Chapter 142: The Old Couple's Speculation

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This world was different from the one Lin Chuan had known in his previous life. People were not nearly so particular about things, and there was no custom of counting down to the New Year.

At most, on New Year’s Day, relatives and friends would gather together for a meal, talk about the past year’s work, and share their hopes for the year ahead. It was a warm and happy occasion.

Lin Chuan had no relatives or friends in the capital, while returning to Spring City would have been far too much trouble. So, on New Year’s Day, he brought his son to Uncle Gao’s home.

He also brought someone else with him—Wang Yue.

Wang Yue’s circumstances were much the same as Lin Chuan’s. In this enormous city, she was all alone, so she did not refuse his invitation.

The moment they arrived at Uncle Gao’s home and stepped through the door, they saw the elderly couple standing there with beaming smiles.

“Hello, Grandpa Gao. Hello, Grandma Gao.” Lin Yiyang gave them a sweet little bow.

Uncle Gao’s wife was named Wang Xiuyun. She was a full-time homemaker and had never gone back to work after the two of them married.

She was an attentive, capable woman who kept the household running in perfect order and had never once given her husband cause for worry. It was precisely because of her that Uncle Gao had been able to devote himself wholeheartedly to building his career outside the home.

As the saying went, behind every successful man stood a great woman.

What made a woman great? It was not necessarily her intelligence, nor her ability to devise strategies and direct affairs from behind the scenes.

When a man was out struggling to build his career, a woman who silently stood behind him, managed the household, cared for the children, and made sure he was never distracted by domestic matters—that was a supportive wife, a truly great woman.

Wang Xiuyun was exactly such a woman. She had never once meddled in the company’s affairs. Whether the business prospered or declined seemed to have nothing to do with her. Her task was simply to run the household well and take care of her daughter.

When Gao Mingyuan became dejected and dispirited because of the company, she would silently bring him a cup of tea and offer him comfort. When he returned home drunk after some business engagement, she would serve him a steaming late-night meal.

Uncle Gao’s achievements were not solely due to Lin Chuan, his lucky star. To one extent or another, they also depended on the quiet sacrifices his wife had made behind the scenes.

Lin Chuan had never met Wang Xiuyun before, but he had often heard Uncle Gao speak of her. He respected this woman deeply.

“Uncle Gao, Aunt Gao, sorry to trouble you,” Lin Chuan said courteously.

At once, Uncle Gao looked displeased. He pulled a stern face, pretending to be angry.

“Trouble us? Don’t give me that nonsense, boy.”

“That’s right. In past years, it was just the two or three of us at home for New Year’s Day. This year, we’re delighted that you all could come. It’s much livelier when everyone sits together and chats,” Aunt Gao added with a smile and a nod.

“Uncle Gao, Aunt Gao, this is my first time visiting your home, and I didn’t know what you liked, so I just bought a few things…” Wang Yue stepped forward as she spoke.

“Oh, I even told Old Gao to tell you that we have everything we need and that you shouldn’t buy anything. Just look at this child…” Aunt Gao frowned and hurriedly took the gifts from her.

The group entered the living room. Gao Meng was nowhere to be seen; she might have been in her bedroom, or perhaps she had gone out.

Once everyone was seated, the elderly couple kept smiling. Their smiles were warm and utterly sincere. Clearly, they were genuinely delighted to have Lin Chuan and the others spending the holiday with them.

“Xiaochuan, we’ve been sitting here for ages. Why haven’t you introduced this young lady?” Uncle Gao asked with a chuckle.

“Oh, this is Yangyang’s teacher. She’s also our neighbor. Her name is Wang Yue,” Lin Chuan said after a brief pause.

When Uncle Gao and Aunt Gao heard the introduction, they exchanged a puzzled glance.

Hadn’t they been told the two were boyfriend and girlfriend? How had she suddenly become Yangyang’s teacher? What was going on?

Uncle Gao was a straightforward man who could never keep questions bottled up inside. If he did not understand something, he had to ask.

His brows twitched, and he was just about to speak when Aunt Gao quickly cut in.

“Xiaochuan, why don’t you sit with Teacher Wang for a while? Don’t be shy—make yourself at home. Your uncle and I will go to the kitchen and prepare the dishes…”

“Go by yourself. Why are you dragging me along?” Uncle Gao immediately objected. He had no idea what had gotten into his wife. Why did she suddenly want him to be her kitchen assistant?

“I can’t manage on my own. Hurry up.”

With that command, Uncle Gao had no choice but to obey.

Grumbling under his breath, he rose reluctantly from his seat.

“Aunt Gao, why don’t I go and help you? I often cook at home, so there’s no need to trouble Uncle Gao,” Wang Yue offered. She was a very perceptive girl, and as she spoke, she stood up and prepared to head for the kitchen.

Aunt Gao hurriedly stopped her.

“No, no. I’m only asking your uncle to help because I want him to get some exercise. Otherwise, he’ll end up senile before long.”

You’re the one who’ll become senile! Your whole family will become senile… Wait, that includes me too. Bah, bah, bah!

And so, the elderly couple went into the kitchen together.

Seeing this, Lin Chuan and Wang Yue could not help laughing. Only Lin Yiyang seemed distracted, glancing around before asking, “Dad, where’s Aunt Gao?”

“Er… She may have gone out,” Lin Chuan replied.

In the kitchen, Aunt Gao pulled Uncle Gao aside and lowered her voice.

“Old Gao, you’re usually such a shrewd man. How can you become so dense at the crucial moment? What should be asked and what shouldn’t be asked—that’s such a simple principle. How can you not understand it? How did you ever become a company president?”

A string of reproaches left Uncle Gao completely bewildered. He stood there blankly for a moment.

“What do you mean? How am I being dense?”

“Oh, honestly, you… Xiaochuan brought Teacher Wang here today. Isn’t the meaning obvious? He doesn’t want to say it outright. Either young people feel embarrassed discussing such things in front of their elders, or he’s afraid the child might misunderstand. How can you not see that?”

“Oh, you mean…” Uncle Gao suddenly understood and slapped his forehead.

“That’s enough. Just keep it in mind; don’t say it out loud. When you go back in, chat with them—especially Teacher Wang. Don’t leave her sitting there awkwardly.”

After giving him a few more reminders, Aunt Gao finally drove him out of the kitchen with an expression of utter disdain.

Now that his doubts had been cleared up, Uncle Gao seemed to have transformed into an entirely different person. He became extraordinarily enthusiastic.

When he returned to the living room, he brought out tea, soft drinks, all kinds of fruit, and snacks, filling the entire coffee table.

“Teacher Wang, don’t be shy. Eat, eat as much as you like. Have whatever you want, just as if you were at home… Yangyang, would you like an orange? Grandpa will peel one for you.”

Lin Chuan found Uncle Gao’s enthusiasm very strange. What had happened? How had a single trip to the kitchen completely changed his temperament?

Wang Yue, meanwhile, blushed and quietly nodded as she picked up a banana from the coffee table.