บท 214: Chapter 214: How I Envy Someone Like You
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Tap, tap, tap~
A series of hurried footsteps echoed on the floor, and a middle-aged man, slightly overweight, with an anxious expression, quickly ran towards where his daughter was.
Bang~
The door to the private room was opened, and Wang Tongfu immediately smelled a pungent odor. A familiar scent flashed through his mind, but he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he focused his gaze on the young man sitting on the sofa.
His daughter, Wang Yao, slumped on the floor. Her beautiful face was pale, and fear flickered in her eyes, making her unable to move.
"Dad!"
Seeing her father, Wang Yao's terrified eyes lit up with a hint of joy. It was like encountering a ray of light in the endless darkness. She quickly stood up, tears shimmering in her eyes, and rushed towards her father.
At this moment, she was no longer a spoiled young lady, but a girl yearning for her father's care and protection, enduring numerous grievances.
Holding his daughter who threw herself into his arms, Wang Tongfu's face was filled with a caring expression. He asked with concern, "Yao'er, are you okay? Did he hurt you?"
"No."
Wang Yao shook her head tearfully and then glanced remorsefully at Zeng Yi, who was sitting on the side.
That man hadn't done anything to her, except for scaring her during the earlier altercation. But while waiting for her father to arrive, being alone with him had brought about an inexplicable pressure and fear.
"Alright, let's stop being sentimental. I haven't harmed your precious daughter even a bit, so rest assured" Just as Wang Tongfu was about to inquire about his daughter's condition, a cold voice interrupted their conversation. Both of them turned their attention to the source of the voice.
"So, you are Wang Tongfu, right?" Zeng Yi looked at the middle-aged man before him, clad in extravagant attire with a slightly overweight physique. He asked coldly.
"Yes, yes, I am Wang Tongfu. May I ask, respected Senior Spirit Master, where did I offend you?" Wang Tongfu moved his daughter behind him and stared at the unfamiliar face before him with a vigilant expression.
He was certain that he had never seen this person before. So why did this person come looking for him?
Zeng Yi remained silent and instead turned his gaze towards Wang Yao, who was hidden behind Wang Tongfu, stealing glances at him. "You go out, I have something to discuss with your father."
"But, Father..." Wang Yao couldn't help but worry about her father. Although her father was also a Spirit master, with a Spirit power of only 23, he was not even on par with a Second Ring Spirit master. She was worried about leaving her father alone with such a terrifying person.
"Listen to me, everything will be fine. Go out." Wang Tongfu gently reassured his daughter. He was gratified to see how much his daughter cared for him. Amongst everyone in the family, his daughter treated him the best.
In general, the situation had been explained to him by the Spirit master who had come to find him. Facing a Spirit master who could easily subdue two Spirit Elders and a Spirit Grandmaster instantly, it was clear that the person from his restaurant, Orchid Restaurant, had no power to resist such an individual.
"You be careful." Wang Yao said worriedly, casting a trembling glance at Zeng Yi before leaving the private room.
After his daughter left the room, Wang Tongfu looked at Zeng Yi, his expression respectful. "Sir, please tell me what you need. As long as it's not an outrageous request, I will be able to assist you."
"What do you think you can help me with?" Zeng Yi couldn't help but smile. He got up and walked slowly towards Wang Tongfu.
As this young man approached him, encircling him, inspecting him with eyes filled with disdain, Wang Tongfu felt even more threatened.
Seeing Wang Tongfu bowing his head in silence, Zeng Yi chuckled, "Don't worry, I came to find you without any ill intentions. I've just been entrusted to deliver something to you."
"Entrusted? What are you delivering?" Wang Tongfu couldn't help but feel curious.
"Here, take a look." Zeng Yi pointed to the floor.
Wang Tongfu looked at the scattered pickled vegetables on the ground and his gaze became vacant. Countless memories flashed through his mind.
Seeing Wang Tongfu's absentminded state, Zeng Yi continued, "Let me tell you something. A few days ago, I was passing through a field on the road when I saw an old man collapse in the field. In such scorching heat, even I, a Spirit Master, felt uncomfortable, let alone an ordinary person without Spirit power. If I had found him a moment later, that old man might have already passed away, don't you think?"
At these words, Wang Tongfu's heart trembled, but he remained silent.
Continuing, Zeng Yi said, "Afterward, I brought the old man to his home and stayed with him for a night. I learned that he was living alone, and he said that his spouse had passed away last year."
This sentence struck Wang Tongfu like a boulder. Unbelievable surprise filled his eyes, and his steps involuntarily staggered back, nearly falling to the ground.
"This is what confuses me. The old man mentioned that he still had a son living in Skywater City, and he seemed proud when he spoke of it. Before leaving, he entrusted me to bring this jar of pickled vegetables to his son. He said he couldn't afford anything valuable, so he could only send him these pickled vegetables he made. He also mentioned that these pickled vegetables were his son's favorite when he was young."
