Rebirth: Splendid Marriage in the 80s

Chapter 1559: Chapter 1561: Appears to be Distant

With great difficulty, the four finally sat down.

Chiang Qingzhu held an embroidered handkerchief and occasionally continued to wipe her tears.

Even the way she wiped her tears was quite deliberate; she tilted her face slightly, then pinched the corner of the handkerchief with her fingers, gently pressing it against the corner of her eye.

This appearance made Chiang Songhai and Ge Liutao feel very unfamiliar.

The Chiang Qingzhu from the mountain village they had remembered—spoiled yet still natural and straightforward—seemed to have vanished, never to return.

Now, sitting before them was someone who truly looked like she had come from a big city.

”Mr. Kuang, it’s really troubling you to go out of your way to bring our Qingzhu back. Will it delay your work?” Chiang Songhai thought to himself that being in his own home, with Chiang Xiao and Meng Xinian both present, gave him enough confidence. Facing Kuang Kanzhi, he no longer appeared uneasy.

Kuang Kanzhi waved his hand and said warmly, ”Uncle, you don’t need to be so polite. This is something I ought to do—it’s far more important than work.”

These words...

Why did they sound so awkward?

Chiang Songhai understood Chiang Xiao and the others’ suggestion to step aside earlier; they wanted to give him and Ge Liutao the chance to see how Kuang Kanzhi and Chiang Qingzhu interacted when they thought no one else was around. He then asked about what Qingzhu had been through over the years.

Chiang Qingzhu, already coached by Kuang Kanzhi on the journey here, gave a brief explanation in just a few sentences, saying that she hadn’t contacted them all these years due to health reasons.

After saying this, she softly glanced at Kuang Kanzhi. A trace of blush rose to her cheeks as she said to her parents, ”In all these years, it’s thanks to Brother Kan. If it weren’t for him, your daughter wouldn’t have had the chance to see you both again.”

Looking at her shy, tender expression, Chiang Songhai’s heart skipped a beat again. His face stiffened as he said to Kuang Kanzhi, ”Thank you so much, Mr. Kuang. For the great kindness and grace you’ve shown, we will absolutely find a way to repay you properly.”

Kuang Kanzhi immediately waved his hand and said, ”Uncle, please don’t say that. Taking care of Ah Zhu is something I do willingly. How could I expect repayment from you?”

A man in his forties, married with children, saying he took care of another woman willingly? And saying it right in front of them?

This made Chiang Songhai feel extremely uncomfortable. He had been so deeply grateful to Kuang Kanzhi before, but now that gratitude felt strangely distorted.

He almost couldn’t sit still.

”But how could that be? Mr. Kuang’s family seems to be doing quite well, but we should still try within our means to see if we can offer some kind of compensation to Mr. Kuang...”

Before he could even finish his words, and before Kuang Kanzhi could say anything, Chiang Qingzhu softly interjected, ”Dad, you really don’t need to be so formal with Brother Kan. Just treat him like one of the family, and he’ll be very happy.”

Kuang Kanzhi immediately nodded along to her words, ”Exactly, exactly, Ah Zhu is absolutely right.”

At this point, even Ge Liutao’s brows furrowed deeply.

Unable to hold back, she said, ”Zhuzhu, Mr. Kuang has been so kind to you; how can you not be grateful?”

”Mom, it’s not that I’m not grateful,” Chiang Qingzhu blinked with a trace of grievance and said, ”It’s just that Brother Kan isn’t an outsider. Constantly talking about compensation, gratitude, and repayment makes it feel like you’re treating him as if he were.”

Chiang Songhai: ”...”

Ge Liutao: ”...”

These two honest people were momentarily at a loss for words. Yet, they couldn’t shake the sudden tightness in their chests, a feeling of discomfort they couldn’t quite explain.

Kuang Kanzhi glanced at them, then stood up and lifted the gifts he had placed on the floor onto the coffee table. Several large boxes covered the table completely.