Chapter 31 The strangeness of Chen Qingqing’s parents-in-law.
Wang Shu, aware that his relationship with Shen Qingqing was strained this year, offered to return to Dalian for the Lunar New Year, much to Shen's surprise. In her mind, Wang Shu was a man of the highest order, always returning to his parents-in-law's home for the Lunar New Year and ritually slaughtering chickens, ducks, fish, and goats.
But she was too happy to return to Inner Mongolia. Wang Shu had already bought his family an apartment there, but his parents insisted on sleeping on a kang (a traditional Chinese bed). Even during Chinese New Year, the family would gather around it for meals, the air thick with dust from burning straw. Chicken and lamb were stewed in a large pot, and when it was time to eat, Shen Qingqing would first sit cross-legged on the kang, then squat halfway through, and finally stand on the floor.
Because the kang was so hot that it was impossible to stand, my father-in-law was the only one in the family who was as steady as a rock and sat there until the end.
On the night of the 29th day of the lunar year, she took Danni to the company to wait for Wang Shu, and drove back to Dalian overnight after work.
It happened that Jiang Yong was there too, and he said to Shen Qingqing in high spirits, "Happy New Year, sister-in-law." Shen Qingqing said that it was not New Year's Day, but tomorrow.
Jiang Yong said pitifully, "I will be spending the New Year alone this year. You all will be going back to your hometowns, and I won't be able to visit you right after the New Year."
Shen Qingqing asked, “Myself?”
"My parents are going to Sanya for the Lunar New Year this year. I plan to go to the hotel and buy a New Year's Eve dinner. We'll eat from 5pm to 5am and celebrate the New Year with delicious food."
Jiang Yong added, "The downside of not having a family is that no matter how much fun we have playing together, we still have to go back to our own homes during the Chinese New Year to spend time with our own parents."
Chen Qingqing uttered a "huh?" and suddenly leaned over to ask Jiang Yong, "Do you want to go back to Dalian with me and Wang Shu to celebrate the New Year?"
Jiang Yong turned his head to look at Wang Shu. "Are you not going back to Inner Mongolia this year?"
Wang Shu nodded and said, "You can come with us. We'll stay a few more days. Qingqing's house is big, so there's plenty of room for you."
Jiang Yong asked jokingly, "How big is it? 150 square meters? 200 square meters?"
"The new house is about 400 square meters, and I haven't been back yet." As Shen Qingqing spoke, she picked up an ornament from Wang Shu's office and looked at it. It looked like a miniature rock, turquoise in color.
Wang Shu snatched it away and said, "Shen, don't break it."
Jiang Yong opened his mouth in shock and said, "Go, can we eat seafood in Dalian?"
"Yes, my mother has bought them all." Shen Qingqing replied.
Chen Qingqing had seen so many news reports about kittens and puppies dying while being shipped that she announced a few days in advance that she would be driving back. When Jiang Yong left, both of them were secretly delighted. Wang Shu was happy to have someone to help drive, and Chen Qingqing was happy to have someone to lighten the mood in the car. So, the whole way there, neither of them complained.
There was a traffic jam on the highway, and the three of them didn't arrive in Dalian until the morning of the 30th. Chen Qingqing's new home was in Donggang, and it was her first time there. There was someone on duty at the security booth downstairs, who led them all the way to the apartment building.
Jiang Yong knew that he had seen the world, but he was still shocked by the atmosphere of Dalian's luxurious community. He even said that his sister-in-law was from a wealthy family.
Shen Qiwen opened the door for them, and Jiang Yong shouted, "Uncle, Happy New Year!" Shen Qiwen smiled and stepped aside to let everyone into the room. The living room had a full window. Outside was the sea. When Jiang Yong saw the full-view window, he immediately turned around and said to Shen Qingqing, "So you married down back then."
Wang Shu couldn't help but glance at him.
When Shen Qiwen heard this, he quickly said, "What do you mean by marrying down? We are lucky to have a son-in-law like Wang Shu."
Chen Qiwen was busy steaming scallops and grilling black abalone, while Jiang Yong watched with his chin in his hand. Chen Qiwen turned around and chatted with him while studying the oven.
"Auntie is going back to her hometown for the New Year. I've ordered New Year's Eve dinner from the hotel, and it will be delivered to your house tonight. I ordered all this seafood from the fishermen in advance. Uncle's cooking skills are not very good, so I can only steam these for you at noon."
