Seizing Dreams

“The success of sis-in-law’s father was like Gege’s failure.” Zhou Sheng suddenly said, “A lot of factors in their lives had come into play.”

“Un?” Yu Hao didn’t know why Zhou Sheng suddenly mentioned this. He thought about it seriously for a moment, then said, “Un…Aside from our own efforts, there are other inevitable components as well ba?”

In the past, Yu Hao would not assess Cen Yongchang and his achievements. To him, Cen Yongchang and Zhou Laichun were the same — they were both people far out of his reach, people who belonged to another world.

However, after taking up the role in the newspaper office for half a year, he gradually formed his own concept of wealth and roughly knew that many rich people didn’t act as recklessly as they seemed to. Some relied on loans to maintain capital flow, while some had all their money invested within a capital chain. Once this capital chain ruptured, even for people whose assets amounted to hundreds of millions or even billions, they would go bankrupt right away.

“Uncle Cen had chosen the real estate industry, the industry at the forefront, at the right time. If it wasn’t for the reform in the past decade, and that the money printed by our country had nowhere to go and could only flow toward real estate…I think…un…” As he spoke, Yu Hao shrugged, “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have the right to discipline Gege ba?”

“Success would always be defined by them.” Zhou Sheng said nonchalantly, “Someone must have money, status, and be able to command the wind and rain before they can be considered successful. That’s what my Dad firmly believes in.”

“But we can choose to not be defined by them.” Yu Hao said, “It’s fine as long as Gege has thought it through.”

“Un.” Zhou Sheng finished his hot drink and pulled Yu Hao’s hand over. “It’s really cold today, let’s go. Go and see what that old man wants to say.”

The driver took them to Mt. Yunding. At dusk, Yu Hao suddenly felt a little sleepy, so he leaned on Zhou Sheng’s shoulder and slept for a while. Zhou Sheng just held Yu Hao’s hand and intertwined their fingers as he looked out of the window.

Yu Hao thought that they would head to Dawn of Spring in an Empty Mountain, but unexpectedly, the car veered off onto another road and passed through the newspaper office and park. The car drove to the foot of the mountain — it stopped at the small stir-fry shop that they were most familiar with.

At night, it seemed even colder at the foot of the mountain. The sky was flooded with stars; Zhou Sheng drew aside the plastic curtain on the door, and it was much warmer inside. Zhou Laichun was sitting alone with a small hotpot atop an alcohol stove in front of him. There were six dishes on the table; lotus root, tofu, vermicelli, carp, sliced beef, and san huang chicken cubes.

“Changed to hot pot?” Zhou Sheng asked in surprise.

The boss was still the same boss. He looked outside and asked, “What do you want to add?”

Zhou Sheng, “Anything fresh will do.”

“Sit ba.” Zhou Laichun took a saucer and handed it to Yu Hao. Yu Hao poured soy sauce into it and added some Thai peppers, looking quite accustomed to it. He made a saucer for Zhou Sheng first before making one for himself.

Zhou Laichun, “Sesame paste with beef and mutton rolls;  Chongqing hot pot must have the oil mix;  pork bone broth beef balls with satay sauce, a clear boiling soup, so it has to be matched with sweet soy sauce with Thai peppers sprinkled in it.”

“Un.” Yu Hao casually said, “There are differences between the North and South in kitchens, hotpots, and ingredients; only foodies are the same throughout.”

“Which pot should go with which dip.” Zhou Laichun casually said, “After following Zhou Sheng for so long while travelling so extensively, you must have learnt about what to eat and how you should eat them.”

Zhou Sheng took a bottle of wine and poured some white wine for himself. He looked at Yu Hao, but Yu Hao waved his hand to indicate that he wouldn’t drink. He had been starving since a while ago, so he didn’t bother wasting time with Zhou Laichun and began blanching his own food to eat.

“I didn’t call you during the New Year, so now you won’t come find me?” Zhou Laichun said, “You’re still hung up about that.”

Yu Hao felt like there may be something fishy about today, but the allure of food had left him no time to think. This boss was really too awesome. This was the only meal he had ever eaten that could be better than the meals Zhou Sheng makes. Just based on the culinary skills of this restaurant’s boss alone, Yu Hao sometimes really couldn’t help but think about coming back to Ying City to stay long-term.

