Chapter 28 The sky clears after the rain like a worried father.
Song Jili opened the door and found the house dark. Thinking Chen Cheng had not returned yet, he took out his cell phone and dialed Assistant Jiang's number.
Change your shoes and walk inside.
The call was connected, and he found Chen Cheng sitting in the rocking chair in front of the French window.
She was staring at the sunset outside, completely absorbed in her own world. When he came home and made a big noise, she didn't react at all.
Assistant Jiang asked, "Boss Song, what can I do for you?"
"It's okay." Song Jili replied and hung up the phone.
Only then did Chen Cheng slowly turn his head and look at him.
There is no lip reading and no sign language.
"Are you tired from shopping?" Song Jili squatted down, his eyes level with hers, put his hand on her forehead, pushed aside her bangs, and leaned against her.
Chen Cheng paused, nodded, and gestured: A little bit.
"The floor heating is on in the room, but if you feel sleepy, it's better to go back to the room and sleep. The bed is more comfortable." Song Jili deliberately lowered the volume, fearing that the volume would scare her.
Her expression didn't change much, but I always felt that she was worried.
It could be that he was overthinking it and was just tired from shopping.
Chen Cheng felt that Song Jili was a worrier.
But he is not like this to other people around him. He only has endless instructions to her, like a worried father.
Song Jili tucked the small blanket into Chen Cheng's belly.
"Have you had dinner? Can I make you some?" Song Jili asked.
Chen Cheng looked up, feeling very tired, but not wanting him to notice, so he cheered up and replied: I'm not hungry, I just want to rest for a while.
Song Jili didn't think much about it and just thought that she was really tired.
He leaned down and kissed her forehead, saying, "Go to sleep for a while. I'll call you when the food is ready."
After he left, Chen Cheng pulled the blanket tighter and took a deep breath.
On the way home from the gallery, her brain froze and she couldn't think.
Sitting in front of the French window, she was in a state of being unable to vent and extremely anxious.
It was not until Song Jili came home that he asked her if she was sleepy or hungry, and then he pulled her back.
I tried hard to suppress the chaotic emotions in my heart and temporarily gained some rationality to think.
She told herself that this was her and Song Jili's home, it was safe, and there would be nothing to worry about.
All worries are unnecessary.
It's okay, Song Jili also said that no matter what happens, he will be there.
Although she kept numbing herself, her hands on the armrest were still cold.
Before going to bed at night, Chen Cheng received a WeChat message from Qiao Qiaoyu.
Two 60-second voice messages describing today's interactions with clients.
I clicked on the voice chat and heard Qiao Qiaoyu say in a happy tone, "Oh my god, Chengzi, do you know who he is? You are really amazing. He is a painter who became famous with his graduation works. The video he released two years ago was a big hit on YouTube, with a million views, and was loved by many young people. I just searched his account, and many celebrities have bought his paintings. His popularity is incredible."
"His painting style is similar to yours, both very dreamy, but he paints more landscapes. It's not hard to understand why he bought all your remaining paintings in one go. He must like them very much."
"If he's willing to promote it for us, then Orange, you'll be a dark horse painter whose first exhibition was a big hit, all sold out, and made millions! Now that your reputation is out there, you won't have to worry about people coming to your next exhibition."
"I've thought about it again and again, and I think I can't sell all of them. I'll give you ten first. After he promotes them, the value of your paintings will double!"
"Then we can sell the remaining pieces and make a living for three years. It's a safe bet!"
"Orange, you are awesome. Everything is going in a good direction."
After listening to this, Chen Cheng took off his headphones and looked at the chat box, not knowing how to respond.
Qiao Qiaoyu sent a new voice message: [He really wants to meet you, because your painting styles are so similar, with a sense of Monet's dreamy art. He probably feels that he has met someone of the same kind and wants to make friends.]
Chen Cheng was in an anxious mood. He typed quickly but the error rate increased. It took him a long time to type and send the message.
She asked: [Do I have to meet you?]
