Chapter 680: Gratitude
Chapter 680: Chapter 680: Gratitude
Qin Juan knew this person’s character. The more she paid attention to him now, the less proper he became, without considering where they were.
After all, they were the managers of the store, and Jia Liang was in charge of two stores, yet not at all steady.
She simply turned her head to look elsewhere.
Jia Liang’s gaze finally fell on her belly, and he went to work with a smile.
That evening, the two of them went home together.
Old Mrs. Jia hadn’t gone to bed yet. Hearing the noise outside, she knew her son and daughter-in-law were back.
She slipped on her shoes, came out of the room, and saw the two of them, her gaze falling directly on Qin Juan.
“Why are you home so late today? Tired, huh? Did you feel uncomfortable today? What did you have for dinner? Want me to make you something else to eat?”
Qin Juan stepped forward and supported our old lady’s arm, “Mom, I’m doing well, you don’t need to worry about me. I’ve been feeling much better these days.”
“Oh dear, no matter how much better you feel, how much better can it be? I’m also a woman and I’ve been through that time. Pregnancy is naturally a tiring thing for a woman, and you can never be as brisk as when alone.”
After finishing, Old Mrs. Jia glared at her son, “And you, didn’t Mr. Lin tell you to watch over these two stores? Still, you let Juanzi come back so late. Spending a whole day at the store is exhausting. I think you should talk to Mr. Lin; why not just let Juanzi stop working? We’re not bound to live a lavish life; the current state is already better than many families. There’s never enough money to earn; people are what’s important. Juanzi is Mr. Lin’s older sister-in-law. If we ask, Mr. Lin will definitely let her off.”
Jia Liang glanced at Qin Juan.
In fact, what Old Mrs. Jia said was exactly what he wanted to say.
When he found out that Qin Juan was pregnant, Jia Liang discussed this matter with her, but she refused.
Qin Juan’s reason for refusal was simple.
In her previous marriage, she was also persuaded by her mother-in-law and husband to rest at home after getting pregnant.
Saying it was to rest at home, all the work at Zhang Family fell on her, and her job was given to Zhang Wenbin’s sister.
She certainly knew Old Mrs. Jia and Jia Liang were not like that, but she also wanted to realize her self-worth.
She really liked her job at Qin’s Restaurant and wanted to do something for the sister-in-law who saved her from the pit.
After knowing Qin Juan’s thoughts, Jia Liang didn’t push much, only noted that her reactions were bigger these days and wondered if she might change her mind.
No matter what decision his wife made, he would support her.
Qin Juan smiled gently and reassured Old Mrs. Jia, “Mom, I’ve truly felt much better these days and am already accustomed to this life. If you really let me idle around, I might get sick from inactivity. But it will be hard on mom later; when the baby is born, you’ll have to help look after them.”
Old Mrs. Jia immediately smiled, her face wrinkling, “What hardship would there be? I’ve been looking forward to this day for over ten years now. Just rest assured and leave the child to me. I’ve got plenty of experience taking care of kids now; look how well Xiao Long has grown under my care.”
“Yes, mom is the most meticulous caregiver. The child is blessed to have a grandmother like you.”
Qin Juan said from the heart, for Old Mrs. Jia was exceptionally good to both Xiao Long and Ningning.
From the start of her pregnancy, Old Mrs. Jia had been filled with anticipation for this child.
Though Qin Juan often compared the Jia Family mother and son to the previous Zhang Family,
it was instinctive due to her personal experiences.
It was precisely because of the comparison with Zhang Family that she was grateful to heaven for not treating her harshly, thankful for meeting such a mother-in-law and husband.
Qin Juan had eaten well at the restaurant and didn’t have a habit of eating late-night snacks.
Old Mrs. Jia boiled some water on the stove for them to wash and soak their feet.
Running back and forth all day at the restaurant, their feet were the most fatigued.
While Qin Jun and Jia Liang soaked their feet, Old Mrs. Jia chattered from the side.
“I was just thinking about taking a trip back to the old home since there’s nothing going on around here, and tidy it up before the weather turns cold. Didn’t we say we’d spend the New Year back home? If we stay at the old home for a few days, it will be convenient for Juanzi to visit her family.”
This year, after the autumn harvest, Xiao Long was sent to the nursery, leaving Old Mrs. Jia with plenty of free time.
She originally thought since Qin Juan was pregnant, she’d simply take care of her.
Yet there wasn’t much Qin Juan needed from her.
As she spoke, an unavoidable trace of sadness crept in.
“People often say fallen leaves return to their roots; the older I get, the more I think of the past. Though times were rough back then, that little courtyard was where we mother and son leaned on each other for over thirty years. We had no choice but to sell the courtyard initially, leaving my heart with a large void, feeling like I had no roots. But to my surprise, after going round and round, the courtyard came back, and I can still live in it thanks to Juanzi.”
Jia Liang directly said, “Mom, don’t think too much. I’ll have people clean up the courtyard and install heating. When we return for the New Year, it’ll be warm and cozy.”
The courtyard indeed had its years, and after being uninhabited for over two years, it needed a thorough cleanup.
Old Mrs. Jia immediately laughed upon hearing this, “That sounds lovely.”
……
This winter came earlier than previous ones.
Just into November, the leaves on the trees hadn’t completely fallen, yet the temperature suddenly dropped.
During the day, it was still drizzling, but by nightfall, it turned to ice.
Waking up the next morning, the land was covered in white, with a thick layer.
The pomegranate tree branches in the yard were bent out of shape by the accumulated snow.
The branches of the big tree at the entrance were broken.
Qin Yang got up early, first checking the boiler in the boiler room.
With the temperature drop two days ago, Qin Yang had already turned on the heating.
Lin Chuxia feared the cold, and now with the addition of Qi Qi, Qin Yang couldn’t bear to let the mother and daughter suffer in the cold.
Worried it might be too early to buy coal, last winter he deliberately bought an extra ton, stored in a corner of the yard, conveniently ready for use now.
He stoked the boiler and cleaned the snow in the yard, then hurried to work after breakfast.
The snow at the office also required clearing, and there were many trees in the office yard that needed quick attention.
Before leaving, Qin Yang reminded Lin Chuxia that the bad weather meant she shouldn’t go out.
Lin Chuxia agreed but didn’t take it to heart.
Though it snowed heavily overnight, today had cleared up, with the sun rising early.
She heard from the weather forecast last night that the temperature wasn’t too low, so presumably, the snow would melt away soon.
Zhuang Jingshu held the child while standing by the window, watching the snow water dripping from the eaves.
“They say a bountiful year follows a heavy snow, but such a snow might bring trouble to the people.”
“Who doesn’t say so? I took a walk outside just now, and quite a few trees in our residential compound were broken. This is the city; thinking of timing, winter cabbage might not be harvested yet in the fields, and if tonight gets too cold, freezing might ruin the cabbage cores, making it a hassle to eat them this year. Besides, radishes and sweet potatoes might also be in hurried harvest by the farmers these days.”