Qin Huan comforted Meng's mother, "Auntie, don't blame yourself. You only want the best for Meng Ning."
Qin Huan glanced towards the living room and muttered to herself, "Maybe the heavens felt they owed Meng Ning for the hardships she endured in the past and blessed her with this marriage as compensation."
Meng's mother said, "This son-in-law seems quite good so far."
Qin Huan didn't reveal Fu Tingxiu's true identity to Meng's mother. Since Meng Ning and Fu Tingxiu were still sleeping in separate beds, disclosing his true identity might backfire. Knowing Meng Ning's personality, she might head straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau for a divorce.
If they developed feelings for each other, it would be a different story.
Lunch was sumptuous, with all the dishes prepared by Meng Ning, and Fu Tingxiu helped. As everyone sat down at the dining table, Meng Ning smiled and invited, "Everyone must be hungry. Please start eating. Aunt, Fu Tingxiu mentioned you prefer lighter flavors, so these dishes are all on the lighter side. I hope they suit your taste."
"They do, they do," Fang Qiong responded with a laugh, her gaze sweeping over Meng Ning and Fu Tingxiu, her words carrying a double meaning. Not only did the food suit her taste, but so did her daughter-in-law.
Meng Ning didn't catch the underlying meaning in Fang Qiong's words, but Qin Huan did. It seemed Fang Qiong was quite pleased with Meng Ning as her daughter-in-law. As long as she passed the test with her mother-in-law, the rest wouldn't be much of an issue.
Qin Huan felt a bit more relieved and took the opportunity to present a gift, saying with a smile, "Ning Bao, this is my wedding gift to you. I wish you a long and happy marriage and lots of children."
"Huahua, you're too kind," Meng Ning said, accepting the gift with a gentle smile. "Thank you."
Fang Qiong also added, "Now that you're married, you can start planning for a baby. It's best to have children while you're young; you recover faster. Right, Ning's mom?"
Out of politeness, Meng's mother agreed, "Yes, it's good to start preparing."
Hearing the words "lots of children," Meng Ning felt shy and glanced at Fu Tingxiu.
Fu Tingxiu stated, "Having children should happen naturally."
With Fu Tingxiu's words, everyone dropped the topic of urging them to have kids.
A man not wanting children often indicates he's not ready to take on the responsibilities of a family or commit to a lifelong partnership with his wife.
Qin Huan probed, "Fu Tingxiu, you're already thirty. Men your age usually want children. You say there's no rush, but surely you have a plan?"
With everyone urging them, Meng Ning felt embarrassed.
Fu Tingxiu looked at Meng Ning and honestly said, "There's no plan. We'll let things happen naturally."
He believed Meng Ning wasn't ready for this step either, so he wasn't in a hurry.
But to Qin Huan, these words sounded too perfunctory. She worried that Fu Tingxiu might just be toying with Meng Ning, but she couldn't say too much.
"Let's eat," Meng Ning said with a smile, changing the subject. "Mom, have some more of this pork trotters soup. Auntie, little cousin, help yourselves. Make yourselves at home."
In such a setting, Fu Boxuan played a minor role, smiling as he said, "Thank you, sister-in-law."
The meal went smoothly and harmoniously. Fang Qiong was very warm towards Meng's mother, engaging in casual conversation, mostly about Meng Ning's childhood. Fang Qiong naturally wanted to learn more about her in-laws. Upon hearing that Meng's mother worked in a hotel, she didn't look down on her; instead, she felt sympathy for her.
Raising a daughter as a single mother was indeed very challenging. Fang Qiong admired Meng's mother greatly. The more they talked, the closer they became, with Fang Qiong eventually referring to Meng's mother as "sister" instead of "Ning's mom."
After the meal, Fu Tingxiu took the initiative to clean up the dishes, letting Meng Ning rest while pulling Fu Boxuan into the kitchen to help.
Fu Boxuan looked at the pile of dishes in the sink, feeling helpless. "Brother, I don't know how to wash dishes."
Fu Tingxiu leaned casually against the refrigerator, saying, "Anyone who isn't intellectually challenged can do it."
Fu Boxuan: "..."
Resigned to his fate, Fu Boxuan put on gloves and started working. "Brother, why don't you hire a maid, or get one of our family's helpers to come over?"
Fu Tingxiu took a bottle of water from the fridge and acted as a supervisor. "A working-class person can't afford a maid."
Fu Boxuan was puzzled, lowering his voice, "Brother, you married a wife, but do you really need to pretend to be so poor? Selling things at a street stall, living in a place smaller than our swimming pool."
Fu Tingxiu glanced at Meng Ning in the living room and said, "She's different from other girls. She wants a partner who is on the same level, in the same world."
Fu Boxuan asked, "In the world of the poor?"