The phone call was from Mother Qi; Qi Taiguo glanced at the clock on the table—it was eight o’clock already.
"Mom, it’s so late, what’s the matter?" Qi Taiguo was a bit surprised.
"You all are never home during the day. If I don’t call now, would anyone be there if I called during broad daylight?" Mother Qi said irritably, "Can’t I make a call if there’s nothing important?
"That’s not it, it’s just that it’s already dark, and you have to walk a long way to make the phone call. What if you fell?" Qi Taiguo said patiently.
Mother Qi replied, "I was using a flashlight!"
Qi Taiguo gave a grunt and then asked what was the matter.
Mother Qi first inquired about how well Qi Fenglian was doing at her job, then asked about the salary and if Cheng Su had upset her in any way.
Upon hearing this, Qi Taiguo’s face darkened, and he repressed his anger, saying, "Mom, who do you think Cheng Su is? She has always been close with my older sister, so how could she upset her? As for how much the salary is, that’s Cheng Su’s business, and she has her own plans. I don’t ask about it, and you shouldn’t either."
Mother Qi was furious. She had just asked a casual question, and he had gotten angry. Was this son truly entranced by Cheng Su to such an extent?
"If it’s nothing important, you should go back early. Phone calls are expensive; I won’t keep you any longer," Qi Taiguo wanted to hang up the phone.
"Hold on," Mother Qi hurriedly called out, suppressing her temper, "If we’re not talking about that, then fine. How have you been feeling recently? Is the training tough?"
Qi Taiguo replied, "I’m doing fine!"
Mother Qi hesitated for a moment, then said, "The weather’s cold; you have to take good care of yourself and not catch a cold. And, how is your wife? Is she feeling unwell?"
When Qi Taiguo heard this, his previous anger dissipated suddenly. He thought, Mom is softening up, isn’t she? She’s even showing concern for Cheng Su now!
Great!
A smile formed at the corner of his mouth, and he replied, "We’re all quite well, so don’t worry. It’s just that the shop has been a bit hectic with its opening recently."
Mother Qi, not entirely convinced, pressed on, "She hasn’t had any loss of appetite or anything?"
Uh, what’s that supposed to mean?
"It’s not the harsh summer now. Who can’t eat? We’re eating well, so rest assured!" said Qi Taiguo.
Mother Qi’s heart sank, and she had no more desire to talk, saying, "Then that’s all, just make sure to take care of yourself. Also, your older sister and family in Qing City are unfamiliar with the area. As a brother, you should help them out when you can. By the way, have you found Weixia a job?"
"I’ve looked, but Weixia didn’t want to come. He said the family needs a man and found a job in a factory nearby, so he can also take care of the home!" Qi Taiguo explained.
Mother Qi furrowed her brows, "Is that so?"
After hanging up, Cheng Su came out from her bath and asked, "Who was on the phone just now? I heard you talking."
Qi Taiguo saw she was only wearing something light and quickly grabbed the military coat from the sofa to put it around her, chiding her, "Why didn’t you put on more clothes before coming out?"
Cheng Su chuckled sheepishly, "My coat fell into the tub and got wet." She then asked again who had called.
Qi Taiguo laughed, "It was Mom. She was asking how my sister was doing, said they are unfamiliar with the place here, and told us to help them out."
Cheng Su responded with an "Oh."
Seeing that Cheng Su wasn’t too interested, Qi Taiguo added, "Mom also sent her regards to you—asked if you were well, ate well, and if there’s anything uncomfortable, and reminded you to take care of yourself!"
Woah, is the sun rising from the west?
Cheng Su raised her eyebrows and made a comment. Qi Taiguo was somewhat embarrassed and said, "Mom cares about us too!"
But Cheng Su wasn’t convinced—mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are natural enemies, and she didn’t believe her mother-in-law was that well-intentioned. She didn’t argue with Qi Taiguo, though. After talking for a bit, feeling overwhelmed, she went to sleep.