Chapter 28 Family
Lin Ke officially entered the interview preparation period.
She wasn't worried about her professional skills, but the interview didn't just test her expertise; it also assessed other aspects, so she had to give it her all.
Kindergarten let out for summer vacation early, and Si Xiaotie stayed home with her mother every day. When her mother was busy, she would play by herself, and when her mother was not busy, they would watch cartoons on the sofa.
Dad usually gets off work on time, but sometimes he comes home very late. Once, he smelled strongly of alcohol, and Si Xiaotie was disgusted and pushed him out the door, refusing to coax him.
If the weather is nice, her mother will take her downstairs to play, but she's already tired of the slide and swings downstairs. She doesn't want to go down if it weren't for her little sister, Xiaoxuan, being there.
Chinese New Year is early this year; Lunar New Year's Eve is in late January, just a few days away.
During dinner that evening, Si Xiaotie asked, "Mom, are we going to Auntie's house?"
When my grandfather was alive, the whole family would eat New Year's Eve dinner together. Even though we moved out, we still went back to the old house every New Year's Eve.
This year is a little different. Si Yun and Qin Ru are divorced, so they should go back as well.
Lin Ke picked a bok choy heart for the girl and said, "Okay, let's go in a couple of days."
But this time, the person next to me said, "We can spend this year separately."
"Why?" Lin Ke didn't understand, but she couldn't say it in front of the child. "Go ahead, stay for a few more days."
Si Yuming pondered for a moment, then nodded.
Early on New Year's Eve, Si Xiaotie dragged her schoolbag and knocked on the door. After knocking a few times, she pushed the door open and crawled between her parents, saying, "Mom and Dad, get up quickly! I want to go find my brother!"
Lin Ke was still sleepy, so she pulled the little girl into the blanket and snuggled into her soft, fragrant body, saying, "Sleep a little longer with Mommy~"
"Ugh~" Si Xiaotie struggled, his voice choked out, "Mommy, I'm going to be eaten by you..."
The woman laughed happily: "Baby is a sweet little bunny."
"Baby isn't a little bunny, he's a big dinosaur!"
"Good, good, good, big dinosaur."
The mother and daughter were playfully fighting, and Si Xiaotie kicked the man into a corner with her two little feet.
Si Yuming reluctantly got out of bed, first went to the window to close the curtains that weren't fully drawn, then went to the bedside to cover the little girl whose little feet were sticking out with a blanket, "Xiao Tie and Mommy sleep a little longer."
"Where did Daddy go?" A pair of big eyes peeked out from under the covers.
"Make breakfast." Aunt Chen went home for the Spring Festival, and the family of three has to prepare their own meals.
"I want to eat xiaolongbao!"
"good."
As soon as the man left, Si Xiaotie hid in his mother's arms again.
However, the mother and daughter couldn't go back to sleep because their phone rang; it was Lin Qiliang.
Lin Ke hesitated for a moment before answering the call.
"Keke, are you going home for Chinese New Year?"
Si Xiaotie heard his grandfather's voice and, although they weren't usually very close, he still greeted him politely: "Grandpa."
Lin Qiliang's tone relaxed when he heard the little girl's voice, "Xiao Tie, go home with your mother for the New Year, and your grandfather will cook you something delicious."
Si Xiaotie, who is usually very easygoing, didn't respond and looked up at his mother.
Lin Ke and her daughter looked at each other and were surprised to see hesitation and doubt in the eyes of a four-year-old child. Her heart sank, and she replied, "Let me ask Si Yuming when he is free."
"Okay, then let me know in advance."
"Um."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Ke asked cautiously, "Does Xiao Tie want to go to his maternal grandfather's house?"
She didn't really like it, even though her maternal grandfather was very good to her. But since her grandfather was her mother's father, she couldn't dislike him. So Si Xiaotie said, "Wherever Mom goes, I go!"
Looking at her daughter who was smiling with her eyes narrowed, Lin Ke suddenly felt for a moment that she seemed to have grown up a bit, but upon closer inspection, she was still a little one.
She smiled, hugged the person tightly, and changed the subject, saying, "Let's go to sleep."
After a good nap and breakfast, I went out and arrived at the old house close to noon.
It had been a long time since Lin Ke last came back. Looking around the familiar little garden and house, she was surprised to find it somewhat deserted.
Hearing the car engine, Qin Mancheng ran out, trying to hold back but unable to suppress her joy as she shouted, "Xiao Tie!"
