NOVPUBThe adults chuckled and laughed while Yao Jiping glared at her own stinker of a son; though she didn’t give up her seat, the next round of mahjong was definitely on autopilot.
"I don’t know what that aunt was thinking, actually having the nerve to suggest my brother become a factory manager for his son, just so he could find a wife easier. Might as well give them the house and car, too—it’d be even easier!"
After hanging around the mahjong table for quite a while, Xu Qingfan finally overheard the gossip he’d been waiting for.
[So that’s what the mood was about during dinner. No wonder it felt so weird.]
He had thought such outrageous relatives only existed in online stories, yet here they were, right beside him in real life!
"Um..." Song Zhujun was about to speak up and smooth things over when she suddenly felt unwell and began to retch.
"What’s wrong, are you feeling ill?"
"Did you catch a cold from the recent temperature drop?"
The mahjong game came to an immediate halt as the adults in the room gathered around Song Zhujun with concern.
"Could it be a pregnancy?" Xu Qingfan blinked and suddenly blurted out.
His words were like a bomb dropped in the calm waters of the room, instantly stirring up a storm of reactions.
The men who had been outside boasting by the fire also came in, adding to the chaos upon hearing the news.
"Darling, did you get your period this month?"
Being asked such a question by her own mother in front of a room full of people, Song Zhujun immediately turned shy, hesitated for a bit, then awkwardly shook her head with a bit of embarrassment.
Then the living room erupted into even greater commotion, as the grandparents cried tears of joy and the uncle prattled on excitedly as if he had just passed the imperial exam.
Finally, they made a big fuss of driving out to invite a well-known traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, who after taking the pulse announced, "Congratulations, congratulations, the pulse is round and smooth, definitely a happy pulse!"
With the positive diagnosis, everyone’s spirits lifted as they gathered around Song Zhujun. Her uncle shamelessly pressed his ear against her belly and said, "Can you hear it, little one? It’s Daddy!"
After sending away the traditional Chinese medicine doctor with a hefty red envelope, everyone lost interest in playing games and sat in the living room savoring the promise of the future.
Standing in a corner of the room, Xu Qingfan watched this happy and warm scene unfold. He felt happy too because all these changes were brought about by him, even though nobody knew it.
"Can you take a leave from your school job? Chemicals are not good for the fetus!" It was the mother herself who spoke up about Song Zhujun’s major career decision—best to be on the safe side.
"The first few months should be okay, right..." Song Zhujun hesitated. She had a three-year contract with the school, and a pregnancy could delay her research, possibly leaving her unable to meet the school’s benchmarks upon returning to work.
University teaching positions weren’t like those in primary or secondary schools; most of the contracts signed in recent years were fixed-term. One has to ascend all the way to a professorship to have a shot at a permanent contract.
"How can it be okay? The first few months are crucial; you don’t understand because you’ve never had a baby!"
"Right, dear sister-in-law..."
Seeing Song Zhujun torn, Xu Qingfan thought for a moment and then suggested, "Why don’t you quit your school job, Aunt? The uncle’s factory needs to invest more in the lab, constantly buying foreign technology isn’t the way to go."
"Do you think you own the factory?" Yao Jiping shot him an annoyed glance.
"Yeah, Xiao Fan, although I’m the factory manager, my role is only to oversee the daily operations of the farm. Decisions have to be approved by Manager Zhong."
"Hehe..." Xu Qingfan chuckled, "Mom, you’re right, Hao Wei Duck Necks is indeed my business, and I happen to be a billionaire!" Since everyone in the room was his close family, Xu Qingfan didn’t have to worry about showing off his wealth and spoke the truth.
"Nonsense."
"There are fireworks outside, Xiao Fan, take Teddy with you and have some fun."
However, nobody in the room paid any attention to him.
Xu Qingfan:....
"Hey! Hao Wei Duck Necks really is mine, I own thirty-something percent of the shares!"
"Uh-huh, uh-huh."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." 𝘯𝘰𝑣𝘱𝑢𝘣.𝑐𝑜𝑚
"Right, right, right."
[I’m so tired!] Faced with the adults treating him like a child, Xu Qingfan felt rather helpless.
He loathed the fact that there wasn’t a Heaven Eye to check this era, hence he couldn’t even pretend to be something he wasn’t!
He was originally going to call Zhong Wenqing for confirmation, but then thought it totally unnecessary; merely mentioning it to the other party would do, and once the offer appeared in Song Zhujun’s hands, whether to choose family or career would be left to her decision.
He had hoped to make a grand impression, but he ended up being stiffer than a roommate who had been dead for three days.
Xu Qingfan wrapped his arms around the yellow dog tied at the door, raised his cup to the moon, and stood as three shadows cast by the light.
