She Only Cares About Cultivation
Chapter 131 - 90s Cook 131 (Second Update)

Chapter 131: 90s Cook 131 (Second Update)

The Cao Family now had four rooms: Gong Mingxia and her husband shared one, Xiao Xiao had one to herself, Cao Yang had another, and the Old Lady, the nanny, and the child shared the fourth room.

So, what would the room arrangement be after Gong Mingxia’s mother arrived?

Because it was not easy to rearrange, Gong Mingxia had called her mother-in-law in advance to discuss the matter.

Mrs. Cao was a kind-hearted old person. After hearing about Gong’s mother’s situation, she remembered how she herself had struggled to emerge from the shadows for a long time after her own partner had passed away.

She admired her daughter-in-law’s filial piety in bringing her mother to live with them, and as a mother-in-law herself, she had no reason to refuse. Hearing that the Old Lady was still in good health, she pondered for a while and eventually decided to dismiss the nanny, letting the two of them take care of the grandson together.

They would stay in the old house during the day and bring the child back to their own place at night, returning him the next day. That way, nobody’s life was disrupted; they could each lead their own lives. The two women were of similar age and could enjoy their little daily routines—who could ask for more?

Once proposed, this plan was approved by the entire family. Xiao Xiao no longer needed to be picked up and dropped off; she went to school and came back by herself. The school was very close, just across one street. The same was true for Cao Yuan, who could walk to work in ten minutes. Gong Mingxia’s storefront was just outside the neighborhood, even closer!

Although Sunshine Garden was a bit away from Shuiyunjian, it was only a ten-minute drive.

With everything so close by, life was so convenient. Cao Yuan would ride his bike after work to Sky Market to buy some vegetables and meat for the old sisters and pick them up to deliver them home, and then take his son back home in the evenings.

The reason he insisted on bringing his child home at night was that the child needed parental companionship. Even if they were busy with work during the day, bathing, playing games, reading books and newspapers at night could all be excellent ways to communicate. Compared to the typical office worker, this was really no different.

What’s more, in a few months’ time, the child would turn three, and thus could be sent to kindergarten in the autumn. Having a kindergarten within the neighborhood would make this even more convenient, and the couple could take him there without needing the two old ladies’ help. When that time came, they could go out and about, even travel, freely.

If the child could spend every day with his parents and sister, it would foster a warm parent-child relationship.

The two thousand yuan that used to go to the nanny was now divided between the two Old Ladies, one thousand yuan for each. Whatever they wanted to eat or buy, they could just use the money.

The couple took on all the family expenses, granting the Old Ladies a great deal of freedom in their day-to-day life.

Two hours after arriving home, Gong’s mother also learned of this arrangement. Although she breathed a sigh of relief internally (after all, it was still nerve-wracking for her to meet her city-dwelling son-in-law and his mother), she felt awkward about not having to live with her son-in-law. However, seeing how graceful and cultured the other Old Lady was, and being a rural old lady herself, she couldn’t help feeling an inferiority complex and subconsciously lowered her stature.

While the mother and daughter were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen, Gong Mingxia comforted her mother on the side.

"Mom, you’re not a guest here. Don’t feel like you’re inferior just because you’re from the rural area. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. If my mother-in-law does something well or right, you can learn from her. If you think you’ve done something well or right, you can talk to her about it. You need to consider yourself as an equal, and don’t feel like you’re unfamiliar with the way things work here and worry about making a bad impression. It’s really not necessary."

"Just take a look at our family’s way of getting along, and you’ll see. Everyone is very democratic, and we communicate a lot. If you ever feel uncomfortable with something, tell me, and I’ll communicate and solve the issue. I’ll also get Cao Yuan to talk with his mother. We as a couple will mediate, so please don’t stew in your own juice, alright?"

Her daughter’s words comforted the Old Lady’s heart. The initial trepidation she felt upon arriving was alleviated by these words, giving her peace of mind.