Chapter 547: Joy
Chapter 547: Chapter 528: Joy
Li Zhi and Feng Ling returned just in time for the full moon celebration of Zheng Changsheng and Lin Shuying’s son, Zheng Zhonghe.
Zheng Changsheng had named his son Zheng Zhonghe, following the “Zhong” generation of Zheng Zhongshan. Furthermore, both Zheng Changsheng and Lin Shuying hoped their children would live together in harmony and that their family would be a happy one, which is why they chose such a name.
Li Zhi and Feng Ling had returned to prepare for their wedding. They’d set the date for August 28th, a little over a month away, and came back to get all their shopping and arrangements in order.
Li Zhi and Feng Ling’s relationship was now excellent, as one could tell from their gestures and the way they exchanged glances. Feng Ling had finally emerged from the shadow of her past life; the look in her eyes had grown warm and serene, free of its former coldness.
“Man, it’s only been a few months, and look how much taller Jiji’s gotten! He gets more handsome every day. He takes more after Gu’er, but he looks like Jia Ming, too. Quick, Jiji, come on and say ‘Godfather.'”
The moment Li Zhi arrived, he scooped Jiji into a hug. He was very fond of the little guy.
Jiji ignored him. At his age, his memory was short, and since he hadn’t seen Li Zhi in months, he naturally didn’t recognize him. ‘This guy wants to trick me into calling him that, but I won’t do it.’
“See? The kid doesn’t even recognize you. And you still have the nerve to ask him to call you his godfather.”
Sun Jiaming chimed in from the side. He felt that things always got a lot more lively whenever Li Zhi was back.
“Wasn’t I away on business? I swear, you guys… I was working my butt off over there, busy as can be, and who was it all for? You’re all here at home, living the good life. I come back, and not only do you not console me, you give me a hard time? That’s not how it works. Am I being treated unfairly or what?”
Li Zhi protested loudly, but inwardly he felt completely at ease. ‘Only when I’m back here can I truly relax and feel comfortable.’
“Whether you’re being treated unfairly or not, we wouldn’t know. Who’s to say if you were actually ‘on business’ or just ‘keeping someone company’?”
Sun Jiaming ignored Li Zhi’s protests.
“He was definitely keeping someone company.”
Gu’er chimed in.
Dingzi nodded, and Marina added, “That’s right. He was keeping someone company, not working himself to death for us.”
Seeing them all ganging up on him, Li Zhi threw his hands up in surrender. He glanced over at Feng Ling, who was letting everyone have their fun. She wasn’t angry at all. On the contrary, she really missed this kind of atmosphere. While studying fashion design in Guang City, she had met a lot of people, but she could never truly connect with any of them. So many of them had their own agendas and selfish interests, weighing every gain and loss. For the sake of a single opportunity, some wouldn’t hesitate to sabotage their own friends. It was nothing like this place, where everyone treated each other with sincerity, just like family.
“Say what you will, I’m back now anyway. Jiji, hurry up and call me Godfather. Godfather brought you lots of gifts, you know. No ‘Godfather,’ no gifts.”
Li Zhi continued to coax Jiji.
“Do you have a ‘pwane’?”
Jiji was two months shy of his second birthday, and his speech wasn’t very clear yet; he pronounced “plane” as “pwane.”
“Yes! A plane that can really fly, a little car that can race, and a big ship! I’ve got them all. Just say ‘Godfather’ and they’re yours.”
Li Zhi wheedled.
Jiji tilted his head and looked at Li Zhi, as if trying to decide whether he was telling the truth.
“Lemme see.”
Jiji seemed to think the man was telling the truth, but he couldn’t be sure without seeing the proof. ‘I’ll look first, then I’ll decide whether to say it or not.’
“This kid’s a sly one, can’t even be tricked. You think your godfather would lie to you? Fine, fine. Godfather will go get them for you.”
With that, Li Zhi opened his suitcase. It was full of gifts for everyone. He took out Jiji’s presents: a brand-new toy plane, car, and ship.
