WRS – Chapter 35 Part 2

She glanced at Jiang Mingchuan admiringly. “I’ve noticed you’re much more decisive now. I like you like this.”

Jiang Mingchuan felt a little embarrassed by the compliment. He didn’t feel he’d become more decisive, but simply felt that now that he had a family, there were some things he had to stand up to. Once he solved them, she and the children wouldn’t have to worry.

“Also, you tell me everything now, which makes me feel really good. It makes me feel like you care about me.”

Jiang Mingchuan’s ears flushed when he heard this, and he raised his hand to touch his nose. He didn’t know how she’d managed to say all that, and he subconsciously turned his head to look around. Fortunately, there were no outsiders around, but his son, who was standing next to them, was staring at them with wide eyes.

He Yan met his father’s gaze and tilted his head. “Dad, are your ears red because you’re cold?”

Jiang Mingchuan: “…Yeah.”

He Yan said “oh” and nodded, not saying anything. He took off the hat on his head and gave it to his father. It was made by his mother and he couldn’t bear to part with it.

Only Fu Yanyan curled her lips.

It was not known whether she was laughing at her brother’s stupidity or happy to recognize her aunt again. The whole family was moving in a good direction.

–

The next morning, Jin Xiuzhu took her daughter to the Liu family to pick up Liu Jingzhi as agreed yesterday.

Jiang Mingchuan went out to buy vegetables and meat before dawn that morning. He took He Yan to work in the guesthouse kitchen. Jin Xiuzhu simply took her daughter with her, since they knew the way anyway.

Even though she had just visited yesterday, Jin Xiuzhu was very polite and bought a bag of pears from the nearby supply and marketing cooperative. It was just that the things brought to the door were getting cheaper every day.

Arriving at the Liu residence, Jin Xiuzhu needed no tactical sleight of hand. She went upstairs and found Liu Jingzhi busy in the hallway, alone. Seeing no one else, she couldn’t help but feel distressed. “Why are you out here alone

?”

“Auntie,” Liu Jingzhi looked up at the voice, exclaiming with some joy at seeing someone. She then called out to Fu Yanyan. “Sister,”

Fu Yanyan called her sweetly. “Sister,” she deliberately asked again, “Is Sister home alone?”

Liu Jingzhi didn’t think much of it. “No, I usually do it,”

she said, quickly washing the dishes.

Jin Xiuzhu smiled. “You usually do it. It seems your parents have a much easier time.”

Without waiting for her to answer, she asked directly, “Are your parents home? They said I’d take you to the guesthouse yesterday, so I came to pick you up.”

Liu Jingzhi’s face showed hesitation. “Auntie, I’m sorry, I probably can’t go today. Mom’s not feeling well, and I want to be home to take care of her.”

Jin Xiuzhu felt a little downcast. “So, we’re leaving tomorrow.”

“Ah,” Liu Jingzhi looked at her reluctantly.

Jin Xiuzhu gave a helpless smile. “I’ll go see your mother,” she said, pushing the door open and entering. She’d assumed Song Xiaoru was lying in bed, feeling unwell, but she was actually sitting in the living room, clothes draped over her lap. A washed apple sat on the table beside her—if she was right, it was the one they’d delivered yesterday.

Seeing Jin Xiuzhu enter, she looked uneasy. “Why don’t I see Aihua?”

Song Xiaoru said without hesitation, “She went out to play.”

But just as she finished her words, Liu Aihua’s angry voice echoed from the room. “You’re the one who went out to play! Don’t mention me. Your voice makes me sick.”

Song Xiaoru glanced at Jin Xiuzhu uncomfortably, her lips twitching, but she couldn’t smile.

Jin Xiuzhu, too, was thick-skinned, seemingly oblivious to the awkward atmosphere at home. She smiled and said, “Sister-in-law, yesterday we said we were going to bring Jingzhi to our place to play. Look…”

Song Xiaoru remained silent.

Jin Xiuzhu knew what she meant, and she was not angry. Instead, the smile on her face deepened. She said, “Sister-in-law, I don’t want to say that, as parents, we really need to be fair sometimes. Jingzhi is so well-behaved, you can’t just not take her seriously. Being too partial will hurt the child’s heart.”

Song Xiaoru couldn’t stand hearing such words. She raised her head abruptly and retorted, “When was I partial?”

“Oh, you are not partial. There is a three-year age gap. The older one is working outside and suffering from the cold, and the younger one is lying in the house sleeping. I’ve touched Jingzhi’s hands these two days, and they are rougher than mine.”

Song Xiaoru felt bitter but couldn’t say anything to explain, so she lowered her head and pretended to be silent.

Seeing this, Jin Xiuzhu was furious. She might as well say it directly. She was afraid that Jingzhi had suffered a lot of anger.

Jin Xiuzhu pursed her lips, her face fell, and she said in a cold voice: “I really give you face by calling you sister-in-law.”

Song Xiaoru was stunned. Before she could react, Jin Xiuzhu said to the outside with a smile: “Jingzhi, your mother agrees that you can go out.”

Jin Xiuzhu met Song Xiaoru’s incredulous eyes, and continued to smile: “She said that your sister is a lazy bitch. If she doesn’t get up, she will starve to death. Anyway, she loves you the most. Let’s go, pack up quickly, and we will leave immediately.”

