As My Daughter Say

When Raelle reached home, Shui Xian hadn't arrived yet. She only found Shui Koshing on the veranda where he was leaning into his rocking chair as he kept smiling while looking at something on his iPad.

Raelle took a moment before calling out to him, "Bà, what are you doing outside?"

Shui Koshing lifted his head and smiled at Raelle, "Oh, you're back!" Raelle gave him a nod and he went on, "I was waiting for you both." He looked behind her and seeing that only she was here, he was a bit disappointed. This son of his was really something! "Let's go inside first. It's cold here."

Raelle followed behind him but couldn't help saying, "So, it wasn't cold when you're sitting there?"

Shui Koshing shook his head, "That's the least I can do." He took a pause and asked, "Did you have your dinner?"

"Oh, not yet," replied Raelle. "What about you? Have you had your dinner?"

Shui Koshing smiled at her, "I have. My son's strict orders are to have dinner on time. I can't go against him."

Raelle looked at him, "Are you afraid of your son?"

"Oh, I'm very scared of him," replied Shui Koshing. "How can I not be? He is very inflexible. Always telling me to eat on time, sleep on time, and take care of my health. He is so demanding that it's tiring."

Raelle thought about his words and nodded to herself, "Doesn't that make him a very caring person? And he does it for your own good."

He smiled at her in reply and said, "Wow! You're already taking your husband's side."

Raelle shrugged her shoulders, "I don't take sides though." She looked at the books on the coffee table in the lounge, she inquired, "Were you reading that?"

"Hmm..." he hummed in response.

"Do you read a lot?" Since it was something she enjoyed, she obviously had plenty to ask as well.

Shui Koshing sat down in the lounge as he replied, "Yes! Since I'm the most useless one in this house." Raelle also took a seat as she listened to his attentively. "Even the antique pieces have a purpose in this house. They are here to add a charm in the ambience. But me?" He pointed at himself and sighed, "I do nothing every day. I just laze around! That's why I'm trying to broaden my horizon with books."

Raelle didn't agree with what he said. Since she didn't agree, she'd say it outright as well, "Just like everything has its own value here, you do as well." Shui Koshing's brows arched up in surprise. He was trying to make her smile with that nonsense, why did she look so serious? "You're the elder of this family." Shui Koshing's eyes widened as he was left stunned by her response. "Everything in this house can be bought with money. You're irreplaceable. Doesn't that make you the most valuable part of this family?"

For a long moment, Shui Koshing was left staring at her in silence. He didn't know how her brain worked but he found it quite beautiful. And he also didn't know why her words touched his heart so deeply that even tears had brimmed up in his eyes.

Perhaps she didn't even realize what impact her words had.

He suddenly chuckled as he looked at her face with gentle eyes and said, "Our Elle is truly a beautiful person; inside and out."

Raelle neither agreed nor disagreed with his words. She often didn't know how to react to such compliments. Usually, people had something entirely different to say about her, So, she chose to divert from this topic, "Bà, you don't go out to hang out with friends?"

"Do you have friends, Elle?" he asked in return instead of answering her.

"I think I do," she replied. "There is one jerk who claims to be my best friend."

Shui Koshing smiled at her, "Then I wish your best friend never turns into a stranger. Because when that happens, it really leaves a bitter taste in your life."

"So, you don't have friends?"

"All of them have different priorities now," he replied. "That's why I used to get so bored as well all alone. We drifted away with time."

"Are you lamenting?" She questioned.

He shook his head, "I'm just saying that's why I made books my companion. It truly opened a whole new world for me."

Raelle understood that very well. That was something she was deeply familiar with. "Indeed, books are the best companions."

"I knew you'd agree with me," said Shui Koshing. He took a pause and went on, "By the way, I'm sorry about my son. He gets so lost in work that he loses the sense of time."

"Why are you apologizing?" Raelle didn't think he needed to say that. "It's not even a big deal. I forget time and place while working as well." She looked carefully at him and added, "Besides, the one who is late is your son, there is no need for you to defend him."

"I'm glad that you're very understanding," said Shui Koshing.

"That's the first time someone said I'm understanding," she muttered to herself. "Anyway, since you have nothing to do every day, why don't you go over to see my grandfather? You can play board games with him."

Shui Koshing was suddenly enlightened, "Oh, why didn't I think about this? I can actually go over to spend time with Uncle Xiang. That's such a good idea."

Raelle smiled at him, "And please, next time, don't wait outside. It was so cold, what if you got sick?"

"But I liked doing it," replied Shui Koshing. "I suddenly have something to look forward to every evening. Don't take that away from me."

Raelle was suddenly reminded of Mu Chenyan. She also used to say that waiting for her every evening gave her a reason to look forward to something.

"Then you can do it inside as well," said Raelle. "There is no need to literally wait at the door."

Shui Koshing chuckled softly and nodded, "Alright. I'll do as my daughter say."