Epiphanies of Rebirth Chapter 78 (Part 2)
Translated by Pure
Chapter 78.2 Shen Tiantian: My heart is filled with bitterness.
"The elderly was hospitalized?" Lin Jingzhe was quite surprised when he heard the news from Shen Juanying, "Is it serious? Strange, how come Xiao Chi never told me?"
Shen Juanying and her husband looked at each other when Shen Tiantian hurriedly stood up and pointed at the mantis shrimp dish on the other side of the table, "I want to eat that."
"Oh oh oh." Lin Jingzhe's focus was shifted immediately as he turned his attention onto the food on the table. After a while, he picked out the most delicious-looking mantis shrimp from the big plate, and personally peeled it for his younger sister.
Shen Tiantian looked like a little greedy cat waiting to be fed. Seeing this, Shen Juanying heaved a sigh of relief, and quickly ended the topic, "This news has been suppressed, and not everyone knows of it. Perhaps the Xiao Family had yet to catch wind."
After eating, the couple avoided the two siblings and maid their way to the living room to continue discussing about this matter, "Uncle Qi had a large altercation with the Shi Family directly in the hospital, so loud that all of the doctors and nurses in the inpatient department knew that the two of them had broken apart. These two families had always had a good relationship before, what happened for them to quarrel like this?"
Lin Runsheng shook his head, implying that he was equally baffled. His social circle consisted mainly of the employees at the university he worked at; he was not very close to the neighbors of the same compound.
"I heard the problem stemmed from Qi Kai. I thought the Xiao Family would know more, but Jingzhe didn't hear anything about it." There are many confusing things that happened recently. Shen Juanying suddenly remembered one more thing. "By the way, did Jiang Qiaqia look for you again after that time?"
"No." Lin Runsheng shook his head again. "I haven't seen her since then. I informed all the professors from the classes that Jingzhe attended at Yan University, but they didn't contact me at all. I guess she didn't go to Yan University either."
It was ok if she never made an appearance, but once Jiang Qiaqia showd up once, the following days everyone would couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Lin Runsheng hesitated before adding, "How about I ask Jingzhe directly?"
In the other room, Shen Tiantian acted like a baby and asked for money. In response, Lin Jingzhe nodded and gave it without hesitation.
Shen Juanying held her husband back, and glared angrily at him, "Don't, our little girl’s there too, best not to frighten the children."
She looked into the other room again and sighed with a mixture of worry and pampering, "Tiantian is bullying her brother again, she’s really getting more and more courageous!"
Lin Runsheng still coddled his young, delicate stepdaughter, "Don’t say that. She’s just a child, she doesn’t know any better. This is helping their relationship grow closer."
Shen Juanying: "..."
Forget it. After a while, she gave up all hope and patted her husband's arm.
…
Shen Tiantian looked quite excited. "Brother, both Miaomiao and I have registered the company, we are just short of money."
"Okay! Okay, one million, right? I will give it to you before the end of next week." Although his younger sister looked innocent and didn’t seem to look like a reliable businesswoman, Lin Jingzhe nodded without hesitation. Afterall the number she was asking for wasn’t much, moreover, Shen Tiantian was also a finance major, and she would be graduating at the same time himself.
The business world was like a battlefield, completely different from a harmonious and innocent family. It was better for girls to get in touch with society earlier, and experience the treachery of people's hearts. It was better to stumble now than suffer later.
What's more, Shen Tiantian was cooperating with Xiao Miao. Although the young Xiao Miao was a little cold and bashful, she was influenced by the calm and steady atmosphere of her family since she was a child. Furthermore, she had also studied abroad, so she was independent and knowledgeable. Lin Jingzhe was much more relieved due to her presence in this partnership, perhaps Xiao Miao could also influence Tiantian to become more mature and stable. Lin Jingzhe worriedly caressed his younger sister's hair, looked at the childish delight on the little girl’s face, he sighed helplessly inside——
When will this little dummy mature?
******
Lin Jingzhe was extremely surprised by the unexpected news delivered by Elder Fang, "Interview? What interview?"
