"How about it?" Song Yao wondered if Wang Qiqi was truly playing dumb or genuinely clueless, given the words she had just laid out. "We couldn't possibly let you cover the furniture and renovation costs. This small amount, your big sister can handle, right, Yang Jing?"

Yang Jing understood immediately; she covered her mouth, chuckling quietly behind them. She hadn't expected her sister-in-law to ever show such an endearing side.

This small amount? Hearing Song Yao, Wang Qiqi felt an intense urge to shove the car door open and simply tumble out onto the road. "Wasn't it just moments ago someone was nagging me about how much money would be spent on a worthless old coffee machine? It sounded like a king's ransom coming from certain lips." And now it's a small sum? She couldn't stand it.

"Didn't you mention that if you got the coffee machine, it would be best to also get an oven?" Forget it. Song Yao looked at Wang Qiqi, who was visibly about to snap, and felt she might lose her own mind too. It was such a simple matter, yet her little sister acted completely obtuse. Fine, she’d just say it directly to save her sister-in-law's precious brain cells—Qiqi's mind was quite valuable, considering all the money-making schemes she conjured up.

Wang Qiqi never imagined Song Yao's entire fuss was just about an oven. Her jaw nearly dropped. "Heavens, sister, you truly live up to your reputation in business." The shrewd, almost mercenary kind. She’d given the coffee machine, only to be asked for an oven next. "Ah, that demand is too much. I’ll have to go back and apply with my man." She needed to give Han Tao some face; after all, that was a considerable sum of money.

Still need to apply with Han Tao? Song Yao almost blurted out, Isn't all his money right here with you? Do you really need to consult Han Tao about buying two things? But then she glanced at Yang Jing in the back seat and immediately swallowed the words. She knew that her younger brother, Song Ziwen, only surrendered his primary salary card to Yang Jing. As for the bonus cards and rental income, Song Ziwen kept those himself. If Yang Jing were to find out what a truly generous man Han Tao was, she might trigger a domestic war when she got back to her own husband. "You! You aren't even married to Han Tao yet, and you listen to your man this much. Are you spending his money?"

"Spending his money?" At the insinuation, Wang Qiqi flared up, delivering a sharp slap to Song Yao’s back. "Am I someone without money? Do I need to spend Han Tao’s money?" She was, after all, a modern woman with her own properties and assets! Even though Han Tao gave her all his earnings, Wang Qiqi sincerely swore she had never touched the money on his card—oh, except for that trip to the US. That didn't count, because she was serving as his cook there, and hiring such a competent nanny in America would have cost a fortune. "I’ll just tell him to mention it to his ** so there won’t be any issues later. Ah, sister, marriage is so troublesome. Han Tao’s cousin is getting married in a couple of days, and just thinking about it gives me a headache." Ugh, so annoying.

Although the wedding gift money would be paid by the future mother-in-law, Wang Qiqi felt miserable just thinking about facing that large crowd and enduring the scrutiny of the Han family. Especially since Han Tao’s relationship with his relatives wasn't great, yet she still had to endure their critiques. Wang Qiqi genuinely felt like throwing up.

"Relax, just stick close to Han Tao. I'm more worried if Han Tao can even recognize all his relatives," Song Yao consoled her. "Besides, just treat it as networking. And what they say can actually affect you how?"

Wang Qiqi shrugged. Of course, it couldn't affect her. Just kidding. "Fine. Later, I’ll tell you all about the nightmare relatives on Han's side; it might be more bothersome than our own family issues." As she said this, Wang Qiqi suddenly remembered something, covering her mouth and laughing heartily, which struck Song Yao and Yang Jing as rather odd.

After a long while, Wang Qiqi finished laughing and lowered her hand. "I just realized I’ve landed myself in an equally frustrating in-law situation as you, Yao Yao-jie. Of course, my own maternal family has its share of unpleasant relatives too." Just thinking about her small circle of relatives, and there was a whole set of troublemakers among them. "It's your family that's the best, Sister-in-law, no bothersome relatives on either the maternal or in-law side."

Song Yao hadn't expected Wang Qiqi was laughing about that. She felt like kicking her right out of the car. Knowing how stressed she’d been lately, and here Qiqi was saying something like that. "Compared to you, I have it worse. I have in-laws who are disgustingly biased, and a brother-in-law and his wife who want to take advantage while maintaining a good public image. Just thinking about it gives me a headache, and I have to face them constantly." There were times Song Yao wished she could go light incense at a temple, praying heaven would whisk those horrid in-laws away. As long as those two were on Earth, the list of things she had to worry about only grew. "Han Tao has cut ties with many relatives. Even when they interact, it’s just superficial pleasantries."

People always benefited from comparison. Wang Qiqi had just been agonizing over how Han Tao ended up with so many awful relatives, but hearing Song Yao’s predicament instantly lifted her spirits. "There’s someone worse off than me. I feel much better now." Seeing someone whose situation was worse instantly brightened her mood. After all, she wasn't the lowest one on the ladder.