Jiang Yong quickly said, "Uncle, seafood is best eaten steamed. I'm really sorry to bother you with my trip. We had to leave in a hurry. I just ordered some Australian skincare products online. They will arrive in a few days. You and Auntie should remember to check them then."
Shen Qiwen loves sweet-talking kids. He pulled a giant tub of Haagen-Dazs from the refrigerator and gave it to Jiang Yong. "Little Red Book says this is something you kids like. I went to Sam's Club a few days ago and bought some vanilla flavor. I'll make some Americano later so you can mix it in."
Jiang Yong smiled and took it. "Uncle is really fashionable. He also has Xiaohongshu. But I'm already in my thirties. How can I still be a child?"
Shen Qiwen handed over a spoon and a wine glass, "In my uncle's eyes! You are all children! I learned these specifically so that there is no generation gap between us."
"Are you still in love, Xiaoyong?" Shen Qiwen asked again.
"No, if you have someone suitable, you can introduce them to me," said Jiang Yong.
Shen Qiwen nonchalantly asked while turning off the oven, "Are there no good girls in the company?"
Jiang Yong hadn't expected that this was Mr. Wang's father-in-law scouting for the enemy. He shook his head and said, "Companies are all young now. I'm already in my thirties. I can't just go and talk to a recent graduate. There's a generation gap when we talk."
Shen Qiwen smiled. The oven started ringing. He turned his head to open it and said to himself meaningfully, "Only young girls."
Jiang Yong was digging the Haagen-Dazs from the barrel with a wine glass, and didn't hear the second half of Uncle Shen's sentence at all.
-
When the door rang again, it was Chen Hua who walked in. She was bent over, slippers on, wearing a bright red coat, and her whole face was radiant. Jiang Yong quickly stood up and greeted her with both hands. "Aunt Chen, long time no see!"
Chen Hua knew yesterday that Shen Qingqing was going to bring her family back, so she got up early and went for a beauty treatment. At this moment, she was radiant and gave Jiang Yong a gentle hug.
"Your mother really has the air of a foreigner." Shen Qingqing and Wang Shu turned their heads, and Wang Shu couldn't help but whispered after seeing the two people behaving like foreigners.
“Exquisite old lady.” Shen Qingqing said in a low voice.
"Don't let her hear you call her an old lady." Wang Shu said in a very low voice.
Chen Hua particularly liked Jiang Yong because Jiang Yong was very lively and could respond to any conversation. When he met her, he didn't call her auntie but auntie.
Jiang Yong asked, "What is your aunt doing?"
Chen Hua touched her face and said, "Didn't Qingqing tell me you were coming? I went to get a facial. It's Chinese New Year, I can't look so gloomy when meeting guests."
Jiang Yong pretended to be surprised and said, "Auntie, we are so familiar with each other, and you still treat me as a guest."
Chen Hua reached out and patted him, imitating his Zhejiang accent and saying, "You're making fun of your aunt."
The whole room was filled with joy because of Jiang Yong. Wang Shu came over and called out "Mom". Chen Hua took out a thick red envelope from her bag and said, "This is a New Year's red envelope from Mom. This is the first time my son-in-law has returned to Dalian for the New Year."
Wang Shu was about to refuse when Shen Qiwen called out, "You have to accept the red envelope your mother gave you."
Wang Shu accepted it and said thank you, Mom. Then he held the red envelope with his hands behind his back. Shen Qingqing quietly came up behind him, took the red envelope, took it aside, opened it, and found a wire transfer check for 50,000 yuan inside.
Chen Hua took out a thinner red envelope and handed it to Jiang Yong. It was about a few thousand yuan thick. He said to Jiang Yong, "You have some too. You can't come empty-handed."
After seeing the extravagance of his family, Jiang Yong knew that there was no point in refusing, so he immediately said, "Thank you, aunt. I came out in a hurry, and the gifts I bought for you are still on the way."
Shen Qiwen brought over a bowl of cherries and strawberries, sat down next to Wang Shu, and turned to look at him. "Xiao Shu, does the company need security or something? Let Dad go over and try."
Shen Qingqing thought her father was joking and said, "There's no independent building, so why do we need security? Can the front desk be okay, Dad?"
Jiang Yong, who was sitting next to him, also laughed. "How can my uncle go to work for us?"
Shen Qiwen also smiled. "I just wanted to do something for you two while I can still move."
Chen Hua said indifferently, "Why don't you just find a way to lead your own life? Why do you have to mess with the children?"