Zhou Sheng said sincerely, “Let’s properly eat this meal ba, don’t let down such a delicious hot pot.”

Zhou Laichun lifted his cup and motioned for Zhou Sheng to clink cups. Zhou Sheng ignored him, so Zhou Laichun held his own cup and clinked it with Zhou Sheng’s as a symbolic gesture.

Zhou Sheng drank. Zhou Laichun drank as well.

“In the past year, my sense of taste has deteriorated.” Zhou Laichun said, “Although it hasn’t deteriorated to the point where I can’t taste anything, I do find everything I eat very bland. Tea all tastes bitter to me. Eating anything spicy and numbing tastes bitter to me, and even when I’m eating this hot pot, a bitter taste lingers in my mouth.”

“Have you seen a doctor?” Yu Hao said, “I know someone from  Union, I can get someone to make an appointment for you. Go over and take a look?”

Zhou Laichun, “……”

After a year of separation, Yu Hao actually had his own connections as well and couldn’t help but feel pleased with himself.

“The Laoshi who asked you to help find the patient last time?” Zhou Sheng asked.

“Yeah.” Yu Hao had done an interview at the beginning of the year. It just so happened that a patient went to Union to see a doctor and couldn’t afford the medical fees, so they left halfway. The doctor-in-charge searched everywhere for the patient, so Yu Hao got Zhou Sheng to make use of his inference skills to find that person at the railway station.

Zhou Laichun said, “Even Union wouldn’t be able to treat it, I think.”

“See a doctor if you’re ill.” Yu Hao said, “Don’t hide your sickness for fear of treatment.”

Zhou Laichun was at a loss for words because of Yu Hao again. He thought about it for a bit, then said, “Your Aunt Xiao Qin found a doctor for me; I’ll treat it in Ying City first ba.”

Zhou Sheng took some carp for Yu Hao, and Yu Hao was eating it. He casually said, “Oh.”

However, Zhou Laichun’s ‘your Aunt Xiao Qin’ had revealed some important information. Yu Hao knew that this meant that Zhou Laichun had acknowledged him in a certain sense, so they shouldn’t be quarrelling today.

“How are you doing in Beijing?” Zhou Laichun asked again.

Yu Hao felt like Zhou Laichun’s temper today was the best it has ever been since their first meeting.

“It’s okay.” Zhou Sheng was calm as well. Yu Hao began suspecting that Zhou Laichun may throw a huge bomb at them later, but what else does he have to threaten them with?

“I’m a private detective there.” Zhou Sheng said.

“That’s your dream?” Zhou Laichun laughed helplessly. “I can still understand being a reporter.”

“Of course not.” Zhou Sheng was baffled. “I’m going to take a postgraduate exam. I’ll be taking the exam next year to become a postgraduate student.”

Zhou Laichun didn’t expect that Zhou Sheng would actually be willing to study. He said, “Which major?”

“You don’t need to care about that.” Zhou Sheng didn’t say it, lest Zhou Laichun think that he’s studying business in order to go home and take over the company.

Yu Hao started eating the vermicelli and was more or less full. He was in a very good mood after having eaten his fill. He looked back and saw that the snow outside had piled up into a thick layer; with such beautiful scenery, it would be just perfect for him and Zhou Sheng to go out and take a stroll in the snow.

“Since we’ve wined and dined,” Zhou Sheng said, “let’s get down to business bei. The nights are long during winter. After we’re done, we can go home and hug our wives to sleep, wouldn’t that be great?”

Yu Hao, “……”

Zhou Laichun stared at Zhou Sheng quietly, pondered for a long moment, and laughed helplessly.

“Xiao Qin is pregnant.” Zhou Laichun said.

Zhou Sheng said, “And I actually wondered what the big deal was. Are you waiting for me to congratulate you?”

Yu Hao thought, so it was about this. He smiled and said, “Congratulations.”

“It’s a boy.” Zhou Laichun answered.

“Are you sure you want the kid?” Zhou Sheng studied Zhou Laichun, then said, “Oh well, you’re still young. It’ll just be a little tiring.”

