The Crazy Son-In-Law

“It’s not fear, it should be respect. Mr. Xiang has been with the Qin family for decades. Our parents grew up under his watch. No one treats him as an outsider, he’s practically a member of the Qin family. He is one of the most trusted individuals to my grandfather. When my grandfather is not in the capital, he can make decisions on most matters concerning the Qin family,” Qin Zhiyu explained.

Xiao Shun nodded, returned to his room, and cleaned up the property certificate and some other miscellaneous documents into a file bag.

“I’m not often in the capital, so this place will be vacant for a long time. There must be a lot of people responsible for the daily maintenance of such a big yard, there should be a supervisor here, right?”

The daily maintenance certainly required a significant cost.

Now that he was the owner here, he couldn’t let the Qin family continue to bear this cost. Although it was trivial for the Qin family, they probably didn’t care, but it would be somewhat ungrateful if Xiao Shun were to pretend not to know.

“There is. I’ll call him over later. If you have any instructions, just tell him. He’s very reliable, you can trust him on that,” Qin Zhiyu said.

“Alright, actually there’s not much to instruct. Meeting and getting acquainted is enough,” Xiao Shun said with a smile.

“Your flight is already booked. It’s a four o’clock flight in the afternoon. If everything goes smoothly, you should be able to reach Stillwater before dinner,” Tang Shishi looked at him and said.

“Can’t bear to part? If you can’t, then come with me,” Qin Zhiyu teased her.

“Who can’t bear to part? For the past few days he has been in the capital, I’ve been accompanying him to eat and drink around the clock. I’m almost fed up with him. It’s better that he leaves soon,” Tang Shishi retorted.

“Round the clock? So your ironclad reputation is gone just like that?” Qin Zhiyu feigned surprise as if she hadn’t heard clearly.

“You damn enchantress, are you doing this on purpose? Do you believe I can flatten your 36C to an A?”

Tang Shishi’s eyebrows furrowed as she jumped up from the sofa and darted to Qin Zhiyu’s side. In an instant, the two women were playfully wrestling together. When no outsiders were present, their usually dignified and serious demeanors were quickly replaced by their true playful natures.

Faced with this situation, Xiao Shun could only sit speechlessly on the side. It wouldn’t be appropriate for him to join in, even if he wanted to.

The two women finally settled down after a while. Qin Zhiyu’s face flushed, she tidied her slightly disheveled hair and said to Xiao Shun, “I’m going to call the person in charge here so you can meet. Once that’s done, consider my task completed.” After saying this, she made a phone call. Roughly ten minutes later, a man in his forties, with a plain and honest face, arrived.

After a brief introduction, Xiao Shun gave him a few instructions and then let him get back to his work.

The three of them had lunch together. Afterwards, Tang Shishi took Xiao Shun back to his hotel to pack. “Please let your dad know for me. I won’t bother calling to say goodbye.”

“If Tang Guo has made up her mind, give me a call. I’ve never seen a case like hers before, so I can’t guarantee I can cure her, but I will try my best.”

“Also, let me know if you hear any news about Fang Jing.”

In the hotel room, Xiao Shun squatted on the floor, packing his bags and giving instructions. “I got it, you sound like a nagging mother,” Tang Shishi replied.

By the time they finished packing, it was nearly three o’clock. Tang Shishi took Xiao Shun to the airport and waved goodbye. Even though they might see each other again soon, she felt inexplicably sad.

At Stillwater International Airport, Xiao Shun held Yao Cen close, oblivious to everyone else around him, enjoying her scent. Yao Cen sniffed and murmured, “This perfume smells familiar.”

“Eh… let’s not ruin the moment.” Xiao Shun whispered.

She extricated herself from his embrace, took his arm and said, “I didn’t mean to question you.”

“Tang Shishi took me to the airport,” Xiao Shun confessed.

“My mom has cooked dinner and is waiting for you. Hopefully, there won’t be any traffic jams,” she said, changing the subject and leading Xiao Shun away.

Sometimes people can be petty. When Yao Cen showed signs of jealousy, he found it unreasonable. But now that she seemed indifferent, he felt somewhat disappointed.

“Yao Zhenshu is dead,” she said calmly after they got back in the car.

“Oh?”

“You don’t seem surprised.”

“Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the norms of life. Besides, he was old. There’s nothing surprising about it,” Xiao Shun responded. He didn’t know what had happened in Yao’s family, but Yao Zhenshu’s sudden death didn’t affect him much as he was a peripheral figure in his life.

“Hmm. The Yao family notified my father to discuss the funeral arrangements at the ancestral home tomorrow.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“What did your dad say?”

“He doesn’t want to go, but Yao Zhenshu was his uncle, so he’s still hesitating. Given his status in the family, he should be present for such a significant event out of respect. If he doesn’t go, it might be seen as disrespectful,” Yao Cen explained.

This was in line with Yao Jianguo’s indecisive character. Xiao Shun thought for a moment and said, “I’ll go with him then.”

“You?” Yao Cen asked in surprise, “I thought you didn’t like the people in the Yao family?”

“What does liking or disliking them have to do with it? I’m just worried that they might bully him if he goes alone,” Xiao Shun replied with a smile.

“I don’t like them, and they don’t like me. My going alone could make a whole bunch of them unhappy, which seems like a good deal to me.”

“Okay, if my dad decides to go, you can accompany him. My mom and I won’t be going, that’s for sure.”

Yao Cen was speechless at his odd logic. But if Yao Jianguo really decided to go, she would indeed worry. Who knew what the Yao family might do next? Their actions couldn’t be understood by ordinary people.

When he returned home, the dining table was already laden with plates and dishes, complete with fish and meat – quite a feast. Yao Jianguo seemed particularly excited to see him, undoubtedly keen to know the outcome. It looked like he was bound to be disappointed. Naturally, in front of Liu Yunxiang, it wasn’t the time to discuss this matter. He’d have to find another opportunity to talk to him in detail. After changing his clothes, Xiao Shun began to eat heartily.

“Dad, have you considered whether you’re going to the Yao’s tomorrow?” Yao Cen asked.

Yao Jianguo hesitated for a moment, “Let’s go. The man is gone, all grievances are over. After all, he is your Grandpa Zhenshu.”

“Go where? Didn’t you say that you would have nothing to do with the Yao family in the future? Now that he’s dead, it’s related to you?” Liu Yunxiang’s face darkened as she grumbled.

“If we don’t go, those neighbors and people who know us will say that we, people in our sixties, don’t understand the world. It doesn’t sound good when it gets out.” Yao Jianguo said.

“Who cares what they say, they don’t understand the Yao family’s problems.” Liu Yunxiang retorted.

“Let it go, mom. If dad wants to go, let him go. Tomorrow, let Xiao Shun go with dad. No one will dare to bully dad.” Seeing that Liu Yunxiang was about to get angry, Yao Cen quickly tried to calm her down.

Although Liu Yunxiang was unhappy, she said no more.