A widower's entertainment

Chapter 304 [Meeting] (Please Subscribe)
Beijing, Lu Xun Academy of Literature.

Without a doubt, the Lu Xun Academy of Literature is a place that many literary authors yearn for.

However, the students in the creative writing graduate program at the Lu Xun Academy of Literature aren't the kind who stay up all night studying. Often, some don't attend classes during the day, leaving the classrooms mostly empty. Instead, they fill the classrooms at night with people watching TV or playing chess. But this doesn't mean the graduate program has no requirements. Graduate students must complete seven degree courses and seven elective courses, earning at least 30 credits to graduate. More importantly, they must also write a graduation thesis.

However, in Yu Hua's opinion, this graduation thesis is still a long way off, and there is no need to rush at all. He doesn't know why anyone would want to write a thesis now.

Yu Hua shook her head and said to Cheng Hong with some confusion, "You don't know that they've already started writing papers, and I don't know why they're in such a hurry."

Yu Hua felt that graduation was still a long way off, and there was no need to rush.

Of course, when graduation was approaching and Yu Hua was the only one in the class who hadn't written a thesis yet, that's when things started to get anxious.

Listening to Yu Hua's words, Cheng Hong couldn't help but say, "Once you finish your graduation thesis, you'll graduate."

"It's still early."

Cheng Hong shook her head and said, "It's getting late. Besides, it would be better to prepare the paper sooner rather than later."

Yu Hua remained noncommittal, then looked at Xie Shuhua on the other side and asked, "Has she started writing her thesis too?"

Cheng Hong nodded and said, "You should also hurry up and write, don't take it lightly."

Yu Hua nodded, seemingly listening to Cheng Hong, but didn't pay much attention to it, thinking that there was still plenty of time.

Cheng Hong looked at Xie Shuhua. She had heard Xie Shuhua tell about her confession to Lin Youcheng. She admired Xie Shuhua's courage more than anything else. Of course, she could also understand why Xie Shuhua was neither disappointed nor happy, but rather puzzled.

But upon closer reflection, that doubt may become the answer.

Lin Youcheng asked her if she had written her graduation thesis yet, perhaps he would wait until she finished her thesis and graduated before saying anything more.

This was Xie Shuhua's thought; although she wasn't sure, she felt that this should be the answer.

Because Lin Youcheng didn't reject her, but asked her the question with a smile in his eyes.

Have you finished writing your graduation thesis?

"Then you'd better hurry up and write it, because you'll need to submit a thesis to graduate school later."

Xie Shuhua recalled Lin Youcheng's instruction to finish her graduation thesis as soon as possible, an answer she hadn't expected. But now she seemed to understand that Lin Youcheng meant she should wait until after graduating from graduate school.

In Xie Shuhua's opinion, this should be the answer, because Lin Youcheng did not reject her confession.

……

Xinghua Hutong, Beijing.

Lin Youcheng swept some of the snow in the courtyard. Although the snow in the courtyard had melted, the snow water mixed with the ground was still wet. He was worried that the children would fall while running around, so he didn't let Song Ma do everything.

After all, sweeping the courtyard of a siheyuan is nothing special. He used to sweep the streets when he was in Chunfeng Lane in Decheng, and that was a lot of work.

Back then, he sometimes had to carry the baby Lin Zhaole on his back while sweeping the streets. After each trip, his old back was so tired that it almost broke.

Lin Youcheng was now quite relaxed, sweeping the yard with a broom, his gaze falling on the pomegranate tree. Its branches were bare, and he wondered when new buds would sprout. Spring should be coming soon.

Thinking about this problem, Lin Youcheng recalled what Xie Shuhua had said to him; everything was so straightforward and without any pretense.

Recalling that scene, Lin Youcheng couldn't help but laugh.

Although he had received many letters from unfamiliar female comrades, some of which contained very direct and explicit words, no less so than the bold and straightforward love letter that Luo Yang wrote to Lin Yu in "Atonement," and the words and phrases in those letters could even be said to be bolder and more direct, Lin Youcheng simply kept those letters from unfamiliar female comrades without responding to them, let alone writing back to establish a pen pal relationship.

Even now, seeing Xie Shuhua's straightforward confession to him face to face, his old heart still beats.

An old ox, though not young, still has a living heart and cannot remain unmoved, especially since he can see that Xie Shuhua has truly mustered up the courage to so bravely express her love to him. In this era where people shout "Long live love!", when they truly encounter love, who knows how many people will choose to bravely shout for love?

