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Side Story: Visiting New In-Laws (5)

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Today, Su Jian was once again dragged by mother An to watch melodramatic marriage dramas together.

Su Jian had always been a good audience when he watched the TV with mother An. Although he was cursing like there was no tomorrow internally, he looked very serious on the outside. On the contrary, mother An was very engrossed in the show and always voiced her comments to Su Jian.

In today’s episode, the slag man had a mistress and the mistress showed up at their home to bully his original wife. Not only did not slag man not help, he even helped the mistress insult his original wife. The ending song signifying the end of the episode sounded. Mother An expressed indignantly, “Why is the man like that? That’s so detestable! Han Yan is so pitiful!”

Su Jian said, “Actually, it’s Han Yan who is weak…”

“How is it Han Yan’s fault?” Mother An immediately rebuked, “Han Yan is kind-hearted! It’s the man who is bad! Han Yan is such a good girl, yet he didn’t know how to cherish her! That mistress is so ugly and vulgar, how can she compare to Han Yan!”

Actually, the actress starring as the mistress was quite seductive in real life. The male and female senses of aesthetic are quite different. Ahem… Looking at the still angry mother An, Su Jian suddenly said, “Mother, if Yize had someone outside…”

Mother An’s brows scrunched up immediately and she exclaimed, “What are you saying! How could Xiao Ze be such a person? How can you doubt him!”

“No. “Su Jian explained, “What I mean is Yize is so outstanding. It can’t be help that there would be many women trying to seduce him. Being such a kind person, Yize might be tricked if he meets an expert seducer.” Su Jian said euphemistically, “If Yize brought home another woman one day… Mother you don’t have to stare at me, I’m just saying if… Mother, if such a thing happened, what would you do?”

“Me?”

“That’s right.” Su Jian’s imagination started becoming vivid. He said, “For example, one day, where outside was cold and cold wind filled the place, An Yize comes homes looking dignified. However, a pure and enchanting woman was by his side…”

“Why is she pure and enchanting?” Mother An suddenly interrupted.

Su Jian replied blankly, “Because men are more fond of this type of girl!”

“Are you talking about yourself?” said mother An.

Su Jian: “……”

Mother An asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” Su Jian perked up and continued, “In this example, An Yize brought a beautiful woman back home and said to his kind and gentle wife that he fell for another woman and asked for a divorce. The mistress then stepped forward proudly and insulted the wife, saying that the wife was not worthy to be An Yize’s wife…”

Mother An interrupted him again, saying, “It goes without saying that you are not worthy to be Xiao Ze’s wife!”

“…Mother, could you please not interrupt me?” Su Jian continued helplessly, “I’ll continue from where I left off. The woman said arrogantly that she is the woman that can stand shoulder by shoulder with him while An Yize hugged the mistress intimately by the side. Not only did he not help, he looked at his wife as if looking at a stranger. Thus, the wife could only leave tragically with no one helping her. In the cold weather, she hugged the baby and left her home, struggling against the cold wind…”

“How can that be?” Mother An was instantly angry.

Su Jian’s heart felt warm: Although mother is always fierce, she still holds some feelings for me!

Mother An continued, “You can leave yourself. The baby belongs to the An family, how could you bring her away!”

Su Jian: “……”

Su Jian lost the interest to continue. However, mother An was now interested. She said unhappily, “And, did you think that our Xiao Ze will fall for just anyone? He was already blind once for falling in love with you. How could he be blind a second time? Even if he is blind a second time, how could I let him be blind a second time?”

Su Jian slowly came to an understanding and asked with smiling eyes, “Mother, what do you mean?”

With a haughty look, mother An looked at him in disdain and said, “Did you think that it is so easy to enter the An family? To add on, would you really leave when the mistress ask you to? Since when were you so obedient? If you dare to leave, I will break your leg!”

Su Jian’s smile became wider.

Mother An asked unhappily, “Why are you smiling?”

Su Jian said with a smile, “I understand. Mother, you can’t bear to let me go can you?”

