"Your grandfather was telling the absolute truth."
Grandma Chen laughed and said, "When your dad called to say he was about to board the train, he was so happy he couldn't stop smiling."
"Don't talk about me like that, you're the same."
Grandpa Chen smiled as he watched Grandma Chen shake her head, a hint of helplessness clearly visible in his eyes.
"If my dad knew how much you grandparents were looking forward to him and my mom coming to Beijing, he would probably be just as happy."
Song Lan's bright eyes curved like a crescent moon, and she said with a gentle smile, "I ran into my aunt when I entered the courtyard. Was she going out on business?"
Upon hearing this, both Mr. and Mrs. Chen's expressions changed slightly. After a moment of silence, Mrs. Chen said, "About fifteen minutes ago, Dongze called the house, and it was your aunt who answered the phone."
From their conversation, it seems Dongze was concerned about his wife's pregnancy and the hassle of the train journey, so he said he wouldn't be returning to Beijing for the New Year. Your aunt wasn't happy about this and left the house after hanging up the phone.
"You really need to be extra careful during the early and late stages of pregnancy, otherwise, accidents can easily happen."
Song Lan spoke softly. Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Chen nodded in agreement. Then, she sighed and said, "Your aunt has been dissatisfied with Dongze's wife from the very beginning. With her personality, I reckon there will be no shortage of conflicts between the two of them living together."
"Dongze's wife is a good person."
Old Master Chen suddenly said something.
“I didn’t say the child was bad.”
Staring at Old Master Chen, Old Madam Chen turned her gaze back to Song Lan: "Your grandfather and I lived in the village for a while before. Dongze's wife is good in every way, except that she is a bit too soft-hearted."
In the future, she'll probably only be able to suffer in front of your aunt.
"With you and Grandpa here, Auntie shouldn't make things difficult for her daughter-in-law. Besides, there's also Uncle San and Chen Dongze; they won't let Auntie make things difficult for Zheng Zhiqing."
Song Lan neither liked nor disliked Zhang Hua, her aunt. After all, they didn't live under the same roof, and frankly, her aunt's attitude towards her didn't have any emotional impact on her.
Moreover, Zhang Hua was just an outsider to Song Lan, so there was no need for her to put any effort into him.
Time flew by, and lunchtime was just around the corner, but Zhang Hua was still nowhere to be seen. While Grandpa Chen and Grandma Chen appeared outwardly indifferent, they were inwardly displeased.
"Grandma, do we have any ingredients in the kitchen?"
Song Lan glanced at the wall clock in the living room and couldn't help but get up to ask Old Mrs. Chen.
"Yes, yes, but you can just sit here. Your aunt has been gone for a while, but she should be back soon. She will make lunch then."
Knowing that her husband's niece had come to their house, she still hadn't returned. Did she have a problem with the old couple?
The more Mrs. Chen thought about it, the more dissatisfied she became with her daughter-in-law, Zhang Hua, and the more frustrated she felt.
"I'll do it, so that Grandpa and Grandma can taste my cooking."
Song Lanming's eyes were full of smiles as she spoke and prepared to walk towards the kitchen.
"Grandma is with you."
Grandma Chen was about to get up when Song Lan stopped her, saying, "I can manage on my own. Grandma, you and Grandpa can just sit in the living room and chat."
"Since Lanlan has already said so, you'd better sit down and not cause any more trouble."
Upon hearing what Grandpa Chen said, Grandma Chen glared at him and said, "What do you mean, 'Don't go and cause trouble'?"
Are you sure you can cook?
What others might not know, Old Master Chen knew perfectly well that when his wife entered the kitchen, it was as if she were fighting on the front lines.
That scene... was simply unbearable to look at!
Mrs. Chen was embarrassed, but she endured the awkwardness caused by her husband's stern words and said casually, "I can help my granddaughter."
"Need not."
Song Lan said, "I cook very quickly."
Before Mrs. Chen could speak, Mr. Chen called his servant to the kitchen to help Song Lan.
During the years that Mr. and Mrs. Chen lived in the courtyard house to recuperate, all of their meals were prepared by the servants. Even after they moved back to the compound, whenever their daughter-in-law Zhang Hua was not at home, Mr. Chen's servants would still cook to solve the problem of Mr. and Mrs. Chen's meals.
Zhang Hua didn't step into the house until Song Lan and Grandpa Chen had finished lunch and were heading to the train station.
"Don't you know Lanlan is at home, or do you have a problem with me and the old man?"
The sudden sound reached Zhang Hua's ears, causing him to pause as he walked into the living room.
"Mom, you said that to me as soon as I walked in the door. What did that mean?"
Grandma Chen sat on the sofa, her face cold and stern, staring straight at Zhang Hua. When their eyes met, Zhang Hua's gaze flickered almost imperceptibly, showing no sign of guilt or feigned ignorance.
"I think you're just pretending to be ignorant when you know the truth!"
Old Mrs. Chen said sternly, "The day Lanlan first came to Beijing, she was wronged because of you and Xiaoshu as soon as she arrived home. Today, when she came over, you embarrassed the child again. Is this something an aunt should do?"
"Mom, you're taking your anger out on me, so I want to ask you, what did I do that I shouldn't have done?"
Zhang Hua didn't dare to show any displeasure to Old Mrs. Chen, but the innocence in her expression only made Old Mrs. Chen angrier.
"You're my aunt. When Lanlan comes to our house, even if you're busy outside, shouldn't you come back to cook dinner?"
She's petty and narrow-minded, and always likes to fawn over the powerful and belittle the weak. No wonder she raised Xiao Shu to be such an unpleasant person, ruining her precious granddaughter.
As her thoughts drifted to this point, Old Mrs. Chen's gaze towards Zhang Hua clearly revealed her displeasure. She said, "Lanlan is the third son's own niece. If the third son finds out what you did today, what do you think he will think of you?"
"What can he think of me? I just had some business to attend to and couldn't come back in time. It's not like the house is empty without someone to cook. Mom, why are you so angry with me?!"
Zhang Hua tried her best to control her temper and said, "Besides, as you said, that child is Changqing's niece. In my eyes, she is family. In addition, she is a junior. What reason do I, as her aunt, have to serve her food and drink?"
"What are you saying?!"
Old Mrs. Chen's expression grew increasingly grim: "If Lanlan had grown up in this house, or if she often came to visit, do you think I would have said those words to you before?"
"..."
Zhang Hua's lips twitched, but he couldn't think of a rebuttal.
“I know you’re upset because of Dongze’s phone call, but even if you’re upset, you should know your limits. Besides, is it the child’s fault that Dongze can’t come back for the New Year?”
You, as a mother, don't know how to care for or understand others, yet you're angry that your own child can't come back to spend the New Year with you. This is simply unreasonable!
Old Mrs. Chen spoke sternly. She really wanted to crack open Zhang Hua's skull to see what was inside. How could she not care or give her any advice after learning that her daughter-in-law was pregnant? Instead, she was criticizing her son and daughter-in-law into the microphone. How could such a person be worthy of being a mother?
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