Chapter 613 Love Yourself More

Xiao Yan repeatedly told Erya not to let Lu Qin's mother know.

This matter is not suitable for discussion, it is better to act first and report later.

Erya nodded, "Don't worry."

She ensured that the task was completed and everything was arranged properly.

Xiao Yan stayed at home for two nights and left soon after.

Xiaoman probably knew that he was gone, so she came to look for Lu Qiniang as she did before.

Lu Qiniang persuaded him.

"Mom isn't saying I have to force you to acknowledge your father, but don't hide from him. You're old enough now, and what happened back then wasn't your father's fault."

Her three daughters were all very sensible when they were this age.

"Think about it," Lu Qiniang coaxed, "Your father misses you in his heart, but you avoid him. How sad he must feel. You can have two fathers, right? It doesn't mean that just because you recognize your biological father, you can't-"

"Mom, he didn't do anything wrong, but my dad didn't do anything wrong either." Xiaoman's voice was serious and stubborn.

Lu Qiniang was stunned for a moment. She didn't expect him to say that.

"Mom, my dad worked so hard to raise me; then when my biological dad came back, I immediately couldn't wait to get close to him. Have you ever thought about what my dad would think?"

Yes, he doesn't mind having another father.

To make his mother happy, he could even endure some minor discomfort and grievances.

But if his closeness would make Zhang Heyao - the father who had protected him from the wind and rain, taught him to read and understand, tucked him in at night, and stayed by his side all night when he was sick since he was a child - feel lost and sad, then Xiaoman would never do that.

"Mom, it's great that your family is reunited." Xiaoman's eyes were red, and her voice was choked with sobs, "But my dad, I'm all he has left. You don't know, or if you did, you probably wouldn't care too much... How did my dad get through these past few days?"

The scene of that night clearly emerged in Xiaoman's eyes:

When he got up at night, he found that there was still light outside.

When I went out, I saw Zhang Heyao sitting in front of the stone table in the yard.

He was only wearing a thin coat, and his figure looked extremely thin and lonely under the watery moonlight.

The night wind was chilly, ruffling the few strands of his untied hair, but he was completely unaware. He just sat there quietly, motionless, like a frozen stone statue.

The moonlight was pale, stretching his shadow long and thin, casting it alone on the ground.

The stone table was empty, without even a glass of wine or a cup of tea.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze seemingly fixed on the distant horizon.

Xiaoman had never seen such a father before. In his heart, his father was as strong as a mountain, a person who could always solve problems and protect him.

But at that moment, Daddy's back seemed so fragile that it seemed like it could be blown down by a gust of wind.

He seemed to be forgotten by the whole world, and was surrounded by endless loneliness.

"Mom," Xiaoman sniffed, trying hard to hold back tears, her voice stubborn, "I only have one dad, the one who raised me. Please don't force me."

"Okay, let's eat melon." Yun Ting came out of the kitchen with the cut melon, interrupting the conversation between mother and son.

He was following Erya just now, and when he heard the conversation between the mother and son, he hurried out to smooth things over.

"Eat melon, eat melon." Lu Qiniang stuffed a piece of melon into Xiaoman's hand and swallowed the rest of the words.

After eating the melon, Yun Ting said he wanted to take Xiaoman to see a play.

Xiaoman thought for a moment and asked, "Brother-in-law, I want to take my dad with me, is that okay?"

Lu Qi Niang:???

What did she just hear?

Yun Ting glared at Xiao Man and said, "Didn't we agree that we could only call out in secret?"

After saying that, he looked at Lu Qiniang in a flattering manner and laughed twice.

"I want to take my dad with me, is that okay?"

Xiaoman asked again stubbornly.

He felt that his father was really lonely being alone.

I want to go to a lively place to make my dad happy.

"What's wrong with that? I can afford to hire one more person." Yun Ting said happily.

Anyway, he has a big heart.

But if Zhang Heyao saw that he was not feeling well, there was nothing he could do.

Soon the two of them went out, and Lu Qiniang's shoulders slumped.

It's too difficult.

