RYEY – Chapter 200 Dad Is Coming

Cheng Qiao suddenly noticed that Xuhui had become noticeably quieter. She thought he might be feeling unwell, but after checking his pulse, she realized the little guy was perfectly healthy.

“Xuhui, school starts right after the Lantern Festival. How about we go to Chuncheng for a couple of days? We can see what’s interesting, and Mother Cheng will buy you something.”

“Mother Cheng, can I just call you Mom?”

Cheng Qiao’s eyes flickered. She suspected that day, when Granny Chen spoke to her, Xuhui might have overheard. If so, it was normal that the child couldn’t immediately accept it.

Xuhui looked at Cheng Qiao earnestly, thinking about Granny’s words: “Anyway, I consider her dead.” If Granny considered her dead, then he would consider her dead too.

“All right. Then you’ll be Little Cheng Li’s real older brother. Little Cheng Li, are you okay with that?”

Little Cheng Li revealed two tiny newly-grown teeth, grinning with drool constantly dripping from the corners of his mouth. In his previous life, Brother Goudan was also his favorite.

Seeing Little Cheng Li smile with eyes shaped like crescent moons, Xuhui suddenly felt a wave of happiness. This woman had never been a part of his life, so things would just continue as they were.

“Second Sister-in-law, I’m coming too.”

Li Le, who had just returned from outside, brightened up when she heard Cheng Qiao was going to Chuncheng. They couldn’t go to Hexi Corridor, but Chuncheng should be fine.

Cheng Qiao smiled and agreed. Li Le was growing up, and she should be allowed to choose what she liked. She wanted to give her enough space to grow.

“Ring, ring, ring…”

The village committee’s phone rang. Chen Weidang, on duty, lazily picked up. It wasn’t even the Lantern Festival yet; who could be calling?

“May I speak to Li Huan?”

“Li Huan isn’t here. Who’s calling?”

“Hello, I’m Cheng Liguo, Cheng Qiao’s father.”

“Cheng Qiao’s father, hello, hello. Why don’t you call again in twenty minutes? I’ll ask her to come answer the phone.”

“No need. I’m leaving tomorrow and will come by car to see her. Could you let her know?”

“Sure, sure. I’ll make sure she knows.”

Chen Weidang hurried home and asked Ermao to notify Cheng Qiao. She was busy packing, preparing to take the three little ones to Chuncheng.

“Educated Youth Cheng, my dad just received a call from your dad. He’s leaving tomorrow to come see you.”

“What…”

Cheng Qiao froze for a moment, then suddenly realized—her dad was finally coming to see her. This meant he had removed the “hat” from himself and regained his freedom.

“Thanks, Ermao. I’ll tell Li Huan—oh, he went to the county town.”

Seeing Cheng Qiao’s ecstatic but directionless excitement, Ermao felt a pang of sadness. Cheng Qiao was only three years older than him but had been separated from her father for two years.

“Educated Youth Cheng, why don’t you prepare a room for your dad first, with bedding and quilts? Otherwise, when he arrives, he might freeze.”

Cheng Qiao gave Ermao a look. You’re the one who might freeze. Can you even speak properly?

Ermao seemed to realize his words were inappropriate and quickly left. After the fifteenth day of the lunar month, Damao would go to Chuncheng for university. Thinking about it made him envious.

When Li Huan returned, Cheng Qiao shared the good news, but he frowned. There weren’t enough rooms at home.

The old house had three rooms: one for guests, one for Mother Li and Li Le, and one for Xuhui and his grandmother. The new house was the same: one for the couple, one for Uncle Ye.

Maybe Uncle Ye could share a room with her father-in-law. The room was large enough, and as long as the quilts were separated, it would be fine.

Cheng Qiao nodded repeatedly. One was her dad, the other her master—both close family. Sharing a room was okay. Plus, they had to prepare goods for business.

“Qiao, I’ve already prepared part of the supplies—spent seven thousand yuan. Why don’t you add some more to make it ten thousand yuan worth of supplies to take?”

Cheng Qiao nodded. Li Huan’s seven thousand yuan worth of goods could earn at least two thousand if sold on the black market, but selling to Qin Guoqing’s group would only make a thousand.

Giving Shouhou a 1% commission would make cash flow too slow, but taking goods from her would be real profit for them.

“All right, then going to Chuncheng should still be fine.”

“Yes, it’s over three thousand kilometers away. Even with a fast car, it would take at least four or five days. We’ll leave early tomorrow, stay two nights in Chuncheng, and take the bus back the morning after next.”

“All right. We also need to inform Shouhou—he’ll be thrilled.”

The couple chatted excitedly, and Cheng Qiao’s smile never left her face. Li Huan couldn’t resist hugging her. His wife was finally about to see her close family.

“Qiao, are in-laws coming? When?”

Mother Li came to call them for a meal. Hearing the conversation, she couldn’t help but smile.

Cheng Qiao blushed. She had forgotten to close the door, and their intimacy was caught. But Mother Li didn’t mind; closeness between a couple was natural.

“Mom, my dad won’t arrive for four or five days. You don’t need to prepare anything. I’ll bring food and drinks from the county town. Oh, and I’m taking the three kids to Chuncheng. Do you want to buy anything?”

“No, no. In the past year, I’ve already made several sets of clothes. I can’t make more; I might not be able to handle so much happiness.”

Cheng Qiao: “…feudal superstition.”

At dawn the next day, Cheng Qiao and Li Huan, along with Li Le, Xuhui, and Little Cheng Li, boarded Uncle Niu’s ox cart. When Uncle Niu received a meat bun from Cheng Qiao, he immediately bit into it.

Seeing Uncle Niu’s satisfied face, Xuhui laughed: “Grandpa Niu, the meat bun tastes good, right?”

“Silly child, of course it tastes good. It’s just expensive. Thanks to your Mother Cheng, I finally get to eat it again.”

“Uncle Niu, don’t say that. You got up so early in this cold to take us to the county town. A meat bun is nothing. When we return, I’ll bring you a pack of cigarettes.”

“Really? Cheng girl, don’t trick me. I’ll remember it.”

Cheng Qiao nodded earnestly. A pack of cigarettes was trivial—nothing compared to the kindness the old man showed them.

The ox cart finally reached the station, with ten minutes to spare before the long-distance bus departed. Li Huan quickly showed the introduction letter and bought four tickets.

It was Xuhui and Li Le’s first time on such a bus. Little Cheng Li was so excited he shook his entire body, almost too much for Cheng Qiao to hold.

Li Huan took Little Cheng Li, letting Cheng Qiao take the other two kids on the bus first. He sat behind Cheng Qiao and Li Le with Little Cheng Li and Xuhui.

The bus finally lurched forward. Xuhui sat by the window, watching the scenery slowly recede. He felt a bubbling happiness—until the bus picked up speed, and clouds of dust blew straight into his open mouth.