novelbin Chapter 356 - 346: Growing Up in the Blink of an Eye
Chapter 356 - 346: Growing Up in the Blink of an Eye
Wang Miaomiao never imagined that after getting her driver’s license and a new car, she would actually be reluctant to drive on the road.
Every time she drove, she had to focus all her attention, be extremely careful, and her body would become tense, her nerves strained. After a drive, she felt exhausted both physically and mentally.
It seemed that someone like her was just not suited for driving, it was too tiring.
Jiang Yan had always encouraged her before, telling her to drive more, and with practice, it would get better. Unfortunately... after nearly half a year, it was still the same.
Wang Miaomiao was also quite troubled. Buying the car only to leave it at home was a waste, but if she drove it, she got tired.
"Mom, relax. There aren’t that many cars on the road, what are you afraid of..." Jiang Zihan looked at his mom’s nervous state, wishing he could take the wheel himself.
"There aren’t many cars, but there are a lot of people..." Wang Miaomiao tightly gripped the steering wheel, her body rigidly straight, not blinking at all, as careful as possible.
Jiang Zihan and Jiang Zihui exchanged glances, all they felt was helplessness.
The school was only a fifteen-minute bike ride from the Jiang Family home, yet Wang Miaomiao could take a full twenty minutes.
Wasn’t it hard to explain...
"Uncle Wang, we’re back..."
As Jiang Zihan spoke, the door to the house opened, and a middle-aged man in his forties hobbled out with a smile, "The young masters are back, ma’am, please go inside, the Old Master and our in-laws are waiting."
"Okay, Brother Wang." Wang Miaomiao thanked him politely.
Wang Bin smiled again, sheepishly.
This Wang Bin used to be in the military and once worked under Jiang Yan.
Since Old Master Jiang passed away, only Jiang Zhongyi stayed in the front yard.
Jiang Yan and Wang Miaomiao felt that it was too lonely for Jiang Zhongyi to live in the front yard alone, and they couldn’t look after him if something happened, so they wanted him to move to the second courtyard.
But no matter what, Jiang Zhongyi refused, saying he wasn’t old enough to need care.
Although Jiang Yan and Wang Miaomiao were filial, they were both busy with work and had four children to worry about, so they could only care for Jiang Zhongyi in a limited way.
Ever since the four kids went to kindergarten, Sister-in-law Yang and Sister-in-law Song left the Jiang Family and were arranged by Wang Miaomiao to work in the factory. As the children grew, there was no need for nannies.
Aunt Zhang also left five years ago. Now, only Aunt Li was left at the Jiang Family, taking care of the kitchen.
It was impossible for Aunt Li to spend all three mealtimes at the Jiang Family’s home alone, so Wang Miaomiao had to, taking on breakfast duties and helping with dinner.
Jiang Yan naturally felt sorry for his wife and kept the thought of finding someone new in mind.
Not long after, he unexpectedly heard Wang Bin had been seriously injured during a mission and, after being discharged, was looking for work.
Jiang Yan thought about it, reached out to him, and had a chat.
A few days later, Wang Bin came with his family, bringing his wife, Lu Xiaohua, and their two children, Wang Xiang and Wang Xiao, to the Jiang Family, where they settled in.
Wang Bin, injured and retired, naturally received compensation. Due to the severity of his leg injury, the government wanted to arrange work for him, but being a proud man, he refused the assigned job, not wanting to burden the organization. In the end, the government issued him a disability certificate, providing monthly allowances.
Lu Xiaohua was a typical village woman, honest and hardworking. Since she arrived, Wang Miaomiao was relieved, as household chores were almost fully handled by her.
The Wang Family’s two children, Wang Xiang, who had good grades, was now a sophomore in college, and Wang Xiao also did well, already a high school freshman.
The two kids were sensible, living with the Wang family couple in the front yard. Thus, the front yard gained liveliness, and Jiang Yan and his wife felt more at ease at night.
Wang Miaomiao followed behind the two brothers and quickly arrived at the second courtyard.
"Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandma, we’re back..." Jiang Zihan hollered, feeling liberated and even more cheerful after finishing exams.
"Eh, come sit by grandma. How did the exams go? Did you fill out all the answers?" Ten years passed, and a few strands of white hair appeared on top of Liu Yulan’s head.
"Yes, I filled them all out." Jiang Zihan took the fruit Liu Yulan handed over and started eating it heartily.
"Good, good..." Wang Baoxing’s mood lightened immediately upon hearing the relaxed tone of his eldest grandson, feeling assured of his good performance.
If it was all filled in, it meant he knew how to do it, instantly easing the old couple’s nerves.
"And Hui Hui?" Liu Yulan looked towards the silent Jiang Zihui beside her, handing him some fruit too, making sure not to show favoritism. However, because Jiang Zihan had an outgoing personality with more interaction, it appeared she loved Jiang Zihan more.
Jiang Zihui received the fruit, "Thank you, Grandma. My exams went okay too; I should be able to get into my ideal high school."
"That’s good, that’s good." Liu Yulan grinned widely, her back teeth almost showing.
"Big Brother, Second Brother, you both sure have it easy. Sigh... sister and I still have to suffer through." Jiang Ziye looked at his two brothers with envy.
He was only in the first year of middle school, struggling with grades, finding studying torturous, as if he lacked the knack for it.
Beside him, Jiang Zixuan silently pouted, sighing helplessly as if resigned to her fate.
What else could she do? Any slightly challenging question, he wouldn’t know how to solve it. Even if explained, the next time a similar question appeared, he’d still be clueless.
Jiang Ziye and Jiang Zixuan were twins, but it seemed during their mother’s pregnancy, all the good nutrients were absorbed by Jiang Zixuan.
Jiang Zixuan felt somewhat guilty towards Jiang Ziye, always feeling that it was her fault that made her brother less smart.
So, ever since she became sensible, every time there was a test, she would hide her talent, keeping her grades average in the class to muddle through.
In fact, she had quietly finished learning the second-year curriculum and was already self-studying the third-year material.
For Jiang Ziye, she concealed her true capabilities, hoping he wouldn’t feel too pressured. She was afraid of everyone comparing them, which would upset her brother.
Of course, children’s grades are a concern for parents. But Wang Miaomiao didn’t just care about grades.
After realizing that among the children, the third one was the most timid and not as clever, she paid special attention to his mental health.
However, upon close observation, she also discovered that, well... some people indeed have their own kind of good fortune despite seeming foolish.
Children’s worldviews are vastly different from ours. And Jiang Ziye’s worldview is even more peculiar; he has his own unique way of thinking, with nothing seeming to impact him.
Concerning Jiang Zixuan, when she suddenly began to underperform, Wang Miaomiao noticed something was amiss.
After numerous observations, she finally understood her intentions, which moved her deeply inside.
She didn’t expose her. The small warmth her daughter provided to her son, she couldn’t bear to destroy.
"Yeah, Big Brother, Second Brother sure are lucky, never mind, treat us, treat us..."