The Withered Tree Always Welcomes Spring chapter 29

Probably because the signal wasn’t good on Wu Bie’s side, Chen Xian hadn’t had a chance to ask what was going on before the call was cut off. When he tried to call back, he was out of the server range.

He held the phone, feeling both anxious and happy. Since there was news about Shen Jixue’s father, he couldn’t wait to confirm it with Wu Bie. He immediately called home.

Shen Jixue answered the phone quickly, catching Chen Xian off guard. Before he could even react, the call was answered, and he was left speechless.

“Chen Xian? Is that you?” Originally unable to get through to Chen Xian’s phone, Shen Jixue was about to go back to his room to sleep, but he still couldn’t give up. Sitting on the sofa, he hesitated for a while, and unexpectedly, the phone rang again.

“It’s me, it’s me.” Chen Xian sounded cheerful, as if he was extremely happy.

Still feeling annoyed because Chen Xian treated him like a child, Shen Jixue’s tone wasn’t very good either. “What’s up?”

“Xiao Shen! There’s news about your dad!” Chen Xian was so excited that his breathing sounded louder than usual.

“Really?” Shen Jixue sounded like he suddenly stood up, and there was the sound of something falling. He was incoherent, “Really… really… my dad… where is he now?”

Shen Jixue was very anxious, pacing back and forth in place. Several times he accidentally kicked the coffee table, and the sound of his pain reached Chen Xian’s ears through the phone.

Chen Xian quickly comforted him, “Xiao Shen, calm down a bit. Don’t be in a hurry. Wu Bie just said there’s news, but it can’t be explained in a few words over the phone. Our ship is already on its way back. Don’t worry.”

Chen Xian had a great influence on Shen Jixue. His gentle tone always managed to soothe his restless heart.

“Okay… okay!” Since Chen Xian said not to rush, he had to calm down. Chen Xian had already helped him a lot by finding his dad. He had to trust him.

“Ah, I just wanted to tell you earlier, so you could be relieved. Without any news of your dad, you must have been anxious.”

Shen Jixue never rushed Chen Xian, but Chen Xian knew that he must be more worried about his dad than anyone else. He just didn’t want to bother him, so he never said anything.

“Chen Xian…” Shen Jixue’s voice choked up, not knowing how to thank him, “Thank you…”

This “thank you” sounded a bit pale, but besides this “thank you,” he couldn’t give Chen Xian anything else.

Helping others is the source of happiness. Being able to help Shen Jixue made Chen Xian happy too. “Why thank you? Don’t be so polite. You should rest early tonight. Wait for me and Wu Bie to come back.”

Chen Xian repeatedly reminded Shen Jixue over the phone to rest assured and not think about anything else. After Shen Jixue promised, they finally hung up.

That night, Shen Jixue tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He should have asked just now, asked where his dad was now, why he couldn’t come back to find him directly. He was full of confusion, but he couldn’t call back to disturb Chen Xian’s rest, so he could only force himself to lie in bed.

The cargo had been unloaded at the dock for a whole day. Chen Xian was worried that there might not be a signal on the river, so he deliberately went ashore several times to call Wu Bie, but Wu Bie’s phone was never connected, which made him a little anxious.

During the day, Shen Jixue had to go to work and had things to do, so he could probably endure patiently without thinking about his father. But when he returned home from work, he would definitely be waiting by the phone for his reply. If he couldn’t get through to Wu Bie, how could he explain it to him?

Several colleagues who had finished buying local specialties returned from the street together and saw Chen Xian waving the snacks they had bought.

“Have a drink, Chen.”

Chen Xian waved his hand, indicating that he was waiting for a call. Someone joked, “Chen Xian, did you really find a girl? Look at you, always on the phone whenever you get the chance.”

“What are you talking about?” Chen Xian forced a bitter smile. He didn’t have such good luck, and any girl wouldn’t be interested in someone like him. He wasn’t a big shot, nor did he have anything special.

He was about to retort when his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID was Wu Bie, he quickly waved off his colleagues and turned to answer the phone.

“Wu Bie?”

Wu Bie could already sense the urgency in his voice. Rarely did he sound more composed than Chen Xian. “The ship has been moving all day. It’s only just stopped now. You haven’t told that blind kid about his father yet, right?”

“I told him.”

“You told him?!” Wu Bie sounded as if something incredible had happened, his voice piercing.

Chen Xian was puzzled. “Yes, he was waiting for news about his father. I told him as soon as I could. What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”

Wu Bie fell silent on the other end of the line, and Chen Xian sensed it might not be good news.

“Wu Bie?” Chen Xian ventured, “Is it about Xiao Shen’s father? What exactly happened?”

“You shouldn’t have told him so hastily.”

Initially, they had thought Shen Jixue’s father had refused to pay for the expensive surgery and disappeared. But a few days ago, Wu Bie had asked a friend to visit the police station, where they found out that a man named “Shen Liang” had died in a car accident, and his family couldn’t be contacted.

