While pouring the chicken soup out for him, she said, “No, not yet.”
She didn’t want her ill husband to worry too much. She pretended to be relaxed and said, “He probably went somewhere to play. I believe he will come back once he has played enough.”
While talking, she had poured the chicken soup into a bowl and had brought it over. “Don’t worry about him too much and take care of your own body! He’s already an adult. Furthermore, he’s also a boy. It’s unlikely he would be abducted, right? Come and have some of this soup.”
Uncle Chen looked at her deeply and then took the bowl from her hands. Instead of drinking it, he put the bowl back on the bedside table.
“Ever since Nian Nian brought him back to school previously, he has not skipped any more classes. I think he made up his mind to go to college this time. There’s no reason for him to continue hanging out with bad company.”
His wrinkled face looked miserable, but his eyebrows and eyes were stretched out, showing that he felt optimistic. If he wasn’t optimistic, it was unlikely that he would be able to bear something so unfortunate as middle-aged paralysis.
“Have you gone to look for him at places where he usually hangs out?”
Aunt Chen was upset and looked away. She didn’t want him to worry about this matter, but she couldn’t bear to handle this alone. Her voice was very low as she replied. “Yes, but I just couldn’t find him, no matter where I looked. I even called the school, but Teacher Shen said that he didn’t attend school.”
Even her husband could tell that Chen Yuan had made up his mind to go to college. He wanted to get into a good school and get ahead in life, but he disappeared all of a sudden. His cell phone was turned off and he didn’t go to school. She would rather imagine that he went back to his old ways than think too deeply about what could have happened to him.
She was afraid that if she thought too much, she would collapse before anyone found him.
She was the only healthy person left in the family. If she collapsed, then what would Chen Yuan do?
Aunt Chen’s eyes turned red unconsciously. Her husband had been ill for many years already. She was seldom teary-eyed, but she felt very upset at the moment. She was so upset she could no longer hide it, but she was also afraid that her husband would see it. She quickly raised her hand and wiped her eyes. She smiled bitterly and said, “Look at me. I’m blinded by the wind even though I’m already an adult. It’s windy outside. I’ll help you close the window.”
She then quickly walked over to the window, fearing that Uncle Chen would notice the sadness on her face. She closed the window and calmed down at the same time.
She thought she had hidden her sadness perfectly. But after being married for so many years, Uncle Chen could naturally see her anxiety.
His heart naturally sank.
When Aunt Chen closed the window and came back, he pursed his lips and looked at her with turbid but bright eyes. “Did you call Nian Nian?”
He knew his wife well. She was hardworking, kind, and down-to-earth, but she wasn’t very strong mentally. When faced with something she couldn’t solve, she would panic easily.
They had troubled Qiao Nian quite a lot these few years.
Aunt Chen didn’t speak. She unconsciously grabbed the spoon and started to stir the chicken soup. It was obvious that she was worried about Chen Yuan’s safety and wasn’t in the mood to talk.
He sighed. “Nian Nian is still young. She’s in her third year of high school and this is the time for her to try and get into a good university. We shouldn’t bother her too much. Even if you told her about this matter, besides burdening her with worry, what else can she do?”
“I understand, but I’m just…” Aunt Chen spoke hurriedly but fell silent and did not finish what she wanted to say.
She simply didn’t have the confidence in herself and didn’t know who else she could turn to. She unconsciously called Qiao Nian and found out that she wasn’t in Rao City. She regretted her reckless actions.
Uncle Chen sighed, and the wrinkles on his eyebrows grew deeper. He pursed his cracked lips with a look of chagrin on his face. He started to hit his own legs. “In the end, this is all my fault. I’m useless, causing you all to suffer too!”