FDNL CH 40

Chapter 40

Maintenance (1 / 2)
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“Lianyi? …Oh, it’s Lianyi.” Su Feng’s cloudy eyes gradually cleared, looking somewhat disappointed.

“Dad, it’s getting late. I came to help you clean up the house. Get up first.” Su Lianyi decided that she would definitely do everything she could to change them, to set them on the right path and let them live good lives.

Su Feng looked surprised. “Daughter, what are you talking about?”

Lianyi didn’t stop moving while she spoke. She had already started throwing the dirty clothes Su Feng had tossed everywhere out the door. “Starting tomorrow, I’ll have Third Brother come to my house. I’ve invited Neighbor Huang to teach him how to read and write. Third Brother is already fourteen this year. If he doesn’t start learning now, it’ll be completely too late.”

Su Feng sat up, stopping halfway through putting on his clothes, staring in shock. “Lianyi, what’s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell? Why are you suddenly insisting your brother learn to read?”

Lianyi lowered her eyes, her thick lashes hiding the slyness beneath. She had thought it would take a fierce argument, but she hadn’t expected to discover Su Feng’s weakness just now. That was even better.

“Dad, I dreamed of Mom last night.”

Sure enough, when Su Feng heard this, he immediately sat up straight, his face flushing with agitation. Even his speech became stammering. “Really? Your mother… what did your mother say?”

Lianyi put down the clothes in her hands and walked over to Su Feng, trying hard to make her expression look sincere. “Mom said that seeing Third Brother and me idle and uneducated made her very sad. She cannot rest in peace in the underworld.”

Su Feng’s face turned pale. “Guihua… Guihua is blaming me. She… she knew all along…”

Although Su Feng looked pitiful now, and although human nature is originally good, objectively speaking, the way Su Lianyi and Su Bai turned out was indeed Su Feng’s responsibility.

“Yes. Mom said she cannot forgive Dad.” Lianyi’s tone was cold, her words like a sharp blade stabbing into Su Feng’s chest.

Sure enough, just as Su Lianyi had guessed, Xu Guihua was Su Feng’s ultimate weakness! At this moment, Su Feng was in unbearable pain.

“But Mom also said that it’s never too late to mend the fold after the sheep are lost. After being instructed by Mom last night, I suddenly came to a great realization. Besides asking me to pass her message to Dad, she also gave me a task—to set Su Bai on the right path,” Lianyi continued.

Su Feng slumped onto the bed. The smell of alcohol in the room gradually dispersed. It was unclear whether Lianyi’s words had sobered him, or if he became clear-headed as the alcohol scent faded.

“Your mother… really said that?” Su Feng’s voice was weak.

“Yes, Dad. How could your daughter lie about something concerning Mom?” Lianyi replied.

After a long while, Su Feng slowly nodded. The usual arrogance and domineering air were gone. In an instant, he seemed to have aged ten years. He got out of bed, slowly walked out of the room, sat on a chair in the middle of the courtyard, and grabbed his hair, lost in thought.

Lianyi felt a bit sorry for Su Feng, but on second thought, although Su Feng had never committed murder or arson, he had done plenty of bullying. He should calm down and reflect. She only hoped Xu Guihua could truly change him.

She opened all the windows in the room, and fresh air rushed impatiently into the space that had been sealed for who knew how long.

Repeating what she had just done in Su Bai’s room, she threw the dirty clothes into the courtyard, took apart the bedding, hung the cotton quilt lining on the rope to dry, and tossed the quilt cover—so filthy its original color was unrecognizable—into the courtyard to wait for washing.

When Su Lianyi stepped out of the room, where was the foul alcoholic stench from before? There was only a faint fragrance of soapberry.

“Next, we’ll wash clothes.” Lianyi rolled up her sleeves, gathered the dirty clothes of the two of them together, and with a quick hand grabbed Su Bai, who was about to sneak away. “Where are you going? Stay and work.”

Su Bai pulled a long face, but had no choice except to stay.

By the time all the clothes were washed, it was already afternoon, and the sun was setting.

The cotton quilts that had dried in the sun all day were fluffy and fresh. Taking them down from the rope and replacing them with the clothes that had been washed all day, Lianyi was already drenched in sweat.

Su Lianyi was like this, and Su Bai was no better. He hadn’t eaten all day. Now tired and hungry, he was seeing stars, but under the oppressive authority of his second sister, he still gritted his teeth and endured.