Chapter 216

Chapter 216

Outside the courtyard, Old Lady Lin's loud voice echoed down the street early in the morning.

Old Lady Lin grumbled, "What? Just because I helped you last time, you think you can keep bothering me? Someone looking at houses on this street has nothing to do with me! Am I supposed to watch your house every day?"

Inside the house, Qinghe placed the egg custard on the table. Granny Wei had washed the hands of the two children and brought them over.

Looking at the food on the table, Granny Wei was even more pleased with her son-in-law.

On the table, there was stir-fried cabbage, a bowl of egg custard, and a pot of stewed potatoes with some meat.

The meat wasn't abundant, but it was just right for breakfast.

Served with steamed rice, the meal was quite sumptuous.

Previously, Xiuxiu had mentioned that they ate well, but Granny Wei thought she might be saying that to ease her worries. It turned out they really did eat well, and her son-in-law was capable indeed.

Outside, the shouting continued: "How shameless can you be? Am I your father or mother? Do you expect me to take care of you for life? Let me tell you, from now on, don't come to me for anything! It's not like I'm refusing to sell my house to you.

You're crazy!"

Old Lady Lin's shouting startled Granny Wei. "Who's yelling so early in the morning?"

"It's our neighbor. She seems to be yelling at her relatives. Her family isn't easy to get along with; the only one who likes to talk is her eldest daughter-in-law. Mom, if you run into Old Lady Lin, stay away from her so she doesn't upset you."

Seeing her mother's curious expression, Bai Xiuxiu started to worry.

If her mother got upset by the people around here, it could lead to health issues.

Granny Wei felt warm seeing her daughter's concern and couldn't stop smiling. "My dear, do you think I'm afraid of her? Don't worry. I've been arguing since before you were born. Back in the day... never mind, let's not talk about the past. Otherwise, the dishes your son-in-law made will get cold.

Let's eat first. We can discuss what to have for dinner later, and I'll prepare it according to the time."

Wang Qinghe didn't want his mother-in-law to work, as these weren't heavy tasks. He was about to refuse when Bai Xiuxiu spoke up: "Thanks, Mom. Qinghe and I aren't picky. You decide what to make.

I'll show you where everything is stored, so you can help yourself!"

Bai Xiuxiu knew her mother best and understood that she hated being idle.

Even at her elder sister's place, she enjoyed helping with cooking and childcare. If she wasn't allowed to do anything, she would probably return to her elder sister's within a few days.

Although Wang Qinghe didn't understand his wife's intentions, he trusted her judgment.

"What's this? After all these years, you're being polite with me? Thank me? For what? From now on, household chores and taking care of the kids are my responsibility. You focus on your own things." Granny Wei looked at her daughter and son-in-law, feeling very happy.

Her elder daughter had a good life and was respected, but her younger daughter's life wasn't bad either.

In the past, she endured hardships at Old Wang's, but after the separation, things changed.

Xiuxiu wouldn't be under her mother-in-law's control anymore, and her son-in-law was a caring man.

Better days lay ahead.

She and her late husband had only these two daughters, and after his death, she relied on them to survive. Without her daughters, she might have followed him.

These two daughters were her life!

Bai Xiuxiu didn't dare say thank you again, fearing it might upset her mother.

She nodded obediently: "We'll listen to you, Mom."

"Good, that's better."

As the family ate, the shouting outside hadn't stopped.

The noise was so loud that Bai Xiuxiu became curious about what was happening to make their neighbor so angry.

She hadn't seen such a scene since moving here.

After breakfast, Granny Wei began clearing the dishes. Seeing Bai Xiuxiu and Wang Qinghe trying to help, she pushed them both away.

"Go to work quickly. I can handle everything here."

Wang Qinghe, pushed out, looked at his wife in confusion. Usually composed, he was now unsure of how to act.

He didn't know how to treat an elder who genuinely cared for him.

All he knew was to work hard and do whatever was asked of him.

Feeling both happy and puzzled, Wang Qinghe smiled: "It's fine. Let's listen to Mom.

Mom is also your mom.

If she comes here and we don't let her do anything, she'll feel distant from us.

Leave the kids to Mom, and we'll focus on our own things.

Just keep our secrets from her so she won't worry."

"Okay." Wang Qinghe agreed, pondering how to repay his mother-in-law.

As they left the house, Bai Xiuxiu prepared to ride Wang Qinghe's bicycle and noticed Ning Meimei coming over, seemingly trying to avoid the commotion.

At their doorstep, Old Lady Lin was still yelling at her relatives.

She berated them so harshly that they dared not respond, slinking away but not daring to leave.

"Wait for me a moment." Today they had come out early, and Bai Xiuxiu was curious about what was happening next door, so she decided to wait a bit longer.

When Ning Meimei arrived, she quickly found a spot where her mother-in-law couldn't see her.

"Sister Meimei, what's going on at your place?" Bai Xiuxiu whispered to her, trying not to be overheard by her mother-in-law.

"Don't even mention it. Our relatives wanted to buy Seventh Aunt's house a while back. At that time, Seventh Aunt saw how good-looking you and your boyfriend were, so she sold it to you. My mother-in-law didn't manage to get this done for them, so everyone was quite unhappy about it.

Who would have thought that last night, the Yao family from the south suddenly decided to sell their house too.

They were in such a hurry that they went to the Housing Management Office first thing this morning.

The houses on Wutong Street are highly sought after, so if anyone is selling, people find out right away.

My mother-in-law didn't get wind of this, and our relatives heard about it this morning and came over to cause a scene.

They said my mother-in-law wasn't paying attention to their needs and suggested cutting ties with them.

Can you imagine? My mother-in-law was furious!

She's been ranting all morning without repeating herself. You know how unreasonable they are, provoking my mother-in-law? She's stubborn even when she's wrong, let alone when she's right."

Ning Meimei felt depressed just talking about it.

Bai Xiuxiu also found it absurd; this really wasn't the old lady's fault.

"Do you know who bought the house?" Bai Xiuxiu asked casually, having a hunch.