Xiaofeng was tightly embraced by Ye Cheng, unable to catch her breath. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but seeing his expression, she didn’t have the heart to speak.
Su Peng noticed that the young couple seemed to have a lot to say, so he went to the room to check on the babies. He had to make sure the twins wouldn’t wake up at this time and cause trouble.
A minute later, Ye Cheng rubbed his chin against the soft hair on Xiaofeng’s head.
Seeing that his mood had settled down a bit, Xiaofeng finally emerged from his embrace and cast him a light glance, "What’s wrong with you? Quitting your job as a doctor to become a vagrant?"
Ye Cheng sat by the stove, gently holding Xiaofeng’s hand, "If you became a vagrant, would you still follow me?"
"How should I answer that?" Xiaofeng propped her chin, "If I say I’ll follow you, it seems a bit unrealistic, after all, I have two babies to raise. I can endure hardship with you, but I can’t let them suffer with me."
Xiaofeng’s words were double-edged, and indeed, so were Ye Cheng’s.
"You," Ye Cheng listened to her answer with a hint of helplessness. This woman was cold-blooded at the core. If she sensed anything wrong, she might leave him without looking back.
"Ye Cheng, your dad left a bowl of dumplings for you. Eat them while they’re hot. And these dishes have been reheated as well. These two are Xiaofeng’s handiwork; give them a try." He Ximei brought a bowl of dumplings to the table and passed a pair of chopsticks to Ye Cheng.
"Thank you, Mom." Ye Cheng sat down at the dining table, "Why don’t you guys eat some more, too?"
"We’ve been eating all night and can’t fit another bite," - He Ximei waved her hand, "And you, not even a word before you came. If you had told us you were coming back, we definitely would have waited for you to have the New Year’s Eve dinner together."
"Wasn’t I trying to give her a surprise?" Ye Cheng picked up a dumpling, "This New Year is our first one after getting married. I was afraid that if I didn’t rush back to spend it with her, she’d hold it against me in the future."
"Listen to that, look how much Ye Cheng missed you. And then there’s you, not even a phone call in a week to ask, to ask if Ye Cheng could come home for New Year’s." Su Peng complained a bit about Xiaofeng.
"Brother, he’s just coming back to spend New Year’s with me, and you’re already moved," Xiaofeng was somewhat helpless, sometimes people’s hearts are conquered just like that.
She wouldn’t deny that she was also touched by Ye Cheng’s gesture.
If Ye Cheng were an ordinary person, his coming back would be just that. But Ye Cheng wasn’t ordinary; he was from the Gu Family of the Imperial Capital.
The Gu Family, for the peasants of a small county town, was a name far beyond reach.
"You stubborn girl," He Ximei added a piece of braised pork to Ye Cheng’s bowl, "I’ve cooked a lot; stay a few more days, and I’ll keep it for you."
"Mom, I have to leave tomorrow." Ye Cheng’s face became somewhat unnatural, "I came today for two reasons. One is to spend New Year’s with Xiaofeng, and the other is to take her and the boy and girl twins back with me."
He Ximei instinctively looked at Guaizi.
Guaizi took a puff of his dry pipe, "Tomorrow is only New Year’s Day. According to our customs, it’s not allowed to travel far. What’s the rush?"
According to local tradition, on New Year’s Day, even visiting neighbors isn’t allowed; families should only stay at home and not go anywhere.
Now that Ye Cheng was talking about taking Xiaofeng and the boy and girl twins away on New Year’s Day, of course, he was not pleased.
Leaving home on New Year’s Day doesn’t sound very auspicious.
"Dad, I know that bringing this up now would surely make you unhappy. But Xiaofeng and I are married, taking her back home isn’t the same as taking her to a stranger’s place, you can rest assured," Ye Cheng obviously understood Guaizi’s concerns.
Both grew up in the countryside and placed importance on local customs.
"Ye Cheng, has something happened at home? If it’s not urgent, can’t you stay for a couple more days? I’m not so worried about Xiaofeng, an adult. But the boy and girl twins, they’re not even two months old. Traveling could be hard on them, and I’m afraid they won’t be able to handle it." He Ximei had been looking after the two children for months, and suddenly hearing that they were going to leave her made her feel quite upset.
"Mom." Ye Cheng heard He Ximei’s reluctance, "You might not know, there is indeed a problem at home. My parents are anxious to see Xiaofeng and the boy and girl twins, insisting that I urgently bring them back. I know this trip is hasty, but I promise, I will take good care of Xiaofeng and the twins on the road."
"We can understand your parents’ eagerness to see the twins, but we are completely unprepared. You didn’t even call ahead; if you had called, I would have prepared some things for your journey," He Ximei thought Ye Cheng was reliable before, but now it seemed he was quite the opposite.