Chapter 132: I already knew
Chapter 132: I already knew
Cheng Bing and her two siblings went downstairs.
The family was gathered together to watch TV when Cheng's father-in-law said, "Come on, come on, here are some piping hot egg dumplings, have a couple."
Cheng Junjun walked over and saw a large plate of golden-yellow, fragrant egg dumplings. She exclaimed, "I've wanted to eat these for a long time. Grandpa's cooking is the best."
“You’re such a smooth talker,” Cheng chuckled twice. “Don’t crowd around here and block my light.”
Cheng Xiaoxiao took the chopsticks and handed them to Cheng Junjun: "Here you go."
Cheng Qiuyan finally managed to get the three children downstairs. Seeing Cheng Junjun and Cheng Xiaoxiao eating egg dumplings, she called Cheng Bing over to eat tea eggs and asked everyone, "Would you like some drinks while watching the show? You all like the peanut milk, and we still have quite a few bottles left."
Cheng Junjun: "Okay!"
Cheng Bing then put down the tea egg she hadn't even started peeling, stood up and said, "Then I'll go make it."
"Hey, hey, don't rush," Lin Guohui stopped him. "I'll cook it, I'll cook it. You and your sisters go eat. Egg dumplings are delicious when they're first made, but they won't taste as good if you put them in a small pot tomorrow."
Cheng Junjun remembered and said, "Hey, how are our roasted sweet potatoes going?"
“It’s been ready to eat for a while now,” Cheng Qiuyan said, then asked Cheng Bing, “Didn’t you say you were going to give one to Xiaoyuenian? You didn’t forget, did you?”
Cheng Xiaoxiao and Cheng Junjun hadn't finished eating their egg dumplings yet when they heard this, they were both slightly stunned.
The two women exchanged a glance, and Cheng Junjun quickly tugged at Cheng Xiaoxiao's arm: "Sister, do you want to wrap one yourself? I'd like to, but I'm afraid I might spill it..."
Cheng Bing answered softly, "Yes, I took it, and he ate it."
Cheng Qiuyan smiled and said, "When I think back to that time when he was little, he came over like a little dirty-bearded cat and obediently shared a roasted sweet potato with you. In the blink of an eye, he has grown up so much."
Lin Guohui had a few sunflower seeds left, and he planned to finish them before going to make drinks. He took the opportunity to joke, "He's not the dirty-bearded kitten anymore. The little guy has grown more and more handsome in the past two years, but he's too thin. I guess he'll be better after he goes to university. He just can't be picky about food. If he doesn't eat this or that outside, he definitely won't grow up well."
Cheng Qiuyan became interested and asked, "Bingbing, have you ever been to their school?"
“…Yes,” Cheng Bing nodded, “I’ve been there a few times.”
"Is their school cafeteria food better or your school's?"
"They're pretty much the same."
"How can they be almost the same? Well, it's nice that you two both like noodles."
Cheng Junjun insisted that Cheng Xiaoxiao bake the egg dumplings herself, then came over and interrupted, "Oh dear, where are the kumquats?"
Lin Guohui glanced at the tea and fruit dish. "Oh, I only took a small amount to begin with. I'll bring some more over later."
He then went to the kitchen to get some fruit.
Cheng Qiuyan found it strange and asked, "Didn't you all dislike eating this? I was planning to go to great lengths to serve it to guests starting tomorrow, but now you like it?"
"I'll just eat something," Cheng Junjun said. "Mom, come quick, my sister is baking dumplings, her hands are shaking."
Cheng Qiuyan laughed and scolded, "Even your grandfather would tell you to mess around like this, don't get burned!"
"Let them have some fun," said Cheng Gonggong with a smile.
He freed his hands, picked up his teacup, and strolled into the kitchen to see what Grandma Cheng was busy with.
Cheng Qiuyan then went over to instruct Cheng Xiaoxiao, but she was no match for her and only made things worse for Cheng Xiaoxiao, and a lot of coal still dripped into the stove.
