Chapter 223 No matter what happens, we will...

Men don't know why women laugh, but laughter is contagious.

For a moment, the large living room was filled with laughter and joy.

After lunch, Tang Mingli habitually wanted to take a nap.

Fu Ci had been driving all morning and needed to rest.

The two then went upstairs.

The couple had a habit of taking a shower before going to bed after returning from outside, so Fu Ci had to take a shower first.

Before going into the bathroom, he asked his wife, "Are you sleepy?"

The reason I asked this question was that I wanted to discuss something with her before going to bed.

Tang Mingli, who had already lain down on the bed, smiled and said, "I'm alright, not very sleepy."

Fu Ci also felt that she couldn't possibly fall asleep in just a few minutes, so he took a change of clothes and went to take a shower.

When I came out of the shower, I saw that my wife, who said she wasn't very sleepy, was already fast asleep.

It's both funny and frustrating.

He didn't want to wake his wife, and the things he wanted to discuss weren't urgent; he could wait until she woke up.

Fu Ci carefully lay down on the other side.

Having his wife by his side always makes him feel exceptionally secure.

Not long after, Fu Ci also fell into a deep sleep.

Fu Ci had never taken such a long nap before.

In the past, no matter how tired he was, his lunch break was just half an hour of resting with his eyes closed.

But today, he actually woke up at the same time as his wife.

To be precise, it was his wife who woke up first, startling him awake, and he then opened his eyes.

"Did I wake you up?" Tang Mingli turned slightly to the side, looking languid as if she had just woken up.

Fu Ci instinctively wanted to deny it, but the facts were undeniable, so he could only laugh it off in the end.

"I can't believe I slept for so long today."

Tang Mingli liked seeing his relaxed look when he had just woken up, and smiled, "Not long."

It was only two hours, which was perfectly normal for her. But she also knew that it was obviously too long for her husband.

Fu Ci asked again, "What time is it?"

After glancing at the time, Tang Mingli told him the exact time: "3:46."

"It's already this late, Xiaoyu will be getting out of school soon."

Tang Mingli nodded with a smile.

That's right, she wouldn't have woken up at this time if she hadn't had to pick up her daughter from school.

Fu Ci also wanted to pick up his daughter, so he jumped up.

"Let's go pick up the kids together today."

"Okay." Tang Mingli did not refuse.

The old man, after a good night's sleep, was completely recovered.

After quickly washing their faces and changing into their outdoor clothes, the two went downstairs one after the other.

Downstairs, only Madam Fu and her mother were seen talking together, but Madam Fu and her father were nowhere to be seen.

Fu Ci asked a question.

Mrs. Fu laughed and said, "Oh, they went out together. Your grandfather was upset about Grandpa Li's lack of sportsmanship in the game of chess this morning, so he brought your father along to act as the referee."

Fu Ci laughed when he realized that this was the reason he had gone out.

In the past, my father wouldn't have bothered with such a 'trivial matter.' So now that he has more free time, his daily life has become more down-to-earth.

Seeing that his wife had finished drinking the water, he said to the two elderly people, "We're going to pick up Xiaoyu from school."

Fu's mother instructed, "Come back early after picking up the child. Guihua will cook something delicious tonight."

"good."

Once outside, Tang Mingli asked her husband, "Shall we walk or drive?"

There's plenty of time; it's more than enough to walk there.

Fu Ci felt like taking a walk; it had been a long time since he and his wife had gone for a stroll together. Besides, he felt his wife didn't exercise enough, so a walk would be good for her.

But despite his thoughts, he would still prioritize his wife's opinion.

Tang Mingli took his hand and said with a smile, "Then let's go down the old path."

However, she soon learned the hard way about the consequences of this decision.

As we approached the gate of the courtyard, we encountered two grandmothers returning from outside.

Tang Mingli greeted them politely, and the two grandmothers also kindly asked when Fu Ci had returned.

Fu Ci: "I only got home at noon."

"How many days will you stay this time?"

Fu Ci: "Four or five days, I guess."

When her husband said four or five days, Tang Mingli almost blurted out: That long.

The neighbor grandma smiled and said, "It's rare for me to come back, so I'll stay for a few more days."

Then he asked the two of them where they were going.

Inevitably, we'd stop and chat for a bit during our round trip.