Zhou Laichun had been 22-years-old when he first got married, and he wasn’t even fifty now. However, for middle-aged men in their forties nearing their fifties to raise a child from scratch, as a father, he definitely wouldn’t have the energy to care for the child.

Zhou Laichun said, “It was an unexpected pregnancy. I can get her to abort it, but I think you won’t come back, so I plan on letting it be born. But I’m still holding on to that last bit of unrealistic hope, so I wanted to ask you first.”

When he heard up to this point, Yu Hao didn’t want to listen any further to such an annoying affair, so he got up and left.

“What are you asking me for?” Zhou Sheng couldn’t comprehend Zhou Laichun’s train of thought at all, “You should ask that kid of yours if it wants to be aborted right?!”

Zhou Laichun, “I’m tired, I don’t want to argue. Zhou Sheng, let’s understand each other ba. After taking everything into account, your mother and I have argued for less than ten years at most, but what about you? We’ve argued for over 20 years ba? Are you going to wait until the day I die before you stop arguing with me?”

Sometimes, Zhou Sheng really didn’t know how he was supposed to communicate with his father. He said, “Ask Xiao Qin yourself. If the two of you want a child, then give birth to it. If the two of you don’t want one, then abort it. What are you asking me for? It’s not like I’m the one who got her pregnant!”

Zhou Laichun said impatiently, “You don’t understand what I’m trying to say?”

Zhou Sheng looked absolutely irascible as he looked at Zhou Laichun without saying anything.

Zhou Laichun said, “If you’re willing to come back and take over Yun Lai Chun, I won’t want this child. If you’re not willing to come back, I’ll let him be born, then he’ll be the one taking charge of this business.”

“Oh my God.” Zhou Sheng wiped his face, thought about it, then said, “Dad, when will you learn to respect people? To respect those who don’t have the same views as you?”

Sometimes, Zhou Laichun also felt like there was no way for him to communicate with his son at all.

“Okay, I understand.” Zhou Laichun said, “Don’t talk about it anymore. You just need to tell me what you want. This is your last chance.”

Yu Hao walked quietly in the snow. He looked up at the trees, the red lanterns on the distant railings, and the small, flashing colourful lights. At this moment, in the snowfield, it seemed both lonely and vast between heaven and earth, and the entire world was so tranquil and readily available. Yet the clamorous human world was so far away from him as well.

He recalled the joke that Ou Qihang had told them before. In Qinghua, the difference between people was sometimes even bigger than the difference between humans and dogs.

In this night, the absurd words uttered by Zhou Laichun made him really think that that was true. The words, “if you’re willing to come home to take over the family business, I’ll ask your stepmother to abort the child” seemed just like an exchange between two different species, which really made him confused as to whether he should laugh or cry.

And what was even more amazing was that this actually fit Zhou Laichun’s logic very well.

“What chance?” Zhou Sheng said, “My chance for success?”

Zhou Laichun drank so much he looked intoxicated. He stared at Zhou Sheng. Zhou Sheng said, “Your definition of success is different from mine. Dad, do you understand? Our differences have always stemmed from this.”

“Hasn’t society taught you how to behave?” Zhou Laichun said, “You’ll have to be like a dog for a few more years before you understand, is that necessary? Laozi has already disclosed everything to you, what else do you want?”

Zhou Sheng said seriously, “Is success in the secular sense truly success? Perhaps ba? But it’s not necessary for me. For someone who wants to drink water and eat bread, if you give him a piece of gold, he won’t want it, because that’s not what he wants!”

“You can buy it with gold.” Zhou Laichun said, “You can buy everything you want.”

Zhou Sheng said, “You don’t understand what I mean…forget it, if you don’t get it…”

Zhou Laichun said, “Everything you want can be bought with money!”

“Love too?” Zhou Sheng finally couldn’t hold back anymore, “Family too?! If those could be bought with money, would you have to live like this right now?!”

Zhou Laichun roared angrily as well, “What right do you have to lecture me?!”

“Do you think I don’t know that you still like my Mum?!” With this one roar from Zhou Sheng, Zhou Laichun’s eyes widened in an instant.

Yu Hao bowed down in the snow to cup a handful of snow. He looked back as he heard the father-son pair roar at each other and thought, Well, that’s really breaking news.