Chapter 133: Tearing Off the Face

Chapter 133: Tearing Off the Face

After a night of firecrackers, on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Shuibiwan Village was covered in snow, a clear day after the snowfall.

Late last night, after his parents had gone to bed, Cheng Bing went upstairs to find his sister, and the three siblings chatted quietly until dawn.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, people came to pay their respects in waves. The three younger children also had to go to each family to give gifts, but they didn't have to stay for a meal. They could just stay and play for a while, have some snacks, and then come back. Only at Grandma Lin's house did they have to stay for dinner. Cheng Bing showed unprecedented enthusiasm, wishing she could carry all the gifts herself so that her two older sisters could rest empty-handed. When they ate at Grandma Lin's house, she also happily helped them eat a lot.

When they returned home in the evening, Cheng Junjun pulled Cheng Xiaoxiao to set off small fireworks at the door, without inviting her troublesome younger brother.

Cheng Bing then felt at ease and sent WeChat messages to Fang Yuenian.

He sent long messages to his two older sisters, telling them that their step forward had been acknowledged by them. Fang Yuenian replied with many touching words and a bunch of happy, rolling emojis, but unfortunately they couldn't meet today to say it in person.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the sky remained clear, and the day the snow melted was unusually cold.

This is Fang Yue Nian's first year of university, and she can't be too perfunctory with her relatives and friends, or she'll be the subject of gossip. People might say she's become arrogant now that she's a university student. So she has to be a very well-behaved young person during the holidays and still can't find Cheng Bing, especially on the second day of the Lunar New Year.

My aunt called a long time ago to urge Wang Jing to come over early, have lunch and then dinner, and have a good day.

Fang Wu continued to wander around, helping out at his well-known new friend's shop, working so diligently that he was practically smoking from his hair, just like the master of the house.

So Wang Jing was relieved and took her son back to her parents' home.

Of course, everyone had to have some fun when they got together. After lunch, they set up a card table, with young and old alike joining in. Fang Yuenian, a gambling novice, was forced to stay in a corner and watch. They played until dinner time, but they still weren't satisfied. After dinner, they played for a while longer until it got dark, when the mother and son finally said goodbye.

It was dark and snowy, making walking difficult. Fang Yuenian carried a flashlight and two boxes of return gifts that his mother-in-law had insisted on giving him. He chatted with Wang Jing as he walked.

Wang Jing asked him, "Your brother Liangliang's girlfriend, do you talk to her a lot? What do you think of her?"

Fang Yuenian: "He said a few words, and they were quite good."

Wang Jing smiled and said, "Your aunt likes her very much. She says she is gentle and always smiling, and looks very sweet. She has been here for a few days and has gotten along well with her siblings."

Having just met her today, Fang Yuenian wasn't actually very familiar with her future cousin-in-law, but she seemed like a very amiable person, so she chimed in, "Very good, very good."

Wang Jing's feet sank into the snow as she playfully scolded, "You're so good at this. By the way, your aunt asked me if you plan to find a girlfriend in college. She said college students have more free time these days, so it's good to find a girl to date."

Fang Yuenian, oblivious to the situation, still chimed in, "Very good, very good."

Wang Jing stomped her foot. "You only know how good it is!"

"Oh," Fang Yuenian snapped out of her daze, "What? Dating?"

Wang Jing said, "Ah."

Fang Yuenian sighed and said, "What's the rush?"

“There’s no rush, isn’t this a natural thing?” Wang Jing explained, “People who don’t go to university get married even earlier.”

How did we get onto the topic of marriage? Fang Yuenian thought for a moment and said softly, "Mom, the person I'll be living with in the future will definitely be a very good person, an exceptionally good person."

Wang Jing paused, seemingly hesitant, as if she wanted to speak but hesitated, "You, you already have, have..."

Fang Yuenian stopped, turned around to look at her mother, and smiled, "We'll talk about this later, Mom. I'll tell you later."

Wang Jing looked somewhat dazed and hesitant.

