Chapter 497: Fleeing in Panic

Waking up in the morning, I saw Department Head Huang Shan was actually at home, waiting for us to eat breakfast together.

As soon as Huang Wei saw her dad, she pressed her body against him, obediently handing him milk and cutting cake for him.

It is rare for Department Head Huang Shan not to go to the office during work hours. Since I met his daughter, I had almost never seen him eat breakfast at home. His staying home today was by no means accidental; something must have happened.

With a guilty conscience, I drank my milk silently, not daring to look up at him.

Sure enough, Department Head Huang Shan spoke first, asking me, "Little Chen, has the handover of your work in the county been completed?"

I hurriedly nodded and said, "The handover is clear."

"What are your plans now?" Department Head Huang Shan's voice was consistently soft, but every sentence made one think before daring to answer. He had been an organizational cadre his whole life; insight into others' thoughts came easily to him. Some say that organizational cadres all possess eyes that can see through fire, capable of discerning the strengths and weaknesses of every cadre.

"Dad," I said sincerely, "I want to report to the Provincial Committee and wait for the organization to arrange new work."

Just like calling Chen Yazhi "Mom," from the day I got the marriage certificate, I began calling Department Head Huang Shan "Dad." But I only used this form of address at home; once I stepped out the door, I, like everyone else, addressed him as "Department Head Huang" or "Leader."

Department Head Huang Shan gave a light "hmm," then turned to ask me, "I heard from Weiwei's mom that you are preparing to hold a wedding?"

I gave a low "hmm" and raised my eyes to look at Huang Wei.

Huang Wei quietly nodded, clinging to her dad's shoulder and acting spoiled, saying, "Dad, Chen Feng has to report to the province today, how would he have time to hold one?"

Department Head Huang Shan gave a surprised "oh," and turned his head to call to his wife, Chen Yazhi: "Old Chen, Old Chen, your intelligence is inaccurate."

Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi came out of the kitchen holding a glass of milk and asked with slight surprise, "What intelligence is inaccurate? A marriage is a major life event, can it be treated as child's play?"

Huang Wei smiled and said, "We already have our marriage certificate, so the major life event of marriage is settled. As for holding a ceremony, whether we do it or not, what does it matter? Besides, frugality is encouraged now."

Chen Yazhi was clearly angry; she frowned and barked, "Weiwei, you're just a child, why are you interrupting?"

Huang Wei pouted and shouted, "Mom, I'm about to be a mom myself, yet you still say I'm a child."

Chen Yazhi said with a dark face, "I think you just never grow up. Marriage is a major life event. Although you are legally husband and wife, if you don't hold a wedding, what will others say? Where will you put my face? Where will you put your dad's face? If we don't hold it, people will think there's something wrong with our Huang family."

Huang Wei was scolded by her mom and was too scared to speak, so she could only pester her dad, saying, "Dad, look at Mom, she's really annoying."

Department Head Huang Shan smiled magnanimously, patted his daughter's head, and said, "Weiwei, sometimes your mom's opinion is still very correct."

This sentence from Department Head Huang Shan was clearly biased toward Chen Yazhi; how could I not see his intentions?

I hurriedly said, "Dad, Mom, the wedding must be held. If we don't hold it, not only would I be failing you two elders, but I would be failing Weiwei even more."

Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi smiled with satisfaction and praised me, saying, "Look, Little Chen is the sensible one after all. He is a cadre, after all; his ideological awareness is just higher than yours. Although we are all Party cadres, we are ultimately still ordinary people. Cadres don't live in a vacuum. Human relationships and social interactions are just common sense."

Huang Wei glared at me fiercely and cursed, "Traitor."

Her calling me a traitor made us all laugh. The air in the room instantly became much more relaxed.

Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi sat down opposite me and said solemnly, "Little Chen, your dad and I both stayed home today just to take this opportunity to discuss some matters regarding the wedding. What do you think?"

I had unspeakable bitterness; Zhu Huayu and Li Lian were still staying at the Hengyan Hotel, and the time to report to the province was almost here. If I really stayed to discuss wedding matters, and then spent a few more days preparing after the discussion, by the time I finished the wedding, the reporting deadline would have long passed. But I had already stated that I would hold a wedding; if I went back on my word now, it would be a miracle if Chen Yazhi didn't tear me apart!

I had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Mom, I still hold the same opinion: I will listen to you."

Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi smiled with satisfaction again and arranged, "Invite your mom over at noon, along with your aunt's family and Wang Mei for a reunion dinner, and we can settle on a date while we're at it. Since I, Old Chen, am marrying off a daughter, it must be done in a grand and glorious way."

I agreed timidly, finished the milk in my glass, stood up, and said, "I'll go back home now."

"No rush!" Department Head Huang Shan stopped me and asked, "I heard Weiwei say just now that the time to report to the province is almost here?"

I nodded earnestly and said, "It's tomorrow."

