Chapter 44: Going Home

Words : 1665 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 44: Going HomeThe next day, Lu Liang woke up to the sound of pleasant piano music coming from next door. seaʀᴄh thё NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The pillow beside him was empty, reminding him of last night. He had been busy until late, and Zhang Qian had quietly gone to sleep with her daughter. Though she hadn’t said why, Lu Liang could guess—it was likely because she didn’t want to influence the child’s developing worldview. Lu Liang got dressed and stepped out of the room. Zhang Qian was busy in the kitchen, and a hearty breakfast and lunch were already set on the table. She wore a loose T-shirt and high-waisted jeans, her makeup looking fresh, as if she had just come back from going out. Zhang Qian flicked her hair back and smiled gently, “The washroom is on the left, and the toothbrush and towel at the sink are new.” At that moment, the piano music stopped. The little girl peeked out from her room, “Uncle, you can sleep so much!” The room was filled with a guzheng (Chinese zither), and her fingers were adorned with picks, just like nail art. Lu Liang was confused and looked at the clock on the wall. To his surprise, it was already eleven o’clock—almost noon. “Since you were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t wake you. I’ve bought everything. It’s in the trunk of your car,” Zhang Qian said, wiping her hands and pulling out a gold card and a long receipt. “It cost over 60,000 yuan. Just keep it for me. I might not ask you to help buy stuff next time.” Lu Liang stretched lazily and walked to the washroom. Ever since he started working out, apart from the days he was trading London gold, he rarely slept until noon. This time, it really felt like he had rested well. Zhang Qian’s house wasn’t large, but it was very cozy. Zhang Qian silently tucked the gold card away and looked at her daughter. “Xiao Guai, wash your hands and get ready to eat. Uncle is going out soon, so let’s have lunch early.” As soon as the little one heard that Lu Liang was leaving, she quickly took off her prosthetic arm and ran to the bathroom door. “Uncle, where are you going?” “Xiao Guai!” Zhang Qian frowned and scolded. She knew she couldn’t compare to the young girls, so the only thing she could do was not give Lu Liang any pressure. “It’s fine.” Lu Liang smiled and shook his head, picking up the little girl with one hand. “Uncle needs to go home for a bit. You stay at home and listen to your mom, okay?” Ｒ????????őBƐʂ “When will you come back?” “Three or five days.” “Will you come visit Xiao Guai again?” The little girl, with eyes big and bright, looked at him with expectation. “Of course. Uncle will bring you a gift,” Lu Liang said, rubbing the stubble on his face and gently brushing it against her cheek, making her giggle. Zhang Qian’s eyes softened even more upon seeing this. The little girl whispered into Lu Liang’s ear, “Uncle, I don’t want gifts. Can you tell Mom not to make me play the guzheng? I don’t like it.” “What do you like then? Tell Uncle,” Lu Liang asked, noticing a few of her fingers were slightly swollen. The little girl shook her head. “I don’t know.” “Then we won’t play the guzheng, but if you like something in the future, make sure to tell Uncle,” Lu Liang said, looking at Zhang Qian. Zhang Qian had a stern face and wouldn’t give in. “Learning more skills will help you later, especially for the transition to middle school.” “She’s only in first grade, with five more years to go. If she doesn’t make it by then, I’ll help,” Lu Liang said patiently. “Her homework is already a lot, so let her rest well.” Zhang Qian saw the little girl’s hopeful face and sighed helplessly. “Let’s just have her take one class a week. At least don’t forget.” Before Lu Liang could respond, the little girl excitedly kissed him on the cheek and raised her arms in cheer, “Yay!” Lu Liang suddenly realized, “Maybe she likes it, but the practice time has become a burden.” Zhang Qian remained silent and suddenly realized that, after seven years of raising her daughter, Lu Liang understood her better than she did. “After all, caring too much can be troubling,” Lu Liang said gently, holding the little girl in one arm and taking Zhang Qian’s hand. