Chapter 696: Chapter 600: Hello, Uncle

Lovers reuniting naturally greet each other warmly. Xiao Man, Guan Ailan, and Mo Shuixia deliberately gathered the younger siblings to stand to one side, letting Mo Linghui be the one to step forward. Chen Deming was beaming, his smile so wide his eyes crinkled shut. The moment he got near Mo Linghui, he reached for her hand without a second thought. But how could she be so bold in front of all the kids? Blushing, Mo Linghui pulled her hand away and whispered a few words to him. Chen Deming quickly looked around. "Ah, you came with your relatives? Where are they? I have to meet them!"

"We’re over here!" With a shout, a whole crowd of boys and girls of all ages swarmed over to surround Mo Linghui.

Chen Deming’s jaw dropped in surprise. His glasses nearly fell off, and he quickly pushed them back up. ’Good heavens,’ he thought, ’is my girlfriend planning to start a fight in the city? Why would she bring an entire entourage of relatives?’

Mo Qingqing, who was only two years younger than Mo Linghui and about the same height, followed Guan Ailan’s instructions. Grinning, she called out to Chen Deming, "Hello, Uncle!"

Chen Deming: "..."

A blush rose to his fair face, then, in a visibly swift transformation, it darkened to a mortified shade of purple. He pushed his glasses up a couple of times, his gaze shifting from Mo Qingqing to Mo Linghui. He forced a laugh. "Ling Hui, I—I don’t look that old, do I? Can’t they just call me Brother?"

Guan Ailan and Xiao Man struggled to hold back their laughter. Mo Shuixia mischievously held out her right hand to Chen Deming. "Of course, calling you Brother is much better. All men are brothers, after all! Hello, brother! My name is Mo Shuixia, and just like the young lady who called you Uncle, I’m Mo Linghui’s niece!"

"Hello, hello. I’m Chen Deming. I’m Ling Hui’s..." Chen Deming politely raised his hand to shake Mo Shuixia’s, but then he seemed to realize something and quickly retracted it. "What did you say? You’re her niece?"

"That’s right. What’s wrong with being her niece? Can’t a niece shake hands to say hello?"

"You can, but you have to introduce yourself again. And call me Uncle!"

"I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m practically a grown-up; calling you Uncle will make you sound ancient!"

"It’s fine, it’s fine! Call me whatever you want. I’m not afraid of sounding old!"

Chen Deming took a step closer to Mo Linghui, once again grinning from ear to ear. "I’m Mo Linghui’s boyfriend, which means I’ll be your uncle-by-marriage in the future. The family seniority is set, we can’t mess it up!"

Guan Ailan let out a snort of laughter and whispered to Xiao Man, who was next to her, "This guy’s pretty confident. And shameless, too!"

"Confidence is a good thing, and being a little shameless is fine," Xiao Man said with a smile. "All that matters is that he’s sincere with Mo Linghui and that they’ll cherish each other for a lifetime. That’s enough." She had been observing Chen Deming carefully. He had decent features, a kind and honest aura, and a steady, direct gaze. ’He doesn’t seem like a player,’ she concluded.

Next, Chen Deming had Mo Linghui introduce all the youngsters one by one. Having been teased by Mo Shuixia, he’d learned his lesson. For every person with the surname Mo, he would ask, "This must be a niece, right? Or a nephew?"

He would even make them call him Uncle on the spot, as if for confirmation.

But Xiao Man wasn’t about to play along. She laughed and said, "I’m my Grandpa’s adopted granddaughter, and my actual surname is Tang. I’m also Mo Linghui’s classmate and friend, and we’re about the same age. So let’s make an exception and just treat me as a peer."

Chen Deming smiled and nodded, then looked over at Mo Shuixia. "Actually, we don’t have to be so strict. Shuixia, you can just call me by my name, too. As for seniority and all that, it’s enough that we know where we stand."

Mo Shuixia chuckled twice in agreement.

Chen Deming had originally intended to take the whole group to his family’s home, but Mo Linghui refused. Although she had told his parents about their relationship in letters, she wasn’t willing to make her first visit this way. ’What would his family think of her?’

After a brief discussion, they all ended up going to the County Committee Guesthouse.

