Chapter 247

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"Even this you can quit?"

Qu Peng put the cigarettes away again, a face full of disbelief.

"What can't be?"

Guben walked over, keeping him company as he sat down on a small stool: "Once you're married you'll know, wife comes first, that's the root of family harmony."

"Before I really couldn't tell......"

Qu Peng exclaimed with emotion: "You brat are actually a henpecked husband, where did the domineering air from high school go? Back then you didn't even put the mayor's daughter in your eyes."

"Back then we also didn't expect......."

Guben laughed and teased him: "That you'd give up years of feelings to become the Bureau Chief's son-in-law of the dragon and phoenix."

"Tsk."

Qu Peng took a deep drag of smoke, then exhaled it all out along with a sigh.

"Gu Hui is still pestering you?"

Guben smiled knowingly, picked up the lighter, leisurely twirling it two circles in his hand.

"This cousin of yours, her temper is quite stubborn."

Qu Peng didn't say it outright, but clever as Guben was, how could he not hear the implication in his words.

"Getting married soon, you must think it through."

Guben patted his shoulder hard, a kind reminder: "If you don't make a clean break when you should, you'll suffer the chaos; if something goes wrong at the wedding, don't blame your buddies for not warning you, the father-in-law isn't a vegetarian, if you really dare to let his daughter down, your own future is finished too."

"Break it off, this time for real......"

Qu Peng blew another smoke ring, grinning sheepishly: "No need for you to remind me, I'm clearer than you."

"How many days off did you ask for this time, how many days can you stay in Jinan?"

"Four days."

"Girlfriend didn't come with you?"

"No."

"You two are getting married soon, she didn't come back with you to see the parents?"

"She's in the Criminal Police Team, asking for leave isn't as easy as it is for me."

"I finally understand why you broke up with Gu Hui so cleanly."

Guben laughed teasingly: "Turns out the wife is a criminal policewoman, afraid of going home and getting beaten."

"Go to hell......"

Qu Peng laughed angrily: "Can't you think something good of me, must you pin a henpecked husband hat on me?"

"It's not that I look down on you......"

Guben continued black-belliedly: "With your meager three-legged cat kung fu, wanting to assert the husband's authority, difficult."

"What's Liangzi been busy with lately?"

Qu Peng didn't want him to keep harping on it, used the complaining to ease his own embarrassment: "I rarely come back once, he doesn't know to take the initiative a bit, treat us to a meal, us brothers drink a few cups together."

"He's tight on cash......"

Guben gave him a white eye: "Don't even think about him treating."

"Why?"

Qu Peng puzzled.

"The two of them took out a loan to buy a house......."

Guben laughed jokingly: "Every month just the mortgage takes no small amount of money, Wu Meng complains to Xiyu all day, saying the two of them have to tighten their belts to live, wanting to squeeze money out of her hand to treat guests, eight out of ten chance it's no go."

"No way?"

Qu Peng incredulous: "Liangzi's life is a bit too miserable, right? All money held by the wife, he himself doesn't even have a bit of pocket money, treating guests he has to ask the wife for money?"

"Isn't this very normal?"

Guben matter-of-factly: "My money is also managed by the wife, it's all Xiyu managing, how much money is on our family passbook, I don't even know."

Qu Peng: "You still think it's quite glorious?"

"Absolutely!"

Guben raised his eyebrows proudly at him: "Family has a virtuous wife, feelings stable, no worries for the future......"

"You just show off."

Qu Peng couldn't stand watching, gave him a disdainful white eye.

"Let's not chat idle nonsense......"

Guben stopped smiling, brows and eyes showing a few degrees of gravity: "What's the deal with Sixth Grandpa? Why would he suddenly write a will, do you know? Is it that his health has some situation, not too good?"

"This I'm also not too clear on......"

Qu Peng frowned, said somewhat apologetically: "Old Master suddenly called me, had me accompany him to Jinan, only before leaving did he hand the documents to me, exactly when the will was made, before that not a whisper of wind was heard, as for health, there shouldn't be any major problem, if there really was something, Li Shen should know, this person is quite meticulous, if the old master's health had an issue, she'd definitely tell me."

"Health is fine then good."

Guben let out a breath of relief, heart slightly at ease.

"Nian Xin, Nian Rou, what's the situation?"

Qu Peng took the opportunity to ask again: "You brat aren't loyal, hiding quite a few secrets, even from me you have to conceal."

"This is a long story."

Guben deliberately left a cliffhanger: "We'll talk another time when there's an opportunity. Maybe one day Sixth Grandpa will get a sudden urge and write a memoir or something, and then you'll know."

"You brat..."

Qu Peng was quite speechless.

