"Ouch, ouch, Dad; stop hitting me, I was wrong, I was wrong."
What greeted Tan Jincheng as he pushed open the door was not his mother's concerned gaze, but his father's Seven Wolves belt.
In his previous life, he also got a beating when he came home, but that was at night; he just didn't expect it to still be the afternoon now, and wondered why his father was home.
This was another variable; no wonder the door was ajar, it was indeed a trap!
"You still remember to come back? As soon as school was out, you ran off with that kid from old Zhang's family and didn't contact home for several months, we thought you died outside."
"I didn't want to, really. When I left, I didn't know that PHS phones couldn't be used outside the province, and it was hard to contact anyone at sea."
"Nonsense! Who told you to get on a ship? Didn't you know school was starting in September?"
"I was wrong, I was really wrong, I'll never dare again; Dad, please stop hitting me, the belt is going to break soon."
At this moment, Zhang Suzhi, who walked out of the kitchen, said to her husband,
"Alright, stop it. A lesson is enough, don't really injure him."
"Indulgent mothers spoil their sons!"
Tan Lihua, his face full of anger, cursed, but he did stop hitting and sat back on the sofa, still fuming.
Tan Jincheng cautiously glanced at his father, slowly moving towards his mother; parents these days were not like those in later generations, they really would hit you.
After a few belt swings, his legs were throbbing.
Seeing that his father had no intention of getting angry again, Tan Jincheng finally looked at his mother and asked, feigning confusion,
"Mom, why is your belly so big? Do I have a younger brother or sister?"
As a reborn person, Tan Jincheng already knew this outcome, but he couldn't show it.
Not only did he know his mother was pregnant, but he also knew that a few months later, he would have a younger sister.
In his previous life, after he left, he initially used public phones to report his safety to his family, but lost contact after getting on the ship; his parents were incredibly worried and even called the police.
As state-owned enterprise dual-income earners, Tan Lihua and Zhang Suzhi had only one child, Tan Jincheng, in that special era.
When their only child disappeared in their middle age, how could they not be anxious?
But by then, Tan Jincheng was already stranded on the high seas, and it wasn't easy to contact him; moreover, the efficiency of doing things in those days, especially in small cities, was imaginable.
After pulling many strings, the couple finally learned a few months later that their disappointing son had gone to work at sea!
This infuriated them; the more they thought about it, the angrier they became.
So, after discussing it, taking advantage of relaxed policies and their age not being too advanced, they decided to try and have another child.
Tan Jincheng had a relative who also had another child in their early 40s; perhaps his parents were inspired by this to have a second child.
Tan Jincheng's mother, Zhang Suzhi, was exactly 40 years old this year.
Pregnancy for an older mother was tough, so she stopped going to work after three months and rested at home.
Speaking of which, Tan Jincheng's impulsive decision to go on the ship this time truly changed the family's destiny.
"You ran off to sea without a word. Your mother and I didn't know when you'd come back, so we just decided to pretend we didn't have you as a son and decided to have another one."
Seeing Zhang Suzhi remain silent, Tan Lihua sullenly added.
To be honest, it was a bit embarrassing.
His son was almost 20, and after not coming home for over a year, they were adding a younger brother or sister to the family.
As parents, facing this situation, it was somewhat awkward.
"That's great news! Have you checked yet? Is it a younger brother or sister?"
Tan Jincheng, with the soul of a middle-aged man hidden beneath his young face, naturally perceived his parents' embarrassment.
"Not yet, but the due date is less than two months away,"
Zhang Suzhi said, a little shyly.
"I think it's definitely a younger sister, that way our family will form the character 'hao' (good, meaning 'boy and girl together'),"
Tan Jincheng continued,
"Then Mom, you need to rest well recently, and be sure to be careful. If there's any heavy work at home, just let me do it."
"Running off for over a year wasn't entirely useless, you even know how to care for people now; alright, enough about this, go clean up and get ready for dinner."
"Okay, I'll go take a shower. It's been so long since I've had Mom's cooking."
Seeing his parents' embarrassed faces, Tan Jincheng didn't feel it was appropriate to continue the topic.
If he kept talking, the Seven Wolves might make another appearance.
Oh, right, in those days, Seven Wolves was considered high-end, his father probably wouldn't have been willing to buy it.
Seeing their son walk away, the couple exchanged glances and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Tan Lihua got up and said to Zhang Suzhi,
"Go sit down for a bit, I'll get the dishes."
By the time Tan Jincheng came out of the bathroom, four dishes and one soup were already on the table: meatball and vegetable soup, braised taro balls with pork, braised crucian carp, chicken stewed with chestnuts, and stir-fried shredded pork with edamame.
Full of Yicheng specialties.
They say the highest treatment for guests in Yicheng is braised taro balls with pork; he didn't expect to have this for his first meal back home.
Braised taro balls with pork and chicken stewed with chestnuts are both difficult dishes to make and require a lot of time; especially the braised taro balls with pork, the cooking heat needs to be mastered perfectly.
If it's too short, it won't be cooked through and won't be edible; if it's too long, it will stick to the bottom.
As an Yicheng native, even without experience working in a cruise ship kitchen, Tan Jincheng could tell at a glance that the heat for this braised taro balls with pork was just right.
His mother was heavily pregnant, making this dish would have been very difficult, and his father must have helped a lot, which was probably why he was home at this time.
His parents' love for him had always been there.
The seemingly simple four dishes were his parents' greatest love, welcoming their prodigal son home.
Tan Jincheng stared at the table of dishes, silent for a long while.
Just as Zhang Suzhi noticed something was wrong and was about to speak, Tan Jincheng spoke first.
Putting away the playful smile he had when he first arrived home, Tan Jincheng very seriously said to his parents,
"Dad, Mom, I'm sorry; your son made you worry."
This apology was not only for his impulsiveness this life, but also for his guilt in the previous life, when he was busy with business in the later period and neglected his parents and family.
Tan Jincheng's sudden apology left Tan Lihua and his wife at a loss for how to respond.
Before them, their son was strong, dark-skinned, completely different from the one who left home over a year ago.
What surprised the couple most was that their son seemed somewhat different than before, seemingly much more mature all of a sudden.
Many times, parents are the ones who understand their children best.
Tan Jincheng could hide himself from outsiders, but with his parents, no words were needed; they could sense their son's change just by feeling.
After a moment of silence, Tan Lihua said,
"Alright, it's good you're back, let's eat first; we'll talk about your future plans later."
(End of chapter)
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