Xiao Yuan arrived at the Gu Family’s home early.
He wore an apron and assisted Mrs. Gu in the kitchen.
Anning was still cleaning the house with Mr. Gu.
The outside was adorned with couplets, and inside, little red lanterns and fabric-made red chili peppers were hung, making the house feel warm and festive for Tongtong and everyone else.
After Xiao Yuan finished preparing the vegetables and peeling onions and garlic, Mrs. Gu shooed him out.
He was just about to help Anning when his phone, tucked in his pocket, rang.
Xiao Yuan hurried to the balcony to answer the call.
The call was from Miss Xiao Meifeng.
She started complaining right away: "Son, are you really not coming home for the New Year?"
Xiao Yuan patiently soothed Miss Xiao: "Didn’t I tell you? I won’t be coming home this year. Even if I did, our home doesn’t feel like it’s celebrating New Year anyway, so let’s just save the effort."
Miss Xiao felt especially sad: "But if you don’t come, I’ll be all alone at home, and I feel very scared."
"What about normally? You don’t seem scared then." Google seaʀᴄh novèlfire.net
Xiao Yuan didn’t believe it: "Normally you seem quite happy. Besides, if you’re scared, just ask Mr. Jin to keep you company at home."
Miss Xiao’s mood abruptly changed: "Don’t mention that awful old man. Just bringing him up makes me angry."
Xiao Yuan asked, smiling.
Miss Xiao began pouring out her grievances: "Recently, a few friends and I, out of boredom, went to a club. There was a new, good-looking young man, and I thought I’d support him because he’s having a tough time making a living in such a place. I requested his service a few times, but Old Man Jin found out and made a huge fuss."
Miss Xiao kept criticizing Jin Jianye: "Isn’t this just allowing the officials to start a fire while forbidding the civilians from lighting lamps? He supports all those Xiao Hua and Xiao Cao, yet he doesn’t allow me to have some fun. Really... Son, don’t bother with that awful old man from now on, you hear me?"
Xiao Yuan felt extremely helpless.
"Mom, actually, it wasn’t Mr. Jin’s fault back then. It’s been so many years; why haven’t you let it go yet?"
"I’d be surprised if I could."
Miss Xiao was still very angry over the incident: "How can you say it wasn’t his fault? He was careless and didn’t guard against others; he let people take advantage. I will never forgive him in my lifetime."
"Alright, alright, then as you wish."
Xiao Yuan agreed: "You seem to be having fun arguing anyway, why do you need me to come home? My return wouldn’t solve your disputes."
Miss Xiao sighed: "People say it’s better to have daughters, as sons are raised for someone else. Isn’t it just like that? Look at you. You haven’t even made her yours, yet you already refuse to come home. If you get married, will I even have a place anymore?"
Xiao Yuan quickly boasted: "Who says I haven’t made her mine? I do have a girlfriend now."
Upon hearing this, Miss Xiao brightened up: "Son, you are too... Let me tell you, you must treat the girl well and respect her. She’s very young; you can’t bully her. If I find out you’ve been messing around, see if I don’t break your legs."
Xiao Yuan quickly made a promise: "I cherish her too much to even think of bullying her."
"And how is the girl?"
Miss Xiao asked again.
Xiao Yuan immediately responded: "Good, really good. She is very beautiful, has a wonderful temperament, and she studies well too..."
"That’s fine then, you pursue your bride-to-be properly, and bring her home someday so I can meet her."
Miss Xiao seemed to be having some issues, so she quickly hung up the phone.
Xiao Yuan was finally at peace, but then Mr. Jin’s call came through.
"Man, come back and talk some sense into your mom. She’s already so old and still wants to keep a toy boy like the others. I don’t even know what to say to her."
Xiao Yuan just laughed: "You two have been divorced for so many years, why do you care?"
Mr. Jin immediately got anxious: "How can I not care, how can I not care? Even if we are divorced, she’s still the mother of my son. I have every right to interfere, she definitely shouldn’t be keeping a toy boy."
Xiao Yuan shook his head and bitterly smiled: "Dad, what happened with that toy boy? You didn’t harm him, did you?"
"I’m not that kind of person,"
Mr. Jin huffed, "I picked him up from the club and arranged another job for him, far away where your mom can’t find him."
"You’re really too idle."
Xiao Yuan really couldn’t understand what Mr. Jin and Miss Xiao were up to. They had been divorced for so many years, not talking about remarrying and neither of them married anyone else, just dragging it out .
"What do you mean too idle."
Mr. Jin got even more anxious, his eyes glaring: "You’re also a man, let me ask you, if the girl you like was getting cozy with another guy, wouldn’t you be upset?"
Xiao Yuan thought about how he would feel if he saw Anning laughing and playing with another boy, eating together - it would be too hard to bear, and he would want to punch that guy to the moon.
Xiao Yuan fell silent.
Mr. Jin kept nagging: "Any real man can’t tolerate seeing his woman with another man."
Xiao Yuan sighed, not wanting to continue the conversation.
"Dad, let’s not talk about you and mom for now. Let’s talk about me, I finally got a girlfriend this year and successfully got out of being single."
Mr. Jin was quite happy when he heard this: "That’s my son."
Xiao Yuan then discussed with Mr. Jin: "Ningning is doing well in her studies. I asked her, and her goal is to attend one of the two top universities in the country, which means she will have to move to Capital for college. I’m thinking of preparing two apartments near those universities for her, what do you think..."
Hearing this, Mr. Jin slapped his chest loudly: "Of course, it’s necessary. It’s not easy for her to be with you, you should treat her well. Okay, leave this matter to me, Dad has plenty of properties, I’ll reserve two apartments for her."
Xiao Yuan smiled: "If she goes to the Capital, then I have to go back too. I need to set up a clinic there, the location needs to be figured out early. I was thinking of telling my mom first, so she can save a place for me."
Mr. Jin immediately became anxious, his eyes wide and eyebrows raised: "What do you need to tell your mom for? The few things she has, how much can it really be? Why don’t you tell me these things, your dad? Alright, I’ll take care of this, just wait until you come back, and I’ll have everything prepared for you."
"Okay, I’ll leave it to you."
Xiao Yuan politely replied.
Mr. Jin was very generous: "No need for pleasantries, we’re family."
After hanging up with Mr. Jin, Xiao Yuan called Miss Xiao: "Mom, Dad upset you again, didn’t he? I just scored you two apartments and a storefront from him."
Miss Xiao was delighted when she heard.
"Good job, my boy, that’s exactly what you should do. Keep him sweet, take all his stuff, with his looks, I don’t see which young girl would be with him."
After finally hanging up the phone, Xiao Yuan really took a deep breath.
It wasn’t easy being caught in the middle of his parents’ quarrels.
Turning around, he saw Anning looking at him with a half-smile.
Xiao Yuan knew that Anning must have heard everything.
Sure enough, Anning laughed: "So this is how you charm people, huh? Does Mr. Jin know you’re playing him? You’re quite the scheming son."