Knock, knock, knockâ
After Jiang Tao reached out to knock on the door, footsteps soon sounded from inside.
Creak.
The door opened, and Xu Wencheng appeared at the door with a promotional flyer in hand.
"Lili, Jiang Tao, youâve come."
Seeing his eldest daughter and son-in-law, Xu Wenchengâs face instantly broke into a bright smile.
"Dad, have you eaten yet?"
"Good morning, Dad. Whereâs Mom?"
After greeting Xu Wencheng, Jiang Tao and Xu Li entered the house.
Xu Wencheng smiled and said, "We just finished eating. Your mom is in the kitchen washing dishes."
"What! Why are you still letting Mom wash dishes?!"
Xu Li, thinking that her mom might already be pregnant, knew she had to handle the situation carefully.
Startled, she quickly headed toward the kitchen.
"Mom, go rest on the sofa. Iâll do it."
"And from now on, either let Dad do it or let Sasha do it."
"Theyâre at home with nothing to do; you canât always be the one doing everything!"
After entering the kitchen, Xu Li unceremoniously took over Du Yongmeiâs task.
She gently pushed her shoulder, ushering her out of the kitchen.
"See, see, my eldest daughter knows how to care for her mom. Old Xu, you should learn from Lili."
After being chased out of the kitchen by her eldest daughter, Du Yongmei cheerfully said this to Old Xu.
"..."
Xu Wencheng was somewhat bewildered by his eldest daughterâs unusual behavior today.
Whatâs gotten into the eldest today?
Hasnât her mom always been the one cooking, washing vegetables, and tidying up at home?
"Jiang Tao, youâre here. Thank you and Lili for your troubles during this time. It must have taken up a lot of your time."
After returning to the living room, Du Yongmei warmly greeted Jiang Tao.
Compared to before, when she rarely showed a pleasant face to Jiang Tao,
Du Yongmeiâs attitude towards him now has completely reversed; sheâs overly courteous.
Jiang Tao felt much more assured now.
Previously, when his mother-in-law criticized him and his sister-in-law made sly remarks, he couldnât argue and just felt secretly annoyed.
Because what they said was true.
Back then, he wasnât capable, and Xu Li and Jiang Xue suffered and struggled because of it; it was an undeniable fact.
Now, the familyâs situation is improving, and his mother-in-law and sister-in-law couldnât spot any shortcomings.
They even seemed to be subtly complimenting him, flattering him.
As they say, fortunes change over thirty years.
Jiang Tao was now standing tall in his in-lawsâ house.
"Itâs nothing. Itâs only right to host you and Dad since youâre finally visiting Beijing."
Jiang Tao was also very polite to Du Yongmei.
After all, she is Xu Liâs mother, and itâs unnecessary to strain relations over past small issues.
Otherwise, it would be unpleasant for everyone to get along.
Jiang Tao changed the subject, asking, "Have you and Dad decided where to visit today?"
"Weâve been going out every day, wandering around. Weâve pretty much visited all the usual places."
"Both your dad and I are feeling a bit tired; how about we rest at home today?"
"Donât you like the dumplings I make? Iâll make some for you at noon today."
Du Yongmeiâs look towards Jiang Tao was increasingly like a mother-in-law looking fondly at a son-in-law.
"Great! To be honest, Iâve been craving your dumplings! Letâs stay at home today."
"Weâre free in the morning. Lili and I can play a few rounds of Mahjong with you and Dad."
Jiang Taoâs interest was piqued, and he brought up the topic of playing Mahjong.
Suddenly asking his mother-in-law for the dice would be somewhat abrupt.
Seizing the opportunity during a game would feel much more natural.
"Alright! Letâs play Mahjong at home this morning!"
When talking about Mahjong, Du Yongmeiâs eyes lit up. Itâs her greatest hobby.
Xu Wencheng said, "You four play, Iâll go do some fishing."
"All you do is fish all day, look at how tanned youâve become, almost like youâre as dark as someone from Africa."
Though Du Yongmei nagged, looking at Old Xu, she didnât oppose his plan.
Fishing is Old Xuâs greatest hobby, just like her love for Mahjong.
Everyone has their own interests; no one should criticize the other.
Jiang Tao smiled and said, "Dad, catch a big one today and weâll have it cooked for dinner."
"Alright! Watch me do it~"
Talking about fishing, Old Xu was full of confidence; over the years, he seldom came home empty-handed.
Not seeing Xu Sha around, Jiang Tao asked curiously, "Hey, whereâs Sasha?"
"Sheâs in the room doing her live streaming or whatever."
"She talks into her phone all day long; those who know understand sheâs streaming, but those who donât might think sheâs not normal."
Du Yongmei glanced at the second bedroom door, a bit displeased.
"Haha, maybe Sasha has a talent for live streaming after all."
"Our company is just about to start an online live-streaming sales account."
"If Sasha is interested, she could give it a try at our company."
Jiang Tao took this opportunity to express his intention to start a streaming account.
Earlier, when he and Xu Li discussed it, he wanted Xu Li to communicate with her mom and sister.
But Xu Li wanted him to seize this opportunity to earn more favor with his mother-in-law and sister-in-law.
After all, the bond between her and her mom and sister was strong by blood; she already had their favor and didnât need to earn more.
"Your company is planning to start a streaming account? Can Sasha, uh, can she really do it?"
Upon hearing Jiang Taoâs words, Du Yongmei was a bit surprised and not very confident about her youngest daughterâs capability.