Chapter 143 Object

The atmosphere at the Zhou family's dinner was somber.

Song Lanxin spent half a day preparing the meal, but Lu Linlang either covered her mouth and gagged or frowned and said she had no appetite.

One minute she's complaining that the food is too salty, the next she's saying that a certain dish is bad for pregnant women, her words are full of disdain.

With a smile on her face, Song Lanxin said repeatedly, "Mom will be more careful next time," and "Mom will make whatever you want to eat."

Looking at his mother's humble appearance, Zhou Anping felt as if his heart was being pricked by needles.

She gripped her chopsticks tightly several times, wanting to retort, but her mother stopped her with a look each time.

Looking at Lu Linlang's entitled, nitpicking attitude, and then at her mother's forced smile, her eyes welled up with tears. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer. Her fingers trembled slightly as she put down her chopsticks with a "snap," and without saying a word, she got up and rushed back to her room on the second floor, slamming the door shut with a deafening roar.

From downstairs, Lu Linlang's dissatisfied mutterings could be faintly heard: "...Who are you trying to fool with that attitude..."

After an unknown amount of time, the door to Zhou Anping's room was gently knocked open.

After washing the dishes and tidying up, Song Lanxin walked in, looking tired.

She saw her daughter sitting by the bed, her eyes still red, and she felt terrible.

When Zhou Anping saw his mother, resentment and anger welled up in his heart again, and his voice choked with sobs: "Mom! Why do you give in to her so much?! From childhood to adulthood, what you've always told my brother and me is to be sensible, to be obedient, and to respect our elders! But what about her? Does she have any respect for you at all? You're like this... Don't you feel bad yourself? It hurts me to see you like this!"

Song Lanxin was speechless and somewhat embarrassed by her daughter's barrage of questions.

She opened her mouth, sighed heavily, and sat down next to her daughter: "Anping... when I went to your brother's place this time... I saw him... he was so thin, his complexion was bad, and there was no light in his eyes... he's been suffering so much..."

She recalled her son's dejected and numb appearance, and her heart felt like it was being torn apart: "Military marriages... aren't so easy to end. I was thinking... if I treat Linlang better, if I go along with her a little, maybe... maybe she'll treat your brother a little better, and your brother's life... will be a little easier..."

She herself felt that these words were pale and powerless, but they were the most helpless and humble effort a mother could make for her son.

After hearing this, Zhou Anping felt even more choked up. She sneered, "Mom! Sincerity for sincerity, but the other person has to be a decent human being! Does Lu Linlang have any conscience? If she had any conscience at all, would she treat my brother like that? Would she treat you, who has worked so hard to take care of her, like this?"

These past two days you've been trying so hard to cook her delicious meals—simmered soups, made porridge, washed and chopped fruit—and serving it to her. Has she ever given you a kind look? Did she treat you and my brother the same way back in the army?

Song Lanxin was speechless when her daughter asked her question and could only lower her head.

Seeing his mother like this, Zhou Anping was both angry and heartbroken: "This can't go on! We have to hire a maid! These chores shouldn't be yours to do! I'll go find someone tomorrow!"

This time, Song Lanxin didn't object and nodded: "Hmm...please have one."

She reached out and patted her daughter's hand, trying to comfort her, "Don't be angry over her, it's not worth it. Try to avoid her in the future, since you're at work during the day anyway, out of sight, out of mind."

Zhou Anping sighed again, thinking to himself: If Zhiyi were the sister-in-law, the family would be so warm and harmonious. What a pity…

At this moment, Song Lanxin could no longer suppress her curiosity. She leaned closer to her daughter and whispered, "Anping, what you told Mom when you were cooking... about that guy... what exactly happened? Tell Mom quickly!"

Seeing his mother's eyes light up, Zhou Anping knew there was no way to avoid it, and whispered, "His name is... Meng Qingshan."

"Meng Qingshan?" Song Lanxin didn't know which family's young master this was from in Jian'an City.

"His family is in Beijing. His grandfather was... General Meng, who retired a few years ago. His father is now a vice minister in the General Armaments Department. He himself... works in the X Department of the General Staff in Beijing, as a staff officer at the regimental level."

Zhou Anping tried to state his thoughts calmly, but his cheeks were still a little hot.

As Song Lanxin listened, her eyes widened and her breathing became rapid.

General Meng! Deputy Minister of the General Armaments Department! Staff Officer at the regimental level in the General Staff Department!

These conditions are... so much better than those of Battalion Commander Chen Hong!

He's practically a golden bachelor fallen from the sky!

"Really?! Oh my God!" Song Lanxin was so excited she almost shouted it out. She quickly covered her mouth, her face instantly breaking into a wide smile, as if all her frustration and exhaustion had vanished.

She gripped her daughter's hand tightly. "Anping! Is it true?! Oh my! You silly child! Why didn't you tell me about such a wonderful thing sooner! This is really... really..."

She was so excited that she was almost incoherent, and her eyes were filled with ecstatic joy as she looked at her daughter, as if Zhou Anping had suddenly become the most outstanding child in the world.

Seeing his mother's drastically different reactions, Zhou Anping felt a sense of relief, yet also a strange sense of irony.

She gently withdrew her hand: "Mom, please keep your voice down... This matter hasn't been decided yet, I just wanted to let you know first."

"Okay, okay! Mom knows! Mom knows!" Song Lanxin nodded repeatedly, but she couldn't stop smiling. She had already started planning Zhou Anping's dowry in her mind. She had to give Anping a bigger dowry so that her husband's family in the capital wouldn't look down on her.

He works in the General Staff Department in Beijing. His grandfather is a veteran general, his father is a deputy minister, and he himself is a staff officer at the regimental level at a young age... Although he may be slightly less experienced than Gu Xiao, his family background is far more illustrious because he works in a core department in Beijing!

She suddenly felt triumphant, straightened her back a bit, and became smug.

"Our Anping family has excellent judgment! This Meng family is truly remarkable! I think they're even better than Gu Xiao..."

She paused for a moment, not daring to speak too definitively, but her meaning was clear: "...In short, it's the best! Now that's great, let's see what Nan Zhiyi has to be proud of. From now on, Anping will still be the best married woman!"

When Zhou Anping heard his mother bring up this comparison again, the frustration that had just subsided surged up again, and he couldn't help but frown and retort: ​​"Mom! Marriage is a personal matter, not something to compare and show off to others! Being happy is more important than anything else! Can you please stop bringing up Zhiyi?"

Normally, Song Lanxin would criticize her daughter for talking back, but at this moment she was in a very good mood and found her daughter particularly pleasing to the eye, so she just gave her a reproachful glance and, unusually, did not lash out.

"Okay, okay, Mom won't say anymore, alright? My daughter is so capable, finding such a great partner, Mom is so happy!"