The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 249: Chapter 249: A Pleasant Conversation

Mrs. Chen’s face was streaked with tears. She choked out, ”Ah Xia, don’t call me ’Mrs. Chen’! From now on, you’re like a sister to me. If it weren’t for you back then, Wenxuan wouldn’t have survived.”

Granny Cai smiled. ”Mrs. Chen, you’re too kind. I was entrusted with his care, so I had to see it through. Since Wenxuan was still breathing, I couldn’t just stand by and watch him die. It was truly difficult to raise him back then, and we had no choice but to send him to the orphanage. Please don’t blame us for that.”

Mrs. Chen gripped Granny Cai’s hand tightly and shook her head. ”Sister Xia, I understand what the situation was like in the country back then. You had no choice but to send Wenxuan to the orphanage.”

”Even though he was sent to an orphanage, you worked there for so many years, and even after you retired, you still visited Wenxuan often. If that’s not considered raising him, what is?”

”Sister Xia, please, don’t call me Mrs. Chen. Call me Shuhua. Come on, get in the car. I really have so much I want to talk to you about.”

And just like that, Mrs. Chen pulled Granny Cai into the car.

Chen Wenxuan walked over to the three-wheeled cart, completely lacking the airs of a rich young master. He was remarkably down-to-earth.

He got on the three-wheeled cart and said to Han Xiaoqing behind him, ”I’m strong enough. You don’t need to push.”

”It’s fine.” Han Xiaoqing adjusted her sun hat. ”Let’s hurry. The sun’s pretty strong, and it’s getting hot.”

Chen Wenxuan smiled and pedaled the three-wheeled cart, picking up the pace considerably.

With guests over at Granny Cai’s house, they couldn’t very well let her do all the cooking.

Han Xiaorui made a call and asked Liu Huamei, the cook from the boat, to come over.

As soon as Liu Huamei heard her master had guests, she didn’t hesitate for a moment, hopping on her bicycle to come help from the next village over.

Sweat beaded on Chen Wenxuan’s forehead from the heat. He took the towel Han Xiaoqing offered him. ”Thanks. Hi, I’m Chen Wenxuan.”

Han Xiaoqing gave a bright smile. ”So you’re the Chen Wenxuan that Sister Cai is always talking about. Hi, I’m Han Xiaoqing.”

Han Xiaoqing was already pretty to begin with, and tall.

After living at her sister’s for more than half a year, she was well-nourished. She had filled out a bit and her skin was fair. Her big eyes seemed as if they could speak.

Chen Wenxuan was exceedingly handsome, the kind of man who could be called beautiful.

Chen Wenxuan smiled back. ”Sister Cai often mentions you and your sister, too. It’s great to meet you.”

”Congratulations on finding your birth parents. You’re a university student, and Sister Cai said you’re in the mechanical engineering department. Have you considered studying abroad?” Han Xiaoqing asked.

University had broadened Han Xiaoqing’s horizons.

Many students with good grades or connections abroad were able to study overseas.

This was especially true for mechanical engineering, where there was a big gap between domestic and foreign programs.

Chen Wenxuan smiled and nodded. ”Before, I was just thinking about graduating early so I could support myself. Now that I’ve found my parents, they have the financial means to support my continued education.”

”I could have applied for a government-funded scholarship to study abroad, but I turned it down. My parents are very wealthy in Germany, so I’ll go to Germany to study. That way, I won’t take up a public scholarship slot, leaving the opportunity for another student.”

Chen Wenxuan had no psychological hangups about spending his parents’ money.

After more than twenty years of absence, his parents felt guilty and were constantly trying to find ways to compensate him.

If he didn’t accept, his mother’s eyes would well up with tears.

So he had to accept—accept everything. The more he spent, the better. His parents were rich, anyway, and the more money he spent, the happier they were.

Besides, studying abroad was a respectable endeavor, so of course his parents were happy to give him their full support.