"Mom, don't worry." Erya also came out of the kitchen. "My dad is more open-minded than you. A forced melon is not sweet. There is still a long way to go. If the two families live back and forth and see each other often, my brother will definitely like my dad too."

No matter how much you talk about blood ties, they are still very abstract.

Love is long-term companionship.

So we can't force Xiaoman to take sides at this moment, and we can't let him feel like he has betrayed Zhang Heyao.

"Yeah, I know that too." Lu Qiniang sighed, "Forget it, I won't say it anymore."

"That's right. Whether you say it or not, they are all your biological children. Mom, do you want to have another brother or sister? It's been so many years!"

Lu Qiniang and Xiao Yan only had one child, which was really too thin.

"No more." Lu Qiniang shook her head. "Your father wasn't keen on having children. Although I like children, forget it. Eldest sister has been married for so many years, it's time for her to have a child. And you, you and Yun Ting..."

"My elder sister is tired." Erya interrupted her, "As for me, don't worry about me."

"Why shouldn't I worry?"

"Let's take it one step at a time." Erya sat down next to her and said nonchalantly, "Yun Ting is the prince of the Duke's Mansion. He can't decide his marriage on his own."

Only after returning to Beijing will I know how many difficulties this marriage will face.

So Erya doesn’t want to do that at all now.

By then, you never know where it might get stuck.

"Don't you think it will work?" Lu Qiniang asked softly, "It's just the two of us, you don't have to be ashamed."

"Mom, do you want to hear the truth?"

"Well, to tell the truth, no matter what you say, mother won't scold you."

"The truth is, anything goes."

"What do you mean 'anything'?" Lu Qiniang's eyes widened. "Marriage is a serious matter, not a joke."

"I actually think I'm living a good life now. But I don't hate Yun Ting either. The pie he painted for me looks pretty good. I don't mind trying it, but if it doesn't taste good, forget it."

She's not in love, not at all.

She looked at Yun Ting as if he were a family member.

There is no such love that is hard to give up.

Not in the past.

Not now.

It will be difficult to have it in the future.

"Mother, I'm actually quite cold-hearted about this matter." Erya said, "It's hard for me to give the same amount of effort to Yun Ting as he has given to me."

After all, she loved herself too much.

"From childhood to adulthood, I have met many men. There are bad men, and there are also many good men, but I have never had the idea of ​​spending my life with a man, and there has never been anyone who can make me love so much that I can give up everything for him."

"I used to think I was abnormal, but later I stopped thinking about it."

“There’s nothing wrong with loving yourself.”

Even though Yun Ting is so good to her now, she is grateful, accepts it, and even has the desire to give it a try, it does not mean that she completely believes in the future.

People change.

Maybe Yun Ting has changed, or maybe she has changed.

"So I don't want to think about the future, nor will I worry about gains and losses. If we can go together, then we will go together; if not, then let's part ways amicably."

"You may not want to, but I do." Lu Qiniang said, "After we return to the capital, let's see the attitude of the Duke's Mansion and discuss it carefully. Don't just agree to the marriage right away."

In fact, she wanted to speak up for Yun Ting before.

But after hearing what Erya said, she was afraid, so she advised her to be cautious.

"Yes, you're right. Mother, I want to make some new clothes. Shall we go to the Jinyi Pavilion and have a look?"

"Go ahead, I'm busy."

Lu Qinniang would not go.

A set of clothes costs dozens of taels of silver, why not rob them?

But Erya kept pestering her so much that she had no choice but to pack up her things and follow her out.

"No, what are they doing?" Lu Qiniang couldn't help but feel curious as she watched the water trucks passing by.

Someone recognized her and greeted her with a smile: "Madam Xiao! We are going to clean the city wall!"

"Oh!" Lu Qinniang's eyes lit up, and she lowered her voice and said to Erya happily, "This must be preparations to welcome your third sister back!"

She seemed to have already seen the scene with flags waving and thousands of people cheering.

Erya said "hmm" and laughed in her heart: Mom, just wait for a bigger surprise.