Chapter 54

At night.

"Brother Hai, Sis, where did you two go? It's so late, and we're starving!" Zhen Lina immediately rushed up to complain when she saw the two return.

"We were just checking out the factory with Qiqi," Jia Fuhai smiled, patting Lina on the head.

He had originally wanted to stroll around with Qiqi a bit more, but Qiqi suggested that they could always go for a walk later, and since there were still people at home waiting for dinner, they came back early.

"That late?" Zhen Lina pouted, her stomach already growling. She wanted a meal, and it had to be one of Brother Hai's dishes.

"Late? It's only 7 PM. Wait, I'll make something," Jia Fuhai replied, giving Lina a light smack on the head.

If it weren't for Qiqi persuading him, she might not have gotten anything to eat at all.

"Hehe, Brother Hai is the best," Zhen Lina quickly praised him.

Jia Fuhai pinched her cheek before heading to the kitchen to cook.

Seeing her sister about to follow him, Zhen Linqi quickly held her back and asked, "Lina, how did today's lessons with Qiyi and Naji go?"

"It was really discouraging, Sis. Am I stupid?" Zhen Lina hugged her sister, feeling down.

Her son's brilliance often left her questioning whether he had been switched at birth. How could she have given birth to such a genius?

Her son had only been studying for a short while and had already mastered a language, while she felt completely language-impaired, stuck on "blah blah blah."

"Of course not. You're just not interested in it, but you're still very capable." Zhen Linqi tried to encourage her. After all, Lina just spent most of her time playing. If she put in some effort...

Well, she didn't want to imagine that. The thought was too strange.

"Sis, you're the best! Mom always thinks I'm an idiot," Zhen Lina pouted and clung to her sister. It was much better being with Sis.

"So, how did Qiyi and Naji do today?" Zhen Linqi asked again, realizing she couldn't escape Lina's grasp. Why was Lina so strong? Was this a good thing?

"Just look at my face, and you'll know. Even Mom was disappointed in me," Zhen Lina replied with a face full of frustration, which said it all.

"… Alright. But can you let me go now?" Zhen Linqi, confident in her sons' abilities, asked gently. But Lina's hold was too tight.

"Okay, Sis, did you and Brother Hai go out and have fun today?" Zhen Lina finally let go and smiled mischievously.

"What, you think only you can hang out with Brother Hai all the time? I'm not allowed." Zhen Linqi teasingly swatted her.

"That's not it! I just wanted to join you both, hehe." Zhen Lina grinned cheekily, clearly up to no good.

"Forget it. You've got to look after the kids. If you like, go spend more time with Brother Hai, but... on second thought, just enjoy yourself." Zhen Linqi initially wanted to give her advice but then remembered Lina's tendency to mess things up. Better leave it to Brother Hai to handle her.

"Sis, love you!" Zhen Lina said, pretending to go in for another hug.

Zhen Linqi quickly ran away, laughing, while the two sisters played a game of tag around the room.

"What are you two doing? You're waking up the kids!" Chen Lina reprimanded as the two little ones rubbed their sleepy eyes.

"Wait, is that my mom?" Jia Qiyi, confused by his playful mother, struggled to process the situation.

His mom was always so serious and composed, the one in charge of the household. Why was she acting like Aunt Lina all of a sudden?

"Whoa, my mom is amazing! She even turned Aunt Qiqi playful, but no! What if Aunt Qiqi turns into another mom?" Jia Naji thought, panicking at the thought of having two playful moms. That would be a nightmare.

Zhen Linqi quickly composed herself and returned to her usual gentle, motherly demeanor. Although, she was just three months older than Lina, it wasn't hard for her to get playful at times. Spending time with Brother Hai that afternoon had sparked her fun side.

"Qiyi, Naji, how did your studies go this afternoon?" Zhen Linqi knelt down and softly asked her boys.

"Piece of cake! I learned everything Mr. Wang taught us," Jia Qiyi proudly replied, hoping for some praise.

"I didn't learn as fast as Brother, but Mr. Wang's lessons were easy to follow," Jia Naji said, a little discouraged at not keeping up with his older brother.

"Naji, you're amazing too. Your mom and I haven't even mastered these languages yet. And Qiyi, you're brilliant as always." Zhen Linqi beamed with pride, using encouragement as her method of teaching. After all, these boys were learning so fast, it was hard not to praise them.

The two boys grinned happily, hugging their mother's arms.

Meanwhile, Zhen Lina, watching her sons' adorable smiles, wanted to join in.

Before she could move, she felt a cool touch on her ear. Turning around, she saw her mother.

"What are you trying to do?" Chen Lina, seeing how Zhen Linqi had handled everything so well, couldn't let her wild daughter cause a scene. She swiftly stepped in to keep Lina in check.

"Mom! What did I do? Let go!" Zhen Lina cried, her face full of grievance, wondering why her mom always picked on her.

"Learn from your sister. Look at yourself," Chen Lina scolded, shielding the children from the scene.

"Ugh, whatever I do is wrong," Zhen Lina grumbled in frustration.

"Enough with the attitude. When you start handling things gently, like your sister, maybe I'll consider you a responsible mother. Look at her, always so gentle with the kids. And you? You're too rough. They'll get hurt."

"Alright, alright, I'm gentle too!" Zhen Lina sulked. In truth, she wasn't gentle enough. She almost squeezed her sister to death earlier. Even Jia Fuhai had experienced her overwhelming strength, but he took it as a fun challenge.

"Be even gentler!" Chen Lina raised her eyebrows, her tone firm.

"Yes, yes, yes," Zhen Lina agreed reluctantly, watching as her sister interacted with the children. She couldn't help but feel envious. Maybe she wasn't being gentle enough?

"Lina, come here," Zhen Linqi called her over, sensing it was time to teach her how to better interact with the kids. After all, their well-being, both physically and emotionally, was important.

"Coming!" Zhen Lina eagerly rushed forward.

Zhen Linqi then patiently taught her how to engage with the kids in a more delicate manner.

Watching this unfold, Chen Lina felt a deep sense of satisfaction. 

The two sisters had often bickered back at home, but ever since they got married, things had changed. Linqi had matured, and now she could calmly handle all the household matters. She was incredibly patient with Lina.

Their relationship was now harmonious, something Chen Lina never thought would be possible. A year ago, she couldn't have imagined such peace between the two.

Linqi took care of all the important matters in the family, while Lina was responsible for... well, having fun.

It was an unexpected but pleasant dynamic.

"Maybe I don't need to worry about Lina anymore," Chen Lina mused. Linqi was now stepping into the role of guiding and correcting her younger sister, making sure everything was in order.

With this thought, she realized her own role in the family had shifted to mostly helping with the kids.