Chapter 3: Dad and Mom
Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
"Xiaoya, get in the car. Let's go home!"
When Fu Song returned after making the phone call, he had brought a van that he had assembled himself. He got out of the driver's seat and helped Fu Xiaoya with the car door. "I built this car myself, but there are still many things that aren't quite right," he said with a silly smile. "Mom and Dad didn't let me buy a car, so when we see them, let's stick to the same story and say that I borrowed this car from a friend. Okay?"
Fu Xiaoya obediently nodded, although she hadn't actually heard clearly what Fu Song was saying. She felt a bit nervous. Once they were in the car, she looked out the window and asked, "Brother, what are Mom and Dad like?"
Whether in her past life or in this life, she had never experienced the bond of family, so she couldn't help but wonder if they would like or welcome her.
Fu Song sensed Su Xiaoya's nervousness. He was about to offer some comforting words when his phone rang. It was his mother calling. He answered the call and put it on speakerphone. "Hello..."
"I don't want to hear your greetings. When will you be home?" A gentle and pleasant female voice came through the phone, but there was a sense of urgency in her tone. "By the way, is Xiaoya alright?" The last sentence sounded different from the earlier tone, gentle yet cautious.
Fu Xiaoya pursed her lips and softly called out, "Mom..."
She wanted to answer and respond with the best tone she could muster. However, her vocal cords seemed beyond her control, turning hoarse and trembling.
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a while. Then, the gentle female voice turned into an excited scream. "Ah! Xiaoya called me Mom! She called me Mom first!"
Shortly after, a deep voice came through the phone, "Xiaoya, I'm Dad, call me Dad..."
Fu Xiaoya remained silent. She was seventeen years old, not three.
Fu Song was speechless too. "Mom, Dad, could you please act a bit more normal?"
Fu Xiaoya's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. The worries in her heart slowly dissipated over the phone. Her new parents seemed easy to get along with…
"Dad, Mom." Fu Xiaoya cleared her throat. Her voice sounded much more natural and gentle.
"Ah, my precious baby." This time, the voice on the other end of the phone sounded different, choked with emotion. After a moment, Mother Fu's voice came through, "My darling daughter, take your time to come back. We'll be waiting for you at home."
"Okay," Fu Xiaoya responded, her obedience apparent.
Fu Song protested, feeling that Mom and Dad had forgotten about him since they got a little daughter! But he also adored his little sister and wanted to dote on her, so he decided to forgive Mom and Dad for their double standards.
Fu Xiaoya felt a warm sensation in her heart. The outside lights illuminated her face, making her appear serene and beautiful.
Fu Song's words flowed incessantly, as he proved to be a chatterbox. His constant stream of conversation filled the air throughout the journey. Despite the car maintaining a reasonable speed, the trip took more than three hours before they finally arrived at their destination. The Fu family lived not in the city center but in the suburbs, a place that couldn't even be found on a map.
As the car entered the village, the dogs in the village started barking incessantly, adding life to the otherwise quiet village.
In the distance, Fu Xiaoya saw two figures standing at the entrance of the house. The woman had long curly hair and was dressed in a vintage cheongsam, exuding elegance and grace. She seemed like a noble lady who had stepped out of the Republic era, gentle yet intellectual. The man wore a suit with a tie matching the woman's cheongsam. His hair was neatly combed, and his stern eyebrows gave him an imposing presence. Their demeanor stood in stark contrast to the simple village surroundings.
If it weren't for the fact that she was in a remote village, Fu Xiaoya would have thought that the parents were high-ranking executives. However, even though her parents lived in a village and were not wealthy, it didn't matter to her. She liked the environment here, she liked her gentle mother, her tall father, and her nagging brother.
"Dad, Mom," Fu Xiaoya pushed open the car door and called out from a distance.
"Oh my, my precious daughter has grown up so much." Fu Yuanjiang, the tall figure of her father, lifted Fu Xiaoya up and twirled her around, just like playing with a child.
Beside him, Fu Hua felt unhappy. She hadn't even gotten a chance to hold her daughter yet!
Fu Hua exclaimed, "Old Su, you shameless man!"
Fu Yuanjiang's original surname was Su, called Su Jingdong. However, due to certain reasons, he took on the Fu family name and changed his name. But when Fu Hua got angry, she would still call Fu Yuanjiang "Old Su"!
"Hehe, got a bit carried away, couldn't help myself," Fu Yuanjiang put Fu Xiaoya down and scratched his head, apologizing. His gesture resembled Fu Song's, indicating that Fu Song inherited his father's silly mannerisms.
-- Gift
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