When Zhou Chenbin was mentioned, Li Min was full of complaints: "Instead of treating Xiaomai when she first fell ill, now Xiaomai is sicker, sometimes she doesn't recognize anyone and calls out 'Yulin' to any boy she sees."
"It has only served Zhou Chenbin's reputation. Who doesn't praise him for his deep affection and loyalty, seeing him follow Xiaomai around every day?"
"Even reporters have come to interview him, and he's become famous. Tourists have also advised him to divorce and find someone else, or to find a woman who doesn't mind Xiaomai to take care of her together."
"Da Mai and I have made it clear, as long as Zhou Chenbin is willing to divorce, we will immediately bring Xiaomai back. Xiaomai has other guardians, and her family is here. She doesn't need another woman to take care of her."
Tian Jing sighed softly. In just a few years, had things changed so drastically?
She looked at her husband beside her.
Li Zhengguo got up, "Let's go back and see."
"Alright."
Tian Jing nodded and said to her sister-in-law, who was still complaining on the phone, "Your brother and I are going back to see."
"Great!"
Li Min was very happy. "Is Sister-in-law coming back?"
"She's not coming."
Tian Jing didn't even need to ask Ouyang Meihua. There were too many things here she couldn't leave behind, not to mention that her sisters-in-law didn't have much freedom. The regulations for the specialty teams had all been established, and she couldn't be the first to break them.
...
Seeing Xiaomai, Tian Jing's lingering resentment towards her vanished.
She was acting crazy, not allowing anyone to come near, afraid they would take the pillow she was holding, because she said it was her most obedient son.
Her hair was messy, and her face was chapped. On her thin face, her eyes, filled with fear, were always ready to lash out defensively.
"Xiaomai."
Tian Jing called out to her softly and patted the sofa beside her. "Come, sit here."
Xiaomai shook her head and backed away.
Tian Jing waved at Zhou Chenbin, who was trying to block the living room door, and continued to coax Xiaomai, "You've got the wrong baby. Yulin went to school and hasn't come back yet."
Xiaomai looked down at the pillow in her arms, then up at Tian Jing. "You, are lying."
Tian Jing shook her head and smiled, "Xiaomai, who am I?"
Xiaomai tilted her head and looked at Tian Jing for a long time, then suddenly smiled. "Little Aunt."
"Yes!"
Tian Jing responded readily. "If you don't believe others, don't you believe Little Aunt?"
Xiaomai nodded vigorously. "Little Aunt is the best."
"Then come and sit here."
Tian Jing still patted beside her. "Little Aunt hasn't seen you in a long time and has a lot to say to you. Is there anything you want to tell me?"
"Yes!"
Xiaomai happily walked over and sat next to Tian Jing. "Yulin is disobedient and runs around everywhere."
"Mm."
Tian Jing's arm wrapped around Xiaomai's back, gently embracing her, letting her lean on her shoulder.
"Yulin is in kindergarten. It's too tiring for him to go back to Kushan every day, so he's staying in the county town and will only come back during holidays. Shall I take you to see him?"
"Okay!"
Leaning on Tian Jing's shoulder, Xiaomai looked blissful. "I'll go with Little Aunt."
Tian Jing glanced at Zhou Chenbin by the door. "Then do you still want Chenbin?"
Xiaomai paused. "Who is Chenbin?"
Tian Jing said, "He's Yulin's father."
Upon hearing this, Xiaomai became anxious and flustered. "Yulin doesn't have a father. Yulin is my child alone."
"Okay, okay, okay."
Tian Jing's hand gently patted Xiaomai's bony back. "Don't worry, with Little Aunt here, everything can be resolved. Don't be afraid, don't rush."
"Mm-hmm."
Xiaomai leaned back on Tian Jing's shoulder. "I'll listen to Little Aunt."
Tian Jing coaxed, "Then shall we put down the wrong baby and go wash up? If you don't wash up, other parents will laugh at us when we go to see Yulin."
