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Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Look at you, let me speak.
...
By the time Si Chen got home from work in the evening, it was already half past eight. He’d had a long day, and his handsome face showed signs of fatigue. Tong Yao, seeing this, felt pity for him and made a pot of tremella and red date soup especially to replenish his energy.
As soon as he entered the house, Si Chen noticed the color television set in the living room and raised an eyebrow, "Did we buy a television?"
Standing by the table serving soup, Tong Yao replied with a grin, "My parents bought it. They heard all the gossip from our sister-in-laws and decided to get us a TV for the sake of appearances."
After washing his hands in the kitchen, Si Chen rolled up his trousers and sat down on a stool in the living room, "I’m off the day after tomorrow. Let’s have dinner at my parents’."
Even though the Tong Family was well off, Tong Yaohui and Wen Yun were not wasteful spenders. They both carried on the traditional austerity passed down by their ancestors. They were frugal in their lives, but they were generous when it came to Tong Yao and Si Chen. They understood that the couple was not necessarily lacking in material comforts, but they craved companionship. Therefore, whenever Si Chen had time, he would join Tong Yao for dinner at her parents’.
These visits were just what Tong Yaohui and Wen Yun appreciated. To them, their daughter and son-in-law spending time with them held more value than any material gifts.
"No wonder my parents like you! You understand them so well!"
Tong Yao, chuckling, handed him the soup, then sat beside him, watching Si Chen eat, propping her chin on her hand.
"Don’t just watch me, have some yourself. Tremella nourishes the yin, moistens the lungs, and replenishes qi and blood. Moreover, it aids in skin rejuvenation. It’ll benefit you more than me." Si Chen put down his bowl, returned to the kitchen, and brought back another bowl and a soup spoon for her.
Tong Yao initially didn’t plan on having any as she’d eaten quite a bit for dinner and wasn’t particularly hungry. However, after listening to Si Chen, her appetite was sparked.
What woman doesn’t wish to always look her best?
While savoring the soup, she casually mentioned Si Weimin, "Your younger uncle has been to my parents’ house several times now. He’s been wanting to have dinner with you, and I don’t think we should keep putting it off. Maybe we can tell everyone we found your younger uncle."
"Alright," Si Chen replied, expressionless while sipping his soup, not demonstrating any particular reluctance.
Ever since he met Si Weimin, Si Chen knew that such a moment was inevitable.
"So, shall I call Boyi about it tomorrow?"
"Uh-huh."
Si Chen nodded.
...
"Sister-in-law, Xiaohui has come to see you."
"When did Xiaohui arrive? Why didn’t she call in advance?" Wasn’t it customary to inform her before visiting?
"She took the morning train and arrived last night... Sister-in-law, Xiaohui didn’t come alone..." Si Boyi, who was never good with words, struggled to find the right ones, given the unpleasant circumstances.
"Look at you. I’ll say it." Zhang Lijuan couldn’t stand Si Boyi’s stammering and snatched the phone from him.
Married Zhang Lijuan had shed her girlish shyness and transformed into a sharp-tongued, efficient young wife.
"Sister-in-law, Xiaohui has a boyfriend who’s as fat as a pig, as short as a thermos, with a face as big as a basin, and eyes smaller than a chicken’s. Mom didn’t approve, but Xiaohui insisted on being with him. Mom originally planned to have her return to the countryside to cool off for a couple of days, but instead, she left a note and ran off in the middle of the night to go find you and my brother."
When talking about Si Xiaohui’s affairs, Zhang Lijuan didn’t seem angry, but rather looked on with a perverse delight.
After all, Xiaohui was not her sister, so her running away had nothing to do with her. The embarrassment couldn’t touch her, and even if she married a beggar, it wouldn’t be Zhang Lijuan who’d suffer.
With Si Xiaohui not around in the shop, Zhang Lijuan felt happier. Over these months, they had quite a few conflicts. Because of Si Xiaohui, Zhang Lijuan and Si Boyi had several fights, and not too long ago, she got so mad she went back to her parents’ house. If Lin Fengying hadn’t brought her back, she’d still be living there.
Tong Yao’s mouth twitched. No wonder Si Xiaohui hadn’t inquired about Gu Hongwei’s affairs in such a long time. It turned out she had moved on.
"Why haven’t you guys mentioned anything about Xiaohui’s relationship before?"
"I wanted to mention it, but mom didn’t let me. She said that if word got out, it would damage Xiaohui’s reputation. She made sure to keep it under wraps." Known for meddling, Zhang Lijuan was in close contact with Lin Fengying as she lived nearby. They were bound to have occasional disagreements, so when she heard Tong Yao’s question, she swiftly laid the blame on Lin Fengying.
She deliberately used the word ’outsider’, clearly aiming to stir up some discord between Tong Yao and Lin Fengying, insinuating that the latter treated Tong Yao as an outsider.
Being smart and adept, Tong Yao immediately caught on to Zhang Lijuan’s intention in her words, "What does this guy do, and where is he from?"
"His name is Song Yu. He used to be a high school student at Yizhong. He came to our shop a few times for milk tea, and I’m not sure how he got close to Xiaohui. He didn’t do well in his college entrance examination and has been jobless since. His family lives in town, but they are not well-off. He is the youngest of five brothers. Mom disapproves of him because he’s unemployed and has too many siblings. But Xiaohui claims he is intellectual and cultured, and she has taken a liking to him."
In any case, Zhang Lijuan didn’t approve of Song Yu, and it was only because Si Xiaohui had no particular preferences in terms of physique that she even considered him.
Just wait and see!
If Si Xiaohui marries Song Yu, there will eventually come a day of regret.
Si Boyi took the phone back, "Sister-in-law, if Xiaohui finds you guys, ask my brother to talk to her and try to convince her to come back. I will then talk to mom and see if they can get married."
Si Boyi was traditional in his thinking. To him, Si Xiaohui running off like this was disgraceful. Even when Zhang Lijuan first came to them, he thought it was embarrassing. He never imagined that such a thing would happen to his younger sister.
Had their father not passed away when they were children leaving him deeply sympathetic to Xiaohui, he wouldn’t let Xiaohui return in this situation. 𝓃ℴ𝓋𝓹𝓊𝓫.𝒸𝓸𝓂
It was shameful, utterly shameful.
His mom had been crying at home until her eyes swelled up badly.
"I’ll call you guys once she arrives." Tong Yao purse her lips, then added, "By the way, there’s another thing I want to tell you. We met your younger uncle in Kyoto. He’s doing quite well, even got married, and has a kid. Let mom know about this as soon as possible, so she can stop worrying."
"What?" Si Boyi thought he was hallucinating, "Sister-in-law, are you saying you ran into our younger uncle in Kyoto?"
After all these years, Si Boyi had almost convinced himself that their younger uncle had died, believing that if he were alive, he would have returned by now.
All of a sudden, he was hit with the news that his younger uncle was alive, leaving him shocked and unable to react for quite some time.
