Chapter 158: Becoming a Live-in Son-in-Law

She was still wearing an apron, her pregnant belly quite noticeable. She had been busy for Jiang Fuchao since early morning, rushing to wish him a happy birthday at the moment he woke up, then serving him as if he were a young master, helping him wash and dress. The mother and son had spent a long time whispering sweet nothings to each other that morning, barely paying him any attention. “Who knows what day it is? I forgot. It’s a waste of effort,” He glanced at her gentle eyes, hesitated, then turned back to chopping vegetables. He hadn’t celebrated a birthday in over a decade or two. He wasn’t a child anymore; why bother with birthdays? Hu Yao looked at him for a few seconds, wanting to say something. The soup began to boil, so she held back her words and went to the stove. “When’s your birthday? What do you want?” he asked her in turn. Hu Yao didn’t hear him clearly at first; he repeated the question in a low voice. “……I haven’t had a birthday in a long time, and I forgot.” Hu Yao said softly. “You don’t even remember your own birthday? You’re an idiot.” he scolded. “You’re no better!” Hu Yao glared at him, feeling frustrated. He wasn’t any better than her. “Who’s the same as you!” Jiang Han picked up a red bean bun and stuffed it into her mouth: “Don’t stand here, go outside and spend time with Jiang Fuchao.” She had been busy in the kitchen for ages, making soup and a few small dishes. He would finish the rest and wait for Zhao Jiaxing to do the rest; that guy’s cooking skills were passable. Hu Yao grabbed the bun in her mouth and let him half-push, half-pull her out of the kitchen. As soon as she came out, Du Ximei and Song Sike arrived, bringing Jiang Xiaochao a lot of gifts, both food and toys. Combined with the gifts from Qiu Yingwen, Tang Haofei, and Jiang Han’s other brothers and friends, there was already a small pile. Jiang Xiaochao, the birthday boy, was quite popular, and his friends gave him many strange and wonderful little gifts. He treasured them, holding and playing with each one in turn. Qiu Yarong knew he liked eggs, so she brought a small basket of eggs, generously telling him to eat as many as he wanted. She hadn’t seen Xiaoya for a long time, and when talking to Jiang Xiaochao, her eyes kept drifting to Xiaoya. Finally, she quickly shoved the basket into Jiang Xiaochao’s arms and ran to Xiaoya. Qiu Yingwen watched, feeling both helpless and amused. She didn’t know why this little girl liked Xiaoya so much. “Yaya, you’re here~! Where were you yesterday? I couldn’t find you at my aunt’s yesterday.” She squeezed next to Xiaoya, grabbing her hand. It had only been a day, but she said it felt like a long time. “Uncle took me to buy gifts for Chaochao.” Xiaoya blushed, letting her kiss her cheek. She was already used to Qiu Yarong’s tomboyish behavior. Her uncle and aunt had only told her not to act like that with boys, not girls. She had never had a friend as enthusiastic as Qiu Yarong before, and she really liked her too. “For Rongrong.” Xiaoya knew she would come today, so she brought something for her: a little dress she made from scraps of cloth her aunt gave her, for Qiu Yarong’s doll. “Wow! It’s so pretty!” Qiu Yarong exclaimed, happily jumping around with the little dress. She was almost four years old, and her birthday was in a few days. Her appearance was completely different from the tomboy she was last year. Today, Qiu Yingwen had braided two pigtails for her and put her in a new dress; she looked like a sweet and soft little girl. If she didn’t act like a tomboy and hug Xiaoya and kiss her, of course. “Yaya, you’ll be my wife!” she solemnly announced, looking serious. Jiang Xiaochao bit into his egg and watched them. “What about Chaochao?” Xiaoya asked softly. Jiang Xiaochao had said that Qiu Yarong and his baby would go into his belly, and Qiu Yarong had said she would take responsibility for him and the baby. “Well, you’ll be the first wife, and he’ll be the second wife,” Qiu Yarong pondered for a moment, coming up with a solution. “I don’t want to be the second wife.” Jiang Xiaochao swallowed his egg, frowning. Hu Yao chuckled, amused by them. These little ones would always say childishly silly things that made people laugh. “You’re so greedy, you want two wives!” Du Ximei also laughed, pinching Qiu Yarong’s cheek, glancing at Tang Haofei, who was running after Qiu Yingwen, and snorted softly, continuing to rub her face: “You’ll be someone else’s wife in the future, okay? You still want to marry a wife.” “I just like Yaya!” Qiu Yarong pouted. Du Ximei mischievously said: “Xiaoya will marry someone else too.” Qiu Yarong was unhappy: “Who? Will they grab eggs for her like I do?” “……Of course not.” “Does Xiaoya like him?” “Of course, why would she marry him if she didn’t like him?” Qiu Yarong’s lower lip trembled, stubbornly refusing to give up: “But I like Brother Han, and I didn’t marry him!” Du Ximei stifled a laugh: “Just because you like him doesn’t mean you can marry him? Did you ask Brother Han if he’s willing? He only wants your Aunt Hu to be his wife.” Qiu Yarong drooped, pouting and refusing to speak. Du Ximei poked her, wanting to tease her some more. “Ximei, come here for a moment, I have something for you.” Hu Yao called her. “Okay.” Du Ximei patted Qiu Yarong’s little bottom and walked away. “Rongrong, don’t be sad, I won’t marry anyone else.” Xiaoya comforted her, lying beside her: “I’ll always play with you.” Jiang Xiaochao peeled a new egg, intending to share half with her, but seeing her unhappiness, he compromised: “That’s right, Xiaoya will be the first wife, and I’ll be the second wife.” The little ones huddled together, whispering to each other. Tang Haofei came over and saw Qiu Yarong looking dejected, her two pigtails messy, her rosy lips still pouting. His heart softened instantly. “Who made our Rong Jie unhappy again?” he squatted down and asked softly. “I don’t want to marry someone else, they’ll be mean and beat me and I won’t have any food to eat.” Qiu Yarong snorted. Her little head was full of all sorts of messy thoughts. Tang Haofei paused, of course he would coax her. “Okay, okay, we won’t get married, others will marry you in the future! Whoever you like, I’ll get them for you, you can choose from a line!” He was now very indulgent towards Qiu Yarong. “Does Xiaochao like her? Let’s get her for you.” Tang Haofei pointed to the bewildered Jiang Xiaochao. Qiu Yarong: “He’s my second wife.” Tang Haofei’s eyebrows twitched. Jiang Han kicked Zhao Jiaxing into the kitchen and heard these two sentences, quite amused: “Jiang Fuchao, after this meal, pack your bags and pillow and you can become a live-in son-in-law.”