Qi Taiguo and Cheng Su had barely stepped out the door when Mother Qi began to grumble.
"Buying fireworks to set off, doesn’t that cost money? Setting off fireworks is just like burning cash! I think Taiguo is becoming more and more out of line. Where did he get such an idea!"
What’s so great about those fireworks? Once they’re lit and burst in the sky, you see a flower and then it’s gone. In her eyes, that’s not burning fire, but money, and it’s honestly impractical.
"It’s the New Year, they rarely come back, let them have their fun. What’s the harm in buying a few fireworks to set off? As long as the children are happy." Father Qi said.
"As long as they are happy, they get itchy hands the moment they have a little money. Wouldn’t it be better to save it for raising children?" Mother Qi disapproved of his defense of the couple and said irritably, "They keep saying they will have children after making money. I think that’s just an excuse, they just don’t want to have them. Look, they must be rich to burn money like that!"
"That’s my brother doting on his wife!" Qi Fengping interjected sourly.
Father Qi gave her a glare, as if she was pouring oil on the fire!
Qi Fengping stuck out her tongue and noticing someone’s silhouette, she said, "I’m heading out." With that, she ran off in a flash.
"Pingping is not wrong, but I think it’s not so much doting as spoiling, spoiling them until they don’t know hardship or appreciation!" Mother Qi huffed.
"Alright, alright, it’s the New Year, can’t we just have some peace? Spending a bit of money is worth your clucking and fussing." Father Qi was getting impatient too.
"Oh, now that you’ve had your good days, you’ve forgotten about the hard times?" Mother Qi scoffed; "Remember back in the day, we even tried eating tree bark and clay from Guanyin [Buddhist goddess] statue pits, but nowadays, people don’t know about that, they only know how to splurge..."
"Who’s splurging now? Taiguo’s mother."
As Mother Qi turned around, her eyes immediately reddened.
At the entrance of the courtyard stood a woman of about the same age as her, but the crucial part was that in her arms she held a chubby, fair-skinned child.
That was Granny Pan from the house next door, the child she was holding was her grandson, only a couple of months old. The little fellow was both fair and plump, and those little fists, oh my, assertively plump, genuinely adorable and greatly coveted.
Granny Pan’s son, Pan Shujun, ran a small business in the city and came back for the New Year too, along with his son, which made everyone extremely envious.
Keep in mind, Pan Shujun only got married last summer, and at this New Year, he was already bringing his son back home, which meant the bride was already pregnant at the time of the marriage.
No one talked about whether that was respectable or not, the world now is more open than it used to be, and what’s coveted is the grandchild.
"Are you coming over for a visit?" Mother Qi walked over, her eyes green with envy as she teased him, "Xiao Hu, call me granny, come on, come on."
"Look how much you adore him, you better hurry up and have your daughter-in-law give you one. I just saw Taiguo and his wife going out, didn’t I?" Granny Pan said with a smile.
At the mention of this, Mother Qi felt unhappy, "I don’t have your luck. You got a grandson less than a year after your daughter-in-law came through the door. As for me, who knows until which Monkey Year and Horse Month I’ll have to wait!"
"What, your daughter-in-law can’t have kids?" Granny Pan was somewhat gossipy.
This remark, even if Mother Qi didn’t like Cheng Su, was not something she’d admit; otherwise, if it spread, how could she show her face?
"No, that’s not the case, they just said, they’ve just married, there’s no rush, they’ll think about it after the New Year! See, isn’t it going to be the death of me?" Mother Qi was squeezing Xiao Hu’s hand, which was so soft, so chubby, just adorable.