Chapter 1675: Agreement

Eating the popsicle that Ye Ye Xiaoxi generously bought for her, Pei Yu remained in low spirits, unhappy.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi noticed this too, curiously sticking her head close to her, "What are you doing? What's wrong with you?"

"Sister, can I go home with you?"

"Huh? You want to go home with me? Sure, then come home with me."

"But my parents are here."

"Then just let them stay here. Come back with me. We'll eat together, sleep together, go to school together. Don't worry about them."

"My mother definitely won't agree."

"Why wouldn't she agree? If you go home, she won't have to take care of you anymore, just your two younger brothers."

Pei Yu was stunned for a moment; it seemed to make sense.

"Go ask her. How will you know she disagrees if you don't ask? If she disagrees, just beg her."

"Then... then I'll try?"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi nodded, licking her popsicle, and said carefree, "Yeah, just try. Or you can come back with me first, and then just don't come back!"

"Huh?"

"Just say you like home. Anyway, my dad said you lived at our house when you were little, so you can live at our house now too."

"Oh." Pei Yu stood dazed, then thoughtful.

Seeing she was about to corrupt her cousin, Ye Ye Chengyang quickly stopped her, "Don't come up with bad ideas. Whose child doesn't stay by their parents' side? Just take care of yourself."

"I'm not by my dad's side; I'm by my mom's side. So what? Dad still loves me the most~ Dad loves me the most~"

Seeing her smug tone, Ye Ye Chengyang got angry again, but then he touched the warm wages he had just received in his pocket and felt relieved.

His wages were higher than hers.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi walked while licking her popsicle, casually telling Pei Yu all the good things about home: how many more dogs they had, and how much more they could catch at the beach when taking them there.

"I broke Gongxi's tooth playing jump rope. It ignored me for many days. When it saw me, it would turn its head away, or lie on the ground, refusing to look at me..."

"I coaxed it for many days. Every day I asked mom to buy more ribs, using bones to coax it. I also used my pocket money to ask mom to buy pig lungs for it to eat. Finally, it started talking to me again, but it never played jump rope with me anymore."

"And that oldest big black dog. Mom said it was very old, an old dog, and told me not to bully it, but to feed it some food..."

"Gongxi Fa Cai even gave birth to two little puppies. They are super cute, fluffy. You definitely haven't seen them..."

"When I go to school, they follow me there too. I even let them carry my schoolbag. Hahaha, so fun. Big dogs carrying schoolbags..."

Listening to her list the family dogs like counting her own treasures, Pei Yu felt envious and jealous. She even wanted to become one of the dogs she was talking about.

Ye Ye Chengyang chimed in, "When you started first grade two years ago, you even made the big wolf dog carry you to school. It was so tired it was panting..."

"Hahahaha..."

Ye Ye Huimei waited until the sun was almost setting before bringing the twins over to pick up Pei Yu.

Pei Yu glanced at Ye Ye Xiaoxi's encouraging look, ran over, and said, "Mom, sister is going home the day after tomorrow. I want to go home with sister."

"School is starting soon. Why go home?"

She took a deep breath and gathered her courage. "I want to go to school at home. I don't want to go to school here. I have no friends here. I can't understand what everyone says. What I say is different from theirs. I can't understand the teacher when she speaks the local dialect. They speak very little Mandarin, and I don't speak Mandarin well either. I want to go to school at home. I don't want to be here. It's so boring."

Ye Ye Huimei was stunned upon hearing this, stroking her head. "No wonder your grades are poor. You can't understand what the teacher says?"

Pei Yu nodded. "The teacher speaks the local dialect. Sometimes she speaks Mandarin, but when she explains things, she speaks the local dialect, which I don't understand. I don't want to study here."

Ye Ye Xiaoxi ran over, hugged Ye Ye Huimei's arm, and coquettishly said, "Auntie, let sister go home with me. My grades are great. I always score above 95. I can teach sister!"

"Sister can stay at my house. We'll eat together, sleep together, go to school together. Okay? Auntie, please. Sister is so well-behaved, and I'm so well-behaved too."

Ye Ye Huimei's arm was aching from being shaken by her, so she laughed and quickly pulled it out. "You're well-behaved? You're always causing trouble, playing with cats and dogs, just like a boy."

"It doesn't matter. Whether I'm well-behaved isn't important. As long as sister is well-behaved, that's fine~"

"Are you sure you're going home the day after tomorrow?"

"Yes, Dad said so. We got our wages today. Tomorrow is our day off. We're going home the day after tomorrow. Sister's wages haven't been collected yet. She said she doesn't dare collect them without your permission."

