Side Story 11: Happiness
(1)
In the room, the six year old An Ran was drawing, while the four year old An Yi and An Le were watching cartoons. An Yize was sitting on the sofa reading a book and Su Jian laid on An Yize’s legs while using his phone.
While reading the news, Su Jian saw an article about the imbalanced gender ratio in China. In a couple of years, there would be 30 million bachelors. Su Jian poked An Yize and showed him the news. “Look at how lucky you are!”
An Yize smiled and said, “Yes.”
Su Jian was very satisfied with his reply. However, he started feeling worried. Looking at his two sons who were playing at the side, he sighed, “In the future, women will become more and more precious. It will be harder and harder to get a wife.”
Following Su Jian’s line of sight, An Yize looked over. “We don’t have to be worried about our children.”
“That is true for our eldest son. Although Xiao Yi is only 4 years old, his mathematical ability has already exceeded that of a primary 3 student. However,” Su Jian continued worriedly, “Le Le can’t even count properly, losing track after 20. Our youngest son is so dense, what if he can’t find a wife in the future?”
An Le who had just finished watching one episode of the cartoon happened to hear what Su Jian said. He ran over and ask, “Mommy, what is a wife?”
Su Jian explained, “Someone who will live with you in the future.”
Unable to understand, An Le asked, “Won’t Daddy, Mommy, Big Brother, and Big Sister live with me?”
“Once you have a wife, Le Le will live with your wife.” After explaining, Su Jian suddenly felt like teasing his youngest son. “Le Le, look at you. You can’t even count to fifteen. People who can’t count to fifteen won’t have a wife in the future!”
An Le asked, “Will Big Brother have one?”
Su Jian nodded his head, “Of course. Your brother can count to one thousand.”
An Le thought for a moment and said with a small voice, “Then, I will borrow Brother’s wife in the future.”
“……” Su Jian almost choked. “No, a wife can’t be borrowed.”
An Le asked in confusion, “Then what should I do?”
Su Jian was very amused by An Le’s dense expression. He tried his best not to show it on his face as he sighed, “Yea. Brother will have a wife but Le Le won’t have one. What should we do?”
An Le started feeling scared. Thinking for a moment, he ran to An Yi’s side and said, “Brother, can I be your wife in the future?”
Su Jian was stunned, “Wouldn’t one normally say ‘Can you be my wife’!”
An Yize sighed, “Jian Jian, your point of concern is also strange.”
On the other side, An Yi was holding onto his younger brother’s hand. He nodded seriously and said, “Okay.”
Su Jian, “……”
An Ran carried the picture she had finished drawing. Passing by her two brothers, she said lightly, “Stupid, a wife needs to be female.”
An Le blinked his eyes. He looked at his sister, then towards Su Jian.
Then, he ran towards Su Jian side and asked, “Mommy, can you be my wife?”
Su Jian: “……” Is this what they call smashing one’s own leg with a rock!
An Yize said, “Le Le, Mommy is Daddy’s wife. She can’t be your wife.”
An Le stared at him eagerly and asked, “I want to live with Mommy in the future. Daddy, can’t you give me half a wife?”
Su Jian felt awkward in his heart, but at the same time warm. He almost blurted “okay”.
However, president An’s tone was firm. “No.”
Seeing Xiao Le started crying, Su Jian hugged him and comforted, “Le Le, be obedient. It’s okay even if you can’t count to fifteen. Mommy will find you a wife in the future!”
An Le: “I want one that is as pretty as Mommy!”
Who said his son was dense? Look at him, he got good taste! Su Jian nodded his head and replied, “Okay.”
An Le continued, “I want one that can count to one thousand like brother!”
Su Jian tried his best not to laugh as he replied, “No problem.”
An Le tilt his head and thought, adding, “I also want one that has two braids like Huang Jingjing!”
“Okay!” Su Jian agreed automatically. Then, he quickly came back to his senses. “Who’s Huang Jingjing?”
An Yi who was at the side answered obediently, “She’s is our female classmate in kindergarten who sits in front of younger brother. He likes to pull her braids.”
Su Jian immediately thought of his kindergarten years. Back in those years, he also liked pulling the braids of the girl sitting in front of him. Because he liked her, he liked disturbing her.
