Chapter 193
They couldn’t even walk on the beach, let alone build sandcastles. The neat line of babies, connected by wrist leashes, quickly became a tangled mess…
In less than ten minutes, the six babies and two bodyguards proved that using the anti-lost leashes correctly, connecting only two people at a time, was essential!
“Come on, babies, come over here and have some food before playing~~~” Wei Chengli shouted, waving the skewers he had just grilled, he smiled at the little ones struggling in the tangle of leashes in the distance.
He Rongzheng, eating grilled tofu, twitched his ear, tsk… he wanted to hit someone just hearing that word “baby”… That stinky Lili.
The temptation of warm barbecue was strong, the babies, who had been giggling and trying to untangle themselves, immediately unclasped the wristbands, leaving the mess of leashes to the bodyguards, who had volunteered to clean up, they ran towards the food.
“Yan Yan, let’s connect the leashes again later.” Wei Maomao said with a giggle, holding Cheng Tingyan’s hand, she whispered as they ran.
“…“ Cheng Tingyan, who had been speechless for almost ten minutes, looked at the little chubby bunny, her face flushed from playing with the leashes, amused.
Okay, although the anti-lost leashes were a tangled mess and didn’t serve their purpose, but the little chubby bunny wasn’t lost, and she was so happy, it was like playing with a new toy.
“We don’t need the leashes later, we can just hold hands.” Cheng Tingyan said, as they reached the grassy area and slowed down, she brushed the sand off the little chubby bunny’s hair.
Then she saw the little chubby bunny thinking, seemingly weighing the options between holding hands and using the leashes.
“Okay.” Wei Maomao nodded.
Cheng Tingyan smiled and patted the little chubby bunny’s pants. She knew it, she was still more important than a leash. She didn’t want to be tangled up in a mess of leashes again.
Because it took some time to clean them up, by the time Cheng Tingyan and the little chubby bunny reached the barbecue grills, they saw Wen Dongyu holding up two crabs to Wei Chengli, his little face serious. “Tell me, which one pinched you, this little crab, or this big crab? I’ll grill it for you!”
Cheng Tingyan, being pulled by the little chubby bunny, took a few quick steps and stood next to Wen Dongyu, she then saw the two crabs he was holding, one smaller than a fingernail, the other… about the size of two fingernails?
“What’s wrong?” Wei Maomao asked, tugging at Wen Jiangyue’s sleeve.
“Your dad told us to be careful on the beach, he was pinched by a crab earlier, your mom even had to apply medicine.” Wen Jiangyue whispered into Wei Maomao’s ear, impressed by Wen Dongyu’s boldness.
Cheng Tingyan: “…“ Not to mention that the crab Wen Dongyu just dug out from the sand was unlikely to be the one that pinched Wei Chengli, just the size, it didn’t seem capable of pinching him hard enough to require medicine. Sigh, the little babies were truly adorable, but she, with her adult soul, couldn’t quite relate to their simple joy…
Just as Cheng Tingyan was thinking this, someone made a decisive choice.
“This one!” Wei Chengli said, pointing at the bigger crab in Wen Dongyu’s hand.
Then, hand in hand, they walked towards the grill.
Cheng Tingyan pinched the bridge of her nose, okay… It wasn’t her age; it was her lack of simple-mindedness that made her feel out of place.
The beef was chewy, the lamb was flavorful, the fatty pork belly crispy, the small fish, baked until tender, the chicken wings, scored and brushed with sauce, the bouncy shrimp, coated in spices, the roasted corn, the soft pumpkin, even the garlic eggplant couldn’t compare to the cheesy potatoes…
Dozens of different skewers, meat and vegetables, were grilling on the barbecue. Three large pots of seafood stew simmered, their aroma filling the air. On the shelves next to them were colorful drinks. And from a truck that had appeared behind them, insulated containers filled with cooked dishes, roasted lobster, baked scallops… were being unloaded, a true feast.
Celebrating the New Year with a lavish meal, indulging to their hearts’ content.
This was the scene at the beach campsite, and in the cold, cramped prison, it was also the same.
He Lanxi, holding the phone, felt increasingly anxious as she waited for the call to connect.
The cafeteria would be serving beef and potatoes for lunch today, she had heard from the older inmates that it was a special dish, rich and flavorful, only served during the New Year. She had been eating terrible food at the detention center, and now, after less than half a month in prison, she was already sick of the salty poultry and the bland vegetables, she was looking forward to today’s lunch.
Don’t be so slow, don’t make her miss the beef!
“What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you say you would call today? Why didn’t you answer? It’s been ringing six times, are you deaf or blind?!” He Lanxi said, her pent-up anxiety exploding the moment the call connected.
“Changchang just broke a glass, I was cleaning it up. You don’t want your son to step on broken glass, do you?”
“How is Changchang? Is he okay?” He Lanxi asked, her heart clenching, ignoring her husband’s sarcastic tone.
“He’s fine, my mom gave him some water, he’s finished drinking it.”
He Lanxi frowned. “Your mom? Didn’t I tell you not to take Changchang and Suisui to your shabby hometown for the New Year?”
