A widower's entertainment

Chapter 339 [Two Identities] (Please Subscribe)
Xinghua Hutong, Beijing.

Inside the west wing of the courtyard house, twelve-year-old Lin Zhaoman sat at the desk, head down, writing in his diary in a grid notebook.

“My dad is probably getting married to Teacher Xie next year. I’m wondering if I should call Teacher Xie ‘Mom’ from now on. My mom has been gone for a long time, and I haven’t called her ‘Mom’ in a long time. I don’t know if I should treat Teacher Xie as my mom from now on, but I do know that I can have Teacher Xie attend parent-teacher conferences as my parent.”

"Teacher Xie is tutoring my second brother in English now, and my younger brother Lin Zhaole also likes Teacher Xie very much. I like Teacher Xie too, but I don't know if Teacher Xie and Dad will have their own children in the future, and if I will have younger siblings. Will Dad still like us then? Will my stepmother really be as scary as the bad women in the stories...?"

Lin Zhaoman wrote in his diary, closed the diary, put it in the drawer on his desk, and then took out another book to read.

Just then, Lin Zhaole ran in and saw Lin Zhaoman sitting there reading a book. He couldn't help but run over, grab Lin Zhaoman's hand, and said with a smile, "Fourth Brother, let's go build a snowman!"

Lin Zhaoman couldn't help but laugh when he heard Lin Zhaole's words. Just as he was about to agree, Lin Zhaohuan, who was following behind, said, "Fourth Brother is reading a book. Don't call him. Let's go play."

Lin Zhaoman looked at his two younger siblings, thinking that he should take good care of them. He also thought that if his stepmother was a bad woman and treated them badly in the future, he would protect his younger siblings. He said, "It's okay, I'll go play with you."

"That's great, Fourth Brother, you're the best!"

Throughout the courtyard, Lin Zhaole often followed behind Lin Zhaoman. This was partly because the age difference wasn't that great, and partly because Lin Zhaoman, as the older brother, always played with the two younger children, Lin Zhaohuan and Lin Zhaole. In fact, Lin Zhaole and Lin Zhaohuan were often Lin Zhaoman's little shadows.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Lin Zhaoxi, Lin Zhaoqing, and Lin Zhaomei didn't play with their younger siblings; it's just that Lin Zhaole and Lin Zhaohuan were more attached to Lin Zhaoman.

Lin Zhaoman took his younger siblings to the yard to build a snowman, and put gloves and hats on the two younger children. The three children had a great time playing in the snow in the courtyard.

As the Spring Festival approaches, Beijing has experienced several snowfalls. The pomegranate trees in the courtyard are still covered in white snow, making the Spring Festival couplets that have already been pasted up in each house even more vibrant and lively. Of course, the laughter of several children also makes the whole courtyard exceptionally lively.

Lin Youcheng had considered moving his family to an apartment in the Asian Games Village, but he thought the courtyard houses in Xinghua Hutong had excellent facilities, and his children were used to going to school there, so he decided against it and the family continued to live in Xinghua Hutong. In fact, they owned three courtyard houses in Xinghua Hutong and three more in Sifang Hutong. Even if they didn't plan to live separately, Lin Youcheng was thinking of having the other courtyard houses renovated once the weather warmed up.

Since Lin Youcheng has decided to be with Comrade Xie Shuhua, he naturally needs to inform the children so that they know.

As for Xie Shuhua, she also needs to return to Tianjin to have a proper discussion with her parents. Of course, even if her father, Xie Zelin, and mother, Zhang Aiqin, disagree, some things cannot be stopped by parental opposition. After all, Xie Shuhua has already made up her mind about Lin Youcheng, and everything is already decided.

Song Ma went back to her own home for the New Year, so Lin Youcheng, the father, was the one preparing the meals here.

Of course, Song Ma had already arranged all kinds of dishes for Lin Youcheng's family's New Year's Eve dinner, so Lin Youcheng didn't need to work hard to prepare them all by himself.

After Lin Youcheng prepared the meal, he naturally called the children over to eat.

"Zhaoman, come and eat!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhaoman quickly told Lin Zhaole and Lin Zhaohuan to stop playing in the snow and get ready to eat, while he himself ran to the east wing to call his older brother and sister to eat.

Lin Zhaoxi now frequently tutors Lin Zhaoqing, and Lin Zhaomei also has to attend extra classes, essentially auditing the classes.

