Unexpected Gains

At the dinner table, Tang Xiuju kept asking endless questions.

First, she asked about Tang Mao De, Tang Zhi Chu's father, and then about this restaurant.

Tang Zhi Chu wasn't going to be flustered by a relative. He answered every question and even poured out some of his troubles.

The more they talked, the more Tang Xiuju felt that Tang Zhi Chu had it tough. He understood everything she asked about and arranged things perfectly, proving he had put in the effort and hadn't disgraced the Tang family. Yet, he was only about a year younger than her own son, Tao Bo, both having recently graduated from college.

The more they talked, the more Tang Xiuju felt her son, Tao Bo, was immature.

"Aunt, you know my dad's temper. To be honest, what I do for a living is profitable. I'm covering all his medical expenses with my own money. Of course, father and son shouldn't count these things, but I still feel a bit wronged. He always thinks I'm not doing a proper job. Even now, every time I visit him in the hospital, I get scolded. Sometimes I don't even know what else I'm not doing right."

Tang Zhi Chu sat beside Tang Xiuju, tears welling up as he spoke.

Tang Xiuju also teared up. "You've worked so hard, Zhi Chu."

Tang Zhi Chu waved his hand. "It's not hard, it's not hard. It's usually fine, but with Auntie here, when you ask about these things, I just feel a bit choked up."

Tang Xiuju nodded repeatedly. She understood that feeling.

No matter how much hardship a person endures, they can handle it. But when someone shows concern, they might break down instantly.

"It's my fault too. With your Uncle's situation being so serious, I'm only coming now. And it's your father's fault too. Every time we talk on the phone, he says he's fine, but then he scolds me when I offer to visit."

Tang Zhi Chu chimed in, "My dad's always been like this, even when I was little."

Hearing Tang Zhi Chu mention his childhood, Tang Xiuju's expression turned sad again.

Actually, when she thought about it, her nephew was truly quite pitiful.

Not only did he have a father with a bad temper who also drank and gambled, but his mother had also abandoned him.

From Tang Xiuju's perspective, Tang Zhi Chu's mother had left him and now had a new family.

The more she thought about it, the more Tang Xiuju felt she, as his aunt, hadn't done a good job either, having barely shown any concern for Tang Zhi Chu.

Perhaps it was because people from less fortunate backgrounds were more sensible. Tang Xiuju found herself liking Tang Zhi Chu more and more.

If only he were her son, how wonderful that would be. How much virtue must her scoundrel second brother have accumulated in his past life to have such a good son!

Seeing tears in his aunt's eyes, Tang Zhi Chu quickly handed her a tissue. "Hey, let's not talk about it anymore. Let's eat. It's my fault for bringing this up and upsetting you. Uncle, Xiao Bo, please take some food. These are all specialty dishes from our restaurant."

Tang Xiuju glared. "You child, if you don't tell us, who will you tell? I'm your aunt, we're family!"

Tang Zhi Chu quickly nodded, then stood up and used serving chopsticks to put a piece of braised pork rib on Tang Xiuju's plate. "Aunt, eat, it'll get cold."

Tang Zhi Chu didn't forget Tao Jianshe and Tao Bo either. He specifically moved the good dishes closer to them so they could try.

Tang Xiuju and Tao Jianshe exchanged a look, their eyes filled with heartache. This child had been busy all this time taking care of their family, and he hadn't eaten a single bite himself.

This was completely different from the naive nephew they thought they knew.

Tang Xiuju figured her scoundrel second brother must have said something foolish. He wasn't satisfied with such a good child, which was really fitting.

"Zhi Chu, you eat too."

Tang Zhi Chu nodded. "Mhm, mhm, everyone eat. Um. Aunt."

Tang Xiuju put down her chopsticks. "If you have something to say, just say it. Why are you hesitating with me?"

"It's like this, this afternoon, I might not be able to stay with you. My dad insisted I go on a matchmaking show. If I don't go, he won't take his medicine. I have to go there every afternoon."

Tang Zhi Chu admitted that he had taken a roundabout way to say this.

He had considered ignoring the opinions and feelings of his relatives and doing whatever he wanted.

But after seeing his father lying in the hospital, Tang Zhi Chu changed his mind.

It didn't require much effort, so why should he make things as difficult as Chen Si Yang?

His father was hospitalized with cancer, and he was going on a blind date? Wasn't that unfilial?

And so, this was the arrangement for today.

As expected, upon hearing Tang Zhi Chu say this, Tang Xiuju immediately asked, "Blind date? A matchmaking show?"

Tang Zhi Chu nodded. "You can ask Xiao Bo about this. He should know."

