Chapter 158: New Family Members
Chapter 158: Chapter 158: New Family Members
"No quarrels, this kind of family atmosphere is really nice, it makes one feel warm." Fu Xiaoxiao indeed envied this family, without arguments, suspicions, silent treatment, or verbal abuse, where everyone sat happily together to have meals, joke and laugh.
She greatly admired such a family.
"If you like it, you are now a part of us." Li Yanan looked at Fu Xiaoxiao with heartfelt affection.
"It might sound funny, but I used to have a family. However, I worked hard in that home for over ten years and never received the slightest warmth." Fu Xiaoxiao gave a self-deprecating smile, recalling how the original Fu Family treated her like a workhorse without a shred of warmth.
"How could that family treat you like this?" Li Yanan couldn’t believe it; how could parents not like such a good child as Fu Xiaoxiao? Even in her short time with her, she had grown very fond of this smart young girl.
"Perhaps it’s because I’m not their biological child!" Fu Xiaoxiao smiled faintly, but there was no joy in her eyes.
The Chen Family looked at Fu Xiaoxiao, all feeling sorry for her.
"Those people are blind, such a great daughter, they wouldn’t want, truly blind with useless eyes." Chen Hao gritted his teeth, speaking indignantly for Fu Xiaoxiao.
"Exactly, they’re foolish not to know you’re a treasure," Chen Shi followed along.
"Blood ties are only part of it; even without them, we can still be a family." Li Yanan patted Fu Xiaoxiao’s hand to comfort her.
"Yes, I know." Fu Xiaoxiao gently patted Lu Lin and Lu Chen’s heads beside her. "I have Xiao Lin and Xiao Chen now; you don’t need blood ties to care for someone."
"Right. My biological mom isn’t good to me and my brother, while Mrs. Fu treats us like her own. We’ve accepted Mrs. Fu as our true mom," Lu Chen patted his small chest and spoke earnestly to everyone.
"See, you’re not alone; you don’t just have Xiao Lin and Xiao Chen; you have us too. If you wish, we can be your family too." Li Yanan felt happy for Fu Xiaoxiao, yet also felt deeply for her; such a great girl, unwanted by some, was certainly lovable by others.
"Exactly, you suddenly have six new family members," Chen Xiu smiled at Fu Xiaoxiao.
"Seven." Chen Chuan interjected.
"We’re going to have red rain today; Dad’s said two sentences in one day!" Chen Hao exaggeratedly stood up to look at the sky, making everyone burst into laughter.
Chen Chuan glanced coldly at Chen Hao and reached over to grab his rice bowl.
"Dad! Dad! I’m wrong, I was really wrong, please spare my rice!" Chen Hao was frightened and quickly pleaded, begging Chen Chuan to return his rice.
Otherwise, he would have to work on an empty stomach all afternoon, which was intolerable.
"That’s what you get for showing off! Serves you right." Li Yanan gave her mouthy son a glance, without the slightest bias.
"Well then... I’ll shamelessly accept it." Fu Xiaoxiao really liked the way the Chen Family interacted, feeling relaxed, and she yearned to have such family members.
"So... what should you call me?" Li Yanan, upon hearing Fu Xiaoxiao’s acceptance, eagerly anticipated hearing her call her.
She soon could gain a thoughtful little daughter.
"Mom, Dad, Big Brother, Big Sister, Second Sister, Second Brother, Third Sister." Fu Xiaoxiao smiled and called out to each one.
"Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle, Aunt, Second Aunt, Second Uncle, Little Aunt." Lu Lin followed behind Fu Xiaoxiao and called out.
Seeing Fu Xiaoxiao and Lu Lin calling, Lu Chen became anxious.
"Mom, Brother, slow down! Uh..." Lu Chen hurriedly said, trying to recall the order Lu Lin had just called out; everyone refrained from prompting him.
"You’re Grandma, you’re Grandpa, you... Uncle, Aunt, Second Aunt, Second Uncle, Little Aunt!" Lu Chen shouted excitedly when calling out to Chen Xiu.
"Hey!!!" The Chen Family happily responded in unison.
"Oops! Something’s missing." Li Yanan laughed, then suddenly became serious.
Everyone looked at her nervously. "Mom, what’s missing?"
"Oops, the meeting gift!" Li Yanan hastily ran to her room and came out with a bunch of red paper.
Only then did the others understand, stopping their meal to quickly get up and fetch red paper.
Fu Xiaoxiao looked at the red envelopes they handed her, eyes moistening.
"Don’t cry! Quickly accept it." Li Yanan smiled, took all the red envelopes, organized them, and placed them into Fu Xiaoxiao’s hands.
"And for two little cuties." Chen Ya laughed and handed the red envelopes for Lu Lin and Lu Chen into their hands as well.
The two little guys looked at the pile of red envelopes in their hands and turned to look at Fu Xiaoxiao.
"Accept them; it’s courtesy for a change of call, a meeting gift, you must accept them," Li Yanan insisted seriously, worried they wouldn’t accept.
"Alright, we’ll accept them." Fu Xiaoxiao looked at Li Yanan and accepted them with a smile.
"Thank you, Grandma, Grandpa..." Lu Lin and Lu Chen accepted them, thanking each one.
With two thick stacks of red envelopes, they turned and placed them into Fu Xiaoxiao’s hands.
"Give them all to Mom."
"Oh! What good children! Gave all the red envelopes to Mom." Seeing Lu Lin and Lu Chen give the red envelopes to Fu Xiaoxiao without hesitation, the Chen Family thought of their children and looked fondly at the two.
"So are we brothers now?" Li Lei smiled at Lu Lin.
"We have always been brothers." Lu Lin glanced at Li Lei, speaking indifferently.
"Yes, we’re good brothers." The four little ones exchanged glances and laughed together.
Seeing the four little ones getting along so well, the Chen Family all smiled.
After eating, Chen Chuan and the others had to go to work, Li Yanan also needed to leave for work, instructing Chen Xiu to accompany Fu Xiaoxiao.
Suddenly, the lively home turned quiet; Fu Xiaoxiao looked at the Chen Family, grew familiar with their laughter, and suddenly without those laughs, she felt the house was empty.
"I told you, you and our family would get along just fine." Chen Xiu grasped Fu Xiaoxiao’s hand, smiled.
"Yes, Sister Chen Xiu, thank you." Fu Xiaoxiao smiled.
"Why so formal? We’re family; don’t be so reserved in the future." Chen Xiu patted Fu Xiaoxiao, urging her not to be so polite going forward. "Family shouldn’t be about superficial things."
"It was only after I divorced Li Si that I realized how absurdly wrong I was in the past, thinking that a married daughter was water thrown out... Seeing Big Sister and Second Sister frequently coming home, now thinking back, it’s because Li Si always said such things, once married into the Li Family, became someone else’s wife, shouldn’t keep thinking about one’s maternal home..." Chen Xiu sighed, recalling what Li Si said, realized she had been brainwashed.
"He did it deliberately." Fu Xiaoxiao stated confidently.
"If you hadn’t enlightened me, even now I wouldn’t know how frightening that man was; from the day I married him, he gradually influenced me, always saying that having married him, I should focus on the small family, keep less contact with maternal home... I was truly foolish, no wonder my mom kept saying I was dumb." Chen Xiu looked at Fu Xiaoxiao, laughing at her own stupidity.