Chef Hua
Chapter 361: Episode 204: Are You Really Planning to Do This?

Chapter 361: Episode 204: Are You Really Planning to Do This?

Jing Taihe knew something hadn’t been quite right between her older sister and their mother-in-law, but if truth be told, the old lady of the Jing family wasn’t exactly a fierce or brutal woman; she was mostly just a nag and not really harmful at heart. Considering that Taihe’s sister-in-law was about to give birth, carrying the precious child of the Jing Family, surely, for the sake of the baby alone, the old lady would not cause her any undue stress.

With this thought in mind, she smiled and gently tugged at her sister-in-law’s hand, saying softly, "If you ask me, this is actually a good thing! You and brother-in-law living alone here in this small courtyard, with him busy at the blacksmith shop from morning till night, and all the household chores falling on you alone. What if you accidentally bump into something? Wouldn’t that just invite unnecessary trouble? Moving back to the old house, you’ll have people around to take care of you, and your brother-in-law can rest easier too!"

Taihe’s sister-in-law understood this reasoning too, but she just couldn’t get past her emotional blockade and murmured softly with her head down, "I’ve been managing just fine on my own, why would I need their help? I don’t want anything, just peace of mind. If she could just stop seeking trouble with me every day, I’d be grateful to all the gods in heaven!"

Though she spoke reluctantly, it was clear she was softening, now almost seeming a bit petulant.

Jing Taihe felt some relief and chuckled, hooking her arm through hers warmly, "Actually, moving back isn’t without its advantages. The Jing family’s old residence is very close to the Meng family’s house. From now on, we can see each other every day. If my mother-in-law bullies me, you can quickly come out from home and defend me, how convenient, right? I—"

"Your mother-in-law has been bullying you?" exploded Taihe’s sister-in-law, quickly seizing on the crux of her statement, eyebrows shooting up, "I told you that Mrs. Meng was not easy to deal with, I warned you not to get too close to Meng Yuhuai, now what? Tell me, how has she been bullying you? Ha, she should have asked around about who Taihe’s sister-in-law is; she dares to mess with my little sister—"

Realizing her slip of the tongue, Jing Taihe surreptitiously stuck out her tongue and quickly held her back, saying, "I was just saying that; why would you take it seriously? It’s not like my mother-in-law has actually done anything to me, and even if she had any plans, isn’t Meng Yuhuai there? Okay, okay, tell me, when are you planning to move back? I’ll come with Meng Yuhuai to help move stuff."

"Don’t try to fool me," Taihe’s sister-in-law looked at her doubtfully, her brows slightly creased, "Recently, I have been feeling restless at night; I wake up with my heart pounding like a drum, anxious for no reason, always feeling like something is about to happen. I know my brother treats you well, no need to worry too much, but... if you ever encounter anything tricky, you must tell me honestly. With your sister here to support you, you absolutely must not face it alone."

Jing Taihe felt puzzled, rubbing her temples, "I’m really quite okay, I’m not lying to you... I suspect, this anxiety of yours is most likely because my little nephew can’t wait to come out. Just take good care of yourself, and don’t worry about anything else, okay?"

The sisters sat in the yard and chatted idly for a while. Weighed down by her heavy body, Taihe’s sister-in-law soon felt tired, so Jing Taihe helped her back into the east room to rest, and took the opportunity to tidy up the miscellaneous things in the yard. Seeing that it was getting late, she quietly closed the courtyard door and headed back to the east end of the village.

...

Within a couple of days, Taihe’s sister-in-law and Jing Taihe indeed moved back to the southern part of the village.

She was completely focused on the thought that, after the child in her womb was born and grew a little, she would move back to her own home. Thus, she covered the items in the courtyard with several large tarpaulins, sent the chickens over to Uncle Pan who agreed to temporarily look after them, packed up some frequently used belongings, loaded them on a cart, and transported them back to the Jing family’s old residence.

On the day of the move, Meng Yuhuai took a day off from the Lianshun Escort Agency to hurry back and help. Jing Taihe organized a table of food and drinks in a small restaurant in the eastern part of the village and invited not only the old Jing father and mother but also the old grandmother and Mrs. Meng. They opened a private room upstairs, which was packed to the brim.

The meal was quite lively. The old Jing father always liked Meng Yuhuai a lot and kept him talking non-stop, mainly asking about various odd and strange stories from his escort trips; the old Mrs. Jing and Mrs. Meng usually got along fairly well, right away they huddled together, giggling and whispering, and it was not hard to guess that they were probably speaking ill of the two sisters. Taihe’s sister-in-law didn’t have the energy to care about what they were saying, while Jing Taihe really wasn’t planning to interfere, just hoping that the Jing family elders would treat Taihe’s sister-in-law a bit better for the sake of the good meal before them.