The Withered Tree Always Welcomes Spring chapter 8

The man in the photo looked somewhat thin, probably due to long-term labor. His skin was slightly darkened. Even so, from his appearance, one could see that he was a kind and honest person. How could such a person abandon his son?

“Judging from your accent, you don’t seem to be a local. Have you been in contact with your family? What about your mother? Do you have any other relatives here?”

Shen Jixue paused, pursing his lips, before finally speaking, “My hometown is in the neighboring province. I have eye problems, and my dad heard that the eye doctors here are very famous, so he brought me here to see an eye specialist.”

No wonder, no wonder he always felt that Shen Jixue didn’t seem quite adapted to his state of blindness. It turns out he had only recently lost his sight.

“My mom passed away a few years ago, so now it’s just me and my dad.” Shen Jixue’s voice was soft, he tried to maintain a calm tone, but Chen Xian still keenly sensed the tremor in it. “There are some relatives in the city, but we’re not close to them. After my dad and I came here, we didn’t bother them.”

Hearing this, Chen Xian couldn’t help but feel sad. When his parents passed away, at least he had a job and was healthy. Even then, he couldn’t accept his parents’ passing calmly, let alone Shen Jixue now.

He took the photo and took a step forward, rubbing Shen Jixue’s head with his large hand. “Xiao Shen, don’t worry too much. I’ll find a way to help you find someone.”

The gentle yet firm hand on top of his head filled Shen Jixue with a bittersweet feeling. He hung his head, his tongue moving in his mouth, “Thank you.”

These days, Shen Jixue had experienced long waits and endless loneliness. Just when he was on the verge of breaking down, this man named Chen Xian appeared before him. Initially wary and guarded, like a hedgehog curling up, it was only at this moment that he fully accepted Chen Xian’s kindness.

With someone temporarily staying at home, Chen Xian intentionally topped up the phone bill. He had installed a landline initially to keep in touch with Jiang Ying, even though it cost him a thousand yuan, he gritted his teeth and paid for it. But now, seeing this thing, he just felt pathetic. He pressed the speakerphone button, and the busy tone sounded, then he randomly pressed a few numbers, soon followed by an error message.

Chen Xian didn’t expect the random numbers he pressed to reach Jiang Ying, but the mechanical female voice still filled him with disappointment.

“Chen Xian.” Shen Jixue, sitting on the sofa, suddenly called out his name. He could feel Chen Xian’s distraction. Chen Xian was a man of deep emotions and loyalty. Even when facing his wife’s betrayal, he had no complaints.

Chen Xian snapped out of it, afraid that Shen Jixue would be scared of the busy tone on the phone. He quickly turned off the speakerphone and needed to find something to do to distract himself from his wandering thoughts.

“Xiao Shen, why don’t you try the phone yourself?”

Shen Jixue cooperated, moving towards Chen Xian’s direction. Just as he settled himself, his wrist was caught by Chen Xian’s large hand.

“Try feeling it.”

Guided by Chen Xian, Shen Jixue used his hands to trace the outline of the phone. He had seen a phone before, or at least remembered what it looked like.

Once he familiarized himself with the positions of each button, Chen Xian gently squeezed his fingers, reciting his own number while pressing the buttons.

“This is 6.”

Simple dialing for Shen Jixue wasn’t so easy. For each number Chen Xian spoke, Shen Jixue had to repeatedly touch around that number to ensure that he could accurately find its position when Chen Xian wasn’t around.

“This is 5.” Chen Xian leaned closer to Shen Jixue, whispering softly when he saw Shen Jixue’s finger straying. “Don’t be nervous, take it slow.”

Besides memorizing the positions, Shen Jixue also had to judge whether the numbers were correct by sound. He repeatedly pressed the same number, imprinting its sound in his mind. Repeating a single action was tedious, accompanied by the brainwashing sound, it even became irritating. But Chen Xian’s patience was incredibly good, even more so than Shen Jixue himself.

“It’s okay if you can’t remember all at once, we can listen and try a few more times.” He was worried that Shen Jixue might get discouraged, so he reassured him in a low voice.

Shen Jixue was originally a bit impatient, but hearing Chen Xian’s voice, his restless heart gradually calmed down.

“Sometimes when I’m not home, if you have anything to ask, you can call me.”

Unexpectedly, Shen Jixue suddenly asked, “Can I call you about anything?”

Afraid that Shen Jixue would feel burdened, encountering problems at home, Chen Xian replied, “Yes, you can call me about anything.”

The sound after pressing the speakerphone button was so dull, yet the sound of the numbers Chen Xian pressed was particularly pleasant.

