Tianjin people will never lose SAN

Chapter 623 Father-in-Law, Old Man (4k+)

"Bye-bye, why don't you hide for a bit?"

"What do you know? This is nothing. A new son-in-law is bound to be given a hard time when he comes to visit. Didn't you see? The father-in-law put down his axe, just in case someone gets killed."

Give me a shot with the butt, I won't get hurt.

"That's what they call 'spare the rod and spoil the child,' and who wouldn't love their son-in-law?"

"Bye, it looks like he's loaded a bullet."

"Hey, don't come here, I've seen too many of these. I'm going to run away now and be done with it!"
Do you understand what this test is? This is a test of my character and courage. As expected of a descendant of a military family, Mili'er is truly remarkable. The old man used to be an investigator, so I'm confident in his abilities. He's a reliable and accurate person.

He thought I'd run away? I'll show him without batting an eye!

"Bye, he seems to have unplugged the insurance... Bye, bye!"

When Xiao Hu turned his head to look again, Liu Yonglu had already run seven or eight meters away! Xiao Hu quickly followed behind and ran together.

Actually, given their combined strength, Xiao Hu wouldn't even need to lift a finger. Liu Yonglu's Black Stone and Fan were no pushovers either, but he didn't dare to. He couldn't very well send his future father-in-law to Toad's place on their first meeting with the parents.

If I can't afford to mess with them, I can at least avoid them! Liu Yonglu dodged and weaved through the forest, even using trees as cover.

Millie Tang was also startled. When she saw Xiao Hu, she knew where the problem lay. Her father must have misunderstood Ricky and thought that Xiao Hu was her and Ricky's child.

But this isn't entirely Millie Tang's fault. Millie Tang rarely goes home; she has a separate bedroom next to the University of Michigan's library.

Millie Tang only goes home once a year on average, so theoretically it's very feasible for her to secretly have a child.

Millie Tang's stamina was average; she couldn't keep up with the three ahead of her, and it took her several hundred meters to catch up with her father.

Why didn't her father shoot? Did he change his mind at the last minute and intend to spare Liu Yonglu's life? No, definitely not. He genuinely intended to shoot the kid dead.

Millie Tang's father didn't fire because he saw Xiao Hu clearly when he got closer.

Although the old man doesn't have the special constitution of a witch to sense Xiao Hu's status, he was, after all, a mystic in his youth.

He can probably tell whether this child is human or not.

Standing there, Millie Tang's father pondered for a moment. No matter how capable his daughter was, she couldn't possibly give birth to a primordial deity. There must be some misunderstanding.

Just then, Millie Tang caught up, panting, and frantically used sign language. Little Tiger stood at a distance watching. After a while, Millie Tang's father finally unloaded the bullet from his shotgun.

"Ricky, come out! I've explained things to my dad!"

Millie Tang could no longer see Liu Yonglu and had no idea where he had gone. She could only cup her hands around a small megaphone and shout loudly into the woods.

Half a minute later, a rustling sound came from the woods, and Liu Yonglu poked half his head out. He was quite alert.

"It's my fault... I didn't explain clearly, but it was just a misunderstanding. My dad has a very good temper and is very gentle."

Milie Tang was also quite embarrassed, so she quickly took Liu Yonglu's hand and pulled him out.

"Hey, I know it's a misunderstanding. I wasn't running away. I just... saw that the mushrooms in the woods were growing really well, so I wanted to pick some to make soup for dinner."

Liu Yonglu tried to justify himself by saying a few words.

"You should throw them away quickly, they're all poisonous. My mother cultivated them for medicinal purposes."

……

Sunlight streamed through the glass into the living room on the first floor of Millie Tang's villa, filling the entire room.

Millie Tang's father sat on a single sofa, watching his daughter sitting opposite him gesturing to him in sign language.

Liu Yonglu held Zouji and Xiaohu and sat together properly, not daring to speak, not daring to drink the tea on the table, and not even daring to breathe loudly.

Liu Yonglu stole a glance at Millie Tang's father. The guy was really imposing, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, a thin layer of stubble on his sideburns, and biceps on his shoulders bigger than a towel.

Mili also said that her dad has a good temper, and people with good tempers don't usually look like that.

Sensing Liu Yonglu's gaze, Millie Tang's father also glanced at Ricky. Liu Yonglu, as usual, smiled and moved Millie Tang's father's cup of tea closer, nodding as if to say, "Father-in-law, please have some tea."

“Rickie, let me introduce you. This is my father. You can call him Eberhardt.”

Millie Tang didn't seem to mind. She first introduced Liu Yonglu to her father, and then used sign language to explain the situation to him.

"This is Ricky Baldwin, an investigator in the Investigation Department, and also my fiancé."

"This kid doesn't seem to be very bright."

"Isn't it because you scared me? Let me tell you, he has passed the witch's test, just like you did back then."

Besides... he's usually quite clever. Anyway, I can make my own decisions.

Millie Tang herself felt a little nervous when she was gesturing this.

What happened to that child?

