UNCLTRD chapter 17

Yang Shao thought that since the insurance payout had arrived, he might as well transfer some money to his uncle and then have a courier come to deliver the tape recorder to his cousin.

Courier services were really thoughtful now; they could pick up packages right from the door. It was convenient. Chen Qiusu’s parents saw this and naturally had questions.

“What’s this that you’re sending?”

Yang Shao paid the courier and took the tracking number. “It’s a tape recorder. It’s for my cousin. My uncle hurt his back and couldn’t go with him to buy it. I didn’t want him to be tricked, so I offered to buy it for him.”

Since Yang Shao had been raised by his uncle’s family, their matters were his concerns as well.

Chen Qiusu’s mom sighed, “Hurt his back? How’s he doing?”

“I haven’t had time to go check. My aunt said it’s fine.”

“For people our age, back injuries aren’t small matters. Don’t take it lightly.”

Chen Shiliang chimed in, “Chen’s mom’s right. Why don’t we bring your uncle over for a check up? Grandma had someone calculate the dates; there aren’t any good days left this year, but next spring will be better. We’ll have plenty of time to prepare. You and Qiusu should still discuss your wedding plans with your family.”

Yang Shao felt conflicted. The Chen family was taking this wedding so seriously, even wanting to make it a grand affair. He really didn’t know how to handle such a big event.

Besides, his relationship with Chen Qiusu had always felt like a transaction to him. He had never intended to inform anyone, especially not his poor relatives who wouldn’t fit in with all of this.

Seeing Yang Shao’s troubled expression, Chen’s mom asked, “What’s wrong? Do you have something on your mind?”

“No… No…”

Suddenly, Yang Shao felt a heavy weight on his shoulder as Chen Shiliang patted it, “Have your uncle come over to see a doctor? It might help him recover faster. If you hurt your muscles or bones, it takes a hundred days to heal. He’ll need to be in good shape to attend your wedding with Qiushu.”

Yang Shao felt awkward about refusing the kindness of Chen Qiushu’s parents, so he reluctantly agreed, “I’ll ask them.”

….

After every treatment, Chen Qiushu felt particularly exhausted, as resisting his instincts caused significant physical strain and damage.

After leaving the hospital, there was still time before it was time to pick up Yang Tao from kindergarten. When he reached the entrance, the parents waiting to pick up their children had already blocked the entire street.

Standing outside the crowd, Chen Qiushu, dressed in a sharp suit under a long coat, with a slightly tired expression, still caught the attention of younger parents.

Talkative parents approached and began a conversation, “Your child goes to this kindergarten, too?”

Chen Qiushu was approachable and politely nodded, and the person continued, “How old is your child? Which class are they in?”

“Five years old.” When asked about the class, Chen Qiushu was caught off guard and smiled awkwardly.

People understood—alpha fathers didn’t often pick up their kids, so not remembering the class wasn’t a big deal. The woman was about to continue chatting when the kindergarten gates opened.

The little kids were lined up, eagerly scanning the crowd for their parents.

Chen Qiushu immediately spotted Yang Tao at the end of the line. Since he had no one to pick him up previously, he was always the last one to leave, and the teacher had placed him at the back of the line.

That morning, he had been dropped off at kindergarten by his Uncle Chen and his dad. Grandma had said she would pick him up, but Yang Tao wasn’t sure if she would actually come. After all, he had long learned to endure disappointment.

Being tall, Chen Qiushu couldn’t be missed in the crowd. When Yang Tao saw him, his eyes lit up, and he eagerly waved, jumping up and down.

“Uncle Chen!”

The line had gotten long, and it was the first time Yang Tao couldn’t wait. He counted his classmates one by one as they left, and when the crowd had thinned out, it was finally his turn. Just as he was about to rush into Chen Qiushu’s arms, the teacher pulled him back.

“Yang Tao, don’t run off.”

Yang Tao proudly told the teacher, “That’s my Uncle Chen.”

The teacher sized up Chen Qiushu. He seemed like an upstanding person and didn’t appear dangerous, but she still called Yang Shao to confirm before letting Chen Qiushu take the child.

“Where’s Grandma?”

Chen Qiusu had already called home and said he would bring Yang Tao back. “I’ll pick you up, so Grandma can rest at home. She’ll take you to school tomorrow.”

He took Yang Tao’s backpack, and Yang Tao, holding his hand, bounced along, not walking properly at all.

“Are you that happy?”

Of course, he was happy. And today, the teacher confirmed the program for the parent-child day, and Yang Tao was going to participate.

“Uncle Chen, our kindergarten has already decided on the program for the parent-child day. You and Daddy must come and join me!”

Chen Qiushu was the type to agree to anything, even if he didn’t fully understand what Yang Tao was talking about. “Okay.”

When they got home, Yang Tao was still excited, sharing his day at kindergarten and the parent-child day arrangements with the family.

“I’m going to play a tree.”

“Why would they have our Yang Tao play a tree? Aren’t there any other roles?” The great-grandmother, hearing this, immediately wanted to make things special for Yang Tao. “What’s the kindergarten like? Let’s contact the principal and see how much we can donate to get him a more important role.”

