Ye Mo might not admit it, but he really liked Liu Ran’s temperament.
After fetching him, they went on to visit Liu Liushi to inform her of the news and ask her to look after the house.
So, on the way to their destination, Ye Liu told Liu Ran, “Ran Er, your sister and the four of us will be going to the capital for a few months. This is your first year in school so we can’t take you. But we’ll definitely do that next time! As for the house, we’ll ask your mother to come stay for a while, so you won’t be alone after you return from school.”
Liu Ran listened silently. He regretted that he could not go but, between fun and academics, he decided his studies were more important!
When he heard his mother was coming to stay, he was obviously very excited.
From there, Ye Mo added, “Kid, your Uncle Li is Brother Li now, so your Brother Ling is now your fifth brother-in-law, and Aunt Li is now a mother to us. So, to you, she’s like a mother-in-law. All this because we asked that she accept us as family!”
Liu Ran looked up at the man beside him. So Uncle Li’s family now…
Feeling Liu Ran’s gaze on him, Li Wazi broke into a grin and said, “Ran Er, you can still call me Uncle Li if you’re not used to it. That’s alright.”
Yet Liu Ran did not refer to him with the term he previously used. Instead, he opened his mouth and called him, “Brother Li.”
His brother-in-law had already given him the green light, so he went with it. Moreover, he quite liked Li Wazi anyway.
The four of them came to Liu Liushi’s workplace and told her about their plans to visit the capital.
“Mom, do you think you can come stay at our house for a while?” Ye Liu graciously asked.
Next to him, Ye Mo kept a straight face by not showing any emotions, as though he could not care less about Liu Liushi’s reply.
Liu Ran and Li Wazi did not speak. They stayed quiet as they listened to their conversation close by.
Liu Ran’s face evidently showed how much he wanted his mother to say yes.
However, Liu Liushi seemed to be quite fickle about the proposal. She neither nodded nor agreed immediately.
Several minutes passed before Liu Liushi gently spoke. “Liu dear, I don’t think I can give you an answer so quickly. I have to discuss it with my husband first. And we have to inform the owner as well.”
She could not quit her job to help them out. Her husband (Liu Quanfu) and herself currently did not have a house, farm, or paddy field to call their own. The jobs they had now, which came with food and accommodation, were not easy to find.
They also wanted to save some money for Liu Ran. If she stopped now and continued later, she might not have the chance.
Liu Ran was a bit disappointed to hear that. He did not expect that his mother would say something like this.
Ye Liu empathized with Liu Liushi’s need for consideration. Still, he nodded with a smile.
Ye Mo, on the other hand, snorted, but he did not comment on the matter. He merely said to his brother, “Liu, since she needs time to think, we should go now. There are still groceries to buy.”
They agreed to invite Aunt Ye to the house tomorrow to witness the acknowledgement ritual. They had to get some ingredients today to be used as offerings.
“Sure,” Ye Liu said, then he turned to Liu Liushi. “Mom, we’ll be going now. You and Dad can think about it and discuss with the owner. I’ll come back in the afternoon tomorrow.”
“Alright, I’ll give you an answer then,” Liu Liushi said apologetically. She could not even make eye contact with her son.
Ye Mo was the first to leave.