Chapter 151 IF Line: Time Travel from Ancient to Modern (The Dog Chasing His Wife) 6: The old neighborhood was bustling in the morning. Before seven o'clock, there were thumping noises coming from upstairs. Someone was going up...

The old neighborhood is bustling in the morning. Before seven o'clock, you can hear clattering noises coming from upstairs. It's the doctors who are going to work the early shift starting to wash up.

Downstairs, some elderly people were preparing to go out for a walk, while others had already returned from grocery shopping. They were chatting under the entrance of the building, and Yulang could clearly hear that the price of red cabbage had increased by 1.5 yuan today compared to yesterday.

Lord Yu turned over fiercely, kicking the blankets and tossing and turning. He dissipated all the warmth from under the blankets, which angered Shen Wanqing so much that she slapped him a few times before obediently covering them both up and tucking them in tightly.

"It's so lively, and it's only a few o'clock."

"The vegetables are freshest in the morning; if you go late, they'll all be leftovers."

Shen Wanqing's bedroom is not big. When they were decorating it, her parents had the foresight to have a carpenter build her a row of wardrobes. The wardrobes took up a lot of space, so the bed could only fit at a height of 1.5 meters.

The old bed is especially comfortable to sleep on, but the only downside is that it creaks and groans if you make too much noise. Last night, as soon as the bed creaked, Shen Wanqing pinched Yu Lang's lower back, making him wince but not daring to utter a sound. It was both pleasurable and painful.

Now that the initial excitement had subsided, he simply lay limply on Shen Wanqing's body, motionless. Having been in this world for so long, only now did Yu Lang feel that his heart, which had been hanging in mid-air, could finally find peace.

However, this peace of mind didn't last long, as soon as we heard Wu Juan coming and going from the living room and kitchen.

Without Shen Wanqing urging him, Yu Lang jumped out of bed in a flash. A prospective son-in-law should at least make a good impression when he comes to his mother-in-law's house. How can he stay in bed and not show his face when his mother-in-law is already up?

Yu Lang came out of the bedroom first, still wearing yesterday's jeans and sweater. His down jacket had been left on the floor last night and was covered in dust, so Shen Wanqing was looking for wet wipes to clean it for him.

"Good morning, Auntie." Yu Lang was incredibly well-behaved in front of Wu Juan. Before Wu Juan even started cooking breakfast, he had already begun putting on his shoes and getting ready to go out to buy it.

"Qingqing told me there's a fish noodle shop downstairs that's really delicious. I haven't tried it yet, so I'll go down and get a few bowls to eat."

"It's downstairs. Have her get up and take you there."

"No need, no need. It's a rare weekend off for her, and she doesn't have any work yet, so let her sleep in a bit longer. We can bring it back and eat with her."

Yu Lang quickly waved his hand, preventing Wu Juan from entering the bedroom to call Shen Wanqing. He turned around, went in, took out his coat, and rushed downstairs without waiting for Wu Juan to say anything more.

"mom."

"You still have the nerve to call me Mom? Look what kind of brat you found. He ran off before I could even finish my sentence."

"He just wanted to give you and me a place to have a heart-to-heart talk. If he keeps standing here, you won't be able to say what you've been holding back all night."

As soon as Yu Lang went out, Shen Wanqing followed. There's no grudge between a mother and daughter that lasts overnight. Even though Wu Juan was nitpicking and finding fault with her daughter last night, she couldn't help but pull her close and give her a thorough pat on the back when she saw her daughter.

"You've lost weight again. Xiao Fang said you were in a meeting yesterday. How come you're so busy?"

“You need to take care of yourself while you’re out there alone. I’ve told you so many times that money can never be earned enough, and nothing is more important than your health. Every time I call you, all you do is say ‘okay, okay,’ you’re just treating me like an idiot.”

"The end of the year is almost here, and if I'm not busy these next two months, I'll really start to worry. It's good to be busy; things will be better after this busy period ends and the New Year is over."

Shen Wanqing got up and brought over a bunch of things she had brought back yesterday, including skincare products and other odds and ends that Wu Juan could use daily. She even bought two sets of thermal underwear.

“I told you not to buy these things. I can’t wear all the clothes you buy for the house. Good clothes will get old and worn out after two years in the closet.”

Wu Juan muttered to herself that Shen Wanqing would still buy whatever she wanted, since everything would be useful anyway, and in Shen Wanqing's view, it wouldn't be a waste.

