Chapter 5, Family

The tone was not exactly a reprimand, but rather a gentle indulgence mixed with a hint of helplessness. Perhaps there was some criticism implied, but it was far from instilling any fear in Xiao Mu Yang. The little one ignored his words and eagerly tugged at his sleeve, saying: "Dad, let me show you my fleet! My sister and I made it together"

Twenty minutes later, Xiao Yiyi shouted from upstairs: "Dinner is ready!"

Liang Qianya glanced at Liang Yuchen, trying hard to discern some special emotion from her father's expression, but he was solely focused on driving, as if he wasn't listening to anything she said

Liang Qianya changed into her pajamas in her room and did not leave her room the entire night. It was only after turning off the lights and getting into bed that she heard a familiar voice coming from the living room

As night fell, after putting her son to sleep, Xiao Yiyi went downstairs to retrieve the several paper bags that had been left in the dining room. She heard Sister Ding hanging clothes on the balcony and walked over to say: "Sister Ding, you should take a set to wear."

Liang Yuchen entered, took a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet and changed into them, then rubbed Xiao Mu Yang's recently trimmed buzz cut and said: "There was a bit of traffic, were you watching TV again? If you keep watching, your eyes will become nearsighted."

"Sister! Come with us!" Xiao Mu Yang called out, and Liang Qian Ya, who was looking down at her phone in the living room, sent off her last message before following the father and son upstairs

When Liang Yuchen wore a stern expression and remained silent, there was an intimidating aura about him that made others feel as though they had said something foolish. It was just like now; Xiao Yiyi was somewhat hesitant to continue speaking. However, since the topic had already been broached, there was no need for her to elaborate further.

Xiao Mu Yang had not seen his father for over a week. He insisted that Liang Yu Chen accompany him upstairs. Sister Ding whispered something in his ear, and the little guy smiled, feeling moved. He said to Liang Yu Chen: "Dad, wait for me for a moment, I will come down to play with you later"

In the dead of night, a single clear sound echoed, that of my father's lighter.

"The partner gave me something, claiming it is a national gift version not available on the market. I have no use for it, so I will give it to you. It is placed in the foyer," Liang Yuchen said to Xiao Yiyi, without looking at her, as he helped distribute a stack of bowls and chopsticks to each person's seat.

On the way home, Liang Qianya, sitting in the passenger seat, asked: "Did you watch the video of Yangyang playing basketball that I sent you?"

Sister Ding has been in this family for ten years, and Liang Qianya was raised by her. Later, she came to help Xiao Yiyi take care of Xiao Mu Yang. No one in the family treats her as an outsider, and she herself does not act like one. Therefore, Liang Yuchen did not stand on ceremony with her and let her be.

"It's nothing. Teacher Hu mentioned that Yaya hasn't been in good spirits these past two weeks. Let's communicate with the parents to see if there's anything going on at home." Xiao Yiyi said with a helpless smile, "I had a chat with her; she might be worried that you're in a relationship and could be deceived by a bad woman."

Liang Yuchen let out a light hum, half-laughing and half-sighing, indicating that his daughter was completely worrying unnecessarily. He suddenly recalled something: "Oh... it must be because she saw Uncle He’s daughter, Simin. You’ve met her; she is about the same age as Yukun. She even attended our wedding back then when she was still a child. Yaya must have misunderstood."

Several identical paper bags, quite substantial in weight, contain beautifully packaged boxes. Xiao Yiyi casually took one out to examine; it appeared to be a silk women's nightgown. The standards for national gifts are indeed exceptional, as the boxes are intricately carved from solid wood, no wonder they are so heavy. H City is renowned for its silk products, so it is not surprising that the partners sent these to Liang Yuchen. It seems that this trip to H City should yield some business gains.

"Go wash your hands." Xiao Yiyi issued the command

The young girl in her adolescence may be quite sensitive in this regard. Xiao Yiyi said, However, you should still be cautious. If you truly wish to develop a relationship, it is best to inform her in advance, allowing her time to gradually adapt, rather than suddenly bringing someone home and asking her to call them "Mom".

"Forget about him, let him wash himself," Xiao Yiyi shouted loudly into the kitchen. Turning around, she saw Liang Yuchen had already arrived at the dining room. His tie was probably loosened while he was upstairs with Yangyang, and two buttons of his collar were also undone. Having just washed his hands, the cuffs of his shirt were rolled up, revealing his wrists and a section of his forearms.

Xiao Yiyi carried several bags back to her bedroom, walked into the dressing room, and pushed open one of the cabinet doors. Inside, it was filled with pajamas and loungewear, and below, several boxes of pajamas were neatly stacked, all still unopened. In fact, she had more pajamas than just in this cabinet; there were also some in the adjacent cabinet.

