He was a little puzzled. His daughter-in-law was already so outstanding, what else was there to complain about?
Upon hearing this, Qin Peilan immediately glared at her husband reproachfully and said:
"Nonsense! How could I not be satisfied?! I'm satisfied! I'm a hundred times satisfied! A thousand times satisfied! I've never seen a better girl than Qiqi! She's beautiful, kind-hearted, and incredibly capable! Her career is thriving! She's outstanding in every way! What could I possibly be dissatisfied with?!"
Shen Zhenbang was even more puzzled, "Then what are you doing...?"
Qin Peilan sighed, a hint of embarrassment on her face, and said:
"I feel... what we prepared is a bit... a bit inadequate! It's not good enough for our daughter-in-law!"
She took out the cloth bag, opened it, revealing the jade bracelet and the wad of money inside:
“This bracelet is only of average quality, not top-notch. Five hundred yuan seems like a lot, but think about it, Qiqi manages such a big factory, and money flows through her hands like water... Our little bit of ‘thought’ might really mean nothing to her.”
“I was thinking… how about we find another opportunity to go to the trust shop or jade shop and find a better bracelet with better luster! And take out the money from our savings account and withdraw more! Let’s make up… make up eight hundred, no! a thousand! Let’s give our daughter-in-law a generous red envelope! That would show our sincerity and how much we value her, wouldn’t it?”
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhenbang immediately nodded in support.
"Alright! You're right! We'll do it your way! There can be no ambiguity about this!"
Zhou Qiqi got so busy with her work that she lost track of time. By the time she finished everything, it was already past five o'clock.
Seeing that it was getting late and it was time for dinner, the family quickly got into the jeep and headed home.
When the car was almost at the family compound, Qin Peilan suddenly remembered He Wanrou.
She was muttering to herself in the car.
"Oh dear, we've been so busy touring the factory that we've forgotten about Wanrou. She's probably been waiting at home! Huaichuan, drive faster, don't keep her waiting. I wonder if she's even hungry at home."
It can't really be said that she forgot He Wanrou.
This morning I saw a bright red dress at the department store and thought it would be suitable for young people, so I bought one for He Wanrou as well. It's currently in the shopping bag in the back seat.
The family was worried and rushed home, expecting He Wanrou to be waiting for them at the door as she had in the morning.
Unexpectedly, after the jeep came to a stop, everything inside and outside the yard was quiet.
Pushing open the door, it was completely silent inside.
The living room was empty, and the bedroom door was open, but the room was also empty.
Qin Peilan suddenly felt a little anxious, and her voice rose slightly:
"Wanrou? Wanrou? Where is she? Could something have happened to her?"
She called out several times, worried, when suddenly she heard a loud clang coming from the direction of the kitchen, followed by a sharp, terrified scream.
"Fire! Fire! My hair! Help!"
Everyone tensed up and rushed toward the kitchen.
He Wanrou was standing by the stove, one hand covering a small strand of slightly scorched hair on her forehead, the other hand frantically patting the stove.
Several bowls were broken at her feet, soup and vegetable leaves were splattered all over the floor, and there were streaks of black ash on her face, making her look extremely disheveled.
"Wanrou! What's wrong?"
Qin Peilan quickly stepped forward.
He Wanrou seemed terrified. Upon seeing Qin Peilan, tears welled up in her eyes, and she said in a sobbing voice:
"Auntie! You're back! You scared me to death! Waaah... I was just too tired and accidentally dozed off by the stove. I don't know how, but a spark jumped out and almost burned me! Luckily, I woke up quickly!"
She rushed forward, ignoring the broken pieces on the ground, and took He Wanrou's hand, her voice filled with self-reproach and pity:
"Oh my silly child! Were you scared? It's all my fault! I came back late! I made you wait at home alone for so long... You must be exhausted! Don't stand here, come out and rest!"
She pulled He Wanrou to sit down in the main room, and then busied herself pouring Shen Huaichuan a glass of water to calm her nerves.
He Wanrou took the water glass, but didn't drink it right away. Instead, her eyes reddened, and she began to ramble on and on about her troubles, her tone full of grievance:
"Auntie, I really didn't fall asleep on purpose. I've been busy since early this morning! First, I hitched a ride with the logistics purchasing team and went to a farmers' market a bit further away, just to buy some fresh vegetables for you and Uncle to try. When I got back, I rushed into the kitchen, washing vegetables and chopping meat, trying to make a nice lunch. But after all the food was ready and piping hot, I waited and waited and you didn't come back... I figured you might have eaten out, so I didn't want to waste it and put all the food in the closet..."
Qin Peilan wanted to interject.
He Wanrou took a breath and continued, "Then I noticed that many places in the house were covered in dust, so I thought I had nothing else to do and cleaned everything inside and out! And the little vegetable garden and flowerbed in the backyard... the cellar... I cleaned up the whole house, and I'm so tired my back can't even straighten up..."
"pungent..."
Qin Peilan wanted to say something more, but He Wanrou was still rambling on:
"I saw it was getting late, and I figured you guys would be back for dinner by now, so I quickly started the fire again and cooked, reheating the leftovers from lunch and stir-frying a couple more dishes... After finishing all that, I was completely exhausted, my body felt like it was falling apart, and I just wanted to lean against the stove and catch my breath, but... but I fell asleep and almost set my hair on fire... Waaaaah..."
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