Wu Xin: The Monster Killer

Chapter 283 Family Members (1)

Jiaqi stayed in the hospital for three days. Shi Yibiao and his wife seemed to be discarding her like a used tool, spending all their time looking after their grandson in the incubator and clearly neglecting Jiaqi. Bai Daqian, on the other hand, had a heart full of fatherly love, but couldn't personally care for his daughter. He could only stay in the ward from morning till night, firstly to bring Jiaqi tea and water, and secondly to keep an eye on Shi Gaofei—yesterday, when no one was looking after her, Shi Gaofei almost seduced Jiaqi and took her home.

By the fourth day, Jiaqi seemed to have recovered her energy and began to talk and laugh with her father and Shi Gaofei. Bai Daqian was very happy, not because he was happy to have a grandson, but because his daughter was safe and sound; Shi Gaofei was also very happy because he felt that Jiaqi's swollen belly looked strange, but now it was finally gone.

Everyone was busy celebrating, and all the miscellaneous chores fell on Shi Danfeng's shoulders. She had never had a child, had no experience or knowledge, but Shi Yibiao and Zhao Xiufen treated her like a know-it-all, causing her to be constantly on the go, hiring a postpartum nanny, buying formula, diapers, and all the necessary baby supplies. Christmas was approaching, the weather was freezing, and only Wuxin kept her company. When Shi Danfeng occasionally had a moment of peace, she would secretly gaze at Wuxin without making a sound. Finally, she would sigh inwardly, thinking that no one else truly cared for her; if anyone was kind, it was Wuxin.

On the fourth day at noon, Jiaqi was discharged from the hospital and returned home. The postpartum nanny was there, standing in the kitchen making crucian carp soup for Jiaqi. Jiaqi still had no breast milk, leading Zhao Xiufen and Shi Yibiao to gossip behind her back, thinking their daughter-in-law was useless—no milk, and her grandson only weighed a little over three pounds. Zhao Xiufen was eager to assert her mother-in-law status and throw a few words of gossip at Jiaqi; however, Jiaqi just laughed and didn't understand the underlying meaning at all. Disappointed, she wanted to continue, but Shi Gaofei, who also didn't understand, became impatient: "Alright, Mom, you're so noisy!"

Zhao Xiufen was afraid of her son. As soon as Shi Gaofei spoke, she immediately became like a yellow croaker, sneaking out of the bedroom along the wall.

Jiaqi hadn't seen her son since, so she simply forgot about him completely. Shi Gaofei had absolutely no intention of accepting the son—he didn't want his house to be overflowing with people from all over the world!

So, a little over a month later, when he saw Zhao Xiufen bring home a six-pound baby boy from the hospital, he was so angry that he frowned in public and said, "What's going on? You brought them all to my house?"

Shi Yibiao rubbed his hands together, not daring to speak, but gave Zhao Xiufen a look that signaled her to speak. Zhao Xiufen held the swaddled baby like a precious gem, also quite apprehensive. Bai Daqian stood to the side, staring intently at the child, thinking that if it weren't for him, he wouldn't have had to marry Jiaqi off to Shi Gaofei.

Shi Gaofei stood at the doorway, adopting an imposing stance, determined to defend the purity of their home. Zhao Xiufen, holding her baby, was caught in a dilemma, while the nanny stood at the kitchen doorway, also hesitant, unsure whether to greet them. Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of Shi Danfeng, and Zhao Xiufen immediately knew who to target: "Xiaofeng, really, what are you standing there for? You're over thirty years old, don't you have any sense of propriety?"

Wuxin was playing computer games with Jiaqi in the next bedroom. Their conversation, happening in the living room, could be clearly heard in the bedroom. Shi Danfeng, already feeling guilty about living with a younger husband, was instantly enraged when her mother said she was "over thirty." She stormed into the bedroom without looking back, saying, "I don't know how to hug, and it's not my turn to hug." Then, standing in the bedroom doorway, she called out, "Wuxin, stop playing, let's go home!"

Shi Gaofei didn't want Wuxin to leave, so he turned back and interrupted Shi Danfeng's order: "No, you're not allowed to go home!" Then, facing his parents, he said righteously, "We don't want the child, he's yours. Take him with you!"

Zhao Xiufen and Shi Yibiao exchanged bewildered glances, then looked to Bai Daqian for help. Bai Daqian, at a loss for what to do, took a deep breath, then suddenly held up a finger and whispered, "I've got an idea!"

Bai Daqian brought Wuxin out of the bedroom and asked him to speak with Shi Gaofei. Wuxin had feelings for Shi Gaofei and Jiaqi, but had no interest in their child. In front of everyone, he offered a few insincere words of advice to Shi Gaofei, only to be grabbed by the collar and slapped by Shi Gaofei for "betraying his own people."

Seeing their son was truly angry, Shi Yibiao and his wife wisely retreated. Their grandson was too young to be taken directly back to Mars Town. Left with no other choice, they followed Bai Daqian to the outskirts of the city, taking the baby and themselves to a rented room in an office building. Fortunately, the room was spacious and bright, fully furnished, and the heating was excellent—the radiators were always scalding hot. After unwrapping the large, dumpling-like swaddled baby on the sofa, Zhao Xiufen carefully lifted her six-pound grandson from inside. Bai Daqian approached with mixed emotions. He hadn't looked before, but now, suddenly seeing the infant, a surge of affection welled up within him. The baby was clearly sickly and weak, but his features were already clearly defined, a spitting image of little Jiaqi, with only minor details resembling Shi Gaofei.

