"Lao Lin, why don't you just go ask our son directly? Why pull me into the room for this?"
Seeing his wife's aggressive demeanor, Father Lin could only smile wryly and shake his head:
"Hey, we can't rush this matter. Now that our boy suddenly came into a large sum of money, my biggest worry is whether he can handle it properly. Besides, buying a four-million car straight away proves this point, doesn't it?"
After saying this, even Empress Dowager Ye furrowed her brow. She might not think as far ahead as her husband, but she understood some of the concerns.
So Empress Dowager Ye was also worried and her brow furrowed deeper:
"Then what do you suggest, Lao Lin? Should I just go and take his bank card from him now?"
Seeing this, Father Lin quickly waved his hand:
"That won't do; the college entrance exam is the day after tomorrow. If we upset him now, it might affect his exams! Hey, by the way, what did their class teacher say when she called? I noticed you suddenly changed your attitude toward the boy, which isn't like you at all."
As he spoke, Father Lin suddenly recalled the incident before Sun Zhi arrived earlier and asked spontaneously.
Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Ye's previously knitted brow relaxed immediately, and an excited expression appeared on her face:
"Heh, I almost forgot if you didn't ask. The class teacher called mainly to say she doesn't want Xiao Yi to repeat the year next year."
Hearing this, Father Lin's brow furrowed even deeper, looking utterly puzzled:
"Not letting him repeat?? Didn't she say before that Xiao Yi has excellent learning ability and could possibly get into the top universities if he repeated? Why change her mind now?"
Seeing her husband's expression, Empress Dowager Ye chuckled mysteriously:
"No need to repeat is a good thing. Why are you so excited? Besides, our son inherited my excellent genes. Even if he doesn't repeat, he can still get into a top university!"
This left Father Lin speechless. Well, now she's claiming the good traits. Weren't the mishaps always blamed on his side of the family...
Of course, he only dared to think this to himself. Speaking it out loud might mean sleeping in the living room tonight...
Becoming interested, Empress Dowager Ye also temporarily forgot about their son's new wealth and excitedly began recounting the teacher's call to her husband.
In the following moments, exclamations of shock could be heard periodically from the bedroom: 'What? The principal really said he can recommend our son for Fudan University??'
'What?? Our boy actually turned it down? No way, I need to talk to him. This surely has to do with the five hundred thousand! Hey, hey, why are you stopping me? Fine, you go ahead, you go ahead...'
'Pfft! Cough, cough... What the heck?? Our boy got a perfect score??? How's that possible?? That kid must have cheated!'
...
Meanwhile, picking through broken pieces of porcelain in his room, Lin Yi could faintly hear his father's exclamations, making him somewhat curious.
What's up with Comrade Lin? He didn't drink at dinner, so why does he sound so out of it now?
Shaking his head, Lin Yi ignored the commotion outside and continued to focus on sorting through the fragments in front of him.
Once he finished the rough sorting, he planned to bring Lao Lin over to help categorize the pieces in more detail.
Taking out the new phone from his pocket to check the time, it was already 7:30 PM. In just over four hours, he'd be able to break down and recreate something again.
At that time, if another valuable porcelain piece came out, his plan could be executed. Of course, if it turned out to be another Yuan dynasty blue-and-white, that would be even more perfect!
...
"No, dear, we have to wait on this. The reason our son has such outstanding grades now might be because that five hundred thousand hit a nerve, who knows."
In the parents' room, Father Lin, having gathered his thoughts, concluded that they couldn't confront their son about this matter yet.
It would be best to wait until after his exams to have a proper talk with him, without worrying about affecting his scores.
Ultimately, the couple agreed on their approach to their son: to stay the same, scold when necessary, even use firm discipline if required, and never let the boy's ego inflate.
Though Empress Dowager Ye usually called the shots at home, at crucial moments she still listened to Father Lin's decision.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Lao Lin, Lao Lin, you're going to bed so early? I have some things I need to consult you about."
Just as Father Lin and Empress Dowager Ye were discussing strategies for dealing with their son, Lin Yi suddenly knocked on their room door.
Exchanging a glance, Father Lin gestured for Empress Dowager Ye to stay calm: "Stay calm, honey, I'll go gather some intel first."
Even as cunning as Lao Lin could be outside, he remained cautious when dealing with his children—a trait common among Huaxia parents.
After calming himself, he stood up and walked out:
"What's all this fuss about, you brat? What's up?"
Seeing his father come out, Lin Yi peered sneakily behind him for his mom, but not spotting her, he let out a sigh of relief.
Father Lin scowled at his son, then silently gestured for him to retreat to his room!
In Lin Yi's room, seeing the fragments on the table neatly categorized into piles, Lao Lin felt a complex mix of emotions.
No need to ask—he knew his son was engrossed in the world of porcelain ever since finding that Yuan dynasty blue-and-white piece.
He wanted to warn him that the world of antiques is deep; one mustn't fall in just because they stumbled upon a rare find once.
Fortunately, he didn't see any complete porcelain pieces, so as long as it's just fragments, there shouldn't be much trouble.
Lin Yi cheerily dashed out to brew some tea for his father, excitedly served it, then looked at him with a smug grin and raised eyebrows:
"Heh heh, how about it, Lao Lin? Doesn't your son have some of your skills now? Not to brag, but with my porcelain sorting skills, even masters can't do it this quickly!"
Discussing matters of expertise, Father Lin displayed a nonchalant expression, even looking disdainful. After curling his lip, he didn't bother to respond to the brat, extending his hand to tinker with the porcelain fragments in front of him.
[To be continued....]