Chapter 92 Son-in-law, call me mom
Dean Dang Hong's hands were typical of a surgeon's - white, delicate, and dexterous.
In two strokes, she peeled a thin layer of skin from the apple in her palm, cut it into little pieces, and pushed it to Tian Yuan.
"His father dislikes seeing me wielding a kitchen knife or a fruit knife for fear of injuring my hand."
Tian Yuan grinned. Pan Lei appeared to have adopted his father's good behavior.
"He's in the same boat. At home, he never allows me to use a kitchen knife. He claims that a surgeon's hands are used to cure diseases and save people, not to conduct laborious tasks such as cutting meat."
Dang Hong possessed all of the qualities of a fantastic mother. She was nice and compassionate. The most attractive woman in her son's eyes was his mother.
Dang Hong rubbed a little dust off Tian Yuan's shirt as he patted him on the shoulder.
"Leizi has a short fuse. When he gets upset, neither I nor his father can keep him in check. You must have been through a lot, my dear boy."
"No. He will not harm me, no matter how angry he is."
Tian Yuan turned around and observed Pan Lei talking with the male family members about something. A gang of uniformed men was bound to debate something. He was a good man. He was really nice to him, despite his irritability. He was certain of it from the bottom of his heart.
"He doesn't allow me to cook on my own. When he is not at home, he requests that Zhang Hui deliver food to me. When he’s at home, I don’t have to worry about anything in the house. He takes care of even the most insignificant details, such as bathing. He has a nasty temper, but he never gets mad at me. We had a fight a few days ago. He was so enraged that he broke everything in the house while not even touching my finger. He is a good man. He's really nice to me."
He was well aware of what Pan Lei had done for him. He remembered even the trivial details, such as sharing dumplings and peeling garlic for him. Not to add that he went out of his way to defend him despite his own safety. Pan Lei had a loud voice, as if it had an amplifier built in, but he never disturbed his sleep. He was irritable and impatient, constantly looking for a confrontation. He was similarly abrasive with Doctor Li, but he bowed his head and tried his hardest to please him. He never responded, whether it was Tian Yuan laughing and kicking him or fighting.
He was harsh to others, but gentle with him. Pan Lei was true to his words: All my tenderness is for you. No one else will have it.
Dang Hong grinned, clearly pleased. My son is a bandit, but he met someone who could like a bandit. Even though he’s a jerk, this man likes him and accompanies him. This is enough. Besides, even if my son is a bandit, he is also a Liangshan hero[1], right?
"Leizi has a one track mind. His love will be for a lifetime. Since you are together, you must live a good life. If he bullies you or provokes you, you must tell us, okay? Your parents will support you. Your father’s military rules aren’t just for show. He’ll be severely punished. Don’t let him fool you. He is an immature child. He has to get whatever he desires. He must have tricked you too. Posi’er said that he stalked you. You must have gotten the short end of the stick. Am I correct?"
Tian Yuan flushed slightly. He recalled Pan Lei carrying him up for the first time.
"Our family is so busy that no one ever stays at home for more than a few days. When there are too many people, they eventually start fooling around. When Pan Lei, Pan Zhan, or Pan Ge return home, they are all tested in this manner. Make yourself at home and don't be concerned. It will become second nature to you. Allow them to cause havoc. You can just enter the house the next time you come home, no matter how fierce they are, whether it's like a martial arts movie or a war movie. It was not easy for Leizi to have met you. There will be no objections from anyone in the family. I consider you to be my son. You and Leizi must lead a happy life. Don't argue and split up. Things like that are not tolerated by the elders."
Tian Yuan shrank his neck, but remembered that the jerk had already put them in place from the start. The military rules of Pan Lei were still posted on the wall. Article 10: Love is forever. No breakups permitted. The elder generations found it easy to follow, but they must persevere and remain together for the rest of their lives.
Dang Hong was overjoyed when she noticed Tian Yuan nodding his head slightly. She patted Tian Yuan's hand, smiling more and more lovingly at him.
"Leizi is extremely fortunate to have you spent his entire life with. I'm at a loss for words when it comes to that little monster. From childhood to adulthood, he has been a bad thing. Which kid in the military facility hasn't been beaten by him? Even today, some individuals run away when they see him. When he gets into a fight, we usually go over and apologize. He's in his thirties now, and he's still causing havoc. Please assist mum in caring for him now that you're together. Simply beat him up if he is disobedient and causes trouble. I'll let your father thrash him to death if he tries to lift a hand at you."
It looked like violence was a family trait. Dean Dang Hong had spent too much time with this band of soldiers and rogues. On the exterior, she appeared soft and compassionate, but she also believed that a clenched fist raised a filial son.
"He doesn't cause trouble. He listens."
Tian Yuan was a little worried. He couldn't stand by and watch them beat Pan Lei. Wouldn't it harm his back if they whipped him? His line of work was inherently dangerous. How could they possibly consider employing a whip? What should he do if something went wrong?
Dang Hong was ecstatic and couldn't quit grinning. Her son and his partner were madly in love. As a mother, she felt relieved.
"Tian Yuan, what about your family?"
"I’m an only child, and my family consists of just my parents."
