Chapter 2505: Chapter 2569: Father Su’s Transformation
"Alright"? What does "alright" mean, Li Yifei said, "Is there something going on with your dad?"
"No!" Su Yiyi quickly shook her head, but her expression was a bit unnatural, as if she didn’t want to talk about this topic.
Li Yifei reached out and pinched her cheek, softly saying, "Yiyi, we’ve known each other for so many years and gone through so much together, what can’t we talk about?"
"No, honey... I just don’t want to bring him up." Su Yiyi said anxiously, worried that Li Yifei would misunderstand.
Li Yifei nodded, understandingly saying, "Alright, since you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t force you. But remember, Yiyi, we’re husband and wife, we’ve been through so much together, there’s no difficulty we can’t face. Moreover, nowadays, there are few things in this world that are difficult for us. I just mentioned your dad because I thought it would be boring for him to spend the New Year alone. He can just come to our place to celebrate; after all, there are so many people at home, it can be lively."
"I..." Su Yiyi’s eyes reddened, tears spun around, and she threw herself into Li Yifei’s arms, hugging him tightly.
This girl! Li Yifei sighed inwardly, reached out and gently patted Su Yiyi’s back, comforting her, "If Uncle is willing to come, then let him. It’s the New Year, everything else can be set aside."
"Honey!" Su Yiyi lifted her head, her face already smeared with tears. Li Yifei reached out to wipe them away, continuing, "Don’t cry, it’s the New Year, your crying makes my heart uneasy."
"I... My dad called earlier and said he wanted to spend the New Year with me. I refused him, afraid that he might cause trouble at our place. Honey, sobbing, am I just awful?" Su Yiyi finally opened up. After listening, Li Yifei rubbed her head and softly said, "Silly girl, what’s the big deal? If Dad wants to come, let him come. In the future, it’s the same. He’s your father; no matter what he did before, he’s still your father. Besides, I’ve heard he’s improved over the past couple of years. We shouldn’t always see him through old lenses, right?"
Previously, Su Yiyi had been submissive to her father, enduring hardship to satisfy him, especially financially. After being with Li Yifei, her worries increased. Even though past incidents pained her heart, she feared her father’s actions might upset Li Yifei, so she heartlessly ignored him. Today, Li Yifei brought it up, and Su Yiyi’s heart was pierced, moved, but the tears couldn’t stop.
After calming Su Yiyi, Li Yifei picked up her phone, had her find her dad’s number, and dialed it. After a few rings, the call was answered, and Father Su’s coughing came through first, but he sounded quite happy. Once the call connected, he immediately said, "Yiyi? Haha, I was just about to call you. So, today is New Year’s, have you got everything ready at home? If you’re free in a couple of days, come over. I’ll make something delicious for you, what you loved the most when you were little."
Su Yiyi could hear the voice on the phone. As soon as she heard what her dad said, she couldn’t stop her tears from flowing. Li Yifei held Su Yiyi’s hand, gently squeezing it to give her strength while saying on the phone, "Dad, it’s me, Yifei."
On the other end, there was a noticeable pause. Father Su didn’t expect the call to be from Li Yifei, who had disciplined him before and was also his son-in-law. Instinctively, he swallowed, but then he reacted quickly, saying, "It’s Yifei! You’re with Yiyi!"
"Yes, Dad, where are you?" Li Yifei thought for a moment, realizing he didn’t know where Father Su was living now, so he asked.
"You two should have a child; Yiyi isn’t young anymore. Have a grandson, and I can go see once in a while, haha. A granddaughter is fine too. I’m not biased towards boys anymore; girls are sometimes better than boys. But your family doesn’t have many, so a boy would be better." Father Su didn’t answer Li Yifei’s question. Instead, he changed the topic.
"We’ll have one soon. When the time comes, Dad, you’ll have to help take care of the kid!" Li Yifei replied very nicely, and Father Su gradually relaxed. The various past incidents made Father Su have a deep impression of this son-in-law.
"Alright, alright, is everyone in the family okay?"
"Everyone is well!"
"That’s good. Cough cough, well, let’s leave it at that for now. After the New Year, Yiyi... and when it’s convenient for you, come to my place, I’ll cook you a nice meal. I’ve learned quite a few new dishes recently."
"Dad!" Su Yiyi called out.
"Yes, Dad’s here." The old man’s voice lowered a lot.
"Dad, I called to invite you to spend the New Year with us. Today is the thirtieth, and the other in-laws will be there too. Everyone will have a lively time these days!" Li Yifei said directly, clearly sensing Su Yiyi’s tension and gripping his hand tightly.
There was a brief pause on the other end of the phone, then Father Su chuckled. Li Yifei could picture him smiling and shaking his head on the other end, saying, "Dad...just won’t come. As long as you all have a lively celebration, that’s enough for me!"
