Chapter 212: Fang Qian’s Story

Fang Qian’s smile had a unique charm. A young married woman was indeed a young married woman; she had long shed the girlish immaturity. With every casual move, without any deliberate flirtation, she could make one’s heart flutter restlessly.

Tang Chen felt his lips go a little dry and deliberately averted his gaze. At that moment, Xiaojun looked up and asked, “Mom, what should I call this big brother?”

Tang Chen quite liked the child Xiaojun. He pinched Xiaojun’s cheek and said with a smile, “Silly, just call me Brother Tang Chen. Do you even need to ask?”

Xiaojun walked up to Tang Chen, then hugged his leg tightly and said, “Can I call you Dad? I don’t have a dad. I really want a dad to protect me.”

Tang Chen’s mouth twitched. He glanced somewhat awkwardly at Fang Qian before saying to Xiaojun, “Xiaojun, you shouldn’t say things like that. Just call me brother. How could someone as young as me be your dad?”

“Xiaojun, don’t talk nonsense.” Fang Qian spoke to Xiaojun, then hugged him close and said to Tang Chen, “Brother Tang Chen, you probably didn’t eat your fill earlier at my small restaurant. You’ve helped our family so much. If you don’t mind, I’d like to invite you to our home for a meal as a way to thank you.”

Tang Chen checked the time; it was just past five in the afternoon. He agreed and said, “Alright, no problem. I’ll walk you back home. Let’s go, Xiaojun.”

Tang Chen drove the Extravagant Battle Car and took Fang Qian and her son back to their home. As for why they didn’t go to the restaurant, Fang Qian explained that the restaurant was also a rented shopfront, and usually, she and Xiaojun lived at home.

Fang Qian’s home was in a place resembling a slum area, a neighborhood surrounded by makeshift sheds and unsafe houses. Fang Qian’s small, simple house appeared before Tang Chen’s eyes.

“Sorry, Brother Tang Chen. Our family is quite poor. Please don’t laugh.” Fang Qian said apologetically, looking at the car Tang Chen drove. Subconsciously, she regarded Tang Chen as a young master from a wealthy family, so inviting him to her home made her feel somewhat embarrassed.

Tang Chen didn’t show any dissatisfaction. He smiled and said, “It’s alright, Sister Fang. I don’t mind. Xiaojun, take your brother inside to have a look, okay?”

“Okay!” Xiaojun was a relatively cheerful child. As soon as he heard Tang Chen’s words, he immediately pulled Tang Chen into the house.

The furnishings in Fang Qian’s home were quite simple—somewhat old furniture, worn-out walls, but the floor was swept extremely clean. Although it wasn’t luxurious, it gave off a very cozy feeling.

“Tang Chen, please have a seat first. I’ll go check if there are any ingredients in the kitchen. I’ll prepare a meal.” Fang Qian said this and then went to the kitchen to get busy.

“Sister Fang, no need to go to too much trouble. Just make something simple.” Tang Chen said politely, then watched Fang Qian go about her work. After Fang Qian left, Xiaojun also went off to do his own thing, leaving Tang Chen alone sitting bored in the room.

His gaze fell upon a black-and-white photo placed on the main hall table, which looked like a memorial portrait.

“This is…” Tang Chen curiously walked over, picked up the photo, and saw the face of an exceptionally young man, who appeared to be in his early twenties, wearing a military uniform.

“Tang Chen, it’s time to eat.” Coincidentally, Fang Qian came in just then. Tang Chen froze for a moment, quickly put the photo back in its place, and apologized, “Sorry, Sister Fang. I didn’t mean to pry into your privacy. I just picked it up out of curiosity.”

Fang Qian wasn’t angry either. She smiled bitterly and said, “It’s fine. It’s been three or four years now. It’s all in the past.”

Tang Chen noticed the hint of gloom in Fang Qian’s eyes and couldn’t help but softly ask, “Sister Fang, was that man Xiaojun’s father? I don’t mean anything else—just asking casually. If it’s impolite or inconvenient, you don’t have to say.”

Fang Qian sighed and began, “Actually, it’s not inconvenient. He really was Xiaojun’s father, but he sacrificed his life in a fire rescue operation three years ago.”

