*Ding-dong, ding-dong.*
As the doorbell rang, Chen Xiaoyan hurriedly stopped Deng Xiaoxiao from speaking, pressing her hand down.
“Mom, Mom, let’s not talk about anything else. Eating is more important. You must be hungry after coming all the way from our hometown to Qingzhou.”
“Now that my girl mentions it, I am a bit hungry.”
“Then wait a moment, I’ll go open the door.”
“Alright, alright.”
Deng Xiaoxiao nodded with a smile spread across her face.
Chen Xiaoyan quickly stood up, unlocked the door, and pulled it open.
“Sister Xiaoyan, why did you lock the door?” Qian Renxue asked. She was carrying a lunch box, her expression one of confusion.
“Yaoyao, I have something to tell you.” Chen Xiaoyan stepped out, turning to pull the door mostly shut behind her before turning back to the girl. “Didn’t the original landlady on the first floor move out? Go and clean the place up.”
“Okay, the food…” Qian Renxue handed the lunch box to her and turned to head downstairs without asking who Deng Xiaoxiao was.
Qian Renxue was no fool; she could naturally see that there was a connection between the two.
‘Should I report this to Mu Qingxue?’ she wondered.
Chen Xiaoyan watched Qian Renxue’s departing figure and let out a helpless sigh.
A mother was not someone whose identity could be forgotten just because her own had changed.
When she first realized Deng Xiaoxiao had come looking for her, there was a fleeting moment when Chen Xiaoyan didn’t want to acknowledge her. If her mother couldn’t find anyone, she would naturally return to their hometown.
However, if she couldn’t find her, and her son remained missing without a trace, any normal person would call the police. That would undoubtedly lead to a great deal of trouble.
Furthermore, could she really abandon the mother who had raised her just for her current selfish interests? To watch her mother wander aimlessly in a strange city, searching for her and worrying about her?
‘Sorry, I, Chen Xiaoyan, am not such a beast.’
She also knew that doing this risked exposing her true identity to everyone. But there was no way around it; this was a hurdle she had to clear. Even if the result forced her back to the way she was before — alone — she would not regret it.
Chen Xiaoyan carried the lunch box back into the living room. With a smile on her face, it was as if all the worries from a moment ago had never existed.
“Mom, come and eat.”
“Okay.”
Deng Xiaoxiao sat at the dining table, quietly watching Chen Xiaoyan set out the dishes. Her eyes were full of smiles, and she became more satisfied by the second.
‘She is not only beautiful but also virtuous. Such a daughter-in-law is hard to find.’
“Mom, why do you keep staring at me?”
Chen Xiaoyan placed a bowl of rice in front of Deng Xiaoxiao, noticing the woman’s constant gaze.
“My girl, I’ve noticed that that boy looks a bit like you. What kind of fate is this between you two?”
“Maybe I am your son,” Chen Xiaoyan teased.
Deng Xiaoxiao froze for a moment before laughing loudly. “Haha! A daughter-in-law is also a child. It’s basically the same.”
Chen Xiaoyan said nothing. ‘Haste makes waste; I have to take this slow.’
She picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks, placed it in Deng Xiaoxiao’s bowl, and smiled. “Mom, eat more. I had Yaoyao prepare a room for you on the first floor. You can stay here with peace of mind for the next few days and enjoy yourself in Qingzhou.”
“No, my girl. There’s a pile of farm work waiting for me back home. Once that brat returns, help me teach him a lesson. He’s gone too far! He actually blacklisted the house on his phone. Is that any way to behave?”
Chen Xiaoyan smiled awkwardly. “Then why did he blacklist you?”
Deng Xiaoxiao didn’t answer immediately. After a while, she slowly spoke. “I suppose it’s because I was pressuring him too much to return home. I’m doing it for his own good. How can it be easy to make a name for oneself in a big city like Qingzhou? Don’t you agree?”
Chen Xiaoyan smiled thinly, using her chopsticks to move the rice in her bowl. “Mom, how come I heard it’s because you were forcing him into blind dates?”
Now it was Deng Xiaoxiao’s turn to be embarrassed. She felt even more dissatisfied with the other Chen Xiaoyan.
