Father Qi received a call from Qi Taiguo, and after much thought, decided to stay and take care of the grandson with Mother Qi. But before that, he still had to go back home to handle some household affairs, like dealing with the livestock; leaving it all to the brothers wasn’t a solution. As for the crops, it’s just this season; e winter, they won’t be growing anything, so renting it out or something just to avoid wastage would be fine.
Mother Qi, upon hearing this, had a few words to say, like how it’s just him not holding back, but inwardly she was secretly pleased. After all, being a couple, having an extra person around gives her peace of mind.
This settled, Father Qi returned to his hometown with his in-laws, and Qi Xiaoqi was handed over to Mother Qi.
Cheng Su was worried, thinking this was her last year of studies, which weren’t too plicated. She registered for an off-campus internship, occasionally going to school to report in, but mostly stayed home to take care of the child.
Mother Qi found it puzzling. Wasn’t she supposed to be attending classes? How e she was home all day? Could it be she didn’t trust herself?
According to Mother Cheng, Cheng Su often ran to school or handled business matters, leaving her and Qi Xiaoqi at home alone. But now it seemed that wasn’t the case!
With her around, Qi Xiaoqi didn’t even e near her. Their mother-child interactions left her with no room to intervene.
Mother Qi had doubts but didn’t dare to voice them. Seeing that the grandson wasn’t close to her, she thought they lacked time together, so she hinted, "If you’re busy, just go ahead. Aren’t you supposed to be studying? And your businesses, they need attending to, right? You go ahead and focus on those; I can handle things at home."
Cheng Su found it amusing, glanced at her son, and said, "You just started taking care of Xiao Qi, and I’m afraid he’s not used to it. Now that I’m here to mediate, let him gradually get used to it. My studies are light this year, so I don’t need to attend school often. As for business, professionals are handling it; I just check in occasionally."
Mother Qi mumbled, "With you here, he won’t be able to adapt and get used to me."
Cheng Su pretended not to hear.
She glanced at the clock on the wall; it was time to go to the market, so she said she was going to buy groceries, taking Qi Xiaoqi with her, and Mother Qi followed along.
"...Mom, your leg isn’t convenient, usually you don’t have to e out to buy groceries. I’ll buy them in advance and put them in the fridge. If I’m not around, just cook and eat." Cheng Su said to her mother-in-law while selecting vegetables.
Mother Qi replied dejectedly with an "oh", thinking this was because she wasn’t trusted to take the child out, making her feel particularly unfortable inside.
Cheng Su wasn’t interested in guessing Mother Qi’s inner thoughts. Everything she did was based on her son’s needs. She agreed to let her mother-in-law take care of the child but didn’t mean she would ply with her every wish.
These past few days, Cheng Su coldly observed her mother-in-law’s actions and behavior, correcting her bad habits mercilessly.
For instance, she believed a child should be raised chubby to be considered healthy and good, so she kept feeding him. Even when Qi Xiaoqi was full, she thought it wasn’t enough and chased him to feed more. When he stopped eating meals, she would stuff him with small biscuits and fruits.
Another example was clothing. Now that Mid-Autumn Festival had passed and the weather was getting cooler, Mother Qi feared her precious grandson would catch a cold. She dressed him in layer upon layer. Qi Xiaoqi, being curious about everything, kept moving and running all day, sweating here and there, catching cold and heat, sneezing in no time. Cheng Su had to stop her each time.
After a few days, both the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were a bit tired, especially Mother Qi, who was discontented inside. She didn’t say anything but it showed on her face.
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