They would have just chatted for a few minutes, but the two grandmothers took it a step further and started talking about when they were going to have another child.

Having another child is impossible. Even without the family planning policy, Tang Mingli and Fu Ci have no intention of having any more children.

However, with this national policy in place, it makes it even more justifiable to shirk responsibility.

Tang Mingli smiled and said, "Grandma, the country advocates having only one child. Having another child would not comply with the policy."

The two grandmothers looked around for a moment, then one of them lowered her voice and said, "Neither of you works at any company, so having another child will only result in a fine. Fu Ci can make money in business, so a small fine is nothing."

The compound is inhabited by families with impeccable revolutionary credentials; I never expected to hear such words from their mouths.

Tang Mingli was both amused and exasperated, and shook her head: "No, we must heed the call of the nation."

What a glorious realization!

The two elderly people didn't know what to say next. If they continued, they would not only annoy others, but also be suspected of not following the Party.

However, even without saying it, the two elderly people still felt that it would be a pity for Tang Mingli and Fu Ci, with such good conditions, not to have another child.

Fu Yu is such a pretty and clever girl.

On the other hand, after leaving the compound, Fu Ci asked his wife, "Do the neighbors usually say the same thing to us?"

Tang Mingli thought for a moment and said truthfully, "The probability is not high. After all, the people in the compound all have work units, so their awareness is still higher."

After saying that, she asked her husband with a smile, "Are you unhappy because of a few words of nagging?"

Fu Ci shook his head. "I'm worried that you'll be talked about too often."

“No, that won’t happen.” Tang Mingli raised her eyebrows. “Who do you think I am?”

She can eat and sleep well, and her daily routine is completely different from that of elderly people. Unless you accompany your grandmother or mother-in-law for a walk, the probability of running into her is zero.

With Grandma and Mother-in-law around, the neighbors didn't dare say anything, otherwise they would be seriously criticized by Grandma.

Fu Ci had expected his wife to praise him after his grand words, but he never expected to hear the comment that he could "eat and sleep well," and he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Aside from her, there is probably no one else in the world who can so confidently articulate the flaws that everyone avoids.

The two chatted and laughed, and the already short journey felt even shorter.

When we arrived at the kindergarten, the gate was not yet open.

While waiting, Tang Mingli finally remembered that her husband seemed to have something to say to her before he took a nap at noon, so she asked, "Did you want to say something to me before you took a shower at noon?"

"Um."

Tang Mingli waited for him to continue, but he just smiled.

She got impatient and, as usual, whined, "What do you want to say?"

Fu Ci's smile grew even gentler, as did his tone.

"I'm afraid my daughter will come out soon."

No sooner had she finished speaking than the sound of the door opening came from behind her.

The kindergarten's large iron gate was opened.

Tang Mingli was so tempted that she had no choice but to give up.

The teachers led the children out in an orderly manner and handed them over to their parents one by one.

Tang Mingli and Fu Ci soon saw their daughter coming out hand in hand with a little girl.

Fu Yu also spotted them soon after.

She was overjoyed when her parents came to pick her up.

"Dad, Mom!" she called out to her parents, but she never let go of the little girl's hand and ran towards them.

Tang Mingli felt something was off and took the initiative to step forward.

The teacher recognized her, smiled at her, and then said to Fu Yu, "Xiao Jing's mother will be picking her up a little later. You should go home with your parents first."

Fu Yu still didn't let go of her classmate's hand and asked her mother if she could stay with Xiao Jing and wait for her mother.

"Of course, no problem," Tang Mingli readily agreed.

The gentle smile finally eased the little girl's tension.

For a five-year-old child, waiting alone can feel like the sky is falling.

Seeing this, the teacher said to Tang Mingli, "Thank you for your hard work, Fu Yu's mother."

Tang Mingli smiled and said, "It was nothing, just a small favor."

While we can wait, we can't just stand at the kindergarten gate forever.

There's a snack shop nearby that sells sweet soups and various snacks.

I don't know when the little girl's mother will arrive, so finding a place to sit down and have something to eat is the best course of action.

Just as I was about to speak, a worry suddenly arose: what if the little girl felt unwell after eating something from outside?

I've seen plenty of news like this in my past life: neighbors in the same community kindly give their children snacks, and the parents get angry and demand compensation from the neighbors.

