Chapter 134 Watching the Show Mingxi returned home from outside...
When Mingxi returned home, she saw Zhao Sulan and immediately clung to her arm like a little leech, complaining in a sticky voice, "Mom, when I came back just now, I ran into Grandpa Sun in the yard. He rushed out in a hurry, I don't know what he was going to do."
Zhao Sulan: "Who cares what he's doing? He's definitely up to no good."
Mingxi agrees with this point.
Everyone used to think Old Sun was an honest man, but after seeing the divorce between Old Sun and Aunt Li, everyone realized that Old Sun only looked honest and was actually vicious.
In two words, Old Sun is cunning and wicked.
Neither good nor bad!
Mingxi muttered to Zhao Sulan for a long time before finally hugging Zhao Sulan's arm and whispering, "Mom, I'm not having dinner at home tonight."
Zhao Sulan raised an eyebrow, a smile in her eyes: "Are you going out to eat with Xiao Wei tonight?"
Mingxi blinked: "Huh? Mom, how did you know?"
Zhao Sulan couldn't help but laugh. Was there even a question? Mingxi had just been called out by Wei Ning, and when she came back she said she wouldn't be eating at home. She must have made plans to have dinner with Wei Ning that night.
Mingxi: "Weining said there's a newly opened Sichuan restaurant near the cinema that's really delicious, so I'm planning to go try it with him."
Zhao Sulan: "Okay, you guys go ahead."
Mingxi hugged her arm and said, "Mom, I'm going with Weining to try the poison today. If it tastes good, we'll go together next time."
Zhao Sulan tapped Mingxi on the forehead: "Okay!"
The weather wasn't great today; it was partly cloudy. While it was supposed to be cloudy, a bright orange-red sun, like a salted egg yolk, hung in the sky. Yet, despite the overcast skies, the dark clouds completely blocked out the sunlight. By just past four in the afternoon, the sun was nowhere to be seen.
Mingxi was getting ready to go out when Zhao Sulan called out to her as she was about to open the door: "Hey, girl, it's cold today, wear a thicker coat."
Mingxi hesitated for a moment. It seemed quite cold outside, so she decisively went back inside and put on another cotton-padded coat before going out.
She pushed her bicycle out of the courtyard gate and saw Wei Ning already waiting at the door, also pushing his bicycle.
Wei Ning was wearing a light sports jacket today. The jacket didn't look thick, and he zipped it up to his chest, so Mingxi could clearly see that he was only wearing a thin white shirt underneath.
He wore only a thin pair of jeans and sneakers on his lower body. This outfit looked quite refreshing, more energetic than his usual attire, and in later years, it would be described as a refreshing young man.
She prioritizes style over warmth; even Mingxi feels cold just looking at her.
Just then, a gust of wind blew by, and Mingxi subconsciously shrank her neck, looking at Wei Ning across from her who was shivering from the cold: "Aren't you cold wearing so little? Do you want to go back and change your clothes?"
Wei Ning's teeth were chattering, but he still firmly shook his head: "No need to change, I'm not cold!"
He spent an entire afternoon rummaging through his closets to put together this outfit, specially chosen for their first outing together.
What's the point of going back and exchanging it?
Mingxi pouted: "Whatever you want."
If you don't want to change it, then don't. Anyway, it's not her who's feeling cold.
Mingxi stepped onto the bicycle, and at this moment Weining became hesitant and conflicted again.
Seeing that he seemed to have something to say, Mingxi asked, "What's wrong? Do you have something to say?"
Wei Ning: "If we go out together, you don't need to ride your bike, right?"
Mingxi: "Why?"
She just bought this bicycle today, and it's so new to her that she wants to ride it out and show it off.
Wei Ning pursed his lips and remained silent for a while before whispering, "I want to give you a ride on my bike, so that when people see us, they'll know we're together."
Mingxi: "...Even if you don't bring me along, people can still tell we're together, right?"
Wei Ning: "That's not necessarily true. You're so good-looking, and if someone sees you alone, they might just go up and talk to you. Didn't we agree that I'd be first in line, and when you want to date, you'd consider me first?"
