Chapter 122: Chapter 115: An Unexpected Calm (Part 1)
Yin Meng felt like slapping them right then!
"You almost got my best friend killed!"
Yin Meng was fuming, pointing at her two younger brothers who were two years her junior, "You guys... you think just because you’ve had your coming-of-age ceremony, you can decide everything on your own?"
Shan Mingxu scratched his head, "I... I was careless, I only intended to keep her locked up for one night."
"Do you know how many people could freeze to death in one night?"
"And what gives you the right to lock someone up? That’s illegal detention!"
Shan Mingxu and Shan Minglang remained silent.
"This time, we found Xiaomeng, and she’s mostly unharmed. But if something really happened to her, even if Grandpa and Grandma don’t like Xiaomeng, you both would still be in trouble! You know their temperament; they wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice family for justice!"
"Sis, don’t scare us..."
"Am I scaring you? If Xiaomeng really lost her life in that warehouse, you think her parents wouldn’t seek justice from you? Can you two bear the responsibility for a human life?"
Shan Minglang wasn’t sure if his brother was scared by their sister’s words, but he definitely was.
Yin Meng saw that both their faces were tense, and thought she probably had scared them.
She raised her eyebrows, "Stand outside and freeze for a while!"
"...Okay."
"...Okay."
The two nodded, and then Yin Meng, wrapping her coat around herself and shrugging her shoulders, went inside.
Shan Mingxu and Shan Minglang, both nearly six feet tall, exchanged bewildered glances with their youthful faces.
Beside them, Ah Bu stood up, and as they watched, Ah Bu walked past them into the house, seemingly thinking... it was too cold outside.
In the living room, three elderly people sat together discussing the incident.
Yin Shaohui explained that it was just a misunderstanding, and that the two grandsons were simply immature.
Bai Fengmao understood the implication in Yin Shaohui’s words, but he seemed unable to fully agree.
"Su Xiaomeng and Shixiu are already married, so I just don’t understand, how did your two grandsons dare?"
"Well..."
Yin Shaohui was momentarily at a loss for words because he understood that it resulted from the incorrect attitude of them as the elders.
"That girl Xiaomeng told me there were two bad boys who didn’t like her, so they wanted to starve her..."
Zhou Mengqin furrowed her brows.
Bai Fengmao, seeing Zhou Mengqin’s expression, immediately knew what she was thinking, and continued, "Then I asked, who do these bad boys belong to? And why don’t they like her? Where’s her husband?"
Zhou Mengqin didn’t need to think to know that little girl probably told everything...
"In the end, the girl wouldn’t say anything else, she just borrowed a phone to assure her mother she was safe, so until Shixiu stood in front of me, I didn’t know the girl was Brother Yin’s daughter-in-law."
Zhou Mengqin was momentarily stunned.
On the other side, Yin Shaohui’s expression was stern.
Bai Fengmao looked at Yin Shaohui, "Brother Yin, although we are both old cadres, you were in the military and I in civilian affairs, so we haven’t interacted much. But you’re still a person at the general level. To let your daughter-in-law be bullied like this can’t just be let slide, right?"
"Mr. Bai, this is our family matter."
Zhou Mengqin smiled slightly, and said.
Bai Fengmao also smiled and nodded, "Yes, your family matter."
Yin Shaohui gave Zhou Mengqin a look, signaling her to say no more.
"Actually... to be honest, Brother Fengmao, I’ll tell you frankly, although Su Xiaomeng is a good person and her personality is cute, in other aspects... she falls short for our family."
"For example?"
"This girl is an outstanding student from A University, yet she tells me she plans to return home after graduation to open a flower shop with her father!"
"Otherwise, she wants to teach little kids dance. This... in the future if this family falls into old four’s hands, and the daughter-in-law isn’t responsible, how can I and Mengqin rest easy after we’re gone?"
Yin Shaohui looked at Bai Fengmao and spoke truthfully.
Bai Fengmao was somewhat silent.
"Her family is in Chengdu, her mother is a small teacher, and her father only graduated high school..."
"Not a proper match, is it?"
Bai Fengmao asked calmly, his eyes, carrying too many stories of life’s ups and downs, showing a hint of bitterness.
"Old four has grown up without ever arguing with the family, and for this girl, he nearly overturned the household today."
"I’ll compensate for those antiques."
At this moment, Yin Shixiu came down from upstairs.
Zhou Mengqin and Yin Shixiu had been holding in their anger all day, and as soon as Yin Shixiu came down, Zhou Mengqin looked away immediately.
But she was anxious inside, a bit worried about that girl’s condition, so she secretly nudged her husband.
Yin Shaohui felt speechless towards his wife, yet he still asked, "How’s that girl Su Xiaomeng?"
"Asleep, suffered some minor injuries."
"And the child?"
"Yes, it’s fine. Once she wakes up, I’ll take her to the hospital for a thorough check-up tomorrow."
"That’s good. It’s reassuring to have a check-up."
Bai Fengmao was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Sister Zhou, Brother Yin, how about this?"
Yin Shaohui and Zhou Mengqin both looked at Bai Fengmao, waiting for his follow-up.
"I feel that I and that girl Xiaomeng have a connection, how about I acknowledge her as my granddaughter, so, Sister Zhou, you might overlook the issue of proper match?"