Qiao Qiaoyu was afraid that Chen Cheng would feel pressured, so she comforted him by saying, "It depends on what you want to say. If you don't want to meet him, then don't meet him. Even if he doesn't buy your paintings, I have the ability to find other customers for you and other bloggers to promote your paintings."
Chen Cheng refused without hesitation: [Well, I still don't want to show up. Sorry to bother you, Xiaoyu.]
Qiao Qiaoyu: [Why are you being polite to me? It's getting late. Go to bed early. I'll let you know when things progress.]
Chen Cheng: [Yeah! ]
After putting away her phone, Chen Cheng fell into an anxiety that was difficult to relieve. It was not until she cleared the records of her and Qiao Qiaoyu and could no longer see them that she breathed a sigh of relief.
Song Jili put down the tablet and observed Chen Cheng quietly.
She never seeks excessively from others, takes things as they come and is often indifferent.
It is rare to observe anxiety in her.
"We'll go back to the old house tomorrow night. You don't need to bring anything. Aunt Wu has prepared everything." Song Jili combed her long hair with her five fingers.
Chen Cheng turned around and asked using sign language: Do I need to prepare gifts for Mr. and Mrs. Song?
Song Jili smiled: "What they prepared for you is pretty good."
Chen Cheng felt a little embarrassed and said: “It was a bit awkward when we last met. My attitude was not very good then. I hope they don’t take it to heart.”
Because the marriage partner has not been determined yet, Chen Cheng can only be as polite as possible in front of the enthusiastic Mrs. Song.
"You were right to show them a bad look at that time." Song Jili didn't care much about his parents' thoughts.
He hooked his arm at her.
Chen Cheng sat closer.
Song Jili couldn't stand her slow pace, so he stretched out his long arm, held her in his arms, and said, "Remember this, if the old man and my mother don't give you a red envelope, you won't change your mind."
Chen Cheng blinked, and after a few seconds he realized that what he meant by changing the way he spoke was to call them mom and dad.
She said honestly: I...can't speak either.
Her answer was a little funny. Song Jili laughed out loud and couldn't help pinching her face a few times.
Chen Cheng dodged and accused him of his "evil deeds" with his eyes.
"That won't work either. You're going to the old house tomorrow to get red envelopes and gifts. Don't be too restrained," said Song Jili.
Chen Cheng: They are the elders.
Song Jili snorted softly: "They should give it to you. Just take it. Don't be polite to them."
Chen Cheng has already gotten enough.
The old house given to Song Jili by her grandmother and all the money earned from the business went into the account under her name.
On the second day of New Year's Day, Mrs. Song asked her assistant to send her two sets of jewelry, one set to celebrate her wedding, and the other set was said to be a New Year's gift for both her and Liang Yanling.
The wedding set is made of top-grade emerald gemstones, and the New Year gift is a rare pink diamond.
Each set of jewelry was very expensive, more expensive than all the accessories she brought from northern Beijing.
These two sets of jewelry alone are worth half of the jewelry owned by Chen Aoshuang.
No wonder Song Jili said, who would care how the jewelry was distributed? It didn’t matter if you didn’t take any.
The Song family has many old items, not to mention the ordinary jewelry that is circulated on the market. There are many things in his treasury that outsiders can only see in history books or textbooks.
Any set in your home collection would be a family heirloom if placed in another home.
Chen Cheng made up her mind that she would take what she was supposed to take and would not take more than what did not belong to her.
After chatting with Song Jili, Chen Cheng no longer thought about selling paintings. He hugged the soft pillow and fell into a deep sleep.
-
Early in the morning, Chen Cheng woke up and tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. All he could think about was having lunch with the Song family.
Song Jili wrapped her in his arms with the quilt and said lazily, "Don't think too much, sleep a little longer."
Chen Cheng turned over, faced him, and asked: What time will we go there?
"After twelve o'clock, we will go home on the first day of the new year." Song Jili paused, "We will go back to your house on the second day of the new year. Your third brother and his wife told me yesterday. They should ask you today. What do you think?"
