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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Seventy: Zhang Zhi Hua's Sigh
By the time Zhang Qiu and the others finished their meal, it was already past two in the afternoon. After the gathering, everyone returned home. Yao Yu lived in a nearby village and left early to catch the last bus home. The others lived in the county town, which was more convenient. Although Gao Zhi's home was in a nearby town, he rented a place across from the school for convenience, making him the one closest to home among them.
At the entrance of the barbecue restaurant, they bid farewell reluctantly. After a round of drinks, Yang Yu had become much closer to the others, shaking hands tightly and expressing their reluctance to part.
Once everyone had left, Zhang Qiu stood there in a daze. He looked at Beiluan No. 1 High School in front of him and couldn't help but feel emotional. He had spent two and a half stable years here, and now that it was coming to an end, everything was about to change drastically.
Zhang Qiu chuckled self-deprecatingly; perhaps this was just the fate people often spoke of.
When Zhang Qiu returned home, he stood at the door for a while before pushing it open. His mother had not yet returned from work, and his father was lying on the sofa watching television.
Zhang Qiu had mentally prepared himself for a scolding from his father. However, when Zhang Zhi Hua saw Zhang Qiu suddenly come in, he merely asked in surprise, "Why are you home? Is there no school today?"
"Didn't you receive the School Notification System message?" Zhang Qiu looked at his father in confusion. Director Zhao had clearly stated that notifications would be sent to parents; could it be that none were sent?
"No, what happened?"
"I... I came home to reflect," Zhang Qiu said weakly. After such an incident, he felt ashamed to face his parents. They had always hoped he would study hard and had sacrificed so much without complaint for that purpose. But now... he had come home to reflect; it felt like a failure.
Sure enough, when Zhang Zhi Hua heard the word "reflect," he immediately sat up from the sofa and pointed at Zhang Qiu angrily, saying, "What were you doing at school if you weren't studying?" He punctuated his words by slapping the sofa.
Seeing his father so agitated made Zhang Qiu nervous; he feared his father might suddenly stand up. He hurriedly tried to calm him down: "Dad, please don't get upset; sit down and listen to me..."
"You!" Zhang Zhi Hua's face turned red with anger as he glared at Zhang Qiu while catching his breath.
Zhang Qiu explained everything from start to finish. When Zhang Zhi Hua learned that it all stemmed from Liu Xiaolong injuring him, his anger dissipated entirely. He slumped back onto the sofa like a deflated balloon and murmured after a while, "Sigh, I have delayed you!"
"Dad, please don't say that. It's not your fault; it's all Liu Xiaolong's doing."
Zhang Qiu had expected to face a storm of anger, but he didn't anticipate his father's reaction. He didn't want his father to bear any more burdens, especially since his leg injury hadn't healed yet.
Zhang Zhi Hua waved his hand at Zhang Qiu, saying, "Come here, kid."
Zhang Qiu walked over and sat down next to Zhang Zhi Hua. Zhang Zhi Hua patted Zhang Qiu's head and said, "Son, I'm sorry. If the house needs to be torn down, let them do it. This is our doing; not only did I delay my work, but I also pushed all the household responsibilities onto your mother, and now I've dragged you into this."
"Dad, please don't..."
"Let me finish," Zhang Zhi Hua interrupted Zhang Qiu. "I've come to understand; it's just money. If they want to tear it down, let them. Whatever compensation they offer is fine; if I lose money, I'll earn it back. As long as our family is okay, that's what matters."
Zhang Zhi Hua was about to get up when Zhang Qiu quickly stopped him and asked, "Dad, what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to call your homeroom teacher. If that doesn't work, I'll call the Relocation Office. They left their number. As long as they agree to let you go back to class, I'll sign the demolition contract."
"Dad, it's useless; this is a decision made by the school and won't change."
"Then I'll call the Relocation Office and have them figure something out."
"Dad..."
"Help me get the phone." Zhang Zhi Hua was determined to ensure that Zhang Qiu could return to class.
Zhang Qiu supported his father, worried that he might fall if he wasn't careful.
"Help me to the phone," Zhang Zhi Hua said again in an unquestionable tone.
"Dad, please sit down first. It's not too late to make the call later; just listen to me for a moment."
With Zhang Qiu's assistance, Zhang Zhi Hua sat back down on the sofa. He looked at Zhang Qiu and asked, "What are you thinking?"
"Dad, this time, this matter is really not your fault. It's not a coincidence; it involves many people and things. Can you understand that?"
Zhang Zhi Hua glanced at Zhang Qiu with suspicion. "I understand? What do I understand? You need to understand before I can understand."
Zhang Qiu felt overwhelmed by his father's stubbornness. He knew his father's temper; once he got serious, no one could stop him. However, he couldn't reveal his plans to his father.
"You and I... are you hiding something from me?" Zhang Zhi Hua vaguely sensed that Zhang Qiu was keeping something from him, something he didn't want him to know.
Zhang Qiu helplessly replied, "Dad, I'm not hiding anything from you. I know the ins and outs of the situation. The reason I don't want you to make that call is that I know the school won't reverse this decision."
"How will we know unless we try?" Zhang Zhi Hua insisted stubbornly.
"Fine, Dad, even if the school lets me go back, then what?"
"Then just focus on studying well and stay out of these matters. Wait for the Task Force to come again. I've signed the contract; you should concentrate on preparing for the college entrance exam and let everything return to normal."
Zhang Qiu scoffed lightly, looking at his father as he asked, "Dad, can a derailed train ever go back?"
"What are you thinking?" Zhang Zhi Hua looked at Zhang Qiu.
"I think that even if I go back, Liu Xiaolong and the others will continue to bully me, cause me trouble, and make me come back to reflect again."
Zhang Zhi Hua hesitated for a moment, then Zhang Qiu said, "It might be better to let them have their way this time, to vent their anger. Then I can focus on my studies in peace. What do you think?"
Qiu Wan observed her father's expression and saw that he was about to make a phone call and sign a contract. This family was the result of the hard work of both her grandparents and parents over two generations.
In a rush, Zhang Qiu came up with this idea. Since her father cared so much about her schooling, she would use this to force him to give up on making the call. Sigh, she was also left with no choice but to do this.
After hearing Zhang Qiu's words, Zhang Zhiyuan indeed stopped his actions and sat quietly, not looking at Zhang Qiu, lost in thought.
Zhang Qiu did not dare to disturb him, not even daring to breathe. The air felt as if it had solidified; if anything were to fall to the ground at that moment, it would be no less than a loud firecracker going off.
After a long while, Zhang Zhi Hua slowly spoke up: "You must study seriously at home as well; you cannot slack off. You absolutely must not."
"Okay, okay, okay." This was exactly what Zhang Qiu wanted. Hearing her father accept the fact that she would reflect on herself made her quickly pat her chest and assure him that she would not slack off.
After finishing the conversation with her father, Zhang Qiu went back to her room with her bag. Zhang Zhi Hua watched his son disappear around the corner of the stairs and sighed heavily. Historically, it has never been wise for common people to confront officials; having a child who stands out too much is not necessarily a good thing...
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