Luo Hongjuan would often steer the conversation back to Han Tao while they were eating, and frankly, she was deeply uneasy. If he were in the capital city, her son would call home twice a week, which would make Luo Hongjuan feel slightly better. But now he had been away for over ten days without a single call. All she knew about his situation came through emails. Although she knew her son would only report the good news and hide the bad, being a mother made her yearn for updates, even if the emails confirmed things were likely going well.

Wang Qiqi naturally offered only the best narratives. Han Tao had kept some things from her specifically so his family wouldn't worry, so Wang Qiqi was careful to share only positive news with Luo Hongjuan. Luo Hongjuan listened with a smile, her face constantly lighting up. Having news about her son today was good news indeed.

"Qiqi, in a couple of days when Auntie gets time off, we’ll go procure the vegetables and meat we need for the New Year," Luo Hongjuan said. Recently, she had been rushing to meet a major deadline at work. She hadn't expected a huge order to come in so close to the Spring Festival. Her boss had promised a big bonus for completing this batch, so Luo Hongjuan had been working nonstop, leaving no time to shop for supplies. Fortunately, having Qiqi around really eased the burden.

Wang Qiqi gave an "Oh," thinking she could easily handle all the purchasing herself. But perhaps this was just what housewives enjoyed doing. Moreover, Qiqi admitted that having someone else willing to go to the market during this busy period would certainly make things easier for her. In previous years, Han Tao acted as the labor force for buying New Year's goods, but this year, and for the next few years, she would have to rely on herself and Aunt Luo. The two chatted a bit more over dinner about the shopping list. They initially thought that since only two women would be home for the holiday, they wouldn't need much, but as they listed items, the tally grew. "We actually need quite a bit. It really shows a home can’t do without a male laborer," Luo Hongjuan sighed. In truth, Han Tao usually bought the New Year's supplies over the years; her role as the mother was just to write down the needed items and wait for them to magically appear at home.

Wang Qiqi shared the sentiment—alas, the inconvenience of not having a man around. But then a thought struck her. "Auntie, why don't I see tomorrow if my cousin’s husband has time?" Such a perfect candidate shouldn't be missed. Since he needed to buy New Year's goods for his paternal aunt’s family anyway, he could easily pick up theirs too. More importantly, her cousin’s husband had showily purchased a car, which would be infinitely more convenient than taking taxis.

Cousin’s husband? Luo Hongjuan paused, then recalled the man who brought some fruit for Wang Qiqi a few days ago; she remembered Qiqi mentioning he was her cousin’s husband. However, that was a casual drop-off since he was passing by. Luo Hongjuan wondered if it was appropriate to bother him with such a request. Even though they were related, asking such a favor felt a bit excessive.

Wang Qiqi noticed the hesitation on Luo Hongjuan’s face and knew she was worried about imposing. Truthfully, if it were anyone else, Wang Qiqi might not have bothered. But it was different with her cousin’s husband; he was genuinely helpful, and their relationship was good. "If my cousin’s husband is busy, isn't my cousin available?" Song Yao also knew how to drive, and private cars were still uncommon. Plus, if anything broke at the rental properties or if an urgent matter arose, having Song Yao, who was at home watching the child, handle it was most suitable.

Wang Qiqi immediately grabbed her phone and called Wang Damei’s house. Just as she suspected, Gong Peixing had to work. More importantly, Song Yao, who was right there, strongly insisted on accompanying Wang Qiqi to do the shopping, while Wang Damei would watch her son.

Hanging up, Wang Qiqi announced, "My cousin is free. She’s coming to pick me up tomorrow to buy meat and fruit." Qiqi had initially planned to buy fruit at the local shop, but now that they had such a good driver and Song Yao needed fruit too, they might as well shop together. Wang Qiqi could already foresee that her cousin’s husband’s Santana would be packed full tomorrow. Her cousin had never been that interested in buying groceries and cooking supplies, preferring clothes shopping. But everything changed after she got married and had a baby. The meat market, the fruit market, and the vegetable market were now Song Yao’s frequent haunts, far more often than shopping malls.

Luo Hongjuan said nothing upon hearing this. Since Qiqi had arranged it and the cousins were close, it wouldn't be an imposition. After eating, the two sat for a short while, had some fruit, and then Luo Hongjuan went home.

After seeing Luo Hongjuan off, Wang Qiqi took a hot bath, returned to the bedroom, and started working on her computer. She had actually seen work emails that afternoon, but she had been busy cooking and, after shopping with Shi Man earlier, had been in a slightly sour mood after learning Feng Xuanxiang was coming over. "I wonder how the discussion between Manman and Feng Xuanxiang is going."

