Chronicle of the 70s-Chapter 390 - 365: Qin Zhen Returns

After returning home, Li Xianglu was resolutely put to bed rest by Su Yan, who even called in a traditional Chinese medicine doctor to prescribe some herbal treatments. The kitchen was also instructed to stew bone soup for her to drink every day. Thus, Li Xianglu once again spent her days recuperating as if in postpartum confinement, only this time Qin Xi and Li Jianqing weren’t there to help her eat and drink the broth.

Xu Wu completely wound down on the 28th day of the lunar year, staying at home to play wildly with the two children, while Qin Zhen returned to the capital that day. Arriving in the morning, he went directly to the Lu Family. Before noon, he took his wife and children to the courtyard house. Even the four-month-old Xinxin was brought along.

When Li Xianglu learned of Qin Zhen’s arrival, she was lying in bed reading a book, and her face remained expressionless when she heard from Xu Wu that Qin Zhen had brought his family of four.

Upon seeing Li Xianglu’s expression, Xu Wu frowned, and his expression cooled.

Even Ba Yibao sensed that something was amiss and quietly crouched there.

When Qin Zhen came in, he was carrying Minmin, while Lu Anna was holding the four-month-old Xinxin, both wearing somewhat odd expressions on their faces. Li Xianglu noticed but didn’t ask. Instead, she simply smiled faintly and ushered everyone to sit down.

Qin Zhen glanced at Li Xianglu and carefully put down the cloaked Minmin before sternly saying, "Minmin, look at your auntie. Her leg hurts again because she was looking for you." With that, he placed Minmin on the bed where Li Xianglu lay.

Li Xianglu was stunned for a moment. Minmin, with her lips pursed, gently touched Li Xianglu’s leg and asked, "Auntie, does your leg still hurt?"

Li Xianglu stroked Minmin’s head and said, "Oh dear, auntie’s not in pain anymore. Don’t worry about it, okay?"

Minmin obediently nodded.

Qin Zhen then turned to Lu Anna and said, "Come sit over here."

Lu Anna, for some reason, looked somewhat embarrassed sitting with Xinxin at the foot of Li Xianglu’s bed. Li Xianglu glanced it over and asked first, "Why did you bring the little one as well?"

Lu Anna glanced at Qin Zhen and then lowered her voice to say, "Qin Zhen asked me to bring her."

Li Xianglu looked at Qin Zhen, who was clearly displeased, and then at Lu Anna, who was somewhat cautious, and asked with a touch of curiosity, "What’s going on with you two?"

Qin Zhen did not speak but seriously told Lu Anna, "Didn’t you have something you wanted to say?"

Lu Anna coughed and looked towards Li Xianglu, her cheeks blushing, and it took her quite some time to say, "Xiao Xiang, it was my fault. You said so much for the sake of our family, and I didn’t heed your advice, which nearly led to Minmin being lost. I hope you can forgive my ignorance."

Li Xianglu blinked, glanced at Qin Zhen who was nodding with satisfaction, and then looked at Lu Anna, who was now acting humble. Suddenly, she felt as if the world had become fantastical. When had the dutiful wife, Lu Anna, been subdued by the little overlord, Qin Zhen?

The stark nakedness in Li Xianglu’s eyes made Lu Anna’s face redden even more. Somewhat helplessly she said, "When Qin Zhen came back, he gave me a lecturing, saying I disrupted peace and unity, accusing me of neglecting Minmin’s feelings while caring only for the little one. I was really wronged. I had planned to come see you and talk things out as soon as he returned."

The clever Minmin also leaned against Li Xianglu’s side, her soft voice saying: "Auntie, my mom doesn’t love me less; she’s told me it’s because my sister is too young, so she pays her more attention. But she won’t forget Minmin by accident in the future, and Mom said she will change. Minmin has decided to give Mom a chance."

Listening to the child speak such mature words, Li Xianglu couldn’t help but laugh, feeling a surge of relief as she reached out to stroke Minmin’s somewhat thin hair, saying: "Minmin is the most well-behaved little princess auntie has ever seen!"

Qin Zhen finally relaxed at this point, and Lu Anna also let out a sigh of relief; she definitely did not want to lose the friendship of the two.

In fact, she had been a little upset the day before yesterday, but after reflecting on it, she felt somewhat scared about her own negligence. The entire family was fussing over the younger one, indeed neglecting Minmin, especially that day when they went clothes shopping. Minmin had a lot of clothes and the fabric was of sufficient quality, most gifted from Li Xianglu’s side and all high-end goods. Because Xinxin was a newborn, she had less, so when they went to the Overseas Chinese Store, Mom thought to buy more for the younger one and herself asked about the New Year gift for Minmin.

But Mom said, no need to buy, Minmin has everything. So when they had finished shopping on the second floor, the child was suddenly gone.

Now thinking from Minmin’s perspective about this incident, if her parents treated her the same way, she would also feel wronged. No matter how many clothes she had, they were bought by someone else. So, she had a good talk with her daughter and only after talking did she realize how outrageously wrong she had been.

The words they said, the things they did, little Minmin noticed everything. Minmin also realized that her grandmother was using three scoops of milk powder for Xinxin but only two for herself, and indeed, it had been a very long time since she last held her elder daughter to sleep.

When Qin Zhen returned home and learned about the entire sequence of events, he became angry, pointing out how Xiao Xiang had a leg fracture, running up and down, painstakingly helping to find the child, and yet none of them had come to express their gratitude. They even dared to blame them for meddling in other’s affairs here; did they not consider what would have happened if Li Xianglu had not found Minmin at that time?

Minmin could have potentially been locked inside the Overseas Chinese Store overnight after closing, what would have happened then? That would have become a lifelong shadow for the child!

Originally, Lu Anna felt somewhat embarrassed and couldn’t face it, but Qin Zhen said that it’s better to resolve any knots early. Such issues should not be left unattended as they could create a barrier in one’s heart, and a previously united family would become formally estranged.

So at that time, they packed their bags and came here. Qin Zhen insisted on bringing Xinxin along; after all, Li Xianglu had not met this little niece, and as the juniors, it was their duty to present the child to their elder sister – it was a matter of etiquette.

Suddenly, Li Xianglu felt that Qin Zhen’s years in the military had brought about a great change in him; his personality had matured, and his actions became more reasonable. He had truly grown up.

This was also the first time Li Xianglu met her little niece, Xinxin. From her own drawer, Li Xianglu took out a pair of gold bracelets she had prepared long ago to give to her, designed for children under three years old, adorned with little bells.

Upon seeing them, Minmin exclaimed with surprise: "Mom, I have one too!"

Li Xianglu laughed and said: "Yes, Minmin has one, and so does her little sister."

Lu Anna felt somewhat embarrassed on the side, not expecting Li Xianglu to have already prepared a gift.

After having a conversation, it was time for lunch, and the whole family sat together in the front yard for a warm meal.

After eating and chatting for a while, Qin Zhen took his family of four back, saying they were planning to move into their small western-style house for the New Year since it was almost ready for living in with just a fire to start, planning to move over in the evening.

Lu Anna felt somewhat helpless, but Li Xianglu did not say anything. There was nothing wrong with living in their own house; it was the continuous stay at the mother-in-law’s home that was problematic.