I don’t know if it’s due to the aunt’s cooking skills or the owner’s preference, but the Li family’s lunch consists entirely of Suzhou-style dishes.
Squirrel fish, lychee meat... The vegetarian dishes are all oyster sauce loofah, served with corn pancakes sprinkled with icing sugar.
Sheng Min loves sweets, but after knowing that Li Xuan doesn't eat sweets, he always orders sweets with them. Now looking at the table full of dishes, he actually felt a little nauseous.
Only he and Li Mingge were sitting at the large wooden dining table. Shu Xin thought the soup was not hot enough, so she asked the aunt to heat it up and followed her in.
The dining table was next to the floor-to-ceiling window, but the curtains were drawn tightly, not a single ray of sunlight could get in. Only the dim light above the head gave a cold glow.
Li Mingge was flipping through a newspaper opposite him. Sheng Min only glanced at his watch, but was immediately noticed.
"You don't have to leave in a hurry." He said slowly without even looking up, "After dinner, I have something else to talk about."
"I'm leaving at half past one. I have an appointment this afternoon. Or you can tell me now."
Li Mingge raised his eyes from the newspaper and pulled the corner of his mouth with a fake smile: "Li Xuan, you are now..."
There were footsteps coming from the kitchen. Li Mingge didn't finish his words. He gave Sheng Min a warning look, then turned around and put on a kind expression.
"Put it here." Shu Xin instructed the aunt to put the soup in front of Sheng Min.
"Come." She sat down next to Sheng Min with a smile, reached out to take the bowl to pour soup for him, and pushed it towards him eagerly, "Your dad said he would pick you up today, so mom got up early in the morning and made it for you. Try it."
The soup in front of me has a lot of medicinal herbs added to it, and candied dates and red dates are added to enhance the flavor. The aroma and sweetness of the medicinal herbs are mixed together with the fishy smell of animal offal, and the original taste of the food can no longer be distinguished.
Sheng Min pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out to take it. However, before she touched it, Shu Xin's eyes flashed, and she noticed something and put the soup bowl heavily on the table. Suddenly she shouted: "Sister Zhang!"
Her outburst was so sudden that Li Mingge, who was sitting opposite her, didn't know what was going on. Shu Xin had already stood up and pointed at Sheng Min's chair and said to the aunt who had hurried over: "How many times have I told you that the child can't sit on this kind of chair! He had an operation and has a wound on his waist. This backrest is too hard... Why can't you remember?!"
She was so angry that her whole body was shaking. The auntie looked a little confused and stammered, "Last time she said it could be changed..."
"When did I say that?" Shu Xin obviously didn't remember, because the other party's explanation made her even more angry. He swung his hand unconsciously, but it just happened to hit the soup bowl on the table. It was about to fall to the ground, but Sheng Min caught it quickly, and half of the bowl spilled out and fell into his hands.
This sudden change finally diverted Shu Xin's attention. She screamed and grabbed Sheng Min's hand.
"It's okay, I'm not burned." Sheng Min spoke before she could say anything.
“Show mom…” She insisted to see it, and when she saw a red spot on her hand, she immediately revealed a look of great annoyance.
"It's all my fault..." Shu Xin repeated, as if she was possessed. She kept rubbing Sheng Min's hand with a tissue, "It's all my fault, it's my fault..."
"How can I blame you..." Li Mingge came over from behind the dining table and hugged her shoulders, "It's not that hot, just apply some medicine."
Shu Xin just kept shaking her head, and tears fell without any warning: "I have never taken good care of him... If only I hadn't gone to the base when I was pregnant with him..."
Sheng Min didn't understand what was said again, but Li Mingge's expression changed: "It's been so many years, don't think about it anymore, and besides, isn't the child fine now..."
"Of course I don't miss it. I've suffered so much..." Shu Xin cried even harder, still holding Sheng Min's hand. Her tears rolled down his hand. Li Mingge persuaded her and winked at Sheng Min, signaling him to step away first, so as not to irritate Shu Xin again.
It wasn't a big deal, but Shu Xin cried so hard that she almost passed out. Sheng Min knew that she was in a bad mood, but as a bystander, he felt bad watching her emotions go through so much. He smiled soothingly, "It's really okay, I'll go take a shower." He pulled his hand away and went to the bathroom.
After closing the door, Shu Xin could still be heard crying, and Li Mingge seemed to be trying to persuade her. But soon the quarreling and the sound of broken porcelain started again, making a lot of noise and no peace.
The burning sensation came belatedly, and Sheng Min hesitated for a moment, not going out to see. He turned on the tap and rinsed the slightly red skin on the back of his hand. The sound of running water temporarily isolated the noise from the outside world, allowing him to breathe for a moment from his highly tense state. He didn't turn off the water until his fingertips turned white and wrinkled.
It had become quiet outside without anyone noticing. Sheng Min vaguely heard a scream while washing his hands, but now when he listened carefully, he could only hear light voices and footsteps. He started to suspect that he had misheard.
His head felt a little swollen, and he didn't want to go out for the moment. He reached out and took another scoop of water to wash his face, thinking carefully about everything that happened today. His fingers unconsciously circled on the cold marble countertop, trying to find clues from the chaotic situation...
