Chapter 24: Your Happiness Is My Happiness

"Jianghai, it's me, Fu Qiang!"

A familiar voice from the neighbor came from outside the door. Chen Jianghai opened the door, looked at Fu Qiang standing there, and asked with some confusion, "What’s the matter?"

"Oh, having dinner?" Fu Qiang peeked inside, then smiled broadly and said, "We cooked some cured meat today, so I brought some over for you guys to try."

With that, Fu Qiang produced a plate from behind his back, topped with a few slices of cured meat, a mix of fat and lean.

Chen Jianghai was puzzled. What was going on? Had the sun risen from the west? In his memory, this man had never been this generous.

"Jianghai, let him in first," Lin Wanqiu chimed in.

Since his wife had spoken, and you shouldn't hit a smiling face, there was no reason to turn him away, regardless of his motives. Chen Jianghai stepped aside and invited him in.

Fu Qiang was tactful; he placed the plate on the table and beamed, "I hope I’m not interrupting dinner? You guys go ahead, don’t mind me."

As he spoke, his eyes were already unconsciously fixed on the television in the living room. Seeing this, Chen Jianghai realized that Fu Qiang had come over to watch TV.

In the early nineties, in a small county town like Linghai, not many families could afford a television. In an era where entertainment was extremely scarce, the television was practically the only form of after-dinner recreation. "Mooched viewing" became a unique feature of the time. After dinner, people would head to the homes of those who owned a TV, bringing along some sunflower seeds, chatting while watching—that was life.

In Chen Jianghai’s neighborhood, only Qiu Jinfeng’s family had a TV. However, Qiu Jinfeng was stingy; if you went to watch TV without bringing something, she would nag you incessantly, making things incredibly awkward.

Chen Jianghai had never been interested in watching TV. Even in his later years, he had bought one, but it rarely stayed on. After smartphones became common, television felt like a relic to him, and he essentially never watched it.

Chen Jianghai ate slowly, while most of Lin Wanqiu’s attention was glued to the screen. As for Fu Qiang, he couldn't tear his eyes away, as if missing a single second would be a great loss.

"Fu Qiang, don't bring anything next time you come over," Chen Jianghai said.

It was just watching TV; it didn't matter among neighbors. Accepting gifts for it actually made him feel a bit uncomfortable. Fu Qiang, perhaps not even hearing him, just nodded, "Sure, sure, I know."

Right now, he probably couldn't hear anything except what was coming from the screen. Seeing his obsessive look, Chen Jianghai just smiled and didn't say anything more. A lack of entertainment makes people feel empty. Chen Jianghai glanced at his wife, Lin Wanqiu, who was also deeply captivated by the plot, and thought that the observation held true.

After finishing his meal, Chen Jianghai didn't call for Lin Wanqiu; he took his bowl to the kitchen himself. When he returned to the living room after cleaning up, the two were still staring at the TV, completely ignoring him. Chen Jianghai shook his head helplessly and took out his radio to tinker with it.

He worked until nearly nine o'clock. Glancing at Fu Qiang, he saw no intention of the man leaving.

"Wanqiu, it’s about time to sleep. You have to work tomorrow," Chen Jianghai said loudly after boiling some hot water.

Fu Qiang finally reacted, looking at the screen with reluctance, and said awkwardly, "It is getting late. I’ll head back now."

"Right, take care," Chen Jianghai replied calmly.

Lin Wanqiu, still wanting more, stared at the screen and said, "Jianghai, I want to watch a little longer..."

"From now on, you can only watch until nine. Otherwise, don't even think about watching at all," Chen Jianghai said, feigning anger.

Lin Wanqiu paused, quickly tore her eyes away from the screen, and nodded, "Okay, it's a deal."

Watching Lin Wanqiu skip off to wash up, Chen Jianghai couldn't help but smile. How could this girl still be so childlike? Then again, she was barely in her early twenties; a lively temperament was only natural.

When Lin Wanqiu returned, she noticed the items Chen Jianghai had placed under the bed. "Hey, Jianghai, what’s this?" she asked while wiping her face with a towel.

Chen Jianghai smiled. "Aren't we going to your parents' place this weekend? We can't go empty-handed, right