The Withered Tree Always Welcomes Spring chapter 33

In the darkness, Chen Xian straightened up and didn’t move. Shen Jixue waited until the light was turned off before crying. Clearly, he didn’t want him to know. Even if he was turning a deaf ear to the bell, he had to leave him some dignity.

Shen Jixue cried very restrainedly, almost inaudibly sobbing. Chen Xian could only feel a large wet spot on his shoulder. Tears seeped through the fabric into his skin, as if bitterness flowed into his body through the pores. He wanted to reach out and touch Shen Jixue’s head.

After a long time, the sound of cars outside gradually faded away. In the late night, everything was so quiet. Chen Xian turned his head slightly, and Shen Jixue had fallen asleep leaning on his shoulder.

By the moonlight, Chen Xian saw the wet sleeve and the undried tears hanging on Shen Jixue’s eyelashes.

He felt uncomfortable too. If Shen Jixue had cried in front of him, he could comfort him generously but Shen Jixue cried in hiding, and he didn’t know how to deal with him.

….

Based on Shen Jixue’s ID card and the address provided by the police station, Chen Xian soon contacted Shen Jixue’s relatives. However, when they heard it was to claim a body, they cursed and hung up, furious.

Wu Bie stood aside with a “I told you so” expression.

Being hung up on didn’t discourage Chen Xian. If the police couldn’t even get them to come, he didn’t expected that a phone call would.

“Since that’s the case, I’ll buy a ticket for tomorrow morning.”

What’s the cause and effect here? Wu Bie had never seen someone like Chen Xian, who wouldn’t turn back even if he hit the southern wall. He couldn’t persuade him, but given Chen Xian’s character, going alone would definitely lead to a loss. Wu Bie gritted his teeth.

“I’ll go with you.”

Wu Bie had been kind enough to disembark halfway through, but Chen Xian felt embarrassed to continue troubling him. “I’ll go by myself, you wait at home. Get on the ship as soon as one is available.”

“Where’s the ship coming from? The unit’s ship has already gone out, and I haven’t even written my report.” Wu Bie was furious, pointing at Chen Xian. “When you come back, you’ll help me write it.”

Since Wu Bie insisted, Chen Xian didn’t refuse. He patted Wu Bie’s shoulder. “Okay, I’ll help you.”

Impatiently, Wu Bie brushed away Chen Xian’s hand. “How are you going to explain this to the blind kid?”

“I’ll just say there’s a ship available, and that it’s a short trip, and we’ll be back soon.”

Chen Xian, usually honest, showed he could lie when needed. Wu Bie gave him a thumbs up, “Getting better at lying, huh?”

“Stop mocking me,” Chen Xian pressed Wu Bie’s hand down. Something flashed in his mind, “We’ve been back for two or three days. I told Xiao Shen that his father would send a letter. It should have arrived by now.”

To avoid being overheard by Shen Jixue, Chen Xian and Wu Bie always found excuses to discuss things outside. At this moment, they were standing in front of a small shop at the alley’s entrance.

Wu Bie asked the shop owner for a pack of cigarettes, tore open the pack, and lit one for himself. Speaking with the cigarette between his lips, his words were slightly muffled.

“You told a lie, now you have to figure out how to cover it up.” Wu Bie asked the shop owner for paper and pen, placing them on the cigarette counter. “Write it.”

Faced with the blank paper, Chen Xian was a bit at a loss. “I don’t know what a dad like Shen Liang would say to Shen Jixue.”

“You’ve never been a dad, but you’ve been a son. Think about what you’d want your dad to say if he went away. Plus, Shen Jixue listens to you. Write anything, and he’ll be happy.”

Nothing nice ever came out of Wu Bie’s mouth. Ignoring him, Chen Xian took the paper and pen, borrowed a stool from the shop owner, and found a corner to write the letter.

When Wu Bie finished his cigarette and turned around, he saw the paper filled with dense writing. Chen Xian, who supposedly didn’t know how to be a dad, seemed to be a natural. The sight of so many words gave Wu Bie a headache, so he didn’t bother reading it.

Seeing Chen Xian finish the letter, he extinguished his cigarette in a nearby trash can. “You go back. I’ll buy the tickets for tomorrow morning. Tonight, calm that blind kid down. We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”

The sooner they went, the sooner they’d be back, and the sooner they’d be free of this trouble.

To make it seem more real, Chen Xian even bought a stamp and stuck it on. Not standing on ceremony with Wu Bie, he pocketed the letter and headed back.

The midsummer here was exceptionally long, the temperature only increasing without decreasing, as if the heat was endless. By the time Chen Xian walked back to the dormitory building from the small shop, he was already drenched in sweat.

Almost every household here was the same, with iron gates closed and wooden doors wide open inside. When he got upstairs, he saw the sunlight forcing its way through the iron gate of his home, making a small patch of ground shine brightly.