"It's late. Go home and rest."

Guben smiled jokingly: "Tomorrow my treat. Call Liangzi over too, and the three of us brothers will have a good drink."

"That's more like it..."

Qu Peng was appeased, chuckling as he pinched out the cigarette butt.

"It's hard to hail a cab this late. I'll take you back."

Guben took out the car key from his pocket and walked toward his beloved car.

"You're a listed company's Big Boss, and you ride this?"

Qu Peng had thought he would drive a luxury car to send him off, but never expected that upon walking over, it was an electric bicycle.

"What's wrong with this?"

Guben didn't mind: "Cars can't get into the alley. An electric bike is more convenient."

"You don't even have a car in Jinan?"

Qu Peng found it quite inconceivable.

"Not having a car is perfectly normal."

Guben bluffed with a straight face.

"Old brother, you're the president of a listed company..."

Qu Peng mistakenly thought it was true: "Isn't that a bit too undignified?"

"Undignified? Doesn't exist..."

Guben didn't mind: "None of the neighbors know my real net worth. If anyone asks, the wife just says I trade stocks at home to make a living."

"You two as a couple are really..."

Qu Peng choked, and for a good long while couldn't come up with a suitable adjective to express his feelings.

"Hurry up, get on..."

Guben straddled the electric bike, smiling as he urged him: "After I drop you off I still have to accompany my wife to sleep."

"Riding this is too aggrieving."

Qu Peng spread his two long legs and sat down, stepping on the pedals, quite unable to stretch out.

"Stop complaining, hold on tight, we're off."

Guben twisted the handle hard, and the electric bike "flew out like an arrow leaving the bowstring" — of course, that was impossible.

In fact, the electric bike carrying a big man had too heavy a load, and moved slowly; a good long while passed before it managed to turn out of the small alley.

"Damn, this is too slow, right?"

Qu Peng felt very speechless: "It's not even as fast as me walking alone..."

"How come you don't say it's because you're too heavy yourself?"

Guben braked, glaring at him with some dissatisfaction: "If you don't want to sit, get off. I'm not giving you a ride."

"No, I'm sitting."

Qu Peng acted shamelessly: "The alley is too dark. Walking the night road alone, I'm scared."

"You'd be scared?"

Guben laughed in anger: "If your colleagues heard this, they'd laugh their teeth out."

"You don't say, I don't say, how would they know?"

Qu Peng thick-skinnedly stayed plastered to the bike seat, not budging.

"You're something else. I'm convinced."

Guben was speechless at his shamelessness; helpless, he could only continue riding, at a turtle speed not exceeding ten meters per minute, slowly riding forward.

After another good while, the indicator light on the electric bike flashed a few times, bright and dim, then fell into darkness.

Guben: "......."

Qu Peng: "......."

A pair of miserable brothers stared at each other with wide eyes, completely dumbfounded.

——

Old House.

Lin Xiyu raised her head to glance at the clock on the wall; seeing it was nearly ten o'clock, only then did the person return.

"Where did you two go? Found a place to drink again?"

"Guess that accurately? Worthy of being my wife."

Guben entered reeking of alcohol, pamperingly pinching her cheek.

"You two really went drinking?"

Lin Xiyu batted his hand away, raising her brows slightly in surprise.

"The electric bike ran out of power. Found a place to charge it, and conveniently ate a few lamb skewers."

Guben explained with a smile, opening his arms, wanting to pull her into his embrace again.

"Reeking of alcohol, it's suffocating."

Lin Xiyu pinched her nose, retreating two steps in dislike.

"Is there a smell?"

Guben tugged at his collar and sniffed it himself.

"Hurry up and shower, you're stinking up your son."

With the baby in her belly as backing, Lin Xiyu waved her hand righteously and chased him out.

"Alright, alright, I'm going to wash......"

Guben smiled pamperingly, took a change of clothes from the closet, and went to the bathroom alone.

Seeing him leave, Lin Xiyu pushed open the window and breathed in a mouthful of fresh air.

It wasn't that she was being affected; ever since getting pregnant her pregnancy reactions were especially severe, she couldn't stand even a whiff of any strange smell, and the slightest discomfort made her want to vomit.

Guben also knew her pregnancy was not easy, so he was even more attentive than usual, taking care of her in every possible way.

For a situation like tonight, never mind his wife telling him to shower — even if she told him to wash diapers, he would do it willingly.

——

"Did you ask? What did Qu Peng say? Why would Sixth Grandpa make a will?"

After a certain someone finished showering, he finally lay down contentedly with his wife in the warmed bedding.

Lin Xiyu was preoccupied with the Siheyuan matter, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

"I asked."

