บท 41: A Scam?
Ningguo County, Qinshan Town, Luowu Village in Shanning Village—this is a very ordinary little village. Nestled in a valley formed by mountains, it boasts picturesque scenery. Unfortunately, due to poor transportation, the village's economy hadn't developed much. It was only a few years ago that a road was built, slowly bringing some improvement.
On this day, with the weather sunny and perfect for travel, inside a common household in the village:
"How's it going?" A middle-aged woman asked eagerly. Her name is Quinn, Ren's mother in this world, who was looking at Ren's father, Xavier.
"They're already on the way, should be here soon," Xavier put down his phone and replied honestly.
"That's good, that's good. I really want to meet Yueyue soon," Quinn said with a relieved smile on her face. She was looking forward to finally meeting her granddaughter. Although she hadn't met her in person, from the sweet voice over the phone, Quinn could tell her granddaughter was a lovely child.
"Yueyue, what a nice name!" Xavier also looked happy.
Although he was somewhat displeased with how his son had handled things, what parent doesn't wish for their family to continue? Bringing someone home was, after all, a good thing.
"But, hearing you talk, she's a big boss from the city. Seeing our home like this..." Xavier's words trailed off.
But Quinn understood what her husband meant. They feared that the city girl might disdain their humble setting.
"That's why we need to help our son," Quinn glanced at her husband, slightly displeased. "That kid hasn't managed to win her over yet. If it were up to me, they would have... "
She stopped, about to say 'had a child already,' but then she realized they indeed had one, and she was already five years old.
"Anyway, as parents, we definitely want the two to really come together," Quinn continued, waving her hand. "You know what your childhood was like. You probably don't want our granddaughter to go through the same, do you?"
"..."
Xavier didn't object; he was silent. He had grown up with divorced parents, living with his father. Life in a single-parent family had its troubles.
"Get some things ready," Quinn smiled. "Our Ren's future wife is a big city boss, city food must have bored her by now, we need to give her something different, something like... what's it called on the internet? Shake-something?"
"It's called rural tourism," Xavier smiled proudly, as if saying 'ignorance is scary.'
Just as he wore a proud look, he suddenly shivered.
Quinn gave him a cold look and snorted, "Laughing? If she sees you spending all day on TikTok watching girls sing and dance, she'd laugh her head off. Shameless!"
Saying this, she twisted Xavier's waist, causing a series of gasps to echo through the room.
...
Meanwhile, on the road:
Ren was driving with Jada and their daughter, heading home.
Approaching home, Ren felt apprehensive—not because he hadn't been home in a long time, but this trip was different; he was bringing his daughter home.
Jada felt nervous beside him. Meeting a partner's parents is nerve-wracking for anyone.
The only one not nervous was probably their daughter. She was busy watching cartoons on her phone, occasionally striking various poses and making loud exclamations.
"Ren, how much longer?" Jada asked, looking concerned.
"Not much longer, just follow this road to the fork, turn left, and then... holy crap!" Ren abruptly hit the brakes.
A man had suddenly burst out of the bushes beside the road.
"Is this... a scam?" Ren said uncertainty.
"Maybe?" Even Jada was stunned.
Thinking it over, Ren rolled down the window and called out, "Hey, are you trying to kill yourself? Even if it looks like a scam, what if I hadn't stopped in time?"
"Sorry, sorry!" the man got up, apologizing profusely. "I'm not trying to scam you."
He was about thirty, dressed in worn clothes, his face unshaven and unkempt, as if he hadn't taken care of himself for a long time. He kept bowing and apologizing to Ren.
"I just need a favor," the man said, pointing to the roadside bushes, where he had hidden a motorcycle. "My bike ran out of gas, I've been pushing it for a while and can't move it anymore. Could you please give me a ride to the gas station? Please!"
Seeing the man's desperate state, Ren hesitated. Was he a criminal on the run, too busy to clean up because he was being chased?
"I'm sorry, I have things to do. Maybe wait for someone else," Ren decided to drive off. While the man looked pitiful, Ren couldn't risk it, especially with his daughter and Jada in the car.
As Ren prepared to drive away, the man suddenly knelt down. "Please, I'm begging you. There are so few cars on this road, and those that pass by refuse to help. But I really can't waste time pushing my bike!"
"You..." Ren was interrupted as Jada tugged at his sleeve and pointed out the window. Following her gaze, Ren fell silent.
Yueyue, leaning over the back seat, added, "Daddy, teacher said we should help others. This uncle looks so pitiful, let's help him."
After a pause, Ren got out of the car. "Hurry up, help me lift your bike. I can't move it alone. The gas station is still a long way from here."
"Thank you, thank you!" The man's eyes teared up as he bowed deeply to Ren again.
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