The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 417: Chapter 417: Got Beaten Up

Ye Feng urged them, ”Alright, let’s go. You have a plane to catch.”

’So annoying!’

Ye Chen and Ye Ling made a face behind their big brother’s back and waved to their sister-in-law. ”Goodbye, Sister-in-law! Take care.”

”You two take care, too.” Han Xiaorui had bought them new clothes, shoes, backpacks, and even laptops.

They were trendy and looked great.

The two brothers, laden with gifts, headed home happily.

At the airport, Ye Feng stuffed three red envelopes into Xiao Zheng’s hand. ”Keep these safe. There’s one for each of you three. Give them theirs after you arrive.”

Xiao Zheng was taken aback but accepted them, asking with a smile, ”Brother Ye Feng, why don’t you give it to them yourself?”

”Too lazy!” Ye Feng replied. ”Take them inside.”

”Alright!” Xiao Zheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’All bark and no bite.’ Ye Feng was always complaining about his brothers, but in the end, he still gave them red envelopes.

Ye Feng watched them enter the departure lounge before finally leaving.

The flight was quick. They arrived in Beijing at twelve o’clock.

They took a taxi straight home, arriving at just one in the afternoon.

Having heard their two sons were coming back, Wang Liwen and Ye Zheng had stayed home for the weekend, waiting especially for them.

Ye Ling and Ye Chen pulled their own suitcases. Xiao Zheng came out with his own luggage and a bag of seafood.

Wang Liwen ignored everything else and immediately went for the two brothers’ backpacks. ”You said you reviewed and studied ahead. Let me see. Did you finish your summer homework?”

The two brothers, Ye Ling and Ye Chen, quickly handed their summer homework and review materials to their mother.

Wang Liwen examined it carefully. To her surprise, they really had reviewed and studied ahead.

Ye Ling’s summer project report had a great central theme and was very well done.

Ye Chen had even filled a thick notebook with his journal entries. Not only were the descriptions good, but they were also surprisingly interesting to read.

She felt a few of the entries were good enough to be published.

There were even illustrations inside—whales and dolphins, beautifully drawn.

While Wang Liwen was checking the homework, Xiao Zheng started taking out the dried seafood he’d brought back. ”Sir, Brother Ye Feng and Sister Xiao Rui also prepared a bag of dried goods for me, which I’ve already mailed home. This is for you. It’s all high-quality stuff from Shencheng. Sister Xiao Rui picked it out herself, despite being so far along in her pregnancy. She’s so thoughtful.”

Ye Zheng was happy to hear this, but also worried. ”She’s already pregnant and still working so hard. She doesn’t know how to look after herself.”

Xiao Zheng smiled. ”That’s what I said, too. But Sister Xiao Rui said that when it comes to gifts for elders, of course you have to put your heart into it. Even though you don’t live together, you’re all very close.”

Ye Zheng sighed with emotion. ”This is all thanks to us getting such a good daughter-in-law! You know how Ye Feng and I used to get along—he was like a block of stone. Now Xiao Rui is wonderful. She’s not only softened Ye Feng, but even the two little ones at home have grown fond of her.”

Xiao Zheng nodded. ”Congratulations, Sir. It’s a great blessing for your family.”

Ye Zheng was pleased. ”You’ve worked hard during this time. They’ll be home for a few days, so you can get some proper rest.”

”Thank you, Sir,” Xiao Zheng said with a smile. In truth, the job had been very easy.

Over in Shencheng, he had eaten and drunk well.

Ye Ling and Ye Chen were boys, and quite independent, so he just had to be responsible for their safety.

After checking her two sons’ homework, Wang Liwen came to the dining table. ”Did you have a good time in Shencheng?”

”Of course! We had a great time. We’re going back during winter break,” Ye Chen answered, full of confidence.

Wang Liwen’s heart ached. ”Didn’t you miss home at all?”

”Nope,” Ye Chen answered bluntly.

