Although he said this in front of his grandson, when he was in front of his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. Bai changed his face.
Mr. Bai deliberately put on a stern face and scolded them.
"You two had a fight, didn't you?" Mr. Bai looked up at the two people standing in front of him, his eyes fell on his son and he said with a stern face: "I won't say anything else to your mother, but in my life, I have never quarreled in front of you once."
Bai Jingrong's forehead was covered with sweat, and he said, "Dad is not what you think..."
"What's going on? My grandson is scared, what do you think?" Old Bai raised his voice slightly. If his body hadn't allowed it, he would have slammed the table long ago. But even so, his son and daughter-in-law in front of him were also a little nervous. Both of them softened their attitudes. Luo Jiangjing's eyes were full of worry, and Bai Jingrong also whispered "Dad".
Mr. Bai said, "I thought I was useless this time, and I still wanted you to take care of this family. We are a small family with only a few people, and you can make it like this..." The old man got angry again and threatened half-truthfully, "I didn't expect you to give anything, but the child is kind-hearted. He wants to say hello to his parents and get a blessing for everything he does. If you are not willing to give, then forget it. I won't say these things to you. You should go back to the army for the New Year and don't make me angry here. I will take Luochuan back to the old house. The houses and forests in the family were given to him two years ago. There are also some antiques left, which I will give to him this time. I only have this one grandson. You don't care about him, but I, an old man, will care about him! When I am a hundred years old, there is nothing to regret. I can hold my head high when I see your mother."
Bai Jingrong was startled and said hurriedly: "Dad, don't say that. You are in good health and there is no rush to arrange these things." He did not care about money and property. Although he was a bit old-fashioned, he had a heart of respect and love for his old father.
Luo Jiangjing also said: "Yes, Dad, you are still young."
Mr. Bai waved his hands and said to them, "I don't understand what you young people are thinking now, but I guess you also want your children to be successful and hope that they will do well. But then again, what does it mean to be good? It's nothing more than proving that you are a useful person."
Bai Jingrong stood there and nodded. Luo Jiangjing had already heard what the old man meant and followed suit, saying, "Yes, that's the truth."
Mr. Bai pondered for a moment and then spoke again: "Jingrong wanted to stay in the army and do some practical work when he was young. Jiang Jing, you want to return to Shanghai to develop and build your own career. I understand that young people all have their own plans. But have you ever thought about it? If you have developed well, who would accompany Luochuan when he was a child?"
Luo Jiangjing's expression darkened for a moment, and he sighed, "Dad, I know we owe Luo Chuan a lot, and I don't have any other ideas now. As long as he is happy, I, as a mother, am willing to support him."
Old Bai looked at his son again, and seeing that he was still frowning, he snorted and said, "I don't know much about business, but it's nothing more than making more money and using money to prove success. I'll give all this to Luochuan in advance, and I can't control you anymore. I want my grandson to be happy all his life, and he won't be wronged at all. Anyway, everyone has an only child now, and I only have this one grandson. I'll be happy to give it to him."
Things have come to this point, and with Luo Jiangjing echoing him, Bai Jingrong lowered his head and remained silent for a while, not daring to say anything more.
His face felt hot. He did not rely on his father's savings, but his son took all the coffin money. He felt very ashamed.
Old Bai didn't show it on his face, but after glancing at his son, he felt a little relieved.
It was good enough to have such a tacit attitude. After a few years, the two children would settle down and naturally become a family. They had been together for more than 20 years, and they would become more familiar with each other in the remaining decades. The old man was still very optimistic about this - Mi Yang was such an obedient child, and his grandson was naturally excellent, who could not like them
Old Bai was very proud, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was true.
Perhaps because he finally relaxed from the worries he had been having for many years, after a few days, Mr. Bai's condition stabilized.
On the afternoon of New Year's Eve, Mr. Bai was discharged from the hospital and returned to his old house to recuperate.
This year, Bai Luochuan hung a lot of lanterns. The Bai family's old house was filled with joy from inside to outside, with lights and decorations everywhere.
