Chapter 0053: Never Forget Why You Started

Father Zhao's seemingly casual move was actually full of deadly intent. If those thugs were still here today and dared to pull any tricks, Zhao Fusheng was certain that his father and his comrades would teach them a lesson in no time.

After so many years as father and son, Zhao Fusheng knew exactly what kind of man his father was. Unlike those who boast and bluster all day, Father Zhao was definitely the type who preferred to act silently without a word—a tough character.

Of course, having seen through all this, Zhao Fusheng wouldn't point it out. He just treated it as a little secret between father and son.

As for whether his father had guessed what he was thinking, Zhao Fusheng didn't think it mattered.

Taking a taxi home, after hearing about the incident, Mother Zhao was also shocked. She hadn't expected things to take such a sudden turn and end up like this.

"This is great, we can save that money now," Mother Zhao said happily.

She didn't think too much about it; she was simply glad.

Li Yuan was also happy. She already felt indebted to the Zhao family, and now that the money didn't have to be repaid for the time being, her mood improved considerably.

Of course, although the money didn't need to be repaid for now, the family's troubles were still there.

After all, Li Yuan was in poor health, and the treatment for breast cancer had already used up most of the money from selling the house, leaving their future livelihood in question.

But regardless, at least now her mood was much better than before.

Zhao Fusheng didn't interrupt; he just silently held Fan Beibei and watched cartoons. In his mind, this was something he didn't need to worry about—it was the adults' business. Even if he voiced an opinion, it would be useless, because in the eyes of his elders, he was still a child.

However, he wasn't worried that his parents' venture would fail. The reason was simple: whether it was his parents or Li Yuan, they were all acting with the determination that they would either succeed or face ruin.

Under what circumstances can a person unleash their greatest potential?

As the old saying goes, "Place yourself in a desperate situation to survive, array your troops with your back to the river, and the grieving army will surely win." Simply put, if the endeavor fails, death may follow—that's enough to ignite one's potential. Those with family resources have a high tolerance for error, but ordinary people, if they want to turn things around, sometimes truly need that back-against-the-river mentality.

In other words, given the Zhao family's current situation, if Father Zhao wasn't absolutely certain, he wouldn't have gone ahead with the fruit shop. He must have made the decision after careful calculation.

That being the case, Zhao Fusheng had great confidence in his father.

"Alright, since there's no problem for now, let's not worry about it. When Old Zhao gets back, we'll discuss the fruit shop," Mother Zhao said, comforting Li Yuan.

Li Yuan nodded. She had originally been a strong-willed person, but the ups and downs of life over the years had worn down her edges and confidence.

Father Zhao soon returned, but his face was flushed, clearly having had quite a bit to drink.

"Why did you drink so much?" Mother Zhao frowned, taking her husband's bag and complaining.

"We haven't gathered in a long time, so everyone had a few extra drinks," Father Zhao explained. His comrades were all from the same company back in the day, and after being demobilized, they were assigned to various factories in the city.

Father Zhao never caused trouble after drinking—he just came home and went to sleep, only those two steps.

But since the family's pillar had fallen asleep, there was no way to discuss other matters. Li Yuan took Fan Beibei home, and Mother Zhao tossed Zhao Fusheng two hundred yuan for living expenses before accompanying Li Yuan out.

Seeing that he was the only one left in the house, Zhao Fusheng blinked, went back to his room to pack his things, and while the noon sun was just right, strolled back to school.

…

…

What does it mean for the disciple to surpass the master?

It means that after Tan Kaixuan, that bastard, screwed over his buddy Zhao Fusheng, he still thought about treating him to a meal to mend his wounded heart. And Hu Xia, that originally shy and lovely girl, had started to become dark-hearted ever since she got together with Tan Kaixuan.

"You're saying you want me to join your poetry club's event?"

Zhao Fusheng stared at Hu Xia in disbelief, never expecting that he had only gotten off the bus to borrow books from the library, only to be roped into something unexpectedly.

Hu Xia nodded, her eyes brimming with irrepressible laughter: "Yes, even though you didn't join our poetry club, many classmates know you. This is also our last event. Next year, many senior sisters will graduate, and I don't know if the poetry club will still have that many people."

School clubs also need a registered number of members. If they don't meet the required number, the school will announce the dissolution of the club. That's why at the start of each semester, every student club goes all out to recruit new members.

Zhao Fusheng had never heard of this before. Thinking about it, he rather admired Mu Qingqing. If he remembered correctly, the poetry club of Ninghai Normal University was only disbanded after Mu Qingqing graduated.

In other words, that woman, relying on her own efforts, had managed to keep this poetry club, which should have become history, alive for an extra two years.

This is a vulgar era. Wang Xiaobo said that the 1990s were the last innocent era, and from then on, society inevitably headed toward vulgarity.

Indeed, the storm of materialism swept across the entire world. When wealth became the benchmark for measuring a person's social status and achievements, "poetry is dead" was no longer a joke.

But Zhao Fusheng couldn't say that. In this era, when classmates still gathered to chat about everything and dream of the future, speaking the truth would undoubtedly label him as an outsider.

This was the last glorious age of literature. People's passion for literature filled their lives. Many people at this time had a notebook where they recorded beautiful words they found, and more young people had pen pals, communicating through letters that took a week or even longer to travel across the country.

In the days without QQ or WeChat, young boys and girls forced themselves to write poetry to express their sorrow, eagerly absorbing the last essence of the literary world. After they left university, these became their most beautiful memories.

In the years that followed, the ivory tower was no longer synonymous with purity and innocence. Anecdotes like placing drinks on the car hood at the school gate might seem laughable, but Zhao Fusheng knew well that where there's smoke, there's fire. How could an increasingly vulgar social atmosphere not affect the students on campus?

"So, are you going to agree or not?" Hu Xia pouted and glared at Zhao Fusheng. Without waiting for his answer, she answered herself: "If you don't say anything, I'll take it as a yes. Meet at the pavilion by the library at three in the afternoon. Don't be late."

With that, she skipped away with her roommate.

Leaving Zhao Fusheng with a helpless expression.