Feng Mingshu sat on the stone bench, watching the ferry's movements.
Seeing the ferry dock and Xiao Lin pick up the person, Feng Mingshu immediately got up, straightened his clothes, and hurried over.
She didn't expect that before she even got close, Zhou Jinshan's mother spotted her, rushed up to her, grabbed her hand, and asked her where she felt unwell.
This meeting was something Feng Mingshu had never expected.
She was stunned for a moment, then tried her best to calm herself down, called out "Mother" and replied, "I'm fine, I just have a little morning sickness."
The old lady nodded knowingly: "You're still in your early stages, so it's normal to have some morning sickness. It will get better after three months."
"Are you my sister-in-law? You're so beautiful, even more beautiful than movie stars."
At this moment, Zhou Caifeng also arrived, her eyes shining as she looked her over, her bold gaze seeming familiar.
Feng Mingshu suddenly remembered that at last year's social gathering, Zhou Jinshan walked up to her and looked her up and down in the same way.
These two truly deserve to be called siblings.
"You silly girl, don't you have any sense? Why aren't you helping your sister-in-law with her bag?" Ai Guixiang slapped her daughter disdainfully.
"No need, the bag isn't heavy, I can carry it myself..."
Before Feng Mingshu could finish her polite refusal, Zhou Caifeng had already snatched her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and grinned, saying, "Sister-in-law, I came to the island this time to take care of you. Just tell me what you need, don't be shy."
Before Feng Mingshu could even be polite, her mother-in-law and sister-in-law were so enthusiastic that she was almost overwhelmed.
Xiao Lin drove over, loaded up his luggage and picked up his passengers, and arrived at the family compound in half an hour.
After unloading his luggage, Feng Mingshu asked Xiao Lin to return to the camp and escorted him to the gate.
Turning around, I found my mother-in-law and sister-in-law already walking around the vegetable garden.
Lush green chives, string beans climbing the trellis, chili peppers with white flowers, and tender baby bok choy.
The old lady looked around with her hands behind her back and commented, "This vegetable garden is not bad. Fourth son's wife, did the fourth son cultivate this garden?"
Feng Mingshu immediately replied, "Yes, Jinshan did most of the work." She added, "Mother, little sister, let's go back inside. You've come all this way and must be tired. Come in and lie down. The room is all ready."
The old lady waved her hand: "I can't lie down now. I've been traveling by car and boat all the way. If I don't move around, my body will rust."
As she spoke, the old lady picked up the hoe beside her and went into the vegetable garden to weed and loosen the soil, her movements skillful and efficient.
Feng Mingshu tried to persuade her several times, but to no avail. Even her sister-in-law rolled up her sleeves and went into the vegetable garden to pull weeds.
Helpless, she went inside, picked up the thermos, made two cups of malted milk powder, and carried them to the edge of the vegetable garden: "Mother, little sister, I won't stop you from working, but have something to drink first."
The old lady was indeed thirsty. Hearing this, she straightened up, turned around and saw her daughter-in-law carrying two enamel mugs. She nodded and said, "Okay, have some water first."
Zhou Caifeng was much faster than her mother. She darted to the edge of the vegetable garden first, thanked Feng Mingshu with a smile, took an enamel mug, took a sip, and exclaimed, "It's sweet and has a milky aroma. It's malted milk powder!"
The old lady was about to reach for the cup when she heard her daughter's words and immediately withdrew her hand: "I'm not thirsty, fourth daughter-in-law, you drink it yourself."
Feng Mingshu could easily tell that the old lady was distressed about the things.
She shoved the jar directly into the old lady's hands and said with a smile, "This morning before Jinshan went to work, he specifically told me to make a cup of malted milk powder for you when you come back. If you don't drink it, Jinshan will criticize me when he gets back."
Hearing this, the old lady's eyes and brows were full of smiles, but she also put on a stern face and said, "Fourth daughter-in-law, don't be afraid of him. If he dares to criticize you, tell your mother, and your mother will beat him for you."
Feng Mingshu quickly waved his hand, saying he dared not, and then asked the old lady to drink the malted milk powder while it was still hot.
The old lady then picked up the enamel mug and slowly drank it, smacking her lips from time to time, saying that it would be a waste for an old woman like her to drink such good stuff, and that she should give it to Feng Mingshu.
Feng Mingshu quickly waved his hand: "Mom, I just drank it. Besides, freshly made malted milk powder doesn't keep well for long, so you should drink it all."
"Mom, if you can't finish it, give it to me. I can drink it." Zhou Caifeng came over with a grin.
The old lady glared at her: "You've never had enough, go stand over there."
The old lady tilted her head back and drank the whole jug. Seeing that there was still some residue at the bottom of the cup, she went inside to get a thermos, poured the remaining liquid into the cup, and drank it down. Finally, she let out a satisfied burp.
Seeing that the old lady had finally left the vegetable garden, Feng Mingshu breathed a sigh of relief and pointed to the stairs, saying, "The bedroom is upstairs. I'll take you up to see if we need to add anything else."
Zhou Caifeng had long been curious about the upstairs area. Upon hearing Feng Mingshu's words, she immediately nodded and took a step to leave, but was grabbed by her mother.
"You went upstairs without washing your hands properly. Aren't you afraid of getting your brother and sister-in-law's things dirty?" the old lady scolded.
"I washed my hands..." Zhou Caifeng explained, but then she saw some dirt still under her fingernails and looked at her sister-in-law's fair and smooth hands, and her face flushed. "I'll go wash them again."
Feng Mingshu originally wanted to say that there was no need to wash anymore, but seeing that Zhou Caifeng had already run into the yard, she turned around, grabbed a bar of soap, and took it into the yard.
"Use this to wash."
The milky white soap, still fragrant, made Zhou Caifeng's eyes light up. She reached out to take it, but then noticed her mother walking over, so she quickly withdrew her hand: "Sister-in-law, you keep the soap, I'll just use regular soap."
Feng Mingshu shoved it directly into her hand: "There aren't so many rules here with your fourth brother. Whatever I use, you and Mother will use too. At most, when we run out of the good stuff, we'll use the cheaper stuff together."
The smooth soap felt so comfortable to touch. Zhou Caifeng smiled and thanked her sister-in-law. Then, she proudly said to her mother, "Mother, Fourth Sister-in-law is the best and most generous."
Feng Mingshu smiled and waved his hand: "It's your fourth brother who's generous, I'll listen to your fourth brother."
In the camp, Zhou Jinshan's nose itched several times, and the last time he couldn't help but sneeze.
"Commander, do you have a cold?"
Upon returning to the camp, Kobayashi immediately asked with concern.
"I don't have a cold," Zhou Jinshan waved his hand in denial, then asked, "Did you pick someone up at the dock?"
Xiao Lin quickly replied, "I received her. My sister-in-law went too. I drove them to the family compound. I originally wanted to stay and help, but my sister-in-law asked me to go back to the barracks to report to you, so I came back."
Zhou Jinshan was somewhat helpless, unsure whether to praise Xiao Lin for being honest and obedient or criticize him for not being clever enough.
In the end, he neither criticized nor praised Kobayashi, but simply sent him back to the guard unit.
When noon arrived, Zhou Jinshan immediately got on his bike and headed home.
Although neither his mother nor his wife were difficult people to get along with, it was the first time the two had met, so Zhou Jinshan couldn't help but worry.
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