Many people came to the Bai family to pay New Year's greetings this year, and it was particularly lively. Bai Jingrong and Luo Jiangjing put their work aside, made time to stay in the Bai family's old house for a while. Mr. Bai still needed to recuperate, so he only met a few close family members. The rest were received by the couple. In addition to these, another reason why Luo Jiangjing stayed was that he wanted to wait to have a meal with the Mi family.
But she couldn't make a decision on this matter as usual, it mainly depended on Bai Luochuan.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, when all the sons-in-law followed their wives back to their parents' homes, Bai Luochuan packed himself up and went to pay New Year's greetings to Old Lady Cheng.
During this time, he was taking care of Bai Lao in the hospital. Although he had lost some weight, he still looked handsome. He was young and promising. He was wearing the clothes that Cheng Qing had sent him a few days ago. His coat was a little thin, but his complexion had improved a lot. However, he had a rare hint of nervousness on his face. When Cheng Qing opened the door for him, that nervousness turned into a smile in his eyes. He greeted her, "Aunt Cheng, Happy New Year."
Cheng Qing hadn't expected him to come so early to wish everyone a happy new year. He patted his arm and asked with concern, "Why are you wearing so little? Are you cold? Come in and sit down. Is everyone in your family okay?"
She asked a lot of questions, and while pulling Bai Luochuan in, she talked to him. Bai Luochuan answered all her questions seriously: "It's okay, it's not cold, my family is fine, and my grandfather is in good health..."
This day is the most lively in the year for the Cheng family. The four daughters of the family are all back, and the son-in-law and the younger generations also come to live with their grandmother. As soon as you enter the living room, you can hear laughter and joy. The children are peeling oranges and eating them. The warmth in the room and the fragrance of orange peels waft in the air, mixed with the scent of candy, giving a very New Year's feel.
Mi Yang was carrying a plate of nuts and placing it on the coffee table. He was wearing the same clothes as Bai Luochuan. When he looked up and saw him, he smiled with his eyes bent, "Are you here?"
Bai Luochuan suddenly wasn't so nervous when he saw him and nodded with a smile.
Cheng Ru smiled and said, "Oh, these clothes are obviously bought by my elder sister. They look good on Yangyang and Luochuan!"
The other two sisters were also used to praising their eldest sister. The second and fourth sisters nodded and praised: "The clothes picked by the eldest sister are so beautiful. These two children wear them perfectly, just like brothers!"
Cheng Qing was quite proud. He held a young man's arm with one hand and smiled, "That's because they are good-looking and natural clothes hangers. They look good in anything they wear!"
Cheng Chun: "No, big sister has good taste. Even the best clothes need to be chosen by people!"
Cheng Ru: "That's right. Clothes make the man, and saddles make the horse. If these two kids wear these clothes and go out for a walk, it's a real bargain for the clothing store. It's like a live advertisement for their family!"
Cheng Ge: "Second sister and third sister are right!"
The four sisters acted like they were performing a crosstalk, with one being the funny one and the three supporting roles. They were afraid that they weren't praising their eldest sister well enough, so they praised her sincerely.
Cheng Qing was so amused that he took Bai Luochuan and the others to the guest room on the second floor, and handed him two more pieces of clothing, saying, "Take these too. You're busy at home and may not be able to take care of these little things. The temperature will drop in a few days, so remember to add two more pieces of clothing."
Bai Luochuan was a little surprised and took it with great care, "Thank you, Aunt Cheng."
Cheng Qing smiled and said, "Why are you being so polite to me? Let's stick to the old rules. You and Yangyang will each get a new set of clothes."
Bai Luochuan laughed and nodded, "Okay."
Cheng Qing asked him to stay for a few words and wanted to send him away, but Bai Luochuan still stood there without moving. He looked at Mi Yang, who was wearing the same clothes as him, and his eyes fell on the ring on his finger. He calmed down a little and said to Cheng Qing, "Aunt Cheng, is Uncle Mi here?"