“But I’m the tree,” Yang Tao thought it was a very important role. “It was decided by drawing lots.” Though he didn’t really understand what drawing lots meant.

Yang Shao, who had been listening, exchanged glances with Chen Qiushu, signaling that they didn’t need to make a big deal out of this—it was just a small activity for the kids.

“Grandma, Yang Tao likes the role of the tree. If you change it, he might not be happy.”

After hearing Chen Qiushu’s words, the old lady turned to Yang Tao, “Really? Do you like playing the tree?”

“Yes, and I signed up for other activities too. If I practice all of them, I won’t be able to handle it.”

Yang Shao knew that, given Yang Tao’s personality, he would never be content with just playing a tree. He was likely involved in more than one activity, and he needed to tone it down.

“Yang Tao’s performance”, sharing his excitement with the family, would at least last for half an hour. Yang Shao had heard enough and wasn’t interested anymore. Chen Qiushu had already listened once, so they both went upstairs.

As they reached the second floor, Yang Shao spoke to Chen Qiushu, “By the way, your parents asked me to bring my uncle over to see a doctor.”

That was expected, so Chen Qiushu thought for a moment, “Have you discussed it with your uncle? Set a time and decide whether we’ll pick him up or have someone else do it.”

Yang Shao had been hoping Chen Qiushu would find an excuse to avoid it, but unexpectedly, he was taking it upon himself to bring his uncle over.

“I haven’t told them about our wedding.”

Chen Qiushu understood that Yang Shao didn’t want to make it public. “If you’re not ready to talk about it, you don’t have to. But the doctor visit can’t be delayed.”

Yang Shao looked at Chen Qiushu for a moment. He was really thoughtful. Even though he was a beast, he was an understanding one.

“Tomorrow, I’ll ask my assistant to give you an additional credit card.”

Yang Shao only snapped out of it then. Of course, he was happy to have money to spend, even if their relationship was purely transactional. He flashed Chen Qiushu a carefree smile, “Can I just use it however I want?”

“Yeah…”

Before they could finish talking, hurried footsteps came from the stairs. Soon, Yang Tao ran up, panting, “Daddy… you’ll come to the play program with me, right?”

Yang Shao didn’t know who Yang Tao took after. Chen Qiushu was so reserved, and he himself wasn’t the type to seek attention. But Yang Tao loved being in the spotlight.

“I refuse.”

Yang Tao ran in front of them and directly blocked their way. “But I’ve already signed up with the teacher.”

“You’re acting without consulting me first.” This performance surely wouldn’t be a good idea. “I’ll at most join you for the interactive games.”

The interactive games were more like a sports meet, where parents and kids did activities together. It was a bit different from performances. After saying this, Yang Shao opened the door to the room and walked inside.

Yang Tao, seeing that his dad wouldn’t help him, turned his gaze to Chen Qiushu. “Uncle Chen, you’ll accompany me, right? You promised me you’d participate.”

“I’m warning you,” Yang Shao warned from inside the room, “if you agree, you’ll definitely regret it.”

Yang Shao’s warning was no match for Yang Tao’s pleading eyes. “Uncle Chen, all the other kids are participating.”

Chen Qiushu thought to himself, there’s nothing much to the kids’ performances. Besides, he had already promised Yang Tao. He reached out to pat Yang Tao’s head. “Okay.”

Sigh, good willed words can’t persuade a stubborn person.

Yang Tao pulled Chen Qiushu toward Yang Shao into the room. “Daddy, the teacher sent you the video. Show it to us.”

Not long after school, Yang Shao received a WeChat message from the teacher. It was a dance video.

He tossed the phone to Chen Qiushu. “Watch it. If you learn it, you can go on stage and dance with him.”

With so many eyes on him, Chen Qiushu would surely embarrass himself on stage.

When Chen Qiushu saw the dance video, he froze for a moment. He hadn’t expected it to be a dance performance.

“But I can’t dance.”

Yang Tao didn’t understand the concept of embarrassment. He thought performing in front of others would be very prestigious. Lying on the bed, he innocently said, “Uncle Chen, it’s really not that hard. I’ve already learned it. I can teach you.”

Yang Shao leaned against the headboard, enjoying the scene. When he saw Chen Qiushu’s troubled look, he immediately added, “It’s no use looking at me. I already warned you, but you didn’t listen.”

There was no going back now. Chen Qiushu smiled awkwardly. “Alright then.”

“Okay, now someone’s going to embarrass themselves with you.” After sending Yang Tao away, Yang Shao gave Chen Qiushu a thumbs-up. “I’ve gained a new respect for you. If it were me, I would have backed out right on the spot.”

While making sarcastic comments, Chen Qiushu found that sometimes Yang Shao was really annoying. “Why didn’t you mention the video earlier when the teacher sent it?”

Yang Shao laughed until he almost couldn’t breathe. He actually wanted to see Chen Qiushu make a fool of himself.