Chapter 148

The people at the table felt a twinge of envy. Look at that sweet mouth and how pleasant her words were.

They didn’t expect their daughters-in-law to cook for them, but they’d be delighted if they were just a bit sweeter.

Lu Weiguo had brought two lunch boxes from home this time, intending to have lunch with his mother.

Since there were many workers, aluminum lunch boxes were abundant.

For once, Lu Weiguo’s mother was generous, giving each of her colleagues a piece of pork tenderloin and a prawn.

Fortunately, there were only three others at the table besides their family of three.

After last night, Lu Weiguo’s mother knew her daughter-in-law’s cooking skills would amaze her old friends.

Sure enough, after tasting it, they were full of admiration.

In an era where eating was about being full, Shi Tingyu’s refined cooking was a delightful treat.

While eating, they praised Shi Tingyu’s skills, attracting curious glances from nearby tables.

At a table some distance away, Lu Weiguo’s sister-in-law, Qin Ping, was having lunch with her workshop colleagues.

Her colleague, Xiao Min, glanced at Lu Weiguo’s mother and then at Qin Ping, speaking meaningfully, “Isn’t that your mother-in-law and little brother-in-law’s family over there?”

Qin Ping glanced over, “Yes, Weiguo and his wife came to bring lunch to Mom today.”

Xiao Min gave her a look of disapproval, “You’re too honest. Look at your mother-in-law, she really likes your sister-in-law. Your position in the family might be in jeopardy.”

Qin Ping tightened her grip on her chopsticks and frowned at Xiao Min, “Why do you think that? My little brother-in-law and his wife don’t come home often, so it’s natural for Mom to be more attentive to them.”

Xiao Min, looking like she couldn’t believe Qin Ping’s naivety, lowered her voice, “You’re such a fool. Your in-laws have a good income. If you don’t compete with your sister-in-law, all the benefits will go to her family. See, she even brings lunch to your mother-in-law.”

Qin Ping remained unmoved, “That money belongs to my in-laws. They can give it to whoever they want. I don’t mind.”

She genuinely didn’t care much about the money. What she valued was her position in the family. Besides, their current life was much better than when she was living with her parents.

Xiao Min was taken aback. She had never seen someone with such a gentle disposition.

“Parents always favor the youngest. You’ll regret this one day,” she said, sounding more concerned than ever.

Qin Ping didn’t respond.

Family issues shouldn’t be aired in public. Even if she had problems with her sister-in-law, she wouldn’t discuss them here. Besides, she had no complaints about Shi Tingyu.

She only felt a bit inferior because her sister-in-law came from a big city.

She glanced at Xiao Min, whose expression showed disappointment.

Their relationship hadn’t been the same since she married into the family.

Since Qin Ping was chosen by her mother-in-law and matched with her husband, Xiao Min had been colder to her, often making sarcastic remarks about how having connections made everything easier.

Qin Ping wasn’t stupid; she recognized the envy in Xiao Min’s tone.

But they were colleagues, and as long as her own life was comfortable, she didn’t mind Xiao Min’s occasional jabs.

As long as she didn’t take Xiao Min’s words to heart, they couldn’t harm her.

Just like now, Xiao Min was trying to stir trouble between her and her family, but Qin Ping saw through it.

If she quarreled with Shi Tingyu over this, it would not only embarrass the Lu family but also make her mother-in-law dislike her. She wasn’t going to fall for it.

Seeing Qin Ping not taking the bait, Xiao Min stopped talking.

They had joined the factory at the same time and were placed in the same workshop, often working together and sharing everything.

Qin Ping was introverted and usually quiet, not as sociable as Xiao Min.

Back then, Xiao Min often helped her, but she couldn’t understand how Qin Ping got so lucky to catch Director Chen’s eye and ended up with her son.

Director Chen was a very understanding mother-in-law, much better than hers. Qin Ping’s husband was also handsome and tall. Xiao Min had seen him a few times when he came to find Qin Ping and knew he was a good husband.

Sometimes she wondered how she fell short of Qin Ping. When they first joined the factory, she outperformed Qin Ping in everything except marriage, where she lagged far behind.

This hurt her pride deeply.

That’s why she said those things to Qin Ping today.

She had just looked at Qin Ping’s sister-in-law, who was unbelievably beautiful, like a movie star from old posters. She couldn’t believe that Qin Ping wouldn’t be jealous with such a sister-in-law to compare herself to.

But Qin Ping was a coward. Despite Xiao Min’s comments, she had no reaction.

Qin Ping didn’t care about Xiao Min’s petty thoughts and left the cafeteria after finishing her meal.

By this time, Lu Weiguo’s mother and the others had also finished eating.

Lu Weiguo packed up the lunch boxes and carried them, walking out with his mother.

When they passed by a woman in a blue work uniform, Lu Weiguo’s mother stopped and turned to Shi Tingyu, saying, “Xiaoyu, this is Aunt Li. Say hello to Aunt Li. She was very concerned about Weiguo not finding a wife.”

Shi Tingyu understood immediately. She took Lu Weiguo’s mother’s arm and smiled brightly, “Hello, Aunt Li. Thank you so much for worrying about Weiguo. You’ve been so thoughtful. Weiguo and I are doing great. You should come visit us sometime.”

Aunt Li’s smile froze, and she awkwardly replied, “Sure, I’ll come by when I have time.”

Lu Weiguo’s mother patted Shi Tingyu’s hand and said with a smile, “Alright, Aunt Li, we’ll be going now. Take your time with your meal.”

Once they left the cafeteria, Lu Weiguo’s mother laughed.

“Xiaoyu, you really made me proud today!”

“Does Mom have some grudge with Aunt Li?” Shi Tingyu asked.

Lu Weiguo’s mother slowly explained, “Back then, Mrs. Li and I were competing for the position of head of logistics. She secretly bribed the factory leaders. If she hadn’t been caught, she would probably be in my position now.”

She didn’t mind fair competition, but she disliked underhanded tactics.

When things didn’t go her way, Mrs. Li was naturally upset. Since then, their encounters had been strained.

Her eldest son had no faults, and her younger son was excellent at his job. So, Mrs. Li could only poke fun at her younger son’s marriage.

As her younger son grew older, she did worry, but she couldn’t just find any wife for him. Even when arranging matches, she looked for good candidates.

But with better candidates came more choices, so her younger son’s marriage never worked out.

However, her son was lucky and brought home such a wonderful daughter-in-law. Now, she could hold her head high in front of Mrs. Li.

She had always boasted about how great her daughter-in-law was, and Mrs. Li hadn’t believed her. Now, she had seen it for herself.