Su Jue's expression was somewhat grim. "They can't wait any longer on that end, and I actually feel pretty good right now."
You couldn't force a cow to drink if it wasn't thirsty.
Lin Zhilan saw she couldn't persuade him, so she simply focused on doing what she could.
Lu Gang's current role combined the duties of a bodyguard, assistant, and nanny. Lin Zhilan portioned out the medicine Su Jue needed to take into individual doses and had Lin Zijun teach him how to decoct them.
She had previously given Su Lang some pills, and Lin Zhilan also prepared a backup set for her second brother-in-law, just in case.
Now, all that remained was to let Su Jue handle his own situation.
When Deng Jing learned that Su Jue was going back to work, far from being angry, she actually softened toward him and was able to converse more gently. Whatever Su Jue said to her, she responded with a smile, neither contradicting, getting upset, nor offering opinions.
But this only made Su Jue feel more uneasy.
He would have preferred Deng Jing to lose her temper with him, even if it meant hitting or cursing him.
A smile like that left Su Jue completely in the dark about what she was thinking.
The person in the household who got along best with Deng Jing was Lin Zhilan, so Su Jue had no choice but to turn to his sister-in-law for help again.
Lin Zhilan was also worried that her second sister-in-law might bottle things up. She left the children with the three men in the family (including Lu Gang) and took Deng Jing alone to Sheep City to watch a movie.
After the movie, they went to Liwan Lake Park for a boat ride and then to the theater to watch a play.
Just after the New Year, when they came out of the theater, the park outside was lively with neighborhood-organized group dances and revolutionary dances. Many young people were there, forming circles and dancing with an enthusiastic and unrestrained energy.
Lin Zhilan pulled her second sister-in-law into the circle to join in.
Deng Jing hesitated at first but was eventually urged in by the lively crowd of young people.
The group dance movements were very simple, with a leader at the front. After some initial shyness, Deng Jing followed along for a while.
When they were tired from dancing, Lin Zhilan and Deng Jing finally managed to escape from the enthusiastic young people and break free from the crowd.
Beside the park was a lake, with a small path running along its edge.
Lin Zhilan held Deng Jing's arm, her smile still lingering.
She casually glanced at her second sister-in-law and instantly froze.
The expression on Deng Jing's face at that moment was something Lin Zhilan had never seen before.
Deng Jing was the eldest daughter in her family, having taken care of her younger siblings since childhood.
After she married and had a child, her focus shifted entirely to her daughter.
On top of that, her profession as a teacher meant that Deng Jing had always cultivated an image of maturity and stability, never stepping out of line.
Deng Jing feared conflict and instability, so she had hidden all her sharp edges.
Even with someone as difficult as Fan Biyun, Deng Jing had never engaged in a direct confrontation.
As a daughter, a mother, a wife, a daughter-in-law...
In short, Deng Jing was a person who did everything right.
The first time they met, Lin Zhilan gave gifts to Deng Jing's two nieces. After learning the price, Deng Jing gave back gifts of similar value.
Whenever Lin Zhilan sent packages to the capital during holidays or festivals, Deng Jing always reciprocated.
It was good to have reciprocity among relatives, but Deng Jing seemed to have built a wall between her own small family and the larger one, drawing a clear line.
Lin Zhilan had always felt that, ultimately, this was because Su Jue was away from home so often.
Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng were Su Jue's parents, and Deng Jing had become their child halfway through life.
Without Su Jue as the connecting link, and given that Deng Jing was not one to easily warm up to others, how could she possibly grow close to Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng?
If there are no conflicts between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and they can remain courteous toward each other, it already means both sides are good-hearted people.
But now, Lin Zhilan looked at her Second Sister-in-law and suddenly felt that this barrier, at least for this moment, seemed to have been broken.
The Deng Jing before her now seemed to be her true self.
Deng Jing noticed that Lin Zhilan's gaze had lingered on her face for too long, and her smile faded. "Zhilan, what's wrong?"
Lin Zhilan laughed. "Second Sister-in-law, you're really beautiful."
Deng Jing teased her, "Nonsense. Someone like you is the real beauty."
Lin Zhilan refused to let it go and, holding Deng Jing's hand, insisted, "I mean it."
Deng Jing had a gentle and refined appearance. Time had only added a few faint lines at the corners of her eyes, which not only didn't make her look older but instead gave her features a warmer, softer quality.
When she had just smiled, her eyes brightened more than usual, and she looked especially striking.
Lin Zhilan felt there was a glow about her, a special kind of charisma.
Deng Jing’s cheeks grew a little warm. She patted Lin Zhilan’s hand. "You’re such a little coddler. Why are you acting like a child?"
Lin Zhilan tilted her head and rested it on Deng Jing’s shoulder, sighing. "It must be so nice to be a child. I envy kids so much."
Deng Jing gave a faint smile but said nothing.
Lin Zhilan looked up. "Second Sister-in-law, do you ever want to be a child?"
Deng Jing thought back to her own childhood. Every day, aside from going to school, she had to go home and start a fire to cook. When her younger brother fell, she had to help him up; when her younger sister cried, she had to soothe her. Her parents were always busy, so she had to step in.
Her childhood wasn't completely devoid of color, but since she was the older sister, she had to be sensible. Looking back, there wasn’t much that stood out as special.
Deng Jing didn’t actually want to be a child, but she still played along with Lin Zhilan’s words. "Yes, it must be wonderful to be a child. You don’t have to think about anything."
Lin Zhilan gave her a mischievous smile. "I have a way to make you a child again."
Deng Jing asked without thinking, "What way?"
Lin Zhilan looked around, then leaned close to her ear and said with feigned secrecy, "Just call me Mom."
Deng Jing was both amused and exasperated, making as if to hit her.
Lin Zhilan immediately ran off. The two chased each other for a while until Lin Zhilan, laughing so hard she could barely breathe, stopped and begged for mercy. "Second Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, I’m sorry. Spare me this once, and I’ll call you Mom, okay?"
Deng Jing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She reached out and pinched Lin Zhilan.
Lin Zhilan quickly grabbed her hand. "Really, Second Sister-in-law, I think you’re an absolutely wonderful mom."
Deng Jing rolled her eyes at her. "No wonder Li Li is such a little rascal. The root of it all comes from you and Xiao Lang!"
Lin Zhilan firmly denied this.
The first time Lin Zhilan met Deng Jing, she knew she was someone easy to pick on.
People who are reasonable are easy to pick on, and Deng Jing was very reasonable.
Lin Zhilan had to admit she was attracted to people with a "motherly quality," and Deng Jing gave her exactly that feeling.
By "motherly quality," she didn’t mean being older or having the air of a maternal figure, but rather a certain trait—a gentle, tolerant, dignified, and composed demeanor that naturally radiated warmth and a sense of stability. It was an inherently positive kind of presence.
Lin Zhilan had grown up largely on her own. With her parents divorced, neither side had paid her much attention.
Deep down, Lin Zhilan longed for favoritism and care. She had made herself into a qualified mother, but she didn’t deny that she herself needed to be looked after and cared for.
Whether it came from Su Lang, or from her godparents and her parents-in-law, or even from Linlin and Jiang Chengzhou, and occasionally from the little rascal, Lin Zhilan was deeply grateful for everything she had received.
Deng Jing was of the same generation as her, but Lin Zhilan often felt a sense of being taken care of from her as well.
