Chapter 1975

"Zhiqiang!"

"Mom!"

Zhang Zhiqiang followed the sound with his eyes; the cry of joyful surprise made his eyes well up with hot tears, and he flung himself toward his mother, who was waving at him. Mother and son held each other tightly, neither willing to let go for a long while.

After a long while, Zhang Zhiqiang slowly steadied his surging emotions. He wiped the tears from his cheeks and said with a smile, "Mom, why did you come to pick me up? I remember that before I left, I told you not to come meet me — so why did you still come?"

His mother said with a smile, "If I didn't come to pick you up, how would I know whether you'd really come home? You're the breadwinner of our family — if something happened to you, what would the rest of us do?"

Hearing his mother's words, Zhang Zhiqiang's eyes grew slightly moist again. He hugged his mother tightly once more, then said, "Mom, I'm fine, I'm doing well. Now that I'm back, I'll stay by your side from now on."

His mother patted Zhang Zhiqiang's shoulder with relief. "Good child, coming home is all that matters."

The two then boarded the long-distance bus together. Zhang Zhiqiang helped his mother with the luggage, and as they chatted, the bus set off toward the county town.

After half an hour on the road, the bus arrived at the county town. Zhang Zhiqiang and his mother got off and walked toward the county hospital.

On the way, Zhang Zhiqiang told his mother about his experiences in the city during this period and the reasons why he had chosen to return to his hometown.

After hearing him out, his mother felt a little sad, but was also proud that her son could have such an idea.

Before they knew it, the two had arrived near the county hospital. Zhang Zhiqiang told his mother to go back and rest first, while he himself went to the hospital to visit his father.

When he arrived at his father's ward, he saw his father lying in bed resting. He walked softly to the bedside, bent down, and kissed his father's forehead.

"Dad, I'm back," Zhang Zhiqiang said softly.

Hearing the familiar voice, his father slowly opened his eyes. Seeing that it was his son who had returned, a look of delight spread across his face.

"Zhiqiang, you're back?" his father asked happily. Mm, I'm back. Dad, I'm sorry — I've made you suffer these past few days!"

Saying this, Zhang Zhiqiang took a few hundred yuan out of his pocket and placed it beside his father's bedding.

"Zhiqiang, what are you doing?" his father asked, looking at his son in confusion.

Zhang Zhiqiang said, "Dad, I found a job out there and have already earned a little money, so I brought it back to pay for your treatment."

His father said, "Then how much did you earn?"

"Around five thousand, I suppose — it should be enough for your treatment." Zhang Zhiqiang said this as he stretched his hand out in front of his father.

"Zhiqiang, what did you say? You earned five thousand?" his father asked in surprise.

"That's right, I just went and signed up yesterday," Zhang Zhiqiang explained.

"Zhiqiang, that's wonderful — with this money I can retire in peace," his father said happily.

"Yes, as long as you can recover, I'll be satisfied," Zhang Zhiqiang said.

"I can have the surgery soon, and when the time comes you can go back to work!" his father said.

"Let me wait a while longer — once you're fully recovered, I'll go back to work," Zhang Zhiqiang insisted.

The reason Zhang Zhiqiang was so stubborn was mainly that he worried: what if something happened to his father? If he went back to work and then had to leave his father, what would he do?

"Zhiqiang, you don't need to worry about me — I'll be fine very soon. Besides, the doctors are already saying I can have the surgery. Once you go back, you can work with peace of mind. Why insist on dragging things out?"

Zhang Zhiqiang insisted, "Dad, I can't leave. I promised you and Mom that no matter what, I'd stay by my parents' side and fulfill my filial duty."

"Sigh…" his father let out a breath. "Fine, since you're so obstinate, I won't try to persuade you any longer."

"Thank you, Dad," Zhang Zhiqiang said happily.

"Zhiqiang, there's something I have to tell you. You know, I've never married my whole life, and I've never had any children. Actually, I've long been hoping you'd come back. But after you graduated, you kept studying abroad and never had the chance to come back. This year, I've finally gotten my wish and seen you. You've grown up, gotten married and had children — all of that makes me very happy. But I still hope you can hurry back home. Although you've already set up your own family and career, deep in your heart a father's love still flows. A father's love is no less than a mother's!" his father said earnestly.

"Dad, I'm sorry — I've disappointed you." As Zhang Zhiqiang spoke, tears fell again. His father's words moved him deeply; he truly couldn't bear to leave his parents, and he truly wished he could just stay in his hometown, growing old together with them — even if it were only a brief happiness. Zhang Zhiqiang felt deeply torn: he knew he couldn't stay by his parents' side forever, yet he didn't want to leave them either. He had thought about bringing his parents to live with him, but worried they wouldn't adapt to city life, and worried he wouldn't be able to take good care of them.

Just as Zhang Zhiqiang was caught in a dilemma, his father said again, "Zhiqiang, you don't need to worry about me too much. I've already found a very good nursing home — the environment is lovely and the service is very attentive. I'll spend my old age comfortably there."

Hearing his father's words, Zhang Zhiqiang felt even more torn. He had no idea what to do. He truly wanted to stay by his parents' side and fulfill his filial duty, but he couldn't give up his career and life either.

Just as Zhang Zhiqiang was hesitating, he suddenly received a phone call — it was from his wife. His wife said on the phone, "Zhiqiang, hurry back for a bit — our son is sick and needs your care."

The news made Zhang Zhiqiang very anxious; he knew he had to go back. He looked at his father, feeling deeply reluctant to leave, but he knew he had to go.

Seeing Zhang Zhiqiang's conflict and reluctance, his father said, "Zhiqiang, go back. Don't worry about me — I'll take good care of myself here. You must take good care of our son; he needs you by his side."

Hearing his father's words, Zhang Zhiqiang was deeply moved. He knew his father understood him, and he knew his own conflict and reluctance were only human. He decided to go home and take care of his son, while also doing his utmost to fulfill his filial duty toward his parents.

In the end, Zhang Zhiqiang left his father and returned home. He knew his life would become busier and harder, but he believed he could handle the balance between work and family. He would also keep a close eye on his father's situation, hoping to return to his side as soon as possible to fulfill his filial duty.