Chapter 976 - 975: Old Luo's Decision
"Okay!" The three of them immediately took their passports.
............
Returning home.
Lin Chuan had been to Luo Guoqing's house once. Luo Guoqing had a daughter named Luo Tingting. Lin Chuan hadn't contacted this girl for a long time; she was mischievous and her grades seemed mediocre, barely getting into a third-tier college. At least it was a college degree. Moreover, it was a local college in Jiangbei City. From Monday to Friday, Luo Tingting was basically at school, but on weekends she would come home.
Upon returning home, Luo Guoqing saw his wife busy in the kitchen, and Luo Tingting was playing on the computer in the study. The bright smile on her face made Luo Guoqing very emotional. He never expected that he, an ordinary Chinese man, would have a day to go abroad, which left Luo Guoqing a bit at a loss. The conversation at dinner made him feel deeply.
"Old Luo, what's wrong?" Mrs. Luo saw her husband come in, holding a plate of snails.
"Oh, nothing!" Luo Guoqing shook his head and said, "I just came back from having a late-night snack outside."
"I also made you a late-night snack." Mrs. Luo quickly said, "Your favorite stir-fried snails, and I chilled two bottles of beer for you."
"I..." Luo Guoqing hesitated.
"What's wrong?" Mrs. Luo immediately noticed something was off with Luo Guoqing and quickly said, "Did something happen to you? Or are you sick?"
After all, after living with her husband for decades, they knew each other well. From Luo Guoqing's eyes, she saw there was something he was holding inside. She quickly walked over, touched his forehead, and said, "You're not sick, so what's wrong, did something happen?"
"Yes!" Luo Guoqing nodded and said, "I might be losing my job."
"Losing your job?" Mrs. Luo was stunned and said, "Why? Isn't Song Ming already gone? Also, now that Secretary Tang is in charge with Vice Minister Li's support, how could you be losing your job?"
If Song Ming were still around, perhaps Mrs. Luo would believe her husband might lose his job, but since Song Ming was gone, she was not worried at all. So when her husband said he might lose his job, she was somewhat surprised.
"No." Luo Guoqing cupped his wife's face in his hands, gazing at her deeply, and said, "Meizi, you've endured hardship for so many years. Since I retired, I've only been a driver for others, endured humiliation and hardship, and never let you enjoy a single good day. So, I've decided to quit this job."
"Then what are you going to do?" Mrs. Luo hurriedly asked, fearing something bad.
"I'm planning to go abroad for a while." Luo Guoqing said seriously, "I want to work hard to create a happy future for you and the child."
"No!" Mrs. Luo shook her head quickly and said, "Old Luo, don't go. This job is fine. It allows the three of us to eat and dress warmly. We don't care about much else. Even if life is plain and hard, I've never complained. So, don't go abroad. If you leave, what will happen to the two of us left in China?"
"Meizi, listen to me." Luo Guoqing said urgently, "I've already decided. I'm getting old, and I don't want to wait until I'm older, holding onto a life of poverty. I want you and the child to have a good life. So, I have to make money. Without money, there's no way to live well..."
"No, I don't want it." Mrs. Luo shook her head, choking up as she said, "What's so good about money? I don't want money. I just want you by my side."
"Meizi, we've suffered a lifetime. Can you bear to have the child suffer with us?" Luo Guoqing said.
"Tingting is already grown up. She's an adult now. After she graduates from college, our burden will lighten." Mrs. Luo said seriously, "I don't want her to become our burden. After she graduates from college, she should get married."
"But we have no savings now." Luo Guoqing said helplessly, "After all these years, we don't have any savings at all. That's just unacceptable. So, I need to have some savings so that when we're old, we have something to rely on and don't burden Tingting, isn't that right?"
"That's true, but I don't want you to be so exhausted." Mrs. Luo said with a helpless look.
"Silly, how would I be exhausted?" Luo Guoqing smiled and said, "Going abroad with Lin Chuan for a trip is no big deal. Besides, Lin Chuan has some influence abroad now, so there won't be much danger."
"You're going with Lin Chuan?" Mrs. Luo was stunned.
"Yes!" Luo Guoqing nodded and then said, "I plan to go abroad with Lin Chuan to explore the market."
