Chapter Eleven: Principal Chen's Home

  The villagers wanted to ask more questions, Chen Ping picked up Chen Meng'er and said to the crowd: "My daughter and I will leave first. If we're late, Principal Chen might not be at home." Chen Meng'er didn't know about the gossip in this village, especially among these aunt-like women.

  But Chen Ping knew, he looked at the expressions on these middle-aged women's faces and knew they were all excited. Moreover, he knew that if he told them what happened at Principal Chen's house today, then not tomorrow, but today, the whole village would know about their visit to Principal Chen's house.

  Chen Ping is not like other men with a big heart, his heart is still quite delicate. Originally, he agreed to take his daughter Chen Meng'er to Principal Chen's house today, just to let Principal Chen come and personally dispel his daughter Chen Meng'er's unrealistic idea of going to school.

  It's not that Chen Ping is reluctant to pay the tuition, but both he and his wife think that Chen Meng'er is too young. At Chen Meng'er's age, what can you do in school? Just cause trouble?

  It was obvious that Chen Ping and his wife thought their daughter, Chen Meng Er, was smarter and more obedient than ordinary children. However, in their hearts, they knew she was only a 3-year-old child after all.

  And the couple were more rational than ordinary parents in the village, knowing how to protect the young minds of their children. So they didn't say anything excessive to crush Chen Mengran's interest, but instead wanted Principal Chen, a professional, to persuade Chen Meng'er.

  Chen Ping didn't want to hear the villagers gossiping about his daughter, and they were all saying unpleasant things. So he picked up Chen Meng'er in one swift motion and left the encirclement of those aunties.

  Chen Meng'er looked at her father Chen Ping, who was holding her and hastily fleeing the scene, and couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. She then hugged her father's neck and burst into laughter: "Hehehehe".

  "Meng'er, what are you smiling about so happily?" Chen Ping asked while hugging his daughter Chen Meng'er as they hurried along.

  "I'm laughing at Dad, he was so funny just now." Chen Meng'er bluntly said who she was laughing at. "Dad's running away looked like there was a big grey wolf chasing him from behind."

  "Bad girl, who am I doing this for? Ah, you're still laughing at your dad." Chen Ping heard his daughter Chen Meng'er's words and thought about it for a moment. His earlier escape did indeed resemble what his daughter described. His voice also unconsciously carried a hint of amusement.

  The two parents chatted and laughed, and soon arrived at Principal Chen's home.

  It turned out that Principal Chen was a distant relative of the Chen family. Of course, this kind of relationship between seventh great aunt and eighth great uncle would not be mentioned by Chen Ping to Chen Meng'er, a young kid. Chen Meng'er knew about the relationship between Principal Chen and her father from an unintentional mention by her mother.

  "Meng'er, remember, when you see Principal Chen later, you have to call him Grandpa, got it?" Chen Ping reminded his daughter Chen Meng'er once again in a low voice at the gate of Principal Chen's house before knocking on the door.

  "Dad, I know." Chen Meng'er said with her mouth. But she couldn't help but mutter in her heart: "Dad is really something, he's said this several times today, do I look like a kid who can't remember things?"

  Chen Ping didn't think Chen Meng'er was a forgetful child, he was just nervous. The prestige of Principal Chen in his heart wasn't necessarily lower than that of his late father.

  "It's fine if you know." With that, Chen Ping adjusted his emotions and mustered up the courage to lift his hand and knock on the door of Principal Chen's house.

  Chen Meng'er looked up at her father's tense expression, and couldn't help but feel curious about Principal Chen. What kind of person could make her father, a grown man, so nervous? Chen Meng'er's mind was still unwittingly speculating, wondering if her father, Chen Ping, had some secret that Principal Chen knew about.

  Just as Chen Meng'er was guessing, the courtyard door opened: "Huh, Xiao Ping, it's you. How did you come?" The person who opened the door looked at Chen Ping and seemed very surprised.

  "Uncle Chen." Chen Ping called out in a somewhat formal tone.

  As soon as Chen Meng'er heard her father's greeting to the visitor, she knew that the old man in front of her, wearing a slightly faded Cheongsam, was the Principal Chen they were going to visit today: "Hello, Principal Chen." Chen Meng'er also followed suit and greeted him.