"Alright. The finance department is already off work now. Collect your wages tomorrow. You don't need to come to work tomorrow either. If you want to come over and play tomorrow, just come for a bit."

Pei Yu nodded, but she hadn't forgotten about going home. "Mom..."

"I need to discuss this with your dad. Besides, staying at your aunt's house would be too much trouble for her. Your aunt is so busy."

"It doesn't matter. I promised on behalf of my mom! Dad promised too! I'll go tell my dad right now!"

Ye Ye Huimei chuckled. "You're making decisions for your parents?"

"Of course. When sister goes home, she'll be with me. She'll eat with me, sleep with me, go to school with me! I'll take care of everything! What does my mom need to manage? My mom doesn't need to manage anything! I'll just take care of sister!"

"Then I'll just tell your mom like that?"

"Go ahead. It doesn't matter. I'll call home later and tell my mom. Sister staying at my house won't be her worry. I'll take care of it."

"So you'll wash her clothes and cook her meals too?"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi widened her eyes. "The washing machine washes clothes. Grandma cooks the meals. Not me!"

Ye Ye Huimei smiled. "Alright, let's go back and discuss it first."

"Then you have to be quick, Auntie. We're leaving the day after tomorrow."

"Alright."

With hope in her heart, Pei Yu happily waved goodbye to her and went home first.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi wanted to go find her dad to tell him, but she looked everywhere and couldn't find him. After asking the guard, she learned he had gone out in the afternoon and hadn't returned yet.

She had to hold back and wait until the next day to ask again.

Ye Yaodong was sleeping in a daze, feeling someone constantly calling his name beside him. He thought he was dreaming. After a while of intermittent noise, he heard nothing more.

When he woke up, he realized he couldn't move his legs. A small body was pressing down on top of them.

He propped himself up to look and felt a bit confused. How did this child end up in his room?

He picked up the watch nearby and checked. Oh, it was already 10 o'clock.

He rubbed her head, "Wake up… why'd you suddenly fall asleep here?"

After being woken, Ye Ye Xiaoxi rubbed her eyes, then scrambled up using hands and feet, pressing down on his chest.

"Dad~"

"What are you doing here? And why are you sleeping in my room?"

"I came to find you, but you were sleeping so soundly I didn't dare shout. I whispered a few times and you didn't respond, so I decided to wait for you to wake up—and then got bored and fell asleep again."

"What's it about? Go to finance for your salary, don't come to me."

"No, I want my sister to come home with me tomorrow—she doesn't like staying here…"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi rattled off everything Pei Yu had said yesterday, then made all kinds of promises: she'd take care of her sister, no need for the adults to worry.

"You? You can't even take care of yourself—how are you going to take care of someone else? Don't make people laugh themselves sick. You're already enough of a worry—how dare you say you'll manage others?"

"Where am I a worry? I don't need you to worry about me—I'm already this big…"

"You know you're this big, yet you still dare to lie on top of me."

Ye Ye Xiaoxi wriggled and pouted, grinning, "Because I'm your snail shell, right? Please, Dad, let my sister come home with us."

"I don't mind—as long as your aunt agrees and is willing to let the kid come with me. Anyway, your grandma's there to watch her. She's old enough now, no need to fuss over her—just one more pair of chopsticks."

She leaned in and gave him a loud kiss, "Dad, you're amazing! You're so good!"

Ye Yaodong slapped her short, short~ little butt, "Get up, move aside—I'm getting up, or I'll release toxic gas and suffocate you."

Having achieved her goal, Ye Ye Xiaoxi promptly rolled off the bed and ran off.

He'd just been about to ask why she hadn't gone out with her brother today—she was already gone.

Ye Yaodong thought to himself: good thing he didn't send Ye Ye Chengyang to Shanghai yet—otherwise he'd feel as pitiful as a cabbage in the field, with no mother around.

Waiting two or three more years until after junior high to go is fine too.

As for Pei Yu, studying at home is fine too—she has company here. We can bring her over later; kids need playmates anyway.

In the afternoon, Ye Ye Huimei came over to mention the same thing—he had no objections.

She then called home. Ye's mother didn't care if another child joined the household—she was already big enough, no need to carry her around, just make sure she ate and came home every day.

Lin Lin Xiuqing felt the same—it was just one more pair of chopsticks. As long as the parents were at ease, she had no objections.

Ye Ye Huimei sighed in relief.

