Chapter 7

After Yang Ruo Yi and her friends finished discussing the "trick dad" plan, she went home in high spirits. However, as she opened the iron gate downstairs and was about to call out, a deep voice from upstairs caught her attention.

Hasn't Dad finished his live stream already?

Yang Ruo Yi found it a bit strange. She stopped at the stairway entrance, stood still, and listened carefully.

"... The bigger the city, the more it makes one feel uneasy, how much I yearn for, how long it seems."

"This journey has seen too many wounds, the initial smile has been forgotten."

"Time makes us fragile yet strong, let me sing to you softly again..."

What song is this? Why does it seem like I've never heard it before?

Yang Ruo Yi listened for a while and tried to recall it in her mind, but she couldn't find any impression of this song!

"I wish I could spend more time with you, tell you about the scenery of the first half of my life."

"In every quiet night, I think about the love and hate I have for you..."

Dad's singing was beautiful, his deep and rich baritone voice was like telling a story, and his effortless singing style could touch the heart of the listener with the emotions in the lyrics!

But Yang Ruo Yi could vaguely sense that the song Dad was singing seemed to be related to that woman!

...

That woman refers to her mother, her biological mother!

Why doesn't she call her Mom?

Because in Yang Ruo Yi's memory, there was no trace of her mother's existence. Her childhood was filled with her father's care, both as a father and a mother, so naturally, the concept of "Mom" became vague!

However, it was a bit strange that Dad never wanted to tell her stories about her mother. Yang Ruo Yi didn't know her mother's name or where she had gone! The only thing she could be sure of was that her mother was still alive! Whenever she mentioned whether her mother was no longer in this world, Dad would deny it outright, and his tone would become agitated.

But over the years, Yang Ruo Yi had never seen her.

But Dad has been waiting all along!

In Yang Ruo Yi's memory, Dad had never been flirtatious with other women. Some of the village aunties tried to set him up, but Dad never agreed, and he would blame it on her—“Yi Yi doesn't agree, there's nothing I can do, I still have to consider the child's feelings”!

But when did she ever say she disagreed? Yang Ruo Yi thought that if Dad remarried and asked her to call another woman Mom, she would feel awkward! But that wasn't her reason for disagreeing; she just didn't want to actively encourage him to remarry!

Dad never talked about it in front of her, but Yang Ruo Yi could feel that Dad was waiting for her mother to come back!

Therefore, Yang Ruo Yi's impression of her mother became even worse!

Dad is such a good person, so devoted to the family, and so good at cooking, with a very amiable personality, and he can chat with the old men at the teahouse. How could her mother leave her and Dad?

Was it like in some TV dramas where the educated youth returned to the city for a better life and abandoned them?

But that doesn't make sense either. Although they lived in the village, it was a village in the city of Guangzhou. If it were to be demolished, they would be very rich, right? Besides, Yang Ruo Yi didn't think their living standards were bad; she and her father lived quite well!

However, every time Yang Ruo Yi expressed that her mother was irresponsible, or even when she was a child and said she "hated" her, Dad would sternly stop her and say that her mother was the best woman in the world, and that she couldn't be with them for some reason, and that she shouldn't say bad things about her mother!

Yang Ruo Yi thought Dad was too biased!

And too stubborn!

...

Her thoughts were a mess, but the melody of the guitar, like a gentle rain, cool and refreshing, in her ears, woke her from her reverie.

"I wish I could spend more time with you, tell you about the scenery of the first half of my life, in every quiet night, I think about the love and hate I have for you..."

"I also want to light up your life, leave a ray of sunshine in your life, walk with you through the high mountains and long rivers, grow with you..."

Dad repeated these lyrics twice.

Although Yang Ruo Yi didn't know what had happened between Dad and her mother, and her understanding of love and family was still quite superficial, thinking that love was just love and hate was just hate, she could still empathize with the seemingly calm song.

She felt sad for her father...

Unconsciously, the song came to an end, and Yang Han's singing had stopped. He was still playing the guitar, repeating the final melody, as if his thoughts were tangled.

Finally, when the guitar sound stopped, Yang Ruo Yi used a bit of force to close the gate downstairs, pretending to have just returned, and called out loudly, "Dad, I'm back!"

Yang Ruo Yi quickly ran upstairs, her steps as light as usual, as if she hadn't heard anything.

In the living room, Yang Han also resumed his usual gentle smile, with no trace of sadness on his face. He got up from the sofa, put the guitar on the bookshelf in the corner, and smiled at his daughter, "Are Fei Fei's parents back?"

"Not yet, they're still playing mahjong! If all the mahjong parlors were like ours, only open during the day and close at night, that would be great!" Yang Ruo Yi stretched out her long, slender arms and smiled at her father, "Then there wouldn't be anyone addicted to mahjong in the world!"

What a naive idea!

Not something a sixteen-year-old girl would say!

But wasn't the girl trying to make her father happy?

Indeed, Yang Han burst out laughing, "Haha, a system to prevent addiction in the adult world? Yi Yi, that's a good idea!"

