Chapter 72: Meeting the Parents
“Aowu…” The white dumpling hugged the table leg and wailed, his entire body radiating an aura of utter grievance. Lin Xia dragged him away, the white dumpling’s sharp claws leaving scratches on the floor that symbolized his reluctance.
Even though the white dumpling used all his might, he still couldn’t successfully resist. Lin Xia brought him to the dining table. Covering his eyes, the white dumpling secretly peeked through a crack in his paws and immediately started wailing again.
“Aowu…” There really are carrots… Dad didn’t lie to me…
“Isn’t Baby the best behaved? Good babies don’t hate eating carrots.” Lin Xia gently stroked the white dumpling’s head to soothe him. “Besides, carrots are very nutritious. When Dad was little, I wanted to eat them but couldn’t.”
Carrots used to be relatively expensive. They rarely appeared on the dining tables at the welfare institute, and if they did, it was in a very large pot of soup. For them, carrots were a rarity; no one would be picky about them.
“Aowu?” Why couldn’t Dad eat carrots? The white dumpling didn’t know about Lin Xia’s past and asked curiously.
“Because Dad was very poor when he was little and couldn’t afford carrots. Baby is very happy now; you can have whatever you want to eat, so you can’t understand how we felt back then.” Lin Xia smiled bitterly. For them, just being able to eat carrots was happiness enough. “So, Baby needs to cherish his current life.”
The white dumpling was still small, and Lin Xia didn’t know if saying these things was useful, but life lessons still needed to be taught in a timely manner.
“Aowu…” Dad, An An understands. An An will eat the carrots… The white dumpling nuzzled Lin Xia’s cheek, behaving so obediently that one couldn’t help but smile.
“Baby is so sensible.” Lin Xia smiled with relief, his eyes full of tenderness.
“Aowu!” Dad, let’s eat! The white dumpling wagged his tail happily, determined to challenge the carrots with the terrible taste.
After lunch, the white dumpling carried the phone in his mouth to the side to chat with Tang Yinlang. They had finished eating, but Tang Yinlang was just starting his lunch, chatting with the white dumpling while he ate.
“Aowu…” Daddy, An An was amazing today. An An ate lots of carrots… The white dumpling excitedly recounted his “heroic deeds” to Tang Yinlang.
“An An is amazing!” Tang Yinlang praised the white dumpling from the bottom of his heart. Carrots were truly an unbearable existence for tigers. Tang Yinlang had avoided them whenever possible growing up; he didn’t expect the white dumpling to be so brave.
“Aowu!” Praised, the white dumpling wagged his tail cheerfully, his big blue eyes sparkling.
“I’m going to work now. Remember to tell Dad that I’ll go to the pet shop to pick you up at 5:30…” Tang Yinlang finished his meal and reluctantly said goodbye to the white dumpling.
“Aowu~ Bo~” The white dumpling gave Tang Yinlang a big, sweet kiss through the screen before taking the phone to find Lin Xia to tell him that Daddy was coming to pick them up.
During breakfast this morning, Lin Xia and Tang Yinlang had already told the white dumpling that they were going to visit Daddy’s maternal grandmother’s house tonight. The white dumpling was looking forward to seeing the Great-Grandma who made him pastries. He had even specially dug out his little suit from the closet, dressing handsomely to visit her.
“Aowu!” Dad, Daddy said he’s coming to pick us up at 5:30! The white dumpling excitedly informed Lin Xia and returned the phone to him.
“Is that so?” Lin Xia squatted down and picked up the white dumpling.
“Aowu!” An An is so happy to see Great-Grandma who makes delicious cakes!
“Then does Baby want to take a nap first? Sleep until you’re full of energy, and then we’ll go see Great-Grandma?” Lin Xia smoothed the white dumpling’s fur with his hand, his slender fingers gliding over the cub’s spine to tame a tuft of fur that was sticking up.
“Aowu!” An An wants to sleep! The white dumpling narrowed his eyes, enjoying the comfort.
“Mn.” Lin Xia carried the white dumpling to the lounge, placed him on the bed, and covered him with a small blanket.
“Good afternoon, Baby.” Lin Xia left a goodnight kiss on the white dumpling’s forehead and only left the lounge after seeing the cub close his eyes.
In the afternoon, Chen Zhong arrived with his ID. Lin Xia took a photo of his documents as evidence. After completing this step, Chen Zhong could begin a one-week volunteer period at the pet shop. If his performance was satisfactory during the volunteering process, he could officially adopt a pet.
Chen Zhong had no objections to this. If he adopted a dog from the shop for free without giving anything in return, he would feel uneasy. However, since he had to work during the day, he could only come over after getting off work.
Chen Zhong was very dedicated to the matter of adopting Ah Huang and was active in his work. He was the type of person who worked honestly and spoke little; if Lin Xia didn’t initiate a chat, he would just keep his head down and work. Overall, Chen Zhong left a decent impression on Lin Xia. Lin Xia felt that the three brothers actually shared quite a few similarities.
The afternoon passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was closing time. After the employees left, seeing that Lin Xia was free, the white dumpling hurriedly urged him into the lounge.
“Aowu!” Dad, hurry and help An An put on the little suit! The white dumpling held the little suit in his paws, looking at Lin Xia with shining eyes.
“Okay.” Lin Xia smiled and helped a certain vain little tiger put on the suit. Once dressed, the little tiger immediately da-da-da ran to look in the mirror.
The white dumpling’s suit was custom-ordered by Lin Xia online. The pet shop sold clothes for pets, but on a whim, Lin Xia had also ordered quite a few outfits for the white dumpling. The one he was wearing now was his favorite: a white striped shirt, a black suit jacket, and a red bow tie. Worn by the white dumpling, it made him look quite the gentleman.
