Chen Fu and Lin Huā'er were on the same train but in different carriages. After learning from his mother which carriage Lin Huā'er was in, Chen Fu continuously went to "harass" her.
Watching her husband's cautious attempts, Lin Huā'er's heart grew colder. This was men, utterly despicable!
Throughout the journey, Chen Fu tried every tactic he could, but Lin Huā'er barely spoke a few words. He felt helpless.
Elder Uncle Zeng had already explained to Huā'er that he had been mentally disturbed by Tong Xinhuá. Huā'er said she understood, otherwise she wouldn't have called her younger uncle.
He thought that by saying this, Huā'er intended to forgive him. Who knew that after Elder Uncle Zeng left, Huā'er would completely enter into a cold war with him.
Now, if he went to the capital to see his mother without gaining Huā'er's forgiveness, his mother would really do something extreme.
"Huā'er, Mother wants to divide the family like the Niu family. You..."
Lin Huā'er waved her hand, interrupting him, and said only four words, "I'll listen to Mother," before closing her eyes to rest.
The next morning, the train arrived at the station. Beautiful wishes echoed through the broadcast, making the passengers feel comfortable, yet failing to break the ice between the couple.
Li Min and Chen Suozhu had bought platform tickets and were waiting. The slowly arriving train moved a bit faster than people walking.
Seeing her mother-in-law walking alongside the train from the carriage window, Lin Huā'er couldn't hold back her tears.
Chen Fu, who had already grabbed his luggage, waited by Lin Huā'er's side. Seeing his parents outside the window at this moment, his heart pounded with anxiety.
The train stopped. As they walked out with the other passengers, Lin Huā'er received a smile from her mother-in-law, while Chen Fu received a glare from his own mother.
Chen Suozhu patted his eldest son's shoulder, "We'll talk when we get back."
He worried that his daughter-in-law might not be able to resist beating their eldest son right there at the train station.
Chen Fu shrunk back and followed his father out of the station, which felt even larger and more daunting.
Outside the station, facing the bustling, intersecting streets, Chen Fu felt like his hands and feet had nowhere to go.
Li Min led the way towards the pedestrian overpass; the parking lot was on the other side of the road.
Standing on the pedestrian overpass, looking at the traffic flowing on both sides, the gloom in Lin Huā'er's heart seemed to be carried away by the vehicles rushing by below.
"Mother, you've worked hard."
Li Min glanced at her, "I really owe you all. I come out to have fun, and I still have to worry about your affairs."
"Hehe," Lin Huā'er gave a dry laugh. "Mother, I'm also taking this opportunity to broaden my horizons, so I don't become a frog at the bottom of a well."
Li Min scornfully curled her lips, "You already are a frog at the bottom of a well."
Sitting in the car, Li Min pointed at the large buildings outside the window, telling the two frogs at the bottom of the well what they were.
Watching the two frogs widen their eyes in shock, the former 'frog at the bottom of the well' looked proud.
"Hmph! With the little money you have, you can't even buy a decent courtyard house in the capital."
When they reached the underground parking lot of Jingyuan Company, Li Min pointed upwards.
"This entire building belongs to your Aunt. It was built when Lili was in high school. Your Aunt never talks about it.
For so many years, your Aunt has willingly stayed in Kūshān as a farmer, for what?
Hmph! She's had two children, and she still doesn't know what she wants in life. She's quite good at courting death."
Chen Fu and Lin Huā'er, startled, walked into the elevator with the same awkward gait.
As the elevator ascended, their hearts rose with it. After their hearts palpitated and settled, the elevator door opened.
Chen Fu and Lin Huā'er, still with the same clumsy walk, followed their parents out of the elevator.
Li Min first took the two to a suite next door and arranged for one bedroom.
"This is the only room. Although there are rooms next door, it would be a waste of blankets and sheets, and no one is here to serve you two."
Lin Huā'er glanced at her beaming husband and nodded at her mother-in-law, "Okay, we'll stay in one room."
Li Min pointed to the bathroom in the room, "You two wash off the dust and bacteria first, then go to the next room."
After speaking, she ignored them and walked out the door.
With no one else in the suite, Lin Huā'er's smile fell. She took out her clean clothes and toiletries. "I'll wash first."
"Okay," Chen Fu nodded. "I'll put the clothes in the wardrobe."
Lin Huā'er acted as if she hadn't heard him and pushed open the bathroom door.
Next door.
