Chapter 556: Chapter 379: Young Aunt
Before dawn arrived.
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“Elder brother!” Zhao Yushui stared directly at Zhao Yushan, his eyes filled with astonishnt. Was the brother who had always protected him now planning to sever ties with him?
Zhao Yushan avoided his gaze and turned his head toward the window.
“Father…” Zhao Yushui looked pleadingly at Old Master Zhao. Seeing that he was indifferent, he turned his pleading eyes toward Old Lady Zhao, “Mother, I won’t leave this family. I am father’s and mother’s son for life. If father, mother, and elder brother don’t want anymore, I will just smash my head and die right here!”
Zhao Yushan drew his gaze back from the window, staring in astonishnt at the brother he had grown up with. Could it really be that living with certain people could change a person so much?
Old Master Zhao and Old Lady Zhao also wore faces of disappointnt; they had always thought their younger son was honest, yet it turned out he was so shaless when faced with issues…
The expressions of the others were equally telling; the spectacle of crying, creating a scene, and threatening suicide was unexpectedly being perford by grown n. What an eye-opener…
Finding all eyes on him, Zhao Yushui felt extrely uncomfortable and uneasily shifted his posture. He really didn’t know how else to resolve the matter. He… he just hoped this thod would make his parents and elder brother take pity on him and not cast him out… Why was everyone looking at him like this?
“Enough. The more you create a scene, the more I will despise you. Go back,” Old Master Zhao said with a helpless face, waving his hand to indicate that Zhao Yushui could leave.
“Father…” Zhao Yushui looked at Old Master Zhao with a bewildered and pitiful expression on his careworn face, as ludicrous as it was sad… Overwheld, Old Master Zhao added, “We’ll see how you behave in the future.”
“Yes.” Zhao Yushui, relieved to have a clear answer, quickly grabbed his daughter and walked out the door. Liu Zhenqiang hesitated for a mont but rely stepped back and did not follow.
“Do you have anything else to say?” Old Master Zhao asked.
After a slight hesitation, Liu Zhenqiang said, “Grandfather, you probably know my mother-in-law’s character better than I do. She’s too domineering, so my father-in-law has always just obeyed her at ho. But ever since her return, her character has changed greatly, and she’s even begun to show tenderness toward my father-in-law, which makes him extrely content.
Even so, the most important things in his heart are still grandfather, grandmother, and Elder Uncle’s family. You are his spiritual support. If you reject him, he might actually do what he said he would.”
“I know what to do with my son and don’t need your advice. If that’s all you had to say, you can leave,” Old Master Zhao replied coldly.
“I spoke out of turn.” Liu Zhenqiang gave a bow toward Old Master and Old Lady Zhao and nodded politely at the others, then took his leave, “I’ll visit again once grandfather and grandmother have cald down.”
“That man sure has a thick skin,” Luo Xiaoqiong couldn’t help but mutter quietly, but her words caught Liu Zhenqiang’s ears. He paused and gave her a smile, “Thick-skinned, but all for the harmony of the Zhao family.”
“Heh…” Luo Xiaoqiong scoffed disdainfully, “Are you really after harmony in the Zhao family, or are you just trying to connect with the Zhou family?” Having been Director Xu’s assistant for so long, she was no longer naïve.
“I don’t want to defend myself; indeed, I want to forge a good relationship with the Zhou family. Yet, it isn’t to benefit myself but to resolve the resentnt between my wife and the Zhou family. At the sa ti, I do genuinely wish for peace within the Zhao family.
I know you won’t believe now, but soday you will understand why I did this,” he concluded, smiling faintly at everyone before turning to leave.
“Ah!” As Liu Zhenqiang’s figure vanished beyond the gate, Old Master couldn’t help but sigh, “Qiyan’s husband turns out to be quite the character. I hope his intentions in marrying Qiyan were sincere.” He then looked at Chuxia, “Chuxia, be cautious. When you go back, talk to your in-laws; don’t let him exploit any loopholes in the Zhou family.”
Chuxia nodded quickly: “Grandpa, I understand.”
An anxious Lin Baohe finally found an opening to interject, “Chuxia, I overheard Liu Zhenqiang saying so tall dark guy abducted Qiyan. What exactly happened?”
To ease everyone’s minds, Chuxia disclosed truthfully, “When Zhou Mikang left, he arranged for two people to protect . They ca along too, but they usually don’t show up unless I am in danger or need them.”
Lin Baohe breathed a sigh of relief, “Then I’m reassured. Chuxia, Mikang is a son-in-law hard to find even with a lantern; back ho, make sure you treat your in-laws and grandparents-in-law well.
Whether you’ve done sothing wrong or not, when they scold you, don’t talk back. There are many children in the Zhou family. If soone upsets you, don’t handle it yourself; go and complain to your mother-in-law and grandparents-in-law, let them stand up for you…”
Chuxia interrupted her father speechlessly, “Dad, I understand. I’m going out to help with the cooking.” She then practically ran out of the house, leaving Lin Baohe awkwardly scratching his head.
“You…” Old Master looked at him, his face full of amusent and helplessness. This son-in-law, initially he had not accepted him, but now, he had beco his favorite.