‘That brat! Why does he tell her everything? Isn’t he trying to ruin the relationship between a mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law?’
“My girl, I didn’t know about you before. If I had known that boy had you, I wouldn’t have bothered looking for any blind date candidates.”
“Is that so? Then don’t go looking for them anymore, Mom. Your son is actually quite impressive.”
‘Impressive?’
Deng Xiaoxiao was utterly confused, not quite understanding what Chen Xiaoyan meant.
“He will definitely give you a surprise in the future.”
Deng Xiaoxiao was even more bewildered. ‘What on earth is this girl talking about? I don’t understand a single word.’
“Your mother isn’t stupid. I definitely won’t look for them anymore. Having you is enough. Come, girl, eat some meat. Look at your small frame — it’s like a gust of wind could knock you over. Later, I’ll go buy an old hen to make some soup for you so you can properly nourish yourself.”
Looking at the braised pork Deng Xiaoxiao had served her, Chen Xiaoyan ate happily. The plate of braised pork vanished in an instant, cleared away by the two of them until only a bit of sauce remained.
Deng Xiaoxiao glanced at the empty plate and nodded. ‘This girl seems to like braised pork just as much as my son does.’
After finishing the meal, Chen Xiaoyan gathered the dishes to wash them. Deng Xiaoxiao originally wanted to do it herself, but Chen Xiaoyan refused no matter what. After washing the dishes, Chen Xiaoyan wiped the table and mopped the floor.
Deng Xiaoxiao sat on the sofa, holding a cup of plain water. As she watched the busy figure in the living room, a genuine smile spread across her face.
Once she was finished, Chen Xiaoyan checked the time. It was already nearly 3:00 PM. She wondered if Yaoyao had finished cleaning the first floor.
“Mom, let’s go see if the first floor is ready.”
“Oh, my girl, don’t go to so much trouble. I only came to Qingzhou for that brat. Since he’s fine, I’ll be leaving tonight.”
Chen Xiaoyan was stunned. “So soon?”
“I’m really not used to all these skyscrapers along the way. The green mountains and clear waters of our hometown are much better.”
Chen Xiaoyan burst out laughing. “Mom, since when did you start using such fancy words? I recall you never even attended elementary school.”
“That’s just nonsense your father said. I…” Deng Xiaoxiao spoke subconsciously before suddenly snapping back to reality. She looked at Chen Xiaoyan in surprise and couldn’t help but give a bitter smile. “That brat really did tell you everything.”
Chen Xiaoyan simply smiled and didn’t offer much of an explanation.
“Mom, are you really not staying to play for a while?”
“No, no. There’s too much to do back home. Your father is usually lazy; he can’t even be bothered to graze the old ox. If I don’t get back soon, they’ll probably be holding a funeral feast for it.”
“Banning alcohol solves all problems.”
Deng Xiaoxiao was dazed once again, but this time she reacted instantly. She laughed and said, “That boy told you that too, didn’t he?”
Chen Xiaoyan curled her lip. “I knew it all along.”
Deng Xiaoxiao didn’t pay much attention to the remark. She slapped her thigh and stood up. “Girl, enough talk. I’m going to buy some groceries. I’ll personally cook a meal for you tonight. By the way, girl, where is the market?”
“It’s a bit far. There’s one near the supermarket, though.”
Deng Xiaoxiao shook her head. “No, the ones at the supermarket aren’t fresh. I want a live one; that’s the only way it’ll be nutritious.”
Chen Xiaoyan felt helpless. “It’s actually all the same, Mom.”
“Silly girl, how could it be the same? A dead chicken doesn’t make soup that’s nearly as fresh.”
“Fine. Then I’ll take you to the market.”
She had no choice. It looked like she would have to ask for leave from Mu Qingxue again. At this time, she should be in the Game. Chen Xiaoyan decided to ask Yaoyao to log in and let her know, since it wasn’t convenient for her to enter the Game herself right now.
She took out her phone, opened Penguin, and sent a message to Qian Renxue. An instant reply came back.
[Qian Renxue: Received.]