CHAPTER 359: COATED LITTLE BOMB

I forgot to mention at noon, from today to next week, it will only be the second night watch~ Any additional updates will be explained, no need to wait for the third watch, sorry.

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"It’s not going through, still not going through, what’s happening? Check it out, why can’t I get through to our son’s American cellphone?" Xi Lijuan had been trying to call her son several times from early morning.

The decision their son made to stay in the country was quite sudden, both Xi Lijuan and Zhou Qiang hadn’t quite caught up yet. During the New Year, he mentioned he hadn’t found a suitable institute and was planning to move to the United States.

But a few days later, he changed his mind. Knowing her son, Ziang was not one to make decisions lightly.

Xi Lijuan recalled after that basketball game, her son had made the decision after coming back from the hospital.

Speaking of that hospitalization, it frightened Xi Lijuan terribly. She watched one of the matches and was horrified by the heated and sometimes physically colliding manner in which the youngsters played.

She even encountered some young people speaking badly of her son, which infuriated Xi Lijuan for a long time.

It was only after Zhou Ziagn repeatedly urged her, she didn’t go to watch the semifinals. She didn’t really know what had happened on the court that day that made her son suddenly change his mind.

Who knew that something had happened at the semifinals. It was said that her son got injured while trying to save a female contestant, but fortunately, he was only hospitalized for two days. With doctors and nurses marveling, he got his cast removed and returned home.

Looking at her son since the day he came home, Xi Lijuan felt something was off. Ziang had returned early in the morning. Normally tidy Zhou Ziang, right after coming home from the hospital, didn’t even shower or change clothes.

He just sat on the living room sofa for hours, unresponsive even when called to eat, unconsciously touching his lips. Zhou Qiang tried to talk to him, but he didn’t even hear.

As Zhou Qiang, losing patience, wanted to assert his authority as a father, his son unexpectedly said, "Dad and Mom, I’ve made my decision, I’ll stay and develop my career in the country, and I’ll return to the United States in a few days to resign." Zhou Qiang was left speechless, choking on the scolding stuck in his throat.

"Could it be that the airplane is delayed and hasn’t arrived yet? You know how airplanes are, they’re heavily affected by the weather," Zhou Qiang was watching the morning news with the remote, which reported that a large breeder in Beijing, Huang’s Breeding owned by Huang Tengchong, had introduced a large number of high-quality Yangcheng Lake hairy crab seedlings, preparing for large-scale cultivation in the Beijing suburb. They would be available in September, at which time the citizens of Beijing could enjoy a feast.

Though not strictly within Zhou Qiang’s jurisdiction as he handles foreign trade and economic affairs, hearing this news Xi Lijuan thought of the benefits it would bring to her grocery shopping.

Previously while working in Shanghai, near Yangcheng Lake, every year during the hairy crab season, Zhou Qiang would take his wife and son specially there, drinking chrysanthemum tea and eating hairy crabs. Thinking about those days, they almost vanished after Zhou Ziang went abroad for studies.

But now her son was about to return to work in the country. In a few years, after he got married and had children, having three generations going crab-eating together, that would be truly delightful. Zhou Qiang was wistfully thinking.

"No, I’ve called Beijing Airport to confirm, they said the flight landed early, two or three hours ago," Xi Lijuan was anxiously pacing around the house.

"Stop worrying, your son is old enough to marry, and here you are, still fussing around, it’s almost embarrassing. He hasn’t turned his phone on after landing. With that state of mind, you might as well go exercise, you mentioned signing up for a yoga class recently, right? Go there early, meet some friends, and you won’t have such wandering thoughts. I have a dinner engagement tonight, I will be home late, remember to eat on your own, no need to wait up," Zhou Qiang, also needing to head to work, spoke a few words, advising her to call later because overseas calls often have issues with signals.

Hearing Zhou Qiang had a dinner engagement, Xi Lijuan instantly shifted her focus: "Another dinner engagement, how many days a week do you eat at home? It’s better with our son, after returning he almost always dines with me. Drink less, did you bring your hangover medicine?"

"Yes, yes, I did. It’s not even that effective, you always stuff my briefcase with it. Our son doesn’t have a girlfriend yet, of course, he’s willing to accompany you. When he gets a girlfriend, you’ll just have to face this old mug of mine. Don’t be teary then," Zhou Qiang jested, receiving a playful punch from Xi Lijuan, before cheerfully heading out.