"Dad! Look at your poor, suffering son! I really can't hold on any longer. Mom's devilish training for me is just too terrifying. You can't forget about your son just because you have a wife! Dad, you can't abandon me!"
In a secluded small courtyard, a little boy who looked no more than seven years old was standing in the yard in a horse - stance. Beside him, Miaomiao was holding a thick and long stick, on high alert.
The little boy who was wailing was Wei Mulin, the son of Miaomiao and Wei Ziqi. He was being punished because he had failed his exams.
The long - awaited Wei Ziqi walked out of the house with a plate of exquisitely sliced fruits.
When Wei Mulin saw his father, he cried even louder. However, his all - thunder - no - rain act could hardly arouse the meager fatherly love in Wei Ziqi.
This child came at the wrong time. He was born in the second year after Wei Ziqi and Miaomiao got married.
At that time, Wei Ziqi had secretly planned to take Miaomiao on a world - tour and have a sweet vacation. But all his plans were completely disrupted when he learned that Miaomiao was pregnant.
That was okay. Wei Ziqi still thought that Miaomiao's grandmother was in good health. After the child was born and turned one year old, they could hand the child over to Miaomiao's grandmother and continue his honeymoon plan. If not, there was still his own father.
Oh, his father didn't have time for this at that time. His father was busy pursuing his mother. It was quite a spectacle. Every day there were champagne, roses, and luxury cars waiting to pick her up.
His mother, who had become a strong woman, was really annoyed by all these things his father did. If it weren't for his mother's good self - restraint, his father might have been beaten eight times a day.
Later, he just couldn't stand it anymore and gave his father a couple of tips. Finally, his father managed to get closer to his mother.
His father even needed his son's help to chase a woman. This father was so stupid. He really didn't dare to hand his own son over to his father to raise casually. What if the son became as stupid? He would just lose his temper.
But even if he didn't care about his son's future development at all, it still wouldn't work.
Since he was born, Wei Mulin had been extremely attached to Miaomiao. When he was just born, he would cry if he couldn't see Miaomiao. Wei Ziqi thought it was just a phase that all babies went through.
But even after he turned one year old, Wei Mulin was still like this, and the same when he was two.
At three, four, five, and until he started primary school, this phenomenon only began to ease.
But now that the child was in primary school, they had to start paying attention to his education. They definitely didn't have the time to go on a honeymoon. Moreover, the research institute kept them busy every day. They had missed their leisure time and had no chance to travel.
This honeymoon plan in his mind had been postponed until now. Every time Wei Ziqi saw his son, he just got annoyed.
However, the plan had changed recently. He still had to show a bit of fatherly love to his son.
"Miaomiao, it's so sunny outside. You don't need to watch him. He wouldn't dare to slack off on his own. I've cut your favorite fruits. Go back into the house and have some."
Wei Ziqi gently put his arm around Miaomiao's shoulder and half - pushed her back into the small house.
Over the years, Miaomiao's love for delicious food hadn't changed at all. Seeing the plate full of her favorite fruits, she also wanted to forget about her son. So she just went back into the house to enjoy the fruits by herself.
As soon as Miaomiao went back into the house, Wei Mulin relaxed. He walked over to a stool and plopped down on it, letting out a long sigh.
"Hey, Dad, you're a bit hen - pecked, aren't you? You always use the food trick on Mom. Aren't you bored after all these years?"
"Stop slandering your father. Tell me how things are going on your side." Wei Ziqi rolled his eyes and didn't bother to talk to his unreliable son.
He had no idea who this child took after. He was mild - tempered and liked quietness, and Miaomiao was gentle and also liked quietness. How could they have given birth to such a mouthy, mean - tongued, and hyperactive little devil?
"Not bad. There's a bit of progress. But dear Dad, can't you help me by approaching Aunt Cheng? By deliberately failing my exams to be her deskmate and caring about her, when will I finally win the beauty's heart?"
Wei Mulin pouted and complained. Wei Ziqi felt that his son was really a hopeless case. Maybe it was better to just abandon him.