His fingertips paused.
wrong.
Sheng Min frowned unconsciously and hesitantly put his hands on his waist. Through the soft cotton of the T-shirt, he felt a bulge that was not obvious but was there.
Sheng Min withdrew his hand as if he was scalded, but the next second, he forced himself to slowly lift up his clothes. Then he saw the sutured scar on his waist.
It wasn't the first time I noticed it. The night I first met Li Xuan, they applied medicine to each other after taking a shower, and Sheng Min saw this scar. It's just that Li Xuan has too many old scars, and this one is the longest, so it's not surprising. Besides, I wasn't familiar enough to ask at the time, and later I couldn't find a suitable opportunity, so I never asked.
Surgery. He thought of Shu Xin's words again.
Perhaps it is a psychological suggestion, but looking at this scar again, I feel that the incision is indeed neat, like a mark left after surgery.
But whose surgery was Shu Xin talking about? Reason told Sheng Min that it might be Li Xuan. But he couldn't help but think of another child who seemed to be not in good health.
If it is the latter, why does Li Xuan have scars on the same part of his body...
Cold sweat crept up his back again, and Shengmin hoped that he was just overthinking it.
He raised his eyes, the light reflected on the light blue tiles, and the light also turned into a strange blue, reflecting the familiar yet unfamiliar face in the mirror. Sheng Min felt weightless for a moment. It was like walking on a tightrope, with no shore in sight at either end. But even if there was a tightrope, it wasn't him who was on it.
This thought did not comfort Sheng Min. On the contrary, he took several deep breaths but still felt breathless. The crying sound in his ears seemed to ring again, coming from Shu Xin or someone else. The ceiling and the floor were shaking. Sheng Min knew it was just an illusion, but he could not suppress it. He propped himself up on the table and shook his head vigorously. He took out the medicine box he carried with him from his pocket, took out a pill of tandospirone and swallowed it carelessly.
The drug didn't work that fast, so the waiting process seemed extraordinarily long. The only lucky thing was that the people outside were busy with their own affairs and waited until Sheng Min's breathing became smoother, and no one disturbed him. But Sheng Min couldn't hide any longer, so he drank a sip of raw water, opened the door and walked out.
As expected, a soft-backed chair had been replaced in the original position, and a few dishes were missing. There were water stains on the wooden floor after cleaning.
Li Mingge was the only one left in the dining room; Shu Xin and the housekeeper were nowhere to be seen.
"I took a sedative and went to sleep." Li Mingge looked tired and not in good shape, with a fresh scratch on his left cheek.
Although he was speaking to Sheng Min, his tone did not sound like an explanation, but rather an accusation. He stood up as he spoke: "Let's talk... Don't be so quick to refuse. Even if you're in a hurry, it's not even half past one."
Li Mingge's study was next to the storage room on the second floor. He wanted to talk again and again, but he didn't speak immediately after sitting down. He lowered his head and slowly poured himself a cup of tea, his eyes occasionally sweeping over Sheng Min.
Sheng Min pretended not to know and didn't look at him. After a long while, he finally heard Li Mingge speak, but the first sentence was strange: "Your friend will be released from prison soon."
Sheng Min's eyebrows moved slightly.
"I remember your last name is Zhao? What was your first name... I can't remember it clearly." Li Mingge looked at him leisurely.
"Zhao Jize." Sheng Min remembered the letter from prison.
"Yes, it seems so." Li Mingge smiled without any emotion, "It's been these two months?"
Sheng Min didn't answer, and Li Mingge didn't need his reply.
"Your dean said that you should have submitted your application for the school's guaranteed admission summer camp last month, but you haven't submitted it yet. With your current grades and the fact that you're in the same school, you don't think you'd be so unhappy if it's just a formality? ... Or do you really not plan to continue studying?"
Sheng Min lowered his eyes. He and Li Xuan didn’t know each other last month.
"Li Xuan." Li Mingge clasped his hands together, looking very relaxed. "From what I've seen from you lately, are you really planning to cut ties with our family once he's released from prison?... I think I've treated you well, kid, but you can't be heartless."
Sheng Min was startled and frowned unconsciously. He knew nothing. After thinking for a moment, he could only rely on his intuition to try: "I thought this was already agreed upon."
"You were only in your teens at the time, how could you count?"
"I was in my teens at that time, but you were not." Sheng Min did not intend to anger Li Mingge, so he softened his tone and said, "Or what do you want to do?"
"I want to?" Li Mingge picked up the teacup and took a sip. "My requirements for you have always been the same. I have asked the department head to fill in the registration form for you. You have to continue studying... You don't have to look at me like that. I know what you are thinking. You don't like physics, but there is no way. You have seen your mother's current state. Studying for a master's degree and a doctorate, and entering a physics institute in the future, this is the path she hopes you will take. You should just follow it honestly, otherwise what will she do?"
"Then what should I do?" Sheng Min calmly asked for Li Xuan, "She doesn't even know who I am, so I should just be a puppet and cooperate with the performance?"
I don’t know which word touched Li Mingge’s forbidden zone. He was originally leaning on the chair, but now he sat up straight by supporting himself on the table.