After that, she pretended to be earnest and said loudly: “Sister-in-law, I’m not saying that our Aihua is also a good child. No matter how partial you are, you can’t treat her like this. The child is still young. You have to treat her well. She must know it in her heart.”

Liu Jingzhi came in happily from outside, took off the apron in front of her, and asked uncertainly, “Mom, can I really go out?”

She never thought that her aunt was lying to her. She thought it was her aunt who persuaded her mother.

Song Xiaoru couldn’t save face, so she nodded. “Come back soon,”

Liu Jingzhi smiled sweetly.

She didn’t need to pack anything, just put down her scarf.

Jin Xiuzhu took her hand. “Let’s go! Your uncle made you something delicious.”

As the three of them left the house, they heard a banging noise coming from the room. Liu Jingzhi’s face faltered again. Jin Xiuzhu smiled, “Your sister is so lively. She’s still a little girl. It’s okay. Just come back and comfort her.”

Liu Jingzhi, inexplicably feeling relieved, smiled back.

The two of them walked downstairs with their child in hand. They happened to see a middle-aged man and woman walking towards them.

Liu Jingzhi saw them and instinctively lowered her head. Jin Xiuzhu noticed and leaned to the side, shielding her from view.

The middle-aged couple’s first sight was Jin Xiuzhu. The woman glanced at her warily, then hurried away, pushing the man aside, oblivious to Liu Jingzhi.

After the others had passed, Liu Jingzhi breathed a sigh of relief and whispered to Jin Xiuzhu, “My uncle and aunt.”

Jin Xiuzhu glanced over her shoulder, then smiled. “Come on, I’ll make you something delicious today.”

Seeing her aunt didn’t ask any more questions, Liu Jingzhi felt relieved.

Jin Xiuzhu took her to the guesthouse. It was Liu Jingzhi’s first time there, and she was curious about everything. She couldn’t help but take a second look. There were only three beds in the room, which they had joined together. The room was immaculately tidy.

Jin Xiuzhu asked her to play with her daughter for a while while she went to help in the kitchen.

Liu Jingzhi stood up. “I can cook, too,”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled, pushing her down to sit. “No, you can read with the child. The kitchen is too small, and you won’t be able to move around.”

Liu Jingzhi wanted to say something else, but Fu Yanyan interrupted, “Mom and Dad like to whisper, but they won’t dare to when you’re there.”

Jin Xiuzhu nodded her daughter’s head in anger.

Liu Jingzhi looked at her aunt’s back as she left, smiled shyly, and it took her a long time to react to what her sister meant.

She looked at her sister, blushing and asked: “What book do you want to read?”

There were several books and newspapers on the bed. She flipped through them and let her sister choose. Fu Yanyan shook her head, “I don’t want to read.”

Liu Jingzhi asked gently: “Then what do you want to do?”

“I want to chat with you .”

“Talk about what ?”

“Sister, you look like a neighbor’s sister in our family. Her name is Daya.”

“Really? Do we look alike?”

Fu Yanyan shook her head, “Not in appearance, but in experience. Daya’s father, mother and grandmother are all very good people, but they are not good to Daya. They think that giving Daya food and clothes is good to her, but her brother also has those, and she doesn’t have what her brother has.”

Liu Jingzhi was stunned for a moment. The little girl’s childish and simple words suddenly touched her heart, making her not know how to respond for a while.

“What your sister has, your sister also has, but what your sister has, you don’t have. Sister, if one day you find out that you are not your biological child, and your relatives come to look for you, will you go with them?”

Liu Jingzhi suddenly raised her head and looked at her.

Fu Yanyan blinked her big eyes and looked at her obediently, trying to maintain her composure. In fact, she felt a little uneasy in her heart, but she felt it necessary to give Liu Jingzhi a shot of prevention first. Mom and Dad wanted to recognize this “sister”, and Mom even deliberately or unintentionally provoked disputes in the Liu family, but they didn’t have much time left, and they had to leave the day after tomorrow.

If Liu Jingzhi was suddenly told tomorrow that she was not a child of the Liu family, she might not be able to accept it for a while. From the perspective of the child, Fu Yanyan felt that Liu Jingzhi did not want her parents to help her make a decision.

Liu Jingzhi took a long time to recover, then asked weakly, “What do you mean?”

Fu Yanyan shook her head. “No, it’s nothing. I just hope my sister isn’t my uncle’s biological daughter. It would be great if she were my biological sister.”

“…”

Liu Jingzhi’s startled heart was brought back to its senses by these words, and then a little amusement set in. She had actually taken a little kid’s words seriously.

Suppressing the slight disappointment in her heart, she said with a sardonic smile, “I’m more than ten years older than you. According to age, you can call me aunt.”

At noon, Jiang Mingchuan prepared a table full of delicious dishes, and Jin Xiuzhu also made some pastries. The family of five ate and chatted lively. Liu Jingzhi rarely experienced such a heartwarming scene, and she couldn’t help but feel envious. Growing up in such a loving family, it was no wonder the two children were so happy.

As she savored the rare delicacy, her mind kept thinking of her sister’s words.

Although she felt a pang of guilt, if one day she discovered that she wasn’t her biological daughter, perhaps she wouldn’t be so sad.

————————