"If you have to report tomorrow, what kind of wedding can you hold?" A layer of anger rose on Department Head Huang Shan's face.

"It shouldn't matter if I postpone reporting for a few days," I said, not daring to look at him.

"Nonsense!" Department Head Huang Shan stood up, flicking his sleeves, grabbed the briefcase on the table, and walked out the door with a wave of his hand.

I was startled by this sudden turn of events. Was Department Head Huang Shan's attitude directed at me, or at Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi? I felt uneasy and looked at Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi, hoping to read a glimmer of hope on her face.

Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi's face was calm; she drank her milk quietly and didn't look at me at all.

"Mom!" I called out guiltily.

"You!" She stood up, pushed her glass aside, and said, "Weiwei's dad is unhappy now. Can you still get married?"

"What should I do?" I asked for help.

"How would I know what to do?" Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi glared at me fiercely and said, "Go explain it to Department Head Huang yourself. You clearly knew a wedding had to be held, yet you brought up the reporting matter. Would someone die if you reported a day early or a day late? There's no hard-and-fast rule! By saying that, aren't you clearly showing you aren't cooperating?"

I protested, "Mom, that's not what I meant."

Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi said with a dark face, "I didn't say it was your meaning. Wasn't it Weiwei who said it? When Weiwei said that, could she have known which day you were supposed to report?"

I was so embarrassed I wished I could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. Every word from Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi seemed to dissect me thoroughly, to the point where she could see every pore on my body.

"Mom!" Seeing how uncomfortable I was, Huang Wei stepped forward and spoke up: "Chen Feng said, can't we hold it after he has arranged his new work?"

"Nonsense!" Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi scolded her daughter, "Do you intend to get married with a big belly?"

Huang Wei feigned a smile and said, "Is it not glorious to get married with a belly?"

"Glorious? You're a disgrace!" She left us and said to the nanny, "Auntie Wang, I'm going out."

Huang Wei hurriedly grabbed her mom's arm and asked, "Mom, where are you going?"

"Let go!" Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi barked, "I can't make sense with you unreasonable people; I'm going to talk to his aunt."

Hearing that she was going to find my aunt, I suddenly felt a surge of joy.

My aunt will definitely support me! I thought.

In my aunt's heart, my future is bigger than the sky! Women, family, all of that is external; only my future is my only light. Isn't Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi just looking for trouble by going to find my aunt?

The moment Bureau Chief Chen Yazhi stepped out the door, Huang Wei started clamoring to go home.

Only in our own little nest could we let go and release ourselves.

But the nanny, Auntie Wang, disagreed, saying that Bureau Chief Chen had given instructions that Weiwei could not go out and must stay home to take care of her health.

Huang Wei still wanted to throw a tantrum, but I stopped her and said, "Wife, you really do need to take good care of yourself at home."

Huang Wei glared and said, "No, I want to go home with you."

I comforted her, "You have people to take care of you at your parents' house, but there's no one to take care of you at home. Besides, I'm not leaving."

"I have you!" She leaned half her body against me, completely ignoring that Auntie Wang was still standing nearby. I could now accept this display of affection with peace of mind.

"Son-in-law, take Weiwei upstairs to rest," Mother Wang said, making arrangements for me, her eyes blinking as she unexpectedly revealed a playful expression.

Mother Wang had been a nanny in Department Head Huang Shan's home for half her life; in a certain sense, she was already considered one of the members of the Huang family, with a higher status in the household than even me. Huang Weiwei had been raised by her since birth, and before Weiwei was five, she had always slept with her. Sometimes, her feelings for Mother Wang were even better than those for her own mother.

"Let's go upstairs!" Huang Weiwei kissed my face and shouted, "Hubby, carry me up."

Mother Wang smiled affectionately and told me that if I were hungry, there was food in the kitchen, as she was heading out to buy groceries.

Once Mother Wang left, the living room, which had been lively, instantly turned quiet.

"Hubby, let's go home," Huang Weiwei brought up this topic again.

"We can't go back," I said, reaching out to touch her belly: "I can't leave my son without anyone to look after him."

"If you don't leave now, once my mother comes back later, you won't be able to leave even if you want to. If you can't leave, how will you report for duty? If you don't report, do you still want a future? I certainly don't want my son's father to be an unemployed drifter."

"But if I leave now, what will happen later?"

"You'll have me."

I was so moved I almost cried; what virtue or ability did I, Chen Feng, have to deserve such a good wife!

I was still hesitating, but Huang Weiwei had already packed our things; she snuggled up to me and said, "Hubby, I've thought it over. We'll go back today, and you can bring Mother to our house. That way I won't be lonely, and your son won't be lonely either."

She stroked her belly and said, "I am now a member of your Chen family, so of course I should be taken care of by your Chen family, don't you think?"

I hurriedly nodded and said, "Yes, that is indeed true."

"If Mother feels it's inconvenient, have her bring Meizhu along too. That way our home will be lively, even livelier than my mother's house."

She laughed happily, as radiant as a sunflower.