Cheng Qing thought they wanted to talk about work, and smiled and said, "Yes, he just went to the kitchen to knead the dough. He plans to make dumplings for lunch. Wait, I'll go call him. You are such a jerk, working during the Chinese New Year. I think you should just take a couple of days off and give yourself a good vacation..."
Bai Luochuan said: "It's not work, I just have something to say to you and Uncle Mi."
Cheng Qing was a little surprised, but still agreed and called Mi Zehai over.
There were only a few of them in the guest room upstairs. When Cheng Qing called Mi Zehai over, he hadn't taken off his apron yet. There were some flour stains on it, and it was obvious that he had just been working hard for his mother-in-law's family. After he came in, he was a little surprised and asked, "What's going on? You're so mysterious. Is Yangyang's girlfriend here?"
Cheng Qing said: "Where is it? Luo Chuan is here and has something to tell us."
Mi Yang asked them to sit on the small sofa, "Dad, Mom, please sit down."
Mi Zehai insisted on standing: "No, I still have to knead the dough and roll the dumpling wrappers. Your uncles have prepared the fillings... Hey, don't push me. I'm dirty. Don't get flour on the sofa. What's the matter?" Although he said so, Mi Yang still pressed his shoulders and asked him to sit down. Mi Zehai was even more puzzled. He looked at the two children in front of him and suddenly smiled, "Oh, I see. You must have something to ask of me, right?"
Bai Luochuan said: "Yes, I have something to ask Aunt Cheng and Uncle Mi."
Yonezawa: “What’s the matter?”
Bai Luochuan said seriously: "I want to ask you to let me be with Mi Yang. I like him and I have decided on him. He is the only one I want in this life."
He said it too formally. The two adults sitting on the sofa were stunned for a moment. Cheng Qing didn't react at all and asked, "What do you mean you are together?"
Mi Zehai was stunned for a moment, his eyes followed their clasped hands and he immediately saw the pair of rings on their hands. He reacted much faster than Cheng Qing, he immediately raised his eyebrows and stood up suddenly: "Mi Yang!!"
When Mi Yang saw that the situation was not good, his father looked at him with a frown, so he immediately grabbed Bai Luochuan and turned around and ran.
Mi Zehai took off his apron in two or three moves and threw it on the sofa. He raised his legs and was about to chase them. Cheng Qing subconsciously grabbed his arm and directed all the anger in her heart at her husband: "Why did you hit your son! Can't you talk nicely?!"
Mi Zehai said angrily: "Didn't you see that the little bastard changed his sneakers early in the morning? As soon as I got up, he dragged Bai out. He had planned this all along!"
He broke Cheng Qing's hand and chased after him. Mi Yang had nowhere to hide in Shanhai Town. Apart from Old Lady Cheng, only Mi Hong could support him. Mi Zehai could guess with his eyes closed, and he trotted all the way to the cabin in the camphor forest.
When he went over, Mi Yang and Bai Luochuan were there as expected, talking to Mi Hong.
Seeing him coming, Mi Yang subconsciously hid to the side, and even wanted to go behind Mi Hong, "Grandpa, anyway, this is what happened. I told you, my dad is here..."
Mi Zehai heard him say this as soon as he walked in, his hand still clasped with Bai Luochuan's. Mi Yang took half a step back, and the boy surnamed Bai took a step forward. Although he didn't say anything, he also looked protective, as if he wanted to break up the young couple.
Mi Zehai felt a pang of pain in his heart, and was angry and annoyed: "Mi Yang, come here and explain it clearly. As a father, don't I have the right to know?"
Mi Yang stepped back a little, half hiding behind the old man: "Grandpa, you just promised to help me."
After his wife passed away, Mi Hong became more and more withdrawn and eccentric, but he was very kind to his grandson Mi Yang and would just nod slightly when he heard him talk.