Tang Xiuju frowned. This sounded like something her scoundrel second brother would do. She looked at Tang Zhi Chu again, then said, "Zhi Chu, you can't blame your dad for this. He's like this, he's probably worried about you, which is why he wants you to go on a blind date. But is this reliable?"

Tang Zhi Chu shook his head. "Aunt, it's definitely not reliable, but I can't do anything about it. My dad won't take his medicine."

After saying this, Tang Zhi Chu thought to himself, My cheap old dad, you can't blame me. You don't want your son to be called unfilial by relatives and friends, do you?

Tang Xiuju opened her mouth, then hesitated. It seemed she couldn't make the decision on this matter. She didn't know her scoundrel second brother well enough; once he decided on something, even her eldest brother couldn't change his mind, let alone her.

Tang Xiuju could only comfort him. "Then just treat it as gaining experience. Don't worry, I'll help you find a girlfriend. How about this? I still have my annual leave, which adds up to about half a month. I'll move in for these half a month, and you can go on your blind dates with peace of mind. I'll take care of your dad."

Tang Zhi Chu also put down his chopsticks. "How can that be? No need, Aunt. Brother Jun, that's Wang Jun from my grand-uncle's family, he's helping me. Dad also gets along well with him."

"No, the situation is what it is. It's not good to not have a woman around. It's settled then. Besides, your dad's situation is something only those relatives don't know about yet. Otherwise, people would be coming over constantly, and how would you handle it? Don't you think so, Tao Bo's dad?" Tang Xiuju said, looking at Tao Jianshe.

Tao Jianshe quickly nodded. "Yes, listen to your aunt. So much has happened in your family, and we haven't been able to help much. This matter is settled."

Tang Zhi Chu had no choice but to get up again and serve food to everyone.

This was an unexpected gain.

Among the Tang siblings, if one were to judge who was reliable, it was indeed his aunt's family.

The best conditions were with my eldest uncle, not that my eldest uncle's family was unreliable, but he was the busiest, and I only saw him during Chinese New Year.

If my eldest aunt were willing to help, Tang Zhi Chu wouldn't have to go through this operation every time relatives visited.

In the afternoon, the group arrived at the hospital.

As soon as they got to the hospital, my eldest aunt put her hands on her hips and scolded Tang Mao De.

She said he just acted on his own and lied about his condition.

Tang Mao De didn't hide the fact that he was sick, he just downplayed it, saying it was treatable and that his relatives didn't need to worry.

Perhaps it was due to his illness, Tang Mao De only argued back a few times before letting Tang Xiu Ju scold him.

Seeing this situation again, Tang Xiu Ju's heart softened.

Her second brother, who used to fear nothing, was now thin and no longer had such a fiery temper.

Tao Jianshe placed the fruits and tonics on the table, then patted Tang Mao De's shoulder before finally pulling Tao Bo out.

Tang Zhi Chu also tugged at Wang Jun, and the two of them left the ward.

After the ward was left with only Tang Xiu Ju and Tang Mao De, Tang Xiu Ju wiped her nose with a tissue.

"You need to change your temper. Earlier, Zhi Chu called you, and you didn't even answer."

Tang Mao De glanced at the door and said irritably, "You don't know what happened last time. He dared to argue with me, and I'm still angry."

Tang Xiu Ju took an apple out of her bag and said while peeling it, "Then shouldn't you have scolded him? Didn't you think about it? You're lying in the hospital, and it's quiet for you, but what about Zhi Chu? Doesn't the shop need managing? And you even have him go on blind dates. Is this reliable? Do you know him inside and out before pushing your own son into a fire pit?"

Tang Mao De's eyes widened, and he struggled to sit up. "What did I do wrong? I pushed him into a fire pit? You don't know, he doesn't even go out the door all day, he doesn't even go out of his bedroom door, he might as well pee in a basin in his room. I'm anxious."

Tang Xiu Ju rolled her eyes at him. "You're the only one who's anxious? Isn't he anxious?"

Tang Mao De clearly felt his own sister's favoritism and felt a bit uneasy. "I'm your brother, and now I have cancer, lying right in front of you."

"What's wrong with being my brother? Do you think you're the only one who's anxious, the only one who's miserable? Don't you think about your son? Just like you said, he was wrong before, but what about now? He treated us to a meal earlier and took care of us the whole time. Don't just talk about me, even Xiao Bo wasn't ignored by him. If it were you, you definitely couldn't do it. According to you, who is he making such a big change for?" Tang Xiu Juan's tone was a bit harsh, but she handed the apple in her hand to Tang Mao De.

Tang Mao De tilted his head, refusing to eat, feeling wronged.

"Eat it or don't."

Tang Xiu Juan also glared, and placed the apple on the table.