"Oh my..." he exclaimed in surprise, "You opened your eyes?"

His breath brushed against Zhao Xiufen's cheek. Zhao Xiufen glanced at him quickly, and a stirring of spring, dormant for over a decade, began to awaken within her. Without warning, she felt embarrassed.

"You've opened your eyes, haven't you?" She seemed to have regressed from menopause to adolescence in one step: "Look, he's looking at you."

Shi Yibiao had just finished urinating when he pushed open the bathroom door and walked into the living room. Looking at the backs of Zhao Xiufen and Bai Daqian standing side by side, he suddenly felt that the scene was somewhat jarring, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Because his son resolutely refused to allow his grandson to enter the family, and the grandson was too young to travel far, Shi Yibiao had no choice but to leave his wife in Jiangkou City. Completely entrusting the grandson to a nanny was not reassuring; a relative needed to be present to look after him. Considering the combined population of the Shi and Bai families, the only suitable candidate was Zhao Xiufen.

Shi Yibiao, preoccupied with the family business, returned to Huoxing Town before the New Year. Zhao Xiufen remained alone in her rented room in the office building, single-handedly and energetically taking care of her grandson meticulously. She was pleased with herself, but Shi Danfeng was suffering – now that Zhao Xiufen had a grandson, she treated her less and less like a human being.

So, within a month, she moved as well. She rented a small apartment of about 30 square meters in a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city. She didn't make any long-term plans; she just wanted to temporarily avoid her mother's wrath.

Suddenly, only Zhao Xiufen and Bai Daqian remained in the spacious rented room. Shi Yibiao, having learned the news at home, still couldn't find fault, but the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. Surrounded by his second, third, fourth, and fifth mistresses, he occasionally felt a chill run down his spine, a strong urge to become a cuckold. But then again, with his father-in-law's charm and status, he could easily find young girls; why would he favor a haggard, grandmotherly woman?

Thinking of this, Shi Yibiao felt a little relieved, realizing he had been overthinking things. Before he knew it, the New Year arrived, and he went to Jiangkou City alone again. When he saw Zhao Xiufen in her rented room, he was startled to find that the once sallow-faced woman was no longer yellow, her hiccups had stopped, and she was impeccably groomed from head to toe, truly a woman of her prime, still retaining her charm.

He became cautious and then turned his attention to observing Bai Daqian. Bai Daqian, having been provoked by HSBC a few days prior, was now completely consumed by greed. He managed to meet with Shi Yibiao amidst his busy schedule; his heart was pure and his conscience clear. Shi Yibiao, seeing his father-in-law looking radiant and even more handsome than when they last met, felt his heart pounding in the air, unsure whether his lingering anxieties were worth preserving.

He made a phone call to Shi Danfeng, yelling at her like a dog, ordering his daughter and son-in-law to move back to the office building immediately. But Shi Danfeng was determined to rebel and refused to listen. A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl; Shi Yibiao only realized the irreversible damage when he needed her.

Shi Danfeng's newly rented apartment was not only cramped but also old; it was supposed to be a one-bedroom apartment, but the living room was so small it was practically nonexistent, and the only usable space was the bedroom. After get off work each evening, she would, as usual, cook in the old, greasy kitchen. Compared to when she was single, she was now much more extravagant, especially when it came to meals, never wanting to skimp on Wuxin's food. She prepared three dishes and a soup, having cooked them herself, and didn't expect Wuxin to help. As she placed the dishes on the round table in front of the bed, she said, "Housing prices are getting higher and higher; we really can't wait any longer. If we wait any longer, we won't even be able to afford a house outside the city. Wuxin, stop playing around and get up to eat! Still playing around? Do you want me to feed you? I've thought it through. I'm going to pick a good location; size doesn't matter. Anyway, it's just the two of us; one room is enough."

She placed two bowls of rice on the table, then turned to the large bed and, in a deep contralto voice, uttered a powerful cry: "Wuxin!"

Wuxin, who had been lying on the bed playing on his phone, suddenly sat up, crawled to the edge of the bed, faced the round table, picked up his rice bowl, and shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth. Shi Danfeng asked, "Does the rice smell good? This rice is very expensive."

Wuxin sniffed the rising steam, then looked up and replied, "It smells good."

Shi Danfeng moved a round stool and sat down beside him. She picked up her chopsticks and put some food on Wuxin's plate. As she ate, she said, "Did you go bloodletting with Bai Daqian again this afternoon? Be more careful, don't let him become suspicious of you. Even though he's related to us now, who can guarantee he won't sell you out if he finds out your secret?"

Wu Xin nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, I know."

Shi Danfeng reached out and patted his head: "I really don't know what you'll be like in ten years. What kind of thing are you anyway?"

Without thinking, he shook his head, frowned, and replied, "Here we go again. Am I even a human being?"

Shi Danfeng sighed: "Do you think I don't know whether you're human or not?"

Wuxin, having been spoiled by her, had developed a bit of a temper: "Ugh, so annoying! Time to eat!"

(End of this chapter)