He thought his wife was a little disappointed because she hadn't been able to chat with her daughter-in-law.
After all, Qin Peilan's heart and soul are now completely devoted to her granddaughter and daughter-in-law, and sometimes he feels neglected.
Qin Peilan glared at him, annoyed.
"What are you thinking! Do you think I'm that kind of immature person? How could I not care about Qiqi? It's because...because..."
She hesitated halfway through her sentence, as if unsure how to begin.
Shen Zhenbang urged, "Why? Just say it! Your stammering is driving me crazy!"
Qin Peilan lowered her voice and said:
"I was just... going over to talk to Qiqi, but she had just gone in to take a shower, and Huaichuan was in there too. I walked to the door and accidentally overheard him talking to Qiqi. I heard Huaichuan say, 'After Mom and Dad leave...'"
Shen Zhenbang was completely confused: "'After Mom and Dad leave'? What's wrong with that? What else did they say?"
"I didn't eavesdrop on purpose! They were speaking very quietly behind me, I didn't hear them clearly! But,"
Qin Peilan emphasized it again, her tone becoming even more somber.
"Old man, this isn't the first time I've heard Huaichuan say that, especially recently, it's happened three or four times..."
She started thinking about it, sat up straight, and looked at Shen Zhenbang.
"Old Shen, do you think our son... is he a little annoyed that we old folks are staying here too long, getting in the way of him and Qiqi? Is he hoping we'll leave soon?"
By the end, Qin Peilan's voice was filled with obvious grievance and disappointment.
She devoted herself entirely to her family and children, hoping to use this time to improve her relationship with her son.
But when she heard that her son seemed to be hoping they would leave, she felt incredibly bitter.
Hearing Qin Peilan's words, Shen Zhenbang fell silent, sighed softly, and folded the newspaper in his hand, placing it aside.
Upon reflection, they realized that they had indeed had few opportunities to spend time alone with their youngest son over the years.
Even when they met, most of their conversations revolved around work or discussed Zhouzhou's illness; they hardly talked about their son's own life or thoughts.
When asked occasionally, he would brush it off with just a few words, probably no more than ten sentences in total.
To be honest, they probably know their son as well as they know their daughter-in-law Zhou Qiqi, who has only been married for half a year.
My son is quiet and reserved, but he speaks very carefully, each word a single point.
The phrase "after Mom and Dad leave" seemed abrupt, but given his usually stern and unsmiling nature, it likely meant exactly what it said: he was annoyed that the elderly couple had been staying there too long.
Shen Zhenbang remembers that when his son came home for the Spring Festival in the past, he usually didn't stay for more than two days. When the old couple saw that he was restless, they would politely say, "If there is something going on in the army, you can go back first. You don't need to stay with us."
And what was the result?
My son is always decisive. If he says something at 10 a.m., he can be at the train station with his bag by 11 a.m.!
It's always the same; the decisiveness is chilling.
Thinking of all this, Shen Zhenbang felt a pang of sadness. He turned to his sorrowful wife and cautiously suggested:
“Old woman, since that’s what the child wants, then...why don’t we just go along with it and go back to the sanatorium for now? We’ve been here for over a month already.”
To be honest, their original plan was just to come and see their son and daughter-in-law, and stay for at most a week.
He had mentioned several times that he should go back, but Qin Peilan kept him there by saying, "Stay for two more days and spend more time with Zhouzhou."
He was held back by a series of events and was unable to make his way.
Qin Peilan lay flat on her back, her eyes fixed on the ceiling, filled with reluctance, and murmured:
"I...I really don't want to leave. I don't want to leave Xiaozhouzhou, I don't want to leave Qiqi, this sweet and thoughtful child, and I don't want to leave my son either. Even though he doesn't talk much, just seeing him around every day makes me feel at ease..."
As she spoke, her eyes reddened again, and her voice choked with emotion.
Shen Zhenbang felt a pang of sadness in his heart, quickly tucked the blanket around her, and softly comforted her:
“I know you’re reluctant, and I’m reluctant too, but look, the New Year is just over a month away, right? Huaichuan and Qiqi will definitely take Zhouzhou back to their hometown in B City for the New Year! Let’s go back to the sanatorium for a few days to rest, and then go home and tidy it up properly inside and out! Our house hasn’t been properly decorated in years, so we need to make it warm, cozy, and bright to welcome them back!”
He paused, then remembered something important and quickly continued:
"Oh right! There's also the gift for Qiqi! Didn't we already agree to buy her a new jade bracelet of good quality and style? There are many established brands in B City, but good things take time to find and choose carefully! If we keep dragging this out, and we still haven't found one that suits her by the end of the year, and Qiqi goes through the New Year empty-handed, how can you feel good about that?"
He rattled off a long list of practical reasons on his fingers, and Qin Peilan, finding them reasonable, reluctantly and slowly nodded.
"Sigh, you're right, well... okay then!"
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