Inside Shazhu's house, He Daqing's words about just making do with a makeshift bed and how it was still better than Baoding struck Shazhu's heart like two massive boulders, stirring up a thousand waves.
Yushui's words—"Dad, wasn't life good for you in Baoding? Since you're back now, don't leave again. My room has space, I can live with you"—acted just like a lit fuse.
He Daqing looked into his daughter's clear eyes, seeing her undisguised worry and plea for him to stay, and then looked at his son Shazhu's complex expression, a mix of shock, awkwardness, and even a faint trace of heartache. He thought of the miserable, dog-like life he had endured over the past four years with the Bai family in Baoding, and the completely cut-off road home...
Chapter 98