“I can’t bear to? Hmph!” Mother An continued while looking awkward, “You are so stupid. I’ve trained you so painstakingly to make you finally presentable. If you left, wouldn’t I be making a loss? Additionally, Ranran still doesn’t have a younger brother or sister. I don’t care whether you leave or not, leave Ranran with a brother and sister before you think about that!”

Su Jian: “……”

   ……

Su Jian was absent-minded as he let the baby play with his finger.

It had already been six days. An Yize had yet to contact him.

Actually, Su Jian had considered whether he should take the initiative to call An Yize and ask what was going on. However, he felt a bit awkward to do so. What if An Yize was busy with work and didn’t have the time? Wouldn’t it be petty of him to be asking? Also, he felt bitter. Fine. Since you don’t want to contact me, then we won’t be in contact. We will see who gives up first!

However, Su Jian soon gave up. He admitted that he missed uncle An. Anyway, the two of them are husband and wife, he didn’t need to be so fussy. Although it was a little embarrassing, it’s a fact that he missed An Yize. It doesn’t matter if An Yize gloats about the fact that Su Jian admitting that he missed An Yize.

Because that’s his Yize.

After thinking through, Su Jian started calling An Yize.

Listening to the beeping sound of the phone as he dialed,  Su Jian felt nervous. He suddenly missed An Yize’s voice very much.

“Hello.”

Su Jian was stunned. Why-, why was it the voice of an unknown woman?

Su Jian asked blankly, “I’m looking for An Yize. Excuse me, who are you?

“Sorry, Yize is currently taking a bath. Why don’t you call back later?”

“Oh, okay, okay.” Su Jian stammered and hung up the phone immediately after he spoke.

Then, he sat at the sofa quietly in a daze..

Woman. Bath.

Is it going to happen to him now?

   ……

Su Jian didn’t call back again.

He held his phone and slept. When he woke up the next day, the first thing he did was check his phone.

However, the contact log showed that An Yize never called back.

Su Jian suddenly felt very tired as he covered his eyes with the back of his hand.

Thus, when his colleague invited him to a gathering today, not only did Su Jian go, he even drank a lot.

Seeing him drunk and remembering that his husband was out of the country for a business trip, they called the contact number which said ‘brother’ after looking through his contact list.

After a while, Su Jie rushed over.

Su Jian stared at him blankly and said, “Ah Jie?”

“It’s me.” Su Jie held onto him and let Su Jian lean on his body, asking, “How do you feel? Is it uncomfortable?”

“My heart feels like it has been stabbed by a knife and pierced by thousands of arrows…”

“…I’m talking about your body.”

“I’m tired physically and mentally, feeling like there is no more meaning in life…”

“……”

   ……

Su Jie had wanted to send Su Jian back to the An family home. However, he didn’t expect Su Jian to struggle in objection the moment he mentioned it.

Su Jie steadied Su Jian by hugging him. He asked, “What’s wrong? Did you fight with brother-in-law?”

Su Jian murmured, “Your brother-in-law is going to marry a mistress…”

Su Jie’s eyes sank, but his voice became gentler as he said, “What mistress?”

“Your brother-in-law went to the city to take the imperial examinations and got first place, so he wants to marry the prime minister’s daughter and abandon his wife back home. That’s not right, I should at least be rice…” Su Jian spoke as if singing a musical phrase as he bitterly attacked the heartbreaker.^[1]

Su Jie: “……”

After hesitating for a moment, Su Jie ultimately decided to bring Su Jian back to Su home.

Letting mother Su clean up Su Jian, Su Jie picked up Su Jian’s phone and prepared to make a call.

Initially, he had wanted to call An Yize. However, when he recalled Su Jian’s attitude towards An Yize, he hesitated.

While he was hesitating, Su Jian’s phone rang.

Su Jie paused for a moment before he answered.

It was the housekeeper of the An family who called. Hearing Su Jie’s voice, the other side seemed to be stunned for a moment before he politely asked about Su Jian.

Su Jie replied, “She is drunk. She will be staying at my place tonight and not going back.”

The housekeeper said, “I will send someone over now to pick third mistress up.”

“No need.” Su Jie continued indifferently. “She said she doesn’t want to go home.”