Wu Bie tried to be tactful. He wasn’t good at comforting others and clicked his tongue. “But we’re not certain yet. Maybe it’s someone with the same name and surname. We need to see… see the body to confirm.”

When Chen Xian heard the words “the body,” his mind went blank. “Are you… are you saying Xiao Shen’s father died in a car accident?”

“The hit-and-run driver hasn’t been found yet. There were no cameras or witnesses at the accident site. By the time he was taken to the hospital, he had already passed away.” Wu Bie finished and tried to comfort Chen Xian. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. After all, neither of us has seen the body. Maybe it’s just someone with the same name and surname, from the same place… named Shen Liang…”

The more Wu Bie talked, the less certain he sounded. While there were many people with the same name and surname, the coincidences seemed too much to be mere chance.

“I told Xiao Shen last night… that his father was found. How am I going to explain this now?” Chen Xian’s temples throbbed.

But on second thought, if they hadn’t been able to contact Shen Liang for so long, other than disappearing, the only other possibility was death.

Shen Jixue had always trusted his father. He had never doubted that his father had abandoned him. Now, with this happening, how could he accept it? His mother was already gone and now his father’s fate was uncertain.

Chen Xian felt as though his head was about to explode. He struggled to swallow his saliva, trying hard to calm himself down. “Yes, you’re right. We can’t be sure yet that it’s Xiao Shen’s father. We can’t let Xiao Shen know… we can’t let him know…”

But with the ship still weeks away from returning, Wu Bie couldn’t confirm the exact date of their return.

“No, I’ll disembark here and take a car back. I can’t wait that long.” Chen Xian was determined. It was a matter of life and death. He had to go back and confirm it himself, rather than wait anxiously on the ship.

Wu Bie sighed on the other end of the phone. “I knew you’d react like this. I’ve already bought a ticket back. I’ll go with you.”

Disembarking midway meant not getting paid, and they would receive a reprimand. Before boarding again, they would have to write a self-assessment report, which was troublesome. Originally, Chen Xian had planned to go back alone, but he hadn’t expected Wu Bie to be so loyal.

“Thank you, Wu Bie.”

Wu Bie was a bit impatient. “Stop being polite with me.”

After all, it wasn’t his business. Chen Xian added, “It’s not my business either. I shouldn’t trouble you like this.”

“You know it’s not your business. In the future, don’t meddle in other people’s affairs so much. What does it have to do with you?”

Now that it involved someone’s life, ignoring it was impossible.

Wu Bie’s car arrived in the city half a day earlier than Chen Xian. As soon as Chen Xian arrived, without wasting any time, they went straight to the police station, completed the procedures, and the police officer took them to the funeral home.

“We also sent someone to his registered address and contacted his hometown, but no one was willing to come and claim the body. His wife passed away a few years ago, and we can’t reach his children either. If no one comes to claim him soon, we’ll have to arrange for cremation.”

Listening to the police officer’s words, Chen Xian’s heart sank like it was in an ice cellar. All the information matched Shen Liang. Despite everything, he couldn’t give up. He wanted to use the inch-sized photo for one last identification.

When he saw the body, his heart completely chilled.

The man, originally not very tall, seemed even smaller in death. But his appearance was intact, and it wasn’t difficult to recognize that this was Shen Liang from the photo.

“Is it him?” The police officer glanced at the photo. Although it was a question, he was also certain that it was the man.

Chen Xian closed his eyes and nodded. He had never met Shen Liang, but because of his death, he felt sorrow and pity—perhaps lamenting the fragility of life or perhaps feeling sorry for Shen Jixue.

“You need to call his children.”

Chen Xian took two steps back, furrowing his brow. He didn’t know where to look, his gaze uncertain. “His son… can’t see. We haven’t dared to tell him. If his son finds out… he’s still in college…”

A child still in college, blind, now with his father gone. There were no trusted relatives back in their hometown.

The local police officers were familiar with such situations and understood Chen Xian’s meaning. “But his family needs to handle this. You figure something out.”

Exiting the funeral home, Chen Xian stood with Wu Bie on the roadside amidst passing vehicles. Several stopped in front of them, but neither had any intention of getting in.

Wu Bie lit a cigarette. “You still have to tell him. He’ll find out sooner or later.”

Chen Xian knew he couldn’t hide this forever, but not now. He had to wait until Shen Jixue was better, at least until he could see again. Otherwise, it would be too cruel.

The untimely ringing of his phone interrupted. The melodious tone sounded like a death knell. Chen Xian guessed it was Shen Jixue calling. He checked and saw it was the home phone.

That day seemed to be Shen Jixue’s day off.

He had always been obedient. If Chen Xian told him to be patient, he would wait. He probably didn’t receive Chen Xian’s call, prompting him to contact Chen Xian himself.

Chen Xian gritted his teeth and answered the phone. “Xiao Shen?”

“Chen Xian!” Shen Jixue had been excited ever since he heard about his father. Chen Xian had asked him to wait, but he was eager to know about his father. “Have you asked Wu Bie? Where is my dad?”