Lin Jiajun had been holding Wang Keke:
"Keke, did you have fun at home? Do Grandpa and Grandma like you?"
Wang Hao was extremely nervous, terrified that Wang Keke might say something truthful.
Fortunately, she was immediately distracted by a toy Li Suhua was holding and ran over:
"Wow, what a cute doll! Grandma, is this for me?"
Li Suhua quickly handed it to her:
"Yes, of course it's for Keke.
"Did Keke miss Grandma? Grandma missed you so much.
"How about going to Grandma's house with Mommy in the future? It's really fun there, okay?"
Before Wang Keke could nod, Liu Chunlan, who had come out to fetch something, suddenly said:
"Keke, your surname is Wang. You are a member of the Wang family. You can't go anywhere else, only stay with our Wang family, understand?
"And what's so good about those out-of-town places? Are they as good for raising children as here?
"Wang Keke, remember that."
The previously happy Wang Keke immediately lowered her head and fell silent, clutching the doll tightly and leaning into Lin Wanyi's arms.
Li Suhua's heart ached terribly. She scooped Wang Keke into her arms:
"Mother-in-law, how can you talk like that?
"The child is so young, and I am her grandmother. Her mother grew up there, what's wrong with her going to visit?"
Just as Liu Chunlan was about to say more, Wang Hao quickly pushed her into the kitchen.
He then came back to explain to Li Suhua:
"Mom, please don't be angry. My mother just loves Keke too much and can't bear to part with her.
"After all, she's watched the child grow up since she was little. She's just afraid Keke will forget her."
How could Li Suhua believe that? Now she was even more convinced that Lin Wanyi was not living well.
That mother-in-law of hers was certainly no easy person.
But it was the Chinese New Year, and they had just arrived. She couldn't lose her temper yet. She had to hold back a bit, not make things difficult for her daughter.
Lin Wanyi had also been enduring it, enduring it all along. Her mother and brother had just arrived; let them rest first.
Liu Chunlan hadn't finished cooking yet, but Wang Jianguo woke up on his own.
He came out drowsily to get some water, only to see two strangers sitting in the living room.
Wang Hao quickly introduced:
"Dad, this is my mother-in-law and brother-in-law. They came specifically to see Wanyi and the child."
"Mother-in-law and brother-in-law?"
Wang Jianguo's foggy mind finally cleared up halfway. He hurried to the bathroom to wash his face and came back out.
He offered Lin Jiajun a cigarette, then went to the kitchen to hurry Liu Chunlan along:
"Why are you so slow with the cooking? Our in-laws have been waiting for ages.
"Can't you move faster? And what kind of dishes are these? Just greens and radishes, not a bit of meat in sight.
"It's the New Year, and you're treating guests like this? Where's the beef? The lamb? The chicken, duck, and fish?
"Liu Chunlan, you've lived for decades, and you still don't understand basic manners?"
Liu Chunlan, who was chopping vegetables, suddenly stopped:
"Hmph, what important figures are they? Expecting me to serve beef and lamb?
"Why should I give it to them? That would be a pure waste.
"Wang Jianguo, if you're so capable, you come and do it?"
Without another word, Wang Jianguo slapped Liu Chunlan across the face:
"Shut up. Just do as you're told, don't embarrass me with your nonsense.
"Remember this, old woman: you're not the one in charge of this house.
"In this house, what I say goes."
Liu Chunlan covered her face and dared not argue anymore.
Wang Jianguo had never been a decent man. When he was younger, he would beat Liu Chunlan black and blue every few days.
In recent years, as he'd gotten older, he had calmed down a bit.
Liu Chunlan thought she would never be beaten by her husband again in this lifetime, but she hadn't expected to be hit several times these past few days.
Thinking of this filled her with hatred, a deep hatred for Lin Wanyi.
Especially the things Wang Jianguo had said when drunk that morning made Liu Chunlan even angrier and intensified her hatred for Lin Wanyi.
A shameless woman, daring to seduce her husband. She wouldn't let Lin Wanyi off, absolutely not.
Dishes were brought to the table one by one.
In the end, Liu Chunlan had still chopped a lot of meat.
It wasn't out of a guilty conscience, but out of fear of Wang Jianguo.
Wang Jianguo warmly greeted Li Suhua and Lin Jiajun.
He took out a bottle of baijiu and asked Lin Jiajun:
"Brother-in-law, do you drink?"
Lin Jiajun didn't drink, he said honestly.
Wang Hao was also terrified, remembering the things Wang Jianguo had said when drunk that morning. He was scared.
He mustn't drink, absolutely mustn't drink again, otherwise he'd go crazy, and life would truly become unbearable.
He snatched the liquor bottle from Wang Jianguo's hand:
"Let's eat, Dad. Drink less. See, brother-in-law doesn't drink. It's no fun drinking alone, right?"
Wang Jianguo didn't insist. He just kept putting food in Li Suhua's bowl:
"Dear in-laws, you should have told us in advance about coming from so far away, so we could have prepared properly.
"Look at these dishes today, they're not presentable. But it's the New Year, hard to buy things, so please bear with us."
Li Suhua glanced at the dishes on the table. While not made with great care, they weren't bad either.
She said with a smile:
"It's alright. We also decided on the spur of the moment to come see Wanyi and Keke.
"Mainly Keke. She's this big and we haven't seen her yet. We missed her so much.
"I thought Wanyi would bring Keke back to her maternal home on the second day of the New Year, but she said she had something on and couldn't come back.
"So I thought, she's busy but I'm not, so I came.
"I hope we're not disturbing you."
"Not at all, not at all."
Wang Hao quickly said:
"Welcome, very welcome. Mom, this time stay as long as you like. Tomorrow I'll take you out to see the local sights and customs."
Li Suhua glanced toward the kitchen:
"Mother-in-law, come join us for the meal."
Liu Chunlan brought out the last dish, took off her apron, and sat at the table:
"Of course I'm eating. Why wouldn't I eat what I worked so hard to make?"
Wang Hao quietly tugged at her sleeve, then, with a beaming smile, raised his cup of tea to Li Suhua:
"Mom, you must be tired from the long journey. Let me use this dish as a toast, I raise my cup to you."
Before Li Suhua could lift her teacup, Liu Chunlan said sarcastically:
"What's so tiring about it? Coming by car, going by car, she didn't have to walk herself.
"It's just spending money. When it comes down to it, they're still spending your money, son. Don't you remember you just gave her five thousand a few days ago?"
Wang Hao hurriedly interrupted her: "Mom, you eat too, have some food."
Li Suhua understood Liu Chunlan's implication.
She didn't pick up her chopsticks, just glanced at Lin Wanyi.
Lin Wanyi spoke first:
"My mother traveled a thousand miles to see me. Even if it were ten thousand, not just five thousand, it would be justified.
"Is it too little? You only gave Keke ten yuan on New Year's Eve.
"How dare you say my mother is spending Wang Hao's money?"
"Ten yuan?"
Lin Jiajun thought he misheard:
"Sis, it's 2026. There are still people giving ten yuan as lucky money? Is the Wang family that poor?"
"Who's poor?"
Liu Chunlan slammed her chopsticks down:
"It's the New Year, who are you calling poor?"