Chen Cheng had thought it through, and told Song Jili frankly: I know the Shen family doesn't think very well of me, but my mother adopted me and gave me a good life, so it's impossible for me to cut off contact with the Shen family directly. If it doesn't involve the division of family property, they haven't treated me badly on weekdays, so relatives can still do it.
The three brothers and sisters-in-law had their own plans, but they never taught their children not to play with her, a dumb girl.
The Shen family was one of the few who looked at her with normal eyes.
Song Jili smiled faintly and said softly, "Baby, you have a really soft heart."
She is always discriminated against because she can't speak, but she always treats people and things with the most optimistic attitude and never assumes malice towards others.
Chen Cheng was not sleepy, so he got up, washed, had breakfast, and went back to the studio.
At this time, the place she hated most was the studio. She couldn't paint. It seemed like there was something wrong with her visual system. The things she saw would change color every time she blinked. It seemed that everything was imaginary. Anxiety once again enveloped her.
But she was afraid that Song Jili would find out something was wrong.
He is so kind, he must care about her, but... she couldn't say anything, let alone respond to him.
So, she hid.
After drawing the thick curtains and turning off the lights, Chen Cheng sat in the darkness without any light, and there was no explosion of colors in front of his eyes.
In the darkness, I got a moment of peace.
Song Jili passed by the studio several times without opening the door to disturb them.
He also specifically told Mother Wu to keep her voice down and not to interrupt Chen Cheng while he was painting without her permission.
He always felt that Chen Cheng's behavior was abnormal. He didn't go to the study to work, but stayed in the living room. No matter what happened in the studio, he could hear it.
Calculating the time precisely, half an hour before departure, Chen Cheng came out of the studio, changed into a formal dress, and returned to the old house with Song Jili.
At the gate of the compound, we met Song Yuanqing's family who also came back to celebrate the New Year.
Song Yuanqing walked forward with his wife Zhuang Shuwen, followed by the Song Yeran brothers.
After what happened last time, Song Yeran couldn't pretend to be gentle and polite. His eyes wandered and he avoided looking into her eyes.
Song Yeliang was still the same as before, looking arrogant and unwilling to submit to anyone, as if everyone had treated him badly.
Song Ji politely called him cousin, and Chen Cheng nodded and greeted him.
Song Yuanqing was good at saving face. He responded with a smile and naturally started talking about family matters.
After entering the door, Song Jili took Chen Cheng to the west wing with quick steps, not wanting to stay even a second longer.
Song Yuanqing's family also lived in the west wing, but the courtyard was a little far away from the main courtyard and not in the same direction as theirs.
Song Jili looked back several times to make sure they were all gone before he said, "If you don't want to deal with your cousin's wife in the future, just find an excuse to escape."
Chen Cheng nodded obediently.
The internal relationships of the Song family are complicated, and she doesn't know the specific details, let alone their entanglements of interests. She will not pretend to be kind and advise Song Jili's family to live in harmony. She just listens to whatever he says.
When I arrived at the yard, I found that the door to the small courtyard opposite was open.
Chen Cheng pulled Song Jili's clothes and asked: Is there someone living opposite? Who is it?
Song Jili saw the expectation in Chen Cheng's eyes and said reluctantly, "Big brother and A Ling live in the courtyard opposite."
As expected, Chen Cheng smiled and said: Can I go find A Ling?
No matter how unwilling he was, seeing her smiling so sweetly despite being in a bad mood the whole day yesterday, he easily compromised and nodded.
The next second, Chen Cheng trotted out of the yard.
In the middle of the opposite yard, Liang Yanling was lying on a rocking chair basking in the sun, covered with a blanket and humming a little tune.
Hearing footsteps, Liang Yanling raised her head and opened one eye to see who it was.
"Chengzi! You're here!" Liang Yanling sat up and made room for him. "Come here and sit with me for a while."
Chen Cheng followed and sat down, and Liang Yanling separated half of the blanket.
"The tour before the New Year is over, but I, the leading actress, am exhausted." Liang Yanling took a small hammer and hammered her thigh repeatedly.