After much effort, Shen Jixue finally successfully dialed Chen Xian’s number. The pager on Chen Xian’s waist beeped, and he was even more excited than Shen Jixue himself. “You got it right.”

With sweaty palms and buzzing ears, Shen Jixue felt like he had accomplished something remarkable, his heart pounding incessantly.

Checking the time, Chen Xian stood up and walked towards the kitchen. “You try it yourself again. It’s almost time for dinner, I’ll start cooking.”

There were at least two people in the house. Even if Chen Xian wasn’t good at cooking, he had to force himself to make two dishes. Even if he didn’t eat, Shen Jixue still had to. He was a man of his word. Since he promised to take care of Shen Jixue, he wouldn’t go back on his word.

The sound of water and oil mixing in the kitchen, along with the aroma of the food, were all distractions for Shen Jixue, but he found them incredibly reassuring.

It wasn’t known how long it had been, but the kitchen finally quieted down. Shen Jixue didn’t dial the phone again. He sat up straight, holding his breath to listen. He heard the sound of the cupboard opening, the clinking of dishes and chopsticks, and Chen Xian’s footsteps.

“The cabbage got overcooked.” Chen Xian grimaced awkwardly, glad that Shen Jixue couldn’t see it at this moment, and couldn’t see the sorry state of the cabbage dish.

Shen Jixue wasn’t picky. After taking the bowl and chopsticks, he generously took two large mouthfuls of rice and vegetables.

“After dinner, take a nap. I’ll be out for a while.”

Shen Jixue was about to speak, but the phone rang at an inappropriate time, the ringing urgent, as if urging for a response.

Chen Xian set down his chopsticks and leaned over to the landline phone. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw an unfamiliar number. Pressing the speakerphone button, he said, “Hello, who is this?”

There was silence on the other end of the line, only a faint crackle of electricity in response. A sense of unease crept over him as he looked at the display, confirming the call was connected. A strong intuition told him this might be a call from Jiang Ying.

“Are you there, Ah Ying?” Chen Xian grasped at the phone eagerly, fearing to miss any detail.

Still, there was quiet on the line. “Jiang Ying, is that you?” Chen Xian’s urgency grew.

The sound of fabric rubbing against something emanated from the phone, followed by a woman’s faint breathing. Chen Xian’s heart raced; even without words, he recognized this familiar feeling. He couldn’t be wrong about the person he shared a bed with.

“Ah Ying.”

It wasn’t until Chen Xian called her name for the third time that Jiang Ying finally spoke, “Chen Xian.”

Upon hearing her response, Chen Xian felt a heavy weight in his heart. Although he might get answers to all his questions, he felt no relief.

“Where are you?” he asked.

A crackling sound mixed with Jiang Ying’s faint breath came through the phone. After a moment, she spoke softly, “Chen Xian, I’m pregnant, three months.”

Chen Xian remained silent, his thumb continuously rubbing the callus on his index finger joint. He repeated Jiang Ying’s words in his mind, finding them strangely incomprehensible.

Before he could fully grasp the situation, Jiang Ying took a deep breath and said softly, “Let’s get a divorce.”

“Why?” Chen Xian finally found his voice, though it came out hoarse.

“You’re always away, leaving me alone at home. Some things… can’t be explained in just a few words,” Jiang Ying replied.

Chen Xian’s temples throbbed with pain. He couldn’t think straight, torn between confronting his wife’s betrayal and questioning where their savings had gone.

He spoke somewhat incoherently, “But… I really can’t understand… why… when did it start…”

Once someone grows tired and falls out of love, their patience disappears. Jiang Ying clearly didn’t want to explain too much. Seeing Chen Xian’s insistence, she hurriedly decided to end the call.

“I’m hanging up now. Take some time to calm down, and I’ll call you later.”

Chen Xian panicked; they hadn’t clarified anything yet. Jiang Ying couldn’t just hang up like this. “Jiang Ying! Let’s meet and talk…”

The dial tone sounded, indicating the call had ended. Chen Xian persisted, redialing, but no one answered for a long time. Refusing to give up, he continued to call, until finally, a man answered.

“Hello?”

Suppressing his anger, Chen Xian asked, “Is Jiang Ying there?”

“I don’t know anyone named Jiang Ying. This is a public phone booth, and I only picked up after it rang several times.”

Disappointed, Chen Xian sighed. “Sorry.”

After hanging up, the house fell eerily silent. Shen Jixue hadn’t spoken throughout the ordeal. Listening to Chen Xian’s reactions, he worried about what he might do.

“Chen Xian, are you okay?”

Chen Xian shook his head, then remembered Shen Jixue couldn’t see him. He forced himself to reply hoarsely, “I’m fine.”