"You've really taken a liking to that kid? What's his family background? How old is he? What's his education? He said you're colleagues, but which department is he in? How did you get to know him?"

Shen Wanqing wanted to gloss over the matter by being vague, but Wu Juan wasn't about to let her have her way. She forcefully steered the conversation back on track and began to question Yu Lang about his situation.

"he……"

"He's an intern at our company. His family is in the foreign trade business. The company isn't big, but it should be profitable. He didn't want to go home and help out, so he applied for a job through campus recruitment and joined our group."

When Wu Juan asked this question, Shen Wanqing panicked. Since reuniting with Yu Lang, she hadn't asked much about Fang Yulang's specific family situation. What she said was all from his resume, and now she was frantically trying to recall what she had seen, without a trace of confidence.

"Also an only child? I contacted Sister Hong from your workplace a while ago, asking her to introduce you to someone. How come you're already engaged to Xiao Fang after such a short time? Last night he said that you've known each other for a long time and have a foundation of feelings. Every year, campus recruitment is in the fall. How can it be a long time? I don't think this guy is reliable."

Wu Juan was only upset last night by the little boy her daughter brought home, but she had regained her senses by the next morning. She knew her daughter's personality; once she made up her mind, it was best not to argue with her.

If you don't argue, there's still a chance to negotiate. But if you go against her, then you can expect her to never turn back even after hitting a brick wall. She'd rather die than say a single soft word.

If she continued to refuse to let her date Fang Yulang, she might actually drag that guy to get a marriage certificate tomorrow.

"No, he has a younger sister. I heard she's quite young and still in middle school."

"Sister Hong doesn't know that I was keeping it from her. How could I announce something like this in the company when we weren't officially dating? Of course, it's better to wait until we're officially together before talking about it."

Shen Wanqing made up stories as soon as she opened her mouth, speaking ambiguously to make Wu Juan believe that the two of them had known each other outside for a long time before Yu Lang started working at the company.

"So you found this internship for him too, you gave him special treatment?"

"No, that's not true. They're really capable. They came in first in all three rounds of interviews. How could I possibly control all three rounds of interviews?"

"Furthermore, after the New Year, we have already planned to transfer him from the position of engineering assistant to the position of hydropower engineer. After rotating through several important positions on the project, he will be able to return to the group."

Shen Wanqing had gone through the same thing back then, so Wu Juan roughly understood what she meant. At least Fang Yulang was capable at work; although he certainly didn't earn as much or hold as high a position as her daughter now, he might still have a bright future.

Parents don't place as much importance on whether someone is loved or not; at least it's not their top priority. Marriage is about two people spending their lives together. Material conditions don't necessarily have to be super high, but there should be at least some, enough to support a wife and children.

Shen Wanqing kept giving Yulang advice, and secretly sent a WeChat message to the person who had been standing in front of the fish noodle shop for who knows how long but hadn't gone in to buy any noodles. Less than ten minutes later, Yulang returned carrying three servings of fish noodles.

Now that he's back, some things are harder to say. Besides, the two of them had clearly taken care of everything last night. No matter how unwilling Wu Juan was, she still mumbled after breakfast, "Since you're back, stay a couple more days. It's Xiao Fang's first time here, Qingqing, take him out for a stroll too."

As soon as he said that, Yu Lang knew he was at least on Wu Juan's radar. Having received his mother-in-law's approval, Yu Lang was incredibly attentive.

Although Lord Yu was truly incapable of doing any housework, and his supposed help was mostly just talk, his sweet words were enough to make Wu Juan happy in just half a day.

Even when going downstairs to take out the trash, I would stand downstairs and wait for a familiar neighbor to pass by, then casually chat with them, saying that my daughter was a troublemaker and had brought a boyfriend home without me noticing.

"Oh dear, I'm actually not satisfied. That guy is younger than my Qingqing. He said he just graduated with a master's degree. You know, our girl didn't study that much. Now that she's found a boyfriend like that, I'm worried they won't get along."

"Yes, yes, that's what I think too. As long as young people have a good relationship, nothing else matters. What's the use of having money if the relationship isn't good? They'll just be arguing and bickering all the time."

"Oh, I can't tell you. My little Fang loves to eat fish. I'm going to the market to see if there's any fresh fish left. It's a rare occasion for her to come all this way, so she's a guest. No matter how well she treats my Qingqing in the future, as her aunt, I can't neglect her."

