A Beauty in the 80s Goes on a Blind Date with Her Child, Captivating the Military Compound - Chapter 42

Xu Hongying didn’t even look at the water glass on the table. She gave a cold snort and said, “I’m suddenly not thirsty anymore.”

Gu Chengfeng’s temper immediately flared. Shen Sisi had never even served him tea or water like that, yet here she was waiting on his mother, only for his mother to show no appreciation whatsoever.

“Mom, Sisi and I are already married. She is my wife now, not a nanny hired to serve you…”

Xu Hongying, however, remained completely obstinate. “What’s wrong with serving me? It’s because I think highly of her! Which new bride doesn’t serve her mother-in-law? Is it such a grievance to bring an old woman like me a glass of water?”

The veins on Gu Chengfeng’s forehead throbbed with rage. Seeing Shen Sisi bullied made him more furious than being targeted himself.

“Mom, Sisi has no obligation to take care of you—”

“You’re rebelling! How dare you speak to me like that—”

Shen Sisi finally realized who Gu Chengfeng had inherited his temperament from. Both he and Xu Hongying were like firecrackers—one spark and they’d explode. This mother-son duo couldn’t go three sentences without a shouting match.

Their tempers were high enough as it was; if she added fuel to the fire, they would surely bring the roof down.

She glanced at the large suitcase on the floor. Xu Hongying had come prepared to fight a long, drawn-out war. However, Shen Sisi wasn’t intimidated. For the sake of Niuniu, she had endured all kinds of hardships and slights—and besides, Gu Chengfeng was firmly on her side.

Shen Sisi composed herself and pressed the water glass from the table into Gu Chengfeng’s hand. “You’ve had a long morning; drink some water first.”

In the heat of his anger, this sudden gesture of care acted like a splash of cool water on Gu Chengfeng’s temper. He took the glass and sat down obediently at the other end of the sofa.

Shen Sisi then picked up another glass and pressed it directly into Xu Hongying’s palm. “Auntie, weren’t you thirsty? You drink, too.”

Her expression was calm—neither flattering nor timid. Her voice carried a quiet strength that brooked no argument.

Xu Hongying was still very resistant; she slammed the glass onto the table with a loud thud. Shen Sisi merely gave it a fleeting glance, showing no emotion at all.

This left Xu Hongying feeling quite frustrated. She had been difficult and rude, yet Shen Sisi refused to take the bait. Shen Sisi was supposed to make a scene! Hadn’t Yang Qiuxia said that this woman had a hair-trigger temper and even dared to get physical? If she had dared to hit an old woman, Xu Hongying would have made sure she paid dearly for it.

But now, it felt like she had thrown a heavy punch only for it to land on soft cotton—there was nowhere for her anger to go.

Shen Sisi looked up at the clock. “It’s noon. I’ll go make lunch.”

She knew Gu Chengfeng and Xu Hongying hadn’t seen each other in a long time. She wanted to give them space to talk without fighting, so she slipped away into the kitchen.

Niuniu followed behind like a little tail, clinging to Shen Sisi’s leg. “Mama, is that old grandma really going to live with us? Niuniu is scared… I don’t want her to stay.”

Xu Hongying had a loud voice and a fiery temper, like a lioness ready to snap at any moment. It had frightened the child.

Shen Sisi knelt down, stroking the girl’s thin, pale face with heartache. “Niuniu, she isn’t just a random grandma. She is Daddy’s own mother. If you’re scared of her, you don’t have to play with her, but you must be polite. Do you understand?”

Niuniu nodded half-heartedly. She twiddled her index fingers together nervously. “Since she’s Daddy’s mama… then… then let her stay.”

Even at such a young age, she was learning to love the person for the sake of the one she loved.

Shen Sisi gave Niuniu a quick kiss and handed her a small bowl of cracked corn. “Go out to the yard and help feed the chickens. The little chicks need their lunch, too.”

Niuniu’s eyes lit up. She grabbed the bowl and cheered, “Yay! Niuniu loves feeding the cluck-clucks!”

As the little girl scampered out, Gu Chengfeng walked in with a dark expression. Without waiting for Shen Sisi to speak, he took the lead in washing the rice to cook.

“Sisi, I’m sorry. I’ll handle this. I’ll make her leave tonight,” Gu Chengfeng muttered while scrubbing the rice.

Shen Sisi began julienning a radish on the cutting board, nodding her chin toward the large leather suitcase behind the door. “I’m afraid you won’t be able to solve it that easily. She came prepared.”

Gu Chengfeng followed her gaze to the suitcase and fell silent.

Shen Sisi said, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Besides, she is your mother. Are you never going to go home or face her for the rest of your life?”

Gu Chengfeng’s head hung even lower. After a long silence, he finally said, “I’ve never had a good relationship with them since I was a kid.”

“My dad was always busy, hardly ever home. My mom raised three kids by herself, so she has a very violent temper. Plus, I have an older sister and a younger sister—none of them are easy to get along with…”

His voice grew quieter as he spoke. Regardless of his family, he was determined to protect Shen Sisi.

“So, you don’t have to tolerate her for my sake. If she bullies you, don’t hold it in. Tell me, and I’ll take care of it for you.” Gu Chengfeng set the pot heavily onto the stove.

Shen Sisi’s knife paused for a second. Take care of it? Did he really want to turn mother and son against each other? The old lady had come specifically to make her life difficult; there would be plenty of friction. If she had to rely on Gu Chengfeng for every little thing, he would eventually be worn out by the stress.

Though she thought this, she didn’t show it on her face. She simply gave a neutral “Okay.”

Time was tight at noon, so Shen Sisi made a large pot of stir-fried pork with radish. She lined the bottom with two layers of Napa cabbage and set it on the stove to eat like a hotpot.

Seeing there was only one dish, Xu Hongying turned up her nose and began nitpicking again. “I came all this way, and you’re hosting me with nothing but cabbage and radish?”

Gu Chengfeng slammed his chopsticks down, about to lose his temper, but Shen Sisi smiled sweetly. “Auntie, you are Chengfeng’s mother, which means you’re family. We aren’t treating you like an outsider.”

“This is how we usually eat. If you think it’s too meager, I’ll make you braised pork belly this evening.”

“What a clever line—’not an outsider.’ You really are something…” Xu Hongying huffed with indignation. Seeing everyone else pick up their bowls, she reluctantly picked up her chopsticks as well. She wasn’t giving in to Shen Sisi; she was just genuinely hungry after the long journey.

Seeing that his mother wasn’t making a scene and had actually started eating, Gu Chengfeng raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“Let’s eat!”

Shen Sisi went to put some food in Niuniu’s bowl, only to find the little girl hiding her arms, busy with something. “Niuniu, what’s wrong? Do you not like the food?”

The girl suddenly lifted her short little arms, revealing two eggs—one large and one small—tucked underneath.

“Mama, I’m hatching chicks!”

“Hatching chicks?” Shen Sisi was both surprised and delighted; the chickens she bought had actually started laying, and two at once!

“Silly girl, you can’t hatch chicks like that.” Shen Sisi explained that hatching required constant body heat and a very long time.

Niuniu thought that sounded like too much trouble. After a moment of internal conflict, she decided to take the eggs out. She gave the large one to her mother and had intended to give the other to her father. But, remembering what her mother said about being polite, she timidly reached out and held the egg out to Xu Hongying.

“Grandma… this is for you.”