Cheng Su had no idea that her belly had already become the top concern for her mother-in-law. She walked into the house from the farm market, carrying large and small bags. As nobody greeted her and she heard snoring inside, she didnât disturb them and just sat down in the living room with her things.
Qi Fenglian emerged from the guest room, and Cheng Su asked, "Big sis, didnât you take a nap?"
"Iâm not used to sleeping in the afternoon. I just rested my eyes a bit. Mom is sleeping with Xiao Bao. I heard the door and wondered if it was you coming back, so I came out to check," Qi Fenglian said with a smile.
Cheng Su invited her to sit down and then went to pour some tea, "If youâre not too tired, we can chat for a bit. Iâll make some soup and cook later."
Qi Fenglian sat down with a smile, looking at Cheng Suâs glowing face and said, "Seeing how content you and Taiguo are makes us all relieved!"
Cheng Su smiled back, then turned to her and asked, "How about you, big sis? How have things been? Are the Zhang family still giving you trouble?"
The smile on Qi Fenglianâs face faded a bit as she replied, "Itâs the same old story. Now that I have a son by my side, my mother-in-law doesnât call me a âchicken that canât lay eggsâ anymore, but the nagging never ends!"
Cheng Su glanced at her own stomach and suddenly worried about her own situation.
Seeing her like this, Qi Fenglian realized she had said something wrong and quickly responded, "You and Taiguo havenât been married for long; thereâs no hurry. Youâre both young, it will happen sooner or later!"
Cheng Su chuckled awkwardly, not daring to say that she and Qi Taiguo had already agreed to not have children for the time being, and simply replied vaguely, "Yeah! Weâre both usually so busy, and right now, we wouldnât know how to raise a child!"
"If it happens, Mom will certainly come over to help you take care of the baby. Donât worry about it!" Qi Fenglian said without a second thought.
Cheng Su nodded.
"And coming back this time, did the Zhang family have any objections?" Cheng Su asked as she handed her a slice of orange.
"How could they not object? They almost didnât let me bring Xiao Bao out. I told them if I didnât bring him, who would feed him milk, let him starve? They didnât want that, so they finally allowed me to bring him!" Qi Fenglian explained, "Now that the wheat is sown, thereâs not much to do, and Dad can watch the house. I was just worried that Mom might get lost, so I followed."
"Itâs okay, come whenever you want. Besides, the house can manage without you," Cheng Su said with a laugh.
Qi Fenglian gave a self-deprecating smile, "You might not believe it, but they really act like they canât go on without me. If I didnât insist, they wouldnât let me come at all!"
Cheng Su stayed silent.
Qi Fenglian added, "Look at me, why am I bringing up these unpleasant things?"
"Big sis, feel free to say whatâs on your mind, Iâm here to listen," Cheng Su said, looking at her complexion. "But your complexion still seems a little off. Didnât you get proper nourishment during your confinement?"
Qi Fenglianâs face soured as she replied sarcastically, "As if she would let me eat well every day. If it werenât for Taiguo making a scene at the hospital, out of fear I wouldnât have enough milk for her grandson, I probably wouldnât even have had chicken during my confinement."
Cheng Su frowned and said, "We even gave you nutrition money; if she doesnât provide for you, you should buy it yourself. You canât neglect yourself!"
"When everyone eats from the same pot, itâs not that easy, huh?" Qi Fenglian sighed deeply.
Cheng Su was at a loss for words. Every family has its own problems, and she knew it was difficult, but surely one couldnât just accept being wronged for life â how stifling that would be!
Inside the house, Xiao Bao started crying. Qi Fenglian said he might be hungry and went to pick him up to feed him. Cheng Su then went to wash the ingredients and make soup.