"Mom! What are you doing here?" Seeing her mother, Zou Xiaomei instinctively shrank behind Liu Fang as if facing an enemy.
"How did I get here? I was just out buying groceries and happened to see you! Little Liu works so hard to earn money, and you, on the other hand, are spending it like water! Is this how you live?" Zou's mother was furious, glaring at Zou Xiaomei.
"Don't hide behind Little Liu. You're getting worse and worse. You're just bullying Little Liu because he's honest!" Zou's mother said angrily.
Fu Wenwen and Liu Fang quickly tried to placate Zou's mother when they saw her anger.
"Auntie Zou, Xiaomei is pregnant! Please calm down," Fu Wenwen advised.
"I was pregnant too back then, and I wasn't this wasteful! If you don't care about money, that's one thing, but these things, you take one bite and then you're done. Isn't this just a waste!" Zou's mother's anger subsided slightly when she saw Fu Wenwen, but it flared up again when she saw the bag in Liu Fang's hand.
"Look at her. Are all these things necessary? They're not. If she just bought one or two things to eat, that would be enough. But she wants this and that, and she's still not satisfied."
"Mom, Xiaomei is having a hard time being pregnant. Besides, before she was pregnant, she used to help me after work. Please don't be angry," Liu Fang whispered, trying to soothe her.
Hearing Liu Fang's words, Zou's mother glared at Zou Xiaomei. "I'll give your son-in-law some face out here today, but I'll settle with you when we get home!"
Zou's mother snorted coldly, then smiled at Fu Wenwen. "Wenwen, I heard you got into university. Are you back for a visit?"
"Yes, I'll be leaving tomorrow," Fu Wenwen replied with a smile.
"That's wonderful. Have you heard where Lao Zheng and the others went?" Zou's mother asked curiously.
It was Wang Guihua who had mentioned Fu Wenwen getting into university. But a few days later, Wang Guihua said they were leaving, and no one knew where they were going.
Fu Wenwen knew that Zheng's father and the others were usually low-key and didn't like to show off. However, seeing that there seemed to be some misunderstanding, Fu Wenwen decided to speak up for them.
"Zheng's father has been exonerated and his former teaching position has been reinstated. He's been invited back to teach students at the Agricultural University." Fu Wenwen's words made Zou's mother pause.
"Oh my! Isn't this wonderful news? Why didn't Old Zheng even say a word!"
Zou's mother felt it was a pity. A teacher was a very respected profession, and they had never known.
"Dad probably hadn't finalized it yet! Now that it's confirmed, he's already there," Fu Wenwen said with a smile.
"That's truly wonderful," Zou's mother said, genuinely happy for them.
"If you have time later, come by the house. I still need to buy groceries, or I won't have anything to cook later!" Zou's mother said to Fu Wenwen, who politely declined.
" I'll definitely come visit when I have time next."
"You! You must come home tonight! Little Liu, come home for dinner tonight and make sure you bring her back!" Before leaving, Zou's mother specifically instructed Liu Fang to bring Zou Xiaomei home that evening.
"Waa..." Zou Xiaomei felt like crying, and she looked at Liu Fang pitifully.
Liu Fang was helpless and could only comfortingly rub Zou Xiaomei's head. "Be good, there's nothing we can do. Mom has spoken."
"Can we return these things?" Zou Xiaomei said in a last-ditch effort.
"Probably not," Fu Wenwen said, glancing at Zou Xiaomei with a smile.
"...You're still laughing. I'm going to be scolded badly tonight." Zou Xiaomei said aggrievedly, watching them stifle their laughter.
"I told you to be more restrained! And now your mom caught you, didn't she?" Fu Wenwen chuckled.
"Seeing you buy so many things, it doesn't seem like you absolutely needed them all. You just wanted me to see how happy you and Liu Fang are together, right?"
Zou Xiaomei stuck out her tongue. "You've found me out."
"How could I not know you?" Fu Wenwen hooked Zou Xiaomei's nose. "Anyone with eyes can see how much Liu Fang dotes on you."
"I'm happy for your good relationship," Fu Wenwen said sincerely.
"Hehe, I think so too. Brother Liu is really good to me. I remember everything you told me, so I wanted to prove it to you, but my mom caught me..." Zou Xiaomei said pitifully.
When she chose Liu Fang, it was actually a gamble. Liu Fang wasn't from the city, and she had heard before how miserable the lives of girls who married into villages were.
She wanted to prove that her choice was not wrong.
"Did someone say something to you?" Fu Wenwen sensed a momentary urgency in Zou Xiaomei.
Zou Xiaomei stiffened.
Upon hearing this, Liu Fang immediately pulled Zou Xiaomei aside to the garden and asked seriously.
"Who exactly said something to you?"
Liu Fang had also had a vague suspicion, but he had attributed it to her mood swings due to pregnancy.
"I ran into Hu Li a couple of days ago," Zou Xiaomei mumbled.
"Hu Li? What did she do?" Liu Fang had a bad impression of Hu Li.
"She said... she said you don't like me at all, and that you like Wenwen..."
Zou Xiaomei said softly.
"What?"
"What?"
Liu Fang and Fu Wenwen looked at Zou Xiaomei in confusion and speechlessness.
"You believe such absurd things?" Liu Fang was truly exasperated.
"She said you used to go to Wenwen's house every day, and Wenwen is so beautiful and kind... Who wouldn't like her..."
If Hu Li had said any other woman, Zou Xiaomei wouldn't have thought so much about it. But she had said Fu Wenwen.
Zou Xiaomei couldn't be sure. After all, it was because Liu Fang had brought food to Fu Wenwen that she had the chance to meet him...
She knew it was impossible for Liu Fang and Fu Wenwen, but she just couldn't stop herself from thinking about the impossible.
Seeing Zou Xiaomei like this, Fu Wenwen knew that it was largely due to hormonal changes during pregnancy that she was starting to overthink.
Just as Fu Wenwen was about to offer some words of comfort, Liu Fang suddenly knelt before Zou Xiaomei.
This surprised both Fu Wenwen and Zou Xiaomei.
"Wife, have I done something wrong? Do you want to change men..." Liu Fang said, on the verge of tears. Zou Xiaomei didn't know Fu Wenwen's capabilities, but he did.
He wouldn't dare to like Fu Wenwen even if he had a hundred more lives.
Only men like Lu Chengsen could handle Fu Wenwen. Someone like him wouldn't know how he died if he angered her.
If she casually struck him, he wouldn't be able to withstand it.
"You can say anything else, but saying that I would like Wenwen is absolutely out of the question!" Liu Fang said earnestly, holding Zou Xiaomei's hand.
"..." Fu Wenwen looked at Liu Fang speechlessly.
"Am I that terrifying?"
"As a formidable woman, do I need to say what your capabilities are?" Liu Fang nervously glanced up at Fu Wenwen, giving her a look that spoke volumes.
Fu Wenwen narrowed her eyes dangerously, and Liu Fang felt a chill down his spine.
"Wife, save me!"