On the third day after returning to the capital, Meng Shaokang brought Meng Wenqing and Zhuang Lan to Shen's residence and asked them to apologize to Shen Heping and Xu Zhen.

At this time, Meng Wenqing and Zhuang Lan were really dumbfounded: they knew that Shen Heping had remarried Xu Zhen, the goddaughter of the Xu family, but they thought that she was just a goddaughter and insignificant, so they did not pay much attention to Xu Zhen, let alone deliberately get to know her. They never thought that the charming and beautiful woman they met in Meng Zhehan's house was Xu Zhen.

She is so young, with picturesque features and a graceful figure. Her every frown and smile attracts people's attention. She and Meng Zhehan are alone with each other in closed door. Let alone them, who wouldn't be suspicious when seeing her?

And that little brat turned out to be Shen Yu and Meng Tao’s son Xiao Yunhai. This... I can only say that I made a mistake.

It's too late to regret.

Seeing the two girls being forced to apologize, Xu Zhen smiled and waved her hands to indicate that it was okay and that it was not entirely the girls' fault. It was all because she couldn't speak that the misunderstanding occurred.

When Shen Heping learned that his wife was being bullied, he was furious. However, his wife kept winking at him to stop him from getting angry, so he had to endure it.

He said a few words to Meng Shaokang indifferently, implying that the past was in the past and would not be mentioned again, but he did not even look at the two girls and was filled with disgust.

Mr. Meng also made a special trip to apologize to Mr. and Mrs. Shen Heping for his granddaughter's rudeness, and also apologized to Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu.

The matter passed like this. Meng Shaokang was angry and tired of what Meng Wenqing and Zhuang Lan did. He told Zhuang Aiqin:

"From now on, I will no longer care about Wenqing's affairs. Unless it is a matter of life and death, don't come to me. Zhuang Lan, send him back to where you came from! I remember you mentioned that Zhuang Lan liked Zhehan, and I answered you very clearly at that time: Zhehan's marriage, first of all, depends on his wishes, and secondly, it must pass the old man's test. As parents, we can only give a reference opinion. Do you think that a girl like Zhuang Lan can pass the old man's eyes? Give up this idea as soon as possible!"

Zhuang Aiqin: “…”

She has so much trouble that she can't explain it clearly.

Meng Tao distributed the local specialties brought back from Linshui Village and the two hundred mugwort rice cakes stored in the space, and gave them to relatives and friends one by one.

We had some extra mugwort rice cakes left at home, and my stepmother and father-in-law loved them very much. My father-in-law is from Hai City, and there is a custom of eating green rice dumplings in spring.

The Xu family asked for fifty of them. Meng Tao thought it might be genetic. Everyone in the Xu family liked to eat sticky food. The wives and staff who came into the family were also influenced and assimilated.

When Meng Tao was sent to the Wei Mansion, Su Meiling happened to come with her child to play with Fu Yuting and her son. So she didn't have to go to the Fang Mansion again and could directly give the child to Su Meiling to take back herself.

Su Meiling opened the bag and saw the Qingtuan, her eyes lit up: "Taotao! You are really a timely rain. I was so greedy when I was pregnant with this child. My mother-in-law also got me a lot of delicious food, but I just want to eat the snacks from my mother's side, especially this kind of Qingtuan. I even called my mother yesterday and asked her if she could make it for me!"

Fu Yuting had never eaten Qingtuan before, and was a little hesitant when she saw the green ones: "Taotao, is this 'Remembering the Bitterness and Thinking of the Sweetness'?"

Meng Tao laughed angrily: "What do you mean by 'remembering the bitterness and thinking of the sweetness'? The fillings here are peanuts, sesame seeds, and sugar. It's very oily. If you don't like it, give it to Meiling."

Su Meiling had already taken one and peeled off the bamboo shell. She and her son were chewing on it. When she heard what they were saying, she hurriedly said, "Okay, if you don't want to eat it, give it to me. Give it all to me!"

Fu Yuting looked at the green dumpling she was biting, and sure enough, there was stuffing inside. Su Huaiyu was chewing it sweetly, and her son was drooling at the sight.

She put it away immediately: "Who said I don't eat it? Come here, son, mom will peel it for you!"

Meng Tao: “…” What you said is really embarrassing. It’s like peeling off the skin and pulling out the tendons.

Su Meiling urged: "You northerners are not used to eating this, your son won't like it, just give it to me, don't waste food!"

"Go away, you're wasting food!"

“Chuckle, chuckle…”

After chatting for a while, the three mothers agreed to bring their babies together on Sunday. Meng Tao had to go to her aunt Meng Lijun's house, so she said goodbye and left first.

Back in the car, Meng Tao looked at the bag of local specialties, and took out another cloth bag from the space, which contained some nutritional supplements and appetizers such as pickled lemons and cucumbers. Dou Qianqian was pregnant and felt nauseous and couldn't eat, so she missed the pickles she had eaten at Meng Tao's house. When Meng Lijun learned that Meng Tao was back, she immediately called to ask her if she had any more.

