Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Qin Xiao’s Unease
Xiao Li nodded upon hearing this, "Since you’ve already arranged everything, why are you still frowning?"
Qin Xiao pulled Xiao Li into his arms, "Nini, they are your calamity, I can’t help but worry."
Xiao Li laughed and said, "Don’t worry, you saw how long I lived in my past life?
But now, not only am I doing well, but I also have children with you, which means they can’t threaten me anymore.
Don’t be too anxious! It’s fine..."
Qin Xiao gave Xiao Li a gentle kiss, "Mm, I understand."
As they were speaking, the baby got hungry and started kicking around, pouting his mouth and crying.
As soon as he cried, Mianmian was woken up by the noise, rubbed her eyes, and sat up.
Xiao Li picked up the little one to feed, while Qin Xiao picked up Mianmian to soothe her.
Qin Xiao held Mianmian and watched Xiao Li feed, "Nini, let’s take the family back to the old house for a while!"
Xiao Li asked in confusion, "Why do you want to go back to the old house and live?
Isn’t the laboratory being prepared? Is it convenient for you to move back now?"
Qin Xiao replied, "Zhang Yang and Zhou Junren are overseeing the lab, I don’t need to worry about it.
Let’s all go back to the old house for some time."
Seeing Qin Xiao’s insistence, although Xiao Li didn’t understand why he wanted to go back to the old house, she agreed to go with him.
After all, she was not working at the moment, so it didn’t matter where they stayed.
The next day, Qin Xiao told his father and mother about staying at the old house for a while, and upon hearing this, his parents decided to go with them.
At the Qin Family’s old house, Qin Xiao and Xiao Li carried their children through the gate, and as soon as Qin’s father got out of the car, he didn’t even enter the house but headed straight to visit the granduncle, followed by Qin’s mother.
Qin Xiao brought Xiao Li into the house and didn’t take them directly to their courtyard but led them to the ancestral hall.
Xiao Li followed Qin Xiao to the ancestral hall, feeling puzzled but not asking. Once they arrived, Qin Xiao placed Mianmian on the ground, opened the hall’s doors, held Mianmian’s hand, and led Xiao Li inside.
After entering the hall, Qin Xiao lit all the candles before walking over to take the baby from Xiao Li, then holding Xiao Li’s hand, with Xiao Li holding Mianmian, the family of four knelt on the mats.
Qin Xiao said nothing aloud, but inwardly he prayed: Ancestors of the Qin Family, your unworthy descendant Qin Xiao implores you to protect Xiao Li, let no harm come to her.
Since learning about Xiao Li’s situation, what worried Qin Xiao the most was not Xiao Zhengfang’s family because they were manageable.
His greatest concern was Xiao Li; he feared she might suddenly vanish.
If she could return, she could also leave. If there came a day when she truly left, Qin Xiao felt he wouldn’t be able to bear it.
But this was something he, Qin Xiao, couldn’t control, leaving him feeling helpless. The only thing he could think of was to bring her back to the ancestral hall, asking all the ancestors to watch over her.
Xiao Li didn’t hear Qin Xiao’s thoughts, but through the tight grasp of her hands, she could guess a thing or two.
Xiao Li understood Qin Xiao’s feelings because, in the period just after returning, she also lived in constant worry, always fearing that one day she’d wake up and everything would be gone.
Xiao Li held Qin Xiao’s hand back, looking into Qin Xiao’s eyes, making him truly feel her presence.
Qin Xiao chuckled lightly, "Nini, let’s bow."
Xiao Li smiled and nodded, bowing alongside Qin Xiao. While bowing, Xiao Li also silently prayed, asking all the ancestors of the Qin Family to bless Qin Xiao and their two children.
Once they finished bowing, they took their children and left the ancestral hall. Stepping out of the hall, they headed towards the courtyard, and because the hall was on another path, they had to walk back through the main gate.
Just as the family reached their doorstep, they encountered Qin’s mother who had returned earlier. Xiao Li saw her and exclaimed, "Mom, you’re back."
Seeing the direction they came from, Qin’s mother chuckled, "Did you go to the ancestral hall?"
Qin Xiao nodded, "Mm, it’s been a while since I’ve been back, went to burn some incense.
Mom, where’s Dad?"
Qin’s mother pouted, "Your dad’s at your granduncle’s, playing chess with him. I didn’t want to stay, so I came back first."
Saying this, Qin’s mother joined them, holding Mianmian’s hand as they walked inside together.
The last time Mianmian came to the old house was before Xiao Li was pregnant with her second child. She was too young then to remember anything here.
Now, curious about everything in the old house, Mianmian quickly tired out Qin’s mother with her energy, so the family let the servants watch her as she played while Qin’s mother went to rest in a nearby pavilion.
Qin Xiao and Xiao Li had intended to head to their own courtyard, but seeing how much fun Mianmian was having and with Qin’s mother resting in the pavilion, they too sat down in the pavilion to play.
After resting for a while, Qin’s mother started chatting casually with Xiao Li, "Xiao Li, you see...little girls are different, look how happily Mianmian is playing.
Back in the day, when I brought A-Xiao and his brother back, both of them were resistant, not interested in the old house’s things at all. There wasn’t a hint of Mianmian’s charming demeanor."
Qin Xiao, overhearing this, responded, "Mom, have you considered when you brought us here?
You seldom brought us when we were young. Not only did you not bring us, but you avoided the old house yourself, worried that once we came, my brother and I would be taken to the clan school.
You only started coming to the old house after my brother and I had attended the clan school.
By then, we had grown and naturally weren’t interested in childish things like Mianmian is.
Moreover, having suffered from the clan school regime, how could we feel anything but resistance to the old house?
Wait a couple of years and tell Mianmian we’re going back to the old house, then see if Mianmian follows willingly..."
Qin’s mother said nothing, rendered silent briefly by Qin Xiao’s statement.
Because what Qin Xiao said was true.
Hearing Qin Xiao speak, Xiao Li interjected, "Uncle, last time I accompanied you to see the clan school’s classes, it wasn’t that scary!"
Qin Xiao chuckled, "Nini, you only saw the surface. Without experiencing it firsthand, you wouldn’t know.
Once Mianmian goes in the future and describes it to you, you’ll understand."
Xiao Li raised her eyebrows, glancing towards Mianmian, who was still playing with the lotus leaves in the pond, with two servants watching over her.
Seeing this, Xiao Li called out, "Mianmian, you shouldn’t do that."
Mianmian, about to grab a lotus leaf, immediately withdrew her hand upon hearing Xiao Li’s voice, looking longingly at the nearly obtained leaf.
Xiao Li stood up and walked over to Mianmian, "Mianmian, hasn’t mom told you not to pick flowers or take things randomly with your hands?
Plants have life too. If you pluck them, they’ll feel pain.
Besides, what you did was dangerous just now. If you accidentally fell into the pond while pulling the lotus leaf, you’d be drowned.
That would be very dangerous. Do you remember how uncomfortable you were two days ago when you choked on water while bathing?"
Mianmian nodded, "Uncomfortable, mom, I know I’m wrong, I won’t do it again."
Xiao Li reached out to pat her little head, "Mm, our Mianmian is great, if we make a mistake, we just correct it."