"I couldn’t sleep after hearing about Siyu’s situation, so I came back early," Jianhua said.
"Is it very tiring to work there?" Lanfang asked with concern, looking him up and down. "You’ve only been gone for two months, and you’ve become thinner and tanned. If people didn’t know better, they’d think you’ve been mining coal."
In front of the kids, Jianhua was too embarrassed to be so clingy. "I’m hungry, go and cook some food."
As soon as she heard that the man was hungry, Lanfang stopped arguing and hurried back to the kitchen to cook, but she didn’t forget to drag Mianmian with her. "Come and help with the fire."
"She doesn’t need to, I’ll do it," Jianhua gestured to Mianmian with a wave of his hand. "Go do your homework!"
Indeed, there was homework today, and Mianmian did not hesitate. She grabbed her backpack and went into the house.
"You always spoil her," Lanfang complained. "Look at how lazy she has become. You can’t even call her to action, all she does is eat and eat."
"Building the fire won’t tire anyone out, and I actually have something to discuss with you," Jianhua said, pulling up a small stool and sitting in front of the stove.
Hearing that the man had something to say to her, Lanfang finally stopped nagging. She had missed Jianhua during the time they’d been apart.
When a man was around, she didn’t realize how important he was, but when he was actually gone for two months, she came to appreciate the benefits of having a man around.
Take Siyu’s matter, for instance. If Jianhua had been there, she wouldn’t need to live in fear, locking up all the doors and windows tightly at night, worrying that someone might sneak in.
"Where’s Siyu?" Jianhua had been back for a while and hadn’t seen his niece. Usually, she would excitedly come to call him "Uncle" as soon as he returned. Not seeing her this time, he was somewhat unused to it.
"I asked her to watch TV," Lanfang said sympathetically. "She’s had a rough time recently." Read full story at 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖•𝗇𝗲𝘁
Jianhua comforted her, "It’s fine. Tomorrow I will take Siyu to school. I want to see which brazen young rascal dares to take an interest in my niece."
As if he had no son that they could bully, right?
"Siyu is getting prettier by the day, we really need to be vigilant," Lanfang said with a tone full of pride. What does it matter that she didn’t have her own children? Her niece was her daughter, better than anyone else’s.
Which of the village kids could compare to their Siyu?
Jianhua nodded and then asked, "Did Mianmian come first in three subjects?"
Lanfang’s gaze shifted evasively, pretending not to hear and changing the subject, "Make the fire bigger."
After twenty years of marriage, how could Jianhua not see through her little schemes?
He said, "Mianmian already told me."
"That little girl sure is quick to speak," Lanfang huffed, her voice laced with sarcasm. "So what if she placed first? We still don’t know who she copied from."
Jianhua let out a sigh of concern.
Thinking he was disappointed with Siyu, Lanfang slammed the kitchen knife on the chopping board and said, "Jianhua, let me tell you, no matter what, we must support Siyu through university. I’ve already promised Siyu and can’t go back on my word."
"What’s the rush?" Jianhua said. "Who mentioned not letting Siyu go to school?"
"Then what are you sighing for?"
"Mianmian did so well, I—" Jianhua paused halfway, unable to continue. How could he say it?
He surely couldn’t say that he didn’t want Mianmian to do well.
By now, Lanfang had also sensed something was off. "Jianhua, we’re a couple, why are you still beating around the bush? What can’t you just say directly?"