Mingxi glanced at Wei Ning and saw that Wei Ning looked cautious, but a hint of cunning flashed in his eyes.
Mingxi raised an eyebrow and exclaimed, "Wow, you're so cunning!"
She said, "I just listed you as a potential candidate, and you're already eager to assert your dominance? If things continue like this, wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to refuse you?"
They don't even have a formal title yet, but they want to preemptively declare their sovereignty. How dare they!
Mingxi looked at Wei Ning with her two big, round eyes. Wei Ning's little scheme was completely exposed, but he was not in a hurry at all. He didn't say anything, but just stared straight at Mingxi with his wet eyes.
Mingxi felt a pang of tenderness at his gaze, pouted, pushed her bicycle, and turned to go back to the courtyard.
Just as Wei Ning was feeling uneasy, wondering if he had messed up his performance and made Ming Xi angry, he suddenly heard Ming Xi say, "Wait, I'll go put the bicycle back."
Having understood Mingxi's meaning, Wei Ning's face broke into a bright smile.
When Mingxi pushed her bicycle back under the eaves and came out of the backyard, she saw Sun Xuewen and his wife, along with Sun Lili, hurrying in from outside the yard.
Mingxi didn't get along well with Sun Xuewen, but she had a good relationship with Sun Lili. When she saw Sun Lili, she greeted her, "Sister Lili, why did you suddenly come back today?"
Sun Lili said anxiously, "It was my dad who told me to come back. He called me at noon and said there was an emergency at home and I should come back as soon as possible. My mother-in-law was sick today, and I was at the hospital with her when I got the news. I quickly asked my brother-in-law to take leave and switch shifts with me, so I rushed back."
"By the way, what happened? What happened to my parents? Who was in trouble?"
Old Sun's phone call was vague and unclear, and Sun Lili still doesn't know what happened. She's very worried.
Mingxi then realized that Old Sun had rushed out at noon to call Sun Lili and Sun Xuewen.
She pursed her lips, doubting that Old Sun was being kind, but fearing that Sun Lili would worry, she first comforted her, saying, "Sister Lili, don't worry, it's Aunt Li who got hurt. She was setting up her stall outside today when someone tried to snatch her bag and pushed her, fracturing her leg. She went to the hospital and the doctor put a cast on it."
Even though Mingxi told Sun Lili not to worry, Sun Lili was still very anxious when she heard that her mother had been robbed of her bag and that her leg was injured and in a cast.
She grabbed Mingxi's arm: "Where is my mom now? Is she in the hospital, or at home?"
Mingxi pointed to Aunt Li's house and said, "Aunt Li is home now."
Upon hearing this, Sun Lili released Mingxi's arm and strode into the house.
Mingxi subconsciously followed behind Sun Lili and walked over together. Sun Xuewen and Fang Yan, on the other hand, were stunned when they heard Mingxi's words, and only then did they follow Mingxi's footsteps.
"Mom, are you alright?!"
Sun Lili pushed open the door to Aunt Li's room and rushed inside. Seeing Aunt Li sitting on the bed, unable to get out of bed because of the cast on her leg, tears streamed down her face.
"Mom, what happened? How did you hurt your leg? Why is it in a cast? What did the doctor say when we went to the hospital? Did he say it was serious or not? Why didn't you tell me you were injured? If Dad hadn't called me, I wouldn't have known!"
Sun Lili, with red eyes, leaned close to Aunt Li.
Aunt Li was fine at first, but when she saw her daughter's red eyes, she couldn't help but feel her own eyes redden.
She patted Sun Lili on the back and said, "It's okay, Mom's okay. It's just a small fracture. The doctor said it's nothing serious. The cast is just for better recovery. The doctor said it's because I'm old and my bones aren't strong, so I don't recover as quickly as younger people. That's why I need a cast. Young people don't need casts; they just need to rest for a while."
Sun Lili sniffed, still looking distressed.
Aunt Li couldn't help but laugh and said, "Look at you, you're such a grown man, and you're crying over such a small thing. Mingxi is right here, and you're making a girl who's several years younger than you cry in front of you. Aren't you ashamed?"
Sun Lili wiped away her tears and said, "What's so shameful about this? I cried because I felt sorry for you. It's not shameful even if someone sees us."
