Chapter 16: Proposal
In the main hall, Fu Chenggong could barely sit upright, but those waves of vegetable aroma kept drilling into his nose, tormenting him too much. He quietly swallowed another mouthful of saliva.
Glancing at his eldest grandson next to him, whose butt seemed pricked by needles as he kept twisting around, his brows furrowed tightly, dangerous glints flickering in his eyes.
Chives stir-fried with eggs, a big basin of roe deer meat stewed with potatoes, and that pot of fatally fragrant medicinal cuisine chicken soup…
—The last time he had wild game stewed chicken soup made by his own mom was before the New Year, over half a year ago, wuwu~ it made him so hungry!
“You’ve finally come! Slurp~ Quick, quick, let’s eat!”
Seeing what looked like a mother and her two daughters holding hands as they walked into the main hall.
As Fu Ting let out a whoop, Fu Chenggong also silently put down his ‘iron palm’. The certain rascal who had no idea he’d escaped disaster happily got up and went to serve bowls and rice for everyone.
Summer nights darkened late, but the room had already dimmed a step earlier. The overhead light bulb was on, and the fairly new electric fan was shaking its head with a whirring sound, bringing wisps of cool breeze.
Wearing a white vest matched with green JZ pants, the boy with a silly grin on his face ran back and forth and finally set out the bowl and chopsticks.
Without time to wipe the sweat beads from his forehead, he eagerly sat down, held the bowl in both hands, and looked earnestly at Old Master Fu.
“Tsk, promising!”
Fu Chenggong laughed and scolded without looking, directly ignoring this rascal and saying to the other three, “Eat! Ning Yatou especially you, you need to eat more. You’ve gotten all skinny like a bamboo pole!”
“Okay, then I’ll eat more and try my best to gain some weight.”
“Ai~ That’s right!”
She first picked up a chicken drumstick and gave it to her father-in-law, then put the remaining one into Su Ning’s bowl. He Hua’s somewhat weathered face glowed with the unique radiance of motherhood, and under the dim yellow light, it made people feel even warmer at heart.
After distributing the chicken drumsticks, she picked up the only two remaining large meat wings and gave one to each of Fu Ying and her brother.
Yet she herself cheerfully picked only the ones with bones that weren’t easy to gnaw, and even insisted that she liked this kind.
“Auntie has worked so hard, shouldn’t you replenish yourself more?”
Su Ning quickly picked the chicken drumstick back into her bowl, protected the bowl as she shifted her body back a bit, “Actually, I like chicken feet the most. How about Auntie gives both to me?”
“You this yatou!”
A mother would always be touched by her child’s inadvertent actions and words. He Hua’s eyes moistened a bit, knowing her good intentions. Pushing food around at the dinner table wasn’t good, so helplessly she could only go along with it.
At the dinner table during the meal, it was full of warmth.
……
After finishing the meal, as expected, everyone was stuffed and all slumped sitting in the courtyard to cool off and digest.
Amid the chirping of insects rising and falling, the sky full of stars shattered in the night sky, twinkling as if silently echoing.
“Grandpa Fu, Auntie, I want Yingzi to come stay at my home for a few days, okay?”
Although a bit surprised, He Hua didn’t think much of it. The Steel Factory Family Courtyard was closer to Fu Ying’s school, and for the last few days, it would make going to school a bit easier—what could be bad about that.
“Sure, why not. As long as you don’t mind this yatou being noisy, pack her up and take her anytime!”
Compared to her ready agreement, what surprised Su Ning was that Grandpa Fu, who was always easygoing with her, stayed silent.
The gaze he directed at her was full of scrutiny. Experiencing this oppressive gaze for the first time made one’s scalp tingle, the hairs on the back standing on end.
Even Fu Ting, who was clamoring to go too and was usually thick-skinned, sensitively noticed something off and quietly settled down.
“Ning Yatou, come into the room with me.”