Mi Zehai felt very bitter: "Dad, don't listen to this brat. He has planned it all along and I don't know how much he has hidden from the family. Did you see the rings on their hands? The brat said he has found a partner and has even arranged a house with her. Am I marrying a wife or a son? Moreover, they just want to spend their whole lives together without even thinking that two men together can't even have children..."
When he said this, Mi Hong raised his head and glanced at him calmly, saying, "Kneel down."
Mi Ze Hai knew that he had said the wrong thing and knelt down immediately.
Mi Yang was also a little scared and bent his knees, but before he could kneel, Mi Hong gently tapped him with the bamboo stick in his hand, nodded at him and said, "Don't worry, it's not your turn yet, come one by one, you and the boy from the Bai family go to the side and wait." The old man tapped Mi Zehai's shoulder with his pipe and asked him, "When you first came to this family, you were only a few years old, as thin as a monkey, black and ugly, and you didn't even have the strength to cry because of hunger. Your mother and I have never disliked you. Do you know why?"
Mi Zehai lowered his head and knelt there, his face flushed: "Dad, I was wrong, I just said the wrong thing."
Mi Hong stood in front of him and said calmly, "Because it was us who decided to adopt you. Your mother and I were not destined to have children. You are my adopted son."
Mi Zehai said sadly: "Dad, I am your son."
Mi Hong ignored him and said to himself, "We adopted you not only to promise your family a way out, but also to make our marriage complete. You are married now, so I won't tell you what marriage is, but for me, a complete marriage does not necessarily require having a child." His tone became heavier and he scolded, "Just because your mother can't have children, I won't marry her and spend my whole life with her? When have you ever seen me and your mother quarrel and get angry? I don't know who you learned this attitude and temper from, you are so stubborn! If we had told you that you couldn't have children, you would have starved to death. You wouldn't be alive here talking big!"
Mi Zehai knelt there, still stubbornly saying, "Dad, that's not what I meant. What I meant was that two men together can't take care of themselves, can't get a marriage certificate, and don't have a child to tie them down. It's okay for the first ten or twenty years, but when they get old, what will they do if they break up? This is a lifelong thing..."
Bai Luochuan moved his mouth and was about to say something when Mi Yang pulled his hand. Mi Yang shook his head at him, and Bai Luochuan didn't say anything.
In fact, he had already thought about it. He could get the certificate abroad. In China, the worst that could happen is that he would have to write a few more property certificates with both of their names on them. If he wrote ten or twenty certificates in a row, it would always prove his sincerity.
Mi Hong said coldly: "Your mother and I have been married for decades. I spent half of my time with her and the other half thinking about her."
He was standing alone in the cold wind, the cabin was clean but deserted, with only a couplet on it to suit the occasion. Through the glass, he could vaguely see a table, a chair and a bed inside, all alone. On the table was a photo of the old lady, and his three-stringed zither that he had cleaned for many years but never played again.
Yonezawa Hai had a deep relationship with his adoptive parents. His eyes turned red and he took a loud breath.
Mi Hong said: "They told me about the two children themselves. They are not what you think. They are quite thoughtful." He paused, sighed and said, "To get married, you have to find someone you like first. I arranged your marriage and also met girls from other families. I mentioned it to you. After you went with me to see that girl, you also said a few words to me..."
Mi Zehai had originally come here aggressively to pursue his son, but now that he had knelt down in front of Mi Hong, he had already lost some of his momentum. When he heard what his father said, he immediately stiffened his neck and said, "Dad, you can't talk nonsense. I only like Qing'er!"
Mi Hong watched as the corners of his lips moved, a hint of smile appeared in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared, and he nodded, "Yes, you told me when you were standing in the yard that you fell in love with the eldest daughter of the Cheng family, and you only liked her. It's the same with Yangyang, he just likes her, what can he do? He can't change it."
Mi Zehai was still a little dissatisfied, but he couldn't explain it after a long time. Wasn't he like this back then? He just liked Cheng Qing, and no one else would do it. No matter what anyone said, it wouldn't work.
With this precedent and Mi Hong's support, Mi Zehai felt so frustrated that he didn't dare to say a word.