"You should have noticed by now that Little Tiger and that chicken are both deities, and their relationship... well, it's hard to explain in just a few words."

Liu Yonglu watched as Mi Li'er gestured wildly, pointing at herself one moment and then at Xiao Hu the next. What did all this mean?

"Mili, what are you talking to Dad about?"

"My dad said you look exceptionally smart and reliable."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yonglu quickly tugged at Xiao Hu's sleeve, as if to say, "What did you say, Bye-bye?" Then he turned and nodded to Eberhard, who was glaring at him.

Tsk, my father-in-law may seem tough on the surface, but deep down he's quite satisfied with me as his son-in-law.

Liu Yonglu has become beautiful again.

"In addition, he is currently the head of the investigation team. He just returned from the Lost Sea and retrieved the clues about Mom's disappearance from the gods. Our next step is to go find Mom."

Eberhardt didn't listen to any of this. The investigation team leader was nothing. When he was young, even the investigators had to be very polite to him.

But after gesturing the second half of the sentence, Eberhardt lost his composure and sat up abruptly from the sofa.

Liu Yonglu had just picked up his teacup and was blowing on the tea, not even taking a sip, when his father-in-law suddenly stood up, startling him.

Liu Yonglu glanced at Eberhardt. What did that mean? Was he happy? Or angry again? But since the elders had all stood up, he couldn't continue sitting. To be polite, he had to stand too.

Liu Yonglu put down his teacup and stood up. The two of them stared at each other across the coffee table and began to assess each other's appearances.

Eberhardt suddenly reached out his right hand to pat Liu Yonglu's shoulder. Liu Yonglu thought his father-in-law was going to use a grappling technique on him, so he quickly lowered his shoulder to dodge.

Eberhardt smiled, lowered his hand, and nodded to Millie Tang.

What does this mean... Liu Yonglu was completely baffled. Before, whether he was dealing with the earthly preachers of the Holy Mother or going against the donkey, he relied on his mouth.

But today, facing a deaf person, Liu Yonglu was truly powerless to help.

Liu Yonglu felt like a fool, and stood there awkwardly for a while before slowly sitting down.

"Rickie, I need to go find what Mom left behind. You and Tiger wait downstairs for a while."

Millie Tang also gave Eberhart a set of sign language to express the same meaning. She then took out the parchment scroll Emily had left behind from her backpack and handed it to her father before getting up and going up the stairs to the second floor. Currently, the group's desire to travel through time and space has been largely fulfilled in the past two days thanks to the incantations on the stone slab and the powerful magic array contained within the Great Temple. However, there is one remaining question: Millie Tang doesn't know which dimension her mother will travel to.

Liu Yonglu wanted to go home, which was easy; he had a very clear understanding of his destination—a good place to go.

But Millie Tang had no idea where her mother had traveled to. The stone tablet contained the coordinates of so many intelligent civilizations; it was impossible to list them all one by one.

Therefore, Millie Tang had two purposes for returning home this time. First, she wanted to introduce Ricky to her father, and second, she wanted to find clues among her mother's personal belongings to try to narrow down the possibilities.

Her departure left Liu Yonglu in an awkward position.

Millie Tang's father sat down and started reading the parchment scrolls, while she just sat there like an idiot... with nothing else to do.

Seeing the ashtray on the coffee table, Liu Yonglu took out a Universe brand cigarette from his pocket and offered it to Eberhardt.

Eberhardt glanced at him. Actually, he didn't usually smoke. The reason there was an ashtray on the table was because old friends would occasionally come over to visit, and it was there for them.

But for the sake of the parchment scroll in his hand... Eberhard still accepted the cigarette and tried to put on a "friendly and gentle" smile, letting Liu Yonglu light it.

"Little Tiger, what do you want to eat tonight? I'll make you something later."

Mili said that her parents don't know how to cook, and they usually just drink some oatmeal porridge for three meals a day. We don't eat that dog food, so what's the point of eating oatmeal porridge?

Later, I'll use my little knife to poop—to show old BK what's good for him, so he can have something tasty too. Then, this whole thing between me and your aunt will be completely settled!

I want to eat pan-fried pork tenderloin!

Xiao Hu hurriedly ordered food.

"This kid is really good at this."

Pan-fried pork tenderloin is delicious; it goes perfectly with rice. Your aunt and uncle have worked all day in the fields, so they need to eat something satisfying and delicious.

I'll go check their kitchen later; they probably have eggs and meat.

call……"

Liu Yonglu exhaled a puff of smoke, looked up at Eberhardt, and noticed that the other man was also staring at him with a half-smile.

"Bye, I'm a little hungry. Why don't you go cook now?"

Xiao Hu tugged at Liu Yonglu's sleeve and pointed to his own belly.

Liu Yonglu stubbed out his cigarette, glanced at his watch, and realized it was past four in the afternoon. It was indeed time to prepare dinner; the family had been rushing to get somewhere these past two days and hadn't had a proper meal.

But cooking requires using someone else's kitchen, and Liu Yonglu doesn't know sign language, so how is he supposed to express this? He's a bit apprehensive.

