Love Me in Another Universe

Chapter 104. Xuchen's Father (2)

May 1, 2001, Tuesday Today was the first day of the May Day holiday. But Guan Xuchen didn't sleep in—he was up shortly after seven in the morning. Dad had long promised that he would take Mom and Xuchen to Lucky Restaurant for yum cha (a traditional Cantonese brunch) today.

In previous years, when Dad ran his small business at the auto parts market, he had to work not only on weekends but also during major holidays like Spring Festival, May Day, and National Day. As a result, he barely had any time to spend with the family. Mom often complained that his small business took up so much of his time yet didn't bring in much money.

Around mid-February, a businessman named Brother Qing visited Dad at the auto parts market. Brother Qing had been Dad's coworker at the factory before going into business for himself. He had also asked Dad to do some side jobs repairing cars from time to time. Brother Qing wanted to hire Dad as an auto mechanic at his own factory.

Dad was initially reluctant—firstly, he found car repair work too tiring, and secondly, he preferred being his own boss rather than working for someone else. But Mom saw it as a great opportunity: the pay was decent and the job was much more stable. Unable to resist his wife's constant persuasion, Dad finally sold his shop—after running it for nearly three years without much success—to someone else at the end of February. He went back to his old trade and took up the job as a mechanic at Brother Qing's factory.

Dad received tens of thousands of yuan in transfer fees for the auto parts shop, which he handed over to Mom in full. He had been working at Brother Qing's factory for two months. Although the work was tough, he found it quite rewarding. A few days ago, Brother Qing gave him a bonus. So Dad went to a travel agency and signed the whole family up for a three-day trip to Guilin departing on May 4th. He also told Mom and Xuchen that on May 1st, they would go yum cha and shopping.

Thinking about the exciting plans for this holiday, Xuchen's heart was filled with anticipation. He wondered to himself, "What souvenirs should I buy for Lang when we're in Guilin?"

Just then, Xuchen heard his parents arguing quietly in the living room, and his heart suddenly sank. Today was supposed to be a happy day for the family to go yum cha and shopping—so why were his parents arguing so early in the morning?

Xuchen opened his bedroom door and saw his parents sitting on a cheap mahogany bench in the corner of the living room. Dad looked a bit tired, while Mom's eyes were teary. When they saw their son coming out of the room, they paused their argument for the time being.

Xuchen felt uneasy seeing that, but he forced a smile and said, "Good morning, Dad, Mom!"

Dad replied with a faint smile, "Xuchen, so you're up? Go wash up. I'll take you and Mom to Lucky Restaurant for yum cha."

"Your foot is swollen, and you're still thinking about yum cha!" Mom scolded her husband softly, her voice trembling with tears. She then turned to her son and said, "Xuchen, help persuade Dad to see a doctor!"

Dad coughed a few times, looking a little annoyed, "Don't do this. You'll scare our son."

"What's wrong with Dad's foot?" Xuchen walked over nervously and sat beside his father, his eyes turning to his father's foot. He noticed that his father's left foot was swollen and red, almost a full size bigger than normal. It couldn't even fit into the slipper and was just resting lightly on top of it. Xuchen bent down and gently rolled up his father's pant leg, only to find that his calf was also severely swollen and red.

"What's wrong with your foot, Dad?" Xuchen asked in shock, his face turning pale.

"Nothing serious. Got bitten by a spider in the middle of the night—no idea where it came from," Dad said casually. He glanced at his wife, then continued with a faint smile, "Fortunately, your mom is okay."