Chapter 692: Showdown (Grand Finale)

Sitting on the balcony at home, I looked at the balcony of Aunt's house across the way. The sunlight was like water, pouring over the earth. It was a rare sunny winter day.

There was still no snow this year, and the temperature remained high as usual, making one wonder if time had taken the wrong season. In the season when all trees were withered, the early spring peach blossoms began to bloom enthusiastically.

There was no one on the balcony of Aunt's house; she had long since stopped living there. Of the few pots of flowers and plants on the balcony, only a few withered branches remained. A patterned towel hung lazily on the wire, not moving at all, making one feel a sense of unease. On their glass, I could even see a thick layer of dust, devoid of any life.

I sat quietly, drinking the Pu'er tea that Xi Meizhu had brewed for me.

Pu'er is good for the stomach, and aged Pu'er even more so. Huang Weiwei learned the way of health preservation from her mother, Chen Yazhi, and now she applies every trick and move to me.

Everything came so quietly, so naturally. No one can stop the footsteps of history; life moves forward at a set pace, neither fast nor slow.

Like a movie, the past years unfolded before my eyes, scene by scene.

There was no more news of Xue Bing, and Xu Mengda and I had not met again since we broke ties over wine. He still cooperated with Aunt's company, but no longer held a controlling stake. According to him, he was a businessman who not only valued integrity but also valued morality. Because both he, I, and Aunt knew that without his investment, Aunt's company could not maintain operations.

Qian Youyu quietly withdrew after Xu Mengda invested. He returned to Suxi Town, still leading his group of farmer brothers, traveling across provinces and counties to take on the construction work they were skilled at.

One of Yue Bai's children had already been admitted to university, and the other followed Qian Youyu to fight everywhere, reportedly becoming Qian Youyu's most capable right-hand man. As for Yue Bai, she suddenly seemed to have aged thirty years; not only was her face full of wrinkles, but everything she said revealed an air of twilight.

Chen Meng, on the other hand, was preparing to leave Hengyue City to work at a newspaper in the Provincial Capital.

After finishing the "Home for the New Year" event, I specifically made a trip to the Provincial Capital. At Lin Xiaoxi's house, I talked with Vice Provincial Governor Lin for half the night.

When the conversation ended, Vice Provincial Governor Lin said half-seriously and half-jokingly, "Little Chen, you have a good character. You have a strong sense of the big picture! If you had become my son-in-law back then, perhaps neither of us would have ended well."

I was very surprised by Vice Provincial Governor Lin's words, and while I was trying to figure out the truth, Lin Xiaoxi revealed the secret. It turned out that everything I did was within her father's grasp; my ability to make decisive decisions at the most critical moments had earned her father's admiration. Breaking ties with Xu Mengda made him completely at ease with me.

I laughed and said, "Governor Lin, rumors are all rumors. If one believes in rumors, there is no truth in this world."

Vice Provincial Governor Lin nodded approvingly and said, "Any person will make some mistakes in their lifetime. For those who make mistakes, we must remind, warn, and provide help. As long as they can turn back and continue to create value for society, people will forgive them. Don't you think?"

I said earnestly, "Governor, you are right. As soon as a person is born, it is as if they are playing a hand of cards. The cards can be good or bad; having good cards doesn't necessarily mean winning, and having a hand of bad cards doesn't necessarily mean losing. Who can win this hand of life depends on technique."

Vice Provincial Governor Lin laughed heartily, staring into my eyes and saying, "Back then, you held a hand of cards that could put others to death; why didn't you play them?"

I smiled and said, "Because I am not the dealer; winning wouldn't be just me, and losing would instead achieve others."

"What if you were the dealer?"

"I wouldn't want to be the dealer. Unless the dealer doesn't want to do it anymore, I would be willing to take over."

Vice Provincial Governor Lin sighed thoughtfully, "A terrifying young man!"

Vice Provincial Governor Lin would soon be transferred to be the Governor of another province. His conversation with me was his last in Central Province. Whether we would have the chance to meet again in the future was all up to fate.

Lin Xiaoxi officially became Vice Provincial Governor Lin's personal secretary; this was the organization's care for an old cadre. In other words, Lin Xiaoxi would also leave Central Province with Vice Provincial Governor Lin.

I felt a sense of loss, and when I finally kissed Lin Xiaoxi goodbye, we were both incomparably sad.

Lin Xiaoxi wrapped her arms around my waist, leaning her head against my chest, tears streaming down.

"I will live alone for the rest of my life," she said.

"There's no need," I comforted her, "There are many beautiful landscapes in the world; if you miss one, there are more waiting for you to appreciate."

Lin Xiaoxi smiled faintly, "In my eyes, there is only one landscape; once missed, it is gone forever."

A gust of wind blew, flipping a few pages of the book in my hand.

A warmth on my shoulder; I turned to look, and Huang Weiwei was standing quietly behind me, gazing at me with a smile.

I reached out to pull her over, letting her sit on my lap, holding her slender waist, and said with emotion, "Wife, thank you!"

Huang Weiwei smiled faintly, reaching out to stroke my cheek gently, and sighed, "Husband, you've aged a lot."

I smiled and said, "Everyone will age; one day, we will grow old just like our parents. But no matter how old I get, my heart that loves you will never change."

"I know!" Huang Weiwei's voice choked with emotion, and she pinched my earlobe and said softly, "Husband, I will never change either. Although I know the outside world is wonderful, there will always be a place for me and our son in your heart. That is enough!"

I held her tighter, smelling the fragrance emanating from her, my mood calm and tranquil.

Footsteps behind me, and then I heard my son's laughter.

We turned to look at the same time; Xi Meizhu was holding my son's hand, looking at our intimacy with a smile.

We no longer avoided her when being affectionate; she now seemed to be an indispensable member of our family. In the hearts of my mother and son, Xi Meizhu's weight was much heavier than ours as a couple. They could live without us, but they couldn't live without Xi Meizhu.

"The child is here," Xi Meizhu scolded us.

We looked at each other and smiled, sticking even closer.

"I really can't stand your flirtatious behavior," Xi Meizhu said, holding back a laugh, "Son, let's go downstairs to bask in the sun. Let's take Grandma with us!"

Watching the three generations of them go out, I suddenly opened my mouth and bit Huang Weiwei's earlobe, whispering, "Wife, I feel so happy!"

My cell phone rang; I picked it up and saw it was from Zhu Hua Yu.

"Secretary, the list of VIPs for the opening ceremony needs to be finalized; you need to come and confirm it."

"Okay!" I said readily, "According to the direction we set before, grand, but not extravagant."

Zhu Hua Yu was now the Deputy Director of the Industrial Park and the youngest deputy division-level cadre in Hengyue City.

"Understood!" Zhu Hua Yu paused and said, "Secretary, I'm sorry, the matter is too urgent; I've already sent a car to pick you up."

I hung up the phone and looked toward the gate of the residential complex downstairs; sure enough, I saw a small car winding its way over.

The person driving was Yu Wei.

I stood up and said apologetically to Huang Weiwei, "Wife, I have to go out."

"Go ahead! Remember to come home early!"

"Don't worry! I will definitely remember the way home!"

The sun hung overhead, and a warmth spread through my whole body.

Dear readers, thank you for your support all along. This book has gone through many hardships and twists and turns, and now it is finally finished.

Looking back on the years of creation, everything I say is filled with tears. But because of you, I did not give up.