NOVPUB
Chapter 257: Chapter 257: The Strange Mother-Son Relationship
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Speaking of Tong Yao, Lin Fengying was also anxiously peering out of her door, as she waited for the rice to cook. Tong Yao and Si Chen should be home by now. But there was no sign of them, which made her say: "I’m going to take a look up the road."
With all this snow, the roads are slippery. They could have an accident on the way home.
Her eldest son’s been married for more than half a year now, Tong Yao might already be pregnant. She shouldn’t take any risks on the road.
"Oh, mom," Si Xiaohui, pulling her mother’s arm to stop her from going, said, "It’s snowing heavily outside. How could they be coming home now? They must be staying in the city tonight, and then they’ll come back tomorrow morning. The food is getting cold, let’s eat first!"
The weather is too cold and her hands and feet are freezing. Si Xiaohui is dying to eat something hot and then watch TV. She’s been busy all day in the city, gets back home at night, cleans up and then heads to bed; her life has become quite fulfilling. However, since she’s off for Spring Festival, she is finding the solitude boring.
Additionally, due to the slippery roads and chilling environment indoors, it’s quite gloomy and uncomfortable.
She used to love celebrating the New Year, but now she wishes she could finish celebrating quickly and go back to the city. It’s so comfortable there. Everything is always clean, which is just not the case at home. She goes out for a short walk in the snow and her shoes get wet.
"We should wait a bit more!" Having not seen her eldest son for several months, Lin Fengying misses him terribly. She worries that he might have to eat his meal cold when he returns home.
"Mom, it’s cold outside. You and Xiaohui should go inside and rest. I’ll go check the entrance of the village." said Si Boyi. Just as he was about to head outside, he came very close to bumping into Tong Yao who was arriving. Luckily, Si Chen had quick reflexes and caught her before they collided.
Tong Yao had barely managed to steady herself when she heard Si Xiaohui joyously exclaim, "Sis-in-law, big brother."
"Big brother, sis-in-law, I was just about to go to the village entrance to meet you guys." Si Boyi was overjoyed to see them as if it were the New Year and he was about to light firecrackers. He took the travel bag from Si Chen and held it in his arms, grinning like a fool.
"Isn’t it freezing outside? Yaoyao, Xiaochen, you should come inside. All that snow on your clothes will soon seep into your neck and body."
Upon seeing them arrive, Lin Fengying started beckoning them to come in. As she jovially brushed off the snow on Tong Yao and Si Chen, she was all smiles. Her crow’s feet were more prominent than ever. The most beautiful young daughter-in-law of the village had certainly not escaped the onslaught of time.
As she has gotten older, Lin Fengying’s greatest joy lies in having new additions to the family and having all her children around her.
"Sis-in-law, the scarf around your neck looks so good. The clothes you are wearing look good too. The items sold in Kyoto are indeed more fashionable than those in Li City. Look at that design; it’s so modern! I wish I had a dress like this! It looks so warm and cozy unlike the thick cotton-padded jacket mom had made for me. It’s definitely warm, but it feels like maternity clothing, and it’s ugly to boot."
Si Xiaohui was following Tong Yao around, with her eyes fixed on her the entire time, visibly envious. Her desire to move to the big city grew stronger.
Look at that! Tong Yao has become even more beautiful after a few months in the city. With her immaculate dressing, she looks just like a superstar.
Had she dressed this way during her second brother’s wedding day, no one would believe she wasn’t the bride.
Listening to Xiaohui’s endless chatter, Lin Fengying chided, "What kind of nonsense are you speaking about pregnancy?"
Si Xiaohui knew she had misspoken and retorted, "There are no outsiders here; it’s just family, so why are we being so formal?"
"Indeed, the clothing in Kyoto is more fashionable than that in Li City. Let’s eat first and then I can surprise you," Tong Yao responded with a smile.
A surprise?
Did she buy some clothing for her too?
Si Xiaohui’s heart leapt at the possibility, but she did not want to get her hopes up. She kept staring at the travel bag Si Chen brought, wondering what was inside it.
It’s only after they had fully entered the house that Tong Yao noticed an improvised tent in the courtyard, featuring a big pot under it filled with all kinds of food items. Likely for their banquet celebration.
She recalled that when she got married, the family did the preparations in a similar manner, except it was summer at that time and the food could not be kept for long. She wondered how they were storing all these meats now.
In the hall, the table was laden with meals, and Lin Fengying was pouring hot water into a basin. She took out a new towel and announced, "Everybody, come and wash your hands before the food gets cold."
"Mom, you seem busy, take a seat and rest. We’ll handle it", Tong Yao answered and took the towel from her hands.
With a smirk, Si Xiaohui added, "Sis-in-law, mom knows that you are clean and particular. She’s prepared a new towel for you. Look at how much mom cares for you! Anyone who didn’t know better would think you are her own daughter. None of the mother-in-laws in our village treat their daughters-in-law as well as mom treats you. You should be grateful."
"You’ve got a loose tongue," Lin Fengying glared at her daughter. Smilingly, she then said to Tong Yao, "Yaoyao, you didn’t hear her, right? It’s only natural for me to be good to you all. I expect nothing in return."
Lin Fengying had assumed that Tong Yao gave a bed only to her youngest son and had been somewhat upset over it. However, on discovering that Tong Yao had also given her 200 yuan, she was shocked. Tong Yao was surprisingly generous to have given such a large sum, and Lin Fengying felt guilty for having misjudged her. With the possibility of Tong Yao being pregnant and having not seen her for several months, Lin Fengying was naturally more affectionate towards her.
After her husband’s death, this year has been her happiest. The house is lively, full of merriment and as a parent, this filled her with comfort.
"Let’s eat!"
After washing their hands, Si Chen interrupted Lin Fengying’s conversation before sitting at the table.
Upon glancing at him, Tong Yao felt that Si Chen was acting a bit too indifferent. Surely, this wasn’t how a person should react when seeing their parents.
It seemed that Lin Fengying also noticed something. She seemed to freeze her smile for a moment before inviting everyone to sit and eat.
Since there were so many preparations for the banquet, the courtyard was filled with food. With their circumstances having improved and because Si Chen had not been home in a long time, Lin Fengying had prepared an extravagant spread of meals, much like during the New Year.
As everyone was present for dinner, Lin Fengying discussed the arrangements for the banquet. "I’ve asked Chef Xu from the town to help us with it. His food tastes good, and we can afford it now. Since Si Boyi is getting married, we’ll arrange it the same way as we did when the village head’s son got married. We don’t have many relatives; including the people from the village, there should be eight or nine tables." 𝖓𝔬𝖛𝔭𝔲𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
At this point, Lin Fengying paused and tried to gauge the reactions on Si Chen and Tong Yao’s faces before continuing, "Hui Juan’s family has more relatives, so they might need around fifteen or sixteen tables. We have planned for sixteen tables. Everything is prepared. Chef Xu will come here tomorrow and start arrangements. I’ve talked to the neighbors about furniture like tables and chairs. Now, you just have to bring those things back home tomorrow."
