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Sitting on the kang, Zhang Lan was firmly held back by Hao Lianchun. Since Zhenhe was at home, it was best for her not to intervene. Some matters were better handled by her son than by her, the daughter-in-law. Whether good or bad, it was all the business of the Wang family. If Zhang Lan showed up, the old lady would definitely target her. Therefore, Hao Lianchun was determined not to let her niece intervene.
“Lan, you have to listen to your aunt. If you go out now, it will be hard to manage the situation. You should stay at home and recuperate. In the future, that old lady will still cause trouble. You should just ignore everything and focus on your health and Zhenhe,” Hao Lianchun advised.
Zhang Lan understood that Hao Lianchun was treating her like family, but she had also seen the old lady almost hit her daughter just now. As a mother, how could she not protect her child? What was the point of hiding on the kang?
“Aunt, why is there so much trouble in this family? Can’t they live in peace? When will all this end?” Zhang Lan felt extremely tired at this moment. Hao Lianchun held her head and said, “Silly child, this is what life is like. Otherwise, how can it be called life? This shows how much Zhenhe cares for you. Some people are just naturally fond of causing trouble, not only for themselves but also for others. But what can we do? We can’t kill or scold them. Just let them be. One day, they won’t be able to cause trouble anymore.”
Although Hao Lianchun said this, she didn’t think that way. She felt sorry for the couple, who were tired every day. It was an endless cycle, making life unbearable. But with the identity of a birth mother, what could the children do? Without a proper role model, it was no wonder the younger generation lacked discipline.
Zhu Qiyu was persuaded by her sister-in-law, and the Wang family’s drama finally came to an end. Wang Zhenhe, feeling exhausted, entered the house.
“Dad, did you see that? Look at how the old lady can cause so much trouble. She’s not tired at all. I feel tired just watching her,” Wang Zhenhe said.
Just a few days of peace, with a filial children and a virtuous Wife, and delicious food, made for a good life. A peaceful and harmonious family life was so good. Sometimes, even he envied his third son.
“Zhenhe, I’m causing trouble for you, but I don’t want to leave. I’ve never felt so comfortable in my life as I have in your home these past few days. I don’t have to listen to your mother’s scolding. My ears have calloused from it. Sometimes, I wonder when this kind of life will end. If your mother comes to cause trouble again, then you can kick me out. I want a few more peaceful days. We’ll talk about me and your mother later. For now, I don’t want to go back,” Wang Deshan expressed.
Wang Deshan felt selfish and weak, but he truly cherished this peaceful life. The joy of having grandchildren around him every day was something he had longed for his whole life. However, with the old lady around, none of the children dared to get close to him.
“Dad, it’s not good for you to keep avoiding this. Maybe you should reconsider. It’s not good to keep hiding like this,” Wang Zhenhe advised his father before leaving the room and joining the women on the kang, where they were discussing the matter.
Seeing her husband enter, Zhang Lan asked, “Zhenhe, what did Dad say?”
Wang Zhenhe sat on the edge of the kang and sighed heavily. “Well, it’s the same as always. He’s avoiding for now and will deal with it later. I feel sorry for him. If he goes back this time, I think the old couple will have a big fight. Dad is on our side this time. Do you think the old lady will let him off?”
Listening to the conversation, Wang Qian sighed deeply, her chin resting on her hands. The others found it both amusing and exasperating to see a young girl sighing so heavily.
Wang Qian, noticing everyone’s reaction, spoke slowly, “I’m worried about Grandpa. He’s a tough Northeastern man, but why is he so afraid of Grandma? It’s really unusual. He doesn’t seem like a man at all.”
In the adjacent room, Wang Deshan never would have imagined that his granddaughter saw him as such a weak person.
Hao Lianchun couldn’t help but laugh as she lifted her and asked, “Little girl, do you know what it means to be a man? Your grandpa is a good man who loves his wife. You see, Northeastern men may be bold and tough outside, but at home, they love their wives. It’s just that they do it discreetly. Your grandpa is just a bit more obvious about it.”
Haolianchun couldn’t bring herself to say that Wang Deshan was weak in front of the couple, so she praised him as a good man who loved his wife.
Listening to this, Zhang Lan suppressed a smile. It wasn’t easy for her aunt to use such words to praise her father-in-law. In her opinion, there were indeed some aspects of Wang Deshan that were hard to define.
Mingcheng, sitting on the kang, remembered a conversation he had with his sister. There had been some family matters these past few days, and he hadn’t found the opportunity to speak up.
