As soon as Cheng Su left, Qi Fenglian began to nag, "Mom, why can’t you keep your mouth shut? Always harping on about money, it sounds so unpleasant."
Mother Qi wouldn’t have it, she put down her chopsticks and said, "What’s so unpleasant about it? We’re family, and I, as a mother-in-law, just asked a question—is that a crime now? I’m 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 chef—she knows all that, and Taiguo knows it too. Why upset her unnecessarily!" Qi Fenglian sighed softly.
"Oh, I’m upsetting her? She’s a daughter-in-law, should I, the mother-in-law, be the one to coddle her?" Mother Qi became even more disgruntled.
"I’m 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, aren’t you and Dad going to rely on her and Taiguo to take care of you in your old age?" Qi Fenglian shook her head.
"That’s only natural!" Mother Qi was utterly unconvinced.
"Exactly, it’s only natural, but can a daughter-in-law be the same as a daughter? Mom, just look at me. How does Yunyun’s 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, you’re always right. I won’t ask anymore, okay?"
"That’s better. If the two of them are living a good life, doesn’t 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 won’t bother about how much money she spends. But she should at least bear me a great-grandson, right? Look, they’ve been married for half a year, haven’t they? There’s not even a hint of a bump on her belly, and I’m just not happy!"
She had come with a mission of honor, not only to bring them food but also to scout out the ’military situation’ and press the fight.
But looking now, this daughter-in-law’s 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. He’s 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 haven’t even been married for half a year, which isn’t so unusual. Look, my younger brother is always on assignments, what’s 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 he’s always on assignments. What if..." Mother Qi stopped midsentence and hurriedly spat twice: "Ptui, ptui. Bodhisattva spare us, it’s just my big mouth going off!"
Qi Fenglian, too, caught the implication and felt some worry.
"No more talk, he is almost thirty, it’s 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 can’t have children?"
"That... I don’t think so, she looks quite healthy to me!" Qi Fenglian hesitated.
Mother Qi’s 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!"