novelraw Chapter 324: Five Years Later
Chapter 324: Five Years Later
Ordinary days flew by quickly.
In the blink of an eye, five years had passed.
During this time, Shen Qingqing pursued her doctoral degree and her career went up another level.
Jiang Zhixun was also promoted by a rank.
Both husband and wife had smooth careers. People envied Jiang Zhixun for marrying such a cultured, well-bred and pretty wife, while others envied Shen Qingqing for marrying into a good family.
A successful husband, with elders who could help them; who wouldn’t want such a good life?
Xiao Man and Xiao Xi had already grown up and could run and jump, basically the wildest kids in the courtyard.
The door couldn’t keep them in at all.
Every day they called out to their friends in the courtyard, having a great time.
Shen Qingqing and Jiang Zhixun were at their wits’ end. These were barely five-year-old kids already so wild; come adolescence, who knows if they’d take the roof off.
Old Master believed it was a good thing, "Kids need to run and jump to toughen up."
Xiao Man and Xiao Xi were indeed tough.
Reaching this age, they had never been hospitalized, they were very robust.
Shen Qingqing sighed, "Others had only one little rascal and the household was already in chaos, we have two, I’m afraid to think how troublesome they would be when they become rebellious."
Jiang Zhixun nodded silently in agreement, "Don’t say anymore, I’m kind of scared."
Shen Qingqing glared at him, "What are you afraid of?"
Every day, Jiang Zhixun would come home from work only to have neighbors complaining to him before he even entered the door.
His two little rascals would play crazily with other kids daily, even climbing trees to raid bird nests, and other parents started to have objections.
And they were just little beans now, in a few years there’d be even more complaints about them.
Jiang Zhixun said, "I’m afraid they’ll be too much of a handful, and you and I will have to apologize for them every other day."
Shen Qingqing thought about it and also felt a headache coming.
"From today, you accompany them to practice for an extra half hour to burn off some energy, they probably wouldn’t have the energy to chase chickens and dogs after."
Jiang Zhixun thought this was a good idea, "They just need some straightening out!"
"Dad, who are you straightening out?" A crisp voice came in from outside even before the person arrived.
Jiang Zhixun whispered, "She must have ears like a rabbit."
Shen Qingqing: "Who told you to talk without keeping it from people?"
Jiang Zhixun: "..."
Xiao Xi ran in from outside with a birdcage in hand, containing a beautiful parrot.
Jiang Zhixun’s eyes twitched; wasn’t this Qin Wenqiang’s father’s treasure?
This girl, how’d she bring it back home?
"Where did you get it, quickly return it to its owner."
"Grandpa Qin gave it to me!"
Qin Wenqiang’s father liked keeping flowers and birds. He had more than one parrot at home.
Asking him wouldn’t get you any of them.
He wouldn’t even let others look at them often.
Now suddenly giving it to Xiao Xi, Jiang Zhixun’s eyes were skeptical, "How did you swindle the old man?"
Xiao Xi smiled gleefully and said, "I said I’d marry Brother Xiao Cheng, become the Qin family’s granddaughter-in-law, and Grandpa Qin gave it to me, saying it was for a childhood engagement with Brother Xiao Cheng."
Jiang Zhixun: "..."
Shen Qingqing: "..."
The Brother Xiao Cheng Xiao Xi mentioned was the eldest son of Qin Wenqiang. Kids just loved to play with older siblings and he was popular among the little ones.
The old man slapped his thigh, "How can someone take advantage, Zhixun, go get Wenqiang’s dad here. I need to properly criticize him; this is what era now, still entertaining childhood engagements!"
Jiang Zhixun said, "Let my dad go, they’re from the same generation, easier to reason with."
The old man called out Father Jiang’s name several times, "You call that boy; if he dares trick our Xiao Xi again, see if I don’t break his legs!"
Father Jiang was helpless, "It’s just a joke, and only you take it seriously."
The old man blew his beard and glared, "Why wouldn’t I take it seriously? He even brought gifts to win Xiao Xi over!"
"It’s just because the child liked it, and he gave them up with a heavy heart."
"I don’t care, the fact he has thoughts of a childhood engagement is wrong, I need to have a talk with him."
The old man looked upset, "He can’t even think, Xiao Cheng is several years older than Xiao Xi, has the nerve to have a childhood engagement with us?"
The speaker was unintentional, but the listener took it to heart.
Jiang Zhixun was pricked in the heart, as he was also several years older than his wife...
This year, he was already forty, while his wife was just slightly over thirty, still a young girl.
Proudly said, "Being older, joined the workforce earlier, can save money earlier for Xiao Xi’s future use."
The old man almost used his cane to hit Jiang Zhixun, "Who cares about their money, our Xiao Xi has plenty of people to support her!"
This was all speculation, and the two of them were already worked up.
Shen Qingqing comforted, "Uncle Qin was just speaking offhand, don’t take it seriously."
"Even speaking offhand isn’t right!"
The old man supported himself with a cane and headed out, "I must go find him, have a good talk!"
The Qin family wasn’t far, but Father Jiang was worried the old man might fall going out alone, so he went along.
The living room left with just their family of three.
Jiang Zhixun sternly criticized, "Never say such things again."
Xiao Xi blinked, "I was just teasing Grandpa Qin, I’m not going to be anyone’s bride, I want to find a live-in son-in-law who’ll stay home with me, cook for me."
The two kids were raised by Madam Jiang, and the household often had people chattering.
Bride, live-in son-in-law... those things were learned like that.
Jiang Zhixun nodded to himself, finding a live-in son-in-law was good.
In the future, no one could bully his daughter.
Feigning a stern look, he said, "You can tell Grandpa Qin you really like this parrot, but whether to give it or not is their choice; lying is wrong."
Xiao Xi fumbled with the birdcage in hand, "Then what should I do, should I return it to Grandpa Qin now?"
"Yes, return it."
Xiao Xi looked reluctant, this parrot was so cute, and it could mimic human speech.
She wanted to keep it, play with it every day, catch bugs for it to eat.
Seeing her daughter looking upset, Shen Qingqing said, "Return it to Grandpa Qin, and have your dad take you to the bird and flower market to buy one."
Xiao Xi: "Buy two! Brother wants one too!"
"Alright, two."
Shen Qingqing was very accommodating, "If there’s anything you want, just tell mom and dad. As long as it doesn’t go against principles, mom and dad will fulfill it, don’t lie, it’s wrong."
Xiao Xi’s eyes looked a bit scared, "Then I lied to Grandpa Qin, would apologizing work?"
"Of course, as long as you’re sincere in your apology and can correct your mistakes, you’ll still be a good child."
Xiao Xi said again, "Then mom, would you come with me, I’m a bit scared to go alone."
Shen Qingqing’s mouth twitched, "And here I thought there was something you weren’t afraid of?"
Xiao Xi hung her head, "I’m afraid Grandpa Qin will scold me."
Grandpa Qin was very nice to her and her brother, often giving them things to eat.
If he knew she had lied, he’d be disappointed, and then scold her.
But with mom around, she wouldn’t fear scolding!
Being looked at so pitifully by the child, Shen Qingqing couldn’t say no?
And knowing that it was wrong to lie, and needing to apologize, that was something worth praising.
Holding Xiao Xi’s hand, "Fine, mom will go with you."
Jiang Zhixun, being a shadow to his wife, naturally followed her when Shen Qingqing went out.
In one hand, he held the birdcage, in the other, his daughter’s hand.
Teasing Shen Qingqing, "We are getting used to things ahead of time."