Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Da Bao was speechless. How did she hear about the bad things he was saying behind her back?
Qiao Nan and Miao Jing brought out plates of hot dishes. Seeing that the three of them were at it again, Qiao Nan could neither laugh nor cry. “Okay, stop. Before washing your hands, give grandpa a call and remind him to have a good meal outside tonight. You have to send him greetings tomorrow morning as well.”
“Oh.”
Da Bao responded and picked up the phone. He skillfully dialed Qiao Dongliang’s number. The phone rang a few times and the other party picked up the call quickly. “Hello? Is this Nan Nan?”
Da Bao raised his eyebrows. Didn’t grandpa use to ask about the triplets first when he picked up the call?
“Grandpa, it’s me. I’m Da Bao. Er Bao and San Bao are beside me. It’s the eve of the Lunar New Year today, so we are giving you a call. Grandpa, remember that it’s the eve of the Lunar New Year today. You must eat something good and stay healthy. Don’t be reluctant to do so.” Da Bao knew that his mother had transferred a sum of money to their grandpa. There was definitely enough money for their grandpa to open three tables and invite people over to have a meal, let alone opening just one table.
“Yes, grandpa. Remember to eat something good. Just order whatever you want to. We can afford to eat one table of food and throw away the other table of food. We can be that willful since we have money.” Er Bao joined in the excitement blindly by the side. His grandpa would eat alone this reunion dinner, unless he was willing to invite outsiders over to eat with him.
“Grandpa, I’ll call you again tomorrow and send you greetings,” San Bao stretched her body and said carelessly to the receiver. Regardless of whether they liked it or not, they had to complete the task assigned by their mother. Otherwise, their mother would be upset and their father would deal with the three of them.
To save herself and on account that it was the eve of the Lunar New Year today, the quirky and bad-tempered San Bao vowed to be an obedient child. Wasn’t it just a call? How difficult was that? She didn’t have issues sending him multiple greetings, let alone just one.
“Oh, oh. Yes. The three of you, remember to eat more as well. Eat something good so that you’ll grow taller.” Qiao Dongliang seemed to have lost himself for a while and nearly swallowed the words that had reached his mouth. “Da Bao, is there anything else you would like to say to grandpa?”
The triplets had already given him a call. Even if he couldn’t celebrate the new year with Nan Nan this year, didn’t she have anything to say to him today?
“Oh, right, Mom is helping grandma with the dishes, so I’ll say this on behalf of her. Grandpa, Mom said that your good health is her greatest blessing. She wishes for your health to be better in the next year.” Even though Qiao Nan didn’t say these words, Da Bao could still say them at his fingertips.
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He had thought that their mom would come over to say a few words after they were done? Their grandpa was too naive. If their mom had such thoughts, did she have to transfer money to their grandpa for the meal on the eve of the Lunar New Year?
“…” Qiao Dongliang was disappointed. Today was the last day of the year. He wasn’t able to have a meal together with Nan Nan. Could it be that Nan Nan wasn’t even willing to say a few words to him? Facing the loneliness at home, Qiao Dongliang felt that his mood was colder than the winter in the capital.
Such an atmosphere reminded Qiao Dongliang of the helplessness he had experienced when Qiao Nan first fetched him over to the capital. At that time, how did he adjust his mentality?
He had relied on his child, Nan Nan. Nan Nan kept visiting him and even brought the triplets over. With the company of his family, he felt a small sense of belonging in the capital, which was a foreign city. Now, the child who made him feel a sense of belonging to the capital was no longer willing to take care of him. Qiao Dongliang became dazed for a while.
Qiao Dongliang couldn’t help but ask himself if there was a need to continue living in the capital given current circumstances. It was just that if he wasn’t living in the capital, could it be that he had to return to Ping Cheng? Even if he returned to Ping Cheng, he would be left with nothing as well. He was only left with Qiao Nan.
Qiao Nan had treated Qiao Dongliang well. It was only once such good treatment was gone did Qiao Dongliang truly realize that the indifferent Qiao Nan actually treated him, her undutiful father, well.
Because of Qiao Nan, the triplets used to like him a lot and were willing to come over to play with him. On the contrary, he always knew that he had a granddaughter, Zhou Ying. Even when Qiao Zijin was still alive, she had brought her daughter over to Qiao Nan’s to obtain benefits the first time Zhou Ying came to the capital. However, she didn’t remember that he, the grandfather, had never seen Zhou Ying, his granddaughter, before.
Now that Qiao Zijin was gone, Qiao Dongliang still didn’t know how Zhou Ying looked like.
What was different was that in the first few years when Qiao Nan was still studying in the capital, her yearly vacation period was limited. Even if she had time, Qiao Nan had to spend the time taking care of the triplets. The triplets were just born then and especially needed their mother.
Qiao Dongliang felt ashamed to go to the capital to see the triplets. Qiao Nan proactively showed him photos of the triplets. It was when the triplets were a little bigger and could go out that he embraced the fleshy bodies of his three grandchildren.
Through this comparison, Qiao Nan was really much more competent than Qiao Zijin as a daughter. The more Qiao Dongliang thought about it, the more regretful he felt. He told himself repeatedly that he couldn’t make Qiao Nan worry because of his daughter’s matters. It was up to him how he wanted to help his daughter. However, when it really happened, why was it that he became foolish again?
Qiao Dongliang was feeling troubled. Ding Jiayi’s situation wasn’t any better than Qiao Dongliang’s. After losing Qiao Zijin, she didn’t even have the chance to send her off on her last journey. No matter how much Ding Jiayi comforted herself that Qiao Zijin said those words in order not to let her feel upset, in reality, Ding Jiayi understood that Qiao Zijin had really hated her and no longer wanted to be her daughter.
Why did the daughter whom she had given all her love to look at her this way?
Ding Jiayi didn’t know how she had spent the Lunar New Year. Regardless of how cold the winter in the capital was, it couldn’t compare to how cold she was feeling in her heart now.
When it was February, Ding Jiayi couldn’t help but give Qiao Dongliang a call.
Once Qiao Dongliang saw that Ding Jiayi was calling him, he didn’t want to answer it. It was just that the phone kept ringing and it seemed that Ding Jiayi wouldn’t give up until Qiao Dongliang picked up her call. “Why are you calling?”
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