Who Would Fall in Love After Being Reborn?

Chapter 203: I Decide Who My Daughter-in-Law Is

In the living room, the Spring Festival Gala played on the TV. In the kitchen, dumplings boiled in the pot, while outside, the first lights of the evening shimmered, and broken snowflakes gently floated down under the night sky.

Jiang Qin brought steaming bowls of dumplings to the dining table, wiped his hands, and sat next to his best friend.

Feng Nanshu, with her chopsticks pinched neatly, sat demurely with her cheeks puffed and eyes bright.

Yuan Youqin, facing the light, watched the two of them. She didn’t know why, but the more she looked, the more content she felt. Turning around, she began to conspire with Jiang Zhenghong, who was busy stewing dishes.

“Old Jiang, your son has brought someone home.”

“Really brought someone? ”

“Yes, sitting right outside. Keep cooking, I’ll go to the room and prepare a red envelope for her.”

Jiang Zhenghong glanced at her with a spoon in hand: “Aren’t you being a bit too eager? I thought she’s just a friend?”

Yuan Youqin pondered for a moment: “It’s the Lunar New Year, even if she’s not his girlfriend, a red envelope isn’t too much. She’s so well-behaved, can’t I give her one?”

“I get it, you want to stake a claim early,” Jiang Zhenghong said, revealing the hidden intent.

“What claim? She called me auntie, so I am an elder, after all.”

“People say mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law don’t get along, but you? You see one and want to bring her home. Looks like you’ve got your wish this time.”

Yuan Youqin couldn’t help but express her feelings: “To have a grown son suddenly bring a girl home, especially on New Year’s Eve, my feelings are complex yet joyful. Don’t you feel the same?”

Jiang Zhenghong added water to the pot and covered it: “It is a bit complex, but I suggest you clear things up first, to avoid getting overly excited for nothing.”

“Ask whom? Ask Jiang Qin? Does that guy ever speak the truth?”

“Well, that’s true. But he’s always been secretive, why’s he suddenly so open about bringing her home today?”

Yuan Youqin lowered her voice: “She said her family didn’t come back for the New Year, and it’s lonely eating the New Year’s Eve dinner alone.”

Jiang Zhenghong found it reasonable: “Since she’s here because her family isn’t around, it means it’s not yet time to formally introduce her to us. I suggest you don’t meddle.”

“I decide who my daughter-in-law is. What say does Jiang Qin have in it?”

“…”

Madam Yuan wiped her hands, turned, and entered the bedroom. After taking out the red envelope prepared for Jiang Qin, she returned to the dining room and handed it to Feng Nanshu.

“Nanshu, Happy New Year. Here’s a red envelope from Auntie, wishing you peace and happiness every year.”

“Auntie is such a kind person.”

Feng Nanshu accepted the red envelope, glanced at Jiang Qin, then carefully tucked it into her pocket, patting it twice.

Jiang Qin bit into a dumpling without vinegar and thought to himself, ‘Guo Zihang, oh Guo Zihang, those roast chickens you brought before were really a waste.’

‘We’re all good friends, right?’

‘And we’ve known each other since primary school, barely acquaintances, nothing wrong with that.’

‘So why does the rich girl get a red envelope on her first visit, while you, who come often, can’t even get a piece of red envelope paper?’

‘You really need to reflect on this issue.’

After a while, the stew was ready. Yuan Youqin and Jiang Zhenghong joined the table, announcing the start of the meal with beaming smiles.

Although this year’s New Year’s Eve dumplings lacked vinegar, the joy was no less than when they were dipped in it.

“Zhao Benshan is in this year’s Spring Festival Gala?”

“Which year’s Gala doesn’t have him? Can it even be called a Gala without him?” Jiang Zhenghong sipped his wine.

Jiang Qin, eating dumplings and watching the TV show ‘I Am Not Short of Money,’ couldn’t help but sigh, “Maybe in a year or two, we won’t see him anymore.”

“These recent years, the Gala is getting more and more uninteresting. If Zhao Benshan’s sketches are also gone, then there’s really no need to watch it.”

“Nanshu, have more dishes.” Yuan Youqin didn’t pay attention to the Gala, only to Feng Nanshu.

Although still uncertain if she was her daughter-in-law, she couldn’t help but repeatedly offer dishes to the little rich lady.

She really wanted a daughter. Perhaps parents with only a son all feel this way, finding daughters gentle and endearing, while boys too mischievous. Unfortunately, Jiang Qin was their firstborn, so this wish remained unfulfilled.

At this moment, Feng Nanshu was perfectly fulfilling Yuan Youqin’s fantasy of a well-behaved daughter. She ate whatever was given to her, appearing very easy to please.

Jiang Qin shifted his gaze from the TV to the little rich lady: “Weren’t you eating in bigger bites before? Why so ladylike today?”

“I’ve always eaten like this,” Feng Nanshu replied with a serious face.

“That’s impossible. You’re a foodie who dares to eat chili peppers in big bites.”

“Jiang Qin, you’re a meanie.”

Yuan Youqin, irritated, banged on the table: “Jiang Qin, have you eaten too much? Why keep picking on her?”

“?????”

Should I leave?

It seems I’m the only outsider in this family.