The children were all very sensible; they didn't make anyone wait during mealtimes and came to eat quickly.

"Dad, your cooking is delicious."

At the dinner table, the children ate happily, and Lin Zhaoqing even began to praise Lin Youcheng's cooking skills.

Lin Youcheng smiled. His cooking skills were honed over the years. Although he rarely cooks now, since Song Ma helps him, he used to cook for several people all by himself. In the beginning, he really lived frugally, even sharing a bowl of steamed egg custard with several children. Thinking back, it was really not easy back then.

Lin Youcheng looked at his children, especially Lin Zhaole, who would be eight years old after the New Year. He had raised them from infancy to adulthood, which was no easy feat.

Time really flies; in the blink of an eye, the children are already so grown up.

Lin Youcheng hesitated for a moment, thinking about what he was going to say to the children. He didn't know how to talk to them properly. After thinking for a while, he couldn't help but ask, "Do any of you want any New Year's gifts?"

Upon hearing Lin Youcheng's words, the children instantly became excited, their faces beaming with smiles, and each of them began to talk about what gifts they wanted.

Lin Zhaole was the first to raise his hand and say, "Dad, I want a toy gun!"

"Ok."

Lin Zhaoqing suddenly asked, "Dad, after I take the high school entrance exam after the New Year, can I ask for a new bicycle?"

Clearly, Lin Youcheng nodded and said, "After the high school entrance exam, Dad will buy you a bicycle."

"That's great! Thank you, Dad, you're the best!"

Before Lin Zhaoqing could even feel happy, Lin Youcheng added, "If you don't do well on the high school entrance exam, then there's nothing left."

In that instant, Lin Zhaoqing's smile vanished, replaced by a sense of pressure. He said, "I will try my best."

Lin Zhaohuan also mentioned that she wanted a harmonica as a gift.

Lin Zhaomei looked at Lin Youcheng with a mixture of anticipation and embarrassment, and said, "Dad, can I have a camera?" Clearly, Lin Zhaomei also felt that her request was too extravagant.

Lin Youcheng was somewhat surprised, not expecting Lin Zhaomei to want a camera. However, he did not refuse. The price of an Olympus point-and-shoot film camera was about 180 yuan, which was indeed quite expensive, almost equivalent to a worker's monthly salary. Of course, this amount of money was nothing to Lin Youcheng. However, Lin Youcheng asked, "Cameras are very expensive. If I buy it for you, you must take good care of it."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhaomei nodded repeatedly.

Lin Zhaoman and Lin Zhaoxi didn't ask for any gifts, showing great understanding and seemingly lacking nothing.

As the children were happily discussing something, Lin Youcheng said, "Dad, I have something to tell you."

As soon as Lin Youcheng said this, the children couldn't help but look at him, seemingly curious and waiting for him to tell them what happened next.

However, Lin Zhaomei seemed to have anticipated what Lin Youcheng was going to say and couldn't help but ask, "Dad, are you going to marry Teacher Xie?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Youcheng was clearly slightly surprised, not expecting Lin Zhaomei to have guessed what he wanted to say.

Clearly, the children already knew that Xie Shuhua frequently came to the courtyard house. Besides tutoring Lin Zhaoqing in English, she also talked to Lin Youcheng. The children had all vaguely sensed this, since it wasn't just Song Ma who had mentioned it; Lin Youcai, who was far away in Decheng, had urged his father to find a companion.

As soon as Lin Zhaomei spoke, the children's eyes were fixed even more intently on Lin Youcheng.

Lin Zhaole even asked excitedly, "Really? Dad, are you really going to marry Teacher Xie?"

Looking at the children's expressions, Lin Youcheng nodded and said, "Yes, Dad plans to marry Teacher Xie."

Hearing Lin Youcheng's words, Lin Zhaoxi felt uneasy for some reason. She had long known that her father might find someone else, after all, her mother had been gone for almost eight years. She thought it would be nice if it were Teacher Xie Shuhua, but she still felt a pang of sadness for no reason. Even though Lin Zhaoxi wanted to tell herself that it was shallow or try to suppress it, this pang of sadness was very real.

Lin Zhaoxi tried hard to suppress the bitterness in her heart. She knew very well that Teacher Xie Shuhua was a good person. She had even told Teacher Xie Shuhua that she hoped she could stay in Beijing. All of her siblings liked Teacher Xie Shuhua very much, and these were all her heartfelt words. But at this moment, the slight bitterness in her heart was real.