Since turning twenty-seven, Shen Wanqing had become Wu Juan's biggest headache. This time, she finally brought her boyfriend home, and no matter what she thought, she was determined to show him off as soon as she got out the door.

Shen Wanqing stood by the window upstairs listening to her mother brag to others, while Yulang, holding a bowl of cherries, hid behind the curtains and laughed so hard he was shaking.

"Your mom is so funny, she's so easy to please."

“I’m almost thirty. If I were only twenty-five and found a twenty-one or twenty-two-year-old girl, do you think she would compromise so easily?”

Watching her mother happily go to buy fish, Shen Wanqing's initial unhappiness from the past week completely vanished. She only had one mother; what was there to argue about?

She turned and hugged Yulang's waist, leaning against his chest. There was nothing to say, and there was no need to say anything. The two of them just hugged each other and paced back and forth in the small room. She didn't know how much time had passed until she heard the sound of a key turning in the door. Then she quickly separated and sat on either side of the sofa, pretending to be well-behaved.

After dinner, Shen Wanqing took Yulang out for a walk. The small town is located next to a large lake, and a long scenic belt has been built along the lake. The two walked along the scenic belt without saying much, just holding hands and holding hands tightly. Anyone who saw them could tell that they were a young couple in the throes of new love.

“My primary school is a five-minute walk from that street. Back then, I refused to eat breakfast at home every day and would ask my dad for five yuan to go out and eat.”

Five yuan?

"Back then, a bowl of shredded pork rice noodles was only two yuan, and beef rice noodles were only three yuan and fifty cents. I would always say that I ate beef rice noodles, and my dad would give me the remaining one yuan and fifty cents as pocket money. Actually, I only ate shredded pork rice noodles occasionally, and most of the time I ate spicy and sour rice noodles, which cost one yuan and fifty cents."

Kids, they'll save their stomachs for snacks. They'll just skimp on breakfast, and the rest of the money will be their allowance.

"No wonder Jiyun was so good at searching my secret stash of money; now I know the trick."

Yu Lang couldn't help but bend down and whisper a complaint in Shen Wanqing's ear, saying that every time he tried to secretly save some money for himself, Shen Wanqing would find out.

It seems that she had been practicing since childhood, so when she grew up and saw others secretly saving money, she could spot it every time.

Shen Wanqing was surprised by his words and burst into laughter. She laughed so hard that she leaned against Yu Lang and didn't want to leave, so she simply wrapped her arms around his neck and let him carry her on his back. She carried him all the way to the barbecue restaurant where they were going to eat, and only then did she get off his back.

Although there have been many improved varieties of food in later generations, Yu Lang still has a lot of complaints about it. Especially various kinds of meat. Having gotten used to eating good food, Lord Yu really can't stand the meat sold in supermarkets that has been frozen for who knows how long.

However, this barbecue restaurant specializes in freshly killed, skewered, and sold meat. Shen Wanqing led the person to the store, and Yu Lang was happy after just one glance at the owner's barbecue. This owner knows how to grill meat, and today he is in for a treat.

"Barbecue and wine, I'll have a drink with you tonight."

Shen Wanqing took out two small bottles of baijiu from her pocket. In this kind of barbecue restaurant, there's no need to be particular about the quality of the liquor; all you need is something that tastes good.

These are all things that Shen Wanqing brought home every year for Chinese New Year. They've been sitting at home for several years now, and if they're not finished, she'll have to bring in new ones this year.

"Alright, I'm flattered that Madam is willing to do this for me."

After unscrewing the bottle cap, Yu Lang poured wine for the two of them. In another timeline, the super-class first-class duke Yu Lang and Grandma Shen sat on the curb and started eating skewers.

Two skewers of meat and half a glass of wine, and the conversation is basically started.

Yu Lang wants to find someone to renovate Wu Juan's old house next year, at least to redo the soundproofing, otherwise, when Wu Juan gets older in a few years, this environment will definitely affect her sleep.

From Shen Wanqing worrying about what to do with next year's projects, to whether to open an overseas branch if the main projects at hand are almost finished by the end of next year.

"Anyway, you have to take me with you wherever you go. As long as you don't leave me behind, you can go anywhere."

