Chapter 56 Making a Phone Call
Huo Zheng carried the bowls and chopsticks into the yard, washing the dishes as he said, "What's wrong with men doing some housework? It's not tiring."
Lu Mingyue smiled and chimed in, "That's right, this is what makes it feel like a home."
Seeing their tacit understanding, Zhu Jingwen secretly decided that she would also teach her husband to share the housework when she got home.
Before she could even speak, Qin Lie, with great tact, squatted down and joined Huo Zheng in the work.
Although his movements were a bit clumsy, his attitude was quite proper, which eased Zhu Jingwen's expression slightly.
After the family left, Huo Zheng took the mother and her two children to make a phone call.
Military camps have dedicated telephones for public use, but generally no one other than military personnel is allowed to enter.
Therefore, Huo Zheng led them to the place in the supply and marketing cooperative where they could make phone calls.
The supply and marketing cooperative's phone calls cost the same as outside, charged by the hour.
Communication on the island is sometimes disrupted by wind and waves, so people still choose to send letters, except for emergencies.
Most importantly, telephone call charges are relatively high, so some families choose mail, which is cheaper, to save money.
The supply and marketing cooperative has a special room for people to make phone calls.
After the person in front finishes their call and comes out, the people in line behind them can go in. Lu Mingyue thinks this is quite good, as it provides a certain degree of privacy.
After the family went inside, Huo Zheng dialed a phone. After several transfers, a kind voice came from the other end.
"Hello, is this the second brother?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Huo Zheng's expression softened. He grinned, his voice tinged with joy, "Mom, it's me."
"That brat never calls home. Your dad and I were so worried."
Zhong Yulan has an impatient nature. Upon hearing her son's voice, she rattled off her thoughts like a machine gun.
The phone was leaking sound a bit, so Zhong Yulan's voice was clearly heard by everyone in the call room, and Lu Mingyue stared in surprise.
Huo Zheng said his mother had a very good temper and was a very refined person, so the voice on the phone didn't quite match his description.
Seeing Lu Mingyue's surprised expression, Huo Zheng touched his forehead with a headache. Damn it, his old problem had flared up again.
He cleared his throat and reminded her, "Mom, Mingyue and the child are still here."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by the sound of something falling over. Huo Zheng immediately asked anxiously, "Mom, what's wrong? Are you alright?"
Zhong Yulan fell to the ground, wincing in pain. Fortunately, Huo Zhenping, who had come downstairs to get a drink of water, saw her and quickly helped her up.
Second brother, that brat didn't even tell his wife that she was there. Could she have overheard everything she said?
Zhong Yulan felt her image was about to be ruined.
"The second child is fine, your mother just accidentally fell."
Upon learning that it was his youngest son on the other end of the phone, Huo Zhenping picked up the phone and answered.
Zhong Yulan angrily snatched the phone and said to her husband, "Who said I fell? Don't talk nonsense, get out of here."
Huo Zhenping was in for a bad time. He touched his nose and shrank to the side, not daring to say a word.
Zhong Yulan composed herself and spoke gently, "So Mingyue is here too. Give him the phone, I want to chat with her for a bit."
Hearing her future mother-in-law specifically ask to chat with her, Lu Mingyue became a little nervous.
"Hello, Auntie, I am Lu Mingyue."
Her voice was soft and somewhat reserved.
Zhong Yulan laughed and said, "Why call me 'Auntie'? You should call me 'Mom'."
A hearty laugh came from the other end of the phone, which eased some of Lu Mingyue's tension.
"mom."
"Hey!" Zhong Yulan on the other end of the phone beamed.
Ever since her second son submitted his marriage application, she and her husband have been waiting for her to call.
Who knew that this brat would remain silent for so long? Just when they couldn't wait any longer, the phone finally rang.
She and her husband already knew some information about Lu Mingyue; after all, as insiders, they could also see some political background check materials.
The more I look at it, the more my heart aches for this little girl's hardships. Her mother was such a great woman, yet after her death, her child suffered such unfair treatment.
If he wasn't too far away, she would have wanted to beat up the black-hearted father.
The thought that she was seven years younger than her son made her feel disgusted that her son was dating a much younger woman.
Zhong Yulan spoke softly, as if coaxing a child: "How is life on the island? Are you used to it? Has Huo Zheng bullied you? If he dares to bully you, call me and I'll go beat him up."
Huo Zheng was speechless. Did he really seem that unreliable? He would never actually hit someone, would he?
Even the two children believed it, staring wide-eyed.
"Dad, will you hit Mom?"
"Don't listen to your grandma's nonsense. How could I hit someone?"
He doesn't even discipline his children, so how could he possibly hit his wife?
His mother must have been exposed to too much theater in the compound; she's probably been corrupted by it.
He couldn't help but lean closer to the microphone and say, "Mom, don't talk nonsense, I'm not that kind of person."
Zhong Yulan chuckled, "I know this is just a reminder to Mingyue, with your size, who can beat you?"
Lu Mingyue inquired about the health of the two elders, chatted casually about other matters, and then handed the phone to the two little ones.
The moment she handed over the phone, Lu Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief. Although Zhong Yulan was very kind, she couldn't help but feel nervous.
Holding the phone, Yao Yao called out in her childish voice, "Grandma, I miss you."
"Oh, Grandma's sweetheart, I miss you too."
Yao Yao is the only little girl in the family, and all the elders cherish her.
Zhong Yulan gave birth to two sons. Her eldest son, Huo Feng, married his wife, Wen Yuexian, and a few years later, they had a grandson named An'an.
When An'an was born, she was a well-behaved baby. But as she grew older, she gradually showed the genes of the Huo family and became quite mischievous.
He's the same age as Leilei and is usually a little tyrant in the family compound. If he weren't kept in close watch, he'd be everywhere, up the mountain and down the river.
After retiring, Zhong Yulan has been looking after An'an so that her children can work with peace of mind.
Over the years, she has suffered a lot from An'an's loudspeaker noise. When Yao Yao brought her here, she looked at her well-behaved little girl and liked her very much.
Leilei also greeted his grandmother very politely.
The two children are both incredibly sensible, and Zhong Yulan feels both heartache and affection for them.
"Okay, okay, how have you guys been lately? Is it fun on the island? Did you go crabbing?"
She knew that the two children loved playing at the beach.
"Yes, Mom took us to catch crabs and shellfish, and she also cooked lots of delicious food."
Just thinking about her mother's delicious cooking made Yao Yao's mouth water uncontrollably.
"Mom also made dumplings today, they were fresh filling."
Leilei corrected him from the side: "No, it's three-delicacy filling."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
