Qin Mei had to admire Li Axiu’s audacity. Li Axiu not only dared to think things Jie Jingwei’s former mother-in-law wouldn’t even dream of, but she also dared to say them out loud.
It was too hot to be standing outside watching the drama. All Qin Mei wanted was to go back inside and turn on the fan.
"Jing Chen, Xiao Mei." Seeing the two of them return, Mrs. Xie immediately stood up and greeted them with a smile.
"Mom," Qin Mei said, then looked toward Mr. Xie. "Dad."
"On a day this hot, why didn’t you stay inside with the fan? Where did you two run off to? Look at you, you’re covered in sweat." Mrs. Xie took out a handkerchief and dabbed the perspiration from Qin Mei’s face.
"We just went out for a walk." With outsiders present, Qin Mei didn’t mention that they had gone to see Old Zhang.
Mrs. Xie didn’t press further, simply pulling Qin Mei back to her room. Jie Jingchen didn’t follow, heading to the kitchen instead. From the moment he’d stepped into the courtyard, he hadn’t spared the three visitors a single glance.
First, they’d been treated coldly by Mrs. Xie, and now they were being ignored by Jie Jingchen. Mr. Lin and Li Axiu were furious. ’We almost became Jie Jingchen’s parents-in-law! Putting that aside, we’re now Jing Er’s parents-in-law! And they can’t even give us a shred of basic respect? Is this how Qiao Yanqiu raises her children?’
"My dear in-law, what is the meaning of all this?" Li Axiu demanded coldly.
"Well..." Mr. Xie couldn’t come up with a reasonable explanation. ’Yan Qiu doesn’t even give me any face, why would she give them any?’ "My dear in-laws, it’s just too hot today. Let’s discuss the children’s affairs another time."
This was a clear dismissal. Mr. Lin and Li Axiu’s expressions darkened. "No. We need a resolution today. I don’t care what you say, you must give us a clear answer."
"We’ll handle Jing Er and Yaru’s wedding however it needs to be handled. I’ll cover all the expenses," Mr. Xie said, deflecting from the main issue.
Hearing Mr. Xie say this, their expressions softened considerably. Li Axiu added, "Jing Er is a divorced man, but this is our daughter’s first marriage. All the proper ceremonies and the grand display must be arranged accordingly."
"Of course, of course," Mr. Xie agreed readily.
"We’ve already picked a date," Li Axiu said. "The fifteenth of this month."
"The fifteenth of this month?" Mr. Xie was taken aback. "Today’s the fifth. That’s only ten days from now. Isn’t that a bit too rushed?"
"Is it rushed?" Li Axiu asked, turning to her silent husband.
"Not at all," Mr. Lin replied. Since they had been the ones to choose the date, of course they didn’t think it was rushed.
"The weather is so hot; a wedding would be an ordeal. They’re already legally married anyway. Why don’t we postpone it until the weather cools down?" Mr. Xie suggested.
"Let me ask you something, my dear in-law. Have you forgotten that your new daughter-in-law is over two months pregnant? If we postpone it, her belly will be showing! Do you want her to walk down the aisle with a big belly? Are you trying to make our family a laughingstock for all our friends and relatives?" Li Axiu fumed.
"You’re right, that was an oversight on my part. We’ll do it your way," Mr. Xie said with a placating smile. ’Both Jing Er’s and Jing San’s first weddings were handled entirely by Yan Qiu. I never had to worry about a thing. Now that Jing Er is divorced and remarrying, Yan Qiu refuses to get involved and has dumped it all on me. I really can’t handle this.’
Only then was Li Axiu satisfied. She asked, "So when is Jing Er moving back home?"
"Well..." Mr. Xie looked troubled. ’I can’t make that decision. If Yan Qiu doesn’t give her approval, how could I dare agree to let Jing Er move back?’
Li Axiu frowned. "My dear in-law, what’s that supposed to mean? Do you not want Jing Er to move back? Let me be blunt with you. My Yaru is pregnant with a precious grandson for your Jie Family. I’m not about to let her go live in some dormitory at the factory. Doctor Qiao is a stepmother; I don’t expect her to look after Yaru. A mother’s heart aches for her own daughter, so I’ll take care of her myself. But the condition is that Jing Er moves back here."
Li Axiu only mentioned Jing Er moving back, pointedly leaving out Jie You. She clearly disliked the boy. But since Jie You was, after all, the Jie family’s eldest grandson, she didn’t dare come right out and suggest they send him back to his mother, Xu Chunyan.
"I can’t make the call on this. I’ll have to discuss it with my wife," Mr. Xie said.
"Director Jie, you’re the head of the factory, and the man of this house. If you can’t even make a decision on a small matter like this, aren’t you afraid word will get back to the factory? Your authority as director will be completely undermined," Li Axiu goaded him.
Mr. Xie’s expression soured. Li Axiu was about to needle him further, but Mr. Lin stopped her. "Axiu, let them discuss it."
Li Axiu wasn’t a fool; she knew pushing too hard would be counterproductive. It was best to quit while she was ahead. "Fine. Since my Old Lin said so, go ahead and discuss it. Old Lin, let’s go home."
Mr. Xie breathed a sigh of relief and stood up to see them out. As she was leaving, Li Axiu glanced toward Mrs. Xie’s room and spoke with biting sarcasm. "A stepmother will always be a stepmother, completely unconcerned with her stepson’s wedding. Oh, Sister Hong Yan! If you can see this from heaven, I wonder if you regret your choice."