Chapter 460: The Shen Family Becomes Lively

The atmosphere froze for a moment; Jiang Qi was in the middle of lecturing her daughter and was somewhat displeased at being interrupted.

She didn't know how Si Rong raised her children; were they so old now that they didn't even know what could be said and what couldn't?

Ignoring what Jiang Siyu said, Jiang Qi just lowered her head to urge her daughter, "Just remember what Mom says; Mom is only doing this for your own good."

Jiang Zhi was expressionless, "But I think Sister Ming Zi is right. You brought me into this world, so taking care of me is your responsibility. Now that you've handed this responsibility over to Grandma and my aunt and uncle, they are helping you take care of me; you should be the one grateful to them."

It wasn't that she didn't want to be grateful herself, but she mainly loathed Jiang Qi's tone.

It was as if this were a life she had chosen for herself.

What was even more ridiculous was that once, after Jiang Qi returned and found out that the birthday gift she had given Si Rong was something she had made herself, she had been passive-aggressive about it.

She said that she, the biological mother, was not as good as an aunt.

In summary, the gratitude in Jiang Qi's mouth had to have a limit; one had to be grateful to Grandma and the aunt, but one could not surpass her, the biological mother.

Why were the requirements for her so high?

She had never seen her aunt hold Sister Ming Zi and Jiang Sinian to such high standards.

Jiang Qi was furious, "You child, you can't tell good advice from bad, can you?"

"I am teaching you the principles of how to conduct yourself in the world," Jiang Qi turned around, wanting to leave, but the foreign man who had been swinging on the swing stood up, pulled Jiang Qi, muttered something, and walked toward Jiang Zhi.

He used broken Chinese to comfort Jiang Zhi, "Don't be angry, your mother is still just a little girl."

After saying this, he wanted to hug Jiang Zhi, but Jiang Zhi took a step back to avoid him.

Jiang Siyu:...

A little girl? A little girl in her forties?

Truly, those who should be sensible are not, yet they demand sensibility from those who shouldn't have to be.

After they left, Jiang Siyu pulled Jiang Zhi back to the room, "Don't be sad, Sister will keep you company."

"Don't listen to anything your mom said; listen to me. Do whatever you want to do, just be happy and joyful every day!"

Jiang Zhi nodded heavily.

Suddenly, she heard Jiang Siyu ask, "Little sister Jiang Zhi, do you have any boys you like?"

Jiang Zhi's face flushed red, she shook her head, then quickly reacted, "Is it you?"

"Shh, this is a little secret between the two of us; don't you dare let that annoying brat Jiang Sinian know!"

Jiang Siyu had noticed Zhao Yue during gym class; several boys were playing basketball on the playground, and Zhao Yue was the most eye-catching presence among them.

"Let me tell you, that Zhao Yue is so handsome," Jiang Siyu, in order to divert Jiang Zhi's attention, told her own little secret, "Later, I'll take you to watch him play basketball!"

"Watch who play basketball?" Jiang Sinian suddenly asked, standing at the doorway.

It gave Jiang Siyu a fright; she immediately stood up and pointed at him loudly, "You were eavesdropping on us! Shameless!"

"Why don't you blame yourself for not closing the door? I was just passing by," Jiang Sinian asked Jiang Zhi again, "Xiao Zhi, tell Brother, who is that stinky girl going to watch play basketball?"

This sister of his was so foolish and slow; if he didn't keep a close eye on her, she might get tricked by some punk.

"Watch, watch," Jiang Zhi's eyes darted around, which meant she was about to lie, "Watch you play basketball; Sister Ming Zi said you are the most handsome when you play basketball."

Jiang Sinian immediately became cocky and struck a handsome pose, "At least she has good taste! Tomorrow in gym class, both of you come watch me play!"

Jiang Siyu rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky.

Like she would watch him!

Later, she had a change of thought, "Are you playing with the boys from our class?"

"Class Three."

"Fine then, I'll reluctantly go watch, just to see how you get crushed by the people from Class Three!"

Zhao Yue was in Class Three, and usually, their two classes had gym class together.

In the evening, Jiang Siyu had originally wanted to wait for her mom and dad to return to tell them about her aunt coming to the house during the day.

She watched TV until very late, but the atmosphere after her mom and dad returned was a bit off.

Her mom went straight to the bedroom, and her dad seemed very exhausted; after reminding her to hurry up and wash up for bed, he also went to the bedroom.

Jiang Siyu felt like her mom and dad had argued.

Since she could remember, her mom and dad rarely argued.

However, she couldn't understand adult matters, so she could only obediently go to sleep.

Maybe by the next day, her mom and dad would have made up.

But at breakfast the next day, things were still strange between her mom and dad.

Si Rong ate a little and then went out; she had an appointment with Ming Zi to go shopping today.

"He might be transferred to Haidao," Si Rong sipped her coffee; she hadn't slept well last night, and there were faint blue circles under her eyes, "Anyway, I'm not going with him."

The situation was different from her previous life; now both children were grown, they were in school and would soon be working and getting married—it was a critical moment in their lives, and Si Rong couldn't just abandon everything to go to Haidao with him.

This meant the couple would have to live apart for a long time.

Selfishly, Si Rong suggested that he change careers, because compared to this trip to Haidao, she was more worried about the virus that would come a few years later.

When that time came, Jiang Cheng, who held a high position, would surely have to go to the front lines to participate in rescue efforts just like in her previous life.

He wanted to protect the people, but she also wanted to protect him.

In her previous life, after he was infected with the virus, he always had side effects, and his lung function was never very good.

Jiang Cheng had not yet stated his position.

They were at a stalemate.

Si Rong knew she was in the wrong, because when they were together, she knew Jiang Cheng was a soldier, and she knew that his life creed included putting others before himself.

As a Military Spouse, she should accept and support that.

But her heart truly ached for him.

"Maybe Xue Ming is going too; perhaps this is the mission of a soldier."

Ming Zi felt the same way she did; she was reluctant, yet she had to let go.

"It's just a bit hard to get used to," Si Rong sighed, when suddenly, someone called out to them.

"Si Rong? Ming Zi? Is it really you? I thought I had mistaken you for someone else." Cui Lili held a cup of coffee, leaned in, and said gossiping, "Do you know? I ran into Shen Lan and Li Xuan at the city hospital; they were getting a paternity test done."

"I've long suspected that her 'Child Prodigy' daughter doesn't look like that couple at all."

"They should have done it a long time ago. To wait until the child is grown up to do it—what a loss it would be if she wasn't theirs."

Si Rong and Ming Zi exchanged a glance and chimed in, "Yes, who's to say otherwise?"

After Cui Lili left, Si Rong said, "It looks like Li Xuan's household is about to get lively."

Before the Shen household could get lively, the Shen family in the Pinminku became lively first.

The cause of the matter was that Shen Dazhuang was in the heat of gambling and firmly believed he would definitely win big on his next hand.

He had beaten Wang Daniu half to death but still couldn't scrape any money out of the house, so he prepared to go find his eldest daughter, Laidi, to draw some of next month's wages.

But the restaurant owner told him his eldest daughter had quit her job.

"What?" Shen Dazhuang was dumbfounded.