Chapter 7: The Mysterious Little Cotton-padded Jacket
Chapter 7: The Mysterious Little Cotton-padded Jacket
Yu Meilin walked towards Li Zian. Her beautiful face showed no expression, and her gaze as she looked at him was utterly calm and unruffled.
Li Zian sighed inwardly. Is this marriage even worth holding onto? She’s back today. I should bring it up. As long as she agrees, I don’t mind walking away empty-handed.
Another woman climbed out of the helicopter. She looked barely out of her teens, with a close-cropped men’s haircut. Her features were delicate, but she wore a tight tank top and cargo pants, her arms revealing well-defined muscles. She had a heroic, spirited air about her—clearly not an ordinary woman.
This woman with short hair held a little girl in her arms. The child was about three years old, with a round face like an apple and big, dark, incredibly bright eyes. She was utterly adorable.
Li Zian had always yearned for Yu Meilin to give him a daughter. He loved girls; daughters were a father’s little cotton-padded jacket. But Yu Meilin wouldn’t even let him touch her hand, let alone bear a child for him. He liked this little girl instantly, yet he had no idea whose child she was.
The little girl stared at Li Zian, her large, ink-black eyes filled with intense curiosity.
Li Zian sighed inwardly again. He couldn’t be bothered to guess who the short-haired woman or the little girl might be. Regardless, today was the day he would lay his cards on the table with Yu Meilin.
Yu Meilin stopped walking when she reached the entrance of the village committee building. Speaking across the distance, she said, “Zian, come home. I need to talk to you.”
Li Zian gave a single nod and began walking towards her. She’s probably going to bring it up too, isn’t she? Fine. Doesn’t matter who mentions it first. We can part on decent terms.
The village chief, Lin Deshan, rushed out of the building. “Meilin! Why’d you park the helicopter in the field? The crops…”
The little girl piped up in a high-pitched, childish voice, “The field won’t get crushed. And we can’t pay if it does. Our family’s poor.”
Lin Deshan’s words caught in his throat. A strange expression crossed his face.
He hadn’t expected a child cradled in someone’s arms to cut him off like that.
Besides, you flew here in a helicopter! Poor? How?!
Li Zian couldn’t help but laugh. This little girl was amusing! Who taught her that? Such a sharp and clever little mouth.
Yu Meilin shot the little girl a sharp look.
The little girl stuck her tongue out at Yu Meilin.
Yu Meilin turned back to Lin Deshan, apologetic. “Chief Lin, we arrived unexpectedly. The village doesn’t have anywhere else to land, so the field was the only option. I’m truly sorry. Please rest assured, I’ll pay double compensation. Also, I’ll donate two hundred thousand yuan to the village for repairs to the village road.”
Lin Deshan’s face had been devoid of a smile, but the mention of the two hundred thousand donation instantly transformed it into a broad grin. “Wonderful! Let’s go to the office. I’ll make you some tea, and we can discuss it properly.”
Yu Meilin replied, “There’s something I need to discuss with my husband. I’ll have my assistant handle the donation arrangements with you.” She glanced at the short-haired woman holding the child. “Kun Li, please give the child to me. You go with Chief Lin to discuss and transfer the two hundred thousand to the village.”
Ah, her assistant.
Kun Li walked over, handed the child to Yu Meilin, gave Li Zian a brief, seemingly unintentional glance, and then said, “Chief Lin, I’ll accompany you to the village office.”
“Certainly! Please! Please!” Lin Deshan eagerly walked ahead, gesturing for her to follow.
“Zian, let’s go,” Yu Meilin said.
Li Zian nodded and followed Yu Meilin.
Just then, Chen Gang suddenly came running over, shouting loudly, “Yu Meilin! Your man beat me up! You have to pay my medical bills!”
Yu Meilin stopped walking, a slight frown creasing her brow. “Zian, why would you get into a fight with someone like him?”
Li Zian looked back at Chen Gang. He truly wanted to rush forward and pound the guy into unrecognizable pulp. But with Yu Meilin and the child present, it wouldn’t be appropriate. Neither did he want to explain; he didn’t want Yu Meilin to hear the disgusting insults.
