Chapter 109
Before the Lantern Festival, Shen Xiuze happened to be free, so he took Tiantian back to the countryside to see his grandma.
The weather had warmed up a bit, but when the cold wind blew, it still scraped Tiantian’s little face, making him shrink his face into his scarf.
From a distance, Tiantian was wrapped up like a round glutinous rice ball, very tightly.
Grandma was waiting at the village entrance. Seeing Shen Xiuze’s car drive over, her face wrinkled into a chrysanthemum with a smile.
“It’s so cold. Why aren’t you staying at home? You’ve come all this way to see me.”
Tiantian jumped out of the car, threw himself at his grandma, and rubbed his face hard against her arm.
“Grandma, I missed you. I wanted to come and see you!”
Grandma said “yes” several times, her face beaming. She held Tiantian’s hand and walked home.
Tiantian bounced forward. He was at an age where he was curious about everything. He would even stop to look at a dry blade of grass on the road for a long time.
Grandma was also very patient and waited for Tiantian to finish looking before she continued to walk.
The winter in the countryside was colder, but the air was fresher than in the city. The tip of his nose was filled with the smell of soil mixed with the clear and cold scent of grass and trees.
When they arrived at Grandma’s house, Tiantian looked up and saw his cousin and his aunt, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.
His aunt, Lin Xue, hadn’t changed much, but her hair was permed into slight curls, and she was wearing a leather coat, exuding an air of wealth.
She sat on a chair and didn’t show any reaction to Shen Tiantian’s arrival.
His cousin, Ye Jiabao, folded his arms and was surprised for a moment when he saw Shen Tiantian come over.
“Cousin, Auntie, you’re here to see Grandma too?”
Seeing that the two of them didn’t say anything, Tiantian had no choice but to obediently greet them.
Ye Jiabao nodded in response.
His aunt’s attitude was cold. It was probably because she still held a grudge that Shen Tiantian had been recognized by the wealthy family, and her plan to have her son replace him had not succeeded.
She really wanted to reach the sky in a single step.
Seeing that her son had not been able to enter the wealthy family, she had quickly changed her track and tried to marry into a wealthy family herself.
Looking at her outfit today, it seemed that her plan had been successful.
Shen Xiuze, who had parked the car a step later, came over. He saw Tiantian’s aunt and his cousin, and his attitude was cold. He didn’t even have the intention of nodding and greeting them.
But his aunt smiled and was much more enthusiastic towards Shen Xiuze than towards Shen Tiantian.
“You must be Shen Xiuze, right? I’ve heard Old Wu mention you a long time ago. You really are a fine-looking man.”
Shen Xiuze frowned, lowered his eyes, and let out a cold “hmm.”
His aunt didn’t mind being given the cold shoulder and smiled as she invited them to sit down.
“What a coincidence. I was just saying that I would come and see Grandma with Jiabao, and you guys also came. We’ve arrived at the same time. It must be fate.”
Shen Xiuze didn’t say anything and looked up at Grandma, who was busy greeting everyone.
Lin Xue was Grandma’s biological daughter after all. Although her mind was a little unclear, Grandma was still very happy that Lin Xue could bring Ye Jiabao back to see her.
Grandma was soft-hearted. After her daughter, Lin Xue, and Ye Jiabao came back and said a few considerate words, Grandma sighed and said that it was all in the past.
Grandma was busy bringing over oranges and peanuts and said with a smile:
“I roasted these peanuts myself. Jiabao and Tiantian, come and try them.”
Tiantian was a cub who was easy to coax with food. Hearing this, he said “yes” with a happy expression and took a small handful of peanuts and placed them in front of him.
Ye Jiabao seemed to be a little disgusted with the dirty peanuts and shook his head, saying he wouldn’t eat them.
Tiantian peeled a peanut, handed it to Shen Xiuze, then peeled another and gave it to his grandma.
As for his aunt and his cousin, Tiantian selectively ignored them and ate all the remaining peeled peanuts himself.
His aunt huffed, and the more she looked at Lin Shuang’s son, the more she found him an eyesore.
“I don’t know how Lin Shuang taught you. You don’t even know to peel a peanut for your elders and your cousin.”
Grandma knew that Lin Xue had a bad temper and quickly tried to smooth things over:
“I’ll peel peanuts for Jiabao. It’s fine, it’s fine. Tiantian is still young. It’s good enough that he can peel them for himself.”
His aunt was just looking for an excuse to make a fuss. Seeing that her grandma was trying to appease her, she turned her face away and didn’t say anything else.
Tiantian finished all the roasted black peanuts, and a circle of ash was on his little mouth. He looked up and said:
“Auntie, I won’t peel peanuts for you. You’re a grown-up. You have to do it yourself.”
Hearing Shen Tiantian dare to talk back to her, his aunt subconsciously wanted to twist his ear.
Shen Xiuze, however, directly raised his hand to block Lin Xue’s arm, and his eyes were a little cold.
“If you want to eat, peel them yourself. Tiantian can give peanuts to whomever he wants. Who are you to ask Tiantian to peel peanuts for you?”
When Shen Xiuze’s face turned cold, his eyes seemed to be covered in a layer of ice and snow.
His words were also very impolite, and his voice was cold. The already stiff atmosphere instantly became extremely cold.
But Shen Xiuze seemed to be completely unaware. He turned his head and handed the peanuts he had just peeled to Tiantian.
“Tiantian, you eat them yourself. Don’t mind others.”
Tiantian cupped his small hands and took the peanuts. He looked up at his brother, and his eyes seemed to be sparkling with little stars, shining brightly.
It was full of admiration and amazement.
This little gaze successfully made Shen Xiuze’s mood cheerful. He pressed his lips together and reached out to pinch Tiantian’s little face.
