Chapter 197 Cheers, Dad!
The dinner was quite pleasant. Pan Lei displayed the qualities of an absolutely good man. The dishes he ordered were all Tian Yuan's favorites. He naturally understood all of his likes and dislikes thoroughly after living with him for so long.
"He was wronged abroad, and his poor stomach suffered as a result. He was so pitiful at the time that I felt sorry for him. He’s a picky eater and couldn't stand eating those half-cooked things. But that’s also my fault. I normally prepare meals for him that he likes. He couldn't get used to the food and drinks available there. I couldn't take care of him, so in the few days I was with him, I had to prepare him some dumplings. At the very least, he could cook and eat those whenever he wanted. He's been very busy since returning to China. I've been trying to strengthen him, but it's not working."
Pan Lei chattered away while ordering dinner.
"Do you want to eat spare ribs?"
While chatting with his in-laws, he turned his head and asked Tian Yuan if he wanted spare ribs.
He conversed with his in-laws while serving food to Tian Yuan.
"I'd like you two to come there and help me in caring for him. He always claims that Mom's cooking is better than mine."
Pan Lei stroked Tian Yuan's hair with a loving and pampering expression.
Tian Yuan cocked his neck, wondering to himself: Did I say that?
Mother Tian was overjoyed to hear this. She immediately served her son a chunk of spare ribs. She was so touched that she nearly burst into tears.
"Good son, stay for a few days and mum will cook for you. I'll make anything you like."
"Come live with us, Mom. Tian'er can enjoy the food you cook every day this way. I'll also be relieved to have you join me in looking after him."
Mother Tian continued to shake her head in refusal. She offered Pan Lei the spare ribs as well, a gratified look on her face.
"I know you two are filial and want us to live with you so you can care for us, but we truly can't. All of our relatives and friends live here. We're not too old to look after ourselves, so there's no need to bother you two. Let us wait a couple more years. Your jobs will be secure, and we may have difficulties moving around, so we'll move in with you then."
"Please come right now. My mother stated that you two sisters can accompany each other if you live nearby."
Frankly, going to a place like the military compound once in a while was alright, but they wouldn't feel free if they were there all the time. After all, they had honestly carried out their duties their entire lives. They'd never been to the Public Security Bureau's gate. They couldn't accept the guards(they had live ammunition!) at the gate, let alone the neighbors, one of whom was a political commissar and the other a minister. It was far too uncomfortable.
"A gold and silver den is not as good as your own kennel. Your father and I won't go. Let's discuss this when we're older."
Pan Lei felt a little embarrassed.
"Tian'er and I sincerely hope that you will reside with us, Mom."
"Tian'er, tell them."
Tian Yuan looked up from his rice bowl when Pan Lei nudged him.
"We need to decorate the house before we move in. It's better to live at my place. He doesn't often stay home, and I'm also working. That house is pretty large, and even if we all live together, we won't have much free time. We won't decorate it if you don't want to live with us. Let's put this off for a few years."
Tian Yuan spoke the truth. It would make things easier if his parents did not move in with them. They didn't need to renovate, and they were content to live in his house.
"Hey! Is that how you say it? It sounds like you don't welcome them. Tian'er didn't mean that, Mom and Dad. He also wants you to move in with us in our new home."
Pan Lei acted as a go-between, shielding Tian Yuan from all sides.
"It is better to renovate it in a few years. We're not going. Work is just as important as studying. We'll come to see you if we miss you. Leizi, when we were celebrating the New Year, your mother and I discussed the possibility of you adopting a kid. If you adopt a child, we will come over and aid you in caring for the kid."
The more they chatted, the crazier it grew. Tian Yuan hid his face in his bowl. He didn't want to become involved in this specific discussion. He intended to adopt a child within the next few years. He would have settled into his career and specialized in cardiothoracic surgery by then. The surgeries would be scheduled ahead of time, and he would be less busy than previously. He should have time to look after the child. He could, at worst, employ a nanny. This was a minor issue that could be easily fixed.
Pan Lei, on the other hand, was adamantly opposed to it. He was certain that once you have a child, you can no longer be a young married couple. He believed that they already spent less time together, and that having a kid would further diminish their time together.
"We don't need children. Tian'er is my child in my heart, and I have given him all of my feelings and love. I'm not particularly good-tempered, and I have little patience with children. If the kid irritates me, I will most likely beat the child. There is no way to provide the child with a loving childhood, so simply don't have one."
But this was a mishap. The smile on Mother Tian's face was a touch stiff. Wasn't this decided a long time ago?
Pan Lei rubbed Tian Yuan's hair.
"I don't have patience for anyone; only he can get all of my tenderness and love. We're both working and have never had a decent opportunity to be together. We don't spend much time together, and I don't allow anyone else to take up our time. Besides, I'm busy. In the army, there is a lot to keep track of. I can't go home very often, and I can't even look after him. Won't adopting a child place an additional strain on him? When he did two surgeries in a row, he required someone to help him out of the operating room. I was alarmed when I saw him looking all pale and sweating. He doesn't have much energy, so it's better not to increase his burden."
