Chapter 20

"Puyang Garden" is a well-known Chinese restaurant in Seoul, decorated in the style of ancient China. It features wooden structures, mountains, and water, and the servers are all rigorously trained to provide traditional Chinese etiquette, dressed in qipao, exuding a unique charm. It’s clear that the owner has put a lot of thought into it.

Due to its single-story wooden structure and the inclusion of Chinese garden scenery, Puyang Garden occupies a considerable area. Although it is not located in the center of Seoul and can even be considered a bit remote, its business is surprisingly good. Perhaps because of its retro style and garden setting, it is often used by Korean officials to entertain Chinese delegations or foreign guests.

The owner is Chinese, with the surname Puyang and the given name Hong. The restaurant’s name, "Puyang Garden," is derived from his surname.

To cater to Korean tastes, the Chinese cuisine at the restaurant has undergone some changes, but overall, it remains quite authentic. Unlike those Chinese restaurants run by Koreans, which have changed a lot.

Xiahou Zhongying was not the first time visiting Puyang Garden. When he first came to Korea, he was not used to the taste of Korean food, so Xiahou Shang would sometimes take him to Puyang Garden for a meal.

Xiahou Shang and Puyang Hong met at a private gathering. Since they were both Chinese and in the same social class, they had a lot in common and quickly became familiar with each other.

Xiahou Shang chose Puyang Garden to entertain the Zheng family today not because he couldn’t afford a five-star hotel, but because he wanted to offer something special. Moreover, although Puyang Garden is not rated with stars, its prices are not much lower than those of five-star hotels.

At the appointed time, the Zheng family arrived at Puyang Garden on schedule. The exquisite garden style left a deep impression on the Zheng sisters. Zheng Xiujing even circled around the qipao-clad servers several times, touching the beautiful qipao and marveling at it. This made Zheng Xiuyan roll her eyes, and Zheng’s parents were both amused and embarrassed, quickly pulling her away to avoid further embarrassment.

"Brother Zhongying, your Chinese qipao is so beautiful. Could you bring me one when you return to China? No, two, I need one for changing." Zheng Xiujing knew her parents wouldn’t buy her a qipao, so she directly targeted Xiahou Zhongying, who had already given her a lot of favors.

"Are you planning to wear a qipao to go shopping? And you need one for changing." Xiahou Zhongying was both amused and exasperated. If she did that, she would surely attract a lot of attention. He looked at Zheng Xiujing speechlessly.

"Um, it sounds like it could be fun." Zheng Xiujing tilted her head, thinking for a moment, seriously considering the possibility, and then said excitedly.

"Haha, no problem, if your brother Zhongying doesn’t bring it, I will." Before Xiahou Zhongying could respond, the unscrupulous Xiahou Shang joined in the fun.

Zheng Xiuyan was conflicted, wanting a qipao but hesitant to ask.

"Xiuyan can have one too. Just tell Zhongying your height and measurements, and he will order them for you when he returns to China." Xiahou Shang was good at making people feel comfortable, ensuring neither of the Zheng sisters was left out. However, his words sounded a bit inappropriate. If someone didn’t know the relationship between them, they might think he was a perverted uncle trying to lure underage girls. Fortunately, he didn’t say to tell him the measurements directly.

"Thank you, Uncle." Zheng Xiujing was delighted and ran to Xiahou Shang, giving him a peck on the cheek.

Zheng Xiuyan, blushing slightly, also thanked him but couldn’t kiss him like her younger sister, who was still naive. After all, her body had matured, and she was five years older, so she couldn’t act so informally. If it were her father, it wouldn’t matter.

Zheng’s father gave a few words of advice about not spoiling children, but it was just a formality, not a big deal.

Over the past few weeks, Zheng’s mother had become accustomed to having Xiahou Zhongying around. Although he had only been gone for a day, it felt like a long time. She was now holding his hand, nagging about the details of his life back home and what he should pay attention to, almost making Xiahou Zhongying want to collapse.

When the dishes were served, the table was filled with delicious Chinese food, making Zheng Xiujing’s mouth water and her eyes sparkle. Even Zheng Xiuyan secretly swallowed her saliva. After the signal to start eating, Zheng Xiujing ate like a starved ghost, leaving Zheng Xiuyan inwardly cursing her for being so embarrassing.

During the meal, the restaurant owner, Puyang Hong, came to the Shuiyun Room where Xiahou Shang was, offered two glasses of wine, and chatted briefly before greeting the Zheng family and leaving. This was a necessary courtesy, showing respect to Xiahou Shang without overstaying his welcome.

