. "Just do your job well. Once you've made some money, we'll figure out how to find your brother. As for your stepfather... that kind of person deserves to die."
"You can't say that," Chen Lingling put down her cup. "After all, he is... never mind."
She stood up.
"It's getting late, Brother Zhao, you should go back now. I'll finish cleaning up a bit more."
"I'll help you."
The two went downstairs. The internet cafe was empty. The computers were all turned off, and the chairs were neatly arranged.
Chen Lingling started mopping the floor. Her movements were very practiced, mopping each corner clean with each stroke.
Zhao Weiguo wiped the table. The two worked in silence.
As they were being dragged to the front desk, Chen Lingling suddenly said, "Brother Zhao, thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?"
"Thank you for not asking me why I didn't call the police or sue him."
Zhao Weiguo stopped.
"You have your difficulties. I understand."
"It's not a problem," Chen Lingling said, holding the mop. "It's an impossibility. If I call the police, my brother will be finished. He's only eighteen this year, with excellent grades, and he could have gone to university."
She paused.
"Besides... he's my stepfather. Even if he deserved to die, it shouldn't have been my brother who did it. My brother was trying to save me."
Zhao Weiguo understood.
"So what do you plan to do?"
"Let's make money first." Chen Lingling continued mopping the floor. "Once I've saved enough, I'll go back to my hometown and secretly inquire around. If my stepfather isn't dead, we'll settle it privately and pay compensation. If my brother is arrested... then I'll hire a lawyer."
"How much money do you need?"
"I don't know. But the more the better."
"I'll help you," Zhao Weiguo said. "Internet cafes are making money now, and you should get a good share of the year-end bonus."
Chen Lingling stopped what she was doing and looked at him.
"Brother Zhao, why are you so good to me?"
Zhao Weiguo was stumped. He scratched his head.
"Because...you deserve it. You're capable, smart, and hardworking. And..." he blushed slightly, "and I think you're exceptionally good."
Chen Lingling smiled. This was the first time she had smiled all night.
"Brother Zhao, you're a good person."
"Don't give me the 'nice guy' card," Zhao Weiguo laughed. "I'm serious."
"I know." Chen Lingling's smile faded. "Right now, all I want to do is make money and find my brother. Everything else... we'll talk about it later."
"it is good."
By the time I finished cleaning, it was already 10:30.
Zhao Weiguo locked the door.
"I'll take you back to the lounge."
"No need, it's right behind us."
"I'll still deliver it."
The two walked to the small courtyard behind the internet cafe. The door to the staff break room was open, and the lights were on inside.
"Brother Zhao," Chen Lingling stopped at the door, "I feel much better after talking to you about all this today. I had no one to talk to before."
"Tell me if anything happens in the future," Zhao Weiguo said. "Don't shoulder it all alone."
"Okay." Chen Lingling nodded. "Goodnight."
"Good night."
Zhao Weiguo watched the door close before turning and leaving.
As I walked out onto the street, a warm summer night breeze blew by.
He recalled the way Chen Lingling spoke: calm, restrained, but something burning deep in her eyes.
It was a kind of unwillingness to give up, a kind of tenacity.
He suddenly understood why she could come up with those management ideas, why she could endure hardship, and why she always managed to do things so well.
Because she had no way out.
She had to move forward; she could only move forward.