Chapter 68: Misunderstanding

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After Zhang Wei hung up the phone, it took him a long time to calm his emotions. A parent's love for their child is always selfless, and as the eldest son of the family, Zhang Wei had only enjoyed his parents' care without fulfilling his responsibilities. What made Zhang Wei feel even more ashamed was that his parents, in order for him to marry sooner, had used their retirement savings to buy him a house, even incurring over a hundred thousand yuan in debt, all while he remained completely oblivious.

The more Zhang Wei thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. He wished he could sprout wings and fly home immediately. He searched for the earliest train tickets online, planning to take the overnight train home, but the results were discouraging: the earliest train from the capital to Baocheng City would not depart until after seven o'clock the next morning.

Zhang Wei tossed his phone onto the sofa, feeling deeply frustrated. Though he was anxious to return home, he was delayed because there were no suitable train tickets. The agony of waiting was hard to bear.

"When the opportunity arises, I must buy a car," Zhang Wei resolved.

Driving from the capital to Baocheng City would only take a little over two hours, so daily round trips would be no problem. With a car, he could visit his parents often and daily travel would be much more convenient.

Since his train ticket was for seven o'clock the next morning, Zhang Wei would have to get up at six to take the bus to the West Station. Thus, he couldn't apply for leave in person at work, and had to call Xu Ming instead. Though it was somewhat abrupt, Zhang Wei had no other choice.

"Hello, Brother Xu," Zhang Wei said, dialing Xu Ming's number.

"It's me," Xu Ming replied. "Zhang Wei, it's so late—what's up?"

"It's true, something urgent came up. My brother called just now and said there's an emergency at home, so I need to go back tomorrow. I wanted to ask for leave—would that be alright?" Zhang Wei inquired.

"No problem. You've worked hard recently and deserve a break," Xu Ming agreed readily.

If it were any other employee, Xu Ming might hesitate, but Zhang Wei, who had brought in over a million in sales, certainly deserved this bit of privilege.

"Thank you, Brother Xu." Zhang Wei felt embarrassed by Xu Ming's understanding and explained, "Brother Xu, I should have asked for leave in person, but things at home are really urgent. I'm taking the seven o'clock train, so I won't be able to see you before I leave."

"It's fine, a phone call is just as good. Everyone has emergencies sometimes," Xu Ming said, unconcerned. "Just go home and take care of things. I'll let the assistant know about your leave and she'll report it to headquarters."

"Alright, I won't disturb you further—have a good rest," Zhang Wei said.

"Sure. When you get home, give my regards to your parents," Xu Ming replied politely.

"I certainly will," Zhang Wei promised, and the call ended.

Zhang Wei cleaned up the remaining dishes, packed them and placed them at the door, planning to throw them out early the next morning. Otherwise, by the time he returned from his hometown, they'd surely have spoiled. After tidying up, he set his phone alarm and finally lay down to rest.

Though Zhang Wei was in bed, he couldn't fall asleep. His mind kept replaying the situation at home and remembering how his parents had begged people for money to buy him a house. These thoughts made him restless and agitated. He tossed and turned for a long time before finally drifting into a restless sleep.

"Ring ring ring..."

The shrill ring of his phone alarm woke Zhang Wei. He silenced it, gathered himself, got up, washed, dressed, and set out for home.

Zhang Wei first took the bus to the subway station, got off at the Military Museum stop, then walked several hundred meters to the North Square. He bought a ticket for a high-speed train passing through Baocheng City and headed straight to the waiting hall.

Because he'd bought a high-speed train ticket, delays were rare. The train was faster than most regular trains and didn't have to yield to other routes, so after about fifty minutes, Zhang Wei arrived at Baocheng City railway station.

Once outside, not wanting to take the slow bus, Zhang Wei hailed a cab straight home. After another twenty minutes or so, he reached the entrance of his neighborhood. Seeing the familiar streets and buildings, Zhang Wei couldn't help but mutter, "I'm home!"

Though the words were simple, they revealed Zhang Wei's deep longing for home. After getting out of the cab, he strode into the community, meeting many familiar faces along the way—neighbors who had watched him grow up. Zhang Wei greeted them all politely.

"Knock knock knock..."

With a heart full of anxiety, Zhang Wei climbed the stairs and stood before his door, seeing it tightly shut. He tapped three times with his fingers.

After knocking, he heard faint footsteps from inside, and thought someone was coming to open the door. Having not seen his parents in so long, Zhang Wei felt a surge of excitement.

But after waiting for a while, no one came, and the house fell silent.

"That's odd, I definitely heard something just now," Zhang Wei frowned, puzzled. He knocked again.

"Knock knock knock..."

After knocking a second time and waiting, still no one answered. Growing more confused, Zhang Wei took out his phone and dialed the home number.

"Ring ring ring..."

Soon after dialing, a faint phone ringing sounded from inside, but no one picked up. Only as the phone was about to hang up automatically did someone answer, and a weak voice said, "Brother, why are you calling at this hour?"

"If you're home, why did it take so long to answer?" Zhang Wei asked.

"Brother, I can't talk right now. I'll hang up and call you back later," Zhang Song whispered.

"Why can't you speak up? You sound like a thief—what's so inconvenient?" Zhang Wei said.

"Someone was knocking on the door to collect debts again. I think they're still waiting outside. If I speak too loudly, they'll hear me," Zhang Song replied mysteriously.

"What nonsense! Where are all these debt collectors coming from? It's me knocking—open the door," Zhang Wei said, amused. Anyone unfamiliar with Zhang Song might think he was some kind of underground operative.