Hearing Wang Qiqi clearly mocking her misery, Song Yao was profoundly thankful she was driving; otherwise, she certainly would have been tempted to lash out. "Wang Qiqi, I think you’re itching for a beating. Hmph, don’t get cocky; I guarantee you’ll have plenty of trouble in the future." Tch. Once the Han family relatives saw how successful Han Tao had become, they would inevitably latch on. "Thank heavens your mother-in-law is somewhat sensible." And she often discussed things with her own mother. Although Wang Damei often said Luo Hongjuan was too soft, under Wang Damei’s tutelage, Luo Hongjuan had become considerably tougher. "Yang Jing is the lucky one; your family is all quiet relatives. Not like us, who have several sets of terrible in-laws that are embarrassing to even speak of. Oh, right, Yang Jing, there are a few cans of the maternal milk powder Qiqi asked someone to buy in the trunk. That silly girl forgot to give them to you yesterday. Make sure to take them when you head home today."

Yang Jing was surprised Wang Qiqi had specially arranged for the maternal milk powder. "Oh, I shouldn't." Qiqi had also specially arranged for someone to bring back several bottles of vitamins from the US that pregnant women could use for nourishment. Yang Jing heard from Song Ziwen that Song Yao hadn't received nearly this much care when she was pregnant. She felt lucky that as the sister-in-law, she had arrived at such a good time.

"It's nothing. Just give me a fair-skinned, plump nephew, and that will be enough." Wang Qiqi had heard Yang Jing was carrying a boy; otherwise, she wouldn't dare mention "son" so casually in front of a pregnant woman, as it might just irritate someone's maternal nerves. "But everyone in our family seems to have sons. I’ll just have a fair-skinned, plump, adorable daughter later." Compared to boys, Wang Qiqi preferred girls. Girls could be dressed up beautifully, and if a daughter was raised well, she was definitely better than a thankless son.

"Qiqi, you still need to have a son. Think about it—if you and Han Tao have such a massive enterprise, wouldn't it all go to outsiders if you didn't have a son?" Song Yao said with the air of an experienced elder. "Look at your brother-in-law; the energy he has now stems entirely from wanting his son to have a good life, not repeating the hard life he had before. If it were a daughter, would he be this driven? Your brother-in-law is constantly dragging Song Ziwen around looking at properties and shops, always talking about working hard to build an estate for their son. Listen to them—it’s as if our two children don't matter."

"Exactly. Ziwen loves lying on my belly, foolishly chatting with the baby, and telling me all about the houses he and brother-in-law looked at..." Yang Jing heard Song Yao mention this and wasn't sure if it was intentional or accidental, but Song Ziwen had indeed been running around saying he wanted to buy a bigger house, claiming it would benefit the child when they got older. "Sister, you don't know Ziwen. He’s even planning a separate study room and a dedicated toy room for the son." While a large house indicated a family was doing well financially, Yang Jing first worried if she could ever manage to clean such a space, and whether a bigger house would tempt the in-laws to move in. If that happened, Yang Jing thought it might be better not to buy a large house at all; they could stay in the current one, which at least made it convenient for her own parents to visit.

"Why do they need such a big house? As if he has to clean it," Song Yao truly wondered if her brother's brain was malfunctioning. Knowing that if their mother found out they were buying a large house, she would definitely insist they move back home. "He’s a grown man who does absolutely nothing when he gets home; why buy a huge house?" Song Yao knew everyone liked a big house, but the issue was that once her mother heard Yang Jing was having a grandson, she constantly brought up whether she should move Yang Jing's family over after Song Yao went to Beijing. Although her intentions were good—wanting to be close to her grandson and avoid gossip that she only helped raise her daughter's child while neglecting her own grandson—it was all just more trouble.

"The house still needs to be big. Eventually, I hope my brother earns enough to buy a villa with a garden so the children have more space indoors. As for my aunt and uncle, perhaps after they've grown accustomed to the quiet life with just the two of them and an auntie, they won't be so eager to have the grandson around all the time. However, my aunt might worry if Sister-in-law holds a grudge against her for not babysitting." Wang Qiqi mused that perhaps once Tao Tao went to Beijing with Song Yao and her husband, and Yang Jing lived separately with the children, his aunt would realize how much quieter the house was, how much cleaner it stayed, and how much freedom she had. With her son and grandson visiting from time to time, and if Song Ziwen was more tactful and frequently booked trips for the elderly couple, Wang Damei might actually find the idea of babysitting to be a hassle compared to living with the younger generation. One must remember that although Wang Damei deeply desired to live with her descendants, the self-centered core of her personality remained. It all depended on how Song Ziwen managed that delicate balance. (To be continued)