“Hehe…” Lin Baohe smiled sheepishly, “Dad, Chuxia is sensible now, but she is still a kid. I just worry that she might sotis be headstrong.”
Old Master Zhao waved his hand at him, “Don’t worry, she has ideas of her own.”
After lunch, Lin Baohe, Zhao Yulan, and Chuxia rushed to Baojuan’s Family, while Luo Gangshun’s family stayed at Zhao’s house to continue bonding.
The mont the car stopped at the Luan Family’s doorstep, Luan Xiaoxiang ran out. Seeing who got out of the car, she yelled, “Mom, my aunt’s family has arrived! Mom, my aunt, my uncle, and Chuxia are here!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Baojuan hurried out, “Third Brother, third sister-in-law, weren’t you supposed to co back in a few more days?”
“Don’t want to see ?” Zhao Yulan teased her with a smile.
“How could that be, co in, co in,” Lin Baojuan welcod them inside and instructed her daughter, “Xiaoxiang, go call your father and Dajiang back.”
“Okay!” Luan Xiaoxiang replied and ran out.
“What did Uncle and Dajiang go off to do?” Chuxia asked.
“Dajiang and his little uncle are renovating their house; the two of them went to help out,” Lin Baojuan ushered everyone inside, took out a stack of bowls to serve them water — after pouring two bowls, the thermos ran out… Zhao Yulan couldn’t stop her in ti, Baojuan had already dashed toward the old lady’s room, and not long after, amidst so scolding, Lin Baojuan ca back laughing with the thermos.
“She’s not a stranger, why the fuss? No need to stir her up for no reason,” Zhao Yulan chided.
“The water in that room was freshly boiled by , a whole big pot of it. She won’t finish it anyway, when Xiaoxiang cos back, she’ll boil more and refill it,” Lin Baojuan said, slightly embarrassed, laughing toward Jing Zhe, “It’s a rural area thing; we don’t have a habit of drinking tea, nor do we have tea cups, so we just drink water from bowls. Please bear with it.”
“It’s all fine…” Jing Zhe, to show he didn’t mind using the big white bowl, quickly took a sip, “Ssss…” Chuxia frowned as she inhaled sharply, “Brother, did you scald your mouth?”
Discreetly blowing out a cool breath, Jing Zhe gritted his teeth and lied, “It’s not hot, it’s just right.”
Chuxia picked up the bowl and took a small sip, giving a thumbs up to Jing Zhe, “Iron mouth!”
The phrase had a double aning, Jing Zhe’s face turned slightly red as he stubbornly continued, “I’m pretty resistant to heat, have been since I was little.”
Lin Baojuan brought in so pears, handing one to Jing Zhe, “Have a pear to cleanse your mouth. It was my mistake; I just boiled the water and forgot to warn you.”
Since the person involved had already said so, Jing Zhe no longer pretended, and blowing on it twice, he said, “Aunt, you almost killed with that scald!”
“Hehe…” Lin Baojuan laughed sheepishly, her eyes filled with touched warmth. Such a nickna felt more comforting to her than any sweet words could.
Sitting on the sidelines, Lin Baohe quietly sighed, the longer he was around Jing Zhe, the more satisfied he was. Unfortunately, he had only one daughter…
“Third Brother, third sister-in-law, you’re back? Chuxia has gotten more handso…” Luan Qingshu entered, covered in mud, grinning as he greeted them. When it was Jing Zhe’s turn, he looked puzzledly at Zhao Yulan and Lin Baohe; the new son-in-law didn’t look like this, did he?
At that mont, Luan Dajiang also thudded in, almost identical to his father, he paused when greeting Jing Zhe…
Zhao Yulan quickly introduced, “This is Jing Zhe, Chuxia’s god-grandfather’s biological grandson, also a good friend and brother of Chuxia’s husband. Xiaomi is on a business trip, so he helped us co back. He’s a good person.”
Following her father and brother inside, Luan Xiaoxiang, having heard Zhao Yulan’s introduction, blushed as she eyed Jing Zhe, then with a flick of her braid and a twist of her waist, she left.
“Xiaoxiang, boil two pots of water,” Lin Baojuan hurriedly instructed.
“Okay!” Responding brightly, Luan Xiaoxiang swung her braid and went outside to gather firewood. From another room ca the sound of the old lady’s breathless coughing. Luan Qingshu frowned, apologized to everyone, and went over to ask, “Mom, what are you doing?”
“I’m dying!” Old Lady Luan shouted robustly, “Old and useless, nobody wants to care for anymore, good water and fruits are for others, and I, this old lady, am just left out!”
Lin Baojuan pursed her lips outwardly, telling everyone, “That’s how she is; she can’t stand being ignored for a mont. She pretends to be sick all day, and one day, she’s going to really play herself into sothing serious, and then she’ll be satisfied.” Then she changed the topic, “So, when you guys ca back, did our dad and mom make a fuss?”
“How could there not be a fuss, but it didn’t escalate,” Lin Baohe snorted, “They never treated as their son, I knew it all along.”
Hesitating, Lin Baojuan said, “Brother, do you know why our parents treat you this way?” (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welco to vote for it at Qidian (qidian) or subscribe monthly. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian to continue reading.)
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