Chapter 522 - 552: Be Your Boy
Qin Zhonghui nodded silently. "I know."
But seeing her husband like this, Su Yun couldn’t help but worry. And while Qin Na also wanted to go, her current condition really wasn’t suited for the ordeal.
Just then, Qin Jiao spoke up. "I’ll go back with Dad."
Qin Zhonghui said, "Xiao Jiao, aren’t you busy? And you have classes, too."
Qin Jiao asked him, "I can just take a couple days off from class. As for everything else, Shen Yi is here to handle it. Or are you planning to go back and stay for ten days or half a month, Dad?"
Qin Zhonghui was taken aback.
He didn’t want to stay back that long, but deep down, he had a vague sense that if he went back this time, he might not be able to get away anytime soon.
He knew he was weak-willed. Because of this flaw, his family back home had always had him completely under their thumb, making his wife and daughters suffer so many grievances along with him.
Now, thanks to Xiao Jiao’s persistence, their family was living a life far better than anything they’d had in the past. The restaurant was about to open, and they were living a good life he once couldn’t have even imagined.
But...
Those were the parents who had given birth to and raised him. He truly couldn’t bring himself to ignore them completely.
Qin Jiao walked up to the tormented-looking Qin Zhonghui and said, "Dad, you should go back and see them. You should fulfill your filial duty. But beyond that, you don’t need to overthink anything else. Mom is right—no matter what, we will absolutely not raise Xiao Tao. Besides, we’ve been away for a long time. Since we’re going back to our hometown, we should also visit the relatives on Grandma’s side."
Qin Jiao turned to her mother, Su Yun, and said, "Mom, you should come too."
Since summer vacation was about to start, they simply decided to wait a little longer. Then, the whole Qin family of four set off for their old hometown together.
Although Shen Yi really wanted to go back with Qin Jiao, the new clothing line was about to launch, and the factory couldn’t be left unattended. Plus, Grandpa Du needed someone to look after him at home. In the end, Shen Yi had no choice but to stay behind, feeling quite put out.
However, the night before she left, Qin Jiao took the initiative to pull Shen Yi by the hand, and they went into the space. She gave him a few kisses, finally managing to cheer the man up.
Lying in Shen Yi’s arms afterward, Qin Jiao said helplessly, "Why are you becoming more and more like a child?"
"Because in my last life, I never got the chance to properly be a young man before your eyes."
A smile touched Qin Jiao’s lips. "Then you’ll have to dote on me, so I can become a young girl again, too."
"I’m always trying!" Shen Yi kissed her and said, "When you get back, let’s move to Rose District, okay?"
"Okay."
「When summer vacation began」, Qin Jiao’s family of four boarded a long-distance train back to their hometown. Qin Zhonghui looked preoccupied, and Su Yun’s feelings were also complicated.
After being away for over a year without going back, she missed her own parents and siblings. She had even specially bought many gifts from North City to bring back for her visit.
But the moment she thought about the Qin family’s affairs, her head began to throb.
Xiao Shi was sitting by the window, her head constantly bowed over a book. Qin Jiao couldn’t help but remind her, "You should take a break. Reading for so long will hurt your eyes."
"It’s fine. I have to finish reading this."
Qin Jiao glanced at the book’s cover. "You’re already learning English?"
English wasn’t yet a standard subject in elementary schools back then. But Xiao Shi had always loved to read, and now that their circumstances had improved, the bookshelves in her room were filled with books she had picked out herself.
She loved literature and history, and had recently started teaching herself English, so she was now reading some of Qin Jiao’s old English classics.