Chapter 365 Dad, It’s Me

Chapter 365: Dad, It's Me

By all rights, Su Taotao shouldn’t feel this sense of nervousness when approaching home, yet inexplicably, she was a little tense.

Su Taotao’s parents lived in a communal apartment in the G City state-assigned housing complex. Her father, Su Donghan, was a senior technician, drawing the unit’s top-tier wages, and the assigned unit was relatively spacious. Previously, it had been a bit cramped for the family of five.

Later, Su Taotao went to the countryside and settled down there.

Su Taotao’s eldest brother was already married. His in-laws were well-connected, and his job had been arranged by his father-in-law.

Her family’s home was roomy, and the wife was the baby of the family. The couple had been living with her parents after marriage, and after having a child, it became natural for the retired grandmother to take care of the baby.

It was already considered good if they visited once or twice a month.

As Su Taotao’s mother put it, this eldest son was practically raised for nothing.

Now, with only a family of three left in the several-dozen-square-meter apartment, it was more spacious, but also much quieter.

Only the second brother, a year older than Su Taotao, remained unmarried and still lived at home. He worked as a temporary laborer in Su Donghan’s unit, screwing around all day without any serious ambition.

Su Taotao was naturally the youngest and most willful child in the family, doing everything according to her own whims—whether it was going to the countryside, getting married, or having a child.

She was so rebellious that her parents couldn’t do anything about her.

But this second brother refused to marry, not even willing to go on blind dates, always talking about finding love on his own terms and saying he’d only marry if he met the right girl—otherwise, he’d die a bachelor.

Thick-skinned and shameless, like a rubber ball—no matter how you hit him, he bounces back. Beatings and scolding were useless.

He, too, drove his parents up the wall.

At this moment, the Su household didn’t have much festive holiday spirit. The "rubber ball" second brother had vanished at the crack of dawn, no one knew where.

The eldest brother had brought his child back for New Year’s Eve dinner, but after breakfast on New Year’s Day, he left, saying the grandmother missed the child and they had to return.

The parents only saw them once or twice a month, and even during the New Year, they only stayed one night. Yet they complained about the small space, the hard bed, and how the child couldn’t sleep well—as if they hadn’t grown up in this very apartment.

It made the parents so angry they almost grabbed brooms to sweep them out on New Year’s Day.

He didn’t even consider that their apartment was already the largest in the entire compound, with the fewest people living in it now.

Many families squeezed seven or eight people into a few dozen square meters—such cases were everywhere.

Half the factory had their eyes on their apartment, hoping to trade places with them.

If not for Su Donghan’s clout as a senior technician, plus the fact that they still had a son of marriageable age who might need the space in the future, they would’ve long been pushed into a smaller place.

And he still had the nerve to complain?

Again, this son was practically raised for nothing.

Better for him to hurry back to his in-laws’ place and enjoy his comforts—good riddance.

When the phone attendant called them to answer the phone, the couple’s first thought was: Had that "rubber ball" second brother caused some trouble outside during the New Year?

Su Donghan nearly tripped over his own feet on the way downstairs, just managing to grab the railing in time.

Back in the residential area, Chenchen puckered his little pink lips: "Mommy, how come nobody’s picking up~~"

Su Taotao took a quiet deep breath to calm herself and said, "They’ll get there any second. It’s just a short walk."

Actually, it's usually the case that after the call is connected, someone goes to get the person, and then you call back after five or ten minutes. But Su Taotao's home is right across from the phone booth on the second floor. Standing at the door and calling out, they can get there in a minute or two.

It's just that Chenchen is used to someone picking up the phone as soon as it's connected, so he feels it's taking too long.

—"Hey, you brat, what trouble have you gotten into this New Year?"

A strange yet familiar, deep baritone voice boomed through the phone line, startling Chenchen, who was leaning close to the receiver. "Whoa!" he yelped, "Mommy, who is that? So scary~~"

Su Taotao patted the little one's head and said softly, "That's Grandpa."

Then, she spoke into the receiver, "Dad, it's me. I've brought Fu Zhengtu and Chenchen to wish you a Happy New Year."

On the other end of the line, there was a loud "thud" as something heavy hit the ground. The crash was so loud it made Su Taotao's ears ring, and she quickly moved the receiver away...