In the following days, Chu's mother fell seriously ill and spent almost every day lying in bed with listless eyes.
She still couldn't accept her father's departure.
Because of his grandfather's passing, only his grandmother was left, so Chu took her to live with him in his home to care for her.
"Your father would be so heartbroken to see you like this." Grandma, caring for Chu's mother, was worried about her daughter's condition. "Your father loved you the most when you were little, he couldn't bear to see you cry..."
Seeing that Chu's mother's eyes were red and she was recalling things from her childhood, she quickly stopped her, saying, "Okay, okay, let's not talk about it anymore."
Grandma sighed.
"Mom, your girlfriends want you to play mahjong," Chu Fang said as he entered the room.
“I’m not going!” Mother Chu refused outright.
They've stopped playing mahjong altogether, which shows how much pain they're going through.
“Go ahead,” Chu Fang said.
After some persuasion, they finally convinced Chu's mother to get out of bed and go play mahjong. Zhong Tingyue volunteered to go to the mahjong parlor with Chu's mother.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law then went to the mahjong parlor.
"I don't want to be with you," Chu's mother said angrily.
“I want to be with you,” Zhong Tingyue said with a smile, her hands behind her back. “You’re my future mother-in-law.”
"I'm not!"
"Then break up with Chu Fang?"
“... ..."
Upon hearing this, Chu's mother's words caught in her throat. She pouted slightly, gave a soft hum, and strode forward.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Zhong Tingyue's mouth.
Instead of trying to please or flatter Chu's mother in response to her hostile behavior, she confronted her head-on, often leaving Chu's mother speechless.
Before long, the two arrived at the mahjong parlor.
"Oh, you've finally arrived."
"I heard you lay eggs at home?"
“... ..."
Chu Ma was a regular at the mahjong parlor, and everyone teased her when they saw her. Their gazes then shifted to Zhong Tingyue, and they couldn't help but remark with a sigh:
"Tsk, what a wonderful girl, she and your 'darling' are a match made in heaven."
"Exactly, she's not only beautiful, but also virtuous."
“... ..."
At the funeral a few days ago, everyone witnessed Zhong Tingyue, as his girlfriend, busying herself with everything, showing her virtue and kindness.
Zhong Tingyue smiled gently: "You flatter me, uncles and aunts."
He quickly became friends with many of the neighbors, leaving Chu's mother out in the cold. Chu's mother was so angry that she was panting.
"Just as I suspected! The fortune teller was right, this person is indeed a 'lone star,' isolating me... ...wait......shouldn't it be her who's being isolated?"
Seeing that Chu's mother was angry again, Zhong Tingyue ended her chat with the neighbors and invited everyone to sit down and play cards.
"You want to play mahjong?" Chu's mother asked, seeing 'Lone Star' sitting opposite her.
“Yes.” Zhong Tingyue nodded.
She seemed to know why people from Sichuan and Chongqing liked playing mahjong, finding it a unique form of entertainment.
"Hmph! People who play mahjong are not good people," said Chu's mother.
A friend who's been playing mahjong with me for decades said, "You've been playing mahjong for decades, and you're still criticizing others?"
“That’s right.” Another mahjong partner said softly, “Remember when we were kids, we played mahjong for a whole day and night? When we were in school, the teacher said, ‘I have four things to say about this.’ You would squint your eyes, stand up immediately, and shout, ‘Wait, I’ve got four of them!’”
“Yes, yes, I remember it very clearly,” said the mahjong partner. “Back then, the teacher found out that the four of us were playing mahjong. He told our parents, and we got a beating, but you got away scot-free and even laughed at us. We were so angry.”
Hearing that Chu's mother was playing mahjong at such a young age, Chu's maternal grandparents did not stop her. Instead, they found a set of mahjong tiles and taught her how to play.
"Why are you saying all this..." Chu's mother muttered, seeing the smile on Zhong Tingyue's lips, she felt embarrassed and threw down the cards in her hand: "Four of a kind".
"Bang," Zhong Tingyue said.
"Five items."
"Touched again."
Chu's mother got angry and played a mahjong tile: "Six of Bamboo, you can keep ponging."
Zhong Tingyue smiled and said, "I won."
“... ..."
Chu's mother felt immense pressure on her shoulders.
She had always lived a life of protection, with the love of her parents, the care of her husband, and the filial piety of her son. No one disobeyed her, and no one would even say a bad word about her.
Today, it seems she has met her match – her future daughter-in-law.
Unlike other family members who spoiled her, they constantly opposed her.
At this point, she became even more convinced that the rumors of her being a "lone star" were sent by heaven to "isolate" her!
"Ugh, I'm so annoyed!"
Half an hour later, the other two card players looked at each other, speechless.
This mother-in-law and daughter-in-law seemed to have some serious illness, constantly bickering and teasing each other while playing cards.
Chu's mother gritted her teeth in anger, while Zhong Tingyue remained calm and even had a smile on her face.
... ...
Chu Fang was unaware that his mother and daughter-in-law were currently at war. He sat in the middle of the courtyard, gazing at the sky.
"Phew..." he exhaled deeply, "It's finally over."
Although several days have passed, my grandfather's passing still lingers in my heart.
"What are you doing?" Just then, Qi Guan and his two children came in from outside, smiling as they asked.
"It's disheartening to see how unpredictable life is." Chu Fang walked into the room, moved a few stools, and handed some snacks to the two children.
"Hey, that's life." Qi Guan sat down. "There are bitter and spicy moments, sour and sweet ones. It's never all smooth sailing. If there were no hardships, you'd think you were living in paradise."
"Can't you comfort me?"
"No way!" Qi Guan patted his youngest daughter's head, his eyes full of affection. "You've surpassed ordinary people without any effort. You're rich and handsome, and your girlfriend is so beautiful. You still need me to comfort you? That's enough."
Although he knew his friend was telling the truth, Chu Fang still rolled his eyes.
The truth can hurt!
The two sat in the courtyard, drinking tea and chatting.
"Alright, I'm not talking to you anymore." Qi Guan looked at the sky and, seeing that it was getting late, decided to go home.
Chu Fang did not stop him. He took out two red envelopes from his pocket and put them into the hands of the two children. Seeing this, Qi Guan quickly stopped him and said, "I was not there when you got married. This is a belated gift and also a greeting gift to the two children."
"That won't do either." Qi Guan frowned slightly. He didn't touch the red envelope, but just glanced at it and saw that it was bulging, so he knew that the amount was quite large.
"Take it," Chu Fang stopped his friend. "If you don't take it, I'll take these two kids to buy high-end toys another day, the kind that cost millions each."
"..." Qi Guan was speechless for a moment, then said in silence, "You have money, so you get to decide."
The arrogance of the wealthy was fully embodied in Chu Fang.
Qi Guan had no choice but to accept it and left with the two children in his arms.
Chu Fang shook his head and smiled.
Qi Guan and his wife helped a lot with my grandfather's funeral; they should repay that favor.
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