Tang Chen was stunned and said, “So, he was a firefighter?”

Fang Qian hummed in agreement, then walked over and picked up the photo, speaking as if narrating past events: “My husband and I grew up together. We knew each other since we were very young. He always wanted to become a firefighter. After graduating from university, he didn’t look for another job but resolutely took the firefighter entrance exam, and later he actually passed. After becoming a firefighter, he trained hard every day. Every time he went out on a call, I was extremely worried, but he told me that as long as he could save one more person, he would be very satisfied. At the time, I didn’t fully understand him, but I didn’t oppose him either. I let him continue, and before we knew it, two years had passed.”

Tang Chen listened attentively and couldn’t help asking, “And then? What happened later? Why did he sacrifice himself?”

Deep sorrow reappeared in Fang Qian’s eyes. She paused and then said, “That was in July 2010. It was our second wedding anniversary and also Xiaojun’s first birthday celebration. We were happily celebrating at home when he suddenly received a call from his superior, saying that a Chemical Plant had exploded and caught fire, trapping over thirty workers inside waiting for rescue. As soon as he heard, he rushed out. I had no idea at the time that it would be the last time I saw him.”

“I received the devastating news around three in the morning. It was his leader who called me. He said that although the rescue was successful, he and four other firefighters got trapped while retreating and never made it out. I felt like my world had collapsed. I hurried to the scene and saw countless journalists, complete devastation, the wails of family members, and the crying of workers everywhere. I fainted on the spot. When I woke up, I heard that my husband had been burned to a skeleton, but before he died, he and his comrades worked together to push several other trapped workers out!”

By the end, Fang Qian couldn’t hold back her tears and began crying. Her husband’s death had hit their parents and her the hardest.

“Sister Fang, please accept my condolences. I’m sorry for bringing back painful memories.” Tang Chen half-knelt on the ground as he spoke, unsure how to comfort Fang Qian.

Fang Qian cried for two minutes, then bravely wiped her tears and said, “It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s all in the past now. I’ve moved on. At least my husband was posthumously honored as a hero, which can somewhat console his spirit in heaven.”

When Tang Chen looked at the memorial photo again, he felt a greater sense of respect. Someone who sacrificed his own life for the safety of the people truly deserved the title of hero.

“Is Sister Fang at home? It’s Huang Zongze!” Just then, there was a knock at the door, and a man’s voice came through.

“Huang Zongze? Sister Fang, who is this?” Tang Chen asked curiously. Was it Fang Qian’s husband’s older brother?

Fang Qian used a tissue to dry her tears and said, “He’s the boss of that Chemical Plant. After my husband’s accident, he often buys nutritional supplements and such to check on me. He’s a good person.” As she spoke, she went to the door to open it.

Tang Chen’s eyes flickered. A good person? Who knew.

“Coming, Boss Huang.” Fang Qian walked to the door and opened it. A middle-aged man in his forties entered. He was slightly overweight, had a receding hairline, a large head, and was carrying apples, bananas, and other fruits.

“Sister Fang, I thought you weren’t home and that I’d made a wasted trip.” Huang Zongze smiled very amiably, but to Tang Chen, that smile looked utterly fake.

Fang Qian said, “I was cooking in the kitchen just now, so I didn’t hear. Boss Huang, I’m really sorry. Please come in.”

Boss Huang laughed and said, “No problem. I was just passing by to see how you and your son are doing. I bought some snacks for Xiaojun. Where is the child?”

Fang Qian said politely, “You’re too kind. Your visit alone is more than enough. Xiaojun is doing his writing homework.”

Huang Zongze exchanged a few more pleasantries, then saw Tang Chen and asked Fang Qian with confusion, “Sister Fang, who is this…”

Without a second thought, Fang Qian introduced, “This is my younger brother, Tang Chen. Tang Chen, this is Boss Huang.”

“Hello, Boss Huang.” Tang Chen walked over to greet him but didn’t look directly at the man.

Huang Zongze chuckled and said, “Hello. So Sister Fang has such a handsome younger brother. Truly impressive.”

Tang Chen nodded casually. No matter how he looked at him, he didn’t seem like a good person.