Aunt Li could only smile helplessly.
Mingxi also smiled.
At this crucial moment, Fang Yan, who had finally managed to seize the opportunity, quickly spoke up: "Mom, Xuewen and I were also worried about you. We rushed back as soon as we received Dad's call."
Aunt Li's gaze shifted to the couple, and her attitude noticeably cooled. She simply nodded without saying anything.
Fang Yan acted as if she hadn't noticed Aunt Li's cold expression and continued, "When Dad called us, he didn't explain clearly. We didn't know you were injured, and we didn't bring anything back. So... is there anything you'd like to eat? I'll have Xuewen go buy it?"
Aunt Li waved her hand: "No need, I don't want to eat anything."
“Okay then…” Fang Yan smiled awkwardly.
Sun Lili calmed down a bit and asked, "Mom, what exactly happened? I just heard Mingxi say that you were injured because you were robbed of your bag? What happened to the robber? Has the police arrested him?"
Aunt Li: "It was when I was setting up my stall today that I met a young man with blond hair..."
Aunt Li recounted what had happened, and Sun Lili was furious after hearing it: "He dares to rob people in broad daylight! This kid is too bold!"
Sun Xuewen was stunned for a long time before finally managing to stammer out, "Mom, why are you setting up a stall outside?"
He pursed his lips and said, "You're so old, and you're not short of money, why are you following others and setting up a stall?"
Aunt Li didn't give him a friendly look and said rudely, "How can I not lack money? I'm divorced, I don't have a job or a pension, and I don't have any children to support me in my old age. How can I not lack money?"
Sun Xuewen was speechless for a long time after hearing what Aunt Li said. He finally managed to say, "If you need money, just tell us. As your children, how could we let you go hungry? If my older sister, Xuewu's colleagues, and I saw you setting up a stall at your age, who knows what people would say about us? They might even point fingers at us and say we are unfilial."
Mingxi pouted.
Despite all that Sun Xuewen said, it all boils down to one sentence: he thinks it's shameful for Aunt Li to set up a stall outside.
There wasn't a fool in the room; they all understood what Sun Xuewen meant. Sun Lili also pouted and said, "You can say whatever you want, but don't drag me into it. I know Mom is going to set up a stall. I'm not afraid to tell you, I was the one who encouraged Mom to do it."
"What?! You encouraged Mom to do it?"
Sun Xuewen frowned, his face full of disapproval.
He knew it! Why would his mother suddenly have the idea to set up a stall and do business? It turns out that Sun Lili was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Sun Xuewen coughed twice, cleared his throat, and adopted the posture of the eldest son, saying, "Big sister, I have to say something to you. Mom is so old, she shouldn't have to work so hard. Going out to set up a stall, braving the wind and rain, she doesn't earn much money and it's exhausting. Most importantly, it's not safe. Look at Mom this time, if she hadn't gone out to set up a stall, she wouldn't have encountered the purse snatcher and wouldn't have been injured, right? To put it bluntly, Mom got injured this time because of you stirring things up behind the scenes!"
Although Sun Lili disapproved of Sun Xuewen's attitude, his last words struck a chord with her.
When she saw her mother injured, she did feel a pang of self-blame. If she hadn't urged her mother to set up her stall, her mother wouldn't have encountered this situation or gotten hurt.
Sun Lili lowered her head, looking at the ground, unable to utter a rebuttal.
Aunt Li glared at Sun Xuewen impatiently: "Why do you talk so much? Why are you so talkative?"
When Sun Xuewen heard this, he was stunned. He turned his head and looked at Aunt Li in disbelief.
Aunt Li: "Although it was your sister's idea to set up a stall, it was also something I thought about carefully before doing it. Instead of blaming your sister, you should blame me. According to you, I got injured entirely because of setting up a stall, which means I should say I got injured entirely on my own."
She pouted, "I got robbed, and you're blaming it all on me? That doesn't make sense!"
Seeing that her mother-in-law was unhappy, Fang Yan quickly stepped forward to explain, "No, Mom, don't misunderstand, Xuewen didn't mean that."
Aunt Li snorted coldly: "That's not what he meant. Then what did he mean?"
