Lin Chuxia smiled and glanced at Mother Lin, “Dad, didn’t mom tell me not to visit home too often if it’s not necessary? Have you forgotten what she said during Mid-Autumn Festival? I’m just following what mom said.”
Mr. Lin stiffened and also recalled the words Mother Lin had spoken during Mid-Autumn Festival; he gave her a dark glare.
Mother Lin instinctively wanted to chastise this disobedient daughter but remembered the instructions from her elder daughter, so she suppressed her temperament and said,
“Look at you, child. Do you take every word mom says to heart? This is your home, and you can come back whenever you want; who could really stop you?”
Lin Chuxia said no more; if they wanted to wear masks, then let them—she’d be at peace.
She hoped they would keep their masks on for a bit longer, better not to take them off.
Inside the house, Lin Jiayi sat on a chair with both hands resting on her lower abdomen.
Even though she wasn’t showing yet, she protruded her belly exaggeratedly, looking every bit pregnant.
Seeing Qin Yang beside Lin Chuxia, Lin Jiayi was taken aback for a moment, her gaze falling on his right arm.
She recalled her mother mentioning that Qin Yang had been home with an injured arm and was likely disabled, which is why his workplace advised him to go home.
But now, his arms hung normally by his sides.
He seemed to have been the one pushing the bicycle when they entered the gate.
Was his arm healed?
If it was healed and yet he wasn’t at work, he must have been dismissed from his job.
Without giving it much thought, she smiled and greeted, “Second sister, you finally came. I’ve been waiting for you all day.”
Mother Lin pushed Lin Chuxia forward, “Your elder sister has been talking about you continuously. You two sisters sit together and have a good chat.”
Lin Chuxia didn’t miss Lin Jiayi’s scrutinizing gaze. After scanning the room and seeing only Lin Jiayi, she smiled faintly, “Is your husband not here today?”
Seeing her enter the room without speaking to herself and directly asking about Li Guangyuan, Lin Jiayi’s eyes flashed a hint of wariness.
Maybe she was overthinking, but although these two were never husband and wife in this lifetime, Lin Jiayi always felt that Li Guangyuan treated Lin Chuxia differently.
What a vile woman, having her own man yet still thinking about seducing her brother-in-law.
“Guang Yuan was here yesterday; he came with me to my parent’s home.”
“That’s unfortunate, but no matter, Jiadong, go to Xiaoqingshan Village and call your elder brother-in-law over for lunch,” Lin Chuxia directly called out.
“No need,” Lin Jiayi stood up abruptly, then thinking she was overreacting, smiled again, “Your elder brother-in-law was here yesterday, no need to call him again.”
Qin Yang didn’t know why Lin Chuxia wanted to call Li Guangyuan, but this didn’t stop him from speaking up,
“I haven’t seen the elder brother-in-law in a long time, just wanted to talk. Elder sister, are you unwilling?”
Confronting Qin Yang’s dark, cold eyes, Lin Jiayi felt inexplicably terrified.
She had seen these eyes her whole life, feared them her whole life.
Especially during those years when she cuckolded this man, every time he looked at her with those eyes, it felt like those eyes saw right through to her bones, and no murky deed could be hidden from his sight.
“No…not at all.”
Mother Lin also thought it proper to call Li Guangyuan, as it wouldn’t hurt for Li Guangyuan to interact more with the Qin Family who were quite influential.
Pointing at Lin Jiadong who was still dazed, “What are you dazing for? Go call your brother-in-law over, tell him your second brother-in-law is here.”
Lin Jiadong acknowledged and hurried out.
Mother Lin smiled and asked Qin Yang and Mr. Lin to have a chat and drink water inside, while she went with Lin Jiayi and Sister Chuxia to prepare the meal.
In the kitchen, Mother Lin first asked Lin Chuxia why Qin Yang didn’t go to work.
According to her eldest daughter, Qin Yang’s workplace was very busy, even during the Spring Festival he would only stay at home for a day or two at most.
Lin Jiayi also looked over, her eyes filled with a faint expectation.
Lin Chuxia spoke indifferently, “He will go in a few days.”
“Didn’t mom say he injured his arm? He has been home for such a long time, does his workplace still need him?” Lin Jiayi couldn’t help but ask.
Lin Chuxia glanced at her, “Big sister, what are you saying? Qin Yang was injured while working, the workplace would reward him rather than not wanting him. His rest at home was also approved by the workplace, now that his injury is healed, naturally, he needs to return to work.”
He’s not left disabled and fired by the workplace?
Just resting at home, and there’s a reward?
Seeing Lin Jiayi’s face turning ugly, Mother Lin quickly intervened, “Your big sister cares about you, if you guys are doing well, she’s happy too. Similarly, if they’re doing well, you’ll be happy too, right?”
“Of course, I hope my big sister and her husband have a harmonious marriage and a blissful life.”
“This shows you really have grown up and become sensible,” Mother Lin said, visibly relieved, “Now that your big sister is pregnant, she’s become picky with food. She even told me yesterday she likes the cooked food from your Bun Shop.”
“That’s easy to say.”
As soon as Lin Chuxia spoke, both mother and daughter looked at her joyfully.
She then continued with the latter half of her sentence, “Since big sister likes it, let my brother-in-law buy more. I heard he has made quite a lot of money in business, he surely won’t mind the little extra for my big sister. After all, she is carrying their Li Family’s grandchild.”
Lin Jiayi felt like she was choking, getting more uncomfortable.
She didn’t know when Lin Chuxia had become so sharp-tongued.
And she didn’t know if it was intentional, but every word seemed to stab right where it hurt.
Hearing this, Mother Lin also became unhappy, “Child, we’re all family here, should your big sister have to spend money to eat something you have? And don’t say that Bun Shop belongs to the Qin Family, you are now part of the Qin Family too. I don’t believe you can’t manage this matter, and it’s not like you have to take things to the maternal home. Later you can teach your big sister how to cook the seasoned food, once she learns, does she still need to go to the county to buy it?”
“Sure, making seasoned food is easy,” Lin Chuxia responded generously.
Lin Jiayi, however, was more cautious, “I heard that the seasoned food from the Bun Shop has a secret recipe, would you be willing to share that secret recipe?”
Lin Chuxia looked surprised, “Big sister, don’t you just want to eat the seasoned food? Why do you need a secret recipe? I don’t even know the Qin Family’s secret recipe for seasoned food.”
Hearing this, Mother Lin knew she had been tricked by this cunning girl again, and didn’t go round in circles anymore.
“I’ll tell you the truth, your big sister also wants to start a business selling seasoned food, don’t worry, they will only do it in this village and definitely won’t compete with your sales in the county. You’re now a daughter-in-law of the Qin Family, and you manage matters in the shop, it shouldn’t be hard to get the secret recipe.”
Looking at Mother Lin’s angry face and Lin Jiayi’s jealous expression, this was the family Lin Chuxia knew.
All these roundabout talks and acting just to get the secret recipe for seasoned food.
But the acting was still subpar.
“If big sister wants the recipe for seasoned food, considering we are relatives, I can mention it to brother, but before the New Year a food factory wanted the Qin Family’s recipe for seasoned food and offered three permanent job positions in exchange, even then, brother didn’t agree, I wonder what big sister has to offer in exchange?”