Judging by Shi Man's attitude, Wang Qiqi wasn't optimistic about the outcome of their talks. But no matter how anxious she felt, she knew calling them now would be useless. She could only pray for a good result, though Wang Qiqi still insisted that Feng Xuanxiang should meet Shi Man's future in-laws. Shi Man, however, had her reservations, which Wang Qiqi couldn't dismiss as trivial. In contrast, her own journey with Han Tao had been smooth, even meeting his parents happened naturally, without any formal introductions. Luo Yi hadn't objected to her dating Han Tao, though she initially had reservations, worrying that Qiqi’s strong nature might overwhelm Han Tao. But after more than a year of observation—especially Han Tao going abroad for advanced studies and work—Luo Hongjuan’s attitude had completely changed. In her eyes, the strong daughter-in-law had many merits, such as being a good cook and having first-rate diplomatic skills, perfectly capable of taking care of a man's domestic worries.

Shi Man only saw how smoothly Wang Qiqi had won over her future mother-in-law, failing to notice how much effort Qiqi put into gaining Luo Hongjuan's goodwill. The expectations for a child from a family friend were vastly different from those for a daughter-in-law. But Shi Man was about to face that test soon, especially since Shi Man presented a cold front to those she didn't know well. Facing future in-laws with that demeanor would create immense pressure, yet getting Shi Man to change was quite difficult. Wang Qiqi calculated that it would be quite challenging for this young couple to achieve a happy ending.

Wang Qiqi was groggily woken by the sound of the phone ringing at home one morning. Her first instinct was to ignore it; it must be a wrong number at this hour. Anyone familiar with Wang Qiqi knew that when she wasn't taking classes, she slept until she woke up naturally, rarely stirring before ten. This time was too early.

Wang Qiqi ignored the persistent ringing until she couldn't sleep anymore. Annoyed, she finally dragged herself out of bed. The moment she picked up the receiver, she heard a string of scolding words. After listening for a while, Wang Qiqi finally registered what was happening. She quickly seized a pause in the tirade to speak, "Sis, why are you here so early?" Didn't mothers who looked after children lack sleep? How could she be up so early? Ugh, Wang Qiqi thought, maybe seeking convenience by involving this person was a mistake.

Whatever the person on the other end said, Wang Qiqi hung up and scrambled out of bed, changed clothes, and rushed to the bathroom to wash up. The entire process was completed in under ten minutes. If Shi Man or others were there, their jaws would have dropped. While Wang Qiqi’s morning grumpiness wasn't severe, her movements were never this fluid right after waking up; it usually took at least half an hour from rising to leaving. Yet now, she was moving with surprising speed.

Wang Qiqi opened the windows for ventilation and then grabbed her bag, sprinting downstairs. When she reached the ground floor, she saw a black Santana parked below. Though Wang Qiqi had never seen Song Yao’s first car, one stopping outside her building at this hour could only be Song Yao’s.

Wang Qiqi intended to sit in the back seat—it was roomier, and she could half-recline and doze off for a bit. "Sit in the front," Song Yao ordered brusquely the moment she saw Qiqi move. Hmph, she had clearly told Qiqi yesterday to wake up early, yet she had to call her repeatedly to get her downstairs. Song Yao figured the girl hadn't taken her words to heart at all.

Seeing Song Yao’s expression, Wang Qiqi shivered internally. She knew the young madam was angry. She felt a bit wronged, too. Yes, she’d agreed to wake up early yesterday, but she wasn't selling pork! Wouldn’t arriving after ten be perfectly fine? Besides, they had a car, making travel so convenient. But it was only 8:30 AM now. Wang Qiqi thought this was utterly ridiculous.

Song Yao glared at the reluctant Wang Qiqi sliding into the passenger seat. "I told you to wake up early; did you forget? Don't you know you have to go to the butcher shop early to get the freshest meat?" She scoffed, "It’s easy not to know the cost of things when you aren't managing the household." But then Song Yao realized that wasn’t quite right; Wang Qiqi had been running her own household for two and a half years. How could she still lack such basic common sense?

Freshness? Of course, Wang Qiqi knew that, but her counterargument was, "The meat is going into the freezer once we get home. What difference does being slightly late make?" They weren't eating it today; even the freshest meat wouldn’t be fresh after a few days. Sigh, dealing with housewives was exhausting.

While the car waited at a red light, Song Yao reached over and lightly tapped Wang Qiqi’s head. "If you go early, the selection is wider, and we still need to go to the fruit market. Humph, if it weren't for you, I would have bought the meat already," Song Yao said dismissively.

Wang Qiqi was speechless. Song Yao was too fierce. She couldn't imagine how her cousin's husband tolerated her. But then again, looking at his henpecked demeanor, maybe it was fine. In his eyes, Song Yao was definitely a wonderful wife and mother. (To be continued)