“Dad, the principal said we should send sister to school this year. Also, I was wondering if I could skip a few grades. We’ve already learned the material that Grandpa Chen and the others have taught us. If it’s possible, we could skip grades and save some money for the family. If we keep attending school even though we already know what is being taught, it feels like a waste of time,” Mingcheng said.
Wang Zhenhe hadn’t even finished primary school, so he wasn’t sure about his son’s studies. Zhang Lan had at least graduated from junior high school. After hearing his son’s words, she pondered for a moment before saying, “Mingcheng, let’s discuss this with the grandpas when they returns. I’m concerned that skipping grades might affect your growth. Besides, adapting to a new environment might be challenging for you.”
Children might not consider all these factors, but as a mother, Zhang Lan had to consider more for her children. Moreover, she hadn’t had the chance to dote on her children properly, and they were growing up day by day. As a mother, she felt a sense of loss.
Mingcheng responded seriously, “Mom, I’ve considered all that, but I still want to skip grades.”
Mingcheng had one more thing on his mind. He actually wanted to grow up quickly so that, as the eldest son, he could have the ability to protect the family.
Seeing the determination in her son’s eyes, Zhang Lan hugged Mingcheng tenderly. “Good son, Mom understands. We’ll wait for the grandpas to come back and give you their advice. You can consider it, and I won’t stop you.”
At this point, Zhang Lan expressed her support. As long as her son made a decision, she would back him. After all, skipping grades wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
After pondering for a while, Wang Zhenhe said, “Mingcheng, growing up is a process, and we shouldn’t rush it. There are some things I might not need to say, but I hope you can grow up happily. If skipping grades is what you want, then Dad supports you.”
Mingyuan and the others weren’t having it. “Dad, why don’t we skip grades with our brother? We’ve learned everything we need to, and staying like this isn’t fun. We’d rather skip grades together.”
This time, Wang Zhenhe hesitated. These three, especially Mingyuan, were very young. He felt that rushing them to skip grades might deprive them of the joy of growing up. However, seeing the anticipation in their eyes, he couldn’t bear to refuse.
“Good sons, Dad doesn’t have any objections. Let’s wait for the grandpas to come back at noon and hear what they have to say. Then we can make a decision, okay?”
Hao Lianchun smiled and said, “Zhenhe, it’s good that the children understand the importance of learning and considerate of their parents. As for how to skip grades, let’s listen to the opinions of Old Chen and the others. After all, they’ve studied for many years and know more than we do.”
At noon, the grandfathers gathered. When they heard about Mingcheng and the others wanting to skip grades, everyone fell silent. Skipping grades was a good thing, but doing it too quickly might not be beneficial for the children’s growth.
“Old Chen, what do you think?” Zuo Zhanshan first sought the opinions of the teachers.
Old Chen hesitated for a moment before saying, “Old Zuo, let Mingcheng skip three grades, so he can directly enter the second year of junior high. Mingyuan and the others can skip two grades and remain in elementary school. As for Xuan, she can enter the first year of junior high. However, whether they can agree to this depends on Zhenhe’s ability. As for Qianqian, if she wants to skip grades, it’s up to her. I’ll be frank. I think your children are capable of entering the third year of junior high, but we shouldn’t rush. We should take it step by step. What do you think of my suggestion?”
Mingcheng and the others on the kang were overjoyed to hear Grandpa Chen’s suggestion. “Grandpa Chen, you’re so kind. Don’t worry, we’ll be fine,” they said.
The matter of the children skipping grades was settled at noon, and it was now up to Wang Zhenhe to discuss it with the others.
Today, Wang Deshan witnessed the capabilities of his third son’s children. They could skip grades as they pleased, and they seemed so relaxed about it. At this moment, he felt that the future of the third son’s family was definitely promising. With such promising children, the couple could look forward to a comfortable life.
After dinner, Wang Juan and her husband hurried over. The family had been busy with the hay in the morning and hadn’t heard about the matter at the third son’s house. After dinner, they came to discuss matters concerning the old father.
“Third brother, I just heard about the morning’s events. Why don’t I take Dad back to our place first, so that sister-in-law can focus on recovering her health? If they keep causing trouble, she might get angry and stressed. It’ll be difficult for your family,” Wang Juan suggested.
Wang Zhenhe and his wife had no objections to Wang Deshan going to their sister’s place. After all, he was their father, and they could take turns caring for him. Besides, he wasn’t a burden and could earn his keep. They were willing to accommodate him.