Tang Hong En’s words stirred deep emotions in everyone at the meal, even Kang Lian Ming remained silent for a long while.
Xia Xiao Lan couldn’t help but lean closely against Zhou Cheng.
She struggled to reach for Zhou Cheng’s hand, and he gently held her uninjured fingertips.
True understanding requires no words. Xia Xiao Lan was moved by thoughts of Kang Wei’s father, while Xie Yun was also a cadre’s wife. The impact of receiving news of her husband’s sacrifice while pregnant with Kang Wei had been devastating – even with Kang Wei nearly 22 now, Xie Yun still hadn’t recovered!
Zhou Cheng thought to himself that he must treasure his own life, living not just for himself but for his partner and family – he couldn’t let Xiao Lan and his loved ones suffer.
Even with high risks, one couldn’t avoid military service; someone had to do this job!
“Brother Hong En, thank you for understanding!”
Mayor Tang, Comrade Hong En, Brother Hong En.
Kang Lian Ming’s changing forms of address showed how moved he was.
The third toast, Kang Lian Ming made to Bai Zhen Zhu. He had specifically insisted on inviting her to this meal for this reason:
“You did what everyone wanted to do but hesitated. Thank you for treating Kang Wei as a friend and standing up for him! Your actions were impulsive but showed loyalty and righteousness. If the Du family causes you trouble in the future, our Kang family will handle it. This toast is to you.”
Bai Zhen Zhu stood up from her seat, somewhat awkward.
She dealt mostly with street vendors and various working-class people. The martial brothers from the Bai Family Martial Arts School had all fallen to society’s bottom rungs when their combat skills proved useless.
Bai Zhen Zhu had never dealt with high-ranking officials. If Xia Xiao Lan hadn’t let her set up a stall in Peng Cheng, she might have become a female butcher.
She had dealt with smugglers, but with official figures, Bai Zhen Zhu didn’t know how to interact. That day when she kicked Du Zhao Hui, it felt good at the moment, but afterward, it seemed she had caused trouble when Du Zhao Hui immediately claimed concussion.
Bai Zhen Zhu had thought the Kang family would blame her for acting rashly, but unexpectedly, among all these distinguished guests, she was just a humble vendor, yet Kang Lian Ming’s third toast was to her!
“I… I’m sorry, I…”
Bai Zhen Zhu had never been eloquent, she could only down the drink in one gulp.
Kang Lian Ming smiled: “Don’t be nervous. I’m just Kang Wei’s family now, gratitude is appropriate. As for when you should be impulsive and how to learn to control your impulses, you can learn from your friend Xiao Lan. You’re all good kids. How much money Kang Wei makes doing business in the south is secondary – what’s important is making friends like you!”
Leaders truly knew how to speak.
Every pore on Bai Zhen Zhu’s body relaxed.
They hadn’t called out her underworld roughness, but publicly acknowledged her friendship with Kang Wei!
They neither denied what she’d done for Kang Wei nor used her as a pawn by encouraging her to keep hounding Du Zhao Hui, instead advising her to learn from Xia Xiao Lan.
And because Kang Lian Ming gave an impression of being rigid and serious, these words from his mouth were especially credible.
Xia Xiao Lan felt that just hearing Kang Lian Ming’s words, his high-level acknowledgment of Bai Zhen Zhu – if he had ill intentions, he would only need to slightly manipulate Bai Zhen Zhu, and she might even stab Du Zhao Hui to death… Was this the “art of speech” of politicians? Kang Lian Ming was truly formidable; with such deep insight and high emotional intelligence, it would be strange if he weren’t successful.
However, by comparison, she still preferred the Zhou family’s straightforwardness. Being around people like Kang Lian Ming kept her nerves constantly tense.
Kang Lian Ming had his own thoughts, handling the meal flawlessly, but as for what he planned to do about Du Zhao Hui, he didn’t reveal a single word.
The food wasn’t important – what mattered was that by the meal’s end, Kang Lian Ming had brought everyone closer together. Du Zhao Hui wasn’t wrong – these people could gather together because Xia Xiao Lan was the link. Now Kang Lian Ming had shifted that link to the hospitalized Kang Wei, and it felt completely natural.
At the meal’s end, Kang Lian Ming and Tang Hong En had another private conversation.
No one knew what they discussed, just like Kang Lian Ming’s conversation with Zhou Cheng – Xia Xiao Lan could only guess.
“Don’t overthink it, Second Uncle Kang knows what he’s doing.”
While Zhou Cheng consoled Xiao Lan, Guan Hui E marveled: “Kang Wei is injured, but I can see his uncle shows genuine care. Xie Yun, do you remember what Kang Wei’s Second Uncle used to be like?”
Guan Hui E had known the Kang family for a long time before Kang Wei existed. When Kang Wei’s father hadn’t sacrificed himself, his position in the Kang family was like Zhou Cheng’s importance to the Zhou family – an excellent younger generation carrying the family’s hopes!
Xie Yun started, her thoughts had been focused on her late husband, paying insufficient attention to other Kang family members.
Prompted by Guan Hui E, she tried to remember… When her husband was still alive, wasn’t her brother-in-law Kang Lian Ming’s personality similar to Kang Wei’s?
Unrestrained and lawless.
When did Kang Lian Ming become like this – unsmiling, described by Kang Wei as hypocritical?
Xie Yun really couldn’t remember.
“He wasn’t like this before, but people change, suddenly becoming mature-“
“Xie Yun, he became like this after Elder Brother Kang’s incident.”
Because Kang Wei’s father had sacrificed himself, the Kang family lost their hope. A second son who had been living aimlessly suddenly had to shoulder that burden. Kang Lian Ming must have been panicked and at a loss, but with the Kang family immersed in grief, no one could guide him. Kang Lian Ming had to figure things out alone – how could he not become what he is today?
Guan Hui E felt deeply emotional, while Xie Yun listened in a daze.
Xie Yun had heard those vague criticisms, saying Kang Lian Ming was wary of her and Kang Wei’s existence, saying his indulgence of Kang Wei was superficial affection – if he truly cared for his nephew, he should have been strict with Kang Wei, nurturing him into someone capable!
In Guan Hui E’s view, those were all nonsense… Kang Lian Ming had been forced to take up the Kang family’s burden midway, working hard to maintain the family’s dignity, ensuring Kang Wei never went hungry or cold, preventing the elderly Kang couple from having an unhappy retirement, and even during turbulent times when some high-ranking cadres got into trouble, the Kang family avoided major complications.
“You mean…”
“I mean this responsibility should have been shared between you and Kang Lian Ming. You’ve been living in memories all day, and what kind of person Kang Wei becomes should be your responsibility as his mother. As an uncle, Kang Lian Ming has done more than enough!”
Guan Hui E spoke bluntly, hoping to wake Xie Yun up.
Xie Yun had been in a daze for over twenty years – wasn’t it time to wake up?
This time Kang Lian Ming was running around helping Kang Wei, with everyone working together to help, but if such a thing happened again and no one could help, could Xie Yun, as a mother, be Kang Wei’s support?
Xia Xiao Lan and Zhou Cheng dared not speak – at this crucial moment, Xie Yun needed to understand on her own.
Xie Yun’s shoulders began trembling, the movement growing stronger, starting with quiet sobs until she could no longer control herself, breaking into loud cries!
—God, what had she been doing all these years?