Chapter Nine, Forgiveness is the virtue of emperors

Zhang said after taking a sip of coffee, "Jianping asked me to apologize to you on his behalf." The two later spoke over the phone, during which Zhang took the initiative to mention some matters regarding Zhong Bi, and Wei Jianping admitted that he indeed had some misunderstandings about her

Zhong Bi was momentarily taken aback, but soon realized that he was apologizing. Although she did not know the specifics of his apology, her nose suddenly felt a sharp pang, and she was on the verge of tears. She grasped his hand in return, saying, "No, no, no, it is I who should apologize to you. I should not have married Zuo Si, regardless of the reasons. It was my own confusion and lack of resolve. In fact, Yuan Lan was not wrong in scolding me; I was indeed vain at that time, afraid of hardship, afraid of suffering, and coveting Zuo Si's power and wealth. If I had endured a little longer, if I had persevered, or if I had knelt down to plead with him, perhaps we would not be in this situation today." She was filled with such regret; her mistake was that she should not have married him.

Zuo Si's voice came calmly, "Sha Sha, I do not mind your absence from home, but you must pay attention to your words and actions". It was as if the devil from hell had suddenly descended

Sometimes, people do things that even surprise themselves

Zuo Xue stood in the aisle holding a large paper bag that was almost as tall as he was, revealing a pair of big, rolling eyes, resembling a stray dog abandoned by its owner, looking quite pitiful. Zhang could not bear to see this and took the bag with one hand, inviting him to walk together. Zuo Xue, sulking, ignored him and scampered off towards the children's play area, even pretending to be a gentleman, asking a little girl sitting on a swing: "Miss, how old are you? May I play with you?"

While having breakfast, she suddenly realized why Zuo Si did not call her mobile phone, but insisted on calling the hotel. He was hinting to her that everything about her belonged to him, that he knew her inside out, even when she was not in Hong Kong

Forgiveness is the virtue of emperors

She still loves him, but she is no longer worthy of him. The gap between them now is as vast as heaven and earth.

It seems that Zhang has recently gained significant fame, attracting the attention of entertainment journalists as well.

The next day, while she was still cuddling her pillow and meeting with the God of Dreams, the phone rang; it was the hotel landline. She thought it was the staff, and groggily answered, "Hello—" running her fingers through her already disheveled hair. Her beautiful dream was interrupted, leaving her in a bad mood and speaking in a sharp tone

The matter had already been settled in Zuo Xue's eyes. He stared at her with wide eyes, filled with indignation, and decided to use his trump card, "I will call Zuo Si to complain!" Zuo Si had no intention of letting him stay in Beijing for school. He had long heard that students under the examination-oriented education system were nothing but a bunch of bookworms, engaged solely in exams and problem-solving, which was exceedingly dull.

Zhang comforted her, saying, "It does not matter, the children and grandchildren will have their own blessings."

Zuo Xue looked at her sitting silently on the bed and muttered, "Disheveled and dirty, looking like a female ghost." His mother made headlines with other men in the newspaper, but he did not feel any sense of honor.

In order to make him willingly go to school, Zhong Bi said: "Rest assured, I will enroll you in a Japanese class, and I promise to pick you up and drop you off every day."

Zhang smiled lightly, realizing that she truly did not care, yet there was a trace of sorrow in her heart. Her ability to remain so calm and indifferent might be due to the countless similar experiences she had endured over the years. What outsiders refer to as "cultivation" is forged through countless acts of restraint; the character for "endurance" has a knife above it.

"Why should I be angry? They don't even pay my salary," she said irritably

Zhang said busily, blocking the way between the mother and child, and threw the clothes to Zhong Bi, saying, "You go pay the bill." The sales staff in the store all rushed out. Zhang pointed to the children's play area set up in the mall and said, "As for you, go play over there." With just a few words, the impending mother-child conflict was resolved swiftly and decisively

In fact, he regretted that matter the very night it happened. He did not understand what had possessed him at that moment to insist on opposing Zhong Bi. Zhang said that the pain he had once suffered was all in the past, and it could be considered a test of their love. Now that they wanted to rekindle their old feelings, what was wrong with that? It was merely a matter of fate coming and going. Reuniting a broken mirror is inherently a good thing. He recalled Zhang's earnest words at that time, which felt like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, instantly awakening him. It was merely a matter of fate coming and going. Reuniting a broken mirror is inherently a good thing. He recalled Zhang's earnest words at that time, which felt like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, instantly awakening him. The reason he married and then divorced Xiao Wei was not simply a matter of who was right or wrong; he was still reflecting on whether he had not done enough.

