The hot sumr in Beijing isn’t much cooler than in Hai City.
Luckily, the sumr in Beijing has a child’s temper, as soon as the wind blows, it rains, and just as the sun shines brightly, it pours again, giving people a mont’s respite from the heat.
Chen Jingru changed out of her wet pants, and before she could wash them, it was sunny outside once more.
"It’s really like an old lady’s face."
Lin Dinghui, who returned over the weekend, heard his mother’s muttering and smiled to himself. No, the old lady always keeps a straight face nowadays.
After hanging out the pants to dry, Chen Jingru sat on the sofa, "Have you been eating well lately?"
Lin Dinghui nodded with a smile, "Dad stuffs a lot. I’m doing alright at school."
Chen Jingru didn’t quite believe that. Ever since those unfortunate issues with the old lady began, even as a daughter-in-law, she received plenty of disdainful looks, let alone her own grandson.
She hesitated for a mont, then cautiously asked, "Has anyone said anything behind your back?"
Lin Dinghui nodded with a smile, "Yes, but very few do. They don’t dare say it to my face. I still play basketball with Xiao Wu and the others often, and we have a good relationship, no one is that tactless."
Hearing this, Chen Jingru felt relieved, stood up, ran to the door, opened it, and peeked outside.
Lin Dinghui saw this and knew his mom had sothing important to tell him, so he stood up and looked at her.
"Let’s go to your room."
Lin Dinghui brought her a chair and sat himself on the edge of the bed, looking at her, waiting for what was to co.
Chen Jingru looked at her son with satisfaction, smiled, then restrained her smile as she recalled what she wanted to say. She cleared her throat and began to speak softly about so things she had overheard outside the study that day.
Of course, she didn’t just talk about that; she also detailed the recent movents of Lin Lao’er’s family to her son. Ti passed slowly as she spoke.
Lin Dinghui listened in silence to everything and then looked down at the floor for a mont.
"From now on, keep your distance from them. Don’t listen to your dad about how family should support each other. I don’t think Victory and his brother have ever treated you like family."
Lin Dinghui nodded with a smile. He understood his mom’s concern—she was just afraid he would suffer. Unfortunately, his sister couldn’t appreciate their mother’s good intentions.
Thinking of his sister, he instinctively furrowed his brow, but a side glance at his mom relaxed his expression. Life wasn’t easy for her, he didn’t want to add to her worries.
"Do you think Dad will be dealt with this ti? Alas... with all these things your sister has gotten into, it’s discrediting all of Dad’s achievents, and adding your grandma’s issues, alas..."
Lin Dinghui couldn’t bear seeing his mom sigh, so he squatted in front of her, comforting her with a smile, "My elder aunt’s husband is a shrewd man, he won’t leave his subordinates unprotected. For all my dad has been through with him over the years, he will certainly look out for him. Besides, this matter has nothing to do with my dad anyway."
Hearing this, Chen Jingru’s eyes lit up. That made perfect sense. If even his subordinates aren’t protected, how would he earn their respect? She mustn’t be swayed by the old man’s provocative words.
Lin Dinghui observed her expression, thinking about how best to speak to avoid her worrying. From what he heard at school about the old lady’s actions, he knew it was true. Coupled with such a sister, he was already considering his contingency. Next year he had to make career plans and couldn’t afford delays.
"Is there anything you want to say? Don’t worry about , just speak." After she said those words, Chen Jingru looked intently at her son. She prided herself on not being foolish.
In her youth, she had traveled from the north to the south with classmates, been to almost every corner of the country, survived those years, experienced so many things, what could she not understand?
She just had a detached personality, and was too lazy to argue with people. The old lady blad her for failing in raising her daughter, why didn’t she defend herself?
Because she thought she was indeed at fault. Her biggest regret was valuing her son over her daughter, neglecting her; this son mustn’t have any accidents now.
Lin Dinghui asked softly, "Mom, have you ever thought about asking Dad to apply for a transfer to Cheng City? Uncle Cheng is over there, and Dad could start working right away."
Chen Jingru looked at him and smiled encouragingly, "Go on."
"If Dad requests it, it would also give my elder aunt’s husband a way out. The two are no longer fit to work together. Besides that, Dad isn’t doing well under him. Not to ntion anything else, even if there were benefits, my elder aunt’s husband wouldn’t trust them to him. Being apart, they might still rember the decade-long relationship..."
Chen Jingru nodded as she listened, leaning back in her chair in deep thought. She understood her son had spoken very tactfully. Given the older woman’s past, a change was indeed needed. She had considered this issue before, but the old man would never allow such a situation, now...
Chen Jingru bit her lip, looked at Lin Dinghui’s expectant eyes, nodded again, "We’ll have a good family talk when your dad cos ho tonight. For your future, he will consider it."
As night fell, Lin Aiguo returned ho exhausted, and as soon as he closed the door and saw his son handing him a glass of water, he smiled.
"Dad, go and take a shower and rest a bit."
"Okay, have you been to see your grandpa?"
Lin Dinghui smiled and nodded, "I sat with Grandpa and them for a bit. When I saw they had sothing to discuss in the study, I excused myself and ca back."
After hearing this, Lin Aiguo looked at his son’s smiling face, moved his lips, but in the end, didn’t say any comforting words. Since the deep conversation with his wife, he started paying attention and realized this son of his hadn’t entered the study even once.
Several tis he wanted to talk to the old man about it, but then he thought better of it. His son was as good as Victory and his brother, there was no need to compare lengths with those people.
But he was truly disappointed with his brother. Since, as his wife said, his son was his only nephew, how could he have ignored him?
Seeing this, Lin Dinghui smiled, shook his head, and pushed his father to the bathroom. Closing the door, he smiled and shook his head again. Since that day he ca back from his maternal grandpa’s house, his dad had a heart-to-heart with him, he stopped resenting. He was his dad’s only son; no matter how good a nephew, could he be better than himself?
After dinner, Chen Jingru pulled her husband and son into the study.
To protect her son, she attributed what he had said to herself, detailing her thoughts. As for the old man’s words, she would never utter them.
Her husband might act the fool for his parents, thinking he had not tended to them for seventeen years and felt guilty. If things had been like they are now, she’d have washed her hands and left long ago, where would have been the need to fulfill his filial duty?
Those things from the old man, if her husband found out, how he would react she didn’t know, but it would be awkward. People live in rare ignorance, so things have to be left for him to work out.
After hearing his wife’s plans, Lin Aiguo showed a slight smile. He looked at his wife and son, "I also wanted to transfer sowhere else for a long ti, just wondered how to tell you both. If Xiao Hui gets placed in Beijing next year, once I leave, he’ll be alone again. Also, would you adapt to going to another place?"
Lin Dinghui exchanged a glance with his mom, grinning uncontrollably. Looks like his dad had also thought about distancing himself from the trouble, only hindered by the future of him and mom.
Lin Dinghui finally spoke his mind, "Dad, don’t worry about . Unless sothing unexpected happens, I’ll stay in the Secretariat for a few years before going to the grassroots. You and Mom go to Cheng City first, I’ll find ti to visit you."
Lin Aiguo thoughtfully looked at his son, and nodded earnestly. He pondered a mont, then instructed, "Keep your personal plans to yourself, only your mom can know, don’t tell anyone."
Lin Dinghui also nodded seriously.
Both father and son clearly understood who they needed to avoid, though unspoken, they knew deep down if any sign showed, the old man would interfere in his grandson’s matters again.
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