The Chiang Family was in disarray because of Chiang Qingâs affair and Jiang Dafangâs appearance, while Cheng Su and her family were chatting and laughing, full of joy.
Mother Cheng had sent Qi Taiguo off to chop wood again, while she herself took Cheng Su into the room to talk in private.
"Your mother-in-law came to our house before, saying that you two werenât having kids, and it scared me half to death. I thought something was wrong with you physically and you couldnât have them. Over the phone, you didnât go into detail. What exactly is going on? Youâre really fine, arenât you?" Mother Cheng glanced at her belly.
Cheng Su rolled her eyes and said, "Iâm perfectly healthy, I just donât want to have a child right now, Iâm too busy."
"What are you so busy with? If you say youâre running a business, youâre not the one who does the work anyway, donât you have other people handling it? What does that have to do with having a child?" Mother Cheng disagreed.
Cheng Su replied, "You make it sound so easy. Doesnât having a child require raising, donât they need care and education? Iâm just not ready for it yet!" And besides, she was only twenty-one and didnât want to be tied down by a child so soon.
"Youâre not without a mother-in-law, if you have the child, arenât there people to help you raise them?" Mother Cheng snorted lightly, "I advise you to have one sooner rather than later, while youâre young. It gets harder when youâre older."
"Alright, you donât need to worry about this, we have it under control," Cheng Su said, a bit impatiently, then added, "And you talk about letting my mother-in-law help, but can I really trust her to take care of my child?"
Surely, she did not agree with her mother-in-lawâs character; if she let her mother-in-law completely take over the child-rearing, the kid might end up having the same disposition!
Just thinking of a child who was sharp-tongued, stingy, and miserly sent shivers down Cheng Suâs spine.
"Everyone else gets help from their mothers-in-law, what makes you so special?" Mother Cheng scoffed, but her face soured a bit as she recalled her own mother-in-lawâs attitude, "Your mother-in-law really isnât easy to deal with. You donât know, the last time she came to speak to me, she all but pointed at my face and scolded me for how I raised you!"
"Why would you even bother with her?" Cheng Su responded, unamused.
Mother Cheng sighed.
"By the way, when you went to pay New Yearâs visits, how did it go with your uncles and aunts? Did they ask you to arrange jobs or anything?" Mother Cheng asked.
At the mention of that, Cheng Suâs face darkened and she said, "Can we not mention that? Each one of them thinks Iâm some kind of super boss, asking me to arrange jobs. When I refused, they gave me dirty looks! Mom, Iâm done with these annual New Yearâs visits, okay? Do we have to go again in the future?"
"Youâve only done it for one year, for future years you just have to pay a visit to your third uncle, and of course, if you want to visit them too, thatâs also okay, itâs the thought that counts," Mother Cheng explained the custom.
"I wouldnât dare," said Cheng Su.
Would she be scared of the shadows after seeing the ghost? She definitely didnât want to invite trouble for herself!
"Look at you, handling big things and getting too big for your britches, looking down on people now, arenât we?" Mother Cheng poked her forehead.
"Would you be happy if I arranged things? You have no idea, each and every one of them arenât simple characters," Cheng Su huffed lightly.
That was true indeed!
"Also, Mom, if anyone comes to you asking for favors, donât get carried away and agree, causing me trouble. Just say you donât dare make decisions for me," Cheng Su added another reminder.
"I know, Iâm not stupid. Besides, would you even listen to what I say?" Mother Cheng replied irritably.
Cheng Su, grinning, moved closer and embraced her motherâs arm: "Nothing beats my own mom!" Unlike her mother-in-law, who only caused her trouble.
Mother Cheng watched her daughter act coyly, the corner of her lips curling up in mock disdain, "Get lost, who needs your affection!"
"I need yours though!" Cheng Su nuzzled against her, and mother and daughter laughed and played together.