"But." Zeng Yi continued, "I thought to myself, that man in Skywater City is already the owner of a restaurant. He must have enjoyed extravagant meals and delicacies from mountains and seas. How could he eat these pickled vegetables?"
"Am I right, Wang Tongfu?"
At this moment, Wang Tongfu was already in tears, unable to speak, and kneeling on the ground. He grabbed the pickled vegetables from the floor and stuffed them into his mouth.
"So delicious, so delicious." Wang Tongfu spoke while chewing and sobbing. But Zeng Yi couldn't bear witnessing this and grabbed his collar, lifting him up.
"Don't think that you can redeem yourself just by acting like this. Don't disgust me!" Zeng Yi roared angrily, his face distorted with rage.
"You have a happy family here in Skywater City — a lovely daughter and such a prosperous business. But do you know that you abandoned your parents who raised you through hardships in the countryside for over a decade? What face do you have to cry here? Go cry to your father!"
"Your parents lived their difficult lives in the countryside while you enjoyed wealth and indulgence in Skywater City. You feasted on lavish meals while your parents had nothing but salted vegetables and plain porridge! You slept on a soft bed while your parents slept on damp wooden planks! Do you know what those wooden beds are like? Once someone sits on it, it creaks and groans, as if it would collapse the next second! And yet, you can still sleep peacefully!"
"Is it that difficult for you to take care of your parents with your current wealth? How much money could they cost you? You have no conscience!"
As he spoke, Zeng Yi became unable to control his emotions. Wang Tongfu, on the other hand, cried uncontrollably, knelt on the ground with his forehead touching the floor, and kept repeating "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Seeing him like this, Zeng Yi sighed.
Perhaps he also had some untold secret, otherwise, he wouldn't be so emotional.
Zeng Yi could tell that Wang Tongfu's tears were genuine, not an act.
However, abandoning one's parents without showing any concern, no matter the reason, was ultimately wrong.
A glint flashed in Zeng Yi's hand, and a black clay jar appeared.
The old man had given Zeng Yi two jars of pickled vegetables—one for his son and one for Zeng Yi. However, one of the jars had broken, so Zeng Yi had to give his own jar.
"If you truly regret it, go bring your father here and take care of him. The old man doesn't have much time left."
Zeng Yi placed the jar on the table and walked toward the door of the private room.
"Do you know how much I envy someone like you?" As Zeng Yi passed by Wang Tongfu, he faintly heard these words echo in his ears.
After a long while, Wang Tongfu stood up, looking at the jar on the table, and walked shakily towards it. He hugged the jar tightly against his chest, treating it as though it were a treasure, and burst into tears again.
He, a villager, awakened his martial Spirit and gained a bit of Spirit power. Everyone in the village believed he could become a Spirit master and bring glory to the village. With the village's hopes resting on him, he came to Skywater City to make a name for himself.
In Skywater City, he struggled for over a decade and fortunately found a woman who would accompany him for the rest of his life. She was a local woman from Skywater City, with a certain level of family influence. Logically speaking, such a well-connected lady shouldn't have fallen for a poor boy like him, but it had happened.
Although he married an outstanding woman, he was just a son-in-law and had no status in her family. He had once brought his aging parents to live with him in Skywater City, but due to his son-in-law status, his parents faced ridicule, even from his own wife. In the end, his parents chose to return to their hometown, so as not to burden him. He had to work harder to prove himself and avoid being looked down upon.
Yes, he eventually succeeded. With his talent and his wife's support, he opened a restaurant in Skywater City, Orchid Restaurant, which gained some fame in the city. His daughter was also doing well. She had entered Skywater Academy, a renowned academy for Spirit masters in the empire.
Everything went smoothly and beautifully, but gradually, he forgot about his parents who still lived in the countryside.
Perhaps it was because he felt he wasn't strong enough, or perhaps he relied on his wife's family's influence and power, so he didn't dare bring his parents to live with them. He also heard about bandits on the road, instilling fear in him.
But, deep inside, he was a cowardly person. No matter how flamboyant his exterior was, his inner essence remained the same.
He was afraid, afraid that everything he had worked for his entire life would vanish in an instant. And so, he chose to forget about it.
But now he knew he was wrong. Some things, once missed, couldn't be redeemed. Just like now, his mother had passed away without him even laying eyes on her, and his old father was still waiting for him.
All he wanted now was to appear before his father immediately and kneel down to apologize.
Bang~
The door to the private room was opened, and Wang Yao looked at her father, his eyes red, tears still flowing, holding a black jar tightly in his arms like a treasure.
"Dad, are you alright?"
Wang Tongfu shook his head and said, "Get the cart ready. I want to go home!"
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