Chapter 629: Chapter 627: Kindhearted Father 6
"Let’s go buy a new phone first!" Zhuo Qiaoqing said through gritted teeth. She had a stable job, so there was actually no need to worry too much.
"It’s still usable. I upgraded the system, so it’s much smoother. There’s no rush, mom." Ah Chen refused, taking out the old phone from before. After 997 helped upgrade it, there were indeed no issues. The pixels were quite decent; she had tried it before.
Zhuo Qiaoqing was a person with a strong sense of crisis and good planning. If it weren’t for dragging Ran Zhengfeng down, it would’ve been impossible to buy this nice apartment.
"After my college entrance exam, mom can buy it for me then." Seeing Zhuo Qiaoqing’s conflicted look, Ah Chen chuckled, "I’ll need a computer by then, too."
"I’ll buy everything for you," Zhuo Qiaoqing said. "When the time comes, mom will get you both a phone and a computer."
Without some money in hand as a backup, she indeed felt uneasy, which was related to her upbringing.
Zhuo Qiaoqing bought zoo tickets on her phone, and after Ah Chen finished breakfast, the mother and daughter set out.
On the bus, Ah Chen received a text message. Opening it, she found Zhuo Qiaoqing had transferred a thousand yuan to her.
"Pocket money. Spend it all and ask mom for more."
Ran Zhengfeng wasn’t hesitant about pouring money into the orphanage, so why couldn’t she spend on her daughter’s account? She didn’t have much right now, so she transferred a little pocket money. When she saved more in the future, she would give her daughter more.
"I believe Chenchen won’t spend recklessly, but if you need something, buy it. Don’t save unnecessarily."
She calculated that she was a senior teacher with a decent salary and bonuses. If she focused on earning money, she could even have side income. Physics teachers are sought after for it. If she separated from Ran Zhengfeng, she could save a lot on expenses without having to subsidize him or buy him clothes and living supplies each month, and not having to host kids with meals during festivals.
Then, Zhuo Qiaoqing went silent.
Wouldn’t saving this money for her daughter be better?
How did she end up living like this for over a decade?
This time, Ah Chen didn’t refuse and observed Zhuo Qiaoqing’s expression. Seeing that her emotions were stable, she felt assured.
It was a joyful and relaxing day. Zhuo Qiaoqing took a good look at the animals in the zoo, found them cute, and took quite a few photos.
On their way back, looking through the selfies on her phone, Zhuo Qiaoqing was somewhat teary-eyed.
"If you finish your homework tomorrow, how about we go watch a movie?" Zhuo Qiaoqing asked.
Ah Chen naturally nodded with a smile, seeming happy, which brought some satisfaction to Zhuo Qiaoqing’s heart.
"Let’s eat out today," she said. "Eating out won’t cost much. What do you want to eat, hot pot, barbecue, or Western food?"
Ran Zhengfeng wasn’t coming home for dinner, so it was a good chance to treat Chenchen to a nice meal.
Ah Chen agreed, thought for a moment, and said, "How about that seafood barbecue place?"
From the commissioner’s memory, the taste there was great, with good value for money. Besides, Zhuo Qiaoqing liked seafood.
She didn’t really care; she could eat anything or nothing, had no particular preference.
When they got home, it was already dark.
That day, the mother and daughter undoubtedly had a great time. Especially Zhuo Qiaoqing, who felt a weight lift off her shoulders after deciding to part ways with Ran Zhengfeng, feeling happiness in everything she did.
Ran Zhengfeng came back late at night, intending to talk to Zhuo Qiaoqing about Wei Yue’s situation. But coming home, Zhuo Qiaoqing wasn’t awake as usual, not knowing when she had fallen asleep.
Early Sunday, when Zhuo Qiaoqing woke up, Ran Zhengfeng had breakfast ready.
She stood in the living room, staring somewhat absent-mindedly at Ran Zhengfeng in the kitchen, recalling the decision to separate, without much reluctance. It took her over a decade to realize what she wanted. Luckily, it wasn’t too late.
After a pause, she went to the kitchen to serve the dishes.
Once she put them down, what kind of person Ran Zhengfeng was didn’t seem to matter anymore. After all, their futures would no longer be together, and there would be nothing to care about.
Ran Zhengfeng felt relieved, thinking the previous quarrels were behind them. Truly, from his heart, he had given up the idea of having their daughter do a matching test.
"Today, shall we all go see Yuanyuan?" Ran Zhengfeng suggested, "I’ll go buy ingredients and cook something to bring her."
Zhuo Qiaoqing nodded, "Sure, let’s go grocery shopping together."
Ran Zhengfeng was pleased and quickly agreed, "Alright."
In fact, he wanted to discuss something with Zhuo Qiaoqing but feared she was still angry and hesitant to bring it up. Now that she was in a good mood, he could plan to discuss it with her. No rush, they could do it after visiting Yuanyuan today.
Zhuo Qiaoqing did understand some of Ran Zhengfeng’s behaviors, sensing he was up to something again. Still, she didn’t plan to expose him since she’d already decided to leave.
After breakfast, the couple went to buy groceries together, reminiscent of their early married days.
When they returned, Ah Chen was already up, eating breakfast.
"We’re going to the hospital later. Yuanyuan is sick. Let’s go visit her," Ran Zhengfeng told Ah Chen.
Ah Chen nodded gently, "Okay."
At the hospital, lying in bed, Wei Yue saw the family of three arriving. She paused, then smiled and greeted them one by one.
Weak and fragile, she seemed like she could be blown over by the wind when smiling. Indeed, she appeared quite pitiful.
In the room was another boy about the same age as Wei Yue, accompanying her. This boy’s name was Duan Mu, and he had a good relationship with Wei Yue.
Duan Mu was Duan Li’s son. Duan Li was one of those who grew up with Ran Zhengfeng in the orphanage, having a good relationship.
"Aunt Zhuo, thank you for your concern."
"Chenchen, thank you for coming to see me." Wei Yue smiled, her words polite.
"Yuanyuan, we made you some delicious food," Ran Zhengfeng said as he approached, "I think you’ll like it."
Seeing the dishes in the insulated box, Wei Yue’s smile became more intimate, "Thank you, Uncle Ran and Aunt Zhuo."
"Haha, Yuanyuan is so clever. How did you know Aunt Zhuo and I helped prepare this together?"
Wei Yue was a bit surprised; she honestly didn’t know. But she always thanked both main contributors habitually. Only thanking Uncle Ran and ignoring Aunt Zhuo wouldn’t be right. Because of her, they often had some friction. She felt a little guilty, but she couldn’t let go of Uncle Ran; he was the only person she could rely on.
Zhuo Qiaoqing politely asked a couple of questions about Wei Yue’s condition, her eyes glancing over the new phone in Wei Yue’s hands—the one she personally chose for her daughter.
Yet, she didn’t plan to hold a grudge against a kid like Wei Yue. The person to blame was Ran Zhengfeng. If he hadn’t, would Wei Yue have stormed their house for it? She had always been clear on where the problem lay. However, she still couldn’t feel close to Wei Yue.
Ah Chen sat aside, not inclined to say much.
The commissioner was quite indifferent to the orphanage children, not arguing with them, but not being friendly either.
She felt an unfriendly gaze and looked up. It was Duan Mu.
By this time, Duan Mu had already looked away, asking Wei Yue if she wanted water or anything, as if Ah Chen didn’t exist.
Duan Mu’s dislike for the commissioner stemmed from Wei Yue approaching the commissioner for conversation, only to be met with disinterest, nothing more complicated than that.