"Why don't you invite them over? If you have parents at home, don't travel far,[2] as the old adage goes. Bring them over here, ah. You live with Leizi and either leave your existing residence to your parents or relocate to Leizi's residence together. If the house is too little for you, we will purchase a larger one."
Dang Hong was also an activist, and wanted to implement her proposal immediately.
"Old Pan, let's get a bigger house for the kids. Pan Zhan, is there a three-bedroom and two-living room house in the recently developed real estate? Pay attention and see if you can spot one."
When Pan Lei's father heard Dang Hong speak, he agreed without any hesitation.
"All the cheque books and passbooks are in your hands. You are free to use them however you see fit."
"My father is wise."
Pan Lei quickly backed him up. For a long time, he had longed to shift his residence. He wished to purchase a larger home with a separate study so that Tian Yuan would be able to read and work in peace.
"No, no, no need. There are only the two of us. My house is big enough. Besides, my parents don't want to come. They’re getting old and nostalgic. All of their relatives and friends live in their hometown, so they are reluctant to leave. I return on a regular basis and pick them up twice a year for their physical examinations."
He didn't come to snatch any of the family's belongings. How could he allow his mother-in-law to purchase a home for them? This present was far too large. Tian Yuan nervously waved his hand and glared at Pan Lei. This jerk just knew how to add fuel to the fire and make things worse.
"Good. You must stick with it. Regular examinations are required as people age. Some diseases have a long period of incubation. Regular exams should be performed just in case."
Dang Hong supported this approach from a medical standpoint.
"Your parents aren't aware of Leizi yet, correct?"
Tian Yuan nodded, feeling a little sorry for Pan Lei. Pan Lei brought him home to meet all of his relatives, but he remained hidden from his parents. He felt sad for Pan Lei, but his parents had always been stern and severe. He didn't dare to behave rashly for fear of causing difficulties. Not everyone was brave enough to come out. Pan Lei came out from the closet with great fanfare. His mother, however, would beat him up and sweep him out if he dared to bring Pan Lei home.
Dang Hong didn’t criticize him either. As a son, he knew best how to deal with such a situation.
"If they really don't understand, just tell us. It might be useful if we as parents talk about it."
"Don't worry. There are no parents who enjoy beating their children. They may think it is wrong at first, but as long as you are happy, they will gradually understand and accept it. When Leizi declared in front of everyone that he liked men, his father was angered to death. But he knew it was pointless to beat him. Instead, he accepted it. It’s fine as long as you stick together. We parents don’t mind."
Her son was living his own life. Was it necessary to criticize and beat him? Even if he was forced to surrender, he would be miserable for the rest of his life. Was it possible to be happy while their son was depressed?
"Tian Yuan, I heard from Leizi that you’re the deputy director? The deputy director of surgery, right? You have a lot of talent. What do you specialize in?"
As a mother-in-law, she naturally cared about the future of her son-in-law. If her son-in-law was happy at work, her son wouldn’t be too concerned. There was no shortage of military personnel in the Pan family, but they were lacking talents in other areas. She was the dean of a hospital. Naturally, she hoped her son-in-law was an authority figure as well.
"I’d like to study further and specialize in cardiothoracic surgery."
"Oh! Come to me if that's what you're looking for. I'll take you in. You look up to me as a teacher and you’ll be a good son and a good student for me. I hope to be able to pass on my expertise to someone. Leizi requested me to find you a job a while back. I'd previously planned it, but he also mentioned that you don't want to work on nepotism. I also admire your perseverance. It is, nonetheless, natural for people to aspire to greater positions. Tian Yuan, Lin Mu works at the Armed Police Hospital. He is also a rising talent in medicine. I considered it, and Mom really wants you to come over. It will bring us closer together, and I will retire after passing on all of my medical knowledge to you. When you do great things and people ask, "Isn't that your son-in-law and student?", Mom's face will glow, won't it?”
Dang Hong was a cardiothoracic surgery expert whose surgery had a success rate of more than 98 percent, and her medical talents were acclaimed as divine. If he went to the Armed Police Hospital and accepted his mother-in-law as a teacher, he'd study from one of the greatest in the field, publish a few articles, and then go on to enhance his education. In the near future, he would undoubtedly become a rising star in the medical field.
"Auntie, I really don't want to leave my job right now. Despite certain disappointments, I will continue to say the same thing. I don't want to rely on nepotism."
"You have the same temper as our family, child. You're so upright. Leizi has been a special forces soldier for three years, and no one knows that he is the military region commander's son. You and Leizi are a perfect match. Neither of you want to rely on family."
Dang Hong patted Tian Yuan on the shoulder, liking him even more. After a brief moment of thought, she recognized that something was amiss.
"Hey! I addressed you as ‘child’ and also stated that you are now our son. Why are you still referring to me as aunt rather than mother? Hurry up and call me mother."
"Come on now. You’ve accepted every one of your mother's meeting gifts. You won’t be able to back out now."
Tian Yuan couldn't help but blush when he heard Pan Lei speak. Everyone stopped talking and gazed at him, waiting to see if he changed his words. Once he changed his way of address, he would genuinely become a member of the Pan family.
"Mo… Mother."
Footnotes:
[1] Refers to the outlaws in Water Margin. Read more at Wikipedia.
Tian Yuan become the best son
ReplyDeleteLolll i love the tl notes at the end
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