Chapter 212: Chapter 199: A Lifetime Together Doesn’t Seem So Hard
Actually, Yin Shaohui and Zhou Mengqin had no intention of making things difficult for Su Xiaomeng. Yin Shaohui was about to ask Ah Su to get another chair—
At this moment, Zhou Mengqin spoke first, "Shi Lan, let Yangyang and Hongyi Jingshuang sit at that table."
"Mom, it’s more convenient for me to take care, and besides..."
"Didn’t you see there’s a seat missing here?"
Zhou Mengqin’s voice cooled slightly, her tone not stern, but enough to make Yin Shilan shut her mouth, patting Yin Qiyang’s back and whispering, "Yangyang, sit beside Dad and Mom."
Yin Qiyang, timid and shy, originally didn’t want to sit at the same table with the elders, so upon hearing this from her grandmother, she immediately ran over to her parents’ side.
The seat was vacated, and Zhou Mengqin said, "Sit down, everyone."
Su Xiaomeng had been feeling uneasy all along, unexpectedly Zhou Mengqin wanted her little grandson to leave the table.
Her constant sense of being unwelcome always made Su Xiaomeng feel that she would be sent to another table.
She secretly glanced at Yin Shixiu...
Yin Shixiu winked at her, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and sat together.
It took quite a long time to finish the meal, but few people spoke; the eldest, Yin Shiqing, who had arrived late, said a few words, and afterwards it was mainly Yin Shilan.
But what Yin Shilan kept talking about was how Yu Hongguang was doing unsatisfactory business in Guangzhou.
However, Zhou Mengqin did not seem to intend to solve Yin Shilan’s issue at the dining table, so she shifted the topic to Su Xiaomeng, "What are your plans for the New Year, you and Shixiu?"
Su Xiaomeng felt her heart skip a beat... pressed her lips together, then said, "Shixiu and I... might have to go back to Chengdu for the New Year."
Really afraid...
Really afraid her mother-in-law would directly say, "No."
Firstly, she wasn’t clear about Yin Family’s New Year traditions.
Secondly, it was something she had promised her grandparents beforehand.
Most importantly... she herself wanted to return to Chengdu.
"Will you be back for the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth?"
Zhou Mengqin asked, her tone calm and indifferent, seemingly accepting their plan to return to Chengdu for the New Year.
The anticipated questioning and rejection did not occur; Su Xiaomeng breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart was still slightly uneasy.
After all... her mother-in-law always "torments" her; now suddenly not "tormenting," she’s not quite used to it.
Thinking this, she found herself amusing. Could she be a masochist?
"Yes."
Su Xiaomeng quickly nodded!
"Okay." Zhou Mengqin nodded, this counted as agreeing.
At the dining table, Su Xiaomeng felt like she’d won the lottery but was afraid someone might snatch it.
Her heart was ecstatic and excited, but on the surface had to remain composed, so she could only scratch Yin Shixiu’s hand under the table to vent her emotions.
Yin Shixiu held her hand, telling her not to move around.
Their mood was good, but some people were unhappy...
"Mom, how can we let the Fourth go elsewhere for the New Year?"
Yin Shiqing spoke, "Even Shihua stays here with her brother-in-law for the New Year, and never said anything about going to her in-laws’ place."
Zhou Mengqin picked up some food with her chopsticks, Yin Shiqing awaited Zhou Mengqin’s response, but she remained silent for a while...
Initially, everyone thought Zhou Mengqin was formulating a response, but later it became clear she never intended to reply. Instead, she chose to ignore him.
Yin Shiqing’s expression was a bit awkward and unpleasant.
Su Xiaomeng was previously triumphant, now held her breath, afraid to even breathe.
"Big Brother, situations differ and can’t be compared together."
Yin Shixiu said lightly, meeting Yin Shiqing’s gaze.
Yin Shiqing initially wanted to argue back, such as questioning how the situations differed, or emphasizing that the family tradition has always been to gather sons and grandchildren for the New Year, so why were things different for him and Su Xiaomeng?
Various thoughts, yet ultimately he held back.
He understood that adopted or not, there’s always a difference.
In this family, he was always cautious, abiding by rules, in career, family, marriage, whichever wasn’t dictated by the family’s decisions?
Afraid to upset his parents.
But Yin Shixiu, raised in favor since childhood, smart and capable, often acted on his own judgments.
Zhou Mengqin often said that Yin Shixiu has never truly worried her, but actually, it’s because his decisions fell within their acceptable range.
The elderly couple would indulge him, despite some actions running counter to their true desires.
No matter how much effort or obedience from an adopted child, it’s always deserved; whereas their own, regardless of freedom or disobedience, would still be forgiven...
After lunch, everyone went to different gardens, some walking, some resting.
After feeding Shuangshuang and Huanghuang, Su Xiaomeng let the grandparents take care of them at Zheng Garden.
Yin Shaohui and Zhou Mengqin, upon seeing their little grandson and granddaughter, also became as joyful as children.