Sun Xuewen and Fang Yan were speechless.
Aunt Li glanced at me twice and said, "I don't need your opinions on my street vending. I think it's great. I'm just sitting here whether I'm at home or outside. I don't have to do any work; I just set up the stall and sit there. I can also broaden my horizons, meet new friends, and earn some money. It's much more comfortable than staying at home. Anyway, I'm determined to keep going. Once my leg heals, I'll continue to do it. Your displeasure won't change anything."
"No, Mom..."
Sun Xuewen wanted to say something, but Fang Yan reached out and tugged at his sleeve, quietly shaking her head at him.
Let's not talk about it.
Her mother-in-law is already quite unhappy, and if she continues talking, she'll definitely get even angrier.
Since her mother-in-law is injured and can't go out anyway, we might as well go along with her wishes. We can always try to persuade her later when the opportunity arises.
Sun Xuewen received his wife's hint, took a deep breath, and shut his mouth, saying nothing more.
Seeing that the family had fallen silent, Mingxi, who had been watching the commotion for a while, felt it wasn't appropriate to stay any longer and decisively spoke up: "Um, Aunt Li, Sister Lili, I have something to do later, so I'll have to go now..."
Sun Lili slapped her thigh: "Oh my god, I forgot that Mingxi, you're still here. Well, if you have something to do, go ahead and do it."
Mingxi nodded to her and was about to leave when the door to Aunt Li's house was opened from the outside again.
"Chunzhi, I've brought you food again. This afternoon I went to the market to buy bones to make bone broth. As the saying goes, you are what you eat, so drink more and nourish yourself."
Before you see him, you hear his voice. As soon as the door was opened, Teacher Hou's voice came over, followed by his figure carrying a thermos.
When Teacher Hou came in and saw a room full of people, he was momentarily stunned.
He had seen Mingxi near the door when he came at noon and knew that she was the neighbor's child, so he smiled and nodded at Mingxi as a greeting.
Of the remaining three, Sun Lili, Sun Xuewen, and Fang Yan were unfamiliar faces.
Teacher Hou first glanced at Aunt Li, then looked at Sun Lili and Sun Xuewen, gave them a polite smile, and said, "You must be Chunzhi's children, right?"
His gaze fell on Sun Lili: "You must be Lili, right?"
Then his gaze shifted to Sun Xuewen: "Are you studying literature or martial arts? Comrade Chunzhi once told me that those who study literature are more refined in nature, just like their names suggest. I'm just guessing, you must be studying literature, right? And this person next to you must be your lover, right?"
Mingxi stopped in her tracks the moment she saw Teacher Hou enter.
There's no rush to go out for dinner; let's enjoy the excitement first.
She quietly retreated back into the house, blinking her eyes as she looked at Sun Lili and Sun Xuewen, only to see the same bewildered expression on their faces.
Teacher Hou was absolutely right, even guessing Fang Yan's identity accurately. But even so, Sun Lili and Sun Xuewen were even more puzzled.
Who is this person? They seem to have a good relationship with their mother, knowing exactly who they are, what their names are, and what their personalities are like. But have they seen this person before?
Sun Lili and Sun Xuewen looked at Aunt Li with puzzled expressions.
Aunt Li pursed her lips and introduced, "Lili, Xuewen, this is Teacher Hou, a new friend I met while I was setting up my stall. You can call him Teacher Hou or Grandpa Hou, it's fine either way."
Sun Lili was taken aback. She hadn't expected that her mother had actually made a friend while running her stall. This friend seemed to have a really good relationship with her mother. Knowing that her mother was injured, he even specially made bone broth for her.
Fang Yan, standing to the side, had a complicated expression on her face.
What kind of friend is this? This Teacher Hou is probably her mother-in-law's boyfriend!
Wow, I really didn't expect her mother-in-law to be so fashionable.
Not only do they learn to divorce like young people, but they also date like young people.
Moreover, she started dating right after her divorce, and she seems to be much more popular than her father-in-law.
Fang Yan sighed inwardly, then couldn't help but nudge Sun Xuewen with her elbow, gesturing to him with her eyes: Go up and ask him what this old man does.