Indeed, you are my son! Su Jian hugged his younger son and gave him a kiss. Turning towards An Yize, he said happily, “He already knows how to make a move on girls at such a young age. It seems that we won’t have to worry about our son not being able to find a wife!”
(2)
Su Jian was seated on the deck chair at the terrace, playing with his phone. Looking behind, he saw his daughter sitting on the sofa in the room, quietly reading a book and his sons who were playing with their toys on the carpet. Su Jian suddenly felt very happy.
To make himself happier, Su Jian asked his children a question.
“Hey. Do the three of you love Mommy more or Daddy more?”
His seven year old daughter, An Ran, replied calmly with her young voice, “I love both.”
His two 5 year old sons copied their sister and replied loudly, “I love both!”
Although the answer was good, it wasn’t what Su Jian wanted. Thus, he asked in another way, “If, I’m saying if, Daddy and Mommy divorced, who would you guys follow?”
The two boys looked at each other. The younger son, An Le, asked, “Mommy, what is divorce?”
Su Jian explained, “What I mean is, if Daddy and Mommy didn’t live together, who would you live with?”
An Le nodded, somewhat understanding.
Su Jian turned and asked his daughter who was the eldest, “Ranran, who would you follow?”
His daughter calmly gave him a glance and said, “Mommy, you’re so lame.”
Su Jian, “……”
Unable to get an answer from his daughter, Su Jian asked his son, “Xiao Yi, who will you follow?”
An Yi replied obediently, “Mommy.”
Su Jian smiled brightly, “Good!”
An Yi lowered his head and continued playing with his toys, burying the thought “If Daddy asked me, I would say ‘Daddy’” in his heart.
Su Jian asked his younger son hopefully, “Lele, what about you?”
“I… I…” An Le thought in a daze and started bursting in tears with a “wa”.
An Yize pushed the door open and entered. Hearing the cries of his son, he furrowed his brows and asked, “What’s wrong?”
An Ran replied calmly, “Mommy asked us who we would follow if the two of you divorced. Lele couldn’t answer, so he cried.”
An Yize turned to look at Su Jian. Su Jian quickly stood up and hugged An Le.
“Why are you crying over this?” Su Jian said depressedly, “Lele, you’re a boy, how can you love crying so much?”
Hearing this, An Le cried even more.
An Yi who was by the side got up quietly and stood before An Le. As he helped wipe An Le’s tears, he comforted in a small voice, “Lele, don’t cry. Let’s get uncle Li to make some egg tarts later.”
An Le held back his tears and nodded his head, no longer crying.
Su Jian, “…”
A child’s emotion changes quickly. In a blink of an eye, his youngest son which was crying loudly earlier was now playing the toys with his twin brother happily.
On the other hand, Su Jian, who was seated again on the deck chair at the terrace with the help of An Yize, felt like crying.
“Jian Jian, you want to divorce?” An Yize lowered his voice, not letting the children in the room hear.
Su Jian laughed dryly, “Why would I? I was just saying it as an example.”
An Yize’s expression was stern as he replied, “You can’t use such things as an example. It will cast a shadow in the children’s hearts.”
Su Jian replied, “Is it so serious?”
“Yes.” An Yize replied firmly.
“Okay okay okay.” Su Jian surrendered. “Next time I won’t say such jokes.”
An Yize hugged him strongly.
“But,” Su Jian suddenly thought of a question and asked, “If we really divorced, what would you do?”
An Yize replied with furrowed brows, “I just said not to talk about divorce.”
“It’s just an example.” Su Jian continued cheerfully, “What I think is that the children should belong to me while you have the rest.”
An Yize asked, “You only want the children?”
“That’s right. Won’t I have everything if I had my children?” Su Jian continued, “Since half the blood flowing in them is yours.”
An Yize laughed softly, “Okay, the children belong to you. The others belong to you as well.”
Su Jian smiled and said, “President An is so magnanimous?”
“As long as you don’t forget to bring me along as well.” An Yize smiled a said, “Jian Jian, I belong to you as well.”
(3)
In the study room, An Yize was sorting out some documents at the study table while Su Jian was reading a novel by the side.
Someone knocked on the door. After An Yize said “enter”, An Yi walked towards him while carrying his workbook. He asked, “Daddy, I can’t do this question. Can you teach me?”
Su Jian felt a little jealous and said sourly, “Why do you ask your Daddy the moment you enter but not me? I’m the one who usually plays with all of you!”
