Shu Qingqing glanced at Old Madam Du, who was walking further and further away.
The little girl from her family was indeed adorable.
Then she looked at the two males in her own family.
Well, they were handsome, but no matter how handsome they were, they couldn't compare to a sweet, soft little girl when it came to being lovable.
So, was the old madam triggered by this?
No wonder she kept feeling like someone was talking bad about her earlier; it was probably these two old madams.
She also liked girls, but giving birth was out of the question. She would never give birth in this lifetime.
Her belly could get fat from eating too much, but it must never get fat from pregnancy.
Shu Qingqing smiled, her eyes narrowing into crescents. "Mother-in-law, you really like Aunty Du's little girl, huh."
Old Madam Lu nodded. "I do. Such a well-behaved little girl, who wouldn't like her?"
"That's nice." Shu Qingqing nodded. She looked at Lu Yu and then at Lu Xun, saying, "Then why don't we arrange a childhood marriage for Yuanyuan and Lu Xun? Lu Yu is definitely out of the question; he's way too old for Yuanyuan. Even the readers of Tomato Novels might not be able to accept such an age gap."
Lu Yu's mouth twitched upon hearing this.
Lu Xun, however, looked completely bewildered. "Mom, what's a childhood marriage?"
"A childhood marriage is..."
Before Shu Qingqing could finish, Old Madam Lu angrily swatted her. "Don't teach the child nonsense."
When Lu Bochuan came over, he happened to see this scene.
Shu Qingqing was originally going to retort, but catching sight of Lu Bochuan from the corner of her eye, she suddenly changed her mind. She silently lowered her eyes and stopped talking.
"Mom." Lu Bochuan greeted her first before asking, "What's wrong?"
Shu Qingqing sniffled. "It's nothing. It's just me, this disappointing daughter-in-law, making my mother-in-law angry."
Lu Bochuan asked, "Hmm? Disappointing how?"
Shu Qingqing fake-cried. "Bochuan, the biggest regret of my life is that I couldn't bear you a son or half a daughter..."
The three Lu family men looked shocked.
Shu Qingqing immediately corrected herself, "Boohoo, the biggest regret of my life is that I couldn't bear you half a daughter!"
Lu Bochuan: ...
Now he understood. The old madam was pressuring them to have another child.
Lu Bochuan felt his wrist being lightly pinched. He looked down and met Shu Qingqing's gaze.
The young woman's eyes were slightly narrowed, her lips pressed tightly together. The message in her eyes was obvious: Deal with your own mother!
Lu Bochuan really hadn't thought about having another child, but he didn't expect Shu Qingqing to feel the same... After all, in the past, she had hinted multiple times that she wanted another baby.
Perhaps that was only the thought of the old Shu Qingqing. The current Shu Qingqing...
Lu Bochuan chuckled softly and raised his hand to pat her shoulder.
Lu Bochuan said, "Mom, I'm the one who doesn't want kids. I never planned on having another one from the start."
Old Madam Lu tried to persuade him earnestly, "Bochuan, you don't understand. Girls are wonderful. A daughter is a father's sweet little comfort. When you get old, a daughter can serve you tea, pour your water, fetch your clothes, feed you, and push you around for walks."
Shu Qingqing chimed in, "Mother-in-law, does that mean when Lu Yu and Lu Xun grow up, they won't care about their dad? They won't serve him tea, pour his water, fetch his clothes, and feed him?"
"No, no, no, Grandma doesn't mean that at all. You two are both Grandma's good grandsons." Old Madam Lu hurriedly waved her hands at her two grandsons, then angrily scolded Lu Bochuan, "Look at your wife! Sowing discord!"
Shu Qingqing blinked innocently. "I didn't do anything. I'm just telling the honest truth. What do you think?"
Lu Bochuan nodded in agreement. "Yes, it is indeed the truth."
Old Madam Lu didn't want to pay attention to these two anymore and turned to look at her two grandsons.
"Lu Xun, do you like Yuanyuan? Do you want a little sister as cute as Yuanyuan?"
Before Lu Xun could speak, Shu Qingqing bent down and said to him, "Lu Xun, you have to think this through carefully. If you want a little sister, and later she doesn't like eating her vegetables, then as her big brother, you'll have to help her eat all those vegetables."
Lu Xun remembered the terror of being dominated by vegetables today.
