Chapter 247
Pei Jing didn't refuse; instead, he handed over what he held in his hand. "The children are craving them, so I won't stand on ceremony with you. These were originally meant for Uncle, but since Uncle is no longer here, please accept them. Consider it my way of making amends for my reckless behavior when I was young."
"That was years ago. Why bring it up? Besides, my father's biggest regret was being held back from joining the army by the family. On the day you came to pick cherries, he knew about your family's situation and genuinely wanted to help," she explained.
In this world, there are still many good-hearted people.
After some initial reluctance, the man accepted the offering and even suggested they go up the mountain to pick more.
When the man's wife returned and saw the items on the table, she was overjoyed.
Although they were all residents of Jincheng, there was still a significant disparity between them.
Families like theirs had to rely on a single person's income to support the whole family, including several children. They were always frugal and couldn't afford to buy candy or peach pastries for their children.
The items on the table were quite substantial, and they had earned them in exchange for the cherries. It was a profitable exchange for them.
On the way up the mountain, Pei Wanqing ran the fastest, occasionally stopping and waiting for them, impatient with her brother's slow pace.
Zhi Xia carried a small bamboo basket in her hand and found it a bit strenuous climbing the mountain.
Pei Jing silently held her hand, reminding the two children in front to walk slower.
"I can't believe you used to steal things when you were a child," Pei Jing said. His impression of him was mature, composed, and self-restrained, unlike a mischievous child who would steal.
"At that time, there was war, and my mother brought me here to hide. We had no relatives and were fortunate to receive occasional help from the Old Master. But my mother was stubborn and afraid of causing trouble for others. Even when she was seriously ill and near death, she wouldn't let me seek help... When I was young and didn't dare to ask, I secretly picked some. Luckily, I encountered an old man who was a good person and didn't punish me. Instead, he gave me some cherries," he explained.
Listening to Pei Jing's story, Zhi Xia also realized that his childhood was not easy.
They say that children from poor families grow up quickly, which explained why he always gave people a sense of stability and reliability.
Fortunately, she married him, and she knew she had found a treasure. "All that is in the past. From now on, you will have me and the children by your side. Our family will be happy for a lifetime." She said these words to him, but she also said them to herself.
In fact, he had long since lost those memories; otherwise, he wouldn't have stayed away all these years.
But in that dream, he had also come with a little boy, and the memory seemed to overlap, exceptionally vivid.
The child's innocent words echoed in his ears, "Uncle, I don't want my current father anymore. Will you be my father instead?"
Hearing those innocent words was heart-wrenching and uncomfortable, but it wasn't until he was about to close his eyes that he realized that the boy was his own son.
His son should have grown up safe and happy, but due to Wang Yue's selfishness, he was trapped in a dark family conflict and had been hurt for half his life.
Chenye was probably about that size, just a few jujubes in his mouth, when Wang Yue cursed him as a worthless brat.
At that time, the old man was no longer around, and An Meixia and Pei Jianguo quarreled all day long, never having a peaceful day. As a distant uncle living in the same courtyard, he couldn't possibly manage everything.
It was also during that incident that An Meixia fully realized the harm her child suffered. She filed a complaint to Pei Yong, and with the decision made by her eldest brother, the Wang Yue family was forced to move out.
Later, the second brother's family also moved out. He promised the two old men to take care of them and their mother and child, so he continued to live there.
It's ridiculous when you think about it. They should have been a family, but they never knew the truth throughout their lives. Despite living in the same courtyard, they had to be careful about what they said to each other.
It was also that humiliation that silenced the young child for a long time. An Meixia felt sorry for him but didn't know how to help. She was far from being as cheerful and excellent as she is in this life.
When he had free time, he suddenly thought of this place and brought him here.
Later on, when he returned, he cut down the apricot tree in the backyard and planted a jujube tree for him.
But he no longer liked eating jujubes; instead, he developed a taste for cherries.
Those few bright red jujubes became a knot in the child's heart that he couldn't overcome throughout his life.
Many years later, he became outstanding. Pei Jing asked him why he no longer liked jujubes and why he refused to cut down the jujube tree. His answer was that it was his motivation for growth.
The insults from his grandmother and the indifference of his father didn't defeat him; instead, they strengthened his determination to become strong because only by being strong could he protect his mother.
And he did achieve that. At a young age, he had his own world abroad. If it weren't for his critical illness, perhaps he wouldn't have chosen to come back.
Unfortunately, things change, people change. By the time he learned the truth, his life was coming to an end, and he didn't know if revealing those secrets would serve any purpose. To the child, that inheritance was just an embellishment, nothing more.
He was willing to accept it, but he wanted to seek revenge on Wang Yue, not because he cared about the wealth.
Otherwise, when he didn't know the truth, he wouldn't have been unwilling to be the heir.
As for Wang Yue, because of her selfishness, she similarly caused her son a lifetime of suffering. It's unknown whether she ever regretted it in the end.
The small cherry tree was full of fruit, vibrant and bountiful.
The twins had already run over with a basket to pick cherries. The cherry tree wasn't tall, and its branches were slender. Chenye held a branch and let Wanqing pick.
Zhi Xia reminded them, "You two pick the ripe ones, don't pick the unripe ones."
The cherries in the space were much bigger and sweeter than the ones here, but there was no joy in picking them by hand.
They were only playing with the children, and they didn't plan on picking too many. They just let the two children do it.
Zhi Xia turned around and saw that Pei Jing's gaze was empty, with tears in his eyes.
"What's wrong with you?" She approached him and reached out to touch the corner of his eye.
However, before she made contact, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.
"Zhixia, let's dig up a cherry tree and plant it when we go back. The sapling is small, so we can plant it in another corner without having to cut down the apricot tree," he suddenly spoke, afraid that she would see his restraint.
Zhixia wanted to break free from his embrace, but after struggling for a moment, she couldn't escape and could only wrap her hand around his waist. "Have you gone mad? Yesterday you were talking about planting jujube trees, and today it's cherry trees?"
"Well, there happens to be a ready-made cherry sapling, so we don't need to look for jujube trees again," he could now confirm that only he possessed those memories, and Zhixia did not.
She seemed to know something and had been resisting him because of it.
She knew that An Meixia married Pei Jianguo, but she didn't know the exact details of what happened between them. She was aware of the existence of that child, but she had no emotional attachment whatsoever.
The things she knew seemed more like someone else's narrative, not like his own memories suddenly appearing in his mind.
But then, who told her? Zhao Runze, perhaps?
It was quite possible.
Zhao Runze died early, so he didn't know what happened afterwards.