Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups-Chapter 266 - 200 My World_2

"Ah Cheng, how’s your apartment building? No issues, right?"

"Didn’t feel it when I went to your place the day before yesterday, but now up close, I see you’ve bulked up a lot, almost didn’t recognize you."

Fang Yu spoke rapidly, stacking words with care.

"No issues, the lockdown was lifted yesterday afternoon. Mostly been staying in for these days, I feel like I’ve gained several pounds."

Fang Cheng replied with a smile, then looked at the frail yet kind elder lying in the hospital bed.

And his mother, sitting beside the bed, peeling an apple.

"Grandpa, Mom."

After calling out twice, Fang Cheng looked around the hospital room environment.

This was a single-room VIP ward, spacious and bright.

A comfortable large bed was placed in the center, surrounded by various user-friendly home appliances.

By the wall, there was also a simple set of sofas and a coffee table for visitors to rest.

Overall, it looked comfortable and warm, making it a reassuring place for recuperation.

Of course, the daily hospital charges were unavoidable.

But now that the family’s financial situation was good, these expenses were not a concern at all.

Today, other than his aunt and uncle-in-law, there were also several relatives from grandpa’s side visiting.

Some were already working in East Capital, and others had come all the way from the countryside; everyone gathering together made it quite lively.

Li Zhenhua opened his slightly cloudy eyes, stared at Fang Cheng, and took a while to recognize his grandson.

"Ah Cheng is here?"

Then he smiled and tried to sit up from the bed, leaning on his arms.

Fang Cheng quickly stepped forward, supporting him with both hands.

"Grandpa, your body hasn’t fully recovered yet, just lie down and rest, don’t move around."

"No worries, I’ve been resting for a week now; the doctor said that moving about appropriately after surgery can help with the digestion functions recovery."

Li Zhenhua waved his hand, not conceding to his age:

"Besides, when your grandpa was young, he was a militiaman and once went up the mountains alone to catch wild boars. My body was stronger than many young guys."

He continued to carefully look at Fang Cheng, nodding slightly with a smile.

He seemed quite satisfied with his grandson’s robust figure, finally able to shed the weak and sickly image of the past.

Fang Cheng chatted with his grandpa for a few moments, then turned to greet other relatives, politely addressing everyone.

"Ah Cheng is really growing more and more handsome."

One distant aunt named Auntie Er responded with a chuckle.

Then, changing the topic, she continued, "Do you remember Ali, next door to your grandpa? About your age, very handsome, maybe I’ll introduce you two?"

Her eyes were full of eagerness, as if she had already settled the matter.

Once she opened the topic, other relatives also joined in, steering the conversation towards work and matchmaking.

Fang Cheng was encircled in the middle, his face carrying a polite smile, feeling quite helpless inside, but he responded to them one by one.

Li Zhenhua rested on the hospital bed, watching the scene unfold before him, and then raised his voice:

"My grandson is too honest, he hasn’t even held a girl’s hand. If you keep nagging, he’ll need to find a crack in the floor to crawl into."

His body was still skinny, but his spirit was vibrant. One couldn’t see a hint of his pre-surgery weakness.

It was evident that his post-surgery recovery was going smoothly.

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this, and the conversation paused for a moment.

Li Biyun was busy handing out fruits and pouring tea for the relatives.

Now and then, she would help her son in social interactions, cleverly deflecting some overly sharp questions.

Just as Fang Cheng felt he was about to be overwhelmed by the warm words of his relatives.

Suddenly, the door of the hospital room creaked open.

A middle-aged man wearing a black leather jacket with a dash of moustache on his upper lip entered.

"Sister, I’ve asked the doctor, Dad should be able to have his stitches removed the day after tomorrow, and then we can proceed with the discharge."

He spoke loudly, walking as if he brought a whirlwind with him.

It was Li Dingjian, who had gone to do business and hadn’t shown up in a long time.

Turning his head to look at the scene in the room, he caught sight of Fang Cheng.