“Xiao Shen?” He knew Shen Jixue hadn’t been in good spirits lately, so he took two days off from the massage shop to let him rest at home. Shen Jixue, being blind, could only pass the time by listening to the television. He sat on the sofa alone, looking as if he had been abandoned by the whole world.

Chen Xian’s throat tightened, and he momentarily forgot what to say. It was only when Shen Jixue turned around at the sound of his voice that he came back to his senses.

“A letter from your father arrived.”

Shen Jixue paused at first, and his pale face gradually regained some color. He shifted on the sofa towards Chen Xian, who stepped forward and sat down beside him, holding him close.

“Your father’s letter.” Chen Xian handed the letter to Shen Jixue, feeling anxious because it was a forgery. Shen Jixue was meticulous, and Chen Xian feared being found out.

Shen Jixue felt the surface of the envelope, his fingertips touching the recently affixed stamp. With the hot weather, the glue hadn’t dried completely.

“This…” Chen Xian stammered in fear, “This… this might have been accidentally picked up from somewhere else.”

He was speaking incoherently, not even knowing what he was saying himself. Fortunately, Shen Jixue did not suspect anything and did not ask further. He carefully tore open the envelope and took out the letter inside.

“Chen Xian, please read it to me.”

Seeing that he had managed to deceive Shen Jixue, Chen Xian breathed a sigh of relief and took the letter paper handed to him, clearing his throat with a light cough.

“My dear son, please forgive your father for leaving without saying goodbye. It was sudden, and I had no chance to bid you farewell. I am doing well in Shenzhen, so don’t worry. Although I can’t be by your side right now, my heart is always with you…” As Chen Xian read, he kept an eye on Shen Jixue’s reaction.

Shen Jixue stared blankly ahead, gripping Chen Xian’s wrist tightly. His Adam’s apple moved up and down as he swallowed, his neck tensed as if holding his breath.

“Don’t be disheartened by your eyesight problems. I will work hard with you, and things will get better. I want to tell you that no matter where I am, no matter what I am doing, I will always think of you and love you. Love, your father.”

After finishing the reading, Chen Xian felt his throat dry and parched. He cleared his throat again, “That’s the end.”

At some point, Shen Jixue’s eyes had turned red. His lips moved slightly, “Thank you, Chen Xian.”

“No need to be so polite.” Chen Xian patted Shen Jixue’s head, “Don’t worry about your father.”

Shen Jixue didn’t say anything, carefully taking back the letter from Chen Xian and putting it back into the envelope, then holding the envelope close to his chest.

Seeing Shen Jixue treasure the letter so much, Chen Xian couldn’t tell if he had done the right or wrong thing.

“Xiao Shen, I need to take a short trip tomorrow morning. It will only be a few days, and I’ll be back soon.”

Shen Jixue nodded, “You go ahead. I’ll be fine. I have to go back to work at the shop tomorrow. I can’t keep taking time off.”

Perhaps the letter had a positive effect, as Shen Jixue’s condition improved noticeably afterward. Early the next morning, Chen Xian made sure to take Shen Jixue to the shop before heading off with Wu Bie to the neighboring province.

Shen Jixue’s hometown was in a mountainous area. Once they entered the province, the mountains stretched endlessly on both sides, leaving only a patch of sky visible overhead.

Taking advantage of the time, Wu Bie gave Chen Xian some stern advice, “When we meet Xiao Shen’s relatives, don’t be a fool and agree to everything they say. If you can’t handle it, just keep quiet and let me do the talking.”

They were the same age, and Chen Xian thought he wasn’t as foolish as Wu Bie made him out to be. He pouted, “I know.”

“You know?” Wu Bie sneered, “You know nothing. You’re agreeing now, but once they sweet-talk you, you’ll be completely lost.”

They slept on the bus several times as it drove the whole day, arriving at the passenger terminal by nightfall. As soon as they got off, they were surrounded by elderly men and women trying to lure them to stay at their guesthouses.

“Boss, do you need a room? We have hot water and TV.”

The small inns near the station were not clean, and even someone who wasn’t picky as Wu Bie didn’t want to stay there. They walked to the town center and booked a room at a guesthouse, spending the night there before catching a bus to the small town where Shen Jixue’s hometown was the next morning.

The bus wobbled along the muddy road for most of the day before finally stopping in a town. As soon as they got off, a cloud of dust rose, making it hard to see the road ahead.

“Is this the place?” Wu Bie muttered.

They were looking for Shen Jixue’s uncle, who had moved to the town after improving his living conditions. After asking around, they quickly found his house.

“It’s a two-story house,” Wu Bie pointed out, indicating that the house should be decent enough for at least a meal.

Before they could knock, a man in his forties came out of the house, standing in the yard and eyeing them warily, “Who are you looking for?”

“Hello, we’re looking for Shen Jixue’s uncle, Shen Jun.”

At the mention of Shen Jixue’s name, the man’s face changed dramatically, “Go away! I don’t know him!”