Madam Gu had always taken a relaxed attitude towards her children’s marriages.

But since Gu Yanqing had remained single and showed no signs of settling down even at thirty, and since she liked Miss Tan, she had decided to try to match them.

Later, when she found out about Qiao Wanqing’s existence, she stopped trying to play matchmaker.

Even though she found fault with Qiao Wanqing in many ways, since Gu Yanqing liked her, Madam Gu didn’t say anything.

However, seeing that Qiao Wanqing was a country girl did come as a bit of a shock to Madam Gu.

But she knew that Gu Yanqing’s decision was not something she could influence, so now she felt very conflicted.

“After you’ve decided to be with her?” Madam Gu asked Gu Yanqing after they had finished cleaning up and entered the kitchen.

Gu Yanqing gave Kouko some water and nodded. “Mm.”

“Alright, since you’ve made up your mind, I won’t say anything. But she can’t stay here anymore. Let her pack up and come with us to City X. She needs to see more of the world and attend formal occasions. Don’t wait until after you’re married. I’ll take her out for afternoon tea and teach her the manners and culture that rich ladies should possess.”

Gu Yanqing felt speechless. “Mom, I’m marrying a person, not just a facade. She doesn’t have to drink afternoon tea. I’ll personally take her to the necessary formal events. As for the rest of the superficial things rich ladies do, she’s busy and doesn’t have time for that.”

Madam Gu replied, “…”

“What’s she busy with?” Madam Gu was also unhappy now. “Busy farming here?”

“Mom, it’s 8012 already, and you’re still into occupational discrimination.”

“You little rascal, are you trying to get away with anything?”

Gu Yanqing sat beside her, put his arm around her shoulder, and said, “If she’s coming to our family, and if I don’t support her, are you expecting others to help her? Don’t always play the role of the malicious mother-in-law. Kouko is not cute? If I suddenly have a wife and child, will you be unhappy? Don’t always think negatively.”

Kouko, who was playing nearby, heard his dad call him and looked up, “Hmm?”

Gu Yanqing waved to him, “Come here, darling.”

Kouko immediately dropped what he was holding and ran over cheerfully.

Kouko can walk quite steadily now, though he’s still quite short.

When he runs, his little legs move very quickly.

He dashed to Gu Yanqing’s side, but being so small, he couldn’t climb into his arms.

“Say hi to Grandma, Kouko,” Gu Yanqing coaxed him.

Kouko buried his head in Gu Yanqing’s thigh, feeling shy.

“Is he shy?” Madam Gu wondered.

“Kouko cares about his face,” Gu Yanqing said, surprised that such a young child could be shy. “Whenever there are visitors, he’s too shy to talk.”

Gu Yanqing lifted him up. “Be good, Kouko, say hi to Grandma.”

Madam Gu took out a small robot toy from a bag on the table behind her.

She turned it on, and the robot started moving.

She shook the toy in front of Kouko, “Would you like this, Kouko?”

Kouko’s eyes lit up, reaching out eagerly for the toy.

Madam Gu moved it away from his hand. “Say hi to Grandma first.”

“Grandma~” Kouko immediately called out shamelessly in front of the toy.

“Ah, Kouko is such a good boy,” Madam Gu said, handing him the toy.

Kouko took the toy and immediately excitedly played with it, jumping down from Gu Yanqing’s arms to play on the floor.

Madam Gu smiled warmly as she watched Kouko play with the robot.

Kouko was simply adorable, melting her heart completely.

She asked, “How old is he?”

“One year and a bit,” Gu Yanqing replied.

“Why didn’t you let us know when he was born?” Madam Gu felt a surge of annoyance. “What were you thinking?”

“Uh,” Gu Yanqing struggled with the complex question. “Kouko was unexpected. It was only recently that I confirmed my relationship with her.”

“…”

Madam Gu wanted to ask more about the unexpected situation, but considering young people these days, there are often messy situations.

It’s not uncommon for unexpected things to happen, and probing deeper might just lead to a misunderstanding.

Gu Yanqing might not even want to tell the whole truth.

Madam Gu had always been nonchalant about her children’s marriages.

As long as Gu Yanqing was happy, she wouldn’t interfere, even if he brought home someone she might not approve of.

While Gu Yanqing dealt with Madam Gu outside, Qiao Wanqing took on the task of winning over Madam Gu’s palate.

Their farm chickens were plump.

Qiao Wanqing divided one chicken into two halves.

She simmered one half over a stove with firewood to make soup, adding some chicken mushrooms just before it was ready.

The result was a delicious and nourishing soup.

The other half of the chicken was prepared as a traditional boiled dish to highlight its best flavors.

They had gathered a basket of chicken mushrooms.

Apart from stewing them in soup, Qiao Wanqing also stir-fried some and made the rest into chicken mushroom oil, which could be stored for a long time.

If Madam Gu liked it, they could even give her some to take home.

The goose was roasted as usual.

Goose giblets and chicken giblets were stir-fried together with Sichuan pepper, pickled radish, and long green peppers to create a tangy and spicy flavor.

In addition to these dishes, Qiao Wanqing also made stir-fried beef with snow peas, stir-fried cauliflower, and dry-pot potato slices, filling the table with a lavish spread.

If she were a traditional mother-in-law from a small family, seeing her son’s girlfriend so capable would surely please her.

However, Madam Gu wasn’t hoping for a daughter-in-law who could handle both the hall and the kitchen.

She preferred someone like Tan Xin who could maintain appearances anywhere they went.

Therefore, when she saw Qiao Wanqing bring out such a table of lunch, she didn’t seem particularly pleased.