“Hurry up and eat.”
Tiantian hummed twice, thinking that his brother was so cool just now!
When his aunt had scolded him before, his mother would also stand up and retort.
But his mother was gone, and his grandma was in a dilemma. On one side was her daughter, and on the other was her grandson. She could only be in the middle and try to smooth things over.
Tiantian had had his little ears twisted by his aunt many times.
But every time, Tiantian would still hold his head high and say that he was not wrong.
This stubborn and firm spirit was very much like his mother, Lin Shuang, who was rebellious and never bowed her head.
His aunt hated her sister, Lin Shuang, and by extension, she also disliked her son, Shen Tiantian.
She had originally thought that Shen Tiantian would be lonely and helpless when he returned to the Shen family, which was why she had dared to be so unscrupulous.
She hadn’t expected that this big brother, Shen Xiuze, would actually defend Shen Tiantian.
Didn’t they say that the interests in a wealthy family were complicated and there was no family affection?
His aunt was stunned for a long time. She had been scolded by this junior, Shen Xiuze, but she didn’t dare to retort.
In the end, she couldn’t offend Shen Xiuze.
But she was still a little unwilling. She gritted her teeth, and her gaze on Shen Tiantian couldn’t help but show a hint of resentment.
Grandma’s expression was awkward. She pulled at the corners of her mouth and quickly stood up.
“Xue’er, come and cook with me. Let these children play together.”
Lin Xue was not willing to cook at all, but thinking of her purpose for coming, she could only patiently hum in acknowledgment.
Grandma came to the kitchen, put on her apron, and said the same old things:
“You’re too ambitious. Isn’t it good for us to be down-to-earth? You even wanted to let Jiabao replace Tiantian to go back to the Shen family. How can you fake such a thing? It’s a good thing it didn’t lead to a big mistake. Listen to Mom. From now on, just live a good life with Jiabao.”
Lin Xue gathered her coat, and the disdain in her eyes never dissipated.
She said perfunctorily:
“I know.”
If it weren’t for the fact that this old house was going to be demolished, she wouldn’t have come all this way to repair their mother-daughter relationship.
Lin Shuang is dead. She has to get the bigger share of this demolition compensation!
This lunch was made very slowly.
Tiantian was warming himself by the stove in the main room. His little face was illuminated by the firelight, and his shadow was swaying, like an old New Year’s painting.
Ye Jiabao, on the side, stayed away from Shen Tiantian and didn’t want to have any interaction with him for the time being.
Every time he met Shen Tiantian, it was never a good thing.
Ye Jiabao saw that the weather was still good and directly turned and went out.
For a moment, only Tiantian and his brother, Shen Xiuze, were left in the room.
Tiantian’s little hands were warm from the fire. He opened his paws and smiled, his eyes narrowed.
“Big brother~”
Tiantian moved his small stool, got next to his brother, and rubbed against him stickily.
“You’re so nice, big brother. Auntie didn’t twist my little ears.”
Shen Xiuze’s hands didn’t stop. He was peeling the roasted black peanuts by the stove, and his eyes, which were like melted snow, gradually softened.
“Only when you’re thanking me are you so well-behaved. Where is the arrogant little tyrant at home?”
Tiantian squeezed his head out from under his brother’s arm, leaned against his chest, and his voice was sweet and soft.
“Of course not! I’ve always been very well-behaved.”
Tiantian giggled, simply sat on his brother’s lap, and opened his small mouth.
“Big brother, you can pour the peanuts into my mouth. I can eat half a bowl in one go!”
Shen Xiuze pinched his nose and refused:
“No, you have to eat the peanuts one by one. What if you choke?”
Shen Xiuze had been with Shen Tiantian for so long and was quite experienced in taking care of a cub.
A little tyke like Shen Tiantian, who would have a mischievous idea with a single turn of his brain, had to be particularly vigilant against him causing trouble.
Sure enough, in the next second, Shen Tiantian started to throw peanuts into his mouth.
If it weren’t for Shen Xiuze’s glance, he would have changed his style and thrown them into his mouth.
Shen Tiantian, who had been sanctioned by his brother, instantly became well-behaved. He put his legs together and sat obediently by the stove, warming his hands.
Shen Xiuze peeled a few more peanuts. Thinking of what had just happened, his brows couldn’t help but furrow.
He had always thought that Tiantian’s grandma’s love for Tiantian was sincere and selfless.
It was the kind of favoritism that Shen Xiuze envied the most.
But now it seemed that although Grandma loved Tiantian, she also loved her other children.
Grandma had tried to be fair, but unfortunately, she couldn’t.
“Were you sad just now when Grandma didn’t help you?” Shen Xiuze asked.
Tiantian, who was struggling to peel an orange, looked up, thought seriously for a moment, and shook his head.
“A little before, but not anymore.”
Tiantian gave the peeled orange to his brother, his voice still a little childish and soft.
“Big brother, everyone’s love is limited. I not only have Grandma’s love, but also Mommy’s, Daddy’s, and my brothers’. When they’re all put together, it’s a lot!”
Tiantian was a very open-minded cub. He patted his brother’s shoulder and said:
“But big brother, Grandma is biased, and I’m also a little biased. You see, I even gave you the peanuts first just now.”
The second one was for his grandma.
Shen Xiuze reacted, was stunned for a moment, and found that it was true.
The little one’s sudden favoritism made Shen Xiuze’s heart suddenly soften.
Perhaps because he hadn’t expected that he would be the one the little one was biased towards, Shen Xiuze’s chest was so full that he couldn’t speak for a long time.
The smile on his lips didn’t stop until dinner.
It was also at this time that Shen Xiuze finally realized how good it felt to be favored.
Awww tiantian favored his big bro 🥹❤️