In the age of literature, love remains as moving as ever, drawing people in irresistibly, as if drawn by an irresistible force, just like Cha Haisheng's words, "Sister, tonight I don't care about humanity, I only want you." Now Xie Shuhua has told him this directly, expressing her feelings and love in a way that is both intense and passionate, making his heart pound.

Whether it was the confession of love that moved him or simply lust at first sight, this widower's heart was beating.

Of course, Lin Youcheng did not give a direct answer to Xie Shuhua's confession. He thought he would wait until he graduated from the creative writing graduate program at the Lu Xun Academy of Literature before making a decision, given the fifteen-year age gap.

Although it is said that love has nothing to do with age.

Lin Youcheng smiled, picked up a broom, and prepared to leave the yard when he saw Song Ma leading a comrade who looked to be almost fifty years old into the yard.

"Youcheng, this is Xie Shuhua's father. He came here specifically to see you."

Lin Youcheng was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Xie Shuhua's father to come here so suddenly. This was something Lin Youcheng hadn't anticipated. Of course, his first thought was to invite Xie Zelin inside and have Song Ma prepare some tea.

Lin Youcheng never expected that Xie Shuhua's father, Xie Zelin, would come to the courtyard house in Xinghua Hutong.

In fact, Xie Zelin also did not expect that Lin Youcheng would be like this when he met him.

In his imagination, Lin Youcheng, a widower with six children, should be a somewhat aged middle-aged man, and perhaps even a very profound old author, otherwise he would be able to write those amazing stories.

However, Xie Zelin was somewhat surprised to see Lin Youcheng. Although Lin Youcheng was almost forty years old, he seemed to be in good spirits. His hair was neatly combed, and his face was very handsome. In particular, his eyes shone brightly, like those of a young man. His overall physique was also in good condition.

Xie Zelin looked at Lin Youcheng and thought Lin Youcheng was quite good-looking. If it weren't for the fact that he was almost forty years old, had been married before, and had six children, he would look alright.

Xie Zelin didn't know that this was because Lin Youcheng started paying attention to physical exercise after arriving in Beijing. Before, he didn't have time; he had to take care of the child, especially in Dezhou, where he had to care for the newborn Lin Zhaole and sweep the streets, which really exhausted his middle-aged body. After arriving in Beijing, the child gradually grew up, and with Song Ma helping out at home, Lin Youcheng naturally had time to exercise properly. After all, he was still young at heart and knew he needed to take good care of his middle-aged body. Even when rushing to finish a manuscript, he wouldn't sit for long periods; he would stand up and walk around from time to time to move his body. If he didn't take good care of himself, sitting at his desk for a while while writing at his age would really cause him back pain.

"Writer Lin, I'm sorry for the sudden visit; it was rather presumptuous."

Xie Zelin accepted the tea offered by Lin Youcheng. Although he had come to see Lin Youcheng and to talk to him about Xie Shuhua, he still held Lin Youcheng, the great writer who had won the Mao Dun Literature Prize, in high esteem.

"No."

Although Lin Youcheng was surprised, and even for a moment had the thought that his father-in-law had come to cause him trouble, the thought only flashed through his mind, and he treated Xie Zelin very politely.

Xie Zelin looked at Lin Youcheng, thinking about what his daughter had said to them and her personality, and couldn't help but say directly, "I was a bit rash in coming here this time because we wanted to introduce Shu Hua to potential partners, but she rejected them all, saying that she already had someone she liked."

Lin Youcheng hadn't expected Xie Zelin to be so direct, and he clearly guessed why Xie Zelin had come this time.

"I don't know if she told you, but she said that the person she likes is you, writer Lin."

Lin Youcheng nodded and admitted, "Xie Shuhua told me."

“Writer Lin, I don’t know what you’re thinking, and I don’t know what you said to her, but as her father, I don’t want my daughter to become someone else’s stepmother.”

Hearing Xie Zelin's blunt words, Lin Youcheng wasn't particularly angry. He understood the heart of a father, especially since he was now a father of several children himself. After a brief silence, he thought of the street office director, Aunt Zhao, who had introduced him to a widow who had been married before, and how back in Decheng, someone had also introduced him to a woman who could take care of children. It seemed that in those people's eyes, a widower like him with six children should find someone of similar status, preferably someone of similar age.