Cheng Bing was relieved of having to answer questions related to Fang Yuenian and could now focus on peeling tea eggs.
On the other hand, the atmosphere at the Fang family's house was different.
I don't know what happened. Everything was perfectly normal before I left home. Teacher Fang said she wanted to grow flowers, Grandma Fang wanted to plant vegetables, and Fang Wu said that this year's Spring Festival Gala would definitely not be good—it was almost a peaceful scene. But after I left home for a while and came back, the atmosphere at home was unusually tense. Teacher Fang and Grandma Fang were both drinking tea and no one was talking.
There was a clattering sound coming from the kitchen, which meant Wang Jing was busy. Fang Yuenian went in and chatted casually with her. Wang Jing laughed and chatted with him, and gave him some freshly cooked spiced chestnuts to try.
Fang Yuenian looked around and asked, "Mom, where is he?"
The word "he" was enough for the mother and son to understand. Wang Jing said calmly, "He went out to play cards."
"Whose house are we going to play cards at on New Year's Eve?" Fang Yuenian said sarcastically.
Wang Jing did not respond.
Suddenly, Fang Yuenian realized something and asked, "Where did he go to play cards? In town?"
Wang Jing paused for a moment, looking at her son, "Niannian, what are you saying..."
"How about we play some cards?" Her words were abruptly interrupted.
Teacher Fang appeared silently in front of the kitchen door, a smile on her face.
Fang Yuenian was taken aback.
Teacher Fang had never played cards before, at least not in Fang Yuenian's memory. Intellectuals were aloof and refined, seemingly naturally incompatible with boisterous gambling. He had been comfortably watching TV in his chair, but now he suddenly offered to play. Coupled with his slightly guilty smile, Fang Yuenian seemed to understand something.
Grandma Fang, who was already losing interest in the gala and was starting to doze off, perked up at the news and said, "How about we all sit at one table together?"
Teacher Fang looked at Fang Yuenian: "To fight or not to fight?"
Fang Yuenian sneered inwardly, nodded, and said, "I'll go find the playing cards."
Grandma Fang said, "I'll come looking for it, but you don't know where it is."
Fang Yuenian turned to Wang Jing and said, "Mom, shall we fight together?"
Wang Jing had no choice but to say, "Okay."
Three generations each occupied one of the four corners, and they actually started playing.
Grandma Fang smiled happily, glanced at the pile of snacks on the coffee table, walked over, picked up the melon seed bucket in one hand and the tea and fruit plate in the other, and said, "What are we playing? We can't just play around today. Let's start with a small amount, one yuan a handful, just to show our appreciation, how about that?"
Wang Jing placed some melon seeds and snacks next to Fang Yuenian and asked, "Do you know how to fight?"
Grandma Fang: "Oh, he's a college student, and he doesn't know how to play cards? You can learn it just by watching, right? If you ask me, one yuan a hand is too small, five yuan a hand is better."
“Who would bet such a high stakes with you?” Teacher Fang said sternly. “It’s just one yuan a handful.”
Fang Yuenian had never played cards seriously, but the way they played at home was actually very simple and easy to learn. It didn't matter if he wasn't proficient, since he didn't want to win money anyway. He looked up at Wang Jing and said, "I know how, don't worry."
Comparing the four, Teacher Fang's fighting skills were not very good; he lost five games in a row right from the start. Fang Yuenian was also average, and he was serious and absent-minded. Seeing the grandfather and grandson like this, Wang Jing felt uneasy and said, "Dad, I'll go get you a cup of tea."
Grandma Fang, beaming with pride after her victory, mocked her husband and grandson: "You two, grandpa and grandson, are really something, sweating just from playing cards! Niannian, you're usually so smart, how could you lose such a hand? You're useless, not even as smart as your father."
Teacher Fang's face immediately darkened.
The old man had unusually taken to the mahjong table, actually to distract his grandson from asking about his father. Now, with Grandma Fang opening her mouth, all his efforts had been in vain.