"Little Tiger, Yonglu's legs have been shaking ever since he sat down here. I feel like I'm sitting on an electric shock. I reckon he won't dare to go to the stove until Millie Tang comes downstairs. Hey, we'll probably have to wait until dark for our meal."

The chicken in my arms is bringing up the very thing I shouldn't have.

"Tsk, it's normal for me to visit my father-in-law's house for the first time and have a meal here.

Don't look at me like that. Just now, Millie Tang's dad was yelling and glaring at me, but I didn't take it to heart at all.

Forget about cooking, I'd rather take down their roof than even cook for them...

Just as Liu Yonglu was about to stand up, he noticed that Eberhardt, who was sitting opposite him, had shifted his gaze from the parchment scroll to him.

Liu Yonglu stood for a while, then... sat down, pushing his teacup forward as if to say, "Father-in-law, please have some tea."

After waiting for another two minutes, feeling extremely uneasy, Liu Yonglu realized that the fierce-looking uncle opposite him seemed to be completely absorbed in his own thoughts. Only then did he tiptoe out of the living room with Xiao Hu and Zou Ji.

Millie Tang's house is big, with large rooms, and even the kitchen is very spacious. Eberhardt kept everything very clean by himself.

Liu Yonglu rummaged through drawers and cabinets to find the ingredients he needed, and also found a dark purple apron that he tied around his waist.

Once out of Eberhart's sight, Liu Yonglu felt his blood flowing freely throughout his body, and he busied himself with preparing dinner with Xiaohu and Zouji.

About an hour later, Millie Tang came downstairs, carrying a large cardboard box filled to the brim with books her mother had read and occult artifacts she had used before her disappearance.

The witch's plan was to find everything first, and then study it slowly when she had time.

Leaving Liu Yonglu downstairs was also because Milley Tang wanted Ricky to leave a good impression on her father. Milley Tang knew her father's temper best; when he was young, he was the kind of person who was particularly strong-willed, otherwise he wouldn't have recklessly ruined his ears and throat.

If she takes Ricky everywhere she goes, her father will look down on him. It's better to leave him behind. With Emily's letter as a favor, her father won't do anything to Ricky.

When Millie Tang went downstairs, she saw her father leaning against the kitchen doorway, smoking and watching Ricky bustling around in the kitchen.

"You made them cook?"

"They have to do it themselves. It's rare to find investigators who are good at cooking these days. I wonder where this kid found the apron your mom used to wear all the time."

The father and daughter exchanged a gesture.

"I see that Grandpa's door is still closed. Is he still alive?"

"I'm alive. I'll bring the food up later."

Millie Tang's maternal grandmother, like her mother, disappeared decades ago, and Millie Tang had never met her.

But my grandfather was still alive. For the next few decades, he locked himself in the attic, rarely went downstairs or had any contact with people, and spent his days in a drunken stupor, passing his days with alcohol.

"Should I take Ricky to see him tomorrow?"

"Sure, but it wouldn't make much sense."

Eberhard looked down at the cigarette butt he had just finished smoking. He hadn't smoked in a long time, and he thought the cigarette tasted pretty good.

Liu Yonglu had almost finished cooking, and the family of four, along with the chicken, happily sat down at the table to eat.

"Ricky, how did your conversation with my father go this afternoon?"

Millie Tang had a small appetite and finished eating first. She looked up and asked Liu Yonglu, who blinked, seemingly not quite understanding what Millie Tang meant. "Isn't your dad deaf? How can I talk to a deaf person? I don't have any special abilities."

"Didn't I tell you? My dad can read lips; he can understand what you're saying as long as we're not too far apart."

Liu Yonglu's expression changed as he picked up the spoon... He had been badmouthing his father-in-law to Zou Ji and Xiao Hu in the living room and kitchen.

Fortunately, Eberhardt stood up and started clearing away the cutlery and dishes, seemingly preparing to wash them.

"Haha, look at you."

Under the table, Millie Tang kicked Liu Yonglu's shin with her foot:
"Don't worry, it's okay. I know my dad."

Millie Tang's family lived on a small hillside, surrounded by desolate mountains and few other houses. There was no entertainment after dark, so they had to go to sleep as soon as they finished eating.

Eberhardt specially prepared two rooms. Liu Yonglu was sensible and knew what his father-in-law meant, so he consciously... moved in with Xiaohu and Zouji.

But recently, Liu Yonglu hasn't gone to bed this early. He's been lying in bed for hours, unable to fall asleep!
Unable to sleep, Liu Yonglu got a bit craving, so he simply got out of bed and prepared to make some late-night snacks.

Carrying an oil lamp, Liu Yonglu tiptoed to the kitchen on the first floor. He found half a bag of pastries, which he had brought from Shiweitian. He poured himself a glass of milk and began to eat his midnight snack.

But as he was eating... he heard a creaking sound coming from the darkness at the bottom of the stairs, and someone was walking down the wooden stairs.

(End of this chapter)