"Dad!" Su Yiyi covered her mouth, tears streaming down.
"Dad, tell me your address. I’ll come pick you up soon. If you’re out of town, I can send someone with a helicopter, it won’t take long. If you’re within the province, it’ll only take a few hours," said Li Yifei.
"No need, no need. I’ve bought quite a lot of groceries, it would be a waste not to eat them today. You all can just come back later," the old man refused.
The more he insisted, the less Li Yifei could relent, so he said, "Dad, quickly give me your address. I’m getting ready to head out. You can come over to chat with the other fathers-in-law, play some cards or something. Spending the holiday alone is too lonely!"
"Well...Yiyi..." The old man hesitated. As he got older, he wanted to be closer to his children. Li Yifei had said so, and if he refused again... But still, considering Su Yiyi, the old man had indeed changed a lot these past two years, completely different from before. Mainly because he had come around himself. Looking back on the past, he worried that his daughter, who had no family background, might feel even more helpless in the Li family because of his actions...
"Dad, Yifei and I will come pick you up. Can you please tell me the address?" Su Yiyi said, tears in her voice.
"Don’t cry, don’t cry. If you cry, Dad won’t feel well either. It’s the holidays, don’t cry. Dad lives at..." Father Su told them the address, and Li Yifei noted it down, saying, "Dad, wait a bit at home. Yiyi and I will pack up and come right over!"
"No rush, no rush. I...I can handle it on my own, it’s nothing." Father Su was still a little uneasy.
"Let’s celebrate together, it’ll be lively!" Li Yifei replied. This time Father Su had nothing to say, ended the call decisively, and held the phone for a long time, looking out the window. But when he turned around, he wiped his eyes.
Li Yifei and Su Yiyi were getting ready to leave. They ran into some other women, who asked when they saw the two heading to the garage. Li Yifei explained they were going to pick up Su Yiyi’s father. Su Mengxin said, "It’s about time to invite him over. Celebrating together will be lively, especially this year since there are a lot of elders in our family. They’ll surely have things to chat about when they’re together. Alright, Yifei, hurry and go!"
"Right, hurry up and come back. Dad and the others are already putting up couplets!" Lin Qiong said.
"Okay, okay, don’t worry, I’ll be right back," Li Yifei nodded, holding Su Yiyi’s hand, and quickly walked to the garage.
Sitting in the car, Su Yiyi turned to look at Li Yifei, saying, "Honey, thank you."
Li Yifei turned his head and gave her a look, saying, "Your dad is my dad too. The past is in the past. I think dad’s doing quite well now, so our views should change too. We can’t always judge people with old opinions!"
"Mm-hmm," Su Yiyi smiled brightly and sweetly. Li Yifei nodded in satisfaction, saying, "That’s the Yiyi I remember!"
Driving, they followed the address to a very old, rundown building, with no gated community, accessible from all sides. Only a few lonely old six-story buildings, even the exterior walls were red brick, the windows very small and broken, the hallways even without windows. Li Yifei checked the address, realizing they hadn’t gone wrong, inevitably furrowing his brow. As they slowly searched, he asked, "Yiyi, didn’t you give Dad any money?"
"I...I gave him some, but not a lot. I’m afraid he’d gamble again... But it was enough. Even in Mile City, it should be enough to rent any apartment and cover living expenses," Su Yiyi replied.
Li Yifei frowned. They both initially wondered if Father Su had returned to his old habits. Judging by appearances, though Su Yiyi said it wasn’t much, a few thousand a month was still given, yet he lived in such a place. At the housing prices in Mile City, the rent for a place like this might only be three or four hundred a month, if that. Seeing the building, you could tell there wouldn’t be many residents inside. The old man living here, could it be he had gone gambling again?
Then Li Yifei shook his head, thinking nothing else of it. Just from their phone conversation, Li Yifei believed the old man wouldn’t head down that road again. He patted Su Yiyi’s hand, comforting her, "Dad probably has his reasons for this. Let’s get out of the car first. I think it’s probably that building ahead."
"Mm!" Su Yiyi bit her lip, unclasped her seatbelt, and got out of the car. Passing by some elderly folks, they all stopped to watch the two. This was an old neighborhood, relatively poor within Mile City, on the outskirts, unlikely to be affected by redevelopment. Usually, the residents here weren’t doing well, so it was rare to see a million-yuan car driving in. Watching a man tall and handsome, and a woman as beautiful as a television actress step out of the car, these somewhat gossipy older folks naturally paused to look.
Especially as the two walked by, an older lady directly asked, "Young lady, are you reporters here for an interview? If you are, could you report to the leaders that this neighborhood is too rundown? We often have no electricity or water, even on New Year’s Eve. How are people supposed to live?"
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