"This... this is possible!" Mrs. Luo trusted Lin Chuan quite a bit, at least judging from what he had done in Jiangbei City over the years. Lin Chuan was a kind person and a pretty good guy. So, Mrs. Luo had a good impression of him.
"You agreed?" Luo Guoqing asked in surprise.
"I have no reason not to agree." Mrs. Luo was relatively open-minded.
"Great." Luo Guoqing was elated and kissed his wife's face firmly.
"Oh, what are you doing!" Mrs. Luo shyly pushed Luo Guoqing away, frowning, "How can you be so improper, don't you know Tingting is in the study playing on the computer? What if she sees us?"
Luo Guoqing grinned mischievously and said with a wide smile, "Who cares? The child is grown. She knows how to give us space."
"Alright, alright, go eat your late-night snack." Mrs. Luo said with a tone of mock annoyance, pushing Lin Chuan away, "I still have things to do."
Luo Guoqing watched his wife's retreating figure, then happily sat down at the dining table. The snails were aromatic and quite spicy. Luo Guoqing sucked them out one by one, took two sips of beer, and looked very content.
............
On the other side, Song Wen and Song Wu returned home.
Their parents were at home. The two hesitated for a long time and finally decided to come clean with the old couple. After all, they were their biological parents. Although their relationship was not very good, this time they planned to go abroad, not knowing if they would return alive. So they decided to have a good talk with the old couple.
"Dad." As soon as he entered the house, Song Wen called out.
Song Dafu was their father. At this moment, Song Dafu was sitting in a chair drinking tea and reading a newspaper. He used to be a civil servant in a government agency, later retired at home, fishing, reading the paper, and drinking tea. Retirement life had become habitual for him.
"What's going on?" Song Dafu was slightly taken aback, curiously looking at them, and then said, "What's this about..."
Obviously, Song Dafu was also quite curious about his two disappointing sons. Usually, father and sons would often have conflicts and disputes. However, now he seemed quite helpless. So he simply stopped bothering to manage these two sons and just let them fend for themselves.
Though he was disappointed in them, the familial bond remained.
"We plan to have a good talk with you!" Song Wen said.
"Talk about what?" Song Dafu asked.
"We don't want to stay in the system anymore." They said, "We plan to go abroad for a while."
"Going abroad?" Song Dafu was stunned, quickly put down his teacup, and asked, "Where are you going? What will you do? With whom?"
True to his old official nature, he quickly got to the point, not giving them any room for excuses.
They sat down in front of Song Dafu and said, "We plan to go abroad with Lin Chuan!"
"Lin Chuan?" Song Dafu was immediately stunned and said, "How did you get involved with Lin Chuan?"
"Actually, Lin Chuan is a decent person." Song Wen said, "In the past, we were the ones at fault, always provoking him. Now we've decided to follow him to explore overseas markets. We don't want to idly live and wait around in some government jobs anymore."
"Really?" Song Dafu hesitated and said, "But Lin Chuan is still an enemy of the Song family."
"Dad, there are no eternal enemies or friends in this world." Song Wen said seriously, "For us, as long as we can do well, that's all that matters. As long as we can make money and stand tall as people, it's better than anything else."
"Sigh..." Song Dafu sighed and said, "Maybe you're right."
"So, we hope you can agree." Song Wu chimed in, "I know our relationship has been rocky in the past, but I hope it can improve in the future. While we're not home, you and Mom take good care of yourselves."
"Haha..." Song Dafu was immediately comforted and said, "Silly boys, to have an awakening now already makes me very relieved."
The three of them sat at the tea table having a heartfelt conversation. They all chatted happily. Song Dafu felt very comforted. His sons had always been very rebellious. Initially, they felt he was incompetent, having only achieved the position of office manager in his lifetime. They thought if he had been able to reach Song Ming's level, they wouldn't have to worry about food and clothing in their lifetime and could become idle rich kids. Unfortunately, the idea was good, but reality was harsh.
Half an hour later.
"Song Wen, Song Wu, you two brothers are going far away; it's not that I don't agree, but once you're abroad, make sure to take care of yourselves." Song Dafu seriously instructed, "Being abroad isn't like being at home. No one can help you there."
"We understand!" They nodded.
............
The next day, Lin Chuan drove to the City Committee.