The two men were clearly out of their minds, but they still invited Meng Wan inside. A glass of warm water was placed in front of Meng Wan; despite being the hosts, they seemed quite awkward.
Weren't you going out?
"I asked the manager for leave," Meng Zhili obediently answered Meng Wan's question.
"Not getting the medicine?" Meng Wan asked.
"You can go tomorrow."
Meng Wan nodded, and the three of them fell silent.
"Don't you have any questions?" Seeing Qin Yi fidgeting with her hands somewhat awkwardly, Meng Wan took the initiative to break the awkward silence.
"I spoke with my dad and the others on the phone; they're on their way back."
"Have you...have you eaten? There's not much food at home. What would you like? I'll go buy it." Qin Yi wiped her hands on her apron, her expression a little uneasy and awkward, with a hint of shame.
"You can just call me Wanwan. I'm not picky about food, it's okay." Meng Wan picked up her water glass and took a sip. While drinking, she looked around the small house.
It has three bedrooms and one living room, but it's not spacious. The walls are a bit peeling and yellowed, but you can tell that the owner has taken good care of it. Overall, it's still very clean.
A noise came from the doorway, and Meng Wan snapped out of her thoughts, turning her gaze towards the entrance. The three of them looked towards the door at the same time. The first to enter was a middle-aged man with a high nose bridge, wearing a suit, and his face showed undisguised worry.
Next came a man about the same height as Meng Zhili, who looked calm and reserved, dressed in simple jeans and a white short-sleeved shirt.
Finally, there was a white-haired man who looked about 80% like Meng Zhili, but with a sharper edge. He seemed impatient and had a guitar slung over his back.
The group stood in a row, making the already cramped space feel even more crowded. Meng Zhili emerged from the room at some point, followed by a boy of about seven or eight years old.
The little boy pursed his lips, lowered his head, and gripped Meng Zhili's clothes tightly with one hand.
"Hello, my name is Tang... Meng Wan, your biological daughter. If you don't believe me, you can do a paternity test." In fact, it wasn't necessary. As soon as Meng Wan stood there, everyone would think she was from the same family; their features were exactly the same.
“I already know what happened. I am your father, Meng Boqun.”
Despite it being a scene of parent-child reunion, the group felt like business partners meeting for the first time.
"Hello, I'm the boss, Meng Zhiyuan." As Meng Zhiyuan introduced himself, he was also sizing up Meng Wan. His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was thinking about something.
“I am the second brother, Meng Zhili. He is my twin brother and also your third brother, Meng Zhilian. He is the youngest child, whose full name is Meng Zhiyao and nickname is Yaoyao.”
Tang Wan nodded. Apart from the Meng couple who were seated, the other four people were sitting directly on the ground. Except for the youngest child, the other three were all tall and sat cross-legged on the ground, looking rather pitiful.
"Have I seen you somewhere before?" It was a cliché opening line, but nobody found it funny.
The Meng family children all got along well and understood each other's personalities, so they knew that the eldest son, Meng Zhiyuan, wouldn't have said that without a reason.
I haven't paid you back for the taxi fare. I couldn't reach you after that day, and I went abroad. I'm sorry.
"It's okay, I already said I didn't need to pay it back." In fact, I didn't expect the other party to pay me back anyway.
"What's going on? Zhiyuan, do you know Wanwan?" Qin Yi asked.
Meng Wan nodded. "I wouldn't say we know each other. I was having a gathering with friends that day and left home unexpectedly. I didn't realize my phone was dead. I was planning to walk back, but I ran into the older brother on the way. He told me someone was following me and to be careful. Then he helped me call a taxi."
Meng Wan's address of "elder brother" was perfectly natural, and none of the others noticed the change in address at first.
"Yes, I had just finished my part-time job and was heading back to school that day." He didn't elaborate, stopping short of saying more; for Meng Zhiyuan, it was just a small favor. Because at the time, he was thinking that if his sister were there, she would be terrified…
Thinking of this, a hint of disappointment appeared in Meng Zhiyuan's eyes.
The atmosphere became a little awkward, so Qin Yi changed the subject appropriately.
"Wanwan just got back, so she'll probably be a little unaccustomed to things. Dinner is ready, let's eat first. It's a rare opportunity for the whole family to sit down and eat together. After we finish eating, I'll tidy up the room for Wanwan."
Qin Yi stood up, a smile on her face, while the others kept their lips tightly pressed together. Knowing that her husband had something to say, Qin Yi silently suppressed her somewhat stiff smile.
Meng Boqun patted Qin Yi's hand and looked at Meng Wan.
“Wanwan, is it? I’m sorry, I haven’t raised you for a single day in the past 17 years. Now that we’re bankrupt, you have to come back and suffer with us. Dad can’t give you a better life right now. If you don’t want to come with us, I understand. I… I don’t have much to give you. This is some savings, please keep it safe. We know the Tang family has fallen quite a bit…”
"No need." Meng Wan pushed the bank card that Meng Boqun had placed on the table back.
Meng Boqun was taken aback, his hands awkwardly clasped together. "It's not a lot of money, but it's enough to rent a place. I'll send money to you on time every month..."
“That’s not what I meant. I meant that it’s a nice place here, and if you don’t think I’m a burden, I’d like to stay.”
“You won’t get used to it,” Meng Zhilian, Meng Wan’s third brother, said confidently.
Meng Wan raised an eyebrow, but did not rush to refute the other party's point of view.
Meng Wan remained noncommittal, and when she looked up at them, she even seemed somewhat innocent. "So, you're going to kick me out?"
"No, how could that be! Dad definitely didn't mean that!" Meng Boqun raised his hand and slapped Meng Zhilian on the head. Apart from his younger brother who kept his head down and didn't say anything, everyone else also cast dissatisfied glances at Meng Zhilian.
Meng Zhilian opened his mouth, feeling utterly helpless and unable to defend himself. Finally, he pursed his lips and looked away.
After Meng Wan said that, the others didn't dare to say anything more about her moving out. Qin Yi and Meng Boqun, who had originally only cooked enough food for three people, went to the kitchen to add some more dishes, leaving only the children in the living room.
"I have another show to attend later, so I'm leaving now. Mom and Dad, don't worry about cooking for me, the boss will cover the meals." Meng Zhilian slung his guitar bag over his shoulder and headed out.
"Okay," came Qin Yi's reply from the kitchen.
"Be careful on the road, and don't cause trouble," the eldest brother, Meng Zhiyuan, instructed.
"Understood," Meng Zhilian said, looking at Meng Wan. Meng Wan sensed his gaze and looked at him openly, her eyes seemingly asking what he wanted to do.
Meng Zhilian cleared his throat. "That's not what I meant."
"I know." Meng Wan smiled, revealing a dimple that curved her eyes, making her look incredibly endearing. Meng Zhilian's ears turned red, probably from embarrassment at his earlier actions.
"Well... that's good then." Meng Zhilian coughed awkwardly twice, touched his nose, stood there for a few seconds, and then blankly went out the door.
“He meant no harm, he’s just not very good at talking,” Meng Zhiyuan explained.
Meng Wan suppressed a smile and nodded.
The Meng family is quite interesting; their five children have developed five distinct personalities: the eldest is steady, the second is gentle, the third is arrogant, the youngest is taciturn, and the fifth is spoiled rotten...
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