“Niannian,” she began hesitantly, “I have something to tell you. Today, your mother-in-law, your aunt, your uncle, and I discussed it together.”

"What are you discussing?" Fang Yuenian paused. "The divorce? Why weren't you invited?"

Wang Jing smiled and said, "You're still young, this..."

“I’m not a child anymore,” Fang Yuenian said unhappily. “Mom, you can’t hide this from me. Don’t treat me like a child.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Wang Jing gently comforted her son. “Adults have their own things to do. Your uncle and aunt both support me. I won’t go into your uncle’s case, but the key is your aunt. We’ve had a good relationship for over twenty years. She’ll keep you company and take care of your mother-in-law. Just thinking about it makes me happy. I’m really tired of arguing with your grandma for so many years.”

Fang Yuenian felt a warmth in her heart, and then smiled and said, "Yes, that's good."

Wang Jing added, “We’ve discussed it. Your brother Liangliang has brought his girlfriend home for the New Year, so getting married is just a matter of time. You know your uncle’s house, it’s a two-story building. They’re planning to renovate the second floor nicely and turn it into a beautiful new house. Your uncle and aunt will live on the first floor. If I go back home in the future, I’ll live in the old house with your mother-in-law. That’s fine too, it’s quiet and peaceful.”

Fang Yuenian was stunned for a long time, "Then what about me?"

His momentary daze and surprise stung Wang Jing. She stepped forward, patted his arm twice, and said, "Don't you like your room now? The wallpaper is new, the windows are new, and you picked out the bookshelves and wardrobes yourself. You can see the renovated yard from the window, where there are now many flowering trees, and you can also see the Shuibi River and Cheng Bing's house across the street."

Fang Yuenian was stunned for a long time before she finally said in surprise, "Aren't you going to take me with you? Otherwise, we can design a small room for me in my mother-in-law's old house. It's okay."

“Year after year!” Wang Jing’s nose tingled with emotion. “Don’t say that.”

"Mom!" Fang Yuenian cried out anxiously, "Of course I want to be with you!"

“I know,” Wang Jing said, pulling her son’s arm. “Listen to me, you’re still in school. When you grow up and have a boyfriend, are you going to bring him to your mother-in-law’s old house? I know you’re unhappy with your current home, but you don’t need to worry about those things. It’s your home, your house, and your land. Even if your father remarries, he won’t be able to have a baby at his age. Just take good care of your things. They’re what you deserve. Your grandparents will definitely be on your side.”

Fang Yuenian was completely stunned. “What house, what land, I don’t care at all. Mom, you just need to think about your own things, you don’t need to think about me. I will have my own life in the future. It doesn’t matter whether there is a house or land in the village or not. As long as you are here, I have a home. Whether I study or work outside in the future, I can come home and be with you, my mother-in-law and my aunt. I think that’s great. I just want to live like this.”

Wang Jing choked up.

She always knew what kind of home her son wanted, but unfortunately, she never gave him what he wanted.

Fang Yuenian finished speaking in one breath, but then suddenly thought of many practical issues. He could be indifferent, but the fact that his uncles and aunts of this generation could accept his mother unconditionally did not mean that his cousins ​​and their wives of the next generation would do the same.

“Mom,” he thought for a moment, “it’s okay if it’s inconvenient for me to stay here for a long time. I can make do for the next few years. When I start working, I can live outside and come back as if I’m visiting relatives. As long as you’re doing well, that’s all that matters.”

Tears welled up in Wang Jing's eyes, "Nian Nian..."

“Anyway,” Fang Yuenian said firmly, “it’s impossible for you to leave me alone in that house.”

When Fang Yuenian returned home that day, it was already dark, and Fang Wu had not yet come back. Wang Jing decided to wait until the fourth day of the Lunar New Year before bringing up the matter again, so Fang Yuenian went to sleep peacefully.

The night passed, and on the morning of the third day of the Lunar New Year, Cheng Bing asked Fang Yuenian to go to the carpenter's shop.