He didn’t want to talk, but Chen Gang did.
“Heh! Acting all high and mighty! Made your money selling it outside, even came back in a helicopter! Now you wanna stiff me on my medical fees?” Chen Gang sneered.
Yu Meilin’s expression turned icy cold. Now she understood why Li Zian had injured this ruffian.
The little girl also glared at Chen Gang, her small eyes fierce with childish indignation.
Lin Deshan scolded, “Chen Gang! Shut your filthy mouth!”
Chen Gang let out a cold laugh. “Oh, what? She offers a donation and you turn into her lapdog? The fact is Li Zian injured me! I don’t care! Pay up today! I’ll keep saying it everywhere, she’s just a sold…”
Kun Li suddenly sprinted forward, leaped into the air, her slender body executing a swift 180-degree spin mid-air. Her long leg whipped around violently with the momentum of the spin and slammed squarely into Chen Gang’s face.
Thud!
Chen Gang crashed heavily to the ground.
Kun Li landed firmly, dust puffing up beneath her heavy Martin boots.
Li Zian was shocked. What kind of assistant is this she has around her?
“Gangzi!” Ma Xiaorong wailed, throwing herself onto Chen Gang’s body. “Fellow villagers! You have to stand up for us! This is bullying… wuwuwu…”
“A foul mouth deserves a beating!” someone yelled.
“Exactly! We all know what kind of man your husband is! If he hadn’t slandered them, why would he get beaten? They don’t hit me, do they?”
“Right! Boss Yu is such a good person, how could she be that kind? Total nonsense!”
“Libel! You can get arrested for that!”
“The village road has needed repair for ages! So many potholes! We’ve all been hoping! If you and your husband mess this up, I, Old Wang, will be the first one to oppose you!”
“Yeah! We should ask Boss Yu to donate even more! The village irrigation channels need fixing too…”
Ma Xiaorong was dumbfounded. Her man had been beaten, right in front of the whole village. Yet not a single person spoke up for them. Instead, she and her husband became the target of the villagers’ anger.
Yu Meilin didn’t even want to glance at Chen Gang and Ma Xiaorong. She spoke coolly, “Zian, let’s go home.”
Li Zian followed Yu Meilin towards the Yu family’s old residence. He kept stealing glances at the little girl Yu Meilin held. He desperately wanted to ask whose child she was, but the words died on his lips.
They’d been married for four years. They hadn’t even held hands. What if this child was the result of an affair Yu Meilin had had with some rich businessman? If he asked now, how awkward would that be?
And this felt highly probable. Otherwise, where did that helicopter come from? Could she afford that on a salary? Impossible.
The little girl also peeked at Li Zian from time to time. Sometimes she would flash him a naughty little smile.
The Yu family’s ancestral home drew closer.
The little girl in Yu Meilin’s arms suddenly spoke up, “Mama, where are we going?”
Mama?
Li Zian felt as if he’d been slapped hard in the face. Just a moment ago, he’d been wondering if this little girl was Yu Meilin’s child with some wealthy man. Now, the child called her ‘Mama’.
A wave of bleak sorrow washed over him, mingled with an almost hysterical urge to laugh.
Damn! What a fine green hat you’ve made me wear!
Her child with another man was this big, and he only found out now!
And to add insult to injury, she actually brought the child born to another man back to this house!
Yu Meilin showed no sign of offering an explanation. There wasn’t even a flicker of guilt in her eyes. She merely said calmly, “This is Mama’s hometown. I brought you back to see your great-grandmother.”
“Where is Great-grandma?” the little girl asked, her voice still babyish.
Yu Meilin replied, “In the old ancestral house just ahead. You’ll see her soon.”
“And who is this Uncle?” The little girl stared at Li Zian, her large eyes like black gems shining with curiosity.
Yu Meilin paused for a moment before answering, “He is your father.”
“Father?” The little girl stared straight at Li Zian, surprise blooming on her little face. “Mama, didn’t you say Daddy went to Mars to dig coal? He came back so quickly?”
