Chapter 52

Continue rolling and begging for all kinds of votes! Favorites, recommendations, rewards!!!!!

The following is the main text:

On that day, Lee Hyori transferred the money into Lee Jong's account. From the moment Lee Jong knew the money had arrived, he had already put himself in a state of detachment, not just because of Lee Hyori, but also because of his mother—Xu Meiyang.

Throughout his life, Lee Jong's father, Lee Chang-yul, had never taken care of him. He even encouraged Lee Jong to get married in high school after learning about his relationship with Kim Hyun-ju. Unfortunately, at that time, Lee Jong had no sense of crisis and was still living happily, so he did not consider the matter. It was only when he was serving in the military that Lee Jong found it strange how Lee Chang-yul could have known about his choices so early and even predicted that he would make irrational decisions.

Xu Meiyang was the biggest boss in Lee Jong's life before he went to America. Whenever something happened to Lee Jong, Xu Meiyang always knew. She would only intervene when things got out of hand, and although she did not intervene often, every time she did, Lee Jong was thoroughly subdued. Therefore, Lee Jong rarely troubled his family with anything, as troubling the family was equivalent to troubling Xu Meiyang, which was like creating trouble for himself.

Xu Meiyang liked to drink Chinese tea, especially Pu'er, which was hard to find in Korea. Fortunately, Lee Jong had some connections, and after three days, he finally managed to get a good block of Pu'er tea. Of course, the 2 million won disappeared with the tea.

On the afternoon of February 5th, Lee Jong stood at the door of his house. It was a pure white two-story house that, although it had been around for over 30 years, had been renovated a couple of years ago and was as white as new. The high walls were covered with vines. Lee Jong took out his key and opened the gate, revealing a neatly trimmed, winding path. Lee Jong walked down this path, which he had walked for over 20 years, with a heavy heart, his heart pounding.

The closer he got to the door of the house, the more nervous Lee Jong became. He had left for military service without saying goodbye to his family, without any discussion. His father, Lee Chang-yul, might not say anything, but Xu Meiyang would definitely be angry with him. Therefore, after his discharge, Lee Jong had always avoided going home. He was not afraid of his mother's nagging, but he was afraid of the stern look she would give him, a look that no one in the family had ever seen. He imagined that his father might even chase him away. In Lee Chang-yul's eyes, Xu Meiyang was much more precious than Lee Jong.

Lee Jong gently opened the door of the house, and the familiar dark blue carpet was still there. He changed into his slippers and called out, "Mom, I'm home."

A middle-aged, beautiful woman in an apron came out of the kitchen, "Xixi is back. I'm making your favorite ribs. Go to your room and tidy up, then come and help."

Every time Lee Jong heard this name, he had the urge to lock his father out of the house. The Lee family had a tradition of giving children names based on ancient Chinese poetry. You could choose any name, but Lee Chang-yul had to pick a rare one. "Xixi" comes from Liu Bang's "The Great Wind Song": "The great wind rises, and the clouds soar. The power of the sea is added, and I return to my homeland. How can I find brave men to guard the four directions?"

Lee Jong was very troubled by this name for a long time and found it awkward to hear. Every time he tried to change his nickname, he was ruthlessly suppressed by Xu Meiyang. It was only after he learned his father's nickname that he decided to accept this strange family tradition.

Lee Jong's father, Lee Chang-yul, had the nickname "Shishi," taken from "The Records of the Grand Historian, The First Emperor of Qin" where Qin Shi Huang said, "I am the First Emperor, and my descendants will be numbered, from the second generation to the third, and so on, to the ten thousandth generation, passing on forever." However, every time he heard his mother call his father "Shishi," Lee Jong felt a strange sense of pleasure, but it always ended with her calling him "Xixi."

Lee Jong went upstairs and saw his father, Lee Chang-yul, in the study. "Dad, you're home." Lee Jong called out in surprise.

"It's almost the New Year. Where else would I be if not at home?" Lee Chang-yul rolled his eyes at Lee Jong.

"You're home, but you're not downstairs. It's rare for Mom to let you stay upstairs! By the way, what's up with Mom? Why does the atmosphere feel different from what I imagined?" Lee Jong felt that the atmosphere at home was off. Xu Meiyang rarely cooked, and it was usually Lee Chang-yul who did the cooking, with Lee Jong helping. Since Lee Jong had fled to America, the kitchen had basically been Lee Chang-yul's domain.

In Lee Jong's memory, Xu Meiyang would always prepare a sumptuous dinner on their wedding anniversary or when important guests were coming.

Guests? "Dad, is someone coming today? Don't scare me during the New Year..." Lee Jong thought it was possible.

"I don't know. Ask your mother. She told you to help, right? Go put your things away and come downstairs." Lee Chang-yul said leisurely.

"Ugh... I'll ask myself. I can't rely on you for anything..." Lee Jong shook his head. His father was so unreliable...

Watching Lee Jong's back, Lee Chang-yul smiled and hummed a tune, "Hehe, it's going to be interesting. This time, it's going to be fun."

Lee Jong put his things away, went downstairs, and entered the kitchen. He put on another apron and stood next to Xu Meiyang, ready to follow her orders like a soldier.

"Go kill the fish. We'll make braised fish later." Xu Meiyang commanded naturally.

"Okay!" Lee Jong skillfully picked up a sharp knife and started to clean the fish, gut it, and remove the organs. "Mom, what's going on today? Are we expecting guests?" Lee Jong asked cautiously while cleaning the fish.

"What? My son hasn't been home for nearly three years, and I can't make a good meal?" Xu Meiyang gave Lee Jong a stern look, and he immediately shrank back, realizing that his mother was still angry.

"Ugh... I was just heartbroken and made a bad decision. But after two years of military service, I'm completely healed. So, Mom, can you forgive me?" Lee Jong started to plead with Xu Meiyang...

Xu Meiyang finished cooking the dish, plated it, and then looked at Lee Jong from head to toe, from left to right. "Are you really over your heartbreak?"

Lee Jong made a strongman pose, "I'm completely over it. I feel great, especially after seeing Mom!"

At that moment, the doorbell rang, and Xu Meiyang gave Lee Jong a meaningful look, "Since you're over it, you better behave well later."

At that moment, Lee Chang-yul had already come downstairs to open the door, and three people were standing outside.

"Today, I invited Professor Yoon's family. Professor Yoon is a professor at Dongguk University. His wife, Park Mi-yeon, is a diplomat, and his daughter is a student at Seoul University." Xu Meiyang said to Lee Jong.

Lee Jong felt a cold sweat break out. What was going on? A family match right after he got home? This was too much... He instinctively took a step back, thinking about going upstairs...

"If you don't behave well today and show that you've been abroad for further studies, don't blame me if I don't let you in the house in the future..." Xu Meiyang knew exactly what Lee Jong was thinking without even looking at him...

"Ah..." Lee Jong knew that today was going to be a tough one...

Page break for AD start

Page break for AD end