”We did!” Ye Ling shot his foolish brother a look. ’Mom is sensitive; she won’t be happy if you say that.’ ”Mom, we really missed home. My brother and I pooled our allowance and even bought you a dress. It’s the most popular style in Shencheng. It’ll definitely look good on you, Mom.”

Catching his brother’s hint, Ye Chen quickly added, ”We did, we missed home! How could we not? Mom and Dad are here, so of course we missed home.”

Seeing her two sons’ insincere performance, Wang Liwen laughed in exasperation. ”You’re not even good at lying.”

Xiao Zheng took out the three red envelopes. ”Sir, right before we boarded, Brother Ye Feng gave me three red envelopes. Two are for Ye Ling and Ye Chen, and this one is for me. I don’t dare to accept it, so I’m turning it over to you.”

Ye Zheng paused, taking the envelopes. He saw that each contained one hundred yuan.

He handed two of the envelopes to Ye Ling and Ye Chen and gave the other back to Xiao Zheng. ”Since Ye Feng gave them to you, you should keep them.”

Xiao Zheng refused. ”Sir, it’s too much.”

It was equivalent to two months of his salary; he couldn’t possibly accept it.

Ye Zheng stuffed it into Xiao Zheng’s pocket. ”Take it. Don’t be polite. It’s a token of Ye Feng’s appreciation.”

Ye Ling and Ye Chen had only just received the red envelopes when Wang Liwen snatched them away. ”You’re just kids. What do you need so much money for? I’ll keep it for you.”

Ye Ling and Ye Chen sighed. ”Next time, we’ll tell our big brother not to give us money. Our sister-in-law is better. She buys us things, and at least we can actually use them.”

Wang Liwen was not pleased. ”I have a salary. I’m not spending your money. I’m saving it for you.”

Ye Chen tilted his head up and asked, ”Then how much of my New Year’s money have you saved up since I was little?”

Wang Liwen grew annoyed and poked her son on the forehead. ”The food you eat, the things you use—didn’t I pay for all of it?”

Ye Chen was also annoyed. ”You’re my mom. It’s your duty to raise me while I’m young. When you get old, it’ll be my duty to take care of you. We’re equals.”

”Pingping and An’an aren’t even five, but they have their own ledgers to record their New Year’s money, allowance, and the valuable gifts they receive, like gold and silver bracelets. My sister-in-law never takes the kids’ New Year’s money and gives them a daily allowance of twenty cents.”

Hearing her son bring up his sister-in-law with every other breath, Wang Liwen felt a pang of jealousy. ”You little brat, is your sister-in-law really that great?”

Ye Chen nodded. ”Of course. My sister-in-law is the best. If Sister Xiao Jing wasn’t so much older than me and already had a boyfriend, I would have definitely married her. She’s smart, beautiful, and so gentle.”

”Mom, you’re older now, but you have such a bad temper. You should try to change. It’s one thing that you’re not pretty, but you’re not gentle either. It’s only because Dad is handsome that I turned out so good-looking. If I took after you, I’d cry my eyes out, and I’d have a hard time finding a wife later.”

Ye Ling thought his brother had a point at first, and he was telling the truth, but he was going further and further overboard. Their mom’s face had already turned dark. He quickly covered Ye Chen’s mouth. ”Just stop talking.”

Furious, Wang Liwen raised her hand to hit Ye Chen, but Ye Ling protected his younger brother, shielding him with his back.

Wang Liwen’s hand slapped down on Ye Ling’s back.

”Ah!” Ye Ling cried out in pain. ”Hurry, get to your room!”

Wang Liwen tried to chase after him, but Ye Ling blocked her.

Ye Zheng’s heart ached for his son, and he also got up to break up the fight. He cherished Ye Ling as if he were his own flesh and blood, precisely because of how well Ye Ling and Ye Chen got along.

”Alright, stop being angry. If you think about it, the kid actually has a point. It’s your duty to raise him, and it’s his duty to care for you in your old age,” Ye Zheng said as he pulled aside Ye Ling’s shirt to check his back, revealing a bright red handprint. ”It was just a bit of pocket money. Look at how hard you hit the boy. How can you, his own mother, not feel heartbroken?”