Cheng Yuwen came back first before Lin Xinyan went up to the mountain. He arranged the two solid wood thousand squares shelf in the yard, with various wood carvings in it.
Lin Xichen’s eyes lit up as he saw them. He let go of Cheng Yuxiu’s hand and walked over to grab a wood-crafted pigeon. What surprised him was the legs, wings, and eyes could move on its own. The feathers of the pigeon were so lifelike.
“Wow, this is my first time seeing wooden carvings.” Perhaps boys are naturally more drawn towards toys, while girls aren’t. Lin Ruixi was much calmer compared to Lin Xichen. All she cared about was yummy food and fluffy soft toys. She could hardly find any other toys that she liked other than food and soft toys.
Cheng Yuwen had never been married before. He had been staying in the same place since Cheng Yuwen married into the Zong family. He passed his time by doing woodcarving. He carved all the wood carvings on the shelf. He spent a lot of time learning from scratch, and now he could master all types of animal wood carvings, be it the animals that flew in the sky, swam in the water, or ran on the ground. He could make all of them lifelike as if they were real.
Lin Xichen was overwhelmed by all the wood carvings before his eyes. He thought all the animals were so cute and lifelike. He couldn’t help but placed it onto his hands for a closer inspection.
Seeing Lin Xichen so happy, Cheng Yuwen laughed out loud.
“What is so fun about these?” Lin Ruixi said with a pouted mouth. She felt like all these carvings were prepared for the brother, and she had got nothing to play with.
The little girl pouted her mouth, looking very upset.
Lin Xinyan stroked her daughter’s hair and looked up at Cheng Yuxiu, “She just loves to compare with her brother.”
Cheng Yuxiu smiled at her and thought that it was the nature of the children. That was what made them so cute and naive, without any worries.
“Oh my, Ruixi was jealous of her brother?” Cheng Yuwen teased her in a loving manner. He looked amiable with the smile lines around his eyes and mouth.
Lin Ruixi pursed her pink lips, “You have prepared so many fun toys for my brother, while I have nothing at all.”
“Then what do you like? Cheng Yuwen asked.
Lin Ruixi thought about it while tilting her head, “I like to eat pudding, red bean cake and cantaloupe-flavored chocolate…”
It was all about food.
Lin Xinyan was speechless.
“This girl…” Lin Xinyan knew that her daughter was a glutton, but she never thought that even when others asked about her favorite toys, she could relate it to food as well.
“I don’t have anything that you mentioned just now. However, I do have…” He walked over to the parasol tree which leaves were pale yellow and lush.
There were two ropes, as thick as the whip, hanging down from the branches. At the end of the rope was an unknown object covered in red cloth.
“I have prepared some toy for Ruixi as well but I am not sure if Ruixi will like it.”
The little girl was so excited that she ran towards it, “What is it? Let me see.”
“You may open up the cloth yourself.” Cheng Yuwen worried that the little girl would not like the surprise that he had prepared.
Lin Ruixi grabbed the red silk cloth and pulled it down. The red cloth then fell to the ground, revealing a big white swan before her. The wings of the white swan were tied with ropes on each side. The body was dug out in the middle making it perfect for sitting. It was a seat with a backrest.
“I want to sit on it.” The little girl held onto the white swan and said, “I have never sat on a white swan swing before.”
Cheng Yuwen helped her up to sit on a chair made of unique materials. The big white swan was carved out by him, using a massive tree root and painted in white.
Although it was nothing special, he put in a lot of effort to make it.
“Yeah, the big white swan is flying now” The swing swung gently as if a white swan was flying in the sky.
Lin Ruixi shouted happily as she sat on the big white swan, holding tight to its neck, and flew into the sky.
Lin Xinyan and Cheng Yuxiu sat on rattan chairs in the yard, and a kettle was placed on the table in front of them. The kettle was prepared by Cheng Yuwen.
Cheng Yuxiu was glad that the children enjoyed themselves here. The Zong residence was very different from the houses in a busy city as it was quiet and peaceful. It was a much-desired lifestyle to some people.
She turned and looked at Lin Xinyan, “See how happy they are despite the fact that this place wasn’t fancy or high-tech, yet they are having so much fun.”
Lin Xinyan looked at her children and sighed, “Yes, indeed.”
Seeing her children having so much fun, the corner of her lips raised into a smile.
“Jinghao has been the only male in the family for the last three generations. The Zong family is wealthy and powerful; however, there aren’t many descendants in the family. I knew that you must have had a hard time giving birth to the kids. If it is possible, I would like you to have another child, and I will help you in every way…”
She stopped her sentence midway for she knew that Zong Jinghao would not let her go near his children.
Thinking about it, her expression turned gloomy.
Lin Xinyan understood what she meant and why she stopped her sentence midway. There was too much bitterness in it, and only those who had been through it would truly understand the sorrows.
She lied to Zong Jinghao about not being able to give birth anymore. The truth was the car accident and giving birth to the twins had ruined her body. The doctor advised her that it was best not to have another child. Even if she could conceive, the chances of keeping the child were very slim as her body was too weak.
Even though the relationship between her and Zong Jinghao was better now, she had never thought about having another child. However, she didn’t want to reject Cheng Yuxiu straight to her face. Therefore she said, “I will consider it.”
