Climbing the Career Ladder - -

“Father, have you been feeling better lately?” Li Mengze and the others arrived at the hospital to find his father receiving an IV treatment. Today, he looked much healthier, his complexion rosier, although his face was still lined with wrinkles and his skin was dark. He was as thin as ever, but there was a noticeable reduction in his white hair; one could say that his complexion had been consistently good since his hospitalization.

“I do feel much better. Ask them to sit down,” Li Runjun said, unclear about the relationship his son had with the two girls.

Throughout his hospital stay, the girls had visited him. Later, one of them would come by daily, so he had grown fond of them and enjoyed their company. While he hadn’t seen the other girl today, he knew it was rare for three girls to visit him together, especially on a weekday.

Li Runjun sensed something was off with the two girls today. When they came by themselves, they would call out sweetly, especially the younger one, who would chatter nonstop. His gaze lingered on Li Mengze’s face for a moment longer than usual.

Li Mengze, noticing his father looking at him and unsure what he might have done wrong, resorted to his signature move-flashing a broad, toothy grin at his father.

This gesture had been Li Mengze’s go-to since he no longer feared his father as he once did. Whenever his father made a move, he would respond in kind, which had once earned him severe criticism.

Li Mengze found this tactic effective, especially with his father. In his own words, it was “using stillness to counter motion,” staying unchangeable in response to change. Even his father couldn’t bring himself to strike someone smiling at him. It might have been a bit silly, but it worked.

Li Runjun is a man of few words, rather strict, and demanding of others, sometimes to the point of being almost unreasonable. He usually takes a comprehensive view of issues, but sometimes he is not very decisive.

Li Mengze, if something is wrong, won’t easily point it out, often letting you discover it for yourself.

Li Mengze has learned his lessons the hard way a few times. Using his father’s words, a person can make a mistake once or twice, but not three or four times. However, he didn’t understand this; once he found that this tactic worked on his father, he started using it tirelessly. After a while, his father’s temperament gradually changed, no longer demanding strictness, which led to Li Mengze increasingly acting unreasonably in front of his father.

Li Runjun knew that Li Mengze had grown up and no longer needed detailed instructions on many things, particularly since he knew he couldn’t control him anymore.

Li Runjun favored another girl; he thought she was his ideal daughter-in-law-elegant, beautiful, generous, and a doctor. However, he didn’t know the nature of his son’s relationship with her, although he felt they seemed to get along well, but not necessarily in that way.

Li Runjun couldn’t figure out his son’s relationship with these two girls, who took turns caring for him from Tuesday to Thursday, always finding time to chat with him, despite their busy work schedules. Could Doctor Jing also be involved with his son? She visited every Monday and Friday and seemed familiar with the other girls. It couldn’t be a coincidence, could it? The old man silently hoped it was just that-a coincidence. Young people, let them be!

“Father, do you feel lonely by yourself? If so, I could bring mother over to keep you company,” Li Mengze tentatively asked. Although he had provided his father with some pastimes, and they often visited him at the hospital, they had been quite busy recently and couldn’t visit as often as before. Time was becoming increasingly scarce.

“Isn’t your mother at your sister’s place? Your sister has no experience with kids, and it’s not good for her to be without help,” Li Mengze knew that his mother couldn’t possibly come over, considering it was their first nephew;

Initially, their father was not very pleased with the brother-in-law, but ever since the baby was born, he stopped saying anything unpleasant. Most importantly, their mother wasn’t in great health. The purpose of sending her to Guangzhou was to prevent her from overexerting herself, and he knew his sister wouldn’t let their mother tire herself out.

“How is your mother’s health?” his father asked, still concerned.

“Don’t worry, her health is fine. Just a few days ago, the whole family went for a medical check-up. There were no issues at all, and she’s in good spirits. Her old ailments have also disappeared along with her better mood,” Li Mengze replied. His mother’s health was a mood barometer; as long as she was happy, she was fine. This was something that genuinely troubled him, as he dared not upset her.

“Why don’t you chat with some of the other patients here? I see many elderly people around,” Li Mengze suggested, though he felt it might not be very effective.

“Forget it, I can’t really connect with them. They are all educated city folks; no one looks up to a country bumpkin like me,” the old man said calmly, without a hint of emotion, as if talking about someone else.

“Father, you shouldn’t think that way. Haven’t you always said, ‘The first 30 years show the father’s influence on the son, the next 30 show the son’s influence on the father’? We’re no less than anyone else. The hardships you’ve endured and the fatigue you’ve suffered, none of them can match that; and not to mention, your son isn’t inferior to anyone. I’ve got the looks and the skills, don’t you think?”

Li Mengze tried to reassure his father, knowing just how to comfort him. His father didn’t ask for much; just having a capable son to make him proud was enough.

“Show-off,” Liu Yun and Sima Xiaoyu both said as they peeled apples, finishing almost simultaneously and offering them to the elder.

“Alright, just set them down for now!” Li Runjun didn’t know whose apple to take, always careful not to hurt anyone’s feelings, so he chose not to take any. “You both eat too.”

