Li Mu genuinely enjoyed talking and joking with Ji Qing and Ji Xiang. When Hua'er called the two children away, she wouldn't even let Ji Qing and Ji Xiang stay despite their crying.
Li Mu felt a bit displeased. She put down her work and went to the living room to ask Tian Jing what was going on with Hua'er.
Upon hearing her mother-in-law describe Hua'er's forceful way of taking Ji Qing and Ji Xiang, Tian Jing frowned and said, "Regarding Lin Hua'er, Mother, don't give her too much face. Let Li Min exercise her rights as a mother-in-law."
Li Mu pressed, "What exactly happened?"
Tian Jing could only recount what Lin Duo'er had done in the capital and her warning to Lin Hua'er: "...As soon as I finished warning her, she put on a cold face for you. She has changed too. Time always brings about various changes."
"Hmph!" Li Mu snorted. "A fly never lands on an egg without a crack. That woman must have noticed Lin Duo'er's behavior when she was looking for a job, which is why she approached her."
"The fact that she was rescued in time and didn't suffer the same fate as Lin Man and the two former daughters-in-law of the Niu family is all due to the good karma she accumulated over eight lifetimes."
"She dares to run away because she hasn't been taught a lesson yet. If it weren't for Hao Hao being involved, I wouldn't care if she lived or died outside. Locking her up forever would be well deserved."
"Tell Captain Zeng to order that no team member is allowed to marry her. Let her live a solitary life. The child she gives birth to will surely be a bad seed."
"I'm going to make dinner." With that, Li Mu stomped out of the living room in anger.
Li Weili and her mother exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter.
"Grandma has changed too."
"She's changed for the better."
...
Meanwhile, Chen Fu, after listening to Lin Hua'er's words, looked at his wife who seemed to have been greatly wronged. He raised his hand and slapped Lin Hua'er across the face.
Lin Hua'er covered her face, looking at her husband in disbelief. "You, you hit me?"
Chen Fu nodded expressionlessly. "What's wrong with me hitting you?"
This was the first time Lin Hua'er had seen such an expression on her husband's face, the first time she had experienced fear in her married life. She stammered, "Why?"
"Why?" Chen Fu sneered. "Putting aside this slap, I ask you, are you wronged? Are you wronged after marrying me? Are you wronged in the matter of Lin Duo'er?"
Lin Hua'er froze.
"Heh heh." Chen Fu sneered again. "Just because your maternal aunt warned you, you ignored your grandmother's wish to keep Ji Qing and Ji Xiang, and disregarded Ji Qing and Ji Xiang's unwillingness to leave. You forcefully told us to leave. I thought you had suffered so much, so I followed you back."
"As it turned out, you are not wronged at all. My maternal aunt and grandmother are the ones who are wronged."
"You are just a junior. The fault lies with your elder sister. Who are you putting on a cold face for?"
"And telling my maternal aunt to see how you perform in the future? See what? See how?"
"Just because your maternal aunt didn't mention your grandmother and others, you no longer care? You only show yourself in front of me, my maternal uncle, and my maternal aunt? Who cares about your performance?"
"What your maternal aunt warned you about has only one central point: me. As long as you don't betray my affection for you, that's enough."
"Let alone whether you have betrayed my wholehearted care for you or not. I'll just ask you, am I still just me? What is Chen Fu made up of?"
"My mother, such an unreliable person, compromised because you gave birth to twins and went to live in Nanlou with my father."
"And you? You think you can walk on air just because you gave birth to twins? You attack the most respected person in the family and reach the peak of your status in this household?"
"No," Lin Hua'er shook her head and explained, "I didn't mean that."
Chen Fu looked at her coldly. "You didn't? But you are doing it. Your behavior is like your elder sister's, one face in front of people and another behind their backs."
"I thought you were exhausted from breastfeeding the two babies recently, so I tolerated everything. But in doing so, I've indulged your pampered nature."