When they arrived at the Han family's house, Meng Lijun was already waiting at the door. She quickly took the things from Meng Tao's hands and scolded her, "Does it hurt to hold so many things? Why don't you bring Xiao Yunhai? I specially cooked a bowl of lean meat and egg custard, and he can eat it when he comes."

"Xiao Yunhai and his grandmother have returned to the Xu residence. Grandpa and grandma called early in the morning, and my dad took them over on his way to work."

"Really? I'm still looking forward to seeing him. I haven't seen him for a few days. I miss the little fat boy so much. I'll go over and hug him in a couple of days... What are these heavy things?"

"I brought some cured meat, cured sausage, cured duck, dried pecans, dried chestnuts, dried bamboo shoots, dried vegetables, black fungus, etc. from my hometown, and ten green rice dumplings. These health products were bought in Hong Kong. They should be good for supplementing nutrition for pregnant women. This is the pickled cucumber that Xixi wanted. She might also like some pickled lemons."

"Yes, she likes it very much! With so many good things, did you keep some at home? Don't give them all to your aunt's family. Even if your parents-in-law don't say anything, they may have some complaints in their hearts."

"We have them at home. The villagers gave us a lot of them. We even left three big bags in the capital of Province D for Brother Zhehan."

"That's good." Meng Lijun sighed happily: "Among all my nieces, you are the most like me in character. You are always sincere to your family."

Meng Tao smiled, not sure if it was similar or not, but reciprocity was the norm. Her aunt and uncle Han often sent large and small packages of gifts to the Shen residence.

Han Dongdong ran out of the house with disheveled hair and hugged Meng Tao: "Great! Sister Taotao is really here!"

Meng Tao: "...Are you going to take a nap?"

It seems to be around eleven o'clock in the morning now. It's a bit early to take a nap.

Meng Lijun sneered: "Why does she need to take a nap? She didn't even get up in the morning!"

"Ah, Dongdong, you're sleeping in? Today is not Sunday, why aren't you going to school?"

Han Dongdong buried his head in Meng Tao's shoulder and said nothing.

Meng Lijun bumped her with the cloth bag in her hand: "Taotao is holding something heavy. If you don't want to help, then don't get in the way. Get out of the way quickly. If you keep getting in the way, I'll beat you up!"

Han Dongdong took the cloth bag from Meng Tao, pushed her mother aside, and carried it into the house first.

Meng Lijun: "Look at what she looks like. She deserves to be punished!"

"What's wrong with Dongdong today? You seem to be in a bad mood?"

"Humph, of course she's in a bad mood. She did something wrong and got scolded. Let's talk about it inside."

Dou Qianqian came out, her hair was disheveled, her face was pale, and her eyelids were a little swollen. It seemed that the aunt and sister-in-law both slept in, but the situations were different. Han Dongdong was in a bad mood, and Dou Qianqian was suffering from morning sickness.

Meng Lijun was much gentler towards her daughter-in-law: "Hurry up and sit down, don't move, and drink some warm water."

Meng Tao greeted Dou Qianqian: "How are you?"

"Resistant rest. Your reaction seems quite serious. Have you asked the doctor what he said?"

"The doctor said it was because of my physical constitution. I had such a strong reaction to pregnancy. Others were not like me."

Meng Lijun took out a bottle of pickled cucumbers and a bottle of preserved lemons from the bag, unscrewed the lid and handed them to Dou Qianqian, saying with a smile: "Taotao brought these specially for you. Smell them and see if they are delicious. Which one do you want to eat?"

Dou Qianqian took a deep breath and swallowed hard, her eyes sparkling: "Mom! I'm suddenly so hungry, I want to eat both, and I want porridge with them!"

"Okay, okay! I'll serve it to you right away!"

Meng Lijun hurried to the kitchen, then turned around and asked Meng Tao: "Taotao, do you want some porridge? Oh, it's white flour porridge that my aunt made this morning. It's very soft."

Meng Tao shook her head: "No, I'm not hungry now."

Mainly because I don’t want to drink porridge, white rice porridge is ok.

"I'm hungry!" said Han Dongdong.

Meng Lijun rolled her eyes and ignored her.

Han Dongdong went to look through the bag: "Sister, is there anything we can eat right away?"

Meng Tao found some mugwort rice dumplings for her: "Qingtuan, the taste of spring, try it."

Han Dongdong peeled off the bamboo shell and took a bite, nodding repeatedly: "Hmm, delicious! It really is the taste of spring, I like it!"

Then he said to Dou Qianqian, "Sister-in-law, you should try it too. It has the aroma of green grass and is especially sweet."

Meng Tao: "It's filled with sesame and peanuts. If you find it greasy, you can just eat the outside without the filling."