  Chen Meng'er kept her eyes on Principal Chen as she called out to him. She was searching for the reason why her father, Chen Ping, was so afraid of him and was being so cautious. However, Chen Meng'er was disappointed, as Principal Chen didn't seem like a fierce person at all, especially when he saw her, he appeared to be a kind and gentle old man.

  "Oh, really clever. Little Ping, this is your little daughter?" Principal Chen obviously liked the sweet-talking Chen Meng'er, and he reached out to touch her hair as he spoke to Chen Ping.

  "Yes, Uncle Chen, this is my little daughter, Chen Meng'er." Chen Ping forced a stiff smile onto his face as he faced Principal Chen.

  Principal Chen saw the expression on Chen Ping's face, and somewhat unkindly took Chen Meng'er's small hand from Chen Ping's, saying: "I'm telling you, Little Ping, I don't even remember when I last scolded you or hit you, so why do you always look at me with this expression?"

  Following Principal Chen's words, Chen Meng'er looked up at her father Chen Ping's face and saw the smile on his face that was even more difficult to look at than crying. She felt quite puzzled in her heart. This Principal Chen didn't have a fierce or evil appearance either, but rather a gentle one. Chen Meng'er thought this and nodded in agreement.

  "Hey, Uncle Chen, look what you said, I, I..." Chen Ping looked at Principal Chen's gaze, then looked at his daughter's gaze, and was stunned for a while, unable to utter another word.

  "Alright, don't be like that. Hurry up and come in to sit down. Otherwise, if your aunt sees you again, she'll scold me." Principal Chen pulled Chen Meng'er's hand and led the way into the small courtyard.

  Principal Chen's courtyard is larger than Chen Meng'er's, and the house is also better built. This can be seen that Principal Chen's family life is much better than Chen Meng'er's. The small courtyard is full of flowers and grasses. In the middle of the yard, there is a stone table and four stone stools.

  The whole layout of this small courtyard makes people feel quite comfortable, but it has lost the atmosphere of a rural farmhouse.

  "Come, little Mengmeng, sit down. Grandpa Chen will get you some delicious food." Principal Chen said gently to Chen Mengmeng, then looked up at Chen Ping who was following behind them with a tense expression and said: "Xiao Ping, you too, sit down. When you come to Uncle Chen's house, don't be so formal. If you're always so cautious, I'll have to kick you out."

  "Ah, Uncle Chen, I know," Chen Ping hastily replied. He knew Principal Chen's temper, and he meant what he said.

  Chen Meng'er saw Principal Chen enter the house, she pulled her father's hand and smiled: "Dad, Principal Chen isn't scary at all, why are you so afraid of him?"

  Chen Ping heard his daughter's words, coughed unnaturally and said: "You little rascal, what nonsense are you talking about? Your dad is not afraid of your Grandpa Chen. Dad is showing respect to him, do you understand?"

  Chen Ping would never tell his daughter that when he was a naughty kid and his parents couldn't control him, they always used Principal Chen to scare him. Having been scared for so long, he naturally developed a fear of Principal Chen in his heart.

  "Oh, so that's how it is." Chen Meng'er knew her father Chen Ping wasn't telling the truth. But she also knew there was a limit to asking questions, if she kept pressing on, she'd probably end up making her father Chen Ping fly into a rage.

  Principal Chen took out a small bottle of soda and some candies, cookies and the like, and walked out. "Here you go, Little Meng. Grandpa's house doesn't have kids, only these snacks, make do with them."

  Principal Chen said, stuffing candies into Chen Meng's pocket.

  "Hey, Uncle Chen, you're being too polite. Just give me some candy and that's fine." Chen Ping said hastily when he saw what Principal Chen was holding in his hand.

  "Grandpa Chen, Meng'er has taken enough candies. You can keep the rest for yourself to eat." Chen Meng'er is not like when she was first reborn. She didn't know anything back then. But now she knows that these snacks in Principal Chen's hands are nowhere to be found in this village.

  "It's okay, these things, Grandpa Chen and Grandma Chen don't like to eat them. If we don't give them to Little Meng, they will go bad." Principal Chen opened the soda cap with a bottle opener and put it on the table. Then he poured a cup of tea for Chen Ping.

  Chen Ping wanted to say something, but was stopped by a glance from Principal Chen. "Xiao Ping, what brings you to see your Uncle Chen today?" Principal Chen didn't beat around the bush either.