Chapter 89: We Love You Forever and Ever

After seeing off the last young man, who was too excited to speak, Mikhail watched him leave until his back was no longer visible, then returned to his office, where he felt like grabbing his overcoat, spinning it around twice, and shouting twice in joy:

"Off work! Off work! Time to eat, time to eat!"

Being a shareholder of the magazine was certainly good, but one of the core purposes was surely to eat.

Just as Mikhail began excitedly packing up his things, a knock on the door suddenly sounded, causing Mikhail's face to immediately fall.

Which damn person.

But fortunately, after he adjusted his state and said "Come in," the ones who walked in from outside were the excited Pulcheria and Donya, whose complexion had recently begun to look rosy.

"Mother, I was just about to go find you."

Seeing the newcomers, Mikhail immediately relaxed, then smiled and said, "It's getting late; let's go eat soon."

Because they hadn't seen each other for quite some time, and because when his mother and sister arrived Mikhail already had a certain amount of financial strength and was no longer short of money, although at first they did not plan to stay long, they ultimately stayed a bit longer out of concern for Mikhail's daily life.

Now, seeing that Mikhail was about to move into a new residence and had greatly improved his financial situation through his own efforts, they were temporarily preparing to return home to handle some matters, and if time permitted, they might come again.

By the way, regarding that big gamble with the collection, Mikhail certainly kept it hidden from them; after all, while it might be one thing for others to know, letting his mother and sister know about it would undoubtedly increase their worry and burden in their hearts.

If others knew, they would at most sigh, but if they knew, they would probably start anxiously thinking of ways for Mikhail and constantly running around before the results were even out.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly; Mikhail simply explained the course of events afterward and did not give too detailed an explanation.

And his mother Pulcheria, although she felt a moment of fear afterward, finally felt relieved upon seeing Mikhail's current situation and status.

As for his sister, Mikhail felt she could probably guess some of it; in the period just before the collection was about to be published, the way Donya looked at him always carried some worry and nervousness, and she had prayed to God for him for several days in a row.

Yet for some reason, even though Mikhail's situation was now better than ever before, a certain worry still seemed to lurk in those black eyes of hers.

"Dear Misha, this is our first time in your office."

Looking at Mikhail's spacious office and his well-fitting clothes, the old woman showed joy that came from the heart:

"Donya and I have always believed you would have a bright future, but who knew it would come so quickly? Just relying on your talent and cooperation with friends, you've reached this point all at once. Who dares say this isn't God's arrangement?

You have suffered so much; now finally you no longer have to live the way you did before."

"Yes, Mother."

Seeing Pulcheria once again saddened by Mikhail's past days, Mikhail, while showing her around the office, also took her hand: "The days ahead will only get better and better."

After talking and laughing for a while, Mikhail soon led his mother and sister toward a certain restaurant nearby.

Although during their stay in Saint Petersburg his mother and sister did not want to trouble him and even wanted to find a short-term job there first, Mikhail naturally did not want that to happen.

After all, what logic is there in making them come all this way to suffer?

So in these recent days, Mikhail, who had a little spare money on hand, often took his mother and sister out to eat something; if he just gave them money, they would prefer to save it for other plans.

And under Mikhail's insistence, the complexion of his mother and sister had already improved greatly, looking almost like two different people from the thinness and haggardness when they first arrived; this was undoubtedly clear proof that Mikhail's life was improving bit by bit.

Soon, Mikhail and his party arrived at a rather good restaurant; although Pulcheria kept telling him to cut expenses on the side, Mikhail naturally followed his own pace and ordered quite a few meat dishes.

During the wait for the food, as Pulcheria and Mikhail talked, she began instructing Mikhail on how he should live after they left, detailing many aspects of daily life while inevitably bringing a touch of sadness.

From beginning to end, that quiet girl did not speak much, only occasionally glancing at her brother, who was somewhat tired from work, while all her experiences from this period flashed through her mind.

Because Pulcheria could not read but wanted to hear people's opinions on Mikhail's novels, it was often Donya who read the reviews from magazines and newspapers aloud.

She would only read the praising reviews to her mother, but in the process of reading magazines and newspapers, she came to understand more clearly Mikhail's inclinations on certain matters and the dangers those inclinations might lead to.

But even if she knew, what could be done?

Could she go and stop him? Although perhaps she should.

This quiet girl had spent a long time considering this matter and had more or less brought up related issues with Mikhail, exchanging thoughts on them.

And now, they indeed had to return home for a while, and before leaving

Seeing that the conversation between Pulcheria and Mikhail had temporarily come to an end, the girl looked at Mikhail with a gaze that carried both melancholy and a certain light, then spoke:

"Brother, if one day you feel you no longer want to stay here, if you feel tired, come back. Your mother and I will be waiting for you at home. We still have a small courtyard at home; even in winter, sunlight sometimes reaches it. Your mother and I can still work.

When you come back, we will never be separated again. We are willing to take care of you forever. You know, we love you so much; we love you forever and ever."

Regarding his sister's words, Mikhail had expected them, but more than that he thought they were meant as comfort; hearing them with his own ears, Mikhail remained unable to come to his senses for a long time. When he finally met those two pairs of eyes holding a certain worry, Mikhail could only take their hands and say, "I will take care of myself."

(End of this chapter)