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.” “I want to eat shrimp! Mom bought my favorite shrimp this morning. Thank you, Mom,” the little girl said. Although she said she liked shrimp, she immediately placed the peeled shrimp into her mother’s bowl before taking a small bite of her finger. She tilted her head and looked at Lu Liang, “Uncle, do you like shrimp?” “Uncle likes Xiao Guai’s peeled shrimp,” Lu Liang teased, kicking Zhang Qian playfully under the table. The little girl was much more sensible than other children her age, and Zhang Qian shouldn’t ask too much of her. The little girl skillfully peeled another shrimp and placed it into Lu Liang’s bowl. “Uncle, here you go.” “Thank you, Xiao Guai,” Lu Liang said, patting her head. Zhang Qian smiled again and affectionately patted her daughter’s head, “Xiao Guai, you’re awesome!” Zhang Qian realized that her daughter was much more considerate than most kids her age, and she was truly well-behaved. After a harmonious lunch, Lu Liang took a short break and then headed to the parking lot. He opened the trunk, which was filled to the brim. Zhang Qian was thoughtful—each item had a tag indicating who it was for. The cigarettes and alcohol were all domestic products like soft cigarettes and Moutai, making it clear they were expensive. After all, the worst thing about gift-giving was when the gift seemed cheap because the recipient didn’t understand its value. “Goodbye.” Lu Liang bid farewell to Zhang Qian and her daughter, set the GPS, and began his journey back home. The entire trip was over 500 kilometers, and he drove south along the Hukun Highway, the sunset casting a golden glow over the horizon. He left at noon and arrived at the small town at the border of Jiangsu and Zhejiang by the evening. After getting off the highway, he drove another half hour on the national road to his hometown, Yucheng Town. He passed a small shop and saw a family of four happily having dinner. Lu Liang parked outside and gently knocked on the glass counter, “Boss, I’ll take a bottle of Coke.” “Three yuan...” The woman put down her bowl and ran over, giving Lu Liang’s chest a playful punch. “When did you come back?” Lu Liang winced in pain, rubbing his chest, “Can’t you go easy?” “I'm already being gentle,” Lu Ya, Lu Liang’s older sister, huffed. Her two children ran over, excitedly hugging Lu Liang’s legs, “Uncle… Uncle, did you bring us gifts?” The older one, a six-year-old boy, and the younger one, a four-year-old girl, hadn’t forgotten Lu Liang after more than four months. “Of course, I brought you gifts.” Lu Liang opened the trunk and took out two smartwatches, a set of cosmetics, and a few bottles of cigarettes and alcohol. Her husband, Luo Haitong, walked over and stared at the golden cow projected on the ground, lost in thought. “Liangzi, that car isn’t a Lamborghini, is it?” “Lamborghini?” Lu Ya was stunned. It wasn’t uncommon not to have seen a Lamborghini, but it was rare not to have heard of it—it was the epitome of luxury sports cars. Lu Liang smiled and nodded, as if to confirm. He gave the two smartwatches to his nephews and handed the cosmetics to his sister. “This is for you. Don’t say I’ve never bought you a gift.” “Brother-in-law, this alcohol and cigarettes are for you...” Lu Ya finally believed that the car was indeed a Lamborghini. She didn’t take the cosmetics, her face full of worry. “Where’s Wenjing? And where did you get all this money?” Lu Liang patted his nephews on the back and told them to go eat. He handed his brother-in-law a cigarette and began to explain recent events. “Already divorced? You sold the apartment in Magic City? Now you own a company?” Each piece of news was more shocking than the last, and Lu Ya couldn’t help but ask, “Do Mom and Dad know?” “Dad knows a bit, but Mom probably doesn’t.” Lu Liang put his arm around Lu Ya’s shoulder. “And you’ve never liked Lin Wenjing. This divorce is a good thing, right?” Lu Ya shot him a look. “That’s one thing, but you didn’t leave your wife after you made money, did you?” “Sis, I’m your brother. Blood is thicker than water. What do you think of me?” Lu Liang retorted, but was immediately slapped on the arm. Lu Ya paused and looked at her husband. “Luo, you take care of the kids. I’ll go with him to visit our parents.” Lu Liang smiled sly ly and handed over the cosmetics and cigarettes. Small towns were far less tolerant of divorce than big cities. Though it wasn’t a huge scandal, it still wasn’t easy to deal with. He needed strong support from his family, and his older sister was the best choice. “Take it, don’t leave it behind.” Lu Ya shot him a glare, knowing her brother well enough to see through his intentions.

Chapter 44: Going Home

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