She’d haul a car full of goodies back for her parents and grandparents.
Then her parents would stuff her car full again, all with farm-fresh specialties.
Of course, she didn’t mind, nor did her in-laws, every time she returned from her parents’ place, her uncles, aunts, and cousins would swarm over, divvying up the farm goods she brought back.
Mu Qing knew her in-laws’ enthusiasm for splitting up her haul was their way of giving her face.
Marrying into the Jun family was a blessing of three lifetimes.
Haitong said with a touch of envy, “That’s your parents’ love for you.”
Her own parents were gone.
She couldn’t experience that kind of love anymore.
She had no maternal home to return to, even if that house still stood, without her parents, going back would only bring sadness.
Though her relationship with her grandparents had softened a bit, it could never compare to the bond Mu Qing shared with hers.
The Mu family Mu Qing returned to wasn’t her birth family, yet they treated her better than their own.
She usually visited her adoptive parents’ home, her biological parents were still traveling abroad, only coming back occasionally.
Anyway, the Lan family had been handed over to Lan Zheng, Mu Qing’s birth parents felt that after retirement, they should live for themselves for once.
The old couple had missed twenty-some years due to other reasons, Mu Qing’s birth mother had gone mad from longing after Mu Qing’s disappearance, it wasn’t until they reunited that her mother slowly regained her sanity.
“My mom’s been mentioning you too, asking when you’re free to visit, it’s perfect timing, it’s not so cold today, let’s take the little ones and stay for a couple of days, the sweet potatoes are extra sweet right now, we can roast some when we get there,” Mu Qing said.
Haitong reminisced, “It’s been forever since I last had roasted sweet potatoes, the kind baked in the ground, not an oven.”
“Then this time, we’ll make it happen for you.”
“Let’s go, round up the kids, if I don’t bring Ye Yao and his sister, my parents will be upset, they’d say what’s the point of me coming back without them, once they have grandkids, the daughter’s forgotten, classic grandparent syndrome,” Mu Qing joked.
Sometimes, seeing her parents dote on the kids so much, Mu Qing would feel a little jealous.
Before she had kids, she was their precious darling, the apple of their eye.
After the kids came along, well, if she didn’t bring them, she couldn’t even step through the door, her parents would tell her to go back to her in-laws and fetch the children first.
If she said the kids weren’t feeling well and shouldn’t go out, her parents would instantly pack up, ready to rush to her in-laws’ place, as if their presence would magically heal the little ones.
Luckily, both kids had strong constitutions and rarely got sick.
Haitong laughed, “Lots of grandparents are like that.”
“Grandparent syndrome.”
The two chatted as they headed downstairs.
Mu Qing called out to the kids, “Long Ting, Yangyang, come on, we’re going to your grandma’s house for a couple of days.”
Ye Aijun, who was playing with Ye Yao on the sofa, overheard her daughter-in-law and asked, “Qingqing, you’re going back to your parents’?”
“Yeah, Mom, I’m taking the kids to stay at my parents’ place for a couple of days, my mom says she misses them.”
Ye Aijun reluctantly kissed her grandson’s little face, saying, “Yao Yao’s going to Grandma’s, I’ll miss you all too.”
“Qingqing, why don’t you take me along? It’s been a while since I last chatted with your mom.”
In truth, the two in-laws had met just a week ago, Ye Aijun had invited her counterpart into the city for shopping, a spa day, and dinner.
Mu Qing’s mom had even stayed over at her daughter’s place for a night, only heading back the next day with a driver arranged by Mu Qing.
She’d said she couldn’t trust leaving the chickens and ducks at home, otherwise she’d have stayed longer.
Sometimes, Ye Aijun and her husband, along with the old lady Jun, would sneak off without telling Mu Qing, the three old folks driving themselves to the in-laws’ place, staying a week, enjoying themselves so much they forgot to come back.
Old Lady Jun especially loved tagging along with Mu Qing’s grandma to visit neighbors, she adored hearing the rural grannies gossip about family matters, in short, she loved the chatter and the scandals.
People, you see, have an unbeatable knack for gossip.