“We didn’t go, my mom came over.” He replied calmly.
“What? How could you let your mom come to our house!” He Lanxi said, the thought of that rural old woman annoyed her, she blamed her past self for being blinded by love, choosing someone she liked just because she had money, she should have chosen someone rich.
“If my mom doesn’t come and take care of the children, then who will? That measly allowance from your uncle is barely enough for food and drinks, where’s the extra money to hire a nanny? If you’re so capable, then go and ask him for more money, it’ll save my mom the trouble.”
He Lanxi clenched the phone. That damned old man’s measly allowance wasn’t even enough for her to look at, but it should be more than enough to cover the expenses for the three of them. If she wasn’t here, she would have gone and torn that lying mouth apart.
“Didn’t you say your old classmate asked you to join his business? Can’t you even earn enough for a nanny?” He Lanxi asked, suppressing her anger, she glanced at the clock on the wall and continued quickly, “That damned old man is still willing to give us some money now, what if he stops later? What about Changchang and Suisui? You have to be more proactive, find a job, save some money for them…”
“You’re the proactive one, landing yourself in jail. Do you think our lives are easy out here? Those relatives who used to cling to us, seeing you being favored by your uncle, now they’re avoiding us like the plague, they all think you were too ruthless, that’s why your uncle cut them off. Just focus on reforming yourself; why do you even care?” He said, his disdain evident.
He Lanxi felt like she was having a heart attack.
What kind of life was this! Her own uncle set a trap for her, and her husband changed his attitude faster than flipping a page!
When she was first arrested, he was still trying to find ways to get her out. Then, after that damned old man gathered all the relatives, announced the reunion with his daughter, changed his will, and set up a fund, cutting off all his relatives from the inheritance, her husband immediately changed. At that time, he was probably still dreaming, thinking the old man wouldn’t be so cruel to Changchang and Suisui. But after taking them to the old villa twice and being denied entry, even receiving a warning from the old man that their allowance would be reduced if he came again, he completely changed.
Who was she doing this for! For whom did she end up like this!
That heartless old man, Changchang and Suisui had been visiting the old villa since they were born, he had watched them grow up, and now he just shut them out!
“Changchang and Suisui? Let me talk to them.” He Lanxi said, she couldn’t do anything from here, she could only endure his attitude for now.
“My mom made dumplings; they’re eating. Let me ask them… Changchang, Suisui, your mom’s on the phone… Oh, then you guys eat. They said…”
“Okay, I understand. It’s New Year, give them a red envelope from me. I’ll see them after the holiday, when visits are allowed.” He Lanxi said, she had already heard the children’s voices saying “no” and “the dumplings are getting cold,” she didn’t want to hear anymore, she quickly hung up.
Normal… children, what did they know? They only knew that their previously comfortable life had changed. And that annoying rural grandma… Those relatives must have been badmouthing her to the children.
They would understand when they grew up, they would know that she did it all for them, she just made a wrong move and failed.
Thinking about failure…
He Lanxi glanced at the clock on the wall.
She had to make another call quickly.
As she dialed, she looked around.
There was usually a long queue for the phone, but today, there were only a few people.
That beef and potato dish, it must be delicious… He Lanxi couldn’t help but swallow.
The second number, He Lanxi dialed twice, patiently waiting for the automated message saying the number was unavailable before hanging up.
Now, she was the only one left. She glanced at the guard, who was looking impatient, and went back to her cell.
Of course, He Lanxi did get her portion of the supposedly delicious beef and potatoes, but before she could even take a bite, she was surrounded by a few inmates, who, avoiding the guards, snatched her food, leaving her with bruises and a mess of cold vegetables, but that was another story.
On the Bai family’s balcony, Bai Lei stared at her phone, its screen lighting up, then dimming, then lighting up again, then dimming…
“Dinner! Do you think you’re some kind of princess, not coming in when you smell the food, do we have to hand-feed you?!” A middle-aged man said coldly as he walked past the balcony, he then went back inside.
Bai Lei looked at her older brother, who used to be polite to her, but now only showed disdain, she looked down at her silent phone and sneered.
Winners took all, losers lost everything.
He Lanxi had bet on the wrong horse, if she had listened to her earlier, dealt with Zhang Shilan, they would be the ones laughing now.
It was all about timing and fate.
He Lanxi, implicated in attempted murder, was in jail. And that He old man, following Lu Shijin’s lead, found out about her involvement, she hadn’t even done anything to Zhang Shilan yet, and he almost sent her to jail too.
She had been so careful, even if Jin Youliang betrayed her, there was only his testimony, no physical evidence. But the cowardly Bai family insisted on her appeasing He Rongzheng.
She refused.
The Bai family’s business being suppressed, what did it have to do with her? The Bai family, unable to compete with the He family, was just trying to shift the blame to her, it was ridiculous.
A Hongmen banquet, one had to have something to lose to see it as a threat. Bai Lei, currently having no desires or expectations from the Bai family, didn’t feel threatened, she went to the dinner, feeling relaxed.
And now, there was only one thing that truly bothered her.
