Chapter 744: Chapter 494: The Little White Flower
Long before, Lin Baohe and Zhao Yulan had planned to spend this New Year in City A with their daughter, but as soon as the twelfth lunar month began, Grandpa Lin called the couple and insisted that they must return to the Capital City to celebrate the New Year and participate in the ancestral rituals.
Grandpa Lin had taken Lin Baohe to the Lin Family’s ancestral graves to pay respects before, but the New Year’s ancestral ritual was fundamentally different from the usual rites. Not only the direct descendants but also the extended Lin Family members all needed to attend, thus the New Year’s ritual was somewhat a declaration of one’s identity to everyone.
The couple understood the significance of this event and agreed to Grandpa Lin’s request. They celebrated the Lesser New Year in City A and planned to rush to the Capital City on the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.
But now, as the Lesser New Year was approaching, Zhou Mikang had still shown no sign of returning, and as concerned parents, how could they fail to see their daughter’s worries?
On the twenty-second day of the twelfth lunar month, Chuxia stayed at the old Zhou family mansion to accompany her parents and Old Master Wan. After dinner, Lin Baohe gave Zhao Yulan a knowing look and went to chat with Elder Wan.
Zhao Yulan sat down beside her daughter and hesitated before saying, “Xia, if Xiaomi doesn’t come back, your father and I will stay in City A to celebrate the New Year with you.”
“Mom, if you and dad wanted to stay with me for the New Year in the future, I’d totally agree, but not this time. We’ve already promised Grandpa Lin, and we shouldn’t disappoint him,” Chuxia said while playing with Zhao Yulan’s fingers, “You’ve seen for yourself how my in-laws have treated me. Don’t worry, even if Zhou Mikang doesn’t return, I won’t feel wronged celebrating the New Year with the Zhou family.”
“You child, do you think you need to play dumb with your mother?” Zhao Yulan sighed, “Do you think your father and I can’t see it? You pretend everything is okay, but you are actually worried about Xiaomi, aren’t you?”
“Without any news, one can’t help worrying, but he’s not off to war and will be fine. Mom, I’m just being foolishly anxious,’ Chuxia said with a laugh. “You should be happy. This shows how deep my feelings are for him. Deep feelings make for a good life, right?”
“Will you really be alright without your father and mother by your side?”
“Really, I will!”
“Ah!” Zhao Yulan sighed again, “A child grown is a mother’s loss. Alright, if you won’t listen to me, then I will let you be. I’ll take your advice.”
“Mom, the way you said that…” Chuxia was speechless. Her mother had spent too much time with Old Master Wan and Sister-in-law Yin, and surely her conversational skills had changed.
“What your mother is saying is the truth. You are your father’s and my life. As long as you are happy, we’ll be fine with anything.” Zhao Yulan drew her daughter close and stroked her head, “Your father and I are not fools. Although the Zhou family treats you well and Xiaomi is good to you, having a strong maternal family will enable you to stand tall in your husband’s family.”
“We don’t mind being farmers or anything else, but for your sake, we must gain the recognition of everyone from the Lin Family of the Capital…”
“Mom…” Chuxia interrupted Zhao Yulan, “I don’t need you and dad to ingratiate yourselves with anyone for my sake. Grandpa Lin’s family is sincere with us, and that’s enough.
“We don’t need to bother with the other distant relatives, whether they acknowledge us or not. If you really care about them, they will become presumptuous.
“If you and dad try to please others for my sake, I definitely won’t be happy. Mom, do you want me to be happy or unhappy?”
“This child, always saying silly things?” Zhao Yulan pinched her daughter’s nose and smiled helplessly, “Okay, I’ll listen to you. We will be good to those who are good to us, and we’ll ignore the ones who aren’t. Happy now?”
This was what Chuxia had said to Zhao Yulan during their previous trip to the Capital to reconnect with relatives. Hearing Zhao Yulan repeating it verbatim made Chuxia beam with joy: “Mom has a great memory, right, that’s how it should be. As long as you and dad do that, I will be incredibly happy!”
That night, before going to sleep, Lin Baohe asked about the outcome of Zhao Yulan’s conversation with their daughter.
Zhao Yulan sighed, “Our daughter wants us to go to the Lin Family for the New Year. She says it’s a big deal for you. After this year, wherever we wish to spend the New Year, she won’t interfere.”
“Our girl has really become sensible,” Lin Baohe also sighed. “Who would have thought that Xia could be so accomplished? Not only the kids from our village, but even the city kids can’t compare with our Chuxia.”
“That’s right!” Zhao Yulan nodded in agreement, “It shows that our Chuxia was a late bloomer, but once she bloomed, she surpassed everyone else.”