Here, unlike the countryside, you can't just let kids run wild. You have to keep a close eye—they could vanish without a trace, and there are so many big trucks coming and going.

Since she's willing to go back on her own, let her go. After all, winter break is only a few months away—we'll return early too, so we won't be apart too long.

"Then I'll trouble you, sister-in-law. For the next few months, I'm putting you to extra work."

"Trouble? It's just one more pair of chopsticks. Pei Yu's well-behaved—she's old enough now, no need to fuss over her."

"Right, I'll tell her to behave. I'll go pack her things now—she'll go back with my brother tomorrow."

"Alright."

Ye Yaodong waited until she finished speaking before taking the phone, telling them roughly what time they'd return—arrival time depending on circumstances.

"Will Ye Chenghu come back too? Last month he only took change of clothes—nothing else."

"He's eager to go back. I thought it'd be too much trouble—another several days of boat rides back and forth. I figured you could pack his things and I'd bring them over."

"Why not let him come back for a visit? It's been two months—we won't see him again for months once he goes to Shanghai."

"Fine, I don't mind. He wants to go back to see his friends, and you want him to come—then let him."

"Yeah, when he goes to Shanghai to enroll next semester, I'll go with him—just to recognize the school and know where he'll be studying."

"Alright."

The old lady grumbled on the other end of the line, "Finally, they're all coming back. The house's been too quiet and empty without those kids—every last one's gone."

Ye's mother's voice came through too, "Get used to it. When the little ones grow up, they'll all leave—only holidays will bring them back."

"Get used to what? What's there to get used to? I'm this old—YOU'RE the one who'll have to get used to it."

"What's there not to get used to? I've worked half my life—I'd love some peace now. Outside? Nothing beats home. No gold nest, no silver nest beats your own dog's den."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law bickered, their voices reaching him.

He spoke briefly with Lin Lin Xiuqing, finished the matter, and hung up—after all, they'd be home in a few days; they could talk then.

Ye Ye Huimei hurried off to pack the children's luggage.

Ye Yaodong headed toward the dormitory building, planning to talk to the kids and check how their packing was going—he'd need to inspect for anything they'd forgotten, so they wouldn't scream on the road about missing this or that.

But the dorm was empty—everything was a mess. Clothes were tossed everywhere on the beds, unfinished homework and banana peels littered the desks.

They packed nothing.

He resigned himself to packing for them, judging sizes to identify whose clothes were whose—the oversized ones belonged to the others.

After neatly sorting three large piles and stuffing a big bag with trash, he finally heard laughter and shouting from the hallway.

"Dad, why are you here?"

"Why am I here? I'm packing your stuff—look at this pigsty. Do you think I can rely on you? You won't even finish by tomorrow."

"Dad, didn't you tell me not to go back? Why are you packing my clothes too?" Ye Chenghu asked, setting down the pile of snacks and toys he'd bought.

"Your mom wants you to go back—she'll come up with you and head to Shanghai together."

"Great! I should've bought more stuff then—I can take it back for my friends."

"So generous. Now hurry and pack your own things."

"Of course—I'm leaving them a memento! After all, I've earned money now!"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi put down her own pile of purchases and asked, "Dad, will my sister come back with us too?"

"Yes, she's coming with us. From now on, you're in charge of her. Behave yourself, take care of yourself, and take care of your sister."

She cheered, "Yay! Perfect! Don't worry, Dad—I'll protect my sister from bullies. If anyone picks on us, we'll call Second Brother!"

Ye Ye Chengyang rolled his eyes—always waving that flag.

"Give it a rest. With a pack of dogs following you to school every day, who would dare bully you?"

Ye Chenghu said, "Dad, I want to take the two little wolf-dogs to Magic City; they are the sons of Gongxi Facai."

"No!" Ye Ye Xiaoxi protested, "They are mine!"

"Don't you already have two big ones? Give me the two little ones."

"I want them all."

"You're dreaming!"

Ye Yaodong agreed, "Fine. I'll take the two little ones to Magic City for you then. They can guard the house and yard. There's a doghouse in the courtyard, and the lawn is quite large."

"Great." Ye Chenghu happily flashed a provocative smile at Ye Ye Xiaoxi.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi grumbled, "Then I'll have them breed two more!"

"Hurry up and pack your things. Put what you'll need on the journey in your backpacks, and stuff the rest into sacks to toss in together. We'll take them on the boat tomorrow."

"Okay..."

All three got busy.

PS: Look at you, making progress. You said you'd catch up during the day today, and you did. Who was betting in this chapter yesterday?