My College Teacher is My Children's Mom-Chapter 761: Hardworking Xiaobao
In the blink of an eye, the first day of school arrived.
This time, Zhang Yuxi went to L-City by herself, while Lin Feng stayed behind in Yangcheng to take care of their daughter and his parents. Due to her high efficiency, she only needed to stay in L-City for half a month before she could return. By then, Lin Feng would be free to help move their things.
With so many people gone, the house felt empty and quiet, the usual sounds of laughter now absent. During these times, the elders’ constant bickering added a bit of amusement to the otherwise quiet days.
"Dad, Mom, you two got along so well when you were young. Why have you started arguing now?" Lin Feng asked.
Zhou Cuilan snorted. "How can you blame me? It’s all because your father not only talks too much but also loves to meddle in everything. I mean, he has to comment on everything I do. I’m a grown woman. Do I still need him to tell me what to do?"
She muttered at Lin Dashan’s back, "Meddling in this and that, yet he can’t even manage himself."
Lin Dashan spun around. "Are you bad-mouthing me? Don’t think I can’t hear you. My ears are very sharp."
Zhou Cuilan rolled her eyes, clearly having no desire to waste her breath on him. "Yes, yes, your hearing is incredibly sharp, just like radar."
Lin Dashan smiled smugly. "So you were just speaking ill of me, weren’t you?"
Zhou Cuilan feigned a blank expression. "No, of course not. You’re imagining things."
The moment he was out of earshot, she whispered to her son, "The second you start a conversation with him, he’ll just babble on and on. Ugh, it’s exhausting."
The two elders became the spice of life in the household. Lin Feng watched them playfully bicker, wondering if he and Zhang Yuxi would be the same when they grew old.
However, one thing was certain. When they got old, the one who talked too much definitely wouldn’t be him!
「A week flew by.」
Xuan Jiayi came over to get her medicine, beaming with joy. "Uncle, I’ve lost two pounds!"
Lin Feng smiled. "Well, congratulations!"
"The two pounds you’ve lost so far isn’t fat, it’s water. You have severe water retention; we need to drain the excess fluid first."
Xuan Jiayi nodded incessantly. Whatever her uncle said was law. Who cared if it was just water? As long as she was slimming down, it was a victory!
After picking up her medicine, Xuan Jiayi stayed for lunch before heading home.
"That young lady... it’s one thing for her to visit, but she even brought us gifts," Zhou Cuilan remarked.
"It’s the thought that counts," Lin Feng said. "Just accept them."
Zhou Cuilan opened her gift to find a pearl necklace, while Lin Dashan had received a Zisha clay teapot. As someone who recognized quality, Zhou Cuilan could tell at a glance that the pearls were quite expensive. She quickly put the box away.
"I can’t possibly accept such an expensive gift. I have to return it to her."
Lin Dashan, who owned quite a few Zisha teapots, knew the one from Xuan Jiayi was not cheap. "This Zisha teapot looks very expensive. I already have plenty, so she should take it back."
They were unaware of Xuan Jiayi’s true background, assuming she was simply from a modestly well-off family.
Zhou Cuilan immediately made a call. "She bought them today, so maybe they can still be returned."
Lin Dashan carefully re-wrapped the gifts, making sure they would be accepted for a return.
Xuan Jiayi had just gotten home when she received a call from Zhou Cuilan. "Grandma?" she answered.
Zhou Cuilan got straight to the point, saying the gifts were too valuable for them to accept and urging Xuan Jiayi to return them, including the Zisha teapot.
Xuan Jiayi’s heart sank, worried they didn’t like her presents. "Grandma, please, you and Grandpa just accept them. They’re a token of my affection."
"We appreciate the sentiment, child, but we cannot accept the gifts. Please, take them back and get a refund."
"Huh?"
"If you can’t return them, I’ll have your uncle go with you." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
"But why do they have to be returned? Don’t you like them?"
"Child, these must have cost you a lot of money, didn’t they? Our family doesn’t lack for anything, and we already have things like these..."
Xuan Jiayi faintly heard Lin Dashan muttering something in the background, but his words helped her understand their true intentions.
Did they think her family was of average means and that she shouldn’t be spending so much on gifts?
She quickly explained, "Grandma, my family is actually quite well-off, and I’ve saved up some money of my own. Buying these gifts wasn’t a problem at all. If you think they’re too expensive, I’ll just get something more modest next time, how about that?"
Zhou Cuilan’s tone softened with heartfelt earnestness. "As long as you and Si Bao get along well, we don’t need any gifts at all! Your grandpa and I are old. What use do we have for fancy things? Don’t spend your money so freely. Save it for your future, understand?"
Xuan Jiayi’s nose tingled as her throat tightened with emotion. "Okay, I’ll listen to you, Grandma."
Zhou Cuilan’s gentle concern reminded her of her own deceased grandparents. If they were still alive, they would surely have cherished her in the same way.
After she hung up, Lin Feng, who had witnessed the entire exchange, told his parents to relax and accept the gifts. "It’s a token of her goodwill. Rejecting it would surely hurt her feelings."
Zhou Cuilan gazed at the necklace with a look of affection. "I already told her, just this once. Coming over to eat with us and chat, and getting along well with Si Bao—that’s all we want."
"Mom, maybe her family really is well-off."
"Even if they are, we can’t accept this! You can tell it cost a fortune..." Until Xuan Jiayi officially became her granddaughter-in-law, accepting such gifts was too much pressure for her.
When she had parted with Er Bao, Xiao Bao had said she was determined to get into a university in Jingcheng. Then, the whole family could move there and live happily together again. Thinking about this made Xiao Bao incredibly happy.
For this reason, once school started, she underwent a complete transformation, becoming an exceptionally diligent and studious child. The entire family was delighted to see the change, especially the grandparents, who took on the role of her personal study companions. The moment Xiao Bao got home, they would busy themselves taking care of her, serving fruit and snacks, and treating her like a little empress.
Lin Feng often turned a blind eye to their doting. After all, he’d said plenty, and they wouldn’t listen. It might even lead to a fight, so why bother?
After dinner, where the elders would have previously started a livestream or gone for a walk, they now stayed put. Ever since Xiao Bao started school, they didn’t go anywhere, choosing instead to stay with her while she did her homework. And when they said "stay with her," they truly meant it. Each wearing reading glasses, one would read a book while the other knitted.
Zhou Cuilan had picked up knitting on a whim. While out grocery shopping one day, she saw an old woman sitting in the sun, knitting a sweater for her grandson. The sight inspired her, and she started on her own project as soon as she got home. Thanks to her son’s conditioning, the elders’ health, both in terms of spirit and physical condition, was far better than their peers. And so, in the time since school began, she had already finished knitting two sleeves.
The three of them worked quietly on their respective tasks. When she felt enough time had passed, Zhou Cuilan got up to prepare some fruit for her granddaughter.
"I’ve already cut it, Mom," Lin Feng said, holding out a plate. "I need to step out for a bit."
His parents had been living with him for several months, and in all that time, they had never seen him go to "work." He was a full-time dad every day. So when he said he had to go out, Zhou Cuilan couldn’t help but ask, "For what?"
Lin Feng smiled. "Liu Bo and An Lan are having a conflict. I’m going to go check on them."
"Oh," Zhou Cuilan acknowledged. "Go on, then. Come back early, and drive safely."
...