Teacher Hou is currently her mother-in-law's "friend," but that doesn't mean she will always be her mother-in-law's "friend."
If this Teacher Hou marries her mother-in-law in the future, then Teacher Hou will be her stepfather-in-law and Sun Xuewen's stepfather.
They had to find out all about Teacher Hou.
Sun Xuewen understood his wife's hint, but it was precisely because he understood it that he was unhappy.
He's almost thirty years old this year. He just accepted the fact that his parents divorced and he became a child of a single parent. Now he's about to have a stepfather. He just can't accept it!
He kept his chin taut and looked away, as if he hadn't seen Teacher Hou at all.
Even when Fang Yan tugged at his sleeve, he still didn't react.
Sun Lili didn't react as strongly as he did. She smiled and extended her hand to Teacher Hou, saying, "Hello, Teacher Hou."
She also kindly moved a chair over to Mr. Hou, saying, "Mr. Hou, please have a seat."
Sun Lili asked with a smile, "My mom calls you Teacher Hou, so you're a teacher?"
Teacher Hou nodded: "I guess you could say I was a teacher, but I'm too old to teach now. I'm the principal of No. 2 Middle School now."
Mingxi pursed her lips and couldn't help but glance at Teacher Hou.
Teacher Hou can be considered an early user of Versailles, right?
Sun Lili was also amused by Teacher Hou's words and couldn't help but laugh.
Only Fang Yan's eyes lit up; unable to contain her excitement, she tugged at Sun Xuewen's sleeve and shook it hard.
The principal! The principal of No. 2 Middle School!
The Second Middle School is a good school in the area. If you become a teacher at the Second Middle School, people in the neighborhood will look up to you. Not to mention becoming the principal.
Moreover, a school principal must be well-off; this old man is not bad.
If her mother-in-law really marries this old man, she will definitely support it.
It was unusual for Sun Xuewen to not go along with his wife. No matter how Fang Yan tried to pull him, he kept a long face and didn't give her a good look.
Regardless of whether Teacher Hou's circumstances are good or bad, he doesn't want to accept this "stepfather"!
Fang Yan tried to tug at her husband for a long time, but got no response, so she couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Her mother-in-law is so confused, she still hasn't figured it out. Her mother-in-law is very opinionated, and no matter what her children think, once she's made up her mind, she won't change it.
If her mother-in-law is determined to be with Teacher Hou, it won't matter whether they want to or not.
Since we can't change it, we might as well accept it sooner rather than later.
Take advantage of this time to build a good relationship with your future "stepfather" so that you can ask him for help in the future.
The other party is a school principal; they can take care of their children's education and schooling in the future.
Fang Yan rolled her eyes, feeling that her man was truly unreliable.
She shook off her husband, put on a smile, and went to Sun Lili's side to talk to Teacher Hou.
Sun Xuewen already disliked Teacher Hou, and when he saw his wife smiling and talking to the other person, he was extremely unhappy. He frowned, gave a heavy "humph," and then turned and left.
Mingxi watched this scene unfold, thinking to herself, "What a grand spectacle! It's a good thing I stayed; it would have been such a pity to miss it!"
However, Mingxi didn't get to see it for long before Wei Ning, who had been waiting anxiously outside, came in.
Mingxi had no choice but to say goodbye to Aunt Li with regret, and then leave with Wei Ning.
After they left and got on Wei Ning's bicycle, Mingxi was still complaining.
"Why did you come in so quickly? I haven't had enough of the excitement yet."
Wei Ning: "It's my fault, I shouldn't have bothered you while you were watching the show, but if we don't leave soon, we won't have time to eat."
For Mingxi, eating is still the most important thing.
Especially after Wei Ning described how delicious the Sichuan restaurant they were going to eat that evening was, she was already looking forward to it.
After weighing the importance of watching the excitement versus eating in her heart, Mingxi said, "Fine, I can't miss eating. I'll forgive you this time."
Upon hearing this, Wei Ning, who was riding a bicycle, smiled and said, "Thank you for your magnanimity, Lord Xiaoming."
Mingxi waved her hand.
Sigh, what's so bad about that?
She's very generous.
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