As she sat in the yard where she had once lived and looked at her happy grandchildren and the kind-hearted daughter-in-law; she felt lucky and happy at the same time.
“I have a favor to ask of you.” Cheng Yuxiu looked at Lin Xinyan with a serious face.
“Yes, what is it?”
Cheng Yuxiu held Lin Xinyan’s hands in her palm, “Please take care of him for me. Even if he makes a mistake, please forgive him and don’t leave him.”
Lin Xinyan couldn’t say no to a mother as she was a mother herself. She knew how important a child was to a mother.
Nonetheless, she didn’t dare to make a promise, nor did she want to disappoint Cheng Yuxiu. She replied, “I will not leave him as long as he doesn’t ask for separation first.”
She would not leave him easily for the sake of the children.
All parents only wish for the best for their children.
In the evening, Cheng Yuwen prepared a sumptuous meal for them. All of which are the local specialties and some were made according to the children’s preference.
“Let’s go back after the meal.” Although Cheng Yuxiu wanted them to stay longer, she afraid Zong Jinghao would get suspicious.
Initially, Lin Xinyan wanted the children to spend more time with Cheng Yuxiu, as she had missed out a lot on Zong Jinghao’s childhood. But what Cheng Yuxiu said made sense, Zong Jinghao was not a gullible person. Everyone would be dead meat if he found out about the truth.
“When I have a chance next time, I will take them to see you again.” Lin Xinyan said.
As Cheng Yuxiu placed some food onto the children’s plate, she said, “I’m afraid I won’t be here next time.” She then looked at Lin Xinyan, “I am going back tomorrow. How about you?”
“I may stay on for a few more days.” All the while, she had a huge interest in tea silk, and now she wanted to learn even more after learning that it was the ancestral business of the Cheng family.
Since Cheng Yuwen hadn’t gotten to the core of the skill yet, she was afraid that she couldn’t leave just yet.
There were a few of them, and it might take some time for them to leave, at least for a few days more.
It was already dark after they had their dinner. The driver sent Lin Xinyan back.
Cheng Yuxiu reminded the driver, “Please drive slowly.”
“Don’t worry about it, Madam.” The driver had worked for a long time for the Zong family, and his driving skill was excellent.
Lin Xichen and Lin Ruixi squeezed at the car window and waved at Cheng Yuxiu, “Goodbye Grandma.”
Cheng Yuxiu waved back, “Goodbye.”
Cheng Yuxiu followed the back of the car as it drove away slowly. Cheng Yuwen stopped her and said, “It’s not like you don’t get to see them again. Do you think that you can keep up with the speed of the car?”
Cheng Yuxiu looked at the car leaving and sighed. She no longer followed the car anymore, but she didn’t want to avert her gaze either.
Back in the car, Lin Xinyan hugged the children and said, “Xi, Ruixi, Mommy has a flavor to ask of you two.”
“What is it, mommy?” Both of them replied in unison.
Lin Xinyan stroked their faces gently and said, “Please don’t tell your dad that we met your Grandma today.”
“Why is that?” Lin Ruixi asked curiously.
“Just listen to mommy.” Lin Xichen said as he hugged his sister, “We have to listen to mommy, or she will be mad at us.”
Lin Ruixi nodded her head obediently.
It was easier for a child to persuade another child.
After a while, the car stopped on the road in the backyard.
There was a figure hidden in the dark, looking at them. Lin Xinyan pushed the door and got out of the car, as the driver followed her, “The road here is uneven, I shall send you in.”
“It’s okay, I am fine. You don’t have to send me in.” Lin Xinyan rejected.
She was afraid that someone else would notice her.
“Okay, be careful.”
“Hmm…” With one hand hugging her daughter, and another holding her son’s hands, they walked along the path and arrived at the back yard.
She sent her children to the front yard as there wasn’t a place to stay in the back yard.
Su Zhan, Shen Peichuan, and Bai Yinning were playing cards in the yard. Perhaps the village was a boring place for them, after all, city folks like them already got used to the vibrant nightlife in the city.
She didn’t see Zong Jinghao anywhere.
“Oh, Xi and Ruixi are back?” Qin Ya watched them play cards at first, then she walked over to greet them after seeing the children.
“Oh, sister-in-law is back.” Shen Peichuan put down the cards in his hands.
Lin Xinyan nodded in a smile, “Yes, please carry on. Don’t bother about me.”
“Alright, then.” Shen Peichuan picked up the cards once again.
“Ya, can you please bring the children to Zong Jinghao?” For the past two days, so many things had happened, and she would like to have some time alone to clear her thoughts.
Besides, the front yard was safer than the back yard, where there were bodyguards in the front yard. Shen Peichuan was also a reliable person. Zong Jinghao should be in the house, and she trusted Qin Ya as well.
“Okay, I will bring over the kids to President Zong.”
Lin Xinyan smiled at her and turned to lock the door of the backyard. She then walked up to the door and pushed it open. There was no light in the house, and she thought it would be better for her to clear her thoughts in the dark.
As she was closing the door, someone hugged her from behind, and her facial expression changed instantly, “Who is it…”
Her mouth was covered before she could finish her sentence.
Her body was pinned that she could not move.
She was terrified and wanted to call for help, but she couldn’t as there was a palm covering her mouth.