Chen Deming’s parents held rather high-ranking positions, so the guesthouse receptionist was all smiles and extremely polite to him. He made a call to his mother, simply saying some friends needed a place to stay, and quickly sorted out their lodging. As for food, the guesthouse had its own cafeteria, but Chen Deming wanted to impress them. He knew that the title of "Uncle" came with responsibilities. He insisted on taking the whole troop to one of the more famous restaurants in Fengling County for a proper, high-class feast.

However, Mo Linghui told Chen Deming that she, Xiao Man, Guan Ailan, and Mo Shuixia had to visit a teacher and wouldn’t be joining them for the meal. Chen Deming immediately asked if they wanted him to come along. While he didn’t know Teacher Yu, he was very familiar with No. 1 Middle School and its faculty.

Mo Linghui smiled and pointed to Mo Shuixia. "The three of us graduated from No. 1 Middle School. She’s the exception, but now she works there, too—she’s a P.E. teacher in the junior high division. She was just assigned the position, and the school is still building new dorms, so she has to rent an apartment for now. We’re going to Teacher Yu’s place first, then we’ll head to the school and call some old classmates... We’re sure to be catching up for a while. I don’t even know if we’ll make it back to the guesthouse tonight."

Chen Deming thought for a moment. "Alright then," he said. "You go visit your teacher and catch up with your classmates. Just leave the little ones to me. I’ll take them to dinner, we can stroll around town for a bit, then all go to the cinema for a movie before heading back to the guesthouse to rest. I’ll take good care of them, don’t you worry."

Xiao Man, Guan Ailan, and Mo Shuixia were all delighted. It had to be said, having someone like him to help look after the younger siblings was a huge relief.

That evening, when Teacher Yu found out they had brought all their younger siblings only to leave them at the guesthouse, she chided them soundly. The next day, she insisted the entire group of ten-plus people come to her home for a meal. This also gave Chen Deming, in his capacity as Mo Linghui’s boyfriend, an opportunity to make his official debut ahead of schedule. Teacher Yu discreetly scrutinized him for a good while before announcing that he passed her inspection. Chen Deming was so overjoyed, he felt like adopting Teacher Yu as his own beloved former teacher.

Xiao Man was secretly amused. ’Chen Deming really ought to be grateful to Teacher Yu,’ she thought. ’If Teacher Yu hadn’t used an iron fist to nip Mo Linghui’s so-called "first love" in the bud back then, forcing her to focus on her schoolwork and continue her studies all the way to the university they both attended, he never would have even met her.’

Their plans changed, and they ended up staying in the county town for an extra day and night. Teacher Yu decided she wanted to visit Lin Liuping with them, and her son, Mao Mao, insisted on coming too. In the end, Chen Deming also joined the trip. He went so far as to arrange for a small passenger bus from his work unit, complete with a driver. The vehicle was stocked with snacks and water, fully prepared for a long journey. He completely took over the host’s role, making it seem as though Xiao Man and the others were simply tagging along with him.

Still, Chen Deming’s presence made the subsequent eight- or nine-hour journey far more pleasant and comfortable. In those days, most county roads were unpaved gravel and in poor condition. The public buses were slow, and their seats weren’t the soft, foam-padded ones that would become common a few years later, but were simple wooden benches. A full day on one of those would leave your backside completely numb. The minibus Chen Deming had arranged, however, was normally used to transport officials. It was comfortable, clean, and had cushioned foam seats. The kids, big and small, could lie down or sit however they liked without being violently jostled. Gu Shaoqin was even able to take photos in the moving vehicle. Everyone was in high spirits, laughing and pointing at the passing scenery. By the time they reached Fengling County, they felt like the trip had ended too soon.

Throughout the trip, Chen Deming handled all the logistics, from snacks and drinks to getting everyone on and off the bus. Teacher Yu, Mo Linghui, Xiao Man, Guan Ailan, and Mo Shuixia didn’t have to lift a finger.

This raised Teacher Yu’s opinion of Chen Deming even further. And of course, it wasn’t just her. Da Zhi, Mo Zhiyuan, Guan Er, and all the younger siblings were now more than happy to call Chen Deming "Uncle" or "Brother."

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