Tian Yuan smiled at him. They didn't spend much time together, it was true. They were only together for three months or at most four months in a year. He was busy handling the myriad things in the army. Even if they were together for 50 or 60 years, let's say 60, they would only have spent 20 years together. After all, they only spent four months a year together. Saying they'd been together for XX years sounded nice, but when you looked into the details, you'd understand the truth. And the truth was that they didn't spend nearly enough time together. With four months a year, they'd only be actually together for eighty months in the next 20 years, for a total of only six and a half years. It would be too much if another person occupied this meager 6.5 years.
We estimated sixty years, but given that the couple was around thirty, the realistic time frame was at best 40/41 years, which was a lot less. They truly didn't spend much time together and Pan Lei refused to reduce it further.
"I’ll take him as my child to raise. It is enough for me to have him in my life. If we truly desire a child to care for us in our old age, we will simply sponsor a youngster. We'll visit an orphanage to sponsor some children, help them attend school, give them pocket money, and let our parents take them on vacation. Just don't disturb our days."
Oh, dear. The Tian couple sighed. One of the main reasons they were opposed to their son marrying a man was because of children. They've always been averse to it, but felt it was acceptable as long as their son was happy. Initially, they assumed that the couple would adopt an orphan. If a child was raised by adoptive parents since childhood, they would naturally develop a close attachment with them. They had no idea someone might want to be alone so much.
A loving and intimate pair, their sons were attached at the hip. They'd been together for a long time, but their relationship was still unbreakable. This level of intimacy and commitment was unusual even in a heterosexual relationship. Tian Yuan's parents admitted this honestly.
"Take me as your son? Can I then raise you as my daughter?"
Tian Yuan and Pan Lei burst out laughing.
"Like Pan Yue? You'll be suffering from the same headache as Big Brother."
Thinking of Pan Zhan, the poor man who was worried that his family's Ling Si'er would become the next Pan Yue, they raised their glasses in toast.
"I'm glad we don't have any children. We will not squander our free time."
The elderly couple exchanged glances. Alas, if you do not raise a child, you will never know your parents' kindness.
These two morons completely ignored their parents' anxious expressions and drank one glass after another in joy.
Pan Lei grinned as he lifted his glass to his father-in-law.
"Thank you for making us happy, Mom and Dad."
Pan Lei finished the wine and poured another.
"Thank you, Mom and Dad, for giving me such a wonderful partner."
Pan Lei poured his third glass of booze.
"Please don't worry, Mom and Dad. We will not disappoint your expectations. We'll keep loving one other and grow old together."
Leaving aside the issue of children, these two children were extremely filial. There was no reason not to drink when their son proposed a toast.
Father Tian had met his drinking buddy, Pan Lei, and they had clinked glasses. This young man impressed him. He was honest and truthful, had an indomitable spirit, and lavished his lover with affection. He was a real man, a manly man!
Tian Yuan was eating and spoke with his mother in low voices.
"Is it all right for him to drink so much?"
Tian Yuan examined the bottle of wine. They were both sharing a bottle of Jiannanchun Wine. Mn, shouldn’t be a problem. Pan Lei was unlikely to transform into a kissing fish and keep kissing him.
"Don’t worry, he can hold his liquor. Mom, you’re really not going to live with us? Please come. When I return home from work, I won't be alone anymore."
"And who’s to blame for being lonely? If you’d married and had children, you…"
Mother Tian bit down on the second half of the sentence.
"We're not going. We'll discuss it in a few years. Your uncle and the others are all here, and we all look out for one another. You don't have to be worried about me or your father. You don't stay with us all year. Isn't this how we live? Are you nervous about your studies? Stay for a few days, then return. Pay a visit to your uncle and aunt."
Tian Yuan shook his head.
"He'll leave as soon as his unit calls, so there's no way for us to stay any longer. We'll spend the night here and fly back tomorrow afternoon."
"Okay, I'll clean your room. When we return, go to bed early."
Tian Yuan noticed Pan Lei asking the waitress for another bottle of baiju. He appeared to intend to continue drinking.
Tian Yuan quickly reached for his wine glass. He was well aware of the awesome virtue that excessive drinking was. His chap dared to drink so much alcohol in front of his father-in-law. How shameless.
"Forget about getting any more. No more drinking."
"Hey kid, we two men are having a good time drinking. Why are you stopping us? How about you join us? Come on, Leizi; let's keep talking about the Russian election."
Pan Lei hastily stopped drinking as Tian Yuan's eyes widened. This guy in his family was going to display his power. No more drinking! No, sir!
"Dad, you have a heart condition. Let’s drink again when we get a chance."
Tian Yuan was satisfied to hear this. That’s more like it.
"I'm going to pay the bill. You are not allowed to drink any more. We won't be leaving tonight; we'll return tomorrow."
"That's great! I’ll sleep in your room and feel the breath of your youth. The young Tian'er must also be a beautiful boy."
Tian Yuan punched him. What plan are you hatching now, Big Hooligan?
Translator:
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