Chapter Seven, Under the Fence (05)

Tan Ruyi felt extremely embarrassed in that moment, and her ears began to burn as she said, "Grandma... this matter cannot be rushed."

Mr. Shen slowly picked up a piece of stir-fried garlic shoots with meat and put it into his mouth. After chewing a bite, he immediately gave a thumbs up, saying, "Delicious!"

When I was ten years old

During the half-hour journey, it was unclear who initiated the conversation, but the two began to chat casually. Tan Ruyi learned that Shen Zizhuo studied architectural design in university, and that he had been close to his third uncle when he was young, even learning a bit of carpentry skills.

Tan Ruyi sat down beside Mr. Shen, as usual, to discuss recent work matters with him, no matter how trivial they might be. Mr. Shen listened with great pleasure. Before they knew it, a plate of apple slices had been finished, and Mrs. Shen, who had been dancing outside, also returned.

Old Lady Shen stayed in the kitchen to assist Tan Ruyi, chatting with her to alleviate her boredom, "Ruyi, is it alright for you to interact with our family in a self-serving manner?"

Tan Ruyi quickly stood up and said, "Let me do it, Grandma"

Tan Ruyi smiled and said, "Quite good"

Shen Zizhuo gradually began to return home for dinner, and each time he would always send a text message to Tan Ruyi in advance to confirm. Tan Ruyi had always found Shen Zizhuo to be somewhat unapproachable, perhaps due to his cold and piercing gaze during their first meeting, which made her feel a bit wary. In their subsequent interactions, she tried her best to be cautious and avoid being disliked. However, now she was starting to believe what Mr. Shen had said, that he was merely intimidating in appearance.

"Oh, don't say that," said Old Lady Shen as she served a small bowl of fish soup to Old Mr. Shen. "You are so young, with a gentle and down-to-earth personality; you are someone who knows how to live life well," she turned her head to glance at Shen Zizhe, "Right, Zizhe?"

On another weekend, Tan Ruyi, as usual, accompanied Shen Zizhuo back to visit Mr. Shen. Upon reaching the ground floor, they discovered that the peach trees in the community had already bloomed, vibrant and radiant, adorned among the lush green leaves, resembling the rosy cheeks of a young girl

The car quickly arrived at Mr. Shen's building. Shen Zizhuo parked the car, and Tan Ruyi followed him upstairs. Upon reaching the third floor, an elderly man with a cane walked down towards them, and Shen Zizhuo immediately greeted him, saying: "Grandpa Chen"

The two of them drove there. Shen Zizhuo's car was a silver-white Land Rover. Tan Ruyi had little knowledge about cars, but she remembered her roommate often advising her, "Which girl does not have dreams of spring?" She would say that men should not drive BMWs and women should not drive Ferraris, claiming that these two types of cars were too common and thus too vulgar. Even slightly pretentious romance novels would not deign to feature these two cars. Perhaps due to this influence, every time Tan Ruyi sat in Shen Zizhuo's car, she would instinctively recall her roommate's "high-minded" opinions. Men should not drive BMWs and women should not drive Ferraris, as these two types of cars were too common and thus too vulgar. Even slightly pretentious romance novels would not deign to feature these two cars. Perhaps due to this influence, every time Tan Ruyi sat in Shen Zizhuo's car, she would instinctively recall her roommate's "high-minded" opinions.

Tan Ruyi was momentarily taken aback

Under the arrangement of Tan Ruyi, a large table of dishes was quickly served. Old Lady Shen took a bite and praised it endlessly, "Delicious, much better than the nanny I hired. Grandpa, you should try it and see if it has the taste of your hometown"

Tan Ruyi silently peeled the leaves of the cabbage in her hands, without uttering a word. The leaves, like jade, were peeled one by one, revealing the translucent heart of the cabbage within

Tan Ruyi was immediately startled, causing her chopsticks to tremble.

This child is intelligent and somewhat precocious, unlike the mischievous boys from other families. Old Lady Shen sighed and said, "When he was in the second year of junior high, his parents officially separated. His mother went to the south, and his father was busy with work. For more than half of the year, he lived with us."

Shen Zizhuo responded with a "good" and added, "Please take your time going downstairs"

Tan Ruyi hurriedly said, "Grandfather, if you like it, let me do it whenever I come over in the future." She smiled and added, "I don't have many strengths, but I can cook well."

went dancing

Shen Zizhuo walked in and glanced around, "Where is Grandma?"

Tan Ruyi went to help Mr. Shen wash an apple, cut it into small slices, and brought it over on a clean plate. Mr. Shen said: "Don't... don't trouble yourself, just sit and watch... television"

"I chose to attend a normal university because there are no tuition fees; otherwise, my father would not have allowed me to go. He cannot afford the money and does not permit anyone to entertain the thought of taking his money." Tan Ruyi clenched her fingers, her gaze directed outside the car window, her voice flat, as if discussing someone else's affairs

Tan Ruyi could not help but glance at Shen Zizhuo; although there was still no smile on his face, he was able to express these words of concern in a manner that was both appropriate and sincere

Shen Zizhuo had the key, so he opened the door and walked in. He called out towards the inside, and the sound of the television immediately lowered. Old Mr. Shen responded loudly, "Come in quickly!" He leaned on his cane and stood up from the sofa, trembling as he took two steps forward, a smile on his face as he greeted Tan Ruyi, "Ruyi, you have come."

