Chapter 410: Chapter 407 Arranging a Place to Stay
Today, my mom was all dressed up for the night, with her hair styled and makeup on.
It seemed like there must be some good news at home, otherwise, she wouldn’t care so much about her appearance.
"What’s the matter, Mom?"
"You have an uncle who says he isn’t comfortable staying in hotels, but your dad and I are light sleepers. Do you have any spare rooms at your place?"
Zhang Hao didn’t readily agree to his mother’s request but instead turned to look at He Qianhui, who had come with him.
He Qianhui shook her head slightly. That was their home, how could they let someone else stay there?
It would have been different if it was a woman, but it was actually a man.
"Mom, no, the place Xiaohui and I rented isn’t big, there’s no extra room for uncle."
Not expecting her son to refuse so quickly, she had no choice but to play the emotional card, "Hao, that’s your uncle."
"They’re coming over because you have a cousin who’s getting married next month. They came all the way from the countryside to let us know."
Zhang Hao frowned, feeling that things weren’t as simple as they seemed. The countryside wasn’t like it was decades ago.
Getting married isn’t uncommon, is there really a need for such a production? A simple phone call could have sufficed.
As for what mom said about uncle not being used to hotels.
Nowadays, hotels are very luxurious, some are even more comfortable than staying at home.
I guess he’s just worried about spending money, so he says he doesn’t like hotels.
"Mom, why don’t you book a star hotel for uncle? I’ll pay for it. Anyway, they are just staying one night here," Zhang Hao said.
"Staying in a hotel is a waste of money. I remember your apartment has a big living room. Just set up a place for him to sleep on the floor, it’s not a big deal."
Hearing my mom say this and seeing she was determined to have that uncle stay, Zhang Hao felt that he needed to stand his ground.
If you give in once, there will be a second time, and a third.
"If a star hotel is too expensive, then let’s find a regular one. I’ll look it up online for you."
Zhang Hao had just taken out his phone when it was snatched away by his mother.
"It’s just about arranging a place for your uncle to sleep. Why is it that difficult? If it comes to worst, put him in your cousin’s place, their renovation is almost done too."
Zhang Hao felt his mom’s idea was risky. Even though that house was second-hand,
after the two of them painstakingly redecorated it, it could totally be their future marriage home.
If it weren’t for the need to let the formaldehyde dissipate after the renovation, they would have moved in already instead of continuing to pay rent every month to Yueyue.
"Mom, what you’re saying is a bit offensive. Why can all the other relatives stay in hotels and just he can’t, insisting on being an exception."
"Besides, Xiaohui and I are used to living alone. As soon as we’re home, we prefer not to wear clothes. It would be so inconvenient with uncle around."
At this remark, Zhang Hao’s mother also showed a face of difficulty.
"Forget it, let’s pretend I never spoke. You’d better hurry up and leave."
To prevent his mother from changing her mind unexpectedly, Zhang Hao quickly took He Qianhui’s hand and left the restaurant.
Seeing him run off so quickly, He Qianhui was a bit surprised, "Why are you in such a rush? What exactly did Auntie say to you?"
After getting into the car, Zhang Hao told He Qianhui about his mother’s request.
He Qianhui, catching on late, also felt a hint of surprise.
"What’s all this about? Our place is so small, there’s no extra space for him to sleep. Thankfully you refused decisively, otherwise tonight would have been troublesome."
However, the turn of events was far beyond Zhang Hao’s control.
In the end, that uncle still moved in, and he even said that he came here for two reasons: one was to announce the good news,
so Zhang Hao’s parents could arrange their schedule and not miss out.
The second was because he had worked tirelessly for money when he was young, and now he was getting older.
All sorts of ailments decided to hit me all at once.
The hospital in my hometown just wasn’t up to par, so I had to come to the big city for a thorough check-up.
Only when he found out that Zhang Hao was a doctor did he start scheming to stay over.
Something like a physical examination could be done in a day if it’s quick, and even if it’s slow, it would only take two or three days.
Zhang Hao didn’t have a strong impression of this uncle.
He even struggled to recall any significant memories with him.
If it weren’t for his mother’s repeated assurances, he never would have let this man into his home.
But with the sudden move-in, neither Zhang Hao nor He Qianhui had any time to prepare.
He Qianhui took the opportunity to quickly gather all the undergarments that were drying in the bathroom.
She also hid some of her feminine products.
If it were just the two of them living together, she wouldn’t mind leaving these things out in the open.
But now, with another man in the house, she had to be more cautious.
To accommodate both parties’ need for rest, Zhang Hao somehow came up with a camp bed.
He set it up in the study and rummaged through the cupboards to find a quilt.
Fortunately, the study also had an air conditioner, so temporarily staying there was passable, although it limited He Qianhui’s space.
The uncle seemed unconcerned about moving in.
However, the sight of that tiny bed he was expected to sleep on for the next few days brought a hint of reluctance to his eyes.
"I just saw that the couch outside is quite spacious, wouldn’t that be better than sleeping here?" he asked.
Zhang Hao felt that agreeing to let the uncle stay was already a big compromise on his part.
How come this uncle seemed to be asking for an inch and taking a mile?
"Uncle, if you’re not happy with it, there’s a hotel nearby. I can book you a room."
"If you don’t like sleeping on a small bed, I’ll book you one with a big bed. It’s not the peak tourist season right now, there’s plenty of room availability."
At that moment, Zhang Hao wished so much that his uncle would just agree to stay in the hotel.
Yet as soon as the uncle heard ’hotel,’ he hurriedly changed his tune, claiming that this was also fine, this was quite good, no need to waste the money.
Seeing his uncle’s reaction, Zhang Hao couldn’t help feeling that perhaps the hotel was akin to the Demon’s Cave; otherwise, why would his uncle resist the idea so vehemently?
In any case, those were the only two options he could offer: either sleep on that narrow camp bed or go to a hotel. The choice was his to make.
Right before bed, He Qianhui, carrying her change of clothes, came to the bathroom.
As soon as she entered, she noticed something dirty in the toilet and quickly called in Zhang Hao.
Pointing to the toilet, she said, "Look, you clean up this mess."
Living there together, they both paid close attention to cleanliness, so it couldn’t have been Zhang Hao; it had to be the uncle.
"Also, I’m going to take a shower now. You stay outside, and after I’m done, then let others in."
To He Qianhui, this uncle was essentially a stranger.
If it weren’t for the fact that he was an elder, she wouldn’t show half as much patience.
"Alright, I’ll stand guard for you outside. Hurry up with your shower," he nodded.
No sooner had He Qianhui undressed and turned on the shower, with water yet to touch her skin, than she heard voices outside.
"Isn’t there a curtain inside there? If it’s drawn, how could I see her, eh? It’s just a woman, after all," the voice said.
"What do you think, uncle doesn’t have it? After drinking too much at night, even going to the bathroom is too much for you? And you, kid, standing guard for a woman, it’s embarrassing!"
