Chapter 336 - 333: A Savvy Bunch
After hearing what Li Xiu said, Zhou Lian let it go. She pulled on his hand and said, "Jin Chen, let’s go check on things together. I’m afraid Sister Fang won’t be able to manage on her own!"
Gently setting Zhou Lian down, Li Xiu took her hand and led her outside, saying tenderly, "You’re right, Bao’er."
With Li Xiu and Sister Fang working together, they quickly whipped up enough dishes for two tables. There were too many people for just one, and splitting into two tables would be more comfortable for everyone anyway.
Staring at Nuonuo and Yanyan, who looked like a pair of little mud monkeys, Zhou Lian took a deep breath, and then another. She still couldn’t hold back and yelled toward the kitchen, "Jin Chen, get out here!"
Hearing Zhou Lian’s voice from the living room, Li Xiu’s heart clenched. He rushed out of the kitchen and saw her sitting on the sofa, her face dark. He hurried over and asked gently, "What’s wrong? Bao’er, who made you angry?"
Zhou Lian didn’t say a word, simply giving Li Xiu a pointed look. He followed her gaze and saw his nearly unrecognizable daughter and son. He glanced back at his angry wife and sighed helplessly. ’We’ve only been home a few days, and my son and daughter have already turned into wild horses that have broken their reins?’
"Bao’er, let’s not get angry with these two little rascals. They’re covered in mud from head to toe. We need to wash them up quickly. Who knows how dirty that mud is?" Even though he felt for his children, Li Xiu knew that soothing his dear Bao’er was the top priority.
Nodding slightly, Zhou Lian suppressed her anger. She had Li Xiu wash their son while she took their daughter into the bathroom for a bath. After all, the children were getting older, so it was better to be mindful of their privacy.
When Li Cui, Li Guo, and the others arrived, they saw their nephew and niece, freshly bathed and dressed in clean clothes. The two children had already inherited their parents’ best features, and now that they were all cleaned up, they looked as exquisite as little sprites. Their young uncles and aunts couldn’t get enough of them.
Right up until dinner time, Yanyan was still being passed around between his uncles and aunts. Nuonuo, being a bit older, was starting to feel shy and refused to be held, so she sat down between Li Cui and Li He.
Grandma Li watched Nuonuo and Yanyan surrounded by family and smiled in satisfaction. ’It’s so good to see the grandchildren and great-grandchildren getting along. This way, they’ll support each other when they grow up. This is good, so good!’
After dinner, Sister Fang and the bodyguards at the other table finished their meal. Seeing that Li Xiu’s table was also done, she quickly cleared the dishes. She then brewed some tea and brought it out, along with fruit, pastries, and melon seeds.
Seeing Nuonuo and Yanyan happily playing with their grandmother on the heated platform bed, Li Cui gently tapped Li Yuan and Li Miao on the head. "If you want to play, just hop up on the platform and join your niece and nephew," she teased. "You’re still young, after all. Who’s going to make fun of you?"
The two girls made a face at Li Cui in unison. They knew the ones most likely to tease them would be their Fourth Sister and Sister He. With their big brother present, Brother Guo and their youngest brother wouldn’t dare.
Zhou Lian shot them an amused glance, then gave Li Xiu a meaningful look. Taking the hint, Li Xiu scooped up Li Yuan and Li Miao, one in each arm, and set them both on the heated platform bed. "Go play with your niece and nephew on the platform," he said softly. "Don’t let Grandma get too tired."
Hearing his two younger sisters thank him, Li Xiu smiled. He turned to Li He and asked, "So, how do you think you did on your exams?"
"Big Brother, I feel pretty good about them, but I’m afraid things won’t go as planned when the results come out," Li He said, looking up at her older brother nonchalantly. She had already finished the exams; the outcome was set, for better or worse. Moreover, she had already tried her absolute best. It was just as her sister-in-law had said: the result is important, but the process is too.
Hearing her lighthearted words, Zhou Lian broke into a smile. "That’s a good way to put it, Sister He. A lot of things in life are like that. Once you’ve put in the effort, you reap what you sow."
"Sister-in-law, what about things that absolutely have to have a certain outcome?" Li Bo asked thoughtfully.
Zhou Lian looked at her young brother-in-law, who was the spitting image of Li Xiu. "That depends on what it is," she said. "As long as it doesn’t endanger you or your family, you should do everything you can. If the result isn’t what you hoped for, then find another way. You can always get the outcome you want eventually."
"What if it’s a person? What do I do if I just can’t stand the sight of someone, no matter what?" Li Bo glanced at his older brother before turning to Zhou Lian with curiosity.
Zhou Lian smiled, knowing who he was referring to. She said softly, "If you can’t stand the sight of them, then don’t look. Sometimes, ignoring them is the best choice you can make for yourself. The other way is to work hard. Work to create distance between you. When you can look down on them from a greater height, you’ll realize that the people who annoyed you are no longer even qualified to appear before you. When you can’t see them anymore, there’s nothing to be annoyed by. There’s no need to smash a beautiful piece of jade against a worthless clay tile."
"Li Bo, you need to remember what our sister-in-law said," Li Cui added. "Don’t interact with people you dislike or get caught up arguing with them. That’s the surest way to lose more than you gain. Her way is the best solution." Li Cui knew her youngest brother better than anyone. Though he was the youngest of all the siblings, his sharp, clever mind was the most like their big brother’s.
Li Bo nodded without another word. ’I understand what Sister-in-law means, but it’s not that easy to do,’ he thought to himself. ’Still, what she said about not smashing jade against a clay tile is the most important thing to remember.’
"Sister-in-law, I have a classmate whose parents divorced, and neither of them wanted her, so she lives with her grandmother," Li He said, looking at Zhou Lian with a puzzled expression. "Now that exams are over, if she gets into college, she won’t even have a way to pay for tuition. Sister-in-law, what do you think her parents are thinking? Especially her father. The reason they divorced was that he had another daughter with someone else. But now... I heard he spoils his other daughter rotten but refuses to take care of my classmate!"
Seeing the look on Li He’s face, Zhou Lian sighed silently. ’This young sister-in-law of mine sees things a bit too clearly. She’s only eighteen, just barely an adult.’ She asked gently, "Are you saying you think your classmate’s father is unreliable?"
"They say he originally disliked my classmate for being a girl, but isn’t the child he had later a daughter too? Doting on one to the high heavens while completely ignoring the other... what kind of father is that!" Li He said, frustrated at the thought of her classmate.
Li Xiu glanced at Zhou Lian, then said to Li He, "You have to understand, the human heart is impossible to predict, and the same goes for familial bonds. One shouldn’t chase after affection from family that you can live without. Since her parents don’t want her, she should just focus on working hard and relying on no one but herself. Li He, you need to understand one thing: to forge iron, one must first be strong."
"Sister He, you have to remember that it takes all sorts of people to make a world. Familial affection is something you can never force. There’s no need to let yourself get hurt over other people’s problems," Zhou Lian said, her tone earnest. ’This girl, Li He, is too smart, too perceptive. But some things aren’t what they seem on the surface. A person always needs to be prepared to look out for number one.’