Li Min ate the breakfast her husband had served and looked at her elder brother and sister-in-law in the living room.
"Why aren't you going out to play?"
"Waiting for you," Ouyang Meihua said casually while playing with Ji Nian. "It would be boring for just my husband and me to go out. Let Xiao Fu and Huā'er rest for a day, and we'll all go out together tomorrow."
Li Min knew her sister-in-law was doing this to help ease the relationship between Huā'er and Xiao Fu. She just hoped these two fools could understand the elders' good intentions.
Half an hour later, Lin Huā'er arrived next door. "Grandma, Uncle, Aunt, Cousin, Mother."
Li Liguo, Ouyang Meihua, and Tian Jing all nodded at her.
Mother Li said with a smile, "It's good to come out and relax."
"Mm," Lin Huā'er's eyes welled up again. "I will."
Ji Nian and Ji Yang stumbled towards Lin Huā'er, "Mama, Mama."
"Eh! Eh!" Lin Huā'er, surprised, crouched down and opened her arms to her two sons. "You can talk now?"
Li Min brought breakfast out from the kitchen and walked towards the dining table. "The scenic area opened a few days ago, and they learned to talk. We brought your kids so you could earn money, but look at you... Come and eat first."
Lin Huā'er kissed each of her sons on the cheek, stood up, and pulled the two children towards the dining table. "Grandma, Uncle, Aunt, Cousin, have you eaten?"
"We've all eaten," Li Min retorted before Mother Li could answer. "It's ten o'clock, who hasn't eaten breakfast yet? You eat something light first, lunch will be soon."
"Mm," Lin Huā'er nodded, placed the two sons in their high chairs. As soon as they sat down, they wanted to get off.
Li Min picked up her grandsons and let them play freely. "Be quiet, don't wake your sister."
"Shh!"
"Shh!"
The brothers put their index fingers to their lips, shushing each other.
Chen Fu came over. "Mother, should we lock the door next door?"
"No locking!" Li Min glanced proudly at her eldest son. "This entire floor is occupied by our family. No one else can get up here. The elevator is direct access, can't you see my card-swipe panel?"
Chen Fu didn't quite understand but didn't dare to ask further. His mother was just nagging him, not hitting or scolding him yet. "Grandma, Uncle, Aunt, Cousin."
The four of them nodded at him.
Mother Li pointed to the dining table and told him to eat.
As Chen Fu sat down to eat in the dining room, the living room fell silent for a moment.
Chen Fu nervously drank a bowl of congee. The atmosphere was oppressive and tense, and his stomach hurt from nervousness, making it hard for him to eat.
Lin Huā'er cleared the bowls and chopsticks from the table and walked into the door from which her mother-in-law had brought the food.
Li Min followed her in and showed her all the kitchen utensils...
After Lin Huā'er washed the dishes, Li Min came out of the kitchen holding a rolling pin.
"Chen Fu, get down on your knees!"
Chen Fu immediately knelt down with a 'plop' in front of his parents.
Mother Li stood up. "I'll go to the room to be with Xuān Xuān. Beat him however you want, just don't kill him."
Chen Fu's biggest support was gone, and he was in a panic, unable to find his direction.
Ji Nian and Ji Yang saw their father suddenly lower himself and happily ran towards him. "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy."
Chen Fu hugged the two sons who rushed towards him. "Ji Nian, Ji Yang, you can talk?"
"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy." The two children lifted their legs, wanting to climb.
Chen Fu picked them up, one in each arm.
Li Min, who had raised her rolling pin, couldn't bring herself to strike.
Tian Jing looked at her awkward sister-in-law and walked over to take the rolling pin from her hand.
"Let's talk about it. Beating their father, whom they see as a towering figure, in front of the children will ruin their worldview."
Chen Fu, holding his two sons, froze. He looked up at his father.
He hadn't truly looked at his father in a long time.
His father's temples had quite a bit of white hair. Although he was just fifty, he looked older than his fifty-five-year-old brother-in-law.
Uncle's family was simple.
Their own family used to be simple too, but they had four children to raise.
His father had always silently done what he could.
His mother, although boisterous, had simple desires: a harmonious family and obedient children.
At this moment, kneeling on the ground and looking up at his parents, he felt like he was looking up at omnipotent giants as he had when he was a child.
However, his parents now lacked the youth of twenty years ago.
"Dad, Mom, I'm sorry!" Chen Fu lowered his head. "I've made you worry."