Jiji’s eyes lit up. These weren’t like his old toys; they were all new, things he’d never seen before. He loved them instantly and scooped them all up in a big hug.
“Mama, Mama, mine!”
Jiji carried the toys over to Gu’er and shoved them into her arms, as if to say they were all his now. He wanted her to put them away for him, afraid someone might take them.
“You little treasure-hoarder, no one’s going to take them from you. You haven’t thanked your godfather yet.”
Gu’er gently pinched Jiji’s cheek.
“That’s right, that’s right! You’ve already got your stuff, now hurry up and say ‘Godfather.'”
Li Zhi couldn’t believe how hard the child was to fool. ‘He already took the toys but still hasn’t called me anything!’
Everyone watched with amusement, waiting to see what Jiji would do.
Jiji had Gu’er start unboxing the plane, ignoring Li Zhi’s words. Just as Li Zhi was about to press the issue, Jiji looked up at him, broke into a huge smile, and called out, “Thank you, Godfather.”
Li Zhi’s heart melted instantly. Jiji’s smile was so radiant it warmed him to his core. ‘That settles it. Feng Ling and I have to have a baby soon, one just as cute as Jiji.’
Feng Ling’s heart softened as well. She went over to hug Jiji and said with a smile, “Jiji, and what about your auntie? Auntie brought you a gift, too.”
Gu’er saw that Feng Ling’s eyes had grown a little misty and knew she was thinking of the child she was fated never to have in her previous life.
Before Gu’er could even tell Jiji to call her “Auntie,” Jiji had already cried out, “Godmother.”
Jiji’s cry of “Godmother” to Feng Ling stunned everyone. No one had expected him to call her that.
Jiji’s logic was simple: Feng Ling had arrived with Li Zhi. When his parents were together, he called them “Mama” and “Papa.” When Dingzi and Marina were together, he called them “Godfather” and “Godmother.” So, since this pretty lady came with Godfather Li Zhi, she must naturally be a “Godmother” too.
“Wow, our Jiji is so smart! He knows to call her Godmother! Good boy, good boy! I love it!”
Li Zhi was overjoyed. ‘Well, Feng Ling is going to marry me anyway, so it’s no big deal if he calls her that a little early.’ Everyone else was laughing too. Feng Ling shot Li Zhi a look, but there was no real anger in her eyes.
“Okay, Godmother it is.”
Feng Ling didn’t mind the title. ‘Godmother is even better,’ she thought. ‘I never imagined that one day I would become Jiji’s godmother. It must be fate.’ With that thought, Feng Ling took out the gift she had brought for him.
“Sister, little uncle.”
Li Zhi looked at Jiji, completely baffled. ‘What does he mean by that? Does he think that after we gave him gifts, Feng Ling and I turned into his little sister and little uncle? That can’t be right, the generations are all wrong.’
“He’s asking if you brought gifts for his little sister, Dian Dian, and his little uncle, Zhonghe.”
Gu’er explained. The little guy couldn’t speak in full sentences yet, so she had to act as his translator.
“Will you look at that. He gets his own presents and still remembers to ask for his sister and little uncle. What a kid.”
Li Zhi gently patted Jiji’s head, feeling deeply moved. ‘This kid has changed so much in just a few months. No wonder Jia Ming and Gu’er never want to leave the house and just want to stay home with him every day. Children really do bring their parents so much joy. The main thing is, they change every single day. If you’re not there with them as they grow up, you’ll never see those changes and you’ll miss so much. When Feng Ling and I have a child, I’ll definitely be sure to spend lots of time with them.’
“I didn’t spoil you for nothing, you sweet boy. You even remembered to ask for gifts for your sister.”
Marina hugged Jiji, and a soft smile spread across Dingzi’s face.
Li Zhi took out the other presents, and Jiji became the one to hand them out. He was especially delighted to see that there was a gift for everyone.