He has good grades and has never caused any trouble. When he was in college, his father wanted him to study abroad, but he replied, "Who will take care of Grandpa and Grandma?" Mrs. Shen sighed, saying, "This child is just too worry-free, which makes people concerned. Grandpa always says he has a somewhat indifferent personality, but in fact, he is just particularly persistent about the things he believes in. If you gain his approval, he will treat you with all his heart. I have three sons, and now my eldest son's son is already in the fifth grade of elementary school, yet he comes back to see me and Grandpa every week without fail, even if it's just for a drink by himself. " Grandpa always says he has a somewhat indifferent personality, but in fact, he is just particularly persistent about the things he believes in. If you gain his approval, he will treat you with all his heart. I have three sons, and now my eldest son's son is already in the fifth grade of elementary school, yet he comes back to see me and Grandpa every week without fail, even if it's just for a drink by himself.

From this point on, the exchanges between Tan Ruyi and Shen Zizhu gradually increased. Although they were still limited to everyday conversations, there was indeed some progress compared to the past

This child is just not very talkative, a bit of a closed-off person, but he actually listens seriously to whatever you say and takes it to heart. Last year, I mentioned that my back was always sore, and a few days later, he sent over a massage chair. Mrs. Shen was picking green beans. When he was in elementary school, his parents were already in the midst of a separation, arguing every day behind closed doors. We were unaware of this matter, but later it escalated into chaos, and he even turned around to do some persuasion work for us.

Tan Ruyi followed her into the kitchen and took the rice bowl from Grandma Shen's hands, saying, "Let me do it, Grandma. I cook quite quickly, as long as you don't mind if it doesn't taste good."

Tan Ruyi suddenly recalled that she had accused Shen Zizhuo of being "foolishly filial" and felt a moment of regret for her thoughtless words. If the positions were reversed, and something happened to her grandfather, would she not make the same choice as Shen Zizhuo?

Old Lady Shen smiled and said, "Of course, now there is one more of you. Grandpa and I often say, we are already halfway in the grave, so there is not much to worry about. However, among the younger generation, the one we are most concerned about is Zi Zhe. Now that he is married, a significant part of our worries has been resolved. If we can still see your children being born while we are alive, then this life will truly be complete and without regrets. On the road to the underworld, I would even invite Meng Po to drink a bowl of wedding wine." As she spoke, she suddenly lowered her voice and asked with a smile, "So, how about you and Zi Zhe... have there been any news?"

Old Lady Shen chuckled, "No need to rush, no need to rush, I am just asking," as she took the selected green beans to wash them. "You young people nowadays are all reluctant to have children so early, I know that."

Alas, you are a guest; how can I make you do anything

Old Lady Shen smiled and said, "How could I possibly dislike it? I would love to steal a bit of leisure time."

Shen Zizhuo fell silent for a moment, "I haven't seen your mother for a long time."

The barrier that had previously loomed between the two began to crack, showing signs of thawing. Meanwhile, the weather in Chongcheng, with the continued stretch of sunny days, saw a steady rise in temperature

"Xiao Shen, have the two of you come back together?" The old man smiled as he looked the two of them over, "Old Shen was just saying that he sits at home all day, feeling terribly bored. You two should hurry up and go keep him company."

When did this happen

Regarding her family's situation, Tan Ruyi spoke a little bit here and there. In fact, she was not very willing to mention her own matters; whenever she did, it was always with a mouthful of bitterness. She was afraid of eliciting sympathy and also feared that the psychological shadows caused by the hardships of these years would resurface.

After exchanging greetings, Mrs. Shen walked towards the kitchen, saying as she walked, "Ruyi, please sit and chat with Grandpa. The maid is on leave today, so I have to prepare lunch myself."

"It's not..." Tan Ruyi pondered her words, "It's just that, after leaving, I don't know where she is now." The discussions heard in childhood were that mother "ran away with a wild man." In her youth, there was some resentment, feeling that she abandoned her family and children, lacking any sense of responsibility. But more than ten years have passed, and Tan Ruyi gradually came to understand her. In a stagnant life, with a cowardly man who often resorted to violence, she was beautiful, hardworking, and intelligent; why shouldn't she pursue a better life

Divorced?

Tan Ruyi hurriedly changed into slippers and stepped forward to support Mr. Shen, saying, "Grandfather, just sit down, don't fall."

Oh," Tan Ruyi smiled slightly, "After leaving my father, she should be doing quite well now

Shen Zizhuo did not speak again, and this topic came to an end without further discussion. Sometimes, hasty consolation can be more offensive than an outright insult, and Tan Ruyi felt somewhat grateful for Shen Zizhuo's perfectly timed silence

Tan Ruyi also stole a glance but did not dare to look more, hurriedly lowering her head to eat the vegetables. However, after a brief moment of silence, she heard Shen Zizhuo softly murmur "mm".