Chen Cheng lay down with her eyes closed. Perhaps it was because the sunlight was warm enough to dry out her bad mood. After relaxing her mind, she felt sleepy.
Liang Yanling was just about to chat with Chen Cheng about Song Yuanqing's family and give her some advice.
Suddenly, her shoulders sank and a head hit her.
When Song Jili walked in, he saw this peaceful and harmonious scene between the sisters-in-law.
Liang Yanling made a gesture to keep quiet and asked in a low voice: "Didn't she get enough rest last night?"
Song Jili sat down on the stool next to him: "Well, I don't know if it's because I'm nervous or if there's something on my mind."
"Why don't you ask?" Liang Yanling asked him.
Song Jili smiled faintly: "If she doesn't want to talk, I won't ask. Chengzi has always been pushed around. I don't want her to have such pressure living with me. Then she will treat me as the boss and she needs to be obedient to get the life guarantee I provide."
Liang Yanling glanced at Chen Cheng, who was sleeping peacefully: "Chen Cheng is a person of this character. If you don't tell her, she may not understand."
"You will understand it slowly. Don't be in a hurry. You have a lifetime." Song Jili raised his lips and smiled.
Liang Yanling was lost in thought and muttered, "We are all born from the same mother, why is your brother not as smart as you?"
Song Jili: "Hmm? What did you say?"
"I'm telling you, your brother and I are planning on getting a divorce. Once we're done, I'll treat you and Xiaocheng to dinner. Don't refuse me." Liang Yanling said with a smile.
Song Jili glanced at his elder brother standing at the door, coughed, and whispered, "If I really eat your meal, the brotherhood between me and my brother will be over."
Liang Yanling turned around, smiled at Song Qiaoli, then turned back and the smile faded.
"Hmph, then you should thank me. It's better to be brother with me than to be his brother. I feel much warmer." Liang Yanling did not hesitate to praise herself.
Song Jili pulled the blanket over, wrapped Chen Cheng up, and picked him up gently: "That's enough, stop flattering yourself."
Liang Yanling rolled her eyes.
Just take her away, why take her blanket away too?
After everyone left, Liang Yanling felt that the yard was a little cold, even though the sun was shining brightly.
Song Qiaoli came over.
Liang Yanling's expression changed 180 degrees, and she patted the place beside her: "Come on, lie down together, let's sunbathe the body and warm it up."
Song Qiaoli sat down and lay down.
The two of them had nothing to talk about, so they just lay there.
-
Chen Cheng slept in the East Courtyard and urged them to come over for the New Year's Eve dinner.
The elders of the Song family are Mr. Song and Mrs. Song. The combination of the two is the so-called old husband and young wife.
When Mr. Song was 38 years old, he met Lin Fangxian, who was 21 years old. They got married three months after they met. Many people expected them to get divorced, but the couple ended up loving each other for 34 years. This June will be their 35th anniversary, and they are planning a grand celebration.
They took the initiative to chat with Chen Cheng, and Song Jili acted as a translator.
After Lin Fangxian took her seat, she said with a smile, "Your suffering was not in vain. You have even learned sign language."
Chen Cheng looked at Song Jili. He had never asked him when he learned sign language, but it didn't seem like he learned it temporarily. He was very proficient in it.
"You were against it at that time. Fortunately, I was stubborn and you didn't force me to do it." Song Jili changed the subject without giving Chen Cheng a chance to ask.
Mr. Song interrupted, "You know you're stubborn. After graduation, I asked you to join the R&D department, but you turned around and signed up for the Air Force. You insisted on going against me."
"Yeah, I realized after I went out that you really care about me too much at home. You are always nagging." Song Jili replied with a sarcastic remark with a smile.
The father and son would always tease each other when they were together. Mr. Song was not really angry. He just snorted and said, "You were playful in the past. When you get married, you should be like your elder brother."
Liang Yanling's eyes flickered between Song Jili and Song Qiaoli, and she almost couldn't help laughing out loud.