Fang Yuenian brought five or six insulated food containers with her, and immediately declared, "These aren't leftovers, I specially picked them out for you, eat up!"

Cheng Bing said, "I just ate breakfast."

Fang Yuenian: "Okay, don't eat yet, come on, give me a kiss."

Cheng Bing: "What... Ugh!"

Before she could finish speaking, Fang Yuenian stumbled and pushed her into the chair behind her, then pressed her down and showered her with a series of unrestrained kisses. Cheng Bing went from being surprised to wanting to laugh, and then her face turned completely red before she finally stopped.

"Did you miss me?" Fang Yuenian asked, still holding him down after kissing him, raising her chin in a flirtatious manner.

Cheng Bing raised an eyebrow slightly.

With a half-smile, she looked at the person with a leisurely air, "Hmm, you've thought about it, so what?"

Fang Yuenian said, "You pass."

He let go, stood up again, and busied himself as if nothing had happened, opening and arranging all the different dishes one by one.

Cheng Bing walked over and put her arms around the waist of the person who was humming a little tune. "Why are you so happy?"

"Of course I'm happy to see you," Fang Yuenian said without batting an eye, her words dripping with sweet talk. "Don't you have any guests at home today?"

“Yes,” Cheng Bing said. “We’ve arrived. I worked in the kitchen all day yesterday, so I’m off today and don’t have to do anything.”

Fang Yuenian turned her face towards him, glancing at him with a smile, "So nice? Then don't even think about leaving."

Cheng Bing said, "I have no plans to leave."

As she spoke, she kissed his ear, making Fang Yuenian shudder. He stopped preparing food and the two of them started playfully cuddling together.

They all went home around noon.

As soon as Fang Yuenian entered the room, she sensed that something was amiss.

Grandma Fang didn't go out to play cards with her friends, Teacher Fang wasn't watching TV, and Fang Wu was actually at home.

Wang Jing was sitting on the sofa. When she saw her son come back, she waved and said, "Put your things down and come sit down."

She was in a somewhat isolated situation, like a lone wolf going to a meeting, with her in-laws huddled in one corner and her husband in an even more secluded one. Fang Yuenian quickly went into the kitchen to put down the insulated food container, then returned to sit down next to her mother.

This gesture was somewhat of a statement, which aroused Old Mrs. Fang. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she said that harmony in the family brings prosperity, that no couple is without quarrels, that Xiao Wu was blinded by greed... and so on. Fang Yuenian lost all patience listening to her.

“You can’t say it like that,” Wang Jing said calmly. “I originally planned to celebrate the New Year for three days first, but since he rarely comes to visit, I decided to lay it all out on the table. Mom, your son isn’t blinded by greed. He’s very responsible and wholeheartedly wants to be with her. It’s better for us to get a divorce, otherwise it will sound terrible to others.”

Grandma Fang was stunned, and started crying again, saying that she had never had a good life and all she wanted was a peaceful home in her old age. She said, "What's so good about those wild women outside? I need you, the quiet one, to be in charge of the household..."

Wang Jing said, "You mean, he's out there sweet-talking that mother and child, while I'm at home taking care of his elderly parents and young children?"

Teacher Fang coughed and said, "Jingjing..."

Wang Jing interrupted again, "It doesn't matter if he doesn't care about me. I can manage even if he doesn't bring money home. But he treats my son and me like dirt. That won't do. My son is a good student at a prestigious university and a promising man in the village. He should hold his head high. Even though I'm just a housewife who lives around the stove, I still have dignity. I don't want things to get too ugly. Let's part amicably. My family has a place for me. It's pointless for me to spend my whole life making a fuss in your house. You two are healthier than my mother. From now on, let's go our separate ways."

Silence fell.

Grandma Fang cried intermittently, but she couldn't bring herself to slap her son.

My daughter-in-law is gone, so I'll have to rely on my son from now on, right? Author's Note: Thank you to my mentor 9492239 (9492239) for your support! For more exciting content, please leave a message for this book on Liancheng Reading.