NOVPUB
Chapter 281: Chapter 281: Looking for Uncle
It’s been more than a decade since they last met, but Si Xiaohui’s impression of Si Weimin is still vivid - even more so than of her own father.
Her recollection of her father is confined to his sickness when she was a child, when he would frequently lose his temper with her mother. He wasn’t particularly kind to her either and he would stare at her with a weird look in his eyes. Eventually, she didn’t like being in his presence and distanced herself from him.
These memories, which were starting to blur, suddenly resurfaced when she thought of her uncle.
She blamed the Tong family for her father’s death. She believed it was only after her father’s death that her uncle started earning money and subsequently disappeared. Not only did she lose her father’s love, but she also lost the care of her uncle. Now, with news of her uncle surfacing, Si Xiaohui was genuinely happy.
"What if your uncle doesn’t agree to help us either?" Song Yu was unsure. He was unfamiliar with life in Kyoto, where the cost of living was high, and he had no craft to make a living. Without help from relatives, they had no chance of survival.
All their plans, including the hope of becoming successful entrepreneurs, had collapsed and Song Yu was utterly lost about their future.
"No way, we’ve already got our marriage licenses. My uncle always dotes on me." Si Xiaohui’s memory of her uncle was stuck in the past. She was certain he adored her and reasoned, "If Uncle’s doing well, we could ask him for a loan to start a business. If he’s not doing well, he could at least help us find a job. At least he wouldn’t leave us homeless."
Song Yu was slightly reassured, "Let’s find a place to stay first, then we can look for your uncle tomorrow."
Late at night, they didn’t know where the address on the note was, so they had to find a place to stay for the night and ask for directions the next day.
He only hoped that his uncle, unlike his older brother, wouldn’t be so heartless. Otherwise, he really didn’t know what to do. If he were to take Si Xiaohui back to Li City, Lin Fengying would definitely cause trouble at their home. With so many siblings squeezed in, there was hardly any space. He usually slept in the cowshed, he definitely couldn’t have Xiaohui sleep there too.
Si Xiaohui definitely wouldn’t agree; she might even start arguing about a divorce.
His family was already in a bad state; if they divorced and he was twice-married, he probably would end up a bachelor for life.
*
Here, after sending off Si Xiaohui, Tong Yao returned to her room, shrugged her shoulders helplessly, and said: "I gave them the note, so they will probably go looking for their uncle tomorrow."
Truthfully, she wasn’t a saint and couldn’t be one either. If Si Xiaohui was sensible, she wouldn’t mistreat her in the future. Now Si Xiaohui had found a partner - regardless of the partner’s character - if Si Xiaohui was happy with him, she wouldn’t say anything else.
After all, she was the sister-in-law, not a saint. They were all adults and everyone had their own destiny.
That said, a part of her still felt that it was hard to like Song Yu just based on how he spoke. But that did not mean he did not truly love Si Xiaohui. Who knew? He might turn out to treat Si Xiaohui well for life.
Such matters were always uncertain.
Si Chen packed up the folding table and went straight to the bedroom, saying without any emotion, "One wants to reconnect with family, the other needs help. Their needs happen to coincide."
Seeing how composed he was, Tong Yao was a little puzzled. She chased after him and asked, "Do you really plan to not bother with Xiaohui anymore?"
Although Si Chen wasn’t one to show emotions on his face, Tong Yao knew that he really cared for his siblings and wasn’t selfish. His current attitude towards Xiaohui was something she couldn’t quite figure out.
"They’ve already gotten their marriage certificate and become husband and wife. Whatever we say now wouldn’t change that. She chose this path, let her walk it herself. Both of them are capable, and if they don’t rely on their own efforts, they might end up becoming dependent," Si Chen said, his lips barely moving and his brows furrowed slightly. "I know Xiaohui. If we help her now, she will only make more unreasonable demands."
"... "
Tong Yao was amazed by Si Chen’s calm reasoning. Uncommunicative as he was, he had evidently given the matter a lot of thought.
That’s even better; it saves her from a lot of trouble.
If Si Chen were to always side with his sister, she would have a hard time.
Si Xiaohui was pretty slick. The more one yielded to her, the more trouble she was capable of stirring up. She wondered whether Yuan Caizhen, seemingly with a good temperament, could handle Si Xiaohui.
Tong Yao didn’t like to make a fuss over trifles; she quickly discarded the issue and focused on discussing the fishery business with Gu Hongwei. The more she learned about it, the more she felt it was a good opportunity.
*
Si Xiaohui and Song Yu spent one night in a small hotel, discovering that the cost of staying there was twice as much as it was in Li City. They felt heartbroken. At this rate of spending, the money they had wouldn’t last long.
As soon as day broke, they packed their belongings and followed the address to find Si Weimin. Song Yu wanted to take a taxi, but Xiaohui was reluctant to spend the money. In the end, they walked for over two hours, asking for directions before reaching Si Weimin’s residence.
Si Weimin’s house was in the outskirts of Kyoto and located next to the road. The property included three brick houses and a small courtyard totaling about 100 square meters. The black wooden door was closed but not locked. In Kyoto at that time, such houses were quite common and in relative terms, his house wasn’t bad.
Si Xiaohui stood nervously with sweaty palms, hesitating for a long time without the courage to knock on the door. She was afraid her uncle might not remember her.
So much time had passed, her uncle’s appearance in her memory had also become fuzzy. She only remembered that as a kid, her uncle was very kind to her, buying candies for her and often carrying her on his shoulders.
In the end, Song Yu, who couldn’t wait any longer, knocked on the door. Before long, footsteps could be heard from the courtyard and someone opened the door from inside. Full of joy, Si Xiaohui was about to call out to her uncle. But when she saw the person who opened the door, she froze with her mouth open, swallowing the words she was about to say.
"Who are you looking for?" Yuan Caizhen asked the strangers standing at the door with a perplexed expression.
"... "
Si Xiaohui and Song Yu looked at each other; their first thought was that they got the address wrong.
Seeking confirmation, Song Yu asked, "Excuse me, is this 97 Chaoyang Road?"
"Yes, it is! Can I help you with something?" Yuan Caizhen was even more confused. She was positive she didn’t know these two people.
Then something occurred to Si Xiaohui; her face fell and all her joy vanished.
On the other hand, Song Yu didn’t seem to sense anything amiss. Once he confirmed that they got the address right, he asked, "Does Si Weimin live here?"
When she heard that they were looking for Si Weimin, Yuan Caizhen smiled and said, "He is my husband."
Now sure that they hadn’t got the wrong address, Song Yu was relieved and said with a smile, "Auntie, we are your husband’s nephews. This is Xiaohui, and I am Song Yu. We just arrived in Kyoto. Sister-in-law Tong Yao gave us the address." 𝒏𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝙗.𝙘𝒐𝙢
"Oh, it’s you two! Please come in."
She had always wanted to mend her husband’s relationship with his nephew but never had the chance. Now that her niece had come to visit unexpectedly, Yuan Caizhen was naturally overjoyed. Little did she know then, her niece’s arrival nearly shattered her little family.
Years later, looking back on the event, she could not help complaining in front of her son and daughter-in-law.
