Chapter 15: Tingting 13

Of course, as soon as she entered the room, she called Han Guangzhi. The main reason was that people from their hometown had arrived, and she wanted Han Guangzhi to come home immediately after work.

Han Guangzhi was also puzzled. How could his father arrive in Yuncheng without a word of warning? Why didn't he call ahead? Had something happened back home?

Although Li Xiaomei had entered the room, she didn't truly ignore what was happening outside. She intentionally left a crack in the door, glancing at the living room from time to time. She saw that after drinking that cup of tea, Han Tingting hadn't touched anything else on the table; instead, she had taken her homework out of her backpack and was hunched over the coffee table, writing.

What was she doing? She had heard Han Guangzhi say that Han Tingting's grades were very poor. Could she have remembered incorrectly?

If they were at her own home, Tan You would take the initiative to cook when mealtime arrived. But this was Li Xiaomei's house, and Tan You had no intention of doing so. First of all, their relationship was somewhat awkward; they weren't family, so Tan You wasn't going to volunteer for chores.

Han Cunming shared this sentiment; he had a very clear sense of his own position. His son was now hardly different from a live-in son-in-law, so he was clearly an outsider here. Since he was an outsider, he was a guest, and there was no logic in a guest doing housework in a host's home.

Of course, besides farming, Han Cunming hadn't done much other work at home anyway.

Li Xiaomei's parents both had jobs, and they returned even earlier than Han Guangzhi. When they arrived and saw Han Tingting hunched over the coffee table doing homework, the elderly couple was momentarily stunned.

Li's mother reacted faster: "You're Tingting, right? You've grown so much!"

Although Tan You was not skilled at socializing, she understood proper etiquette. Therefore, she stood up and said, "Grandma Qi, Grandpa Li, sorry for the intrusion. I am Han Tingting."

Han Tingting had met this elderly couple before, so Tan You's greeting did not seem awkward. After smiling at them, Tan You lowered her head to continue her homework.

Li Xiaomei emerged from the bedroom at this time. She was conscious of not neglecting Han Tingting, so upon seeing her own mother, she said, "Mom, you're back. Xiaobao just fell asleep."

This served as a subtle explanation for why she hadn't been in the living room accompanying Han Cunming and Han Tingting. Li's mother clearly sided with her daughter, so she smiled and said, "It's good that he's sleeping. A child who eats and sleeps well is the one who grows properly."

"Why didn't you give me a call? If the in-laws were coming over, I could have bought some groceries on my way back." She feigned reproach toward Li Xiaomei, but her words carried a hint of disrespect toward Han Cunming and his granddaughter.

Tan You couldn't understand the Yuncheng dialect, but she had a feeling that the two of them weren't saying anything good. She gripped her pen; regardless of their verbal sparring, they were here for Han Guangzhi today, not anyone else.

As soon as Li's mother arrived, Li Xiaomei followed her into the kitchen, while Li's father stayed in the living room to watch the child. Han Cunming sat to one side with an air of composure, barely sparing a glance at the little grandson.

What was the use of looking? This was someone else's grandson, not his own. On this point, Han Cunming saw things more clearly than anyone. Moreover, he had his own internal scale; he clearly felt his granddaughter was more reliable than this boy.

Since Han Tingting was doing her homework, Han Cunming did not disturb her, though his gaze toward her was very gentle. He understood that his son now belonged to another family, so he could only keep his granddaughter with him. Therefore, he had to consider everything for her sake.

She was still so young; he had to prepare her tuition and living expenses for the coming years. He also had to settle matters regarding his own retirement funds. Han Cunming calculated all this, feeling no sense of calculation or greed.

In the kitchen, Li's mother glanced at the grandparents and grandchild in the living room and whispered, "Why are they here?"

Li Xiaomei was also annoyed. "They said they came to see Guangzhi. Guangzhi said he won't be coming back for the New Year this year. Don't you think they'll end up spending the New Year at our house? We don't have enough room."

Li's mother was perceptive. "I saw they didn't bring any luggage. They probably won't be staying long."

Li Xiaomei asked, "Then what are they here for?"

"Who knows? When Guangzhi gets back, let him handle it himself. We won't interfere. It wouldn't be right for us to step in regarding his father and daughter." Li's mother paused, leaving one thought unsaid: she feared the pair had come for money.

Around six o'clock, Han Guangzhi finally arrived home. Seeing Han Tingting hunched over the coffee table, his brow furrowed, and his first words were a criticism: "Watch your posture."

Tan You glanced at him and slowly called out, "Dad." Seeing Han Guangzhi gave her a sense of déjà vu, as if she were seeing her biological father, Tan Lin. Both men's first instinct was to scold, and Tan You was used to it.

Seeing his granddaughter being reprimanded to her face, Han Cunming immediately glared. "Why are you scolding the child? Did I teach you to start scolding people the moment you meet them?"

When the old man glared, Han Guangzhi became somewhat timid; he was truly terrified of being beaten by his father in the past.

"I just saw her hunched over the coffee table doing homework. It's not good; it hurts the eyes. I'll go to the kitchen to help Xiaomei. Tingting, you're a young lady now, where is your situational awareness?" After a sheepish explanation, Han Guangzhi took the groceries he was carrying into the kitchen.

Han Cunming gave him no chance to escape. He said bluntly, "We came here in a hurry because we have something to discuss with you. We'll eat after we've finished talking."

Han Guangzhi froze. He could only deliver the groceries to the kitchen and then sit on the sofa. Knowing there was serious business to discuss, Li Xiaomei and Li's mother also came out of the kitchen, and even Li's father, who had been watching the grandson, became serious.

Han Cunming took Tan You's backpack, pulled out her report card and certificates, and pushed them in front of Han Guangzhi.

Han Guangzhi was surprised by Han Tingting's grades. "She scored this well? She didn't cheat, did she?"

Before Tan You could say anything, Han Cunming exploded. "Bullshit! If you don't have anything good to say, shut up! Tingting's grades improved two months ago. No one ever says she cheats, but you—you just open your mouth and start accusing her without knowing anything!"

How could Han Guangzhi respond to such a fierce scolding from his own father? This was his biological father. He could only force a smile. "I misspoke. She did very well this time. Keep working hard next time."

Han Cunming continued, "This final exam was a city-wide unified exam. Her teacher said Tingting ranked ninth in the entire city. This is what I'm thinking: since she's good at studying, we should let her keep going."

Li Xiaomei wanted to say something, but her mother held her back. Her suspicion had indeed come true, but since they were here for the child's education, what could she say?

Han Guangzhi hesitated, but ultimately could not withstand his father's pressure. "That's a given. I'll give you next year's tuition right now."

Han Cunming's eyebrows shot up. "Just tuition? What about living expenses?"