Xiao Yiyi clicked her tongue at Sister Ding and said, "You are the one who indulges him."

She could sense that her father's mood was not quite right; when he was silent, he could make the surrounding air feel heavy and oppressive, leaving others hesitant to speak. However, she was uncertain about the reason for his displeasure, and it should not be related to her mentioning that a handsome guy had flirted with her mother. The atmosphere in the car had already felt off when they had just gotten in.

Oh, what is it?" Xiao Yiyi said as she walked to the foyer, bringing in the several paper bags that Liang Yuchen had just set down.

However, she indeed enjoys buying pajamas and is particularly willing to spend money on this matter. It is not necessarily the case that she must buy expensive ones; she would also purchase student models priced over 100 yuan on Taobao. It is more akin to a collecting habit.

Sister Ding continued to hang up the clothes: "Go ahead, I will finish drying and then go to sleep."

Two people, one from the south and the other from the north, sat silently across a long coffee table, watching the animated series "The Octonauts" on television. After attentively watching the entire episode where Captain Barnacles and his team worked together to rescue the stranded penguin mother, Xiao Yiyi finally could not sit still any longer and stood up: "I will go help Yaya tidy up, so she doesn't leave anything behind"

Liang Qianya looked at her father again, but he remained silent, expressionless as he glanced at the rearview mirror, signaling and changing lanes

Oh, by the way, the other day when we accompanied Yangyang to class, there was a man who approached my mother for a chat. He was quite handsome and seemed to be in his twenties...

The name sounds somewhat familiar, but Xiao Yiyi cannot recall it; she has never been good at remembering people. Back then, he had just told her his name, and she turned around and forgot it immediately. Even now, she confuses the names of several women in their forties and fifties who work in the same office building. They greet her every day during lunch in the cafeteria, but she always mixes up their names, which is why she usually refrains from addressing them by their surnames and collectively refers to them as "Sister".

Liang Qianya, being quite astute, put away her phone and said, "Then I will go up and tidy up a bit first"

Liang Yuchen smiled and said: "Go ahead, Dad is waiting for you"

"Dad is here!" Around 7 o'clock in the evening, upon hearing the doorbell, Xiao Mu Yang, who was watching an animated show, immediately jumped off the sofa and rushed to open the door. Upon seeing Liang Yu Chen, he excitedly exclaimed, "Dad, why did you come so late!"

Later, Sister Ding was introduced to the family. She said that you stay indoors all day, which is not good for the child; otherwise, you might end up raising a withdrawn girl. Thus, she was passively taken out by Sister Ding to walk Yaya. Her initial social circle consisted of the nannies in the building who took care of the children, as well as the grandparents and great-grandparents.

Xiao Yiyi found herself in a bit of a dilemma. Just a moment ago, she was contemplating whom to give the remaining items to after keeping a set for herself. Now, with all five pieces being so beautiful, she couldn't bear to part with any of them and wanted to keep them all for herself.

I am almost starving... Liang Qianya put down her chopsticks and reluctantly left the dining table to head to the bathroom

Liang Yuchen led Liang Qianya forward, as usual being approached by Xiao Mu Yang, who insisted that he and his sister stay together

Liang Yuchen, who was driving attentively, responded with a "mm".

Sister Ding entered the kitchen: "You all eat first, I will tidy up the kitchen, I do not like to eat hot food"

The three of them, father and sons, heard the sound and came down from upstairs. Liang Yuchen went to the bathroom to wash his hands, while Liang Qianya and Xiao Mu Yang went directly to the table

She was not born into a wealthy family and experienced a life of poverty with her parents during her childhood, often reluctant to spend even a few coins she had saved in her pocket for days. Even though her family can now afford her extravagant spending, her consumption mindset has already been shaped and cannot change significantly.

A large plate of dumplings remained in the end. Xiao Yiyi helped Sister Ding gather the bowls and dishes into the kitchen, telling her not to worry about cleaning up and to take Yangyang upstairs to play for a while. Sister Ding understood that she wanted to speak with Liang Yuchen privately, so she wiped her hands and went to the living room to call for Xiao Mu Yang.

However, I sent him away; he is clearly a playboy... You know what a playboy means, right? It refers to someone who is particularly promiscuous...