He saw his nephew’s embarrassingly distressed look in one glance and then waved his hand grandly:

"Ah Cheng, haven’t had lunch yet? Come, let’s go grab a bite." freewebnσvel.cѳm

Fang Cheng, upon hearing this, immediately sprang to his feet like he was grabbing a lifeline, and followed his uncle out of the bustling ward.

.........

On the west side of the hospital’s main building, there’s a Food Square.

Various dining booths are neatly lined up, offering plenty of choices.

There are staples like noodles, dumplings, rice, as well as stir-fried dishes, clay pots, wonton, spicy hot pots, and various pastries and snacks, truly a complete selection.

In the central area, tables and chairs are tastefully arranged, and many people choose to dine there after ordering.

The air is filled with the intertwined scent of food and daily life, which dilutes the unpleasant smell of hospital disinfectants.

Fang Cheng and Li Dingjian also sat down at a table, ordering four dishes of both meat and vegetables, and a few bottles of beer.

It’s now just past one o’clock in the afternoon.

Business in the Food Square is still booming, with seating somewhat crowded, surrounded by the noise of people chatting everywhere.

It’s quite difficult to maintain a regular routine in a place like a hospital.

To be honest, Fang Cheng had already "feasted" before coming to the hospital, so he wasn’t really hungry.

Li Dingjian just wanted to find a place to catch up properly.

Thus, the two ate casually while discussing their grandfather’s condition.

According to the doctors’ recent reports, their grandfather should be able to be discharged from the hospital before New Year’s Eve, allowing for a family reunion during the Spring Festival.

With his father’s health recovering smoothly and no more financial pressures, Li Dingjian seemed in good spirits.

"Come on, Ah Cheng, let’s have a drink."

After a few drinks, his face glowed with color, his spirits soared, and he became more animated in conversation.

"After a couple of days, when I’m done with some urgent business, I’ll take you to the best Peace Restaurant in East Capital, to experience life in high society..."

As he gestured to pour another drink, his Rolex peeked out from his sleeve.

The dial was a deep blue, the strap sparkled with fine golden flecks.

It was an understated exhibition of luxury.

Fang Cheng glanced curiously.

It seemed that his Uncle had been living a rather good life lately.

Taking advantage of his uncle’s spirited mood, he asked:

"Uncle, what exactly is the business you’re doing?"

Li Dingjian’s hand holding the wine glass paused for a moment, his eyes quickly shifting before he laughed:

"Ah, it’s just some import and export trade, many tricks of the trade involved."

"You’re still young, you wouldn’t understand if I told you, just focus on your studies; I’ll take you high-flying later!"

Seeing that Fang Cheng still looked puzzled, he took another sip of his drink and intentionally explained further:

"This line is high in profit but also high in risk, you have to deal with both sides of the law, a constant battle of wits. If you’re not careful, the goods might get stuck, and the financial chain might break..."

Saying this, he tipped his head back and downed his drink, then a satisfied smile appeared on his face:

"Fortunately, the heavens have been on my side, who would have thought I, Li, who has been down on my luck for half my life, would finally make my first bucket of gold."

Then, Li Dingjian paused, lowered his voice, and said:

"You and your mom just rest easy, the business I do is definitely legitimate, completely above board."

"And after making this quick money, I won’t continue; honestly, if it wasn’t something I can’t make public, the East City government should even present me with a ’Good Citizen Award’..."

His corners of the mouth curved slightly, his smile starkly different from before, now much more confident and composed.

Fang Cheng nodded, not pressing any further.

From his uncle’s words, it seemed to be a business in the grey area between legality and illegality.

In such a public and noisy place, it clearly wasn’t the right setting for further inquiry.

The two continued drinking, eating, chatting, and catching up.

A wall-mounted large color TV in the dining area was broadcasting a news program.

It was about the "terror incident" that happened at Ren’an Hospital the previous night, thus drawing discussions and comments from many who were there at the time.

Various noisy conversations intermittently drifted into Fang Cheng’s ears.

Among them, two particularly familiar voices suddenly caught his attention.