Chapter 181 Tidying Up the House

Qiao Wanyin was still smiling, her eyes crinkling, as if she hadn't noticed the harshness in his words. "Mom, don't be angry. Getting angry is bad for your health. Your face is so red; your blood pressure will probably go up later."

“If you really want breakfast, I’ll go buy you soy milk and fried dough sticks right now,” she said sincerely, even with a touch of caring concern. “The fried dough sticks at that stall near the door are golden and crispy, and the soy milk is so thick it can be pulled into strands. I just passed by and smelled the aroma; it smells so good, even better than what we make at home.”

After saying that, she casually grabbed the small cloth bag hanging behind the door. It was a faded but clean floral cloth bag. She slung it lightly over her shoulder, turned around and walked out the door, her steps as light as a bird just released from its cage.

Song Yazhi stood frozen in place at the kitchen doorway, still clutching the dishcloth she had originally intended to use. She stomped her feet angrily, the soles of her feet hitting the floor with a loud thud.

Why doesn't this country girl follow the rules?

When someone first enters a business, don't they all have to be careful and keep a low profile?

Instead, she took the initiative and started "caring" about herself!

No, this temper of his needs to be corrected!

We can't let her gain a foothold so easily, otherwise, will she still have any say in this family?

She recalled what Fang Wanyu had said during her phone call last night.

Fang Wanyu is right. Qiao Wanyin is a woman who appears obedient on the surface but is wicked behind the scenes.

Even the sweetest smile is fake.

As soon as her son was away, her true colors were revealed; she didn't respect her mother-in-law at all.

Alright, let's see who's better!

This game has only just begun!

Half an hour later, Qiao Wanyin returned humming a light tune, her face still flushed with the unique blush of the morning.

She was carrying a steaming paper bag filled with freshly baked breakfast, the aroma wafting in the breeze. "Mom, eat it while it's hot, it won't taste good when it's cold."

She deftly opened the paper bag and placed the breakfast items on the table one by one: golden and crispy fried dough sticks, steaming soy milk, and two sugar pancakes with slightly browned edges.

“I also bought you some sugar cakes. I heard you love sweets, especially a bite in the morning, which makes you happy all day.”

Song Yazhi sat on the sofa, not even lifting her eyelids, and gave a cold snort, "Who told you that?"

His tone was full of doubt and disdain.

Ha, so he still bought me things to try and make me happy, didn't he?

They're putting on an act; they've really got a good plan.

“That’s what Ophiopogon japonicus said.”

Qiao Wanyin replied with a smile, carefully placing the sugar cakes on a small plate and handing them to her mother-in-law. "Your son knows you best. He says you have a sweet tongue and love sweet things, especially red bean paste flavor. He also said that when you were little, you would stare at the sugar cake stalls during the New Year and couldn't walk away."

Song Yazhi's expression softened slightly, and the corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily, as if she had recalled some distant memory.

But she immediately realized her expression had softened, so she quickly tightened her face and put on a serious look. "Don't think you can buy me off like that. I'm not that easy to fool."

"I didn't mean to please you."

Qiao Wanyin took a bite of the fried dough stick, the crisp sound particularly clear in the quiet room.

She muttered as she chewed, her tone a mix of grievance and playfulness, "I just felt that you came all this way from so far away, you must have had a long journey, you can't be hungry. If you get too hungry, Mai Dong will feel sorry for you when you come back."

She paused, then deliberately raised her voice, "If you're not going to eat it, then I'll eat it all! I'm hungry anyway, so why not eat it?"

Upon hearing this, Song Yazhi became anxious, her words caught in her throat, and she was speechless for a moment.

She glared at Qiao Wanyin, but the other woman was drinking soy milk with her head down, pretending not to see her. Her leisurely and carefree demeanor only made her angrier.

She plopped down at the table in a huff, snatched the last fried dough stick from the table, took a big bite, and chewed with bulging cheeks, as if venting her dissatisfaction.

Qiao Wanyin secretly glanced at her mother-in-law's puffed-up cheeks, her eyes curving slightly, and she almost burst out laughing.

She lowered her head, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

Dealing with this stubborn old lady is no use in reasoning with her; the more you talk, the more annoyed she becomes. Confronting her head is even worse; it will only escalate the conflict and make life even harder.

We have to do it her way, the opposite way.

The more you pretend not to care, the more she cares; the more you make her feel "I don't need you in the first place," the more easily she softens.

After finishing breakfast, Qiao Wanyin quickly cleared away the dishes, humming the little tune she had sung on her way back as she turned on the tap.

The water splashed and the dishes clinked together in a clear and orderly fashion.

Just then, Song Yazhi suddenly spoke, her voice not loud, but with a commanding tone: "I'm going to do laundry today, so bring out Adong's military uniform."

Qiao Wanyin paused, her fingertips still covered in foam. She turned to her mother-in-law with some surprise. "Mom, are you really going to wash it yourself? That military uniform is hard to wash. It's thick and heavy, with so many buttons and epaulets. Hand washing it is too much work."

"Stop babbling!"

Song Yazhi rolled her eyes and interrupted her curtly, "I only wash my son's clothes! They're his most presentable clothes, and I wouldn't even let anyone else touch them."

snort!

Do you expect me to wash yours too?

Do you have the qualifications?

I wouldn't even bother touching those flashy clothes you wear.

"Okay, Mom, I'll go get it right away."

Qiao Wanyin did not argue or show any dissatisfaction. She obediently dried her hands and turned to walk towards the bedroom.

Looking at Qiao Wanyin's obedient and well-behaved manner, her back view was proper and her steps were steady, Song Yazhi felt secretly pleased and couldn't help but smile.

This time we finally won, letting her know who's in charge in this family.

But a short while later, Qiao Wanyin came back carrying a pile of clothes, her arms almost bent from the weight. The clothes were piled higher than her face, and they were all different colors and sizes.

Song Yazhi was stunned, her eyes widened, and she almost stood up from her chair.

She had only wanted Qiao Wanyin to bring out a few sets of military uniforms, but this huge pile in front of her—

There are shirts, pants, coats, sweaters, thermal underwear, socks, underwear...

They even brought slippers and bath towels!

"Mom, you said you were going to wash Adong's clothes, and I was worried about missing any, so I dug out everything that could be washed!"

Qiao Wanyin looked sincere and had clear eyes. "Look, do you think all of these need to be rinsed? Or should I sort them first? I'll wash the dark and light colors separately, and I'll hand-wash the military uniforms separately to make sure there are no mistakes."

Song Yazhi opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word. The smugness on her face instantly froze, replaced by an awkwardness that made her both laugh and cry.

These aren't just a few military uniforms.

It's like they brought the whole wardrobe here!

The laundry tub was piled high with military green clothes, from tops to trousers, from shirts to coats, almost overflowing.

The stacked objects alone are half a person tall, dazzling to behold.

Why are you taking so much?