Dou Qianqian's appetite was whetted by the aroma of pickled cucumbers and preserved lemons. Unable to resist Han Dongdong's temptation, she also picked up the qingtuan and tried to bite it. She chewed it slowly and felt no discomfort. She took a few more bites and smiled happily: "It's soft, sticky, sweet, delicious and not greasy. I like it!"

Meng Lijun came out with a bowl and was happy to hear it, "Even if you like it, you can't eat too much. Just try half of it and have some porridge. The doctor said that you can't eat too much in your condition. You should eat small meals frequently. This is Qingtuan, right? Things from the countryside are so fresh. If you like it, I'll keep it for you and put it in the refrigerator to eat slowly."

Then he pointed at Han Dongdong and said, "Just eat this, no more!"

Han Dongdong remained silent with a wooden face, and secretly hid two while Meng Lijun wasn't paying attention.

Meng Tao and Dou Qianqian couldn't help laughing when they saw it.

In fact, Dou Qianqian just likes to enjoy her mother-in-law's "partiality". She will share any good things with her family members, especially her sister-in-law. They had a very good relationship before marriage, and they became even closer after becoming sisters-in-law.

Dou Qianqian finished eating a green dumpling and drank half a bowl of porridge with pickles and lemons. She then leaned back on the sofa and dared not move. She did not feel nauseous at all, but she burped comfortably. There was some food in her stomach, and her face seemed to have become a lot rosier.

Han Dongdong touched her belly and said, "My nephew, you finally got some nutrition, right?"

Meng Lijun slapped her daughter away and helped her daughter-in-law up: "Go back to your room and rest. We are also preparing to have lunch. The smell of oil smoke will dissipate soon. Don't let it get you sick again."

"Mom, I think it should be fine. I'll just sit here and talk to you. I'm not sleepy now."

"No, no, I haven't eaten in a few days. Today is a rare opportunity. We don't want to take any risks."

Dou Qianqian thought about it and agreed, so she said goodbye to Meng Tao and went back to her room.

Uncle Han didn't come back at noon. Han Chaoyang usually went home once a month. Meng Tao had lunch with Meng Lijun and her daughter at Han's house, and listened to Meng Lijun talking about Han Dongdong.

Han Dongdong started dating a senior boy in college without telling her family.

Meng Tao thought it was no big deal: "Dongdong is 20 years old now, it's time for him to have a partner."

Han Dongdong immediately perked up and said to her mother, "Look, my sister agrees!"

Meng Lijun glared back at her and said to Meng Tao, "The key is that the man is not good. You have never seen him. He has a pointed chin, monkey cheeks, and skinny bones. He is very ugly!"

Meng Tao: "No way, Dongdong, your vision is so bad?"

Han Dongdong wanted to cry but had no tears: "My mother is just making up a false accusation! Feng Liang is a very good person and very talented, but he is too focused on his studies and always misses meals. He is thin because of hunger, so at first glance he looks a little weak. In fact, his facial features are very delicate."

"Man is made of iron and rice is made of steel. If a person can't even eat and doesn't care about starving himself to death, how can he be responsible to others? Can he take good care of his family? I tell you, Han Dongdong, no matter how far you are with him, stop it immediately! I've asked for a week's leave for you. If you can't stop, then I'll ask for another semester. Even if you can't go to school, you can never see that person again!"

Han Dongdong looked at Meng Tao pleadingly: "Sister..."

Meng Tao said she was helpless: "I think my aunt is right. A man who can't even take care of his own food and drink may not be able to take care of his family in the future. You are just impressed by his talent now, and you don't know much about him. You can go to his residence, meet his classmates, teachers, acquaintances, talk to him, and see what he is like in the eyes of others."

"No need," Meng Lijun said firmly, "I've eaten more rice than you have eaten salt. I can see clearly at one glance that he is not your beloved!"

“…”

As they were talking, they heard someone knocking on the door. Han Dongdong went out to open the door, and soon two girls came in. When Meng Lijun saw them, her face became even colder.

After hearing Han Dongdong's introduction, Meng Tao realized that the two people were Meng Wenqing and Zhuang Lan.

Meng Wenqing and Zhuang Lan were both stunned when they saw Meng Tao here. Meng Wenqing sneered: "You said you didn't want to return to your ancestral home, but you came here to recognize your aunt. What do you mean?"

Meng Tao: "No comment."

"You are clearly..."

Meng Lijun: "Shut up! Meng Wenqing, you are not welcome here, get out now!"

"Aunt!" Meng Wenqing burst into tears: "Are you doing this to me too? You said I offended her, Grandpa no longer looks at me, Dad scolds me, Mom drives me away, and now you can't tolerate me either... Should I die to apologize and give my life to Meng Tao, then you will be satisfied?"

"Your life is worthless. Give it to anyone who wants it. But don't come to me. I don't want it." Meng Tao said.

(End of this chapter)