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Chapter 224: Chapter 224: Going Back to Parents’ Home
Listening to Liu Qing’s complaints, Tong Yao knitted her brow and whispered, "The child is hoarse from crying, try to soothe them first!"
With a triumphant look, Liu Qing responded, "The child is okay, I made them cry on purpose since she claimed it’s too noisy. So, I’ll let the child make more noise for her."
As she spoke, Liu Qing put the child down and took a candy from her pocket and put it into the child’s mouth, immediately silencing the crying child.
Tong Yao was taken aback by Liu Qing’s series of actions and couldn’t believe Liu Qing was such an oddball. It seemed peaceful days were far in the future.
But Liu Qing didn’t pick up on Tong Yao’s disturbed expression and started gossiping about Dai Linlin, "Yaoyao, you don’t have a child yet, do you? Let me tell you, don’t follow Dai Linlin’s example. She’s in her early thirties, edging towards forty, not having kids. Both husband and wife are busy with their careers, what’s the use of earning more money without children?"
Given her insight into Liu Qing’s character, Tong Yao didn’t wish to associate too closely with her, so she gave a neutral reply: "There is nothing wrong with not having children too early when one’s career is flourishing. We should steer clear from other families’ matters."
With that, she opened her room door and went in, leaving a perplexed Liu Qing. It wasn’t until Tong Yao closed the door that Liu Qing figured out that her attitude had changed from the morning.
Whether intentional or not, after Liu Qing returned to her room, she began to make more noise. However, there wasn’t any reaction from Dai Linlin and she didn’t knock on Liu Qing’s door again.
When Si Chen returned home from work in the evening, Tong Yao casually shared the quarrel between Liu Qing and Dai Linlin. Si Chen wasn’t too surprised and merely advised in a calm tone, "Liu Qing doesn’t have a good temperament, try to limit your interactions with her."
Si Chen hardly gossips about others, so if he says someone is difficult, they must be really unbearable. Getting the idea, Tong Yao didn’t continue talking about it.
The commotion next door went on until around eight in the evening. After Tong Yao and Si Chen finished cleaning up the kitchen, they went to bed. At this point, Tong Yao found Si Chen was like a different person when it was time to sleep; his gaze was so intense it felt like it could burn her.
Although it was already autumn and the nights were no longer too cold, Si Chen’s body exuded a scorching heat.
Though they’d been married for several months, strictly speaking, they only did what couples were supposed to do the previous night. Naturally, their passion was akin to that of newlyweds. Tong Yao barely slept during the first half of the night. She even reluctantly took an early shift in the morning.
When she woke up, her face had a rosy blush that made her fair skin look even more stunning. Si Chen made Red Bean Porridge and also bought Fried Dough Sticks. After eating a couple of bites, there was a knock on the door. When she opened the door, there was Liu Qing holding her child.
"Yaoyao, you’re up? Manman has been fussing to play with her aunt, I worried you were still asleep." As Liu Qing spoke, her eyes kept darting into the room. She was trying to get in, but Tong Yao was blocking the entrance.
Listening to Liu Qing’s words, Tong Yao couldn’t help but find it amusing. She barely knew Liu Qing’s son, so why would he want to play with her?
As she didn’t want to interact with Liu Qing too much, Tong Yao didn’t invite her in, "I just got up and am in the middle of my meal. I will be going out after eating."
"Oh, you’re having your meal?" Liu Qing sidestepped the mention of Tong Yao’s plans and glanced at her dining table, "Taking care of a child alone, I don’t have time to cook breakfast. It must be easy for you guys without a child."
Tong Yao feigned ignorance of her implication, "There’s a breakfast stand in front of the hospital. They sell everything, Steamed Buns, Fried Doughsticks, and soymilk."
Liu Qing forced a smile on her face. Noticing that Tong Yao had no intention of inviting her in, she proposed, "It’s inconvenient to buy breakfast while holding a child. Can you look after my child for a bit? I’ll be back soon."
"I really can’t help with that, I don’t have experience taking care of kids," Tong Yao flatly refused Liu Qing’s request.
Liu Qing didn’t plan to give up, "Manman is well-behaved, just let him sit in your room for a while, he won’t cry. If not, let him play with a stool, he likes playing with it."
"I’d hate for the neighbors to complain, better you take him with you," Tong Yao said, shutting the door behind her.
With a sour expression, Liu Qing descended the stairs, remembering how she had conversed with Tong Yao the day before. She wondered how in just a day, Tong Yao had changed so much. Liu Qing was miffed that a housewife with no job could be so proud.
Having planned to mooch off Tong Yao’s breakfast to save some money, Liu Qing had no choice but to go buy breakfast herself.
Si Chen had a surgery around noon and couldn’t come back for lunch. Tong Yao went out for a bowl of noodles and bought some gifts. When Si Chen finished work in the evening, the two took a bus to the Tong family, having to switch buses twice in the trip lasting over half an hour.
Knowing that the young couple was coming, Wen Yun cooked a table full of dishes. She constantly checked the clock, opened the door every few minutes, and in the end sent Tong Yaohui to the community gate to wait for them.
Tong Yaohui sat on the couch reading the newspaper, appearing nonchalant, but his eyes never left the wall clock.
After anxiously waiting for more than half an hour, the old couple finally welcomed Tong Yao. Seeing their daughter after many months, Wen Yun’s eyes turned red before she even spoke. This was the first time their daughter had moved so far away from home.
"Mom." In her previous life, Tong Yao was an orphan and had never experienced the feeling of having a mother. She assumed that seeing Wen Yun would feel weird and awkward. However, the moment she spotted Wen Yun, she felt like she was home, and the word ’mom’ slipped out naturally.
Along with Wen Yun, her eyes also reddened on the verge of tears. n𝚘𝚟pub.𝚌o𝚖
You’re so thin now when you weren’t that large to begin with." Wen Yun’s heart ached at the sight of Tong Yao, who had become even thinner.
From the side, Tong Yaohui let out a humph, maintaining a grave face and said, "Alright, alright, let’s wash our hands and eat. Yaoyao and Xiaochen have moved to Kyoto now, we can see them anytime we want. There’s no need for this emotional flurry."
"You just don’t know how to cherish your child," Wen Yun chided, but she knew Tong Yaohui was right and quickly urged Tong Yao and Si Chen to wash their hands and eat.
She hadn’t seen her daughter in a long time and no matter how long she looked at Tong Yao, it was never enough. She moved all of Tong Yao’s favorite dishes in front of her, urging her to eat more. By her side, Tong Yaohui kept advising Wen Yun for spoiling Tong Yao.
The couple occasionally bickered, but their love was quite evident. Tong Yao intentionally acted spoiled and said "Mom loves me the most," making Tong Yaohui seethe and stew in silence.
It was only when Si Chen started a conversation with Tong Yaohui that he felt better. He thought to himself, the son-in-law he selected was indeed mature and pleasant.