Bai Fengmao’s suggestion surprised both the elderly of the Yin family.
Yin Shixiu’s expression was also slightly surprised.
"Of course, I’m not saying I have such great face, that casually acknowledging a god-granddaughter would make her worthy for your young master. I just think... we’ve reached an age where some things should be left for the young generation to decide."
Zhou Mengqin didn’t know what to say for a moment.
Yin Shaohui also didn’t expect Bai Fengmao to defend Su Xiaomeng so...
"Besides, that girl is only twenty now, young people at twenty are mostly just half-grown, discussing aspirations and ideals with them? It’s a bit early, isn’t it?"
The faces of the Yin family’s two elders were solemn, as if they were contemplating Bai Fengmao’s words.
"Or... do you really want to lose your own son?"
Bai Fengmao’s words seemed to strike right at Zhou Mengqin’s wound.
She suddenly stood up, "If this son truly wants a wife over a mother, then there’s nothing I can do. Mr. Bai, our family matters, please don’t interfere."
"Mengqin!"
Zhou Mengqin turned and walked outside after speaking.
Just because of a little girl who still smells of milk, I can’t even keep my son? Isn’t that laughable?
Yin Shaohui quickly stood up, "Brother Fengmao, let’s chat another day!"
Bai Fengmao nodded.
He... perhaps said a bit too much.
Yin Meng saw her grandparents leaving and quickly followed.
Outside the door, Shan Mingxu and Shan Minglang were really standing there, unmoving.
"Let’s go, head back."
"Where are uncle and aunt?"
"Your aunt hasn’t woken up yet, your uncle is here accompanying."
Yin Meng replied.
"Then we will stay here and accompany too."
Shan Mingxu said casually.
"It’s quite late already, how long do you plan to stay and accompany?"
Yin Meng frowned.
Shan Minglang looked at Yin Meng with a bitter face, "Sis, don’t worry about us, we are voluntarily accepting punishment, admitting our mistakes."
Yin Meng raised an eyebrow, "Doesn’t look like admitting mistakes to me, more like playing the bitter-meat trick?"
Ah oh...
Yin Shixiu came out from the room and made a call to Su’s mother; it was cut off just after it started ringing.
He then made several more calls in succession, clearly intending to persist.
However, Su’s mother seemed even more resolute than him, finally turning off the phone completely.
He then tried calling Su Chengji, but it was also off.
Yin Shixiu was left helpless, rubbing his forehead, probably could only wait until Xiao Meng woke up and let her make the call.
If Su’s mother truly comes here, he would really have a hard time explaining.
Just as he turned around, he saw Shan Mingxu and Shan Minglang looking eagerly at him.
Yin Shixiu pressed his lips together, then pointed with his hand, "Get inside, what doing standing outside?"
The two guys didn’t move.
"Didn’t you hear me telling you to get inside!"
Yin Shixiu shouted sternly, and the two boys immediately dashed into the room.
The twins were a bit anxious, but thought, since uncle let them inside, perhaps the consequences won’t be too terrible.
Bai Fengmao got two blankets for the two brothers, letting them make do on the sofa.
Before going to sleep, Yin Shixiu accompanied the old man for a game of go, then returned to Xiao Meng’s room.
Actually, if counted, Yin Shixiu had almost gone thirty-six straight hours without closing his eyes.
Fearing he might disturb Su Xiaomeng, Yin Shixiu merely leaned against the bedside, and as his tense nerves slightly relaxed, sleepiness overtook him.
The next morning, when he woke up, Su Xiaomeng’s shadow was gone from beside him.
A shock, it seemed like a nightmare revisiting.
Immediately got off the bed and out of the bedroom, "Xiao Meng?!"
"It’s morning, what are you shouting for?"
Bai Fengmao looked up and glanced at Yin Shixiu.
Yin Shixiu rushed downstairs, seeing Su Xiaomeng was sitting at the dining table, devouring breakfast, his heart finally eased.
"...Kiddo, why didn’t you wake me up?"
Yin Shixiu walked over, sighed softly.
Su Xiaomeng looked up at him, casually said, "Saw you sleeping soundly, so didn’t wake you."
Then she continued gnawing on the steamed bun, making it seem like that plain bun was some kind of worldly delicacy.
"Uncle, you should come sit down and have breakfast too, Grandpa Bai’s buns are quite tasty!"
Said Shan Minglang brightly, sitting across from Su Xiaomeng.
Su Xiaomeng glanced at him then continued eating the bun.
Yin Shixiu looked at the dining table, seeing Su Xiaomeng and the twins sitting together, that feeling...
How strange it was?
Shan Mingxu and Shan Minglang woke up bright and early, and opened their eyes to find Su Xiaomeng silently standing by the sofa, fixedly staring at them both!
At that moment, the two were frightened into a tight embrace!
Don’t do guilty actions, that’s the principle.
"Aunty..."
Shan Minglang opened his mouth to call, and then saw Su Xiaomeng slightly open her mouth, as if confirming something...
"...so it really is you two."
These words seemed even scarier than when she stood by the sofa staring at them.
"Aunty... we were foolish, please be magnanimous and forgive us?"
Shan Minglang quickly stood up, while Shan Mingxu also stood up, heads bowed.
Su Xiaomeng scrutinized Shan Minglang, his voice was clearer, and the other one... was he the one who pinched her chin, determined to kill her?