Qi Taiguo and Chen Shouwang found a small restaurant to dine in, and it wasn’t until Chen Shouwang sat down that he felt completely relaxed.
The ease of being without debts, the ease of not having to live in fear, he let out a long sigh.
"Taiguo, thank you for today, you can rest assured, I will definitely pay you back," Chen Shouwang said to Qi Taiguo.
Qi Taiguo nodded; he wouldn’t falsely claim there was no need to repay it, after all, it was money Cheng Su had worked hard to earn, not money blown in by the wind. He helped him out of comradeship.
"Don’t deal with these people anymore. They can be ruthless, more so than anyone, they’re reckless with their own lives, but are you?" Qi Taiguo advised.
Chen Shouwang gave a bitter smile. "Where would I dare to get involved with them again?"
Qi Taiguo looked at him, about to speak, but then the boss brought over the dishes and he fell silent. Once the boss left, he simply said, "Let’s eat."
Chen Shouwang silently picked up his chopsticks and, thinking of something, asked, "By the way, I heard that scalper speaking earlier, have you seen him before?"
"That little bastard dined and dashed at Cheng Su’s restaurant before. Later I ran into him being rude to Cheng Su, so I taught him a lesson!" Qi Taiguo said lightly.
Chen Shouwang made an acknowledging noise.
The two ate quietly when Qi Taiguo brought up an old topic, "A wife needs to be spoiled by her husband, but there has to be a limit, you can’t indulge her every whim. Like this time, if you had explained things, I believe Hualing wouldn’t have been so stubborn. She’s a university graduate, doesn’t she know what’s more important?"
Chen Shouwang, head lowered, said, "You know what her temper is like, once she decides on something, that’s it, she has to have her way."
"But she can’t force you to steal or rob! What if you can’t resolve this issue? If it blows up, the consequences could be even more embarrassing than now. Since ancient times, usurious interest has driven families to madness, causing wives and children to leave—don’t you think it has happened?" Qi Taiguo couldn’t help lecturing.
"I was foolish!"
Qi Taiguo sighed, "I’m not trying to blame you, just want you to think more carefully about everything, weigh the options, and not have regrets only when things go too far."
Chen Shouwang didn’t respond, just kept eating in silence.
Qi Taiguo, seeing his attitude, felt there was nothing more to say. He’d expressed what was good and bad; how to act was Chen Shouwang’s own choice.
Sharing a meal, each reflecting on their own path, as a comrade, he had fulfilled his duty.
After the meal, they went back home, each entering their own house.
"Did you eat out? How did it go?" Cheng Su was reading a book, and when she saw him, she put it down to ask.
Qi Taiguo nodded, sat beside her, drew her shoulder toward him, and recounted the process of repaying the debt.
He also mentioned Chen Shouwang’s attitude, saying, "I hope he really takes it as a lesson. I can’t help him that many times!"
"Look at you, all worried. As if you’re some kind of matchmaker who also delivers babies. You’ve helped him now, let it go. How he lives is his own choice. Alright, go take a shower, you’re covered in sweat, it’s stinking up the place!" Cheng Su pushed him away.
"Will you help me wash?" Qi Taiguo said with an amorous touch to her face.
"Get lost!"
In the neighboring room, Hualing was questioning Chen Shouwang, but her tone was accusatory: "You didn’t come back for dinner, where did you go? Chen Shouwang, you’re getting stranger by the day. What exactly is going on?"
"Nothing much, I just had dinner with Qi Taiguo outside tonight, I’m going to take a shower!" Chen Shouwang, quite impatiently and having been lectured repeatedly by Qi Taiguo, really could only describe his feelings towards Hualing with the word ’endurance’. If it wasn’t to satisfy her, he wouldn’t be so humiliated to be lectured by someone a few years younger.