Chapter 79: Fuck it, what are you afraid of!
When Cheng Yang went to buy groceries, Shi Xiaoai and Cheng Lin put the cups that needed to be cleaned and disinfected on the bike and rode back home together.
As Cheng Lin said, the three children in the family had already eaten.
Seeing them, Cheng Kai was surprised: "Sister-in-law, are you coming back for lunch? But the food is all gone!"
"What did you eat?" Shi Xiaoai asked.
"Leftovers from this morning! My uncle heated up the food for us and we ate it all!" Mingxi interrupted.
She puffed out her chest proudly and boasted, "I ate a big bowl, and my uncle said he would braid my hair into a new one after I finish it."
She turned her head and shook it to let her mother see her two pigtails that were as big as firecrackers.
Shi Xiaoai almost laughed out loud.
She looked at Cheng Kai with amusement: "Kai Kai, you can braid pigtails?"
Cheng Kai rubbed his hair sheepishly: "When I was little, I always went to the theater with my mom, and I learned it just by watching."
"What do you mean he learned it just by watching? Sister-in-law, don't believe him. When he was little, he was white and chubby with big eyes, and everyone in the troupe mistook him for a girl. As soon as he went there, someone would grab him and braid his hair, so he learned it all."
"Brother!" Seeing that his second brother was so disrespectful to him, Cheng Kai suddenly became anxious.
He rushed forward and tried to cover Cheng Lin's mouth, but Cheng Lin opened his mouth with a smile.
Seeing the two brothers making a fuss, Mingrui and Mingxi, who had originally felt a little distant from them, also became happy and went over to watch the fun. Suddenly, everyone outside burst into laughter.
Shi Xiaoai walked into the kitchen with a smile, and then found that the kitchen had been cleaned again.
In fact, their kitchen is very clean, and Cheng Yang always cleans it when he has nothing to do.
But after all, it’s a restaurant business, so occasional messes are inevitable. For example, fallen vegetable leaves, grease stains on the stove that haven’t been wiped off in time, or dust scattered everywhere.
But at this moment, whether it was the stove, the floor, or even the window screens covering the cupboards, they had all been cleaned and looked spotless.
It was obvious that Cheng Kai had done this. Xiaofeng knew that he would come to make steamed buns in the afternoon, so she couldn't clean the kitchen now.
And although the cleaning was very thorough, there were always places that children did not pay attention to. For example, although he tried very hard to clean the wall behind the stove, there was always a place that he could not reach.
Looking at the brand new kitchen, Shi Xiaoai didn't feel very happy. On the contrary, she suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.
Although the children had already eaten, Xiao Ai still called them all over to have another meal together after buying the braised food.
As expected, the stomachs of growing children are bottomless pits. Cheng Yang bought half a salted duck, two pig's trotters, and two smoked sausages, and ate them all in one meal, leaving nothing behind.
Looking at the plate without even a drop of soup left, Cheng Yang's mouth twitched.
After dinner, both children took the initiative to squeeze into the kitchen and said they wanted to help close the stall, but were chased out by Shi Xiaoai.
Seeing them go back to the cabin to rest, Cheng Yang followed them in a little shyly.
Shi Xiaoai ignored him and let him go even though he was eager to do the work.
Not until all the work in the house was finished, and seeing that he was still reluctant to leave and seemed to want to follow her into the master bedroom, Shi Xiaoai stopped.
She pointed to the dining table and said, "Come, let's talk."
Cheng Yang's expression was obviously distorted, and it was obvious that he was about to develop a psychological resistance to the word "talk".
Shi Xiaoai actually didn't mean to scare him.
Since she had made up her mind to be with this man on the bus that time before, and had also thought about trying to live a good life with him, then she would treat Cheng Yang as a family member.
Since they are a family, Shi Xiaoai looks down on the way he is always cautious around her.
But she also understood Cheng Yang's difficulties.
On one side is his family whose economy has just improved a little but the foundation is still very thin, and on the other side is his younger brother who has come all the way to him for help when he encountered difficulties. What can Cheng Yang do?
He wants to protect both sides, but he doesn't know how to do it.
Seeing Cheng Yang standing there motionless, clearly not wanting to go to the table, she didn't force him. Instead, she walked to the door and closed it, then lowered her voice and said, "Talk to Xiaolin tonight. He has to go out and sell steamed buns this afternoon. Don't make the kid unhappy."
Cheng Yang nodded: "Yeah, I know."
"When we were talking... your dad should have received the telegram, right? He still hasn't replied?"
Shi Xiaoai hesitated for a moment and suddenly changed the question.
"No." Cheng Yang replied.