“Aowu!” The white dumpling admired the handsome tiger in the mirror. Feeling satisfied, he wagged his tail and da-da-da ran back to Lin Xia’s side.
“Aowu!” Dad, why isn’t Daddy here yet? The white dumpling waited somewhat anxiously. It was almost 5:30, and Tang Yinlang still hadn’t arrived.
“Daddy still has to go home to get some things.” Lin Xia patted the white dumpling, comforting the anxious cub.
Tang Yinlang had to go home to get the free-range chicken and eggs before coming to pick them up.
Just as he finished speaking, the sound of car brakes was heard outside. Tang Yinlang opened the car door and walked in with long strides.
“Aowu!” Daddy! The white dumpling happily ran to Tang Yinlang’s side and was scooped up into his arms.
“An An looks really handsome today.” Tang Yinlang was stunned by the white dumpling in his suit. The contrast between the cub’s immaturity and the elite look of the suit created a “gap moe” effect, highlighting his innocence and charm even more.
“Bo~” The white dumpling happily left a sweet kiss on Tang Yinlang’s face.
Tang Yinlang’s eyes filled with mirth, and the corners of his mouth held a gentle smile as he walked toward Lin Xia holding the white dumpling.
“Let’s go.” Lin Xia stood up and joined Tang Yinlang and the white dumpling.
Two adults and one cub got into the car; it was Tang Yinlang’s vehicle. It wasn’t a big brand, but the space and comfort were very suitable.
The white dumpling sat on Lin Xia’s lap, moving around excitedly, thrilled that he was about to see Great-Grandma.
Compared to the white dumpling’s excitement, Lin Xia appeared much more calm. But that was an act. His insides were not as tranquil as his surface suggested; his palms were sweating.
“Stop by the market in a bit, I’ll get out to buy some fruit,” Lin Xia reminded Tang Yinlang.
“Mn,” Tang Yinlang responded. Arriving at the market, Tang Yinlang found a spot to park, and the family of three got out to buy fruit.
“Aowu!” Buy sweet Hami melon! Seeing the cantaloupes, the white dumpling’s eyes lit up, calling for Lin Xia and Tang Yinlang to buy one.
“We’ll listen to you.” Lin Xia smiled and picked out a Hami melon for him. Then he bought two small boxes of apples and bananas, as Tang Yinlang’s grandparents liked to eat them.
After buying the fruit, the family returned to the car, and Tang Yinlang continued driving. Back in the car, Lin Xia’s nervousness returned. The closer they got to Yuanyang District, the more tense Lin Xia became.
“Are you okay?” Tang Yinlang was a bit worried about Lin Xia. Since getting in the car, Lin Xia had been silent, likely due to nerves.
“I’m fine… just a little nervous.” Lin Xia shook his head gently. He wasn’t just a little nervous; he was extremely nervous. He had given himself a psychological pep talk all last night, but it turned out to be useless.
“No need to be nervous. Grandpa and Grandma are very kind. And since they live alone, it will just be us.” While waiting for a red light, Tang Yinlang lightly tapped the steering wheel with his index finger, his gaze distant.
Considering it was Lin Xia’s first visit and they weren’t familiar with each other yet, Tang Yinlang’s grandparents hadn’t invited anyone else (like Tang Yinlang’s uncles, aunts, etc.), so dinner would just be the few of them.
“Mn, mn.” Hearing Tang Yinlang’s words, Lin Xia felt slightly relieved, though the tension remained.
In Yuanyang Square, a group of older women (“damas”) were square dancing, the sound of “Little Apple” blasting at deafening volume.
A passing dama was pulled aside by one of the dancers, who whispered in her ear, “Zhao Fengying, why aren’t you dancing tonight?”
“My grandson-in-law and great-grandson are coming, how could I have the mood to dance!” Zhao Fengying said with a chuckle. She was holding a bottle of fruit juice, apparently just returning from the community supermarket.
“Oh? When did you get a great-grandson? How come I didn’t know?” The dama looked confused.
“I can’t explain it clearly in a short time. Let’s just say my grandson is capable—he has both a partner and a child! Aiy, I won’t talk anymore, the soup is still simmering on the stove!” Zhao Fengying waved her hand, said goodbye to her sisters, and hummed a tune while hugging the orange juice as she walked home.
“Us common folks, we are really happy tonight…”
Zhao Fengying returned home, put down the orange juice, and then looked left and right, feeling that this spot wasn’t clean enough or that spot was missing something. She paced back and forth in the room, nearly making her old partner dizzy.
“Ah Feng, give it a rest, is it necessary to be this excited?” Old Man Song, who was leaning on the sofa watching TV, couldn’t help but speak up.
“Is it necessary? Does that even need to be said? You’re excited too, and you have the nerve to talk about me!” Zhao Fengying rolled her eyes at the old man. Did he think she couldn’t tell? The old man, who usually dressed casually, had changed into a proper set of clothes. Wasn’t that to welcome the grandson-in-law and great-grandson?
Having his thoughts exposed, Old Man Song gave a quiet hmph and continued watching TV without speaking.
After a long while, he muttered a sentence that made Zhao Fengying laugh at him. “Why aren’t they here yet? Should we give Ah Lang a call?”
“You still say you’re not excited? You haven’t been watching the TV seriously at all, have you?” Zhao Fengying smiled and poked her partner’s head, taking out her phone to call Tang Yinlang. Before the call connected, she hung up, lecturing her partner as if blaming him.
“Why call? It makes us look impatient. What if it leaves a bad impression on Little Xia?”
“That’s true.” Old Man Song nodded, fully agreeing with his wife.
Under the elders’ anticipation, Tang Yinlang’s car finally appeared in the residential complex…
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