"Brother~"
Si Yun also came out to greet them, and just leaned against the door with no expression on her face.
Lin Ke stepped forward and greeted the woman, who nodded and turned away.
After entering the house, the two children played together, and Lin Ke carried the things she had brought to the kitchen.
The aunt was cooking, and as soon as she saw her, she couldn't help but pull her aside and say, "Keke, you're finally back."
"What's wrong?"
The aunt sighed, "What can we do? It's just a matter between the wife and husband. Although a lot of time has passed, the wife's mood is still unpredictable, and she gets angry at the drop of a hat. It's still us who suffer."
“I think so too. He used to be such a well-behaved child, but now he doesn’t dare to make a move in front of his mother. He just stays quiet when his wife isn’t around, and no one can talk to him.”
Lin Ke felt a little sad after hearing this.
The little boy playing with Si Xiaotie outside had a smile on his face. At this moment, he seemed no different from before, but his temperament gave people a different feeling.
However, she could only sigh, "Give my sister some more time. This matter is not so easy to process."
"well."
On the other side, Si Yuming followed Si Yun into the study.
The study was where Grandpa used to read, write, and entertain old friends when he was alive. After Grandpa passed away, Qin Mancheng occasionally used it to practice calligraphy, and the layout and decorations remained unchanged.
A blanket lay on the rocking chair in front of the French windows, sunlight shining on it, dust motes dancing in the air. It seemed as if in the blink of an eye, the old man was still sleeping peacefully in the rocking chair, clutching a book.
Si Yun looked at the man with a serious expression. "What's wrong? Do you have something to say to me?"
There was indeed something to say, but Si Yuming wasn't in a hurry. He slowly withdrew his gaze from the rocking chair and asked first, "Sister, how did you and Qin Ru end up like this?"
Si Yun's eyes suddenly turned fierce, and she turned around, arms crossed.
"I remember when you first got married, Qin Ru loved you very much. He had nothing but you in his heart and eyes. He wasn't faking it, you know that. But when did his heart start to change?"
"How should I know!" the woman whispered angrily.
"I don't know either, but I think there must have been a crack between you two, which allowed others to take advantage of the situation."
Si Yuming didn't understand many principles about marriage before, but now he is slowly learning them little by little. "You said Lin Ke has someone she likes, and you said you signed an agreement, so there was almost such a crack between us."
At this point, Si Yuming still had a lot to explain to her. "Sister, maybe you've misunderstood something, but Lin Ke and Meng Jing don't have the things you think or imagine."
Si Yun turned around, incredulous. "I misunderstood? I saw them together with my own eyes. I specifically inquired before your wedding. Her roommate said she often went to the Foreign Affairs University to find a senior! And don't you remember when we were little? Everyone knew she was always clinging to Meng Jing."
Si Yuming's expression remained unchanged. "Before you and Qin Ru broke up, he would say good morning and good night to you every day, and he even said he wanted to celebrate your wedding anniversary with you. Were all of those things true?"
Si Yun said nothing more.
"And there's the agreement." The man paused, then spoke again, suppressing a hint of anger, "It was officially null and void the day I became aware of its existence."
"Yu Ming..."
"Not to mention when you were young, you lived together for two years after you got married. You know Lin Ke's personality very well. You are prejudiced against her because of Jiang Chengyin and the Lin family, and you look at her with prejudice."
“After my parents left, the family has been so fortunate to have you. I know you mean well, but I’m not a teenager anymore. You don’t need to worry about me.”
Si Yun's chest heaved, and her voice rose, "So you're accusing me now? You're telling me this to turn against me?"
“No, you are my sister, and she is my wife. This is something I should handle.” The man remained calm. “Sister, I didn’t marry Lin Ke under duress. I love her. We will not get a divorce, never.”
The study fell into a deathly silence.
But this was quickly broken by the sound of two children playing outside.
Si Yuming's voice softened a bit, but it was still heavy. "My parents and grandfather have passed away one after another. Lin Ke is our new family. Xiao Tie and Manman are new life in the Si family. I cherish this marriage, and I also cherish you and Manman."
The study door suddenly opened, and Si Xiaotie ran in carrying a fire truck, with Qin Mancheng chasing after him.
The little girl ran into his arms and excitedly shared, "Daddy, this is the fire truck my brother gave me. He also has a police car and an ambulance, so many vehicles!"