Yu Lang had sensed that the group's focus was shifting outwards before, but not many people knew about it at the time. However, the news has somehow spread over the past two months, so there's no need to keep it hidden any longer.

"I don't feel like going that far away is like being exiled to the frontier."

“Even being exiled to the frontier isn’t that far. Qiongzhou is so much fun now. I was thinking of going there for a trip this Chinese New Year.”

When he was a Grand Secretary, he preferred to exile people to Qiongzhou rather than Ningguta or the Northwest. He felt that no matter how harsh the first two places were, they were at least on the mainland, but going to Qiongzhou meant being separated by the sea, which alone was enough to make people despair.

Shen Wanqing knew what Yu Lang was thinking without him saying anything. This man had never been to the Southeast Asian countries. He knew that if he actually went there, he would probably make a lot of mistakes.

The small bottle of liquor filled just one glass, which was nothing to Yu Lang. He finished it, still feeling a bit unsatisfied, and looked up at Shen Wanqing.

Shen Wanqing originally wanted to share her wine with him, but the barbecue skewers were delicious and the person eating them with her was also to her liking. She only had a couple of sips of wine left in her glass, so she could only nod and allow Yulang to have another drink.

Yu Lang turned around and called the owner to get the wine, but the owner, who was busy grilling skewers, didn't have time to pay attention to Yu Lang. He waved to him, indicating that he should go in and get it himself, and then ignored their table.

"Alright, then I'll get up and get it myself." Yu Lang turned around and went into the store to get the wine. As he passed the freezer, he couldn't resist picking out a bowl of beef tendon skewers and lamb skewers. The owner's eyes twitched. There were several tables of customers tonight, and they had only grilled for this guy.

Yu Lang was in a good mood after adding the meat, but when he turned around, he saw two people standing next to his table. Shen Wanqing was already standing up and exchanging pleasantries, but Yu Lang could tell from her expression that she wasn't very happy.

"Why didn't you tell me or us when you came back? After the last class reunion, I was thinking of inviting you to dinner again to keep in touch."

"It's not like I'm not in our class group chat, we can chat whenever we want."

Shen Wanqing felt a little awkward looking at Li Moran, who had almost become her ex-boyfriend back then. She never thought that it would be better to remain friends after so many years and treat each other as strangers.

"With a relationship like ours, is there anything we really need to say in the class group chat?"

"We're classmates, there's nothing we can't say in the group chat."

This was a bit ambiguous, and another male classmate next to him felt a little awkward. He reached out to tug at Li Moran's clothes, but Li Moran clearly had no intention of listening to his advice.

Fortunately, he had his own way of refusing to listen to advice. Yu Lang quickly walked over and affectionately wrapped his arms around Shen Wanqing's waist, acting like a little wolf dog.

"Sister, did you run into someone you know? Introduce me to them."

"Hello, my name is Fang Yulang, and I am Qingqing's boyfriend."

"When did Wanqing start dating? She didn't even mention it in our class group chat."

Li Moran was startled by Yu Lang's sudden approach. He looked at Shen Wanqing and then at Yu Lang, whose eyes were clearly hostile. His expression became somewhat embarrassed, and his gaze towards Yu Lang even carried a hint of contempt.

"Qingqing said that dating is a very private matter, and it's enough for only close family and friends to know. When we get married, we will definitely send an invitation to you, and then you will know."

Who says men don't compete, don't get jealous, or don't get possessed? Although Yu Lang didn't know who this person was, it didn't stop him from calling him "brother" and stabbing him in the heart.

The watch this person was wearing wasn't cheap, and his clothes and shoes were very clean. It wouldn't bother him if you had a little more money than him.

But Yu Lang is taller, more handsome, and younger than him, and he's also closer to Shen Wanqing than he is. Li Moran, on the other hand, is someone who only talks about things in the class group chat. These sarcastic remarks, one after another, are really enough to make people listen.

Li Moran wasn't stupid. He could tell that whatever he said would only annoy people. Even though he was still a little unwilling, he exchanged a few pleasantries and left quickly.

As soon as he left, Yulang's face fell to the ground with a thud. He was so angry that he plopped down like a pufferfish, turning his face towards the road, even the back of his head was filled with anger.

The sight of the young couple, who had just finished grilling several skewers, couldn't help but laugh. How could they argue and then make up so inexplicably? He grilled skewers there every day and had seen countless similar dramas.