Zhong Bi was exasperated; her exceptionally intelligent son argued with her all day long, always going against the grain in everything, which would shorten his life by ten years. She rolled her eyes and asked, "So where do you want to go?" She didn't want him to say he didn't want to go to school, as she would immediately give him "stir-fried chestnuts".

One version is a report about a certain singer shopping at a mall, while the other version features her with Zhang. This reporter is quite impressive, achieving two goals with one effort. Her head is resting on Zhang's chest, her long hair covering her face, making it difficult to see her features; although Zhang is facing slightly away from the audience, he can be recognized at a glance. The title is "Heavenly Realm, Mysterious Woman?"

Zhong Bi shot him a glare and climbed down from the bed to wash up. While brushing her teeth, she looked at the pale-faced woman in the mirror and gave a wry smile, truly the wheel of fortune turns, who would have thought that one day she, Zhong Bi, would become a figure of entertainment for the public

Zhang observed her and said, "Aren't you angry?" In the past, her temper was not necessarily this good. Being publicly humiliated, she could still treat it as if nothing had happened, remaining calm and composed.

The two adults beside them watched in silent amusement. Zhong Bi sighed and said: "Let him be. I can no longer manage him now, and I do not know what will happen in the future."

She still remembers the night when Wei Jianping took her to the hospital emergency room, waiting in line, registering, paying the fees, helping her take her temperature, leading her to the eerie and dark basement for X-rays, running around, sweating profusely on a cold winter night

Zhong Bi and her son arrived at a large shopping center in Beijing with Zhang. As soon as they entered, the flashing lights startled her. She turned her head to see that it was a certain pop star casually browsing luxury stores while wearing sunglasses, clearly accustomed to such situations. She breathed a sigh of relief. Due to the endless stream of entertainment gossip, the paparazzi in Hong Kong sometimes sneakily photographed her, making her very sensitive to the camera.

"You have no choice in this matter; dare you not give it a try?" Zhong Bi threatened him while picking out clothes.

Zuo Xue thought for a moment, "I want to go back to Hong Kong to attend an international school, and I want to learn Japanese." The important thing is that Hong Kong has Disneyland. Zhong Bi rudely refused, "No, you must stay in Beijing honestly. I have already arranged a school for you, and if you do not perform well on the entrance exam, you will become a monk and eat vegetarian food every day."

They are of the same kind, learning from lessons and using them as a reference

Wei Jianping nodded repeatedly, "Of course, of course, I will continue to express my apologies through concrete actions. Is cash acceptable? It shows sufficient sincerity." After saying this, he truly took out a stack of hundred-yuan bills.

Zhong Bi was momentarily taken aback, then pouted and said, "Is there such a way to apologize in this world? It lacks sincerity." Despite her words, a smile could not help but escape her face. Although she appeared indifferent to Wei Jianping's coldness and hostility, she was actually quite concerned about it. Zhang Shuxin felt the same way and immediately made a phone call, saying, "If you want to apologize, you should do it in person." Zhong Bi took the phone and said, "This is Zhong Bi, come over, we need to talk face to face." The other party repeatedly agreed.

Zhong Bi could not help but shiver, feeling a chill penetrate to the depths of his heart

Her life may not be as glamorous as it appears on the surface

He felt deeply guilty for not understanding her difficulties back then, regretted his immaturity from those years, and was pained by the grievances she had suffered over the years. He held her hand and, looking down, said: "Zhong Bi, I am sorry." For five years, he had wanted to say this to her in person, and finally, he had this opportunity to make amends

He was somewhat hesitant to meet Zhong Bi, so he asked Zhang to throw a stone to test the waters. Having done such an excessive thing, he feared that Zhong Bi would not forgive him. However, when he heard her say, "Let's talk face to face," her tone was light and cheerful as it had always been, and the heavy stone in his heart was instantly lifted. It is never too late to mend the fold after the sheep are lost; fortunately, fortunately.

However, the reality is not just this

Zuo Xueheng said: "I will not go, can you really 'force a cow to drink water by pressing its head'? I have the right to choose my school." He learned this phrase from Zuo Si, applying it vividly, even mimicking the gestures perfectly.

Zhong Bi did not say "I believe"; she only said: "Thank you"

Zhong Bi was taken aback by the large amount of bright red banknotes, and could not help but laugh in astonishment. She knew it was not the right time to refuse, so she did not stand on ceremony and moved to the women's clothing department on the third floor, pulling him along to act as an advisor. After picking and choosing for quite a while, they only bought a sleeveless V-neck top in lake blue. The group chatted and laughed, returning in high spirits.

