The three of them were still young. Too violent a storm would make them die early.
Da Bao knew his limits. When Er Bao and San Bao coaxed Miao Jing together, they would often not care about anything else. “It’s time to eat soon. Both of you follow me to the washroom to wash your hands. Something like this isn’t good, after all. Don’t be so stubborn just because grandma always pampers you.” Da Bao, who had a conscience, pulled Er Bao and San Bao into the washroom. The three of them stood in a row and started to wash their hands.
Er Bao exhaled. “When I first came in, I seemed to have seen grandpa’s face turning dark. What’s wrong? Grandma is throwing tantrums again and refusing to cook for grandpa now that we’re leaving?” Their situation was really an unexpected calamity. They weren’t the ones who asked their grandma to stop cooking for their grandpa. Their grandma was just following her mood. How could their grandpa vent all his anger on the three of them?
San Bao snorted daintily. “It’s because we’re still young and good to bully. Grandpa is like that, and Dad is like that as well. I’ll just be on good terms with grandma and Mom to anger them to their deaths!”
Da Bao looked at San Bao with eyes that spelled ‘don’t be stupid’. “San Bao, don’t be ‘pranked’ by these two old men first before angering them to their deaths. Have you forgotten the extremely painful lesson we went through in our summer holidays this year?” Upon thinking of how tanned their fair-skinned sister became, Da Bao and Er Bao joined forces to challenge Zhai Sheng so that they could ‘take revenge’ for their sister.
Zhai Yaohui didn’t know how the three of them were arranging the elders in the washroom. What Zhai Yaohui knew was that he was satisfied with Da Bao for bringing away Er Bao and San Bao in time. When he was young, he would occasionally find Miao Jing being too clingy. However, when the triplets were born, Zhai Yaohui found out that Miao Jing could be even clingier.
It was a pity that Miao Jing was no longer clingy to him now. Instead, it was to the triplets. Over the past ten years, Zhai Yaohui couldn’t count the number of times Miao Jing had neglected him in order to take care of the triplets. Forget it that they were young in the past. The triplets were now junior high school students and were about to become senior high school students in one and a half years.
Could it be that these three grown-up children didn’t know how to take care of themselves? The triplets had parents. If anything were to happen, their parents should be the ones to worry. Why did Miao Miao join in the excitement? Miao Miao only needed to manage him well.
“Mom, your dishes are getting more and more delicious.” Qiao Nan was in awe. The ‘Auntie Miao’ who had ordered her around at home in the past was now the ‘mother-in-law’ with superb culinary skills. Indeed, nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets their mind to it. Mom’s talent for cooking was obviously much better than hers. “I’m starting to get worried. What should I do if the three children love your cooking and refuse to eat my food anymore in the future? Mom, why don’t you teach me when you’re free?”
Miao Jing, who had something to do again, became happier. “Sure. Mom will teach you whatever you want to learn. As long as you have time, I can make the arrangements on my end. Remember, in this house, Mom’s time is all yours.” Miao Jing really didn’t expect that she could be a master to someone one day. She felt a great sense of achievement.
“Mom, my wife’s time is all mine.” Zhai Sheng added quickly when he heard this sentence upon reaching home. This was the tacit agreement between Zhai Sheng and Zhai Yaohui. They would definitely not let each other’s wife take up their own wife’s time.
Miao Jing didn’t take Zhai Sheng’s words to heart. “Then, you have to be at home as well. If you’re not at home, Nan Nan’s time is all mine!” After taking care of the three grandchildren, Miao Jing had learned how to make similar childish expressions as theirs well.
“…” Zhai Sheng was helplessly and mercilessly defeated by Miao Jing’s realistic words. Even though he was spending more time at home now, he still couldn’t compare to his mother. When he wasn’t around, Nan Nan’s time was his mother’s. This was a fact and he couldn’t refute it. Zhai Sheng looked at Zhai Yaohui pitifully. At the very least, when he was around, Nan Nan’s time was all his.
However, his father was old and was spending more time at home now, but his mother wasn’t willing to spend any more time on him now. After making such a comparison, Zhai Sheng could say with satisfaction that he was much luckier than his father.
Money couldn’t be exchanged for the lively atmosphere that was created when a family sat down together for a meal. “Oh, right. Mom, Nan Nan, do you want to watch the Lunar New Year eve’s evening show live?” Zhai Sheng asked when they were having fruits after the meal.
As the Zhai family, it was appropriate for them to sit in the big hall to watch the Lunar New Year eve’s evening show. It was just that when the Zhai family had first moved over to the capital from Ping Cheng, Zhai Yaohui wasn’t willing to be too eye-catching. He also used the excuse that Old Master Zhai liked the peace and the quiet atmosphere would be more conducive to his health to reject the opportunity.
The Zhai family had been living in the capital for over ten years now. Zhai Sheng didn’t directly decline the invite to the evening show this year. He felt that the timing was right. If his family wanted to attend, then they should. If not, it would be just like the previous years. It wasn’t a problem to refuse. Occasions like this would only have issues of not having enough seats, and not that there were too many empty seats.
Miao Jing frowned and looked at Qiao Nan. “Nan Nan, do you want to go?”
Qiao Nan understood immediately once she saw Miao Jing’s expression. “I don’t. I prefer us as a family sitting down together for a meal. If there’s a need to, we can watch the performance on the fifteenth day of the first month.” Qiao Nan was someone traditional as well. To her, it wasn’t necessary for a family reunion on Mid-Autumn Festival. However, it was compulsory for a family to have a meal together on the eve of Lunar New Year.
Even under the bad atmosphere of the Qiao family, it was rare for Qiao Nan to spend the Lunar New Year alone. Furthermore, Qiao Nan wasn’t someone who particularly loved crowds. As a Chinese, she was purely curious about how the live performances were. In the past, she could only watch it on TV. Now that she was qualified to watch it live, she did have some sort of reaction.
However, when she saw that Miao Jing was unhappy, Qiao Nan refused without thinking further. “Our reunion dinner only happens once a year. Let’s stay at home. It’s too tormenting and noisy to go outside. So many families like to book a table at a restaurant nowadays, but we don’t even join in the excitement for this. We like to prepare the meal at our house. Let’s forget about the evening show.”
Miao Jing felt a little embarrassed. “Nan Nan, could you tell that I wasn’t very willing to go? Actually, it doesn’t have to be like this. I’m old and I don’t like crowds. I can’t tolerate loud noises. You’re still young. If you like, let Zhai Sheng bring you there.”