Jiang Qin muttered to himself internally, but dared not voice his thoughts, fearing it would spoil the festive mood. Wisely, he chose to remain silent, bowing his head and quietly eating his dumplings.

Feng Nanshu pursed her lips, her eyes filled with joy, like a silly cat being stroked comfortably. Her beautiful eyes reflected the warm light.

The conversation that followed was quite interesting.

When Yuan Youqin asked how they met, Feng Nanshu honestly replied that Jiang Qin had kicked her.

Jiang Qin, sipping tea on the side, felt a chill in his knees, fearing his old leg ailment was acting up again.

Actually, Yuan Youqin had many more in-depth questions for Feng Nanshu, but Jiang Zhenghong had already analyzed the situation before dinner. The little rich lady was visiting for the first time, and their relationship wasn’t officially clear yet. Asking too much wasn’t appropriate; it was best to let things take their natural course.

What’s meant to be yours won’t escape even without staking a claim early.

Yuan Youqin found this reasoning sound and refrained from asking further.

When night deepened, Uncle Gong came to pick up Feng Nanshu. Standing by the flowerbed downstairs, he waved continuously. So, Jiang Qin escorted Feng Nanshu downstairs.

Despite her reluctance, she couldn’t stay overnight.

Yuan Youqin was still standing on the balcony, watching Feng Nanshu’s retreating figure get into the car, feeling a sense of emptiness. How wonderful it would have been if such a daughter-in-law could stay at their home, showing her off to relatives and friends visiting the next morning.

“Master Jiang, we’ll be leaving now.”

“Wait a moment, Uncle Gong, can I bother you for a few minutes? I have a question for you,” Jiang Qin stopped Uncle Gong.

Uncle Gong turned around: “What is it?”

“I’m curious, why is Feng Nanshu spending the New Year alone?”

“Actually, her father wanted her to spend it in Shanghai, but the little rich lady didn’t want to go. This is the fourth year now; she’s always spent it alone.”

Jiang Qin remembered the information form: “I saw the registration form. The little rich lady doesn’t have a mother?”

Uncle Gong pursed his lips and nodded: “That’s right, Master Jiang.”

“And there’s a stepmother now?”

“Yes, Master Jiang.”

“So, spending the New Year in Shanghai are her father and her stepmother’s family?”

“Yes, Master Jiang.”

“Is Feng Nanshu’s stepmother a powerful woman?”

“…”

Uncle Gong hesitated for a moment, then fell silent, his head lowered.

Jiang Qin knew that asking further would be difficult for Uncle Gong. As a driver, he couldn’t freely express his subjective opinions on his employer’s family matters and relatives.

But this silence itself was an answer. There was no need to ask more.

“When are you going to Shanghai?”

“We leave early tomorrow morning. Secretary Liang and I will accompany her all the way, Master Jiang doesn’t need to worry.”

Jiang Qin glanced at Feng Nanshu through the glass, noticing she was also leaning against the window looking at him: “Uncle Gong, is the little rich lady… going to pay New Year’s visits willingly?”

Uncle Gong nodded after hearing this: “The little rich lady is not only going to pay a New Year’s visit to her grandfather, but also to her grandparents, uncles, and aunts. Especially her aunt, who has been eagerly waiting to see her since the start of the twelfth lunar month.”

“Alright, I have no more questions.”

“Master Jiang really can’t bear to see our little rich lady suffer the slightest grievance.”

Uncle Gong mused contentedly to himself, then drove off into the endless night.

At that moment, a burst of crackling firecracker sounds suddenly erupted, instantly elevating the festive atmosphere to its peak.

Jiang Qin checked the time and realized it was past midnight. The ban on fireworks and firecrackers seemed effective only for the first half of the night.

The next morning, as the snowfall ceased, the entire city of Jizhou was blanketed in pristine white.

Starting from 7 am, after breakfast, the Jiang family began to welcome a steady stream of guests coming to pay New Year visits. The house was bustling with people, lively and extraordinary.

Hongrong Homes was a resettlement area. Although the infrastructure was average, the advantage was that relatives and friends lived nearby, making it convenient for New Year visits.

Yuan Youqin was exceptionally happy this year. Hearing others talk about their daughters-in-law and grandsons, she didn’t feel the slightest bit annoyed. Sometimes, she even joined the conversations, enthusiastically expressing her opinions.

Since Sister Li had a grandson and was showing off everywhere, Yuan Youqin had always avoided such topics, but today she was surprisingly engaged.

“I think a daughter-in-law must be well-behaved.”

“I think a daughter-in-law must be tall.”

“I think a daughter-in-law must be fair-skinned.”

Some relatives and friends, who didn’t get along with their daughters-in-law, would laugh, saying Yuan Youqin must have had too much to drink the night before and was still not sober.

“Jiang Qin, how’s your study going? Going to university now, you haven’t been mischievous, have you?”

“Mom, Mom, where’s my trophy? Bring it out, let my uncle have a look, let him see what a star student looks like!”

Jiang Qin, while pouring tea, shouted into the house, displaying a kind of swagger.

Relatives gathered in the house passed the trophy around, each one giving a thumbs-up, lavishing praise on the star student.

“There’s also the newspaper, Mom, bring out the Linchuan Youth Newspaper!”