Free Web NovelChapter 150: Chapter 150: Up High
"Dad, I need to talk to you."
Not long after the car got on the road, just as Tang Yuanxiao was racking his brain for a way to amuse Little Tang Mo, the boy spoke up seriously.
"What about?" The car was noisy, so Tang Yuanxiao leaned closer to Little Tang Mo to hear.
Little Tang Mo held out his arms for Tang Yuanxiao to hold him, and then they began their close-quarters conversation.
"Dad, Mom told me yesterday that she doesn’t like you, so she wants to separate from you."
Tang Yuanxiao stiffened.
"I’ve thought about it carefully. Mom doesn’t like you because you’re... too clumsy and you don’t know how to smile."
Little Tang Mo was just telling it like it is, his face completely serious.
Tang Yuanxiao’s expression was indescribable.
Little Tang Mo glanced at Tang Yuanxiao’s expression and huffed. "Mom likes me the most."
"She does," Tang Yuanxiao admitted, rubbing his nose.
Little Tang Mo concluded, "So, Dad, you need to learn from me. That way, you can get Mom to like you sooner."
Tang Yuanxiao was speechless. "...Learn from you?"
"That’s right. Mom likes me, so of course you have to learn from me. In addition to studying on your own, I’ll also be a good teacher."
Little Tang Mo sighed like a little adult and patted his clumsy father’s shoulder. "You have to work hard. You can do it."
Tang Yuanxiao managed, "...Okay."
Seeing Tang Yuanxiao’s strained expression, Little Tang Mo, true to his word, immediately began his lesson.
"First, Dad, you need to smile more."
Little Tang Mo raised one chubby finger, listing his points.
"Dad, you never smile, and when you do, it doesn’t even look good. You should be more like me."
Little Tang Mo flashed a smile so cute it could melt a person’s heart, making Tang Yuanxiao laugh unconsciously.
Little Tang Mo nodded in satisfaction and held up two fingers.
"Second, you have to be good to Mom."
"And what does being good to Mom mean? It means talking to her often, listening to what she says, saving any tasty snacks for her, and comforting her and cheering her up when she’s sad."
Little Tang Mo said with a serious face, "You also have to protect her and not let anyone bully her."
At this, Little Tang Mo glanced at his own small fists and sighed.
"I’ve always wanted to grow up fast so I can protect Mom, but I’m just not getting bigger..."
He looked at Tang Yuanxiao. "But you can, Dad. You’re so big already. You can protect Mom."
Looking at Little Tang Mo, Tang Yuanxiao’s heart completely melted. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he leaned down and kissed the boy’s forehead, promising in a husky voice.
"Okay. I’ll protect Mom, and I’ll protect you, too."
’This is my wife and son.’
’How lucky am I to have such a sensible son, and a wife as wonderful as Su Li.’
’What Little Tang Mo said made me feel ashamed. It’s no wonder Su Li is so good to him.’
’Feelings are always mutual. The relationship between mother and son was a cycle of ’I’m good to you, and you’re even better to me,’ which is how they’ve grown so close.’
’I don’t treat Su Li as well as Little Tang Mo does, and I don’t treat Little Tang Mo as well as Su Li does.’
"Momo, I swear I’ll change. I’ll protect you both and treat you well."
Tang Yuanxiao couldn’t resist kissing Little Tang Mo’s head again as he made another promise.
Little Tang Mo pressed his lips together, suppressing a smile, and solemnly held up a third finger. freёwebnovel.com
"Dad, third, you have to do what you just did to me. You have to kiss and hug Mom from time to time."
Little Tang Mo explained earnestly, "When Mom hugs me, kisses me, or gives me piggyback rides, it makes me really happy and I love it. She likes it too. At home, and all day yesterday, you didn’t hug or kiss Mom once."
Little Tang Mo stared seriously at Tang Yuanxiao.
Tang Yuanxiao... His face flushed beet-red as he hemmed and hawed, unable to get a word out.
’I’d love to kiss and hug her, but would I dare?’
’If I tried that, I’d get a slap from Su Li for sure.’