Shi Xiaoai nodded and finally made up her mind.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about it. What's there to talk about? If they want to stay, then let them stay! It's not like I can't afford to feed them. Forget it. Their father doesn't care, so why should you, as a brother, think so much? Let's not talk about it. Don't scare the kids. Let them both stay!"
Shi Xiaoai had not made this decision originally, mainly because she was afraid of trouble.
She was not worried about not being able to provide food and drink for Cheng Lin and Cheng Kai, but she did not want to face the sequelae left by the two children coming to her for refuge.
Even if their father doesn't care about his family, he wouldn't abandon all three sons, right?
It is obvious that the eldest son Cheng Yang is no longer on the same page with him, and he will definitely not let go of his second and third sons.
Cheng Yang is about to go to school. What will she do if that person does something to her?
But, think about Cheng Lin's nervousness, then think about the kitchen that Cheng Kai cleaned, and that father's indifference.
At this moment, there was only one thought in Xiao Ai's mind -
Fuck them, what are you afraid of! If the enemy comes, we will fight them; if the water comes, we will block it with earth. What can that person do to them?
We'll talk about it when something really happens. Anyway, she can't accept these two kids hanging around in front of her like a bullied wife every day.
Cheng Yang was obviously stunned by his wife's words.
He stared at her in disbelief, his mouth moving but no words coming out.
Shi Xiaoai glared at him and said fiercely, "If your father causes trouble, you'll have to deal with it yourself. And before you leave, strangle those explosive signs!"
I can help you look after your brother, but please don't make me have to be on guard and put out fires every day."
Cheng Yang stared at her intently until Xiao Ai's scalp felt numb. When she turned around to go back to the house, she was grabbed by this man and squeezed tightly into his arms.
Cheng Yang buried his head in the top of her hair and nodded vigorously: "Yes, I know."
This time Xiao Ai did not struggle. Instead, she hugged the man and patted his back soothingly.
She could hear suppressed sobs coming from above her head.
Since they wanted to keep the two brothers, they had to ask some questions in advance, so this time the couple went to talk to Cheng Lin together.
Logically, Cheng Kai should also be present, but the little guy is young after all, and he was tired after a morning and was already snoring in sleep.
Cheng Lin was actually also sleepy. He was still a little confused when the two men called him out of the room. It was not until he saw his brother's eyes that he suddenly woke up.
Cheng Yang said to him, "Tell me the truth about what happened recently. Don't try to deceive me. If you tell the truth, your sister-in-law and I will consider letting you and Cheng Kai live here for a while."
He didn't say anything final because he knew that his brother was very cunning and he had to leave some wiggle room.
This sentence immediately made Cheng Lin excited.
He said, "Brother, ask me, I promise to tell you whatever you ask me."
Cheng Yang's veins twitched. He didn't even know what was happening over there, so how could he ask?
But after thinking about it, he still asked: "How did you know I was here? I didn't contact you after I came back."
Cheng Lin glanced at him resentfully: "You still remember that you haven't contacted me? Have you completely forgotten that you have a younger brother?
When you were in the hospital, I called the hospital many times. At first, they said you had not recovered yet and could not answer the phone. Later, they said you were discharged.
I have always been so worried about you, but you have never thought about me at all!"
Cheng Yang pursed his lips, feeling a pang of ashamed.
He didn't know that his brother had called the military hospital. There were so many people calling at that time that no one specifically notified him.
After he came back, he did miss Cheng Lin, but Cheng Lin lived in the staff quarters of his father's unit, so if he wrote a letter, he had to ask his father to collect it and forward it.
He was impatient to contact that person, so he delayed contacting his brother.
Fortunately, Cheng Lin did not argue with his brother on this issue. He continued, "Your movements have never been a secret. Over the years, someone has reported your situation to Dad every now and then.
When you were on the front lines before, there were fewer reporting materials. I guess it was because the information available was too little.
When you came back from the battlefield, your report materials would be several pages long almost every week. Dad would put them on the table after reading them, and he didn't hide them from me, so I read them openly."
Cheng Yang almost couldn't control his temper!
He suddenly looked up and subconsciously repeated Cheng Lin's words: "You said he has been secretly investigating me?!"
Cheng Lin didn't expect his brother to be so angry. He was so frightened that he could barely speak. He stammered, "No, I don't know. I just saw it."
Shi Xiaoai grabbed Cheng Yang's arm and signaled him to calm down.
But at the same time, the anger in my heart was burning.
If Cheng's father had been investigating Cheng Yang, he must have known about the original owner's situation.
He must have known that the original owner married Cheng Yang and gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl.