Of course, these are just the opinions of ordinary people. In reality, there are many cases of couples with a significant age gap, so it's not particularly rare.

Seeing Lin Youcheng remain silent, Xie Zelin asked again, "What are you thinking?"

“She told me about it earlier, and I told her to write her graduation thesis.”

Lin Youcheng replied truthfully.

This surprised Xie Zelin, who didn't understand what Lin Youcheng meant.

"I was thinking of waiting until she finishes her postgraduate creative studies before we talk about it."

Xie Zelin was somewhat surprised to hear Lin Youcheng's words. As a teacher himself, he thought about it carefully and understood Lin Youcheng's meaning, asking, "So, writer Lin, what you actually mean is—"

Lin Youcheng looked at Xie Zelin, who appeared to be more than ten years older than him, and nodded quite calmly.

Xie Zelin looked at Lin Youcheng with mixed feelings. His daughter wasn't just being enthusiastic; if it weren't for the fact that Lin Youcheng, this great writer, had six children, he might have actually agreed, since he knew of Lin Youcheng's talent.

But he really wouldn't agree to let his daughter be with Lin Youcheng, a widower with six children, and become a stepmother to those six children.

Lin Youcheng seemed to sense Xie Zelin's dissatisfaction and said, "Let's talk about it after she graduates from the graduate program. Maybe her thoughts will change after she graduates."

Hearing Lin Youcheng's words, Xie Zelin frowned, looked at Lin Youcheng, and said, "I know her personality. If I could persuade her, I wouldn't have let her study literature in the first place. She's unlikely to change unless you—"

For some reason, Lin Youcheng suddenly thought of the plot of a TV drama script, where a wealthy mother brings a million-dollar check to make the poor female lead leave her son. Now Xie Zelin is also here to persuade him not to be with Xie Shuhua.

But right now it's just pure persuasion, without offering anything substantial to appease this potential future son-in-law.
Of course, this thought only flashed through Lin Youcheng's mind for a moment, and he said, "Let's talk about it after I graduate from the postgraduate program."

Upon hearing Lin Youcheng's reply, Xie Zelin naturally didn't want to give a vague answer. He felt a mix of emotions, but as a teacher, he wouldn't do anything particularly outrageous. Moreover, he knew that it was his daughter who admired Lin Youcheng, this talented writer, and perhaps Lin Youcheng's answer wasn't the worst possible outcome.

His visit to Xinghua Hutong was somewhat presumptuous. Initially, he only intended to meet Lin Youcheng, but what he saw surprised him, and the conversation also surprised him.

However, after the initial surprise, Xie Zelin had to admit that Lin Youcheng, the man standing in front of him, was truly remarkable, especially considering he lived in such a large courtyard house.

Lin Youcheng's composure and calmness surprised Xie Zelin.

Xie Zelin knew that Lin Youcheng had already given him the answer, and it seemed pointless to say anything more, so he didn't continue to discuss Xie Shuhua's question. Instead, he said, "Writer Lin, I've read several of your novels, especially your novel 'The Devotion of Suspect X,' which I've read several times. The math problem in it is particularly brilliant. How did you come up with that counterexample?"

Lin Youcheng was puzzled when Xie Zelin mentioned the math problem from "The Devotion of Suspect X".

"I teach high school math, so I know that too."

"I see……"

Xie Zelin chatted with Lin Youcheng for a while before preparing to leave; he had no intention of staying for dinner.

However, just as Xie Zelin was about to leave, the children returned from school.

Looking at his children, Lin Youcheng suddenly had an idea and said with a smile, "This is Teacher Xie Shuhua's father. You should call him Grandpa Xie."

Lin Zhaoqing looked at Xie Zelin with a puzzled expression, but still called out along with Lin Zhaomei, Lin Zhaoman, Lin Zhaohuan, and Lin Zhaole—

"Hello, Grandpa Xie!"

When Xie Zelin heard the children, arranged from oldest to youngest, call out "Grandpa" in unison, he was momentarily taken aback.

"Um... hello!"

Xie Zelin panicked for a moment.

For some reason, seeing Xie Shuhua's father Xie Zelin's reaction, Lin Youcheng couldn't help but think of his own feelings when he first heard them call him "Dad" in 1983, when he was surrounded by these little rascals. He felt the same astonishment, the same astonishment, and even more exaggerated feelings—sadness and despair.

Thinking about it, Lin Youcheng couldn't help but smile.

(End of this chapter)