If I knew they were planning to divorce after this year, I would definitely regret saying this.
Song Jili ridiculed everyone in the family without distinction, "What is there for my brother to learn? He sleeps in the company five days a week. If you don't know, you would think my sister-in-law is the company."
Song Qiaoli frowned and Liang Yanling laughed immorally.
In order to maintain her image as a gentle and virtuous girl from an aristocratic family in front of her elders, Wen Wen smiled softly and said, "Second uncle is really good at joking. There are many things to do in the company, and Brother Qiao Li is too busy to go home. I can understand that."
"No matter how busy you are, you can't do this." Lin Fangxian put away her motherly smile, "You two are busy with work all year round, and you are separated for 20 days a month. This is not okay."
"Do you have a lot of free time keeping someone at home? You are so busy with work that you don't have time to take care of your family. I think you shouldn't be a boss anymore. Xiaoling is busy with work, so you should take care of her more."
Lin Fangxian lectured her son vigorously and became angry while doing so.
"Okay, okay, don't be angry, I'll talk to them." Mr. Song was worried that his wife would get sick from being angry, so he patted her back soothingly.
Song Qiaoli, who was about to remain silent, was glared at by his father, so he had to speak out: "We often see each other. Xiaoling will fly back during her short vacation, and I will go to see her when I am not busy. In the future, I will spend more time with her."
The Song parents are open-minded and will not force them, let alone urge them to have children. Mr. Song originally planned to remain single and childless for the rest of his life. He got married and had children when he was almost 40. Compared with his two sons who got married in their early 30s, they were still relatively early.
I didn't insist on it, just said a few words as a reminder.
They were chatting animatedly, and Song Yuanqing's family of four felt like outsiders. They had to suppress their unhappiness and put on a smile.
As soon as dinner was over, he found an excuse to go back to the yard and then came back in the early morning to pay his New Year's greetings.
Chen Cheng and Song Jili visited the courtyard, while Liang Yanling and Song Qiaoli went back to their courtyard to rest first.
Lin Fangxian invited a few of her favorite painters to come over for a small gathering.
Everyone has their own things to do.
Just before leaving, Lin Fangxian grabbed Chen Cheng and stuffed a big red envelope into her hand.
Immediately afterwards, Mr. Song also gave one.
Lin Fangxian said: "This is what we should give you, just take it. After the New Year's greetings, your parents will give you the red envelope."
Chen Cheng nodded timidly, unable to resist Lin Fangxian's enthusiasm.
After giving the red envelope, Lin Fangxian hurried to meet the guests and left first.
Before Song Jili and Chen Cheng walked far out of the yard, Song Qiaoli came over and they went to a nearby study to talk about something.
Chen Cheng always felt that their relationship was not as bad as people said, but he didn't know how good it was.
Chen Cheng had nothing to do, so he walked around the yard by himself.
On the way, I met Lin Fangxian who was going from the bedroom to the living room.
Lin Fangxian came over with a smile and asked, "Xiaocheng, if you have nothing to do, go meet some painters with mom. I heard from Aji that you like painting, isn't this just perfect?"
Lin Fangxian likes to collect calligraphy and paintings, and all the painters she can meet are masters. Chen Cheng is tempted, but he has little experience in meeting guests and is afraid that there may be some inconvenience, so he hesitates.
"Come on, sit next to me." Lin Fangxian came over, took her hand, and put it on her arm. "They will bring paintings over, and you can help me to select them. If you like any of them, I will give them to you as a gift."
Lin Fangxian, who regretted not having a daughter, was very enthusiastic about Chen Cheng. In her opinion, the old men in the family were extremely boring, and the two pretty daughters-in-law were her favorites, whom she took care of like her own daughters.
Chen Cheng followed Lin Fangxian to the living room.
Through the hollow screen, she saw Professor Zhou, two women with exquisite makeup, and... the man she had deliberately avoided yesterday.
The man noticed the movement and turned to look.
Their eyes met in the air. Chen Cheng stopped and stood still, a chill rising from his feet to his back.
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