As soon as Cheng Su left, Qi Fenglian began to nag, "Mom, why canât you keep your mouth shut? Always harping on about money, it sounds so unpleasant."
Mother Qi wouldnât have it, she put down her chopsticks and said, "Whatâs so unpleasant about it? Weâre family, and I, as a mother-in-law, just asked a questionâis that a crime now? Iâm not asking for her money."
"But you were acting a bit too much. Asking her how much she spent on decorating the house, how much she pays the chefâshe knows all that, and Taiguo knows it too. Why upset her unnecessarily!" Qi Fenglian sighed softly.
"Oh, Iâm upsetting her? Sheâs a daughter-in-law, should I, the mother-in-law, be the one to coddle her?" Mother Qi became even more disgruntled.
"Iâm not saying you need to coddle her, but Cheng Su runs her own restaurant and has never asked you for anything, so why do you need to interfere? Do you enjoy creating resentments out of nothing? In the end, arenât you and Dad going to rely on her and Taiguo to take care of you in your old age?" Qi Fenglian shook her head.
"Thatâs only natural!" Mother Qi was utterly unconvinced.
"Exactly, itâs only natural, but can a daughter-in-law be the same as a daughter? Mom, just look at me. How does Yunyunâs grandma treat me? Do you expect me to open my heart to her like her own daughter would? Put yourself in their shoes. Everyone has feelings!" Qi Fenglian used herself as an example.
Mother Qi was stumped and said, "Fine, fine, fine, youâre always right. I wonât ask anymore, okay?"
"Thatâs better. If the two of them are living a good life, doesnât that comfort you? Why interfere?" Qi Fenglian picked up her chopsticks again. "Jisheng and I were fine at the beginning, but it all went downhill when his mother meddled in our affairs. Now, looking at me and Jisheng, does that make you happy? If Taiguo and Cheng Su end up like us, would you be pleased?"
Mother Qi pursed her lips and silently started eating her meal.
After a while, she spoke up again, "Fine, I wonât bother about how much money she spends. But she should at least bear me a great-grandson, right? Look, theyâve been married for half a year, havenât they? Thereâs not even a hint of a bump on her belly, and Iâm just not happy!"
She had come with a mission of honor, not only to bring them food but also to scout out the âmilitary situationâ and press the fight.
But looking now, this daughter-in-lawâs belly was still flat, just like an empty dumpling wrapper, nothing inside!
Taiguo is at that age where others his age have children already in school. And him? Not even a shadow of a child to his name. Heâs not worried, but she, as the mother, was anxious for him!
So, this time, no matter what, she had to urge them on, to hurry and stuff that dumpling, as she had been longing for a grandchild for many long years!
"Mom, they havenât even been married for half a year, which isnât so unusual. Look, my younger brother is always on assignments, whatâs there to rush?" Qi Fenglian also found it both amusing and frustrating.
"How can I not be anxious? You know your younger brother is in the military, and you know heâs always on assignments. What if..." Mother Qi stopped midsentence and hurriedly spat twice: "Ptui, ptui. Bodhisattva spare us, itâs just my big mouth going off!"
Qi Fenglian, too, caught the implication and felt some worry.
"No more talk, he is almost thirty, itâs about time he had a child." Mother Qi grumbled, thought for a moment, her face slightly changing as she asked in a low voice, "Tell me, could it be that Cheng Su has some issues and canât have children?"
"That... I donât think so, she looks quite healthy to me!" Qi Fenglian hesitated.
Mother Qiâs face took on a strange expression, and suddenly slapping her thigh, she revealed a determined look, "No, we must get to the bottom of this!"