Qi Fenglian looked at her elderly mother with full-faced suspicion, always feeling that she was a bit odd, especially with what she had said just now. Although her mother had changed the subject, she still felt the conversation was incomplete.
What did she mean?
Talking about her grandson, if not for her, if not for her then what?
Qi Fenglian did the accounts while distractedly pondering this matter.
Mother Qi watched over the shop from the side and shot a glance at her daughter. She felt very guilty, thankful that she had stopped herself in time; otherwise, there really could have been a disaster!
...
After making sure his mother was settled, Qi Taiguo hurried back to the hospital. Seeing his mother-in-law and Cheng Su talking and noticing the smile on her face, he couldn’t help but feel at ease.
He chatted for a while, then took his insistent mother-in-law who wanted to stay the night at the hospital back to the compound before going to the cafeteria to get some food for Cheng Su, then rushed back to the hospital.
Mother Cheng, watching her son-in-law handle everything appropriately, couldn’t help feeling relieved. Judging a person by the details, this son-in-law, perhaps a bit too paternalistic for her taste, was reliable in crucial moments, and that wasn’t bad at all.
Cheng Su watched as Qi Taiguo spun around like a top, and she couldn’t help feeling a bit of heartache. "Actually, you don’t need to come over to accompany me. Aren’t you on duty at the base tomorrow?" she said.
"It’s all right. I just came back from training, and I’m in great shape," Qi Taiguo said with a smile. "I’ve explained the situation to Regimental Commander Mai at the base and taken a few days off. Right now, you are the most important."
"Sweet talker," Cheng Su chided softly.
Qi Taiguo washed his face, then climbed onto the hospital bed to squeeze in beside her, like the previous night he wrapped his arms around her, resting her against him. He gently touched her belly and asked, "How are you feeling today? Any better?"
"Yes, much better." Cheng Su liked the feeling of his hand on her lower abdomen, warm and comforting, just like a heating patch.
"That’s good. Now that your mother is here, let her look after you for a few days while you recuperate," Qi Taiguo said.
Cheng Su looked up at him, "Did you really send my mother-in-law to stay with my elder sister?"
Qi Taiguo nodded and replied, "I asked my sister to accompany her for a few days. In a few days, I’ll take her to the station to head home."
Cheng Su raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is my mother-in-law willing? She didn’t make a fuss with you?"
Logically, her mother-in-law was known to be a tough cookie; was it possible she complied so easily?
Qi Taiguo showed a bitter smile and said, "How could she not make a fuss? She called me an unfilial son and a white-eyed wolf!"
Cheng Su laughed out loud, turned to face him with interest and probed, "Oh, what did she say? Tell me, how did she scold you?"
Seeing her face eager to hear the story, Qi Taiguo couldn’t help but pinch her nose gently and said, "You just love to see me made fun of." He paused, then added, "What else could she do? She just cried, saying she raised me for nothing."
With that, he imitated Mother Qi’s tone and scolded a few phrases.
Listening, Cheng Su laughed merrily and commented, "You’ve got her down to a tee."
"Yes! We’re already in such a tough spot, and compared to her, we, as the parents, are even more heartbroken. I don’t want to cause you any more distress," Qi Taiguo said.
Cheng Su felt a warmth in her heart and nodded.
"Thank you!" she kissed him, then after a moment of silence, she asked him, "How are things going over there?"
Qi Taiguo came to his senses and shared with her the events of the past two days, "I really wanted to kill her."
Cheng Su shivered, grabbing his hand, "Don’t act rashly. Murder requires a life in return; it’s not worth it. The evil person will meet a bad end eventually."
Qi Taiguo nodded.
"Have you got everything prepared? That matter, I’m afraid that Mr. Jiang won’t just let it go," Cheng Su said with a hint of worry.
"Let him come, what’s there to be afraid of? Don’t worry about these things. Just focus on resting and healing. For everything else, you have me," Qi Taiguo patted her arm reassuringly.
"Okay," Cheng Su nestled into his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, and her heart gradually calmed down. With him by her side, she had nothing to fear.