Liang Yuchen gently rubbed his little head and said: "Next time"

Do not be fooled by Yang Yang's lack of skill in dribbling; his shooting is quite impressive. Regardless of whether his form is standard or not, he consistently makes the shots. Their coach mentioned that anyone who fails to make three shots must run a lap, yet Yang Yang has never had to run even once. In their class, there is a particularly amusing little boy who takes practice more seriously than anyone else. He dribbles the ball quite well, but he just cannot make the shots. Perhaps it is due to his poor mindset, as he ends up running laps every time, ultimately exhausting himself to the point of collapsing on the ground.

Understood. He withdrew his gaze

Sister Ding turned around and glanced, saying: "You keep it for yourself, I can't wear this. I only wear pure cotton, loose and stretchy. I haven't even worn the set you gave me last time."

Xiao Yiyi placed the bag beside the wine cabinet in the restaurant: "I can't wear so many of these, are they all women's? You might as well take them to the office for your secretary or assistant."

After the three of them went upstairs, Xiao Yiyi handed the tea to Liang Yuchen and sat down on the sofa opposite him: "How is your father's health?"

Sister Ding brought out two plates of freshly made dumplings and came out of the kitchen with Xiao Mu Yang. Seeing their mysterious smiles, it was clear that it was Sister Ding who had helped wash the little one's hands

It could be a business matter, or it could be that she was upset about being called in by the teacher. Liang Qianya felt that the latter was more likely. However, upon returning home, she did not receive a conversation from her father; he only told her: "Finish your homework and go to bed early."

She is not the type of woman who spends extravagantly or is enamored with luxury goods, although her colleagues believe that she must be that way because her family is wealthy. She rarely spends money on designer bags or shoes; the most expensive luxury bags she owns were almost all gifts from Liang Yuchen many years ago. While her clothing does exceed the salary level of a small staff member in a public institution, the majority consists of ordinary brands

Xiao Mu Yang ran to the kitchen: "Aunt Ding, please help me wash my hands."

Xiao Yiyi stepped forward, and because her hands were covered in flour, she only extended her arm. He casually draped his coat over her arm

She said this entirely based on her own life experience, wanting to give Liang Yuchen a reminder, but she was unsure if her tone was somewhat harsh, leading him to misunderstand that she was blaming him. He cast her a scrutinizing glance, reminiscent of the expression on a leader's face when hearing an opinion that does not sit well with them.

Zheng and Sister Ding were making dumplings in the kitchen when Xiao Yiyi heard the noise and came out: "Dad is very tired now, you go watch the small team for a while, let Dad take a break"

"It's nothing." Liang Yuchen placed several paper bags on the cabinet in the hallway and followed Xiao Mu Yang upstairs, taking off his suit jacket as he walked.

It's nothing much, just the child's concerns, you know, afraid of suddenly having a stepmother drop in.

More than ten minutes later, Xiao Yiyi and three others went downstairs together. Liang Yuchen was still lost in thought, staring at the television, clearly not intoxicated by the cheerful theme song of the animated series. She thought that it was probably due to some difficulties in business.

"As usual, the indicators for this re-examination are a bit high, but there shouldn't be any major issues." Liang Yuchen took a sip of tea and placed the cup on the table, "What does the school want with the parents?"

He is still young. Sister Ding smiled as she placed the dumplings on the table, then adjusted the plates on the table, moving two green plates in front of Liang Yuchen. Last night, Yi Yi specifically asked me to buy fennel; the green plates contain fennel and egg, while the white plates contain fennel and meat.

Liang Yuchen replied: "They are all women's pajamas, which are not very suitable."

Xiao Yiyi smiled and said, "Then I will go upstairs to sleep first"

Xiao Yiyi took out all the boxes from the five paper bags, opened one of the box lids, and felt it with her hands; the texture was excellent and the quality was remarkable. She opened the remaining four boxes as well and found that they were all of different colors and styles, with no duplicates. Some even featured exquisite and intricate embroidery. It seems that the collaborating partner put in considerable effort, rather than just randomly taking a stack from the warehouse to give away.

Hmm? Liang Yuchen looked confused, "What did she tell you?"

Liang Yuchen said: "It has been a long time since I had the fennel dumplings you made. Eating outside doesn't compare to the taste of home; there is hardly any fennel flavor at all." Seeing Sister Ding heading towards the kitchen, he added, "If they are not cooked, don't put them in the pot; we won't be able to eat them."

Liang Yuchen let out a light laugh to indicate that he was listening, but it was evident that he was being perfunctory, as the curve of his lips was not very pronounced

This likely stems from her homebody nature. In fact, she is not very fond of socializing now and prefers to stay at home, which was even more the case in the past. During the period right after she married Liang Yuchen, she was not working and spent her days at home with very few outings, so there was no need for beautiful clothes or designer bags; having pajamas was sufficient. It seems that it was during that time that she began to develop a liking for buying pajamas.