Chapter 61 Frozen Time

Just as I was wondering how to explain things to Old Mr. Xu, he finally spoke up, saying, "That's—that's simply wonderful..."

Dragging the sound system along, I followed Old Mr. Xu to a small three-story villa. From the outside, it looked even smaller than Xu Zhixia's villa. Still, since only the elderly couple lived there, it was already more than spacious enough.

Old Mr. Xu opened the iron gate and led me all the way into the main house. The decoration was in a retro style from the previous century, with nostalgic vintage items visible everywhere.

"Xiao Jiang, have a seat on the sofa for a moment. Your Grandma Xu is making breakfast in the kitchen; I'll go tell her to make an extra portion for you."

How could I possibly have an elder cook for me on my very first visit as a guest? I hurriedly got up and followed behind Old Mr. Xu. "We can't have that. Let me go see if I can help with anything."

In the kitchen, Grandma Xu was busy at work. Like Old Mr. Xu, her hair was completely white, but her face didn't look particularly aged, making her appear to be in her early sixties.

"Why are you back so early today? And who is this young man?"

"This is the young man I told you I do Tai Chi with, Xiao Jiang."

"I remember now. You really something, inviting Xiao Jiang over without telling me beforehand. Xiao Jiang, have you eaten yet? If not, just bear with a simple bite with the two of us old folks."

"We're getting on in years and can't eat anything fancy. This morning it's just steamed buns, pickles, and millet porridge. Don't mind it. Next time you come, let us know ahead of time, and Grandma will cook something delicious for you."

Grandma Xu was just as instantly warm and familiar as Old Mr. Xu. Even though it was our first time meeting, she treated me as warmly as if I were her own grandchild, leaving me feeling rather embarrassed.

Seeing that there truly was nothing I could do to help, and with Grandma Xu repeatedly urging both Old Mr. Xu and me to leave the kitchen, I had no choice but to retreat and sit in the living room with Old Mr. Xu to chat.

The television was playing some dry news, while a grandfather clock nearby ticked away, producing a mechanical sound. Connected to the living room was a spacious large balcony, furnished with numerous potted green plants and hanging several bird cages.

A little past five, some birds were still sleeping, while others were already up preening their feathers. I couldn't tell what kind of birds they were calling, but their voices weren't crisp at all; instead, they were somewhat hoarse and harsh to the ear.

Whether it was my imagination or not, time seemed to gradually stagnate here, with everything quietly changing at an extremely slow pace.

It felt as though I could finally understand why the grandchildren of the elderly Xu couple were always so reluctant to come here. Young people were like vibrant fish, leaping and darting through the roaring currents of the times, unwilling to pause even for a second.

Yet here, it was far too tranquil—tranquil like a pool of windless, waveless water where not even the slightest ripple could be stirred. The collision of these two lifestyles inevitably made people want to escape.

If not for my stomach cancer reminding me to give myself a chance to breathe and linger in the final moments of my life, I probably wouldn't have been willing to stop either.

Old Mr. Xu sat right beside me, turning two health walnuts over and over in his hand—wherever they came from—producing an occasional clacking sound of collision, accompanied by the human voices from the television and the birdsong on the balcony.

"Breakfast is ready!"

Grandma Xu served the simple breakfast onto the dining table. Aside from the bowls of golden millet porridge, not a single bright color was to be seen.

The two old people watched me eat, their faces carrying the exact same kind maternal and paternal smiles, which made me feel somewhat uneasy.

After breakfast, they watched me leave. When I walked some distance away and looked back, I could still see their figures gazing at me from the balcony.

In this bustling yet utterly devoid-of-human-warmth city, I suddenly felt the warmth of home once again.

Once I returned from my business trip to Rongcheng, I would head back to Changshui Village and bring my mother over.

When I got back, I happened to see Xiao Zhu emerging from the guest room, looking bleary-eyed. Seeing me return from outside, he said with surprise, "Brother Jiang, you went out so early?"

"Yeah, went out for a morning jog to exercise. Are you heading out?"

Xiao Zhu nodded reluctantly. "Driving out to buy coffee for President Xu, and grabbing some breakfast along the way. Brother Jiang, did you eat? Should I bring something back for you, or are you coming out with me?"

"You go ahead. I need to pack my things; I'm flying to Rongcheng today and need to head to the airport soon."

"Oh, right, you're going to Long'an, aren't you? Okay, then I'll get going first."

My luggage for the business trip was simple: one set of casual clothes, two sets of formal wear, and toiletries. I had also entrusted Zhao Xinze with all of Jianxia's various official seals.

The two of us met up at the airport and entered the security checkpoint one after the other.

As the inspector checked me over, she asked, "What's that in your pocket?"

My body stiffened as I took the medicine bottle out of my pocket. "It's medicine, for a stomach ailment."

Pulling the pill bottle from my trouser pocket—imported medication that Ji Leqing had brought back from abroad—all the text written on it was in English, without a single Chinese character.

I wondered if it would be confiscated; after all, this medicine was quite difficult to come by.

Clearly, the inspector had never seen this kind of medication before. While she didn't let me pass right away, she didn't directly confiscate my medicine either.

Instead, she asked me to wait to the side for a moment while she went to find someone to verify it.

As my companion, Zhao Xinze stood beside me in utter bewilderment and asked in a low voice, "What's going on? Is a stomach medicine worth making such a fuss over? This isn't an international flight, is it?"

I shook my head. "These are imported specialized drugs; being cautious is normal. The departure time is still early, waiting a bit longer is fine."

Fortunately, after more than ten minutes, the inspector returned with the medicine bottle and handed it back to me. "Verified, there are no issues. You two may pass."

Puttng the pill bottle back into my pocket, the stone hanging in my heart finally dropped. As I was leaving, the inspector softly said to me, "I wish you a speedy recovery."

I cast her a grateful look and nodded.

Once on the plane, domestic routes lacked first class; business class was only slightly better than economy, and not by much.

Zhao Xinze and I sat in adjoining seats, leaning directly back against the chair rests to close our eyes and rest.

"Jiang Jian, why don't we take the business class on the high-speed rail on the way back? It's more comfortable than a plane."

"Sure. If you're treating me, we'll take it."

"What are you barking about? You're taking the lion's share of the money once it comes down, yet you're still so stingy."

"How can the advance payment come down that fast? Besides, I'm saving money for a useful purpose."

"What useful purpose? Tell me, let me hear it. How did you turn into an even bigger miser than me?"

After hesitating for a moment, I still didn't tell him about my terminal stomach cancer, opting instead for a different excuse: "A while ago, I found a nursing home for my mother. It's quite expensive, so I have to save some money for her retirement."

Upon hearing that I had arranged a nursing home for my mother, Zhao Xinze asked in confusion, "Why don't you bring auntie over to stay with you and take care of her personally? You don't even need to stare at the company every day; you could just take the money and travel everywhere with her."

To be honest, it wasn't that I hadn't thought about traveling everywhere with my mother to see the magnificent landscapes of our homeland, but my body—I had no idea when it might suddenly give out.