Mi Hong looked up at the two juniors standing against the wall and said to them, "You two, follow me in."
Mi Zehai moved his knees, and Mi Hong glanced at him, and he immediately knelt down obediently in the yard. His father had a weak spot, and he would teach him a lesson if he said anything bad about his wife.
Mi Hong called the two children in, closed the door of the wooden house, and ignored Mi Yang's soft and flattering call of "Grandpa". He turned around and looked around, and found a slightly thicker bamboo stick at the head of the bed.
As soon as he took out the stick, Bai Luochuan subconsciously blocked Mi Yang behind him and said to him: "Grandpa, if you want to hit me, hit me. Mi Yang did nothing wrong. It was all my idea. I insisted that he be with me!"
Mi Yang pulled his arm, and Bai Luochuan protected the area tightly and would not let him out at all.
Mi Hong glanced at him, turned around and hit the sofa with a stick, "Mi Yang, scream."
Mi Yang was stunned for a moment, but soon realized what was happening. When Mi Hong hit the sofa with the next few sticks, he immediately started shouting in pain. To be honest, it was quite realistic when mixed with the dull sound of being hit on the sofa.
Bai Luochuan stood there in a daze.
Mi Hong only used the stick to symbolically hit them a few times, and then said to them: "Okay, get out."
Mi Yang quickly agreed, "Hey!" Before leaving, he glanced at Mi Zehai from the corner of his eyes, lowered his head and dared not say a word, limped along, buried his head on Bai Luochuan's shoulder and tried to look like he was being beaten. He did not dare to look at his father who was still kneeling in the yard, nor did he let his father see his face. Bai Luochuan also immediately cooperated, stretched out his hand to help Mi Yang lead him out carefully, and whispered to him if it hurt.
Although it was quite embarrassing for Mi Zehai to kneel down, he had heard the noise in the house just now and could not help but turn his head to look at their backs as they left.
Mi Hong pushed the door open and walked out, telling the man who was still kneeling calmly: "Alright, you and your son are both wrong today, each of you will be punished with thirty strokes of the cane, you should stand up too, and be more careful when you speak next time, don't just say anything. As for Mi Yang, I also beat him, so let's just let it go."
Mi Zehai supported his knees and stood up. Halfway up, he looked up at his father: "Ah? Just passed? But Dad, Mi Yang and Bai Luochuan..."
Mi Hong's face turned cold again: "Why, you didn't listen to what I said just now, right? Do you want to kneel again?"
Mi Zehai's forehead was covered with sweat, and he shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, Dad, I dare not, I didn't mean that, I, I... Okay, let's just leave it at that." He said the last sentence in an act of self-destruction, fearing that if he said a few more words, Mi Hong would simply tell him to get out of the yard without even giving him a chance to kneel.
The old man was strong-willed all his life and was only good to the old lady. He protected her like the apple of his eye and no one, not even her son, was allowed to say a bad word about the old lady - no one dared to mention the fact that she "had no children" again.
Mi Zehai failed to teach his son a lesson, and was scolded by his own father instead. He did not feel ashamed kneeling to his own father, just as if it was New Year's Day to kowtow to his father. However, he knelt for a long time, and he stumbled to his feet. If he had not held on to a flower bed next to him, he would have almost failed to stand up. Mi Zehai was very sad. He was also a man in his forties, and his knees hurt after kneeling for a long time.
As he limped along the road, he couldn't help but think of his son being beaten. He felt sore and uncomfortable. He loved Mi Yang and had never hit him before. If Mi Yang hadn't put on sneakers and ran away today, he wouldn't be so angry... The brat did it on purpose! He was angry and worried about Mi Yang being beaten. After walking back, he didn't forget to pat the dirt on his knees at the door of Mrs. Cheng's house, for fear that his mother-in-law's family would notice.
Mi Zehai returned to the Cheng family with a lot of grievances, but did not see his son at home.