He couldn't help but be reminded of the interview at Haitang Non-staple Food's new factory. The program that was originally under preparation had now officially broadcasted, and it seemed to be quite popular. Lin Jingzhe specially watched a replay of the episode. In the small TV screen, Mother Zhou spoke frankly with assurance into the camera, her image completely embodied a successful female entrepreneur whose roots were from the poor countryside.
This was very good publicity. Haitang Bean Paste, which was originally well-known through advertisements, immediately made a deep impact on the people who watched the show, and the brand was known to be the image of encouragement and hard-work. All in all, because of this success, their brand didn’t need to spend much money on increasing public relations for a short while.
Elder Fang laughed loudly, "Whatever you’re thinking of, it’s not it. You donated so many antiques in the past. This interview and commendation should have been done back when you were in Liyun Town, but the situation was a bit complicated at that time, the matter was kept secret. Not only Liyun, the channels for smuggling cultural relics have almost been wiped out now! This accomplishment was achieved partly because of you, so these old fellas in this circle want to get to know you!"
Although Lin Jingzhe didn't quite understand how the matter of purging the national cultural relics smuggling channels had anything to do with him, since Elder Fang had personally requested it, it wouldn’t be good to refuse. After agreeing, he was invited to visit Yan City’s National Museum.
Lin Jingzhe was not really interested in antiques and cultural relics, other than its expensive value. Thus, even though he had been in Yan City for so long, Lin Jingzhe seldom thought about visiting the museums. Although the scale of the museums in the 1990s couldn’t compare to the splendor and magnificence of the later generations’, there was still a humble yet dignified temperament lingering within it.
Elder Fang and several museum staff led the way and introduced the displays to him.
There were indeed a lot of rare treasures here. Although Lin Jingzhe didn't know much about historic parables, looking at the glass of the display that have been carefully scrubbed to spotless and the tourists who cautiously avoiding touching the glass with their hands when visiting with the surroundings— he was still able to feel the indescribable sense of solemnity.
The switchboard operator who received his call at the beginning led them all the way to the ancient bronze artifacts exhibit, indulge himself at the primitive utensils behind the glass with fascination for a moment, and then thanked Lin Jingzhe from the bottom of his heart, "Thank you for donating these to us, these bronze implements have played a very important role in the study of our past civilization."
While Lin Jingzhe was still puzzled by the operator’s words, he heard the voices of children resounding from behind. He turned his head and saw a group of elementary school children wearing little red hats. Led by a female teacher holding a small flag, they came out of the previous exhibition area in an orderly manner. Although the children looked around curiously all the way, the voices of discussion were well suppressed.
"Teacher! What is that?" A child saw the display cabinet in the middle, the one by Lin Jingzhe, and asked curiously.
"That is an ancient bronze artifact. The one closest to us is a zun vessel from the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). It's a historic relic from thousands of years ago and a treasure handed down by the ancestors of our nation...
The female teacher's soft and gentle voice sounded immediately as she led the children over slowly. Lin Jingzhe backed away a little, and listened from a distance.
He suddenly recalled an old memory that seemed to have been buried deeply in his memory—in the secret storage room of his old house in Liyun Town, his grandpa was using a soft cloth to carefully wipe the lid of a bronze ware. After he gently put it back to its original place, he turned around, and waved to him lovingly.
"Jingzhe, come here—"
The elderly’s appearance was so blurred that he couldn't see clearly. His kind voice seemed to come from the sky, calling Lin Jingzhe's name gently and softly, like the same way it always was in the past.
After two lifetimes, after so many decades, Lin Jingzhe thought that he should have forgotten such a scene, but now, it reappeared in his mind, and so vividly.
The children's suppressed cries of surprise and awe came from the display cabinet in front of them. Elder Fang watched them discussing the new knowledge while departing to the next exhibit with gratification. When he regained his senses, he saw Lin Jingzhe's relaxed expression and eyes full of nostalgia.
"What are you thinking about?" Elder Fang asked curiously.
Lin Jingzhe shook his head with a smile as he silently watched the backs of the little children wearing little red hats, brimming with energy and thirst for knowledge.
Provided that he had felt a reluctance when donating these cultural relics, at this moment, he full-heartedly approved of his original decision.
For his grandpa adored children the most.