"Dad?" Little Tang Mo could tell something was wrong. "What’s the matter? Don’t you feel well?"
He mimicked Su Li and reached out to feel Tang Yuanxiao’s forehead.
"I’m fine, I’m not sick," Tang Yuanxiao said, quickly grabbing his little hand.
"Momo, about the kissing and hugging... Mom has to be willing, or she’ll hit me."
Worried that Little Tang Mo might say something to Su Li, Tang Yuanxiao explained it to him earnestly. He lowered his voice, casting a wary glance at the driver in the front seat.
The driver could only hear their conversation in bits and pieces.
He couldn’t make out most of it, but he definitely heard the words "hug" and "kiss," which earned them a strange look.
Just then, a completely stunned Little Tang Mo exclaimed in surprise.
"Mom would hit you?!"
His voice shot up in sheer astonishment.
Tang Yuanxiao was at a complete loss. "...No, I just mean if I..."
It took a lot of explaining, but Tang Yuanxiao finally cleared things up, breaking out in a nervous sweat by the end.
As he explained, he failed to notice the look of dawning comprehension on the driver’s face.
When the car stopped, Tang Yuanxiao got out with Little Tang Mo in his arms, and the driver got out as well.
"Thanks, Brother Fang."
Tang Yuanxiao quickly apologized.
"Don’t mention it." The driver, Brother Fang, looked at Tang Yuanxiao with the expression of a fellow sufferer.
The driver said a few words of praise for Little Tang Mo, then patted Tang Yuanxiao’s shoulder. He gave him a meaningful smile and some advice.
"Captain Tang, it’s your own wife, you know? It’s fine to give in a little. Their hands are small; it doesn’t even hurt when they hit you. Nothing to be ashamed of. A real man is one who’s ’afraid’ of his wife at home but a big shot outside!" free𝑤ebnovel.com
Tang Yuanxiao was a little baffled. "What?"
Brother Fang rolled his eyes at him. "Come on, don’t play dumb. We’re all in the same henpecked boat. No need to be secretive about it."
He patted Tang Yuanxiao’s shoulder again. "Alright, I’m off. Treat your wife well, and don’t listen to any of that nonsense from other people."
With that, Brother Fang got in his car and sped off without a backward glance, leaving Tang Yuanxiao standing there, utterly bewildered.
’Henpecked...’
’What a huge misunderstanding.’
Tang Yuanxiao patted Little Tang Mo’s head. He knew why Brother Fang had gotten the wrong idea.
’It was all because of that one shout from Little Tang Mo.’
’But it was a beautiful misunderstanding.’
’It would actually be nice if I really were henpecked. I’d be willing, as long as Su Li was still my wife.’
"Come on, let’s go. We just have to walk to the end of this road to get to Grandma Cui’s house," Tang Yuanxiao said, taking Little Tang Mo’s hand.
"Okay, I remember," Little Tang Mo nodded.
"Are you tired? Want me to carry you?"
"No, that’s okay. But Dad, do you know what Mom’s favorite foods are?" Little Tang Mo’s lesson continued.
The student, Tang Yuanxiao, answered honestly, "...I don’t know."
’Come to think of it, I really don’t know.’
The little teacher sighed. "I knew you wouldn’t know."
His tone grew serious. "I’m going to tell you, so you’d better remember it all."
Student Yuanxiao nodded obediently. "Okay."
The tall one and the short one, the big one and the little one, walked hand in hand, reciting an entire menu’s worth of dishes as they went.
Twenty minutes later, the father and son arrived at the door to Grandma Cui’s house.
"That’s all for today. Tonight, I’m going to quiz you to see how well you’ve memorized everything."
Teacher Little Tang Mo finally concluded his lesson and assigned the homework.
When it came to being a teacher, Little Tang Mo had Su Li as his role model, so he picked it up quickly and looked every bit the part.
Suddenly nervous that he wouldn’t be able to recite it all, Student Yuanxiao said, "...Okay."
’He thought that was the end of it, but in reality... this was only the beginning.’
