The original owner had been softhearted and believed them, only for them to take advantage of him again and again.
That was why the original owner had never managed to save any money.
"Is that you, Cici?"
An elderly voice pulled Chu Ci back to reality. He looked ahead and saw Grandma trembling as she leaned on her cane. "I... I'll go make you something to eat... Sit here and wait a little..."
Only then did Chu Ci notice how slowly Grandma moved. Her eyes were vacant, and occasionally she reached out her fingers to feel tentatively ahead of her. She looked as though she was... blind?
[The original owner's grandmother has poor eyesight. Although she isn't completely blind yet, she can only make out blurry shapes.]
Lele's words indirectly confirmed Chu Ci's guess.
"Let me do it. Please sit on the sofa and rest."
Chu Ci hurried over to support Grandma.
"No need."
At his words, Grandma's eyes curved. Wrinkles covered the corners of her eyes and her face, but her smile was very kind. She gently patted Chu Ci's fingers, her voice full of undisguised concern. "Our Cici has worked so hard out there. You should be getting some proper rest now..."
An inexplicable ache stirred in Chu Ci's chest.
"Grandma, I haven't been working that hard."
"Nonsense. What work isn't hard?"
Grandma stroked Chu Ci's face, murmuring over and over, "You've gotten thinner. Thinner again. I need to make you a couple more dishes to build you up..."
With that, she headed toward the kitchen.
Unable to see the way clearly, Grandma walked very slowly. But she had lived here for so long that she knew exactly where everything was, and she soon reached the refrigerator.
Inside was meat Grandma had been too reluctant to eat.
Chu Ci quietly followed behind Grandma, keeping her safe.
The moment the meat came out of the refrigerator, Chu Ci caught a strange smell. Looking at the meat in Grandma's hand, he asked, "When did you buy this meat?"
"I can't remember."
Clearly, Grandma had smelled it too. Her voice carried a note of self-reproach. "It's all my fault. I knew you would be coming back, but I didn't check the refrigerator beforehand..."
"It's not your fault."
Actually, Chu Ci understood Grandma. People of the older generation were very frugal; whenever they bought something good, they were always reluctant to eat it.
Chu Ci remembered how, after one victory in the war, the local residents had hoped he would stay a little longer. They wanted to thank him.
That place had suffered from warfare for years, and very little food remained. But to thank him, the locals had brought out the food they had stored for a long time and given it to him. It had been kept a little too long and tasted somewhat spoiled, but Chu Ci had still picked up a piece of dry rations and finished it in front of them.
That was the piece of dry rations Chu Ci remembered most vividly.
"It's all my fault."
Grandma still blamed herself. Guilt filled her voice. "If I'd checked the refrigerator earlier, this wouldn't have happened. I'll go downstairs and buy groceries right now..."
"No, no, please don't."
Seeing Grandma about to leave with her cane, Chu Ci hurriedly stopped her. He helped her sit on the nearby sofa and soothed her quietly. "Just sit here and wait for me. I'll go downstairs and buy groceries. What would you like to eat?"
"Pork ribs, then."
A little light appeared in Grandma's cloudy eyes. "Our Cici loves the pork ribs Grandma makes best."
Chu Ci hadn't expected that even now, Grandma's first thought would still be what he liked to eat. His voice grew a little hoarse. "What about you? What dishes do you like?"
Grandma waved a hand dismissively. "I'm not picky. As long as our Cici buys it, I'll like it."
As she spoke, a smile even curled her lips.
"All right. I'll go downstairs and buy groceries now."
"Cici, wait a moment..."
Grandma struggled to stand. Leaning on her cane, she tottered toward the bedroom.
Although he didn't know what Grandma intended to do, Chu Ci still chose to follow her.
He watched Grandma totter over to the bedside table and feel around inside until she took out a tin box.
At the sight, Chu Ci had already guessed what she wanted to do.
And Grandma's next actions confirmed his guess. She opened the tin box and took out a bank card.
Grandma raised her eyes toward Chu Ci, trying to see what he looked like, but she could only make out a blurry shape. She explained with a smile, "This is the money I've saved here and there over the years. Oh, and all the money you've sent me over the years is in this bank account too..."
At that, Grandma sighed and said guiltily, "It's a shame Grandma isn't very capable. I've lived all these years and still haven't managed to save much. Cici, you're not so young anymore. Keep this money to get yourself a wife someday..."
Chu Ci remained silent.
This was the first time he had felt "familial love" so directly.
He had never seen his parents, even when he was born. His master had happened to pass by and, by chance, picked him up and brought him to the military camp. From his earliest memories, Chu Ci had lived in the military camp with his master.
Chu Ci's talent for martial arts was astonishing. His experiences could even be described as "legendary." Chu Ci was someone who loved a challenge.
By the time he was sixteen, he had already challenged everyone in the military camp, one after another. If he failed the first time, Chu Ci would challenge them a second time, then a third.
Chu Ci had a very strong mindset, and he learned from his failures. He was the first minor admitted by special exception since the interstellar military camp had been established.
"Familial love" was a term far removed from Chu Ci. He knew the bond between master and disciple, between sovereign and subject, between comrades-in-arms... but he alone had never experienced what "familial love" felt like.
Chu Ci had never expected that his first tangible sense of "familial love" would come in a completely unfamiliar world.
Seeing Chu Ci remain silent, Grandma mistakenly thought he didn't want to marry so soon, so she explained with a smile, "I know you young people have your own ideas. I don't want to interfere too much in your marriage, but it isn't easy for you out there on your own. Keep this money in case of an emergency..."
"Grandma, I can't take this money."
Chu Ci's voice was faintly hoarse. "I know you mean well, but this is the money I set aside for your retirement. What would it mean if I took it back now?"
At that, Chu Ci paused briefly for two seconds. "Besides, work is going very well. I'll definitely make a lot of money in the future and move you into a big, beautiful house..."
Those words were true.
Chu Ci was very confident in his abilities. He was sure he could fulfill the original owner's wish and become an excellent actor.