"Okay."
Xiaomai threw the pillow in her arms at Zhou Chenbin. "Here, take it back. Stop chasing me for it every day."
The dirty pillow fell to the ground. Zhou Chenbin bent down to pick it up and bowed to Li Zhengguo and Tian Jing, apologizing. "I'm sorry, I didn't take good care of Xiaomai. She overheard people saying things, and now she's very wary of me."
Li Zhengguo and Tian Jing looked at Zhou Chenbin. His hair was white, his face was haggard, his eyes were filled with fatigue, and yet held a glimmer of hope.
"You've done enough."
Li Zhengguo waved his hand. "Go back and prepare yourself, and divorce Xiaomai."
"Why?"
Zhou Chenbin looked at Li Zhengguo in disbelief.
"Because you always overestimate yourself."
Li Zhengguo's voice turned cold. "Never mind what happened before. Just taking care of Xiaomai has worn you out, which shows you're simply not capable of doing it well."
"This divorce must happen, whether you want it to or not. We are unwilling to accept Xiaomai as a member of the Zhou family."
"And under your care, Xiaomai is getting worse and thinner. Without you, any of us from the Li family can take good care of her."
"You should go back and see your children. You've committed another major crime outside."
"You don't take care of what you should, but you insist on taking care of what you can't. Leave quickly, don't make me see you out myself."
...
Zhou Chenbin wandered along the village road with the pillow in his hand. Was his last hope gone?
"Chenbin, where's Xiaomai?"
Sister Niu saw that Zhou Chenbin was alone and became worried for him. Had Xiaomai run off again?
"Aunt Niu~"
Zhou Chenbin's eyes reddened.
"Don't cry, don't cry."
Sister Niu comforted him. "We'll look for her together. Xiaomai won't have gone far."
Zhou Chenbin shook his head. "Xiaomai is at the quad. Little Uncle and Little Aunt are back. Little Uncle..."
"Your Little Aunt is back?"
Sister Niu interrupted Zhou Chenbin excitedly.
Seeing Zhou Chenbin nod, she immediately ran towards the quad, saying as she ran, "Since Xiaomai hasn't run off, you should go back and tidy yourself up. Tiantian agreeing to have Xiaomai at the quad means she's forgiven Xiaomai."
Yes! She's forgiven Xiaomai, but not him.
...
"Tiantian."
Sister Niu's voice arrived before she did. "You're finally back."
"Sister Niu."
Seeing the person run in, Tian Jing remained seated. She was afraid of startling Xiaomai.
"Aunt Niu."
Xiaomai leaned on Tian Jing's shoulder. "Why are you so old?"
Sister Niu was taken aback, then smiled at Xiaomai and said, "I'm tired from all the family matters recently. You're very well-behaved today."
"Hehe."
Xiaomai giggled foolishly. "Little Aunt is back, and Little Aunt is going to take me to see Yulin."
Sister Niu looked at Tian Jing in surprise.
Tian Jing shook her head gently.
Sister Niu understood. "Then Xiaomai should get all dressed up."
"Mm."
Xiaomai nodded. "My aunt went to find clothes for me."
Li Min pulled out a set of clothes from the west room where she was staying. "Sister Niu, your spirit is your driving force. At over seventy, you can run as fast as young people."
"Don't tease me."
Sister Niu extended her hand to Xiaomai. "Come, Aunt Niu will help you."
Xiaomai refused. "No need, I can do it myself."
Tian Jing and Sister Niu waited outside, while Li Min accompanied her in the bathroom.
Xiaomai's refusal was ineffective. Not to mention her potential for sudden episodes, her memory loss alone made everyone worry if she might have forgotten how to use the appliances in the bathroom.
When the two of them came out, Xiaomai was clean and refreshed, while Li Min was soaked. "I need to take a shower. Sister-in-law, bring me some clothes."
Xiaomai giggled. "Aunt got caught in the rain."