Chapter 208: Jingzhe’s Birthday
According to the young lady’s ‘live broadcast’, because Shao Qihai had dodged and slipped, Mu Xue had also been stunned. Tears had still been on her face, but she had seemed extremely embarrassed.
Later on, Shao Qihai had gotten up with difficulty, and Mu Xue had left because the atmosphere had been too awkward.
Mu Jingzhe’s mind was filled with question marks when she heard that. No, forget it, if she hadn’t hugged him, why had he even fallen?
Shao Qihai would also like to ask what was going on! Why had he been so unlucky as to step on that pool of water? He was usually very skilled, but in front of that pool of water, he had been like an idiot staring blankly at it.
His balls… No, his legs. He had felt like his entire body was being torn apart.
Even now, he still felt some pain. He had worked so hard, but Mu Jingzhe’s attitude remained the same even after he explained things to her.
Shao Qihai felt aggrieved and sorry for himself. Previously, he had been kicked by Mu Jingzhe until he had almost been crippled. This time, he was forced to doubt his life.
It was embarrassing.
Shao Qihai went out of the door sadly. After he stood outside and calmed down for a while, Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao walked out of the imposing house beside him. “When will these days end?”
She had just finished complaining when she saw Shao Qihai there. She instantly froze, then turned around and ran back.
“Why are you so surprised? Why did you come back? I asked you to find a doctor for your husband!” Zhao Lan was dissatisfied when she saw Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao.
Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao shushed her a few times. “Mom, Second Brother Shao Qihai is standing outside.”
Zhao Lan immediately shut her mouth. Eldest Brother Shao had fallen ill from fright. Although they now knew that he wasn’t a ghost, perhaps he wasn’t any better than a ghost. Because of his guilt, he didn’t dare go out to see Shao Qihai and just lay in the room.
Zhao Lan also felt guilty, but she was used to being thick-skinned. She felt that although her words hadn’t been nice, this would pass very quickly.
When she saw that Eldest Brother Shao and his wife didn’t dare go out, she messed up her hair and deliberately changed into straw sandals to look for Shao Qihai.
“Qihai, why haven’t you come to see me today? Are you really planning to disown me?”
Shao Qihai: “…”
Zhao Lan acted all aggrieved and even cried fake tears as she criticized Mu Jingzhe. Shao Qihai was so angry that he laughed.
“Just because I faked my death doesn’t mean that I’m really dead. I know everything you people did both yesterday and previously. Don’t come looking for me again.”
Zhao Lan gritted her teeth. “All of you side with Mu Jingzhe. Qiyang was like that, and now you are too. You two are really brothers!”
Shao Qihai frowned, but he really ought to have a good talk with Shao Qiyang. Shao Qiyang’s attitude toward him felt off. He had also heard that Shao Qiyang had quit his job at the post office.
Shao Qihai went to Shao Qiyang’s room but didn’t see anyone. He just took a casual look, not expecting to see a necklace.
“A necklace? Does this kid like someone? Who is he planning to give it to?”
At first, Shao Qihai smiled. However, as he smiled, he saw the pieces of paper Shao Qiyang had stored there. The pieces of paper had been casually torn from a notebook and were all the messages Mu Jingzhe had left at home.
Some had been left for Shao Qiyang and the children, while others had been left for the children alone. They just contained a few words, and they weren’t anything important.
However, Shao Qiyang had kept these slips of paper.
As he read the notes, Shao Qihai thought about the gossiping villagers. Amidst sparks, he suddenly understood why Shao Qiyang was treating him that way.
He was… lusting after his sister-in-law!
No wonder he had felt that Shao Qiyang’s attitude was strange back in Ocean City. So, it was because…
Shao Qihai didn’t understand. Previously, Qiyang had clearly hated Jingzhe. Why would he suddenly… When Shao Qihai saw the scarf and gloves Shao Qiyang carefully kept in his room, which looked similar to the five kids’, and recalled the warmth he had felt during the meal, he suddenly understood.
Mu Jingzhe had changed the entire family. This warmth not only warmed the five kids, but also Shao Qiyang.
That was why he…
As if Ji Buwang wasn’t enough, his biological younger brother also…
Shao Qihai was overcome with sorrow. Now that he had returned after faking his death for more than a year, his five children only acknowledged their mother and had zero thoughts about their father. His dear brother and old rival were both waiting to abduct his wife. They also both wished that he had really died. Even his closest younger brother did.
Why was he so miserable?
Shao Qihai closed himself off. He no longer waited for Shao Qiyang and he stopped looking for the children to rebuild his relationship with them. It was by closing himself off that Shao Qihai missed out on another major event.
This made him feel confused early the next morning.
Firstly, before dawn, and the children’s usual wakeup time, they all quietly got up. At the same time, Little Bei also quietly got up. Amid Shao Qihai’s confusion, they actually started cooking.
“What do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you.” Shao Qihai wanted to help, but the five kids refused.
On the other hand, when Shao Qiyang entered, he didn’t say anything and immediately began helping. He didn’t take the lead. He just let the children do their work. He only helped and watched from the side.
When Mu Jingzhe woke up on time and got ready to wake the children up before preparing breakfast, she found a bowl of piping hot longevity noodles[1] topped with a sunny-side-up egg and sprinkled with spring onions waiting for her.
“Mommy, happy birthday!” The five dirty-faced children gave her their most brilliant smiles.
The face of every single one of them was either dirtied or stained with flour. Compared to normal times, they looked really dirty. However, at that moment, they were the most beautiful in Mu Jingzhe’s eyes.
“Thank you, thank you so much.”
“No need to thank us, Mommy. Hurry up and eat it. You have to finish it in one go. Don’t break it.” Previously, it was Mu Jingzhe who had reminded them of this. This time, it was their turn to remind Mu Jingzhe.
The five kids had already decided that they would make a bowl of longevity noodles for Mu Jingzhe, just like what she had made for them. For this reason, Shao Dong and Shao Xi had specifically learned how to prepare the dish.
Shao Dong had made the noodles, Shao Nan had fried the egg, Little Bei had beaten the egg, Xiao Wu had pinched some spring onions and washed them, and Shao Xi had cut the spring onions.
Since spring onions were frequently eaten, Mu Jingzhe had planted them on their vegetable farm long ago. After the flowers in the flower pot died, they would also grow spring onions in it. Every time they wanted to eat them, she would pinch some. Then, the spring onions would continue to grow out for consumption.
The five children finally prepared this bowl of longevity noodles according to what they had secretly practiced previously.
Shao Qiyang didn’t interfere and only watched from the side. Of course, he had supported them while they’d secretly practiced.
This was Mu Jingzhe’s first birthday celebration, yet it was already this moving. She was extremely touched, and Shao Dong and the others were also happy. When Mu Jingzhe finished eating, they ate the ordinary noodles made by Shao Qiyang.
The family was harmonious, and only Shao Qihai stuck out like a sore thumb.
He had never celebrated his birthday, nor did he know of such a concept, so he had never thought of celebrating anyone’s birthday. Therefore, he was left out completely.
Previously, he had been angry at Shao Qiyang for falling for his sister-in-law. However, when he saw Shao Qiyang silently do all this, he felt ashamed. What right did he have to blame Shao Qiyang?
Shao Qiyang had also prepared noodles for Shao Qihai, but the latter couldn’t taste anything. Just as he was about to wish her a happy birthday, the children suddenly stood up.
“Mommy, wait.”
[1] A longevity noodle is a single noodle that fills the whole bowl, and it is better not to break it when eating it.