594. Daily Life
Well said! Parents will always get old, and as children, we can’t be there forever; the best solution is, of course, to get them a partner.
Your dad and my mom would be perfect together! And they even have feelings for each other!
Lin Nan nodded eagerly, but then suddenly paused.
What do you mean by “nominal spouses”?
Liu Ying still didn’t look at her, just spoke earnestly, “Let’s get straight to the point.”
“You’re worried about your mom’s security in the future, and I’m worried she might just swoop in to snatch the family fortune. After all, my dad has worked for years to build his savings, and it wouldn’t be fair for some random woman to come along, marry him, then divorce him, taking half of everything!”
Lin Nan nodded in agreement.
“So, here’s the plan.”
“They won’t actually get married but will live together. I’ll set up a retirement fund for your mom, putting money in every month. After a few decades, if they decide they don’t want to be together anymore, my dad will still have his assets, and your mom will have her retirement security.”
“Of course, if they stay together happily ever after, then that’s even better. Their combined retirement funds would support them in their old age, and both of us would have a lot less financial stress. Plus, we can take turns visiting them!”
“？？？”
Lin Nan looked completely baffled.
What is even happening?
That girl turned to Lin Nan, gazing intently, “I’m already giving a lot here. It’s like your mom is getting an extra retirement fund for nothing!”
This just keeps getting weirder?!
After being dazed for a while, Lin Nan finally reacted, “So, wait… why does it feel like my mom is becoming a housekeeper you hired?”
As in, the kind that gets paid every month?
That doesn’t sit right!
Lin Nan stared at her blankly, and after a moment, she thought this was something she shouldn’t decide alone, so she called her mom.
After relaying Liu Ying’s idea, her mother’s reaction was unexpectedly intense.
“Stop chatting. Let’s go home!”
“Oh…” She looked dazed at Liu Ying, scratching her head. “I guess I’ll head out. I’ve got stuff to do.”
She wanted to use magic to solve the problem, but Liu Ying wasn’t giving her the opportunity, and now her mom wasn’t either.
She stood up and walked toward Chen Yao’s house. Just a few steps in, she spotted her mom walking toward her with an ominous expression.
Her mom looked pretty upset. As soon as they met, she linked her arm with Lin Nan’s and let out a heavy sigh.
Lin Nan didn’t know how to comfort her and wasn’t brave enough to say anything.
Really, this was all Liu Ying’s fault for being so overbearing.
Walking aimlessly down the street alongside her mom, Lin Nan felt awkward. Just before leaving, she had confidently assured her mom she could fix things, and now it seemed she hadn’t even gotten a chance.
But magical mind control only works temporarily. Even if Liu Ying agreed now, her mom’s future interactions with those two would probably be less than pleasant.
“So, where are we going now?” Lin Nan cautiously shot a glance at her mom.
“Just wandering around.”
Alright then, in the middle of the day.
Lin Nan looked up at the clear sky and then around at the county town street, where the blazing sun had surprisingly driven away most pedestrians, even though summer vacation had started.
She took her sunshade out of her bag, opened it up, and shielded both herself and her mom from the direct sunlight.
She didn’t mind getting tanned; for her, it was just a little darker and didn’t feel hot at all. But her mom, after only a few steps, was already sweating profusely.
“How about we find a place to eat?” Lin Nan discreetly glanced at her mom’s expression and noticed her face was back to normal.
Now she felt relieved.
After a moment of looking around, her mom pointed at a noodle shop across the street.
Crossing the crosswalk, the mother and daughter stepped into this noodle shop, which seemed to be struggling with business.
“Two bowls of hand-pulled noodles, please.”
After finding a spot to sit, her mom propped her chin on one hand while fiddling with her phone with the other.
Lin Nan took a peek at her mom’s expression and cautiously asked, “So, what’s the deal with you and Uncle Liu? Just gonna let it slide?”
“We’re done. His daughter is too much to handle,” her mom replied, shaking her head.
Lin Nan always thought her mom and Uncle Liu had a good thing going, but judging by her calm demeanor now, their relationship probably wasn’t as rosy as she imagined.
After all, her mom used to drive trucks and was hardly home, while Uncle Liu was busy with renovations. Now that her mom was living in the dormitory and only came to the county town for legal matters, even if they had mutual feelings, they never had the time to develop them.
It sounds more like they were just friends with a hint of attraction?
And it seems that flicker of affection got snuffed out by Uncle Liu’s daughter!
That dark expression earlier? Probably because of Liu Ying!
Lin Nan speculated about her mom’s intentions as their bowls of noodles were served.
Her stomach had been growling for ages. She eagerly grabbed the disposable chopsticks and dove into her noodles, stealing glances at her mom, ultimately unable to hold back her comforting words: “Mom, there are more fish in the sea than just Uncle Liu. I think my class teacher is pretty good too.”
“He took good care of me back in high school when you two were always away. Whenever Chen Yao skipped class and got caught, he rarely got mad—such a chill guy…”
Her mom shot her a glare: “Kids shouldn’t be too involved in adult matters.”
“And, also, Chen Yao skips class every day?” She looked puzzled at Lin Nan.
Lin Nan didn’t hesitate to point out, “That Chen Yao was such a troublemaker back in middle and high school! Always getting into fights in middle school and sneaking into Internet cafés in high school…”
“Did you go along with him?”
A jolt went through her, and she immediately shook her head, “Mom, am I the kind of person to fight?!”
During her middle and high school years, her mother was hardly around, and whenever the homeroom teacher needed to contact a parent, he could never find her. So whenever she returned home, Lin Nan always put forth her best behavior.
To this day, her mom still viewed her as: I owe my child so much; she’s such a good girl, never gives me any worries.
Terrified that her past might be exposed, Lin Nan suddenly felt that trying to matchmake her mom with the homeroom teacher might not be the best idea.
After all, her high school misadventures were a well-known tale for her homeroom teacher.
“I think you should give Uncle Liu another shot. I mean, why does Liu Ying care so much about your business? It’s not like she’s living with you two! Sooner or later, she’ll be married off!” she immediately switched her stance.
But her mom perceptively noted Lin Nan’s defensiveness, looking at her with a knowing gaze: “How about calling your class teacher out for dinner this afternoon?”
“I think inviting Uncle Liu out for a meal to foster feelings is a better idea!”
“You just said your class teacher helped you a lot in high school. You should thank him properly.”
Lin Nan turned pale: “Didn’t you already thank him last time?”
She was feeling vulnerable, but she still tried to sound confident: “Besides, the homeroom teacher has to set up a stall at night; inviting him for dinner isn’t just going to mess with his work?”