Li Zian felt like he was about to cough up blood.
She told the child he went to dig coal on Mars!
He wanted nothing more than to slap Yu Meilin right then and there for such unbearable insolence. But seeing the child in her arms, he managed to swallow that impulse. Arguing in front of such a lovely little girl was unthinkable. They’d settle this back home.
Yu Meilin offered no explanation to the little girl either. She just kept walking, holding her child.
The little girl laid her head on Yu Meilin’s shoulder and asked curiously, “Are you really my Daddy?”
Li Zian had no idea how to answer. Deep down, he longed for such a delightful daughter. But this girl was another man’s child with Yu Meilin. How could he possibly be her father?
The little girl persisted, “Is there lots of coal on Mars?”
Li Zian: “…”
“Are there flowers and butterflies on Mars?”
Li Zian covered his forehead with his hand.
The little girl stuck her tongue out at him again: “Pbbbbttt!”
Li Zian understood she was making funny faces at him because he wasn’t answering her. Faced with such an adorable child, he couldn’t find it in himself to be angry.
Two adults and a child crossed the threshold into the courtyard. Lin Shengnan walked towards them, her deeply wrinkled face split by a wide smile. “Oh my, Meilin! You’re finally back! I’ve waited so long for you!”
“Grandma!” Yu Meilin quickened her pace. Reaching Lin Shengnan, she set the child down on the ground. Grandmother and granddaughter embraced warmly.
The little girl looked at Li Zian again. This time, she lifted both little hands and pulled down at her eyelids, making a deliberately ugly face at him.
Li Zian couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “What’s your name?”
“Not telling! You won’t tell me if there are flowers and butterflies on Mars!” The little girl turned her back on him, refusing to engage.
Lin Shengnan scooped the little girl up, planting a loud kiss on her cheek with a delighted chuckle. “What a sweet Yaoyao you are! You look just like your Mama.”
“Yaoyao, say hello to your great-grandma,” Yu Meilin instructed.
The little girl called out crisply, “Great-grandma!”
“Ah, good girl!” Lin Shengnan leaned in to kiss her again.
The little girl seemed slightly resistant, turning her head away, but she couldn’t avoid Lin Shengnan this time either and got kissed again on the cheek.
Li Zian felt a faint pang of sadness wash over him. Here they were, three generations reunited in joy and affection, while he stood there utterly superfluous.
“Meilin, I want to talk to you,” Li Zian said. His resolve to be direct hardened.
“We can talk right here,” Yu Meilin replied coolly.
Li Zian glanced at the little girl meaningfully. “This isn’t the place. Let’s talk inside a room.”
Yu Meilin countered, “But this is the first time you’re meeting your daughter. Don’t you even want to hold her?”
The fury Li Zian had been suppressing surged dangerously close to bursting out. But he reined it in once more. To argue, to bring up divorce in front of the child… it was simply unthinkable.
Yu Meilin addressed the little girl again, “Yaoyao, call him Dad.”
The little girl buried her face against Lin Shengnan’s neck. “No.”
Yu Meilin frowned. “Not listening, are we? What did Mommy tell you on the way?”
Only then did the little girl reluctantly turn her head back. She pouted, clearly unhappy, and mumbled, “Daddy.”
Every fiber of Li Zian’s being screamed in resistance. Yet, against his will, he managed to respond with a soft “Yeah.”
This was his conflict with Yu Meilin. The child was innocent. He couldn’t take it out on someone barely three years old.
“You two talk. I’ll take the child to see the fish,” Lin Shengnan declared, already turning to leave with Yaoyao.
“Granny, what fish?” the little girl asked.
“Big fish,” came Lin Shengnan’s voice as she carried the child away.
Only when Lin Shengnan was out of earshot did Li Zian speak. His voice tight. “Yu Meilin. What is this?”
“What do you mean?” Yu Meilin retorted calmly.
Li Zian was so angry it twisted into a bitter, choked laugh. “Whose child is she?”
Yu Meilin looked directly at him. “She is your child, of course. What exactly are you implying?”
Li Zian froze. Utterly rooted to the spot.