If it weren't for his brother, he would have had to eat all those vegetables by himself. It seemed that being an older brother was not easy.
He decisively shook his head. "Grandma, I don't want a little sister."
Old Madam Lu: ...
Old Madam Lu then looked at Lu Yu.
Who knew Shu Qingqing would beat her to it again, saying to Lu Yu, "Vegetables. Two portions."
Lu Yu replied, "...Grandma, I don't want one either."
Old Madam Lu was absolutely furious.
It was bad enough that her son didn't take her side, but her grandsons wouldn't cooperate with her either!
She wanted to hurl a few harsh curses at Shu Qingqing, but she didn't know how to say those dirty words.
In the end, she could only kick this family of four out, not even letting them stay for dinner!
The family of four had no choice but to drive away.
Today, Lu Bochuan drove the car himself. Lu Yu sat in the passenger seat, while Shu Qingqing sat in the back with Lu Xun.
Just as the car drove off, Shu Qingqing planted a big kiss on Lu Xun's little cheek. "Good son, thank you for supporting Mom!"
Lu Xun was instantly delighted. "Mom, this cheek wants a kiss too."
After kissing Lu Xun, Shu Qingqing formally thanked Lu Yu as well.
Her voice expressing gratitude was crisp and soft, like a warm current flowing across his heart. Lu Yu uncomfortably gripped his seatbelt. "Um... you're welcome."
Upbeat music played in the car, and they drove smoothly along the way. Lu Bochuan waited for a long time, but he never heard Shu Qingqing call his name.
At the intersection, the red light came on.
Lu Bochuan stepped on the brakes, stopping half a meter away from the crosswalk.
In the rearview mirror, the woman's bright and beautiful face was reflected. A gentle breeze blew in through the car window, fluttering the loose strands of hair by her ear and obscuring her red lips.
The woman casually brushed the loose hair behind her ear. Her lowered eyelashes were very long, trembling slightly.
A sudden, urgent honk came from a nearby car. The woman abruptly raised her eyes, her brow furrowing in response.
The next second, those starry eyes met the gaze that had been lingering in the rearview mirror for quite some time.
Lu Bochuan paused, but he didn't look away.
His heart, however, skipped a beat for some unknown reason.
Shu Qingqing blinked, then casually looked away to the side.
Lu Bochuan's hands on the steering wheel gradually tightened.
Given Lu Xun's good behavior today, Shu Qingqing agreed to his request to eat out. Thus, the family of four arrived at the KFC that Lu Xun had been dreaming about for a long time.
The fast-food restaurant was packed on the weekend. Shu Qingqing took one look and saw that there wasn't even a place to sit. Just as she was worrying about it, a family nearby gathered their bags and stood up. Shu Qingqing hurriedly went over and took their seats.
Shu Qingqing said, "Lu Yu, I'll save our seats. You take Lu Xun to order the food."
Without a word, Lu Yu took Lu Xun's hand and walked into the crowded line.
Lu Bochuan followed and sat down across from her.
While playing on her phone, Shu Qingqing occasionally observed the situation in the ordering area.
Lu Xun was impatient. Even though it would be a while before it was his turn, he couldn't help but want to see what delicious food was available.
So he raised his chubby little hand, tugged at the hem of Lu Yu's shirt, pulled him down to bend over, and leaned into his ear to say something unknown.
Then, instead of straightening up, Lu Yu grabbed Lu Xun under the armpits and picked him up.
A look of gratification crossed Shu Qingqing's face.
Brotherly love and harmony—that was her favorite thing to see.
Having someone to help take care of the kids was truly a beautiful thing.
Shu Qingqing withdrew her gaze, only to find that Lu Bochuan was staring at her.
"What is it?" she asked.
Lu Bochuan gently rubbed the disposable paper cup in his hands. "I am sorry, I didn't handle things properly."
Shu Qingqing was confused. "Hmm?"
Lu Bochuan said, "I promise you, I definitely won't let the old madam bring this matter up with you ever again." She had kissed Lu Xun today, and even thanked Lu Yu.
Yet she hadn't mentioned his name.
He figured it was because he hadn't done a good enough job.
Oh, she understood now.
Shu Qingqing narrowed her eyes slightly. He had better keep his word.
Otherwise, the next time she was pressured to have a baby, she couldn't guarantee she would be as good-tempered as she was this time.
"Alright then, I believe you."