"Lin Hua'er, watch, will anyone come to help with the kids in the future?"
Lin Hua'er's face turned pale. "I, I'll go apologize to Grandma."
"It's useless," Chen Fu waved his hand. "This time, you've offended the whole family. An apology is useless; it won't mend the wound."
"I have one here too. Let's see how many cuts you can make on my heart."
With that, Chen Fu left the room, taking Ji Qing and Ji Xiang with him.
Lin Hua'er sat dejectedly on the edge of the bed. Had she really changed? Had she become the kind of person her husband described?
...
Li Mu kneaded the dough with suppressed anger. Han Lushì stirred the filling beside her. Tonight, the Li family would eat dumplings.
Han Lushì glanced at Li Mu, wanting to say a few words, but he didn't know what had happened and didn't know how to start.
As he hesitated, the sound of running footsteps came from outside.
"Great-Grandma."
"Great-Grandma."
Li Mu's face immediately lit up with a smile. She called out to the outside from the window, "Yes! Yes! Great-Grandma is in the kitchen kneading dough. We're having dumplings tonight. Will Ji Qing and Ji Xiang eat here with Great-Grandma?"
Ji Qing and Ji Xiang stopped running and turned to look at Chen Fu.
Chen Fu smiled gently and nodded at the two children.
"Yeah!" The two children cheered and ran into the kitchen. "Great-Grandma, we want to eat dumplings here."
"Of course," Li Mu nodded with a smile. "Great-Grandma will make small dumplings for you, bite-sized."
The two children exclaimed dramatically, "Wow, that's great!"
Tian Jing, in the main hall, saw Chen Fu bring Ji Qing and Ji Xiang over again. She secretly nodded. Chen Fu, like his father, remained unchanged.
It wasn't quite accurate to say he remained unchanged; his changes were subtle, allowing him to retain his true nature.
Chen Fu followed the two children into the kitchen. "Grandma, I'm sorry."
Li Mu waved her hand. "It's okay. For your sake, Grandma won't take it to heart."
Chen Fu washed his hands and joined them in making dumplings.
The two children were also given small dough balls and short rolling pins, diligently rolling out dumpling wrappers on a stool.
Tian Jing supported Li Weili as she entered. Seeing the two children diligently rolling out dumpling wrappers, a smile appeared on her face.
Han Lushì pulled over a stool and placed it by the table, telling Li Weili to sit down and help with the dumplings later.
Zeng Jingchu was unhappy when Ji Xiang was taken away. After washing up, he asked Zeng Lin to bring the local specialties they had bought, and they went to the courtyard house to visit Li Mu.
As soon as they entered the courtyard house, they heard the children chattering in the kitchen.
He and Zeng Lin went straight into the kitchen.
Li Mu looked up and saw Zeng Jingchu entering. She smiled. "What a coincidence, we're eating dumplings here tonight."
"Great!" Zeng Jingchu readily accepted. "Zeng Lin, go help make dumplings."
He himself squatted beside Ji Qing and Ji Xiang, watching the two children roll dumpling wrappers and make dumplings. He even took some dough balls from the table for the two children to continue.
Zeng Lin put down the gifts in his hands. "Old Madam, I'll help knead the dough."
"It is indeed time to knead more dough," Li Mu nodded, took a dough ball from the basin, and turned to scoop some flour from the cupboard in the corner.
Zeng Lin washed his hands, took the basin, and went to the prep table to knead the dough.
Li Mu was quite satisfied with Zeng Lin.
In the past few months, Zeng Jingchu had often come over for meals, and Zeng Lin was always with him.
Although Zeng Lin strictly adhered to ancient etiquette, he was better at kitchen tasks than women like them.
Especially when making noodles, the dough was kneaded thoroughly, rolled evenly, and cut neatly, resulting in very chewy noodles.
However, his movements were still rigid and lacked any artistic flair.