Housekeeper: “But…”

Su Jie said, “Please don’t worry, I will take good care of her.” After saying so, he hung up the phone.

   ……

On the other side, the housekeeper held the phone which was hung up upon, stunned.

After hesitating for a moment, he called An Yize.

Over the phone, An Yize who learned that Su Jian is drunk, staying with Su Jie and not returning home didn’t say anything.

“Third young master?” The housekeeper lightly called.

An Yize’s emotion couldn’t be felt from the voice over the phone as he said, “Understood.”

   ……

After mother Su wiped Su Jian’s face, she helped him change into sleep wear. Throughout the entire process, Su Jian was obedient and stared blankly at mother Su. Mother Su, who always wanted an obedient daughter, felt her heart melt at the sight. Thus, she decided to chase father Su out of the room and let Su Jian sleep with her.

However, Su Jian wasn’t willing. He moved automatically to his own room and lied on his own bed.

Although their eldest son had already past away, mother Su still cleaned his room every day. Hence, Su Jian’s room was still very clean and neat.

Mother Su was hesitant. Seeing Su Jian wanting to sleep on his brother’s bed, Su Jie looked down and thought for a moment before persuading mother Su to go along with Su Jian’s wish.

Mother Su agreed. When father and mother Su went back to their room from the living room to sleep, Su Jie pushed the door leading to Su Jian’s room from the living room.

However, he was stunned when he went in.

That person was lying down on the bed obediently just a moment earlier. Why was he suddenly under the bed now?

Su Jie held his forehead as he looked at Su Jie who was crawling under the bed with his butt up.

“What are you doing?” Su Jie squat down and asked.

Su Jian dug and dug and finally managed to dig out his treasure box from underneath the bed. Then, he sat down on the floor while leaning against the bed and opened the treasure box in a cherishing manner.

Sling, a toy train and a transformers sticker… The box was filled to the brim with many tattered items.

Su Jian searched the box and found a tattered notebook and pencil. Using the pencil, he wrote a few words in the notebook seriously—An Yize you.

Based on this, the two of them probably had a fight. Or else, why would she not forget to curse the other even when she was drunk? However… Su Jie glanced at the person beside him whose eyebrows were flickering. He was curious about what she would write next. “An Yize you asshole”? “An Yize you heartbreaker”? “An Yize you should die”? Or maybe something like what the fat aunty below would say, “An Yize you should be chopped up. Get as far away as possible from me”?

However, Su Jian didn’t notice him at all.  Using a clumsy posture like a primary school student, he held the short pencil and continued writing sincerely.

“Are a bad guy.”

An Yize, you are a bad guy.

“……” Su Jie looked at the words written on the book silently and. Then, he silently looked at the person beside him who had a strict and serious face.

Then, he burst into laughter.

Su Jian looked at him slowly before turning back around to continue writing seriously. His pencil didn’t stop, but he didn’t continue writing words. Instead, he drew a fat pig head beside the words. He also especially drew an arrow between the words “An Yize” and the pig head.

Su Jie: “……”

After he finished writing, Su Jian seemed to feel satisfied. He kept the notebook and closed the box. Then, he hid the treasure box in a cherishing manner under the bed before climbing back up onto the bed.

On the other hand, Su Jie who was sitting beside the bed asked, “How did you know that there was a box under the bed?”

Su Jian didn’t answer for a moment. Just when Su Jie thought he has fallen asleep, he suddenly spoke.

“I’m the one who placed it there. Of course I know.”

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Footnotes:

[1]Su Jian is speaking historically here. In ancient China, the people aiming to be scholars would need to pass many examinations. The examinations occur once every three years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_examination#Taking_the_exams. Since transportation wasn’t advance back then, it takes a long time to travel. Su Jian mentioned that An Yize was abandoning the wife back home. The word used to write wife here is special as it means ‘a wife which shared a lot of hardship with her husband’. At the same time, the word also means chaff, a cheap food consumed by poor people to fill their hunger. Su Jian then proceed on to saying that he should at least be rice, since rice is more expensive and better than chaff.

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