Su Xiaomeng felt sentimental but lacked the courage to chat with the olds, hence she followed Yin Shixiu to the Fourth Young Master’s garden of the Yin Family.
This was her first visit and when she stood before this particularly classical and distinctive garden, she couldn’t help but look at Yin Shixiu in confusion, "How many times a year do you come back to stay here?"
Yin Shixiu led Su Xiaomeng inside. It was an authentic small courtyard from the front door; her view was met with several long corridors followed by a spacious courtyard.
The courtyard is filled with plum trees, blooming beautifully at this moment.
"Before marrying you, I probably came back seven or eight times. That doesn’t include the years abroad."
Su Xiaomeng looked at Yin Shixiu, licking her lips, "What a waste..."
"If you’re not afraid of living with Mom and Dad, we can move back here with the kids."
Su Xiaomeng immediately shook her head vigorously at these words, like a rattling drum.
Yin Shixiu smiled without saying anything. There’s no need to move back for the time being, but after a few more years, when Shuangshuang and Huanghuang are around seven or eight.
By then, moving back to the Yin Mansion would be better.
Yin Shixiu took her along the corridor for a walk. Although the exterior is all classic and quaint architecture, the rooms inside are quite modern.
This villa alone has seven or eight rooms plus a large main hall.
"In this estate, only this Jun Garden, Third Sister’s Huannan Garden, and Mom and Dad’s Zheng Garden were here when the garden was first built; they’re all early Qing Dynasty architecture."
"Wow! No wonder!"
"But everything you’re seeing now has been renovated and imitated afterwards."
"...What a pity."
"To live in, those old buildings won’t do, after all. They’re not meant for tours, right?"
It was cold outside, so after wandering around, they went into a room on the side, where the servants had already turned on the heater early.
Upon entering, Su Xiaomeng let out a comfortable sigh of relief.
The inside is mostly furnished with modern furniture and facilities.
"When Dad asked me to stay in Jun Garden, it used to be full of antiques here. He treasured each piece a lot, always saying, place this here, place that there..."
"Dad’s generation surely loves old stuff, right?"
Yin Shixiu heard Su Xiaomeng calling Yin Shaohui "Dad" too, feeling satisfied but not showing it, he continued, "Exactly, but I grew accustomed to living in London. Within days, I cleared everything out and sent all those antiques back to him."
"Haha, Dad must have been devastated at the time! Thinking, this ungrateful bastard son, these are all ancestors’ legacies!"
Su Xiaomeng said this while mimicking Yin Shaohui’s tone.
"Yes, that’s exactly what he said back then, haha."
"Is that so? Haha!"
"But before, when you were locked up on the mountain by Ming Liang and Ming Xu that time..."
"Eh?"
Yin Shixiu chuckled, "I even thought it was Mom and Dad who locked you up, and ended up smashing quite a few of his antiques."
Su Xiaomeng froze for a moment, then held his hand, "We can’t do that anymore in the future..."
"Haven’t you noticed now that he’s put away all those antiques?"
Su Xiaomeng thought for a moment, and indeed, in the living room at least, there were only decorative vases.
"Poor Dad, with a son like you..."
Both of them felt a bit sleepy, so they leaned against the big bed in the bedroom to rest.
"Uncle, I feel like Mrs. Yin doesn’t seem to dislike me as much... When I asked her if I could add a seat earlier, my heart was pounding so nervously I almost thought it would stop. I was so scared she’d say no..."
Yin Shixiu pulled her into his arms, "Eh-aw, doesn’t that just make you the aggrieved little wife?"
"...Isn’t that what I am?"
Su Xiaomeng rolled her eyes.
Yin Shixiu explained, "I mentioned before we came, Mom’s not one to get stuck on the same issue. After a few arguments, she knows you pretty well now."
"I think it’s mainly because of Huaiyu and Jinxi..."
Yin Shixiu yawned, "Alright, let’s nap."
"Mm."
The afternoon in Jun Garden was unfamiliar to Su Xiaomeng, yet unfamiliar and familiar at the same time.
This was once where Yin Shixiu lived all the time, but this man’s way of doing things was perhaps too meticulous, so much so that...
She couldn’t see much trace of his life here.
The windows and doors were closed, yet the scent of plum blossoms in the full courtyard kept drifting in.
In this brief repose, Su Xiaomeng’s dreams were sweet.
Tranquil and peaceful in the present world, a serene and sweet ease in the good times...
Beautiful scenarios always inspire excessively ideal and romantic fantasies.
Holding hands for a lifetime doesn’t seem that hard.
Dinner wasn’t as lavish as a formal banquet, but the dishes were relatively more refined.
Su Xiaomeng usually wasn’t quiet, but at the Yin Family, she truly realized that talking to people had nothing to do with whether she could chat or not.
The men talked about politics, economy, national affairs, and international trends.
The women discussed music, chess, calligraphy, painting, literature, and politics and economy.
Su Xiaomeng could dance and knew a little about it, and concerning other areas, she could somewhat converse too.
But what she managed to say seemed to be meaningless chatter to these people.