No

There is a profound saying: "Without desire, one is strong."

Are you serious

Zuo Xue did not dare to provoke his mother again, fearing that she would truly hit him, and could only compromise. Zhong Bi caught up and stuffed the paper bag into his arms, saying in a rough voice: "Take your own things and carry them yourself." After saying this, he pulled Zhang and said to go to the opposite rest area for coffee.

She soon learned the reason—when she saw the photo of her hugging Zhang published in a certain entertainment newspaper

Before long, Wei Jianping arrived, bringing with him a large bouquet of vibrant yellow roses. She accepted them with a smile, saying, "Wei Jianping, do not think that a small favor will earn my forgiveness." The language of yellow roses signifies apology and symbolizes pure friendship, and she was aware of this

He felt that he should provide an explanation to Zhong Bi. He was merely a sinner himself, what right did he have to judge others? Everyone has their own grievances. In the world, one is not in control of oneself

Ancient sages once said, "Humans are not saints or wise men; who can be without faults? To recognize one's mistakes and amend them is the greatest virtue."

Zhang held her tightly, his chin rubbing against her hair, his voice hoarse, "I should not have broken up with you. But now, it will never happen again. Whether the path ahead leads to a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, Zhong Bi, trust me, I will not make the same mistake a second time." He would not let her go again, even if it meant ending up with nothing.

He attributes it to a drunken frenzy and the aftereffects of divorce

Accompanied by Zuo Xue, he arrived at the children's clothing department, where Zhong Bi helped him choose a jacket. He was dissatisfied, saying, "No, I want the outfit with the little bear, along with the epaulettes and waist chain." Zhong Bi patiently explained to him, "You are attending a regular public school, so you cannot be too flashy." The imitation military uniform, as red as a festive garment, is not suitable for a child to wear to school in such an eccentric manner; otherwise, they would surely be sent out of the classroom by the teacher. He frowned and said, "What kind of school regulates what you wear? I won't go." Would they also regulate what I eat?

No, no, no, Zuo Si is not the Buddha, nor is she Sun Wukong; she can only roll and leap in his palm, playing the role of a clown. The current Zhong Bi has long been reborn, transformed, and is now fearless

Zhong Bi looked at him coldly and said ominously: "I see you haven't been beaten for three days, and you're starting to rebel!" He reached out to grab him. Zuo Xue, while running away, said: "Hong Kong law prohibits the arbitrary corporal punishment of children." This person had a strong sense of legal awareness, and whenever Zhong Bi lost control, he would often bring up this phrase. Zhong Bi, furious, bared his teeth and said: "You say it again, you say it again—I only know that filial sons emerge from the rod."

The person next to Zhang couldn't help but smile, as the dialogue between the mother and son was more精彩 than a skit

Zhong Bi did not expect it to be him, and instantly woke up, leaping out of bed with a wary expression, "What do you mean?" This old man came to disturb her early in the morning, saying some nonsensical things. Could it be that he is unsatisfied?

The woman he engraved in his heart had once dealt him a heavy slap, yet he never expected that in the end, she loved only him

But what if her behavior is improper? On what basis does Zuo Si have the right to manage her? He should also reflect on himself—does he think it is permissible for the officials to set fire while the common people are not allowed to light lamps?

She lowered her head and stirred her coffee, smiling as she said, "Wei Jianping is such a person; he doesn't even get angry with life. With such a good temper and the ability to take care of others, how could he get divorced?" Zhang shook his head, saying, "Matters of the heart are hard to explain." Wei Jianping treated Xiaowei well, always compliant, agreeing to whatever she said, and no matter how busy he was, he would remember to call home to remind her, "Don't sleep too long for your afternoon nap, and remember to drink the kelp soup." However, Xiaowei said he lacked masculinity, was too nagging, and insisted on getting a divorce. "Matters of the heart are hard to explain." Wei Jianping treated Xiaowei well, always compliant, agreeing to whatever she said, and no matter how busy he was, he would remember to call home to remind her, "Don't sleep too long for your afternoon nap, and remember to drink the kelp soup." However, Xiaowei said he lacked masculinity, was too nagging, and insisted on getting a divorce. He was also good-tempered and, unable to argue against it, thought, let it be; he even said, "If I can't keep her, it's my fault."

Zhong Bi nodded and jokingly said: "Hmm, not bad, you can use colloquialisms now."

In dealing with others, one must never forget those who provide timely assistance in times of need, and even a small favor should be repaid with great gratitude