Chapter 31 Repaying the Teacher’s Kindness

Words : 1335 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Repaying the Teacher’s KindnessMr. Zheng had suffered a stroke more than two years ago and was paralyzed, unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair most of the time, but other aspects were relatively good. His mind was clear, and his spirits seemed quite good, his eyes bright. What moved Chen Feng deeply was that she recognized him as soon as she saw him. "You’re Chen Feng, from Class Three. Please sit, please sit." Mr. Zheng struggled to sit up from the bed, and Chen Feng hurried forward to help her. "Ah, I’ve gotten old, not much use anymore, and I’ve become a burden to my spouse and daughter." Chen Feng quickly comforted her, "Don’t think too much about getting old, getting better from your illness is what matters most." "Let’s not talk about me," Mr. Zheng shook her head, a face of relief, "It’s rare that you have the heart to visit me. How are you doing now? I remember you were admitted to East Sea Finance University back then." "It’s okay, getting by," Chen Feng, of course, did not mention his own unhappiness. "That’s good. Are you developing your career in Xiu Zhou now?" "Yes, developing there." The teacher and student conversed back and forth, then slowly started talking about high school times. Chen Feng specifically mentioned how she had helped him by calling the police and lending him three hundred yuan, and he once again expressed his gratitude sincerely. Mr. Zheng was of course happy that Chen Feng still remembered the little kindness she had shown him back then. She pulled him into a lengthy conversation, and the more they talked, the more enthusiastic they became. Chen Feng, of course, listened patiently, occasionally responding, which brightened her mood even more. It wasn’t until Mr. Zheng’s daughter and son-in-law arrived with groceries that Mr. Zheng happily introduced Chen Feng to them and even insisted on having Chen Feng stay for dinner. Mr. Zheng was very stubborn, and Chen Feng’s attempts to excuse himself twice were futile and only upset her, leaving him no choice but to stay for dinner, which felt somewhat awkward for him. There he was, an outsider squeezed into a family dinner; what sort of situation was that? Fortunately, Mr. Zheng’s daughter and son-in-law did not show any displeasure, and they were very polite to him. Because they had driven there, neither Chen Feng nor her son-in-law drank alcohol. After dinner, Chen Feng, thinking of the electric foot bath he had bought for Mr. Zheng, fearing her spouse might not know how to use it, took it upon himself to unpack it and demonstrate. The foot bath was very popular. Washing feet daily to promote blood circulation throughout the body is certainly beneficial, especially for someone like Mr. Zheng, who was paralyzed in both legs. This was what Chen Feng had considered when he bought it for her as a gift. Whether her family already had one was not his concern. It was the thought that counted. To their surprise, her family did not yet have such an electric foot bath. After Chen Feng demonstrated how it worked, her daughter slapped her own face in self-reproach, saying, "How did I not think to buy this for mom? I’m such an idiot." This reaction made both Chen Feng and his husband somewhat embarrassed. Chen Feng had never intended to slight Mr. Zheng’s daughter and son-in-law. Mr. Zheng’s spouse coldly snorted, apparently displeased, "A daughter is no match for a student." Her daughter immediately blushed from embarrassment. "Alright, alright. She’s usually so busy, it’s normal for her not to think of it," Mr. Zheng came to her daughter’s defense, then changed the subject, cheerful again as she spoke to Chen Feng, "This foot bath is really nice, it has a massage function, very comfortable." Although she was paralyzed and couldn’t walk, her feet still had sensation. Chen Feng saw Mr. Zheng happy and suddenly felt that the footbath, costing over a thousand yuan, was worth it. Then Chen Feng taught Mr. Zheng’s spouse how to use it and even let him operate it a bit. He caught on quickly. Seeing this, Chen Feng took the opportunity to take his leave. It was getting dark now, and although Mr. Zheng was reluctant, he finally stopped insisting. He just reminded Chen Feng to come and visit her whenever he had time. After all, every visit might be the last. What else could Chen Feng say? He could only agree. Mr. Zheng’s daughter and son-in-law personally escorted him out the door. Descending from the apartment building, he checked the time and was surprised he had spent over three hours there. Time really flew by. Back at home, since he had already explained everything to his mother via WeChat, she didn’t ask much. Over the next few days, Chen Feng drove around Lin Nan County, mainly visiting several towns he had never been to before. As a native of Lin Nan County, his knowledge of the area was surprisingly limited, familiar only with the county town, his own Qingpu Town, and the two adjacent towns. The rest were strangers to him; he had never visited them in his life. It was only recently, thanks to Wu Mengting, that he went to another town in the county, climbed a mountain, and saw a waterfall, yet he still knew little about that town. Therefore, before he died, Chen Feng wanted to know more about his homeland, to see all of Lin Nan County and experience the local customs firsthand. Several days passed like this, blessed with good weather and no rain. Chen Feng essentially toured all the towns in the county, trying local dishes, enjoying the sights and even chatting with the locals. Then, one day it finally rained, and Chen Feng stayed home, honestly helping his mother in the store and picking up his two nieces in the afternoon. That evening, the whole family gathered for dinner again. Such family dinners were something Chen Feng cherished deeply, as there were fewer and fewer days left. However, today both Chen Dayong and Chen Rui looked a bit somber. Zhao Xiaolan noticed and directly asked, "What’s wrong? What happened?" Chen Rui didn’t hide anything and simply said, "Today the Environmental Protection Bureau came. They said our shop pollutes the farmland and gave us a deadline to relocate." Chen Dayong grumbled, "It must have been the other two shops that reported us." Hearing this, the mood of the entire family soured. Chen Feng frowned and asked, "Have you contacted our franchise company?" Chen Rui nodded, "We’ve contacted them. They suggested we first go to the Environmental Protection Bureau to check if the land here is indeed not zoned for a car wash." Chen Dayong angrily retorted, "Why wouldn’t it be allowed? It definitely should be. One of those other shops is right by the river and uses river water for washing cars, directly polluting the river. It’s still operating just fine. Our shop is much more legitimate, far from the river, and the surrounding fields have been barren for over a decade and can hardly be considered farmland." Chen Feng nodded, "Okay. I have a clear idea now, I’ll go to the Environmental Protection Bureau tomorrow and ask." Chen Rui quickly asked, "Do you want me to come with you?" "No need. I have a classmate who works at the Environmental Protection Bureau. It shouldn’t be a big issue." "That’s good then." With Chen Feng’s reassurance, everyone’s mood relaxed, and the atmosphere at the dinner table became lively again. The next day, Chen Feng first drove to the other two car washes. One was indeed by the river, using river water for washing cars, with the used water flowing directly back into the river. The other was next to a national road, surrounded by genuine farmland with crops growing. Chen Feng took some photos and recorded a few videos, then drove to the county town.

Chapter 31 Repaying the Teacher’s Kindness

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