Chapter 5 No Cure from Medicine or Physicians (Additional Chapter 12 for Huang Jin Meng @ Top Fan of Ink)

"Jijizi, when I asked you to go up and teach Meng Xin Zhi a lesson, which country did you end up educating her in?"

A voice traveled from the fifth-floor staircase towards the Rooftop.

The voice was pleasant to hear, especially when calling out "Jijizi."

But when it reached "Meng Xin Zhi," it became emotionless.

Dad called her Axin; Mom referred to her by her full name.

In the way of address, closeness and distance were immediately apparent.

Meng Xin Zhi had a conditioned response to this voice.

She hurriedly let go of her dad's hand.

Stood at ease, then came to attention.

She was only short of giving a military salute, waiting for the family's highest commander to inspect her.

She completely lost the relaxed posture she had with her dad.

Meng Xin Zhi was terrified of her own mother.

It came from deep within her soul.

If others think you're sick, you can go home to find Mom.

But what can you do if your own mom thinks you're sick?

Blurt out the line, "I want, I want to find my dad"?

Under any other circumstance, this tactic would surely be effective.

But when faced with Mom Meng Lan in person, Meng Xin Zhi's universally ranked number-one dad would temporarily become incapacitated.

In Dad's own words, this was "digging a tunnel under the guise of repairing the pathway."

"Lan Lan Zi, education isn't something that can be achieved overnight, especially with a stubborn element like Axin, she definitely needs to be thoroughly taught. She's so grown up; if we don't educate her now, she'll go astray," Zong Ji firmly took his wife's side.

Utterly unprincipled and duplicitous.

Meng Xin Zhi had long since grown used to such a dad.

Nothing in the world was bigger than the wife, nothing was better than the wife.

—Why does this phrase seem so familiar?

When it came to Mom Meng Lan, even if Meng Xin Zhi sang "go anywhere to find my dad" beautifully,

her good dad would only provide her with "delayed gratification" after Mom had left.

Of course, verbal protests were a must.

Deep down, Meng Xin Zhi didn't mind at all.

In fact, since she was little, she had been very eager to lap up the affection between her dad and mom.

She grew up healthy and happy largely because she was fueled by their love.

In Meng Xin Zhi's view,

The best legacy parents could offer their children

was never about arranging everything for them,

nor was it about frequently saying, "We're doing all this for your own good."

It was about instructing them through their own example.

Observe how dad and mom act.

See how dad and mom love each other.

Learn how dad and mom strive to achieve their goals.

Such parents wouldn't devote all their energy to their children.

Compared to the type of parents who constantly say, "Do you know what dad and mom have given up for you?" instructive parents actually allow their children more room to grow.

Meng Xin Zhi wasn't sure if Meng Lan was a good mother.

After all, this woman had given birth to her at the age of eighteen and had denied her a father until she was six.

The memories from before the age of six were very vague in Meng Xin Zhi's mind.

She dimly remembered her mom seemed to be a very mature person capable of solving any problem,

equally adept at changing light bulbs and fixing the plumbing.

Mom's life rebooted in her own year of twenty-four.

After having a dad, Mom became the most immature child in the house.

Mom's immaturity kept pace with the times.

The more family members there were, the more childish she became.

Before having Zong Yi, she was only more childish than her eldest daughter Meng Xin Zhi.

When Zong Yi reached three, Mom took another quantum leap.

In terms of immaturity—she was no match for a three-year-old.

This also led to Meng Xin Zhi's upbringing being quite different from most.

Because often her dad would educate her, "Axin, you have to be more patient with your mom."

Yes, like how other parents would tell their older children to be considerate of their younger siblings,

merely short of adding, "Your mom is still young" at the end.

From the start of her memories, little Meng Xin Zhi didn't want to yield.

But she had just gotten a dad.

As an outright dad fan,

since it was her dad saying it, she reluctantly agreed.

And she continued to yield until now.

Meng Xin Zhi always believed that her connection with Zong Ji as father and daughter came before the story of Jijizi and Lan Lan Zi.

As the matchmaker, pride was all that filled Meng Xin Zhi's heart.

So she didn't mind at all swallowing the dog food that originated from herself.

It was just hard on Little Ayi.

Meng Lan wouldn't allow Zong Ji to have "little cotton jackets," not even one, let alone two.

She refused to share her husband with any other woman, no matter that these two "women" were her own daughters; there was no room for negotiation.