“Sister Ning Ning…”
If asked who Fu Ying and her brother feared most, Old Master Fu would definitely top the list. Their own parents might hold back when hitting in anger for fear of hurting them, but with their own grandpa, he would only complain that he hadn’t hit hard enough!
So as soon as they saw grandpa with a stern face looking serious, the two of them—ah, no, including their old dad—the three of them would all get weak in the knees.
“Don’t worry!”
“How about, big sis, let Sister Ning Ning take us two and sneak away…”
“You think I’m too old and deaf? If you dare instigate bad things again, I’ll break your leg!”
Su Ning, having heard his ‘whisper’ too, shook her head with a wry smile and followed closely behind Grandpa Fu back to the study room.
……
“Speak, Ning Ning. Is there a new situation with your dad Xu Zixin? Or has Yingzi caused trouble again with some mischief?”
Based on Fu Chenggong’s understanding of her, for her to make this request at such a time, something must have happened.
Don’t be fooled by this yatou’s cool and detached appearance as if she doesn’t care about anything. Once she truly cares about someone, she would do everything in her power to treat them well.
Knowing there were unstable factors, and at such a critical juncture, she absolutely wouldn’t drag Fu Ying into even the slightest danger.
So…
Fu Chenggong tapped the desk. He was more inclined toward the latter: his own silly granddaughter had done some ‘righteous’ good deed again!
“Grandpa Fu, I want to have Brother Zhang and Brother Mao come over early.”
“Hm?”
His straight back stiffened even more. Fu Chenggong narrowed his eyes, his body emanating an intimidating aura.
“I can’t explain it in just a sentence or two, Grandpa Fu. I need those two to arrive early, the sooner the better.”
Seeing her lips pressed tight, unwilling to reveal even half a word, Fu Chenggong sighed inwardly: What a little stubborn ox!
“I understand. Tomorrow morning, I’ll send someone right away.”
Changing the subject, Fu Chenggong casually continued probing, “At this critical moment, don’t let that yatou Yingzi cause chaos. After things are settled, she can accompany you to play properly for a few days before leaving.”
“No!”
“Oh? Why not?”
“Grandpa Fu~”
Since hard tactics wouldn’t work, she’d go soft. It was really because she couldn’t explain!
If she changed Ying Ying’s trajectory and avoided that road at that time point, would it really change her fate? She didn’t know.
But even knowing it was uncertain and not simple, she had to change and avoid it first!
“Grandpa Fu~ That home makes me feel uncomfortable staying there every day. Can’t Ying Ying accompany me for two days? After my birthday banquet is over, you can take her back.”
“Don’t act coquettish with me. Acting coquettish won’t work.”
Though he said it wouldn’t work, he actually felt delighted and pleased inside.
Fu Chenggong, who tried hard to keep a straight face, ultimately couldn’t resist her coquetry technique. “I don’t know exactly what you’re hiding, Ning Yatou. Grandpa Fu hopes you can always remember what I once said.”
Nothing is more important than your own life. No matter when, I’ll always have your back.
“Mm, rest assured. I’ll protect myself well, and I’ll definitely protect Ying Ying well too.”
“Dong, dong dong~”
It seemed the matter was more complicated than he thought, even… possibly dangerous?
What exactly had this yatou Yingzi done?
The shrewd old Fu Chenggong had already faintly glimpsed a thing or two just from their simple few exchanges.
He stopped his movements, had an idea in mind, and made other plans.
“It’s late. In a bit, have Tingzi accompany you all back. It’s not safe for two little girls to go back alone.”
“Okay.”
……
Holding the leather bag containing the envelope out of the study room, Su Ning turned and immediately came face-to-face with Fu Ying and her brother, who were furtively squatting against the wall.
Without extra words, the two with perfect tacit understanding each lifted one of her arms and dragged her toward the outside.
“How’d it go? How’d it go? Did grandpa agree?”
“Cough, go pack two sets of change of clothes.”
“Aaaah~ Awesome! Wait for me, Sister Ning Ning, I’m going right now!”
Happily stomping her foot hard, Fu Ying left these words and dashed like smoke toward her own room.
