Chapter 113: Chapter 113: After Raising a Child and Becoming Rich in That Era, the Delicate Beauty Was Spoiled 33 Times
As soon as she got home, Li Meihua greeted her very warmly, “Teacher Qin is here too, Ruanruan, find a pair of slippers for Teacher Qin. It’s cold outside, come in and warm up first.”
Su Zhiruan took out a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet and handed them to Qin Lianqi, “Put them on quickly, Mom is probably waiting for us.”
Her guess was not wrong, as soon as they entered, they saw that Li Meihua had already prepared the meal, steaming hot, and in the middle sat a very old-fashioned cake, decorated with a few large pink flowers made of vegetable cream. In those days, such a cake could make children stop and stare for a long time, and today was no exception. Zhishu and Zhixiao sat in the living room, from time to time trying to sneak a peek at the cake.
“You two little gluttons!” Su Zhiruan called out, amused by the unwavering gaze of the two children, “Mom, is there anything else you need help with? I can give you a hand.”
“Auntie, let me do it.” Qin Lianqi took off his coat, folded it neatly on the sofa, and casually took over the two plates of dishes that Li Meihua was holding, placing them on the large round dining table, “And if there’s anything else that needs to be prepared, just let me know.”
“Alright, alright,” Li Meihua smiled fondly, her gaze constantly circling between Su Zhiruan and Qin Lianqi. She felt a bit sentimental, wondering why these two kids matched so well. If they got married and had children later on, those children would surely be even more beautiful. She was already fantasizing about becoming a grandmother, with soft, sticky little rice balls running after her, “Just sit down, I’ll get everything ready. Ruanruan is the birthday girl today, and she’s turning eighteen. I’ve heard that in the city, people consider the eighteenth birthday as an adult ceremony.”
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With a smile, Su Zhiruan wrapped her arm around Li Meihua’s, tilting her head and laughing, “Even if it’s an adult ceremony, an eighteenth birthday, I’ll always be Mom’s eldest daughter, and the older sister to these two children. That relationship won’t change, we’ll always be family.”
After hearing this, Li Meihua chuckled and playfully hit her, “You child, sweet talk just flows out like it doesn’t cost a thing.”
“Today is a good day. It seems there are a few bottles of wine in the liquor cabinet, gifts from the franchise owner last time. Why don’t we take this great opportunity to open them and celebrate?” Li Meihua recalled the good wine that someone had brought before and told Su Zhiruan to find it. She picked up a corkscrew and handed it to Qin Lianqi.
Su Zhiruan and Qin Lianqi went out to examine the two bottles of wine, while Zhishu and Zhixiao were still coveting the cream cake, discussing whether the flower bases on the cake were edible.
“How much can Teacher Qin drink?” Su Zhiruan took out two bottles of wine from the wine box, checked the alcohol content, then put the bottles down and asked Qin Lianqi.
After pondering for a moment, Qin Lianqi replied, “I’ve never tried drinking too much, always sip and stop.”
“So today we drink to our heart’s content?” Su Zhiruan took out three wine glasses and two big cups for the children’s drinks from the cabinet next to her, “Let’s say it’s to celebrate my eighteenth birthday.”
Qin Lianqi smiled, “Okay.”
The experience was still quite novel to Su Zhiruan. Counting the time before her system was bound, she had already experienced four worlds, but this was the first time someone had prepared an eighteenth birthday adult ceremony banquet for her.
Soon, Li Meihua finished preparing all the dishes, “Time to eat!”
“To the head of the table, Teacher Qin, Ruanruan, sit down, and Zhishu and Zhixiao, stop running around. Come and eat, we’re about to cut the cake!”
As soon as they heard the cake was going to be cut, the two children immediately sat down obediently, waiting for Su Zhiruan to blow out the candles and cut the cake.
Zhixiao craned her neck to look at Qin Lianqi and Su Zhiruan, fumbling with her fingers, and asked somewhat puzzled, “Teacher Qin, are you and big sister dating?”
“Second sis, don’t say that, they’ll get embarrassed,” Zhishu said as he waited for the cake, waving his hands at Zhixiao before he too turned to Su Zhiruan and Qin Lianqi, “Big sis, are you and Teacher Qin going to get married?”
Su Zhiruan: “…” One question was more direct than the other.
“Not yet,” Qin Lianqi saw Su Zhiruan cutting the cake, and he naturally took it from her, placing it on a paper plate. He first passed a piece to Li Meihua, then to Zhishu and Zhixiao. He looked at Su Zhiruan, blinked his eyes, with a gaze that was as alluring as a crafty fox. He spoke softly, “If Ruanruan is willing to share a small wish with me on her birthday, then I would be bold enough to wish to walk by your side in broad daylight.”
Zhishu and Zhixiao didn’t understand, thinking what’s so special about walking by someone’s side, they were together every day going to and from school, so the two children continued to focus on eating their cake.
Li Meihua of course knew what Qin Lianqi meant. She looked at the two with the eyes of an elder watching a younger relative in love, feeling incredibly excited inside, her expression gradually turned into an auntie’s smile.
“If you’re talking about walking by my side, then it seems Teacher Qin’s wish has already been fulfilled ahead of time,” Su Zhiruan stretched the truth, feigning ignorance. “Didn’t Teacher Qin walk with me just a while ago?”
“Indeed, that’s true.” Qin Lianqi smiled, picked up the bottle of wine, and poured a glass. He gracefully handed it with both hands to Li Meihua. “Auntie, this drink is for you.”
Li Meihua now treated Qin Lianqi as a son-in-law, and after receiving the glass, she drank it all in one go.
Zhishu and Zhixiao saw this scene and said they wanted to try too, “Teacher Qin, we want to drink as well.”
“Sure,” Qin Lianqi agreed and poured a small cup for each of them.
Li Meihua was very happy today. After several rounds of being urged to drink by Qin Lianqi, she also drank a lot and became quite tipsy.
Zhishu and Zhixiao finished their cake and then downed their drink in one gulp, only to find the alcohol too strong, and they immediately fell asleep.
…
After three rounds of drinks, outside the window, the night grew deeper.
Li Meihua, with a buzzed head, staggered and mumbled, “Good, good things…hahaha, you all should go to sleep early, sleep early! Mom is heading… heading back now…”
Su Zhiruan didn’t just watch indifferently. She got up, helped Li Meihua to her room, and then signaled to Qin Lianqi, who seemed fairly clear-headed, pointing to her own room, “Teacher Qin can go rest in my room first. Later, after I take the two children to their room, I can just sleep with Zhixiao.”
The candlelight flickered with her movements, casting an elongated shadow on the wall.
Qin Lianqi watched her receding figure, slowly stood up, and carried each child back to their rooms.
Then, he blew out the candles and leaned against the doorway of Su Zhiruan’s room in the darkness.
When vision is blurry, one’s hearing and sense of smell become particularly acute. He could feel the strong scent of alcohol in the air mixed with a fragrant smell—that was the scent of Su Zhiruan.
Two years had passed, and it had long been deeply etched in his heart.
After Li Meihua had fallen into a deep sleep, Su Zhiruan let out a sigh of relief and pushed the door open to walk out.