Chapter 57: Long Live Brother-in-law
Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Long Live Brother-in-law
While waiting for the bus, Jiang Xia sent a text to Lin Yanwan.
"Should we meet at the amusement park entrance, or should I go to your place first?"
A moment later, Lin Yanwan replied, "You can come over first. Xiao Man is still sleeping in."
"Alright."
He replied with a single word, looking up just as the bus pulled to a stop in front of him.
After a grueling ten-plus minutes in the packed bus, it finally arrived at Brocade Splendor Community.
He bought breakfast at a bun shop outside the community and, carrying the buns and soy milk, knocked on Lin Yanwan’s door.
He’d been visiting so often lately that he was practically treating the place as his own. ’Then again, this is supposed to be my home, isn’t it?’
The door slowly opened. Without getting a clear look, Jiang Xia was about to call out "Babe," but then he realized it was his mother-in-law who had opened the door.
His body stiffened, and he forced an awkward smile. "Uh... hello, Auntie. I see you haven’t left for work yet."
Hearing this, Ji Wanqiu gave him a meaningful look. ’This boy must visit quite often when I’m at work.’
"I’m off today," she said lightly. "Come in. Xiao Man said you’re going to the amusement park today, right?"
"Yeah, Xiao Man wanted to go. We didn’t make it last time."
Jiang Xia changed his shoes at the entrance and held out the still-warm buns. "Auntie, would you like a bun?"
"I’ve already had breakfast, but the two sisters haven’t eaten yet."
Just then, Lin Yanwan came out of the bathroom, brushing her teeth. She was wearing an off-white long dress with a denim jacket, looking incredibly youthful.
Ji Wanqiu glanced at her, then walked over to the balcony to do some stretching.
"Auntie’s home, why didn’t you tell me?" Jiang Xia said, lowering his voice.
Lin Yanwan finished swishing and rinsing her mouth. "She was the one who told me to have you come over."
"Uh... alright. I bought these buns for you. Eat them while they’re hot. I’ll go wake Xiao Man up."
The sisters’ bedrooms were adjacent. The younger sister’s room was noticeably pinker; it was clear her parents doted on their youngest daughter like a little princess.
Jiang Xia walked to the bedside and deliberately called out, "Xiao Man, if you don’t get up, the sun’s going to set! Do you still want to go to the amusement park?"
Lin Xiaoman’s eyes snapped open. Seeing Jiang Xia, her face lit up with joy, and she called out sweetly, "Brother Jiang Xia~"
"Get up, you little sleepyhead. The sun’s about to burn your butt." Jiang Xia abruptly yanked open the curtains. Blinding sunlight streamed in, and Lin Xiaoman instinctively squinted.
"I can only get up if Brother Jiang Xia gives me a hug~"
"How about a hug from your sister?" Lin Yanwan leaned against the doorframe, chewing on a bun, and said with a grin, "If you don’t get up, I’m going to finish all the soup dumplings your Brother Jiang Xia bought."
"Ah! Sis, save some for me!"
"Then get a move on, won’t you?"
Lin Xiaoman scrambled out of bed, quickly got dressed, and ran to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Then she sat down in a chair, taking alternating bites of a soup dumpling and sips of soy milk while Lin Yanwan stood beside her, tying her hair.
"Brother Jiang Xia, I want to watch Cat and Mouse."
"We can’t watch it right now. But if you finish your breakfast quickly, we can get to the amusement park sooner," he said with a smile.
"Mmmph, I’m all done!" Lin Xiaoman stuffed the last soup dumpling into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out.
"Whoa, whoa, eat slower. No one’s racing you. Have a sip of soy milk so you don’t choke."
The two of them then watched as Lin Xiaoman, cheeks still puffed, chewed a conservative estimate of thirty to forty times before managing a difficult swallow.
"This time I’m *really* finished! Ahhh!" she exclaimed, opening her mouth wide for Jiang Xia to inspect.
"Alright. Go tell your mom, and then we’ll leave."
Lin Xiaoman hopped off her chair and shouted excitedly, "Mom, Brother Jiang Xia and I are going to the amusement park!"
Ji Wanqiu nodded and turned to look at them. "Xiao Xia, I’ll leave Xiao Man in your care, then."
"It’s no trouble at all, Auntie," Jiang Xia said with a smile.
’In any case, this is my sister-in-law,’ he thought. ’Our connection spans two lifetimes.’
The three of them said goodbye to Ji Wanqiu and left the community. As Jiang Xia was hailing a taxi by the roadside, he had the incredible luck of running into his own dad.
"Where are you guys headed?" Jiang Wende asked, rolling down the car window.
"Uncle, we’re going to the amusement park!" Lin Xiaoman said with a giggle.
His gaze shifted from Lin Yanwan to the little girl whose hands they were both holding, and his eye twitched. ’This kid,’ he thought. ’Instead of staying home to study, he’s always wandering around, looking for trouble.’
As if knowing what his old man was thinking, Jiang Xia explained, "Dad, this is Lin Xiaoman. She’s my classmate’s sister and also one of Mom’s students. I already cleared it with Mom that we were going to the amusement park today."
"Oh, is that so. Well, get in. I’ll give you a ride," Jiang Wende said.
’Since his wife already knew, there was nothing more to say.’
The three of them all piled into the back seat. Jiang Wende snuck a few glances in the rearview mirror before looking away. ’My son taking his girlfriend and her little sister to an amusement park... I guess this is what young people consider a date these days. Back in my day, a date was just taking his mother for a spin on my bicycle. It’s nothing like now, where after the amusement park, you have to see a movie, and after the movie, you have to get a meal together.’
"You got money on you?" Jiang Wende shot him a sidelong glance.
"Yeah, Mom gave me some today."
"How much did she give you?"
"Two hundred."
"Take another hundred. If you don’t use it all, save it."
The corner of Jiang Xia’s eye twitched as he took the money, nearly moved to tears.
Jiang Wende dropped them off at the amusement park entrance, gave them a couple of reminders to call him if anything came up, and then drove off with a father and daughter in his car.
Jiang Xia took out three red bills and snapped them with a crisp sound. "See this, Xiao Man? Your Brother Jiang Xia is loaded today. You can play whatever you want."
"Yay! Long live Brother-in-law!"
Lin Yanwan gently patted her on the head. "Don’t call him that."
"But aren’t you and Brother Jiang Xia dating?"
With their relationship so innocently exposed by Lin Xiaoman, both Jiang Xia and Lin Yanwan felt their faces flush.
"Anyway, you can’t call him Brother-in-law!"
"Oh, I get it. Do you and Brother Jiang Xia have to get married before I can call him Brother-in-law?"
Lin Yanwan felt a headache coming on. ’Given my relationship with Jiang Xia, any explanation I give will sound wrong.’
"Hmph, you explain it!" She turned her head away, took the money from Jiang Xia’s hand, and went to buy tickets.
Jiang Xia scratched his head. ’We’re practically an old married couple, but she’s still so easily embarrassed. What’s wrong with Xiao Man calling me Brother-in-law? It has a nice ring to it.’
"Xiao Man, what your sister means is, from now on at home, especially in front of your parents, you can only call me Brother. But when we’re outside, you can call me Brother-in-law, got it?"
"Ooh! Brother-in-law!"
"Good girl."