Han Xiaoqing smiled. ”Giving up that spot for another student means one more person can learn foreign technology. If they come back, then there will be more people to help build our country.”

Chen Wenxuan nodded. ”Yes. I heard from Sister Cai that you’re majoring in psychology.”

Han Xiaoqing nodded. ”I am. In the future, I want to focus on researching intervention therapies for autism. Our country is very behind in this area. My teacher, Professor Wang, is one of the first people to research this subject.”

”In the past, many children with developmental delays or autistic tendencies were just called ’fools’ or ’idiots.’ But in reality, many of them can be greatly improved through intervention therapy. The effects are especially good if the intervention happens between the ages of three and six.”

”I’ve seen the significance of this field firsthand with my two nieces and with Wenjun. They might not ever become exceptionally smart, but most of them can learn to take care of themselves and lead ordinary lives.”

Chen Wenxuan listened intently. ”My university roommate said his older cousin is a Village Guard. He’s not completely unintelligent—he understands what people say—his cognitive level just isn’t very high.”

”Every summer and winter break, his cousin waits for him at the village entrance when he comes home from school, and even gives him the snacks and drinks he’s saved up.”

”If someone like that had received intervention as a child, could he have recovered enough to be like a normal person?”

Han Xiaoqing nodded. ”Yes. The results of Professor Wang’s research include records of cases just like that. But those cold, hard numbers can’t compare to real-life experience. You know Wenjun. You should be very clear on what he was like before and what he’s like now.”

Chen Wenxuan looked up and saw Cai Wenjun squatting in a corner with Pingping and An’an, eating sour plum powder while basking in the sun.

When he saw that Pingping had finished hers, he pulled another packet from his small bag and handed it to her, then gave one to his sister, Cai Wennan. He grinned happily, his expression vivid and his eyes full of life.

Chen Wenxuan smiled, his expression bright. ”Yes, Wenjun is completely different from before. In the past, even the ever-optimistic Sister Cai would be fraught with worry whenever she mentioned her grandson.”

”It wasn’t that she disliked her grandson, but she worried about what would happen to Wenjun once the elders in the family were gone.”

”Over the past six months, Wenjun has slowly gotten better, and Sister Cai smiles a lot more than before. The work you’ll be doing is very meaningful. You have to work hard and help more of our country’s children grow up healthy.”

Han Xiaoqing’s smile was radiant. ”Mm, I will. It’s my life’s goal.”

Although it was their first time meeting, they could feel a mutual attraction.

Inside, Granny Cai was talking with Mr. and Mrs. Chen about her experiences over the years.

Han Xiaorui, Liang Xiaoyu, and Liu Huamei were in the kitchen helping with the meal.

Liang Xiaoyu looked up through the kitchen window and nudged Han Xiaorui with her elbow.

”Look, see how well they’re getting along!”

Liu Huamei looked up and nodded repeatedly. ”How can someone be so handsome? They say everyone is equal, and maybe you can work hard to gain external things later in life.”

”But when it comes to looks and brains, if you’re born with them, you’re set. If you’re not, you’re out of luck.”

Liang Xiaoyu deeply agreed. ”Isn’t that the truth?”

Han Xiaorui looked out at her sister chatting happily with Chen Wenxuan and smiled. ”They’re young, let them talk!”

Liang Xiaoyu nodded. ”Right, right! Come on, we’ve got things covered in the kitchen! Go wash your hands and help entertain the guests.”

”After all, you’re Ye Feng’s girlfriend, and Mrs. Chen is very close with Ye Feng’s grandmother. You’ll all be seeing a lot of each other in the future.”

Seeing her sister getting along so well with Chen Wenxuan, Han Xiaorui naturally wanted to be more proactive.

Han Xiaorui needed to showcase her own capabilities. If her sister and Chen Wenxuan were to start dating, she had to make sure Mr. and Mrs. Chen knew that her sister was an outstanding woman, worthy of anyone.

She wouldn’t allow anyone to look down on or bully her sister.