He didn't know what was wrong with this child. Ever since he saw the daughter of Cheng Ruan and Yao Mingxuan when he was a kid, he had been obsessed with her.
Over the years, Wei Ziqi and Miaomiao's careers had mainly been in the imperial capital, so they rarely went back to Nancheng. And the businesses of Cheng Ruan and Yao Mingxuan's family were all in Nancheng, so they rarely came to the imperial capital. Although the two kids could meet a few times a year, they weren't very familiar with each other.
It was just that the daughter of Cheng Ruan's family was the one who was not familiar.
Their rebellious son had been thinking about that little girl for a long time and had inquired about every aspect of her in great detail. He knew her so well.
"Remember, you're only 10 years old now, and Yao Tian is only 9. What beauty are you trying to win? You're not even fully grown yet, and you're already thinking about this. Yao Tian is a slow - warming person. She has few friends because of her poor academic performance and is a bit introverted. You have to use the method of boiling a frog in warm water. Otherwise, what if you scare the little girl? And you don't need to be in a hurry. Your Aunt Cheng said that when you enter junior high school next year, she'll let Yao Tian stay at our place for three years. Then you'll have the advantage of proximity. You can subtly integrate into Yao Tian's life and take good care of her until she gets used to your presence and can't live without you. Look at how naive your mother is. Your father used this method to win your mother's heart back then."
When Wei Ziqi said this, he felt a bit proud. He had silently guarded Miaomiao for 13 years from the age of four to 17. This kind of perseverance was not something ordinary people could achieve.
"That's why I say you're not good enough, Dad. It took you more than a decade to chase Mom, and 20 years to marry her. With this kind of efficiency, tsk."
Wei Mulin pursed his lips, frowned, and complained, completely oblivious to his father's displeasure.
"Fine. Since you think my efficiency is low, then just do it your own way. Don't forget the embarrassment when you tried to befriend the little girl by putting a centipede in Yao Tian's water cup and then pretending to be a hero to take it out, only to be exposed. And when you tried to hold the little girl's hand and scared her to cry, and..."
Wei Ziqi counted all the stupid things his son had done. The more he counted, the more guilty Wei Mulin felt. He quickly interrupted: "Stop, stop, stop! Dad, you're my dad. I'll listen to you. Please tell me what I should do next?"
"I can tell you, but for your winter vacation this year..."
"Don't worry. I'll definitely pack my things and rush to Nancheng to visit Grandpa and the others this winter vacation. I won't disturb your time together with Mom for a single moment."
"Good. Then listen. Next..."
"Wei Ziqi!! You're spoiling him again!! We agreed that he should do the horse - stance for an hour. It's only been half an hour, and you've already let him stop!"
When Miaomiao came out after finishing the fruit, she saw the father and son whispering to each other. She put her hands on her hips and roared.
Caught red - handed by his wife, Wei Ziqi quickly picked up the stick that Miaomiao had just put down and without a word, hit Wei Mulin on the back.
"Didn't you hear what your mom said? It has to be a full hour, not a minute less. You even lied to me that you had finished the time! Go back and do the horse - stance right away. Don't hang around in front of me!"
Better sacrifice the friend than oneself. Facing his wife's anger, he could only sacrifice his son at this moment!
Wei Mulin was already used to his father's two - faced behavior. The stick hitting him didn't hurt much, but he was a bit憋屈 that he didn't get to hear the second half of what his father wanted to say.
But Wei Mulin knew exactly what to do in front of his mother. He immediately obediently walked back into the yard, assumed a standard horse - stance, and continued to wail.
"Mom! I know I was wrong. Please have mercy on your poor, helpless, innocent, and cute son! I really know I was wrong. I won't fail my exams again next time! I'll definitely practice hard! I'll never let you and Dad down! Mom!"
Miaomiao: "......"
It was too noisy! Her head was about to explode!
"I'll leave this to you. There seems to be some more fruit in the house. I'll go and have some more!"
After listening for a while, Miaomiao finally couldn't stand her son's noise and quickly hid back into the house.
The father and son looked at each other and smiled, understanding each other without a word.
Sub - task of the strategy to win over the son's future wife: Get Mom out of the way. Completed!