Wang Shu finally spoke. "Dad, if you want to go to the company, come sit in my office."
Chen Hua quickly waved his hands at Wang Shu, "Don't say that. Your dad will definitely go if you say that."
Jiang Yong continued, "Uncle, if you go to Beijing, you can stay at my place! My house is one-third the size of yours!"
Shen Qiwen smiled, patted Wang Shu's back, and said, "Now that you say that, Dad will be relieved."
Shen Qiwen asked again, "Didn't you tell Dad last time that you wanted to find a nanny? Dad thought about it, your cousin's eldest sister is looking for a job now, do you want to bring her back to Beijing?"
Shen Qingqing thought for a long time, and finally remembered this distant sister in her mind. "Eldest sister? Is she the one in her forties? Her name is Shen Xue. From Dandong?"
Shen Qiwen said, "Yes, their family is in Dandong. Last year, I created a family group. Your sister said she was unemployed and asked if we could find her a job. I thought if you needed a nanny, you could ask Shen Xue to go. When you were a child, I took you to Dandong to play, and you loved the steamed clam eggs she made."
Chen Hua said, "How could she remember something from when she was five? But if your relatives need you and you're not in a hurry, you could give it a try and help out. You can definitely help out. Your sister is very efficient at work and was always neat and tidy when she was little."
Shen Qingqing nudged Wang Shu with her elbow. “What do you think?”
Wang Shu's expression remained calm. "If you want it, just call it over. It doesn't matter who you pay."
Shen Qiwen added another fire to the stove. "She just gave birth to her third child a few years ago, and the family is also very tight on food. If you can help, please do so."
Shen Qingqing said "Oh" and said, "Let me think about it."
The three of them were exhausted from the journey, so they had a simple lunch and went to sleep. Fireworks were banned in Dalian this year, so there was no sound, and they slept until dark. When Shen Qingqing woke up, Wang Shu beside her was still asleep. She walked out of the room barefoot and saw Shen Qiwen serving dishes out of the lunch box one by one.
Chen Qingqing went over and picked up a piece of snow-soft bean paste and put it in her mouth. Chen Qiwen handed her a napkin and asked her, "Have you called your parents-in-law to wish them a happy new year?"
“I haven’t had any free time yet, let’s fight after we finish eating dumplings.” Shen Qingqing said as she licked the sugar that seeped down her fingers.
Shen Qiwen took out a tissue and began to wipe her hands. Shen Qingqing let her father wipe her hands like a little child.
"Then why not call now? In previous years, when you were celebrating the New Year in Inner Mongolia, Wang Shu would call me three times on the 30th. He would also tell us before every meal not to mess around and that as a couple, we should learn to empathize with each other. Why are you as selfish as your mother?" Shen Qiwen asked Shen Qingqing.
Shen Qingqing didn't say anything and ran to the sofa to lie down. Shen Qiwen chased her again and stuffed her with a pair of furry slippers and put them on her feet, not caring that the soles of the slippers stepped on the sofa. "It's okay if you don't wear socks, but you also don't wear slippers. Put them on quickly. Dad bought them for you at the mall."
Shen Qingqing said, "Dad, what's the point of calling and reminding them? I can't cook for them, so why not do something practical?"
As Shen Qingqing was talking, she placed an order for skincare products online, prepared to send them to them, and then showed Shen Qiwen the payment page.
Shen Qiwen said, "What you pray for is your heart, and when you send blessings, people will be happy. You can't be so annoying."
Shen Qingqing didn't say anything. Seeing a small stew pot on the coffee table, she reached out and opened the stew pot, and found that it contained apples, peaches, and cherries.
Her habit of not eating cold fruits was actually a habit she developed from her father. She picked up a small piece of peach with her hands and gave it to Danni at her feet. When she picked up the fork next to her and wanted to eat it herself, Shen Qiwen snatched the stewing pot away and said, "My dear, call your mother-in-law before eating."
Seeing that she couldn't hide, Shen Qingqing walked to the window, lay down on the recliner, looked at the night view of Donggang outside, and called her parents-in-law.
"Hey, Yanyan."
"Mom." Shen Qingqing called out. She felt it was very strange. In previous years, when she celebrated the New Year in Inner Mongolia, there would be crackling firecrackers when the meal started, and when answering the phone, she had to cover one ear to listen, otherwise she couldn't hear anything at all.
But now, why is it so quiet on the other side?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