Si Yuming ruffled her hair. "Did you thank your brother?"
"My brother said you're welcome."
"You're not thanking me then?"
"Yes, he's definitely my brother!"
......
The siblings seemed to be arguing, and Si Yun's face was very sour.
Qin Mancheng, who had become very adept at reading people's expressions, also stopped smiling and made a "shh" gesture to tell Si Xiaotie to be quiet.
Si Xiaotie didn't understand. He leaned out to look at his aunt, and as soon as he saw her sullen face, he understood. He put his little finger to his lips and whispered, "Xiaotie, be quiet."
Lin Ke placed the last pot of soup on the table, glancing at the various Si men with different expressions. The atmosphere was clearly awkward, yet too serious, especially with Si Xiaotie's body tense.
She smiled inwardly and said, "Have Xiaotie and Manman washed their hands? Go wash your hands."
Si Xiaotie instantly deflated like a punctured duckling, let out a heavy sigh, and jumped off the chair. "Wash your hands!"
After washing her hands, she didn't sit next to her father anymore. Instead, she snuggled into Lin Ke's arms, but still didn't dare to speak loudly: "I want to eat with Mom..."
Lin Ke held her, fed her a couple of bites, and then ate himself. The two siblings opposite him also started eating, but neither of them said anything.
She didn't know what they were arguing about, but it was New Year's Eve, so they could argue however they wanted. What was the point of making a child nervous? Lin Ke put some food on Qin Mancheng's plate, "Manman, eat quickly. After you finish eating, go set off fireworks with Xiaotie."
The little boy's eyes lit up. "Can we set off fireworks?"
"Okay, we can set off small fireworks. Auntie asked Auntie to buy them."
Si Xiaotie was overjoyed, "Yay, fireworks!"
Lin Ke continued talking to Qin Mancheng, "After the New Year, Auntie is taking Xiaotie to the amusement park. Manman, do you want to come along?"
Qin Mancheng was tempted, but dared not agree. She looked at her mother and waited for her mother to nod before smiling, "I want to go together!"
With something to look forward to, the children ate their meals enthusiastically, and as soon as they finished, they couldn't wait to go outside and set off fireworks.
Lin Ke was hesitant to light the fireworks, so she left the task to Si Yuming and just stood by and watched.
The garden, which was somewhat quiet during the day, was now filled with laughter and joy. Si Xiaotie was especially loud, running around and around with his little legs, holding a sparkler. The dazzling fireworks reflected the children's bright smiles.
A moment later, Si Yun came to the side.
Lin Ke looked over and saw the woman with her arms crossed, looking at the garden with a slight smile on her lips, which she quickly lowered again.
The last time I met Si Yun was at a coffee shop near the company. After that, Si Yuming basically helped deal with everything that happened, so we haven't seen each other since.
However, there are still things between the two of them that need to be resolved.
Lin Ke spoke up: "Sister."
Si Yun looked over.
"You told Yu Ming about the agreement, didn't you?"
"right."
"I don't know how you communicate, but I..." Lin Ke's eyes remained unwavering, "If I want to break the contract, what are the penalties for breach of contract?"
Later, one day she went to look through the agreement that she had hastily signed and then put away. The agreement stipulated her rights and obligations as the second party, such as the obligation to be faithful during the marriage, the rights of being Mrs. Si, and the requirement to dissolve the marriage after five years. However, it did not specify the liability for breach of contract, only that it would be discussed by both parties.
Si Yun shifted her gaze and looked back at the small garden.
"Dad, what's this? Light this!" Si Xiaotie pulled a small, round firework out of the bag, his expectant eyes sparkling in the night.
Si Yuming didn't know what it was either, but he took it and lit the fuse with a lighter.
With a hiss, the small cylinder immediately started spinning rapidly, as if it had been scalded, trailing a trail of dazzling golden-red sparks. It drew glowing circles in the air while making cheerful "whoosh" sounds.
"Wow! Look, brother, it's a fire wheel!" Si Xiaotie pointed at the ball of light and giggled, his laughter crisp and sweet.
Qin Mancheng was also extremely happy and chased after the Wind and Fire Wheels.
These dazzling lights that soared into the sky, accompanied by the gentle laughter of children, filled the entire small courtyard.
Si Yun's voice was very soft: "There is no liability for breach of contract."
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Author's note: Here it is, a hundred little red envelopes~
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