As the saying goes, grandparents are close to their grandchildren. Even if there was a rift between them, how could he have watched his son away from home and his daughter-in-law suffer humiliation in the countryside without doing anything, ultimately leading to his granddaughter's death from illness and his daughter-in-law's death from depression?!
You are so cold-blooded that you don’t deserve to be a father!
Shi Xiaoai didn't let Cheng Yang ask any more questions. She asked directly, "Cheng Lin, how did he force you? Did he make you so bold as to run away from home with your brother?"
"He doesn't let my brother go to the army! What right does he have? That's the watch I found for my brother, why did he tear it up?!" Cheng Kai appeared at the door at some point and started yelling before he even entered.
It looked like the little guy hadn't woken up yet, and he was rubbing his eyes hard while talking.
Shi Xiaoai glanced at Mingrui who was hiding outside the door and peeking in, and felt that her son had become a smart guy!
"Why don't you let your brother join the army? What's going on?" Cheng Yang frowned.
"He wants me to stay at home for a few more years. He said that when Kaikai is able to go to junior high school, he will arrange for Kaikai to live in the school dormitory and then find a job for me. He will definitely not agree to my joining the army." Cheng Lin lowered his head and said in a suppressed voice.
From Cheng Lin's description, the couple learned that Cheng Lin had not been in school since junior high school. Firstly, it was the middle of the movement, and everything was in chaos.
Students don’t learn knowledge in school. Every day they are asked to read newspapers or learn about farming.
Cheng Lin said he didn't want to go to school, and their father Cheng Fanying agreed. From then on, Cheng Lin was responsible for taking care of the family's daily life.
At the beginning, Cheng Lin was young, and the children of his age in the courtyard were basically in the same situation. They all grew up at home, and no one thought there was anything wrong.
But now he is seventeen, and most of the people of his age in the hospital have found their places.
Either joining the army or working in a factory, everyone started working hard for their own future.
No matter how hard it is to find a job outside, Cheng Lin is Cheng Fanying's son after all, and a child of the compound. It is simply nonsense to say that it is impossible to find a job for him.
But the neighbors in the yard were surprised to see him doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, and picking up his younger brother every day.
Finally someone came to ask Cheng Lin, and he realized belatedly that he had been left behind by his former playmates!
Cheng Lin went to find Cheng Fanying and asked him to help find a job. Cheng Fanying did not refuse, but kept asking him to wait, asking him to take care of the family first and not to rush into work, saying that he knew what he was doing.
But after waiting for a long time, there was no news at all.
Seeing that his brother was anxious, Cheng Kai secretly called his mother.
Although his mother, Ms. Huang Yunqiao, divorced Cheng Fanying, she still has some genuine feelings for her stepson.
After all, she had really watched him grow up since he was a child. And when she was in the most difficult and painful time, it was not her former husband who helped her take care of him, but this then-tiny stepson. Moreover, for so many years, her youngest son had to depend on this second brother for everything.
So Huang Yunqiao helped Cheng Lin find a place to join the army through her son, and it was in the Ningcheng Military District. Her intention was to find a way to get Cheng Lin to the military sub-district and her eldest son's unit, so that he could take care of him a little.
But who knew that this enlistment notice was seen by Cheng Fanying.
He was furious when he saw it!
Not only did she tear the notice to pieces on the spot, she also called Huang Yunqiao in front of the two children and told her not to think about her two sons! She said that as long as he lived, he would never let his sons go to her!
This action completely hurt Cheng Lin's heart.
Cheng Lin looked at Cheng Yang and asked, "Brother, on what basis? What basis do you think he has? He doesn't care about me and doesn't let Aunt Yun help me. What does he think of me?"
Back then, he thought I was troublesome and threw me to the countryside like garbage. Now that he found out I could take care of his children, he locked me up at home and wouldn't let me go out.
Does he treat me as his son? What am I in his heart? "
Cheng Yang was heartbroken and pulled his brother into his arms, pressing him against his chest.
Cheng Lin buried his eyes in his brother's shoulder and cried as aggrieved as he could be.
The child had obviously been suppressing his emotions for too long and felt so sad that he couldn't stop crying.
Seeing his second brother crying like this, Cheng Kai also started sobbing.
She cried and tugged at the hem of Cheng Yang's clothes, begging, "Brother, please don't chase my second brother and me away. We are all obedient. Please don't let us go back. Daddy bullied us and beat my second brother. We won't leave. Please don't chase us away."
"He hit Cheng Lin?!" Cheng Yang turned his head suddenly and spoke angrily.
When Cheng Kai looked up, he found that his elder brother's expression was more ferocious than ever before, and his eyes were almost burning red.
The child shrank back in fear and for a moment didn't dare to speak at all.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