"Hehe!" Yang Ruo Yi laughed with her father for a while before curiously asking, "Dad, seriously, I also find it strange. Why is our mahjong parlor only open from 9 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon? There's even a lunch break! Grandpa Fu said that even government employees don't have such strict hours."

"Because your dad, although he hasn't been a government employee like Grandpa Fu, has the heart of a government employee!" Yang Han saw that his daughter's frown had disappeared, thinking she had understood, and felt much better, so he joked.

"Grandpa Fu was a government employee?" Yang Ruo Yi asked in surprise.

"Yes, he retired as a government employee." Yang Han smiled, considering that his daughter was growing up and needed to understand some principles of life, so he straightened up and said, "Do you know why those mahjong parlors are always open all night?"

"To make money! Fei Fei's parents work during the day and only have time to play at night. If they don't open at night, how would they make money?" Yang Ruo Yi pouted, she wasn't stupid and could see this clearly.

"Yes, and do you know what the difference is between our place and those mahjong parlors?" Yang Han asked.

Yang Ruo Yi was a bit unsure. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "Well, we also sell tea?"

That's right, Yang Han's place is called a mahjong teahouse. The mahjong is free for guests to play, but the main business is selling tea—of course, the tea is not expensive, and anyone can afford it, and Yang Han doesn't make money from it.

"The difference is that those mahjong parlors do business with everyone, but our place only does business with the elderly." Yang Han smiled.

His mahjong teahouse is located by the lake in the park, in a prime location, but the service is only for the elderly, not for young or middle-aged people, which is quite unique.

"Because Grandpa Fu and his friends don't get addicted to mahjong like Fei Fei's parents?" Yang Ruo Yi's mind was quick, but she was on the wrong track.

"No, it's because they are not as young as Fei Fei's parents. Sitting for too long without moving is bad for them! So, Dad makes them go back to rest at noon and go home early in the afternoon, so their families don't worry!" Yang Han smiled.

So that's what Dad was thinking! Yang Ruo Yi suddenly had a different feeling, and Dad's image seemed to grow taller!

"Making money is important, but we must never make money at the cost of our conscience. Running a mahjong parlor all night has a significant impact on family relationships. Look at Fei Fei, her parents are always away, and her personality has become more introverted!" Yang Han sighed.

Over the years, with the demolition of Beilang Village, the villagers' wallets have swelled, and many people no longer work, spending their days playing mahjong. Yang Han has seen many cases of families breaking up due to mahjong...

"Fei Fei's personality isn't introverted! She just doesn't like talking to people she doesn't know. When we play together, she's very happy!" Yang Ruo Yi defended her friend.

"At least she's a bit unsociable! A parent's love is very important for a child's growth." Yang Han smiled.

"I don't have a mom, and I'm still fine, right?" Perhaps because of the song she heard downstairs, Yang Ruo Yi felt a bit resentful and blurted out the words without thinking.

But when she saw Dad's stunned expression, she realized she had unintentionally touched a sore spot. She quickly tilted her head, pointed to her cheeks with both index fingers, and smiled at her father, "Well... my teacher also said I'm articulate, innocent, and lively and cute!"

"You're already a sixteen-year-old girl, and you're still saying you're cute, shame on you!" Yang Han shook his head, amused by his daughter's cuteness.

"Hey, what's wrong with being sixteen? Do sixteen-year-olds not have the right to be cute?" Yang Ruo Yi clung to her father's arm, pouting and acting cute.

"Ha ha!" Yang Han's hearty laughter echoed in the living room.

Looking at his sunny and lively daughter, Yang Han's eyes were full of affection. However, with a smile on his face, he secretly sighed.

Yi Yi has grown up, and her childhood memories have become blurred.

But Yang Han, who has watched her grow up, remembers everything clearly. At the beginning, Yi Yi wasn't as energetic as she is now!

Back then, as a first-time father, Yang Han knew nothing about taking care of a child. A man taking care of a child, you can't expect him to be very talkative, and the atmosphere at home was naturally dull and uninteresting.

Moreover, without the mother's tender and meticulous care, Yi Yi was very introverted until she started kindergarten, and even failed the interviews for several good kindergartens...

Fortunately, a kindergarten teacher noticed something was wrong and had a serious talk with Yang Han. Yang Han then realized that entrusting his daughter's education entirely to the teacher was wrong, and if he didn't pay more attention, his daughter's personality might develop in a way he didn't want to see.

So, Yang Han, who didn't care much about money, left the company he started with his friends and devoted all his energy to taking care of his daughter. He even learned to cook and read many books, almost turning himself into a child-rearing expert!

It was because of his dual role as both a father and a mother that Yi Yi gradually became more cheerful and outgoing...

Looking at the beautiful Yang Ruo Yi, who looked just like her mother, Yang Han smiled with satisfaction.

...

Is this what you hoped I could achieve?

If I ever have the chance to see you again, I hope I haven't disappointed you.

The name "Ruo Yi" means that I hope she can be as beautiful and kind as you!

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This is what you hoped I could do, right?

If I ever have the chance to see you again, I hope I haven't disappointed you.

The name "Ruo Yi" means that I hope she can be as beautiful and kind as you!