"She doesn't know who you are?" Li Mingge tapped the table gently. "Child, some things are meaningless if they are made clear. I thought you shouldn't be such an ignorant person. My wife recognized you as her son, just like we found you back then, it was all your luck. I thought you should have understood this truth a long time ago."
His tone was so matter-of-fact that Shengmin couldn't help but frown.
"I always thought you were not such a naive person. Do you think I don't know about the little tricks you have been doing over the years? Do you really think that just because your small company is running well, you are qualified to negotiate with me and can sit back and relax?"
Noticing his expression, Li Mingge smiled and said disdainfully: "If a brick falls from the Entrepreneurship Park, nine out of ten people will be hit by Internet companies. What future does your game company have? I admit that you are a little smart. But you are too young and have no capital. Your company is not profitable so quickly, it takes money to keep going. How much do you have? How long can it last? I have been operating in N City for so many years, and I always have a little face. If you go against me, I can make sure you can't find an investor."
"Li Xuan." He seemed to be concluding his speech, "You are free and easy now because of our family's reputation. Without me, you would still be an illegal resident and couldn't even go to school. If you are lucky, you will work in some illegal internet cafe. If you are unlucky, no one will know when you die. You have lived a good life for too long and have forgotten the past. Do you really think you are a genius and worth a lot of money?"
Sheng Min didn't say anything. Li Mingge's condescending attitude made him feel a little disgusted. Seeing that he was silent, Li Mingge slowed down his tone: "In fact, there is no need to make such a fuss. You are a smart child and know what is best. You know your mother's physical condition. We can't have another child, and we don't plan to adopt another one. Be obedient and close your company. Your mother wants you to study physics to inherit her unfinished ideals, just do it. From now on, my money, company, everything will be yours. You are tossing all this now just for this - as long as you are obedient, I can give it to you. We are old, how many years do we have left to live? You can't even think this through?"
"I can't figure it out." Li Mingge's tone was calm from beginning to end, with only a sense of pride in his determination to win. He looked down on Li Xuan, Sheng Min thought, but why.
He regretted it. He shouldn't have sat here and listened to this person insulting Li Xuan like this. "I have my own life. It doesn't matter what you say. I know it myself. I promised you that I would finish what I promised you. You can't ignore it. I have nothing else to say. There is no need to discuss any conditions. I'm leaving first."
He didn't look at Li Mingge again, turned around, opened the door and walked out.
"Oh." As the door opened, the aunt took two steps back. I don't know how long she had been standing there. Perhaps she heard their quarrel, and her face was embarrassed: "The madam is awake and wants to see you."
Sheng Min thought about it and glanced at Li Mingge who followed him out: "Okay."
The sedative that Shu Xin had injected must have been quite strong. Although she was awake, she was not in a good mood. When she saw Sheng Min walk in, her eyes lit up: "Is your hand okay?"
“No.” Sheng Min said softly, and before she could say the next sentence, “I have to go back to school first.”
"Why are you leaving now? Don't you have classes in the afternoon?"
"Yes, there is no class." Sheng Min helped her to sit up, "There is a club activity."
"Like this..." Shu Xin said disappointedly.
"There is one more thing..." Sheng Min pretended to be embarrassed.
"What?"
"The department head has a project that he wants me to participate in. I might be a little busy during this period, so I probably won't be able to come back every week."
"Why haven't I heard of this?" Shu Xin asked.
"I just said that today." Sheng Min looked at Li Mingge with a smile, "If you don't believe me, ask me."
Shu Xin looked at Li Mingge inquiringly. Li Mingge couldn't argue with Shu Xin in front of him, and he didn't expect to be tricked like this. He paused and said, "That's what I meant. I said I would come back to ask for your opinion."
"Let me go." Sheng Min gently held Shu Xin's hand. The latter showed reluctance, "You are not too busy to come back. You don't have many classes now. You come back less often anyway. What I mean is that you can stay at home..."
A woman's hand is always soft. Holding it in Sheng Min's palm, it felt like tears sliding down. Sheng Min felt reluctant for a moment, but still hardened her heart and threw out the last weight: "I am doing this for you. You asked me to study physics because you wanted to inherit your career. I want to produce results sooner, so it will definitely take more time."
From the corner of her eye, she could see that Li Mingge's face turned pale when he heard this. Shu Xin was indeed shaken: "Okay... ..You have talent, and Mom can't hold you back."
"Yes." Sheng Min nodded obediently, "Then I'll go first, you have a good rest."
Shu Xin responded, but was reluctant to let go. Sheng Min pretended not to notice, stood up and walked out.
"Li Xuan!" He walked down the stairs, and Li Mingge chased him out and called him sternly.
Sheng Min stopped.
"Mr. Li." He said before Li Mingge could speak, "Please don't worry about my company. It's not easy to cover the sky with one hand. Even if there is no investment, I can get the money."
"Don't take you too seriously, and don't take others too lightly." Sheng Min recalled the image of Li Xuan sitting in front of the computer, frowning and typing on the keyboard, and unconsciously changed the person's name, "Because he is indeed a genius, and he is indeed very valuable."