Although lineage didn’t matter to her, it seemed she still favored girls like Tan Xin, who could earn face anywhere they went.

Gu Yanqing immediately understood what Madam Gu was thinking.

He shook his head helplessly and personally served soup to Madam Gu and Grandma Qiao.

He then placed a bowl in front of Qiao Wanqing, patting her on the back gently. “Well done.”

“It was no trouble,” Qiao Wanqing smiled at him.

Then she politely said to Madam Gu, “Auntie, our food here is quite simple. I hope we haven’t inconvenienced you.”

Qiao Wanqing’s polite manner left Madam Gu with nothing to say.

She replied calmly, “Not at all.”

She picked up her spoon and took a sip of the soup.

Madam Gu had seen much in her life, but she was still pleasantly surprised.

The chicken soup, made from their own farm chickens, was sweet and fresh.

The skimmed oil left the soup clean and not greasy at all.

With the addition of chicken mushrooms, it had an extra burst of flavor.

The soup contained only chicken meat, chicken mushrooms, salt, and a hint of chicken bouillon for richness, yet it had no fishy taste at all.

The chicken mushrooms absorbed the broth, giving a crisp and smooth texture in the mouth.

The meat was tender and juicy, leaving you wanting another bowl after finishing.

Not only the soup, but every other dish was delicious too.

The boiled chicken was firm and juicy, with crispy skin that wasn’t greasy.

The roast goose was crispy on the outside and tender inside, wrapped in Qiao Wanqing’s freshly made flatbread, accompanied by cucumber strips and lettuce, rich yet not heavy.

She didn’t eat or comment on the animal organs, but each common vegetable tasted better than usual.

Their family cook was practically a gourmet chef, making everyday stir-fries that even Qiao Wanqing couldn’t match in taste.

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and Madam Gu seriously suspected her son’s heart had been won over by Qiao Wanqing’s cooking.

“What’s Wanqing up to these days?” Madam Gu, feeling contented from the meal, started conversing with Qiao Wanqing.

Qiao Wanqing fed Kouko a spoonful of rice and replied, “Taking care of Kouko, tending to the vegetables we’ve planted, and recently opened a small restaurant.”

“You’re still running a restaurant,” Madam Gu understood why Gu Yanqing said she was too busy. “You don’t have to work so hard. Stop growing vegetables and hire someone to cook.”

“Yeah,” Qiao Wanqing nodded without resistance. “My focus is on the restaurant now. I’ve handed over the cooking at home to someone else.”

Seeing Qiao Wanqing was cooperative, Madam Gu was about to suggest she leave the restaurant to someone else and join Gu Yanqing in the city when Gu Yanqing cleared his throat.

“Mom, have some more,” Gu Yanqing handed her a big chicken leg.

Madam Gu: “…”

Gu Yanqing’s hint was clear enough. Madam Gu had to give up on her idea and glared at him, saying, “You only know superficial gestures. That doesn’t mean you’re actually filial.”

“In the future, when Wanqing and I have time, we’ll often bring Kouko to visit you and Dad,” Gu Yanqing placated her.

Madam Gu was strong-willed; if she conceded, she expected corresponding “benefits.”

“Fine, I don’t ask for much. Just have Kouko stay with us for two days every month, and the rest of the time we’ll visit on our own,” Madam Gu said.

Qiao Wanqing: “…”

In the end, it always came back to Kouko.

Qiao Wanqing thought Madam Gu might make things difficult for her, but it seemed she had gained favor through her son.

She couldn’t help but smile.

Who would have thought the widely condemned villain in books would become everyone’s favorite little cutie now?

Unfortunately, the little villain had no idea how popular he was.

He not only made a mess on the table with food everywhere, but he also grabbed food with his hands and stuffed it into his mouth.

Qiao Wanqing tried wiping the food off his face, but he protested.

Soon, his face was covered in food juices, looking like a little messy kitten.

Madam Gu had raised children of her own and understood that young children were often messy and didn’t understand cleanliness, sometimes even picking up trash from the ground to eat.

The more she watched Kouko, the more she liked him.

When Gu Yanqing was young, he had been quite stubborn, much like his father, always serious and aloof.

But Kouko was different.

Despite looking like his father, he was a soft and adorable child.

He ate slower than the adults, often playing while eating or holding food in his mouth, so while everyone else finished their meals, he would only have eaten half of his.

As usual, Qiao Wanqing cleaned up the dishes, while Gu Yanqing was in charge of feeding him.

When Madam Gu approached, she said, “Let me try.”

Gu Yanqing knew she was eager to be a grandmother, so he gave her his spot.

Using a small spoon, Gu Yanqing’s mother scooped a small spoonful of his watery rice mixed with minced meat and vegetables.

Kouko wasn’t fond of salty porridge, but he did eat the meat and vegetable bits Qiao Wanqing had mixed in for him.

“Kouko, open up and eat.”

However, Kouko avoided her spoon and grabbed a piece of chicken and mushroom from the stewed chicken in his bowl, happily eating by himself.

When in a good mood, he would use a spoon, but sometimes, if the spoon couldn’t pick up food, he would get upset and throw it away, using his hands instead.

Qiao Wanqing added some adult food to his bowl, but he couldn’t chew or swallow it, only sucking out the salt flavor before spitting it out.

After holding the chicken and mushroom in his mouth for a while, he used his small hands to take it out, trailing a long string of saliva.

Unaware of how dirty he was, he grinned and held up the mushroom, saying cheerfully to Madam Gu, “Nana, eat.”

Madam Gu: “…”

This grandson was certainly filial.