Lin Zhaoqing had actually known about this for a long time. When his eldest sister, Lin Zhaoxi, told Teacher Xie Shuhua that she liked her, he was still puzzled. Although he thought so, he didn't know that his eldest sister would say it in front of Teacher Xie Shuhua. Maybe at that time, his eldest sister was worried that their father would marry someone else.

Lin Zhaomei seemed to have guessed this long ago, otherwise she wouldn't have asked about it directly. Her expression was calm, and she didn't seem to have any particularly strong feelings about this matter. Of course, she felt more of a fear of the unknown. She also knew that her father would find another partner. Her uncle had been urging her to do this, and Director Zhao from the neighborhood office had also been trying to play matchmaker for her father. Both of them were quite a bit too old, and they were naturally well aware of this matter.

"Dad, after you and Teacher Xie get married, will we have to call Teacher Xie 'Mom'?"

"Dad, when are you going to marry Teacher Xie?"

Lin Zhaole asked several questions, and Lin Zhaohuan followed suit.

As for Lin Zhaoman, who is usually very quiet, he had known about this for a long time. Otherwise, he wouldn't have written it in his diary. He was just worried that Teacher Xie would be with his father in the future, become a stepmother, and then become the bad woman in the story. Of course, he also knew very well that those were just stories. Teacher Xie Shuhua has always been a good person, and deep down he also hoped that a mother could take him to parent-teacher conferences.

Listening to Lin Zhaole and Lin Zhaohuan's continuous questions, Lin Zhaoman's lips slowly turned up, his eyes filled with laughter. For some reason, he suddenly felt a little eager to call out "Mom" again.

After all, Lin Zhaoman hadn't called out "Mom" for a very, very long time.

Lin Zhaomei glanced at her eldest sister, Lin Zhaoxi. She had some memories of their mother, who had left them a long time ago. She was six years old when her mother passed away, and she would be fourteen this year. She felt that it was quite difficult for her father to take care of the six of them, his siblings, all by himself for so many years. She felt that she could accept her father remarrying, but her eldest sister, Lin Zhaoxi, might care more about their mother.

Lin Youcheng was clearly aware of this as well. He always remembered that Lin Zhaoxi wanted to go to medical school and become a doctor, specifically an obstetrician-gynecologist. He had been paying attention to Lin Zhaoxi's expression when his child's mother left.

Although he had told his children before, when Lin Zhaohuan asked if he was going to find them a stepmother, that if he were to remarry, it wouldn't be to find a stepmother for them, but rather to find his lover, who would also have another identity—the children's nominal mother, or stepmother. Lin Youcheng had told his children at that time that they were his world, but that his world might include other people in the future. Of course, no matter who else was in his world, his identity as a father would not change.

Lin Youcheng observed Lin Zhaoxi's expression. Perhaps it was because of the years of caring for the children, but he could sense the slight bitterness in Lin Zhaoxi's heart. After the children left, he made a point of asking Lin Zhaoxi to stay behind.

"Xi'er, Daddy's here to tell you that I'm planning to marry Teacher Xie. If you don't want to call her Mommy—"

"Dad, no, that won't happen."

Upon hearing what Lin Youcheng hadn't finished saying, Lin Zhaoxi immediately understood what Lin Youcheng meant and interrupted, "I will call Teacher Xie 'Mom'."

Perhaps it was Lin Youcheng's words to Lin Zhaoxi at that moment that suppressed the slight bitterness in Lin Zhaoxi's heart.

The sensible Lin Zhaoxi looked at the wrinkles at the corners of her father Lin Youcheng's eyes. She knew that it had not been easy for her father to take care of her and her siblings all these years. She was eight years old when her mother passed away, and her father had been taking care of them alone for eight years. Deep down, she had long accepted the fact that her mother had left them. She also knew that some people outside said that her father had been single all this time because of her mother, taking care of them all by himself.

My uncle is right. It wasn't easy for my father to take care of all six of his siblings all these years.

Lin Zhaoxi said with a smile, "We all like Teacher Xie very much."

Hearing Lin Zhaoxi's words, Lin Youcheng knew that no matter how much he liked them, it would take time to get to know them. But he was even more aware that he, as their father, would always be the father of these children, a destiny that had been set from the moment he appeared in their lives.

Lin Youcheng nodded and said, "Xi'er, your father said that no matter what, I will always be your father."

(End of this chapter)