Cheng Ru stood there and said to him, "Brother-in-law, what are you doing? It's almost noon, why are you back alone? Where's Yangyang? Our mother said that he must eat the first pot of dumplings first. The old lady secretly packed a lot of coins and candies!"
Yonezawa Hai: “…”
Yonezawa: “He didn’t come back?”
Cheng Ru was even more surprised than him: "No, my sister said you went out for a run, why did you come back alone?" She was very quick-witted, and although she didn't know what had happened, she helped cover up a little when she saw that her elder sister looked unwell.
Cheng Ge also acted as if he didn't understand what was going on and said, "That's right, brother-in-law. Everyone was making dumplings, but why did you suddenly chase Mi Yang and the others to go jogging? That's just too much. You can't get your body in shape in one day. How long have you been out of the army? You still have such a bad temper. Mom is angry, and my sister is trying to comfort her now!"
Mi Zehai trembled the corners of his lips, unable to utter a word. He held it in for a long time before saying, "I'll go take a look."
In the guest room on the second floor, Old Mrs. Cheng was sitting with her daughter. Cheng Qing's eyes were red, obviously she had been crying, but her attitude was not much better when she saw her husband. She pouted and refused to speak to him.
Old Mrs. Cheng patted her arm, sighed, and waved for Mi Zehai at the door to come over: "Zehai, come here."
Mi Zehai sat aside and said a little restrainedly: "Mom."
Old Mrs. Cheng looked embarrassed, but she still said, "I heard about Yangyang's matter from your wife."
Mi Zehai straightened his back a little, and just as he was about to say something, he heard the old lady continue with an embarrassed tone: "But, you can't blame the child for this. I think there are some problems with your usual education. Our Yangyang has never been a burden to you two since he was young. You two go out to work and lock the child up for the whole day. How many friends can he have? It's just that kid from the Bai family. The two of you have been playing together since childhood, so it's inevitable... Anyway, I think you as parents are also at fault."
Yonezawa was stunned for a long time before he said, "Ah? Our fault?"
The old lady said a few words and felt that there was nothing wrong with it. She said with more certainty, "Yes, but it's not a big deal. It's just finding a boyfriend. There used to be one in our town. Two years ago, you sent a bag of rice and two boxes of tea to the uncle's family in the east of the town. That's their family!"
Mi Zehai swallowed the words he wanted to say to refute, completely shocked by this gossip: "That uncle's family, too?! Who is it? Why didn't I see it?"
Old Madam Cheng smiled and said, "It's your aunt. You can't tell, especially when she was young. She was prettier than the other young wives around her!"
Cheng Qing was also stunned. After thinking carefully for a while, he said, "Is it that tall aunt? She... No, isn't she a man?"
Old Mrs. Cheng: "Yes." The old lady didn't notice anything at all, and even blamed the couple for making a fuss. "It's just life, it's the same behind closed doors, as long as they get along well, that's all! They adopted a child from a distant relative, and the family is happy now. Technology is advanced now, and if Yangyang and the others want to have a child in the future, I think they can use test tubes or something... Is that what it's called? There's no rush anyway, they're still children themselves, it's not too late to talk about this two years later."
Cheng Qing looked at Mi Zehai, and Mi Zehai looked at her. They no longer thought about their son and asked quietly, "Mom, that aunt is half a head taller than my uncle and she usually wears women's clothes. Why do you just look at her like that?"
Old Madam Cheng asked, "Ah, what's the matter? People like to wear red and flowers, is it against the law?"
Cheng Qing shook his head and said, "No, no, I just didn't expect it."
Mi Zehai sat there and thought about it carefully. He imagined what it would look like if either Mi Yang or Bai Luochuan wore women's clothes. He felt repulsed in his heart. But after thinking about it, he suddenly felt that it was nothing for the two kids to stand together in men's clothes. It was much easier to accept than before.
Cheng Qing was sitting there asking about his uncle and aunt, and the red circles under his eyes had mostly faded. Mi Zehai wanted to interrupt several times but couldn't. He could only touch the tip of his nose and sit on the small sofa beside him and wait.