Fu Ci noticed her sudden hesitation and asked, "What's wrong?"

In front of the child, Tang Mingli couldn't bring herself to voice her sinister suspicions, and shook her head, "It's nothing."

She knew that such a thing was a rare occurrence, and that there were still more good people in the world.

Fu Ci didn't believe it, but it was indeed inconvenient to ask for details at this time.

He also thought of a small eatery nearby, so he suggested that they go there to eat something and sit and wait.

Fu Yu was overjoyed to hear that she could eat snacks, and even grabbed her classmate's hand and shook it excitedly.

"Let's go eat and drink something delicious."

Tang Mingli: ...

This word has been around for a long time.

The four of them arrived at the snack shop, and Fu Yu very proactively asked the owner what delicious food she had.

Looking at the adorable baby, the proprietress read out all the snacks that were suitable for them.

Fu Yu was at a loss, with so many choices, she was so worried that she didn't know what to do, so she could only look to her parents.

Tang Mingli selected a few items and then asked her daughter and the little girl, "Is this enough?"

Fu Yu nodded, and said in a mature tone, "If it's not enough, we'll ask for more."

Not to mention Tang Mingli and Fu Ci, even the proprietress laughed and joked, "This child, you can tell at a glance that he often eats out."

That's undeniable, Tang Mingli nodded with a smile, "She has a mother who loves to eat."

"What do you mean by being greedy? That's called having an appetite. Being able to eat is a blessing."

The proprietress is indeed very eloquent, befitting someone who runs a business.

Although they were eating, Tang Mingli and Fu Ci still kept an eye on what was happening at the kindergarten gate.

About half an hour later, the two saw a woman who looked to be around thirty years old looking around at the kindergarten gate, and asked Xiaojing, "Is that your mother?"

Xiao Jing looked over, nodded vigorously, and showed a joyful smile on her face that she only had when she saw her mother.

I wanted to get up and go find my mother, but I couldn't bear to leave the food I hadn't finished eating.

Tang Mingli noticed this and thought to herself, "No wonder she can play with my daughter so well; they both have such a sweet tooth."

She told Fu Ci, "You watch over them, I'll go tell Xiao Jing's mother."

Fu Ci nodded with a smile: "Okay."

Not long after, Tang Mingli returned with the woman.

Xiao Jing immediately called out "Mom".

The woman looked at her daughter, whose mouth was covered in oil, and laughed at her, saying, "You look like a cat with a painted face."

He then said to Tang Mingli and Fu Ci, "Thank you, but I have something to do at home today and can't pick up the child on time."

Tang Mingli said she was too kind, and then asked, "Would you like to sit down and have something to eat together?"

The woman was embarrassed, but her food-loving daughter eagerly joined in the persuasion: "Mom, have some! The food here is especially delicious."

My mother suddenly fainted at noon. She called for help to take her to the hospital. She was busy all afternoon and only managed to eat a steamed bun. Now she is really hungry...

In the end, she shamefully succumbed to the temptation of food and sat down next to her daughter to eat a bowl of sweet soup.

When the two families parted, the woman was extremely grateful to Tang Mingli and her husband.

-

Fu Ci had been wanting to ask his wife again what had caused her sudden strange behavior at the kindergarten, but he hadn't had a suitable opportunity yet.

It wasn't until the family finished dinner that Tang Mingli suggested taking a shower before watching TV, and he followed her upstairs, finally getting a brief moment of time alone together.

Fu Ci finally had a chance to ask.

Tang Mingli never expected that her husband would keep thinking about it.

Unable to avoid it, and unwilling to lie, I had no choice but to tell the truth.

After saying that, she looked at her husband with a hint of grievance, "Are you going to laugh at me for overthinking things?"

Fu Ci shook his head.

He didn't think that way at all.

“Your concerns are not unfounded; our factory has encountered similar problems.”

Employees felt unwell after eating the cafeteria food, suspected that the food was unclean, and demanded compensation from the company.

But that's not what he really wanted to tell his wife.

He wanted to tell his wife, "From now on, you don't need to worry so much about what you want to do. If we really encounter something bad, believe that no matter what happens, we can handle it."

One sentence was like a reassuring pill fed into Tang Mingli's stomach.