"What's so good about being able to play cards?" Teacher Fang said sternly. "If he gets addicted, he'll have to save money on food and drink to gamble. He's just a student; isn't it enough that he does well in his studies? It's better if he doesn't play; he can gamble less when he goes out in the future, and who knows how much he can save."
Grandma Fang ignored him and quickly shuffled the cards and placed them in the center of the table.
Teacher Fang, however, did not take action. Thinking of Fang Wu, his anger flared up. He put down his cards and continued to lecture him: "Stop talking about how useless your grandson is every day. It's so awful! He got into a university in Beijing. How is he not better than his father? Playing cards is just a way to kill time. What does it matter if you play well or not? How can you make a living from this?"
Grandma Fang had long regretted mentioning her son, and quickly smiled and said, "Alright, alright, I misspoke. My grandson is the smartest and most promising."
Wang Jing rushed over with a kettle of hot water and said hurriedly, "Dad, come on, let's play a couple more rounds. He loses so much every year, let's give him a chance to win some back."
With her daughter-in-law offering a way out, Teacher Fang accepted it, saying, "He thinks he can beat me? Tonight I'll make him hand over all his New Year's money!"
Wang Jing smiled and added hot water to Teacher Fang's teacup.
Just then, Yue Nian's phone on the table vibrated, and a WeChat message came in. The screen lit up, and she glanced at it unintentionally. She thought the background picture looked familiar, so she took a closer look and found that it was the Cheng family's house on the other side of the river, and the person waiting for someone in the photo was Cheng Bing.
Fang Yuenian didn't notice this. With a meaningful smile on his face, he looked at the hidden anger on his grandfather's face, coughed, and said leisurely, "Then I'm afraid I'm not better than my dad in every way. At least I'm not as likable as him."
Teacher Fang was taken aback.
Wang Jing stared blankly at her son.
Grandma Fang also felt embarrassed, and took the opportunity to tear off two pieces of square cake and put them in her mouth.
"Alright," Fang Yuenian smiled again, as if nothing had happened, "Let's continue playing cards."
During the ensuing card game, it was clear that everyone had their own thoughts on their own.
Especially Wang Jing, she couldn't help but look at her son, and vaguely realized that her son was no longer a child who could be fooled by adults.
The two elderly people were drowsy while watching the gala, barely managing to stay awake on the sofa until midnight. After the firecrackers were finished, they went to bed immediately. After tidying up, Wang Jing saw that Fang Yuenian was still sitting on the sofa without moving, and knew that he had something to say.
"Mom," Fang Yuenian called to Wang Jing as she listened to her grandparents' snoring, "come and sit down."
Wang Jing sighed inwardly.
He sat down, picked up his teacup from the coffee table, and took a sip.
Fang Yuenian smiled and said, "You two should get a divorce."
Wang Jing froze. "Niannian, you knew all along?"
“I think it would be hard for me not to know,” Fang Yuenian chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Even Cheng Bing, who hates gossip the most, knows, but he still doesn’t dare to mention it to me.”
“Sigh,” Wang Jing laughed self-deprecatingly, “Your father has had that intention for a long time. It’s not that I wanted to hide it from you, but he’s the kind of person who never cares about the elderly or the young. Your grandparents are getting old, and you’re still in school…”
Fang Yuenian interrupted her, "Grandpa and Grandma are in good health. I think they are fully capable of adapting to their third daughter-in-law. I am not some fragile glass that needs special protection."
Wang Jing frowned. "I was afraid it would make you look bad."
“I’m not ugly,” Fang Yuenian said. “As long as you’re willing and can let go, I don’t care about anything else. But you’ve put so much effort into this family, and it’s not worth it for you to leave like this.”
Looking into her son's eyes, Wang Jing suddenly smiled with relief and said, "What's a little bit of stuff? I can live in two tiled houses too."
Fang Yuenian smiled along with her, "Me too." Author's Note: Thank you to my mentor 9492239 (9492239) for your support! For more exciting content, please leave a message for this book on Liancheng Reading.
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