Guben, with no choice, could only force himself to stay awake and keep her company: "He said Sixth Grandpa's health is quite good, no major issues; making a will might really be because he likes you — the baby in your belly — and wants to use your name to leave the Siheyuan to our children."

"I still can't believe it......"

Lin Xiyu's brain was excited without a trace of sleepiness: "Sixth Grandpa really said it was because he wants our daughter to inherit his beloved's name that he left the Siheyuan to the babies? Then what if this pregnancy is all sons, no daughter? If Sixth Grandpa's hope falls through, won't he take the Siheyuan back?"

"Hehe......"

Guben found it amusing, pamperingly rubbed her head: "Stop thinking, where are so many 'what ifs'? Sixth Grandpa is just using this as a pretext to leave the Siheyuan to us; the will is already made, with his status, his word is law, how could he go back on it?"

"Actually what I'm worried about isn't him, it's your relatives."

Lin Xiyu turned over again, still unable to sleep: "An Old Beijing Siheyuan, even at current market prices, is worth at least tens of millions, right? With it being so valuable, how could they not be jealous? If this gets out, it'll probably bring a lot of trouble."

"So what if they're jealous?"

Guben didn't care: "Who told their wives' bellies to not be competitive? If they have the ability, let them also give birth to quadruplets and make Sixth Grandpa look at them with higher regard."

"Sixth Grandpa really did it for the quadruplets?"

Lin Xiyu still asked again, very uneasy.

"If not for this, then for what?"

Guben smiled helplessly and countered: "Could it really be because you look like his beloved? That was me deliberately having you imitate her; actually you two don't look alike at all, it's just that putting on a cheongsam gives a slight resemblance in both form and spirit."

"Is the charm of quadruplets really that great?"

Lin Xiyu touched her belly and laughed happily: "Had I known, what was I striving for? Just have a few more kids and I'd never worry about food and drink for life."

"Hehe."

Guben looked at her money-grubbing little appearance and let out a pleased laugh from his throat.

"What are you laughing at, is what I said wrong?"

Lin Xiyu narrowed her eyes, feigning displeasure.

"Right....."

Guben firmly denied: "Whatever wife says is right......"

"That's more like it."

Lin Xiyu tsundere-huffed, turned over, still unable to sleep.

"I've always pampered my wife like this, obeying her every command......"

Guben smiled helplessly, could only keep her company and stay up.

"You say, our daughter is named Nian Xin, Nian Rou, what should we name the son......."

"Son doesn't matter, just pick any name."

"How can it be casual? Naming has its particulars......"

"Then pick a common name, as long as it's easy to raise."

"You don't like sons? This unconcerned?"

"The four kids put together don't measure up to their mother — I still like you best."

"Four kids added together still don't compare to their mother, I still like you more."

【166】 "Cut it out, just your glib mouth, good at coaxing people."

"I only know how to coax you happy......"

"I don't believe it, prove it to me......"

"Be good, sleep, don't fuss."

"Can't sleep......"

"Can't sleep, count sheep......"

"Counted and still can't sleep......"

"I'll count with you, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5......"

In the pitch-black room, counting, counting, gradually there was no more movement.

A certain someone really couldn't hold on, counted for just a bit, and fell asleep first himself.

Lin Xiyu: "......"

——

Next day early morning, Guben got up very early, accompanied Sixth Grandpa for a walk around the Moat, and on the way fetched a bucket of Black Tiger Spring water to bring back and make tea for the old man.

Sixth Grandpa was very satisfied with his filial heart, and praised the sweet spring water endlessly.

"Sixth Grandpa......"

Guben seized the chance to coax the old man: "Why don't you not go back to BJ, just stay in Jinan, I'll wait on you, provide for your old age."

"Aren't you still having Maternal Grandmother to honor and care for?"

Grandpa Gu had his own plans, waved his hand, smiling as he politely declined: "I won't stay and make myself a nuisance, the northern winter is too cold, many old colleagues have gone to Sanya for vacation, I also plan to go live there for a stretch of time, if I can adapt to the environment there, perhaps I won't come back."

"Are you going alone?"

Guben froze for a moment, eyes showing reluctance: "How lonely to be in Sanya all by yourself, in BJ at least there's still Gu Peng and them who often come visit you, once you're there, there'll really be no one to honor and care for you."

"I'm used to being alone, it's all the same whether they come or not."

Grandpa Gu smiled unconcernedly: "But you, when you have time bring the kids to Sanya more often, come see this old man, Grandpa Gu will be perfectly content."

"We'll definitely go."

Guben used the children to cheer Grandpa Gu up: "As long as you don't mind the four little brats being rambunctious, letting them follow you and live with you works too."