“Oh, why not give me one? It seems like you’re intentionally keeping it from us.” Li Mengze joked, aware that his father wouldn’t eat it under these circumstances, as the old man was always so “thorough” in his considerations.

“If you want some, peel it yourself. This is for Uncle Chen, not for you. Right, Uncle Chen? We can’t let him have any!” Liu Yun playfully said, lightening the somewhat solemn atmosphere in the room.

“Old Li, your son has come to see you again, and he brought the two young ladies with him. I really envy you! You have such a good son!” A man in his fifties entered the room, recognized by Li Mengze as a local who had a condition similar to his father’s but milder. He was a decent man who treated his father well.

“Uncle Chen, please, have a seat. You look much better today.” Li Mengze quickly stood up to offer his seat. He had a fondness for Uncle Chen, who, despite having a different social and life background from his father, showed no sense of superiority typical of urban dwellers. He was warm and respectful towards his father and often visited for chats. This elder, with his broad experiences and open mind, was genuinely liked by Li Mengze, who thought maybe their own fathers were similar in spirit.

“Old Li, you look much better today too. I really envy you, seeing how filial your son is, always coming to visit.” Uncle Chen expressed his admiration, having often seen Li Mengze visiting his father, especially with these girls; he truly envied them.

“Chen-Ge¹ is doing well too! It’s just that now, with a family to care for, he still manages to visit often. If he came every day, you might not even want him to, right?” Li Mengze knew every family had its hardships. Like Uncle Chen’s family, where the grandson was only two years old, the family was primarily focused on the little one, only managing to visit every now and then. However, these visits were too infrequent, and the stays too brief, always hurried. He noticed that Uncle Chen’s family was not well-off, living in a double room and using medical insurance.

“Uncle Chen, please have an apple.” Sima Xiaoyu quickly peeled another apple, finding herself fond of the kind and understanding elderly man.

“Very well! Thank you, you are Miss Sima, right?” The old man couldn’t quite distinguish between the girls.

“Yes, and this is Liu Yun.” Sima Xiaoyu replied politely, introducing Liu Yun.

“Here, Mengze, don’t ever say we don’t care about you, starving you out.” Liu Yun handed the second peeled apple to Li Mengze, rolling her eyes at him before grabbing another apple to peel for herself.

By 11 o’clock, Li Runjun had finished his IV treatment, ending his morning session. A nurse had come in to change the IV once, and they all chatted together to pass the time.

Li Mengze felt his father was in very good spirits, seemingly having come to terms with many things. During their conversation, he showed no worries about his personal life; instead, he discreetly assured his father that he was doing well and not to worry about him. Meanwhile, they talked about his sister and his little nephew. His father urged him to visit his nephew, stressing that babies all look alike at birth, and pictures simply do not suffice-you must see them in person. He mentioned that if he weren’t in the hospital, he would have gone himself, making Li Mengze reluctantly agree and promise to visit soon.

“Tomorrow is Saturday, and you’re not working. I won’t keep you,” his father suddenly decided, urging him on.

“Alright, I’ll go right away, but not tomorrow. Next week the company is sending me on a business trip to Guangzhou, I’ll visit then, is that okay?” Li Mengze preferred to delay his visit as he had just returned from Guangzhou and wanted to spend a few days at home.

“What day will you go?” His father trusted him, but he was really eager to see his son.

“I’ll be on a business trip Wednesday, I can ask for a day off and go on Tuesday, how does that sound?” Li Mengze estimated that he would hear from Wansheng company next week, so he informed his father of his plans, certainly with Sima Xiaoyu’s approval.

Li Runjun agreed with his son’s suggestion, unable to consider much else as long as his son promised to visit soon; his expectations were not high. He was not an unreasonable old man, understanding that his son also needed time to handle personal matters. These three girls were so good to him, how should his son handle it? Just avoid any trouble, the old man thought silently.

Li Mengze and the others tried to alleviate their father’s loneliness by preparing modern entertainment devices for him, even sparing no effort in instructing him. However, the outcome wasn’t very noticeable. The elderly man did learn how to operate the devices and what he could do with them, but he just couldn’t seem to take an interest, leading to private chuckles among the group. They continued to keep him company, chatting for a while longer before leaving the hospital at lunchtime to start their shopping spree.

Li Runjun agreed with his son’s suggestion. At this point, he couldn’t afford to be picky; as long as his son agreed to visit soon, that was enough for him. His expectations for his son had significantly lowered. Moreover, he wasn’t an unreasonable old man. He understood his son needed time to handle personal matters. The three girls involved were such good people; how should his son deal with this situation? As long as he didn’t create any trouble, the old man thought silently.

To alleviate their father’s loneliness, Li Mengze and the others also brought him modern entertainment devices, sparing no effort in teaching him how to use them. However, the results were not very noticeable. The elderly man learned how to operate the devices and what he could do with them, but he simply couldn’t muster any interest, which secretly amused them all. They spent some more time chatting with their father before leaving the hospital at lunchtime to start their shopping trip.

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