An Yi didn’t know what to do. On the other hand, An Yize sat beside Su Jian and passed their son’s workbook to Su Jian.
Su Jian lowered his head and take a look. Isn’t it just an olympiad math question for primary school students? I’ve graduated from a reputable university, such a simple question shouldn’t be a challenge to me!
Su Jian said confidently to his son, “Just you wait! I will solve it for you immediately!”
One minute passed.
Two minutes passed.
After five minutes, Su Jian still couldn’t solve the question.
Su Jian lifted up his head depressedly. Fortunately, his eldest son was still waiting for him obediently with a face showing that he believes in his mommy. However, what was with the trace of laughter in An Yize’s eyes?
Su Jian glared at An Yize. At this moment, his phone sounded due to receiving a message.
An Yi ran to get his phone for him. Passing over the phone, An Yi said, “Mommy, your phone rang.”
Su Jian checked his message, only to see that the sender was An Yize.
Written on the message was a hint.
Su Jian figured the answer out after seeing the text and solved the question immediately.
After his son left, Su Jian looked towards An Yize. Seeing the laughter in An Yize’s eyes, Su Jian couldn’t help but laugh as well.
He had wanted to explain himself but now he didn’t feel like saying anything.
Su Jian hugged An Yize’s neck and looked into his eyes. Then, he kissed An Yize on the lips.
……
Although the issue with the olympiad question was resolved sweetly, Su Jian was still worried about his dignity as a parent. His daughter and eldest son were both elite students with top grades, so he could only find his sense of existence with his youngest son who was not as smart.
Thus, when An Le was playing with the iPad alone, Su Jian approached him.
“Lele, do you want to compete with me?”
“Okay! Play with me Mommy!”
After half an hour, Su Jian’s expression was terrible.
Nevermind the olympiad question. How could I lose in a game? Nevermind my eldest son. How could my youngest son win against me?
“Mommy, you lost!” The happy voice of his youngest son mad Su Jian even more depressed.
“Hm…” Su Jian forced himself to smile as he touched An Le’s small face.
An Le jumped into his embrace and said, “Since Mommy lost, you need to be punished!”
Su Jian replied helplessly, “Alright, what kind of punishment do you want?”
An Le said, “I punish Mommy not to move!”
“Okay.” Su Jian didn’t move.
Suddenly, An Le hugged Su Jian’s neck with his short arms and kissed hard on Su Jian’s face.
“Mommy lost, so you have to let me kiss you!”
(4)
Today, Su Jian received a call from An Ran’s form teacher, asking him to make a trip to school.
Su Jian was stupefied. After all, it wasn’t unusual being called by his youngest son’s teacher. However, his daughter had a good attitude for learning. This was the first time he was called by his daughter’s teacher.
After learning about what happened, Su Jian was even more stupefied.
The teacher said that An Ran hit someone.
When An Yize came back at night, Su Jian related what happened to him. “Today, Ranran’s teacher called me, saying that she hit someone. After reaching the school, I realized that it was because Ranran saw a boy bullying Lele, so she did that. Since Ranran was good at Sanda and Taekwondo, the other party was beaten until he cried.”
An Yize furrowed his brows.
Su Jian quickly explained for his daughter, “The other party is at fault first, we can’t blame Ranran. To add on, she did it for her brother. Looking at it again however, our princess sure treats her brother well even though she looks so cold.”
An Yize asked, “Is Ranran in her room? I will look for her.”
Su Jian held him back hastily, “Don’t go. I’ve already compensated the other party and made Ranran apologize, so don’t go reprimand her again. I’ve already done it just now.”
However, the truth is, after Su Jian brought his daughter out of school, he immediately complimented “Well done”, and even reminded “Remember not to hit the face next time”.”
An Yize said, “I won’t reprimand her. I just want to check if she is injured.”
Su Jian was stunned for a moment, “I thought you… Weren’t you educating Xiao Yi and Lele two days earlier, saying that men who only knew how to use force weren’t good and that boys shouldn’t just fight with people?”
An Yize replied, “Ranran is a girl, so it’s different.”
Su Jian laughed, “If that’s the case, you are a sexist uncle An. It seems like females hold a higher position in your heart.”
“Yes.” A trace of laughter appeared in An Yize’s eyes.
“Just like you.”
—Side story end—