The meal was very satisfying for Zheng’s parents. In a happy mood, Zheng’s father accidentally drank a few more glasses and couldn’t resist teasing the embarrassing incident between Xiahou Zhongying and Zheng Xiuyan a few days ago. Everyone in the room, except the two involved, laughed heartily. Zheng Xiujing laughed without a care, occasionally interjecting with complaints, making Zheng Xiuyan grit her teeth in frustration.

After the meal, everyone was happy except for Zheng Xiuyan, who was full of resentment. Zheng Xiujing was so full that she couldn’t move, her stomach aching from overeating. She couldn’t even fit in the fruit served after the meal.

However, when it was time to leave, she was reluctant to go and asked her parents to come back often, which made Zheng’s parents both amused and exasperated. Although the Zheng family’s financial situation was good, frequent visits to Puyang Garden would be very expensive and a heavy burden.

Zheng Xiujing only cheered up when Xiahou Shang promised to bring her back again, almost following him out, much to the dismay of her parents. They wondered if she was still their daughter, so easily won over by a couple of meals.

In the following days, Xiahou Zhongying’s life became quite regular. He would stay at the Zheng family’s house one to two days a week, attend classes from Monday to Friday, and ride his newly bought bicycle around Seoul on weekends, sometimes taking Zheng Xiujing with him.

After a month, the weather gradually turned cold, and Xiahou Zhongying had adapted to life in Korea. He could communicate in Korean without any problems, but he still failed the Korean language test, much to Zheng Xiuyan’s amusement.

Occasionally, he would go out for drinks with Heigou and his friends. After a night of drinking, he finally lost his virginity. When he woke up, the woman was gone, and he didn’t even know what she looked like. The bloodstains on the bedsheet confirmed that she was at least a virgin. Despite his regret over his poor choice of friends, he felt somewhat relieved.

He also made many friends at school, a few of whom were very close to him and followed his lead. Two of them were regulars in the "standing punishment" group, one fat and one thin, known as the "Fatso" and "Skinny."

On a Saturday, Xiahou Zhongying continued his bicycle tour of Seoul. As he passed the Han River Bridge, he saw a woman cupping her hands to her mouth and shouting towards the river. He didn’t pay much attention, as it was common for people to shout to relieve stress on the Han River Bridge.

However, many people also commit suicide by jumping from the Han River Bridge. Each year, hundreds of people jump from the bridges in Seoul, causing the Korean government great concern. Despite efforts to provide psychological counseling, the suicide rate remains high and even increasing.

When Xiahou Zhongying saw the woman start to climb the bridge railing, he was shocked. Remembering the high suicide rate on the Han River Bridge, he had a bad feeling. This woman wouldn’t be planning to jump, would she?

He couldn’t just stand by and watch, so he pedaled faster, shouting, "Don’t jump!"

Perhaps his shout had an effect. The woman, with her legs straddling the railing, paused and looked at Xiahou Zhongying, who was riding towards her.

Xiahou Zhongying braked sharply, jumped off his bike, and threw it to the ground. He approached the woman, hands down, and said, "Don’t jump, please don’t jump. Don’t give up, there’s nothing you can’t overcome."

Not knowing the situation, he saw that the woman was young and pretty, and assumed she was a heartbroken girl or had some other reason to be upset. He tried to speak gently, thinking of various comforting words to persuade her not to jump.

People who are about to commit suicide are often very emotional and can be easily triggered, which could make them jump more resolutely. So Xiahou Zhongying kept his distance, afraid of provoking her.

The woman was initially shocked, her mouth slightly open. She tilted her head, looked at Xiahou Zhongying, then at her own body, and then at the railing by the river. She turned back to speak to Xiahou Zhongying but saw him flying towards her, her eyes wide with fear, her face pale.

When the woman turned her head to look at the river, Xiahou Zhongying saw an opportunity. With his agility and speed, he was sure he could reach her and pull her back before she reacted.

Seizing the moment, he charged towards her. However, he stepped on a banana peel, lost control, and instead of saving her, he pushed her into the Han River.

"Which bastard threw that banana peel? So lacking in public morals." Xiahou Zhongying, who had hit his head on the railing, got up, saw the banana peel that had made him a criminal, and cursed in anger. Ignoring the bump on his head, he quickly took off his coat, climbed over the railing, and jumped in after her.

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