CHAPTER 418: CHAPTER 335 WHEN DID THEY LEAVE?

Yesterday, Hu Li stirred up trouble again, insisting that she wanted to go out for Christmas. She said it’s such a waste to come all the way to Beijing and not explore a bit!

Mrs. Su was already physically exhausted from organizing Su Meng’s wedding. Watching her daughter get married left her with a bittersweet feeling, so she really wanted to lie down and rest for a while.

But since Grandma Su and her sister-in-law were visiting her home for the first time, and considering they did help out with Su Meng’s wedding, it wouldn’t be appropriate to leave things too tense.

So Mrs. Su suppressed her discomfort, took the three of them out to stroll around Wangfujing, and they went to Quanjude to have roast duck.

But Hu Li really pushed it too far—she had an arrogant attitude everywhere they went, and she wanted everything she laid eyes on.

She’s not her mother, how could she possibly pay for everything Hu Li wanted?

Su Meng’s aunt wasn’t shy about spending either, but when they didn’t buy Hu Li the over-a-thousand-yuan coat she fancied, her lips pouted so far they could hold an oil bottle.

This made Mrs. Su angry beyond words.

She wanted to say something, but this was, after all, her sister-in-law’s niece. Saying too much might make her look bad.

Grandma Su quietly advised her to endure it. After all, once Su Meng’s wedding return visit was over, they would leave. If Mrs. Su said anything harsh, the others would surely be displeased.

When Hu Li saw how blunt Mrs. Su was, her eyes turned red. "Auntie! How can you say that about me? I didn’t do anything wrong! If you don’t want me in your house, just say so, and I’ll leave right now!"

She stormed off as if she were about to grab her bag to leave, which infuriated everyone. Su Meng’s aunt was boiling with anger inside. She had never realized before just how spoiled her niece was. If she had known, she wouldn’t have brought her to Su Meng’s home—letting her go back directly by car would’ve been much better.

She shot Hu Li a sharp glare. What was wrong with this child? The family was supposed to be happily celebrating Su Meng’s return visit—what reason did Hu Li have to sulk?

"Hu Li! What nonsense are you pulling here? Today’s a happy occasion for Su Meng’s wedding return—why are you causing trouble? If you really want to leave, just wait for me. We’ll finish this meal first, and there’s a bus tonight heading back to our hometown—I’ll go back with you!"

She truly regretted falling for Hu Li’s sweet talk. She thought the girl simply wanted to stay a few extra days in Beijing since she rarely had the chance to visit.

Who would have imagined it would turn out like this? Not only did she spend several thousand yuan, but now Hu Li was showing no sense of decorum and messing things up!

What kind of parenting did her parents do at home? She really lacked manners and upbringing.

Hu Li opened her mouth slightly, as if wanting to say something, but held herself back. She’d only been throwing a tantrum earlier, hoping everyone would comfort her.

Unfortunately, no one took her bait. Only her aunt had chimed in, and even then, it was with reprimands.

This left Hu Li feeling utterly deflated and frustrated.

She forgot one simple fact—this wasn’t her own home. Who would care how she behaved here?

Su Meng’s aunt could tell just by Hu Li’s expression what she was thinking. "Hu Li, you’ve graduated college now; it’s time to learn some maturity! If you keep acting like this, you’ll find it hard to get along with any future in-laws!"

Relationships are complicated. Who’s going to indulge you all the time?

No matter how they settled things inside, by the time Su Meng’s aunt came out dragging a sullen Hu Li, Long Wu had already skillfully become chummy with Mrs. Su. He was deliberately ignoring the occasional chatter from Su Meng’s aunt, thinking he could charm everyone with his politeness.

Too full of himself, wasn’t he?

Grandma Su accompanied them with forced smiles, uncertain of what to say. By now, she realized that her grandson-in-law seemed to hold some disdain for them.

Otherwise, how could he have been so cold yesterday? Even during the toast, he had merely given a faint smile, perfunctorily toasted each table, finished one cup of wine, and then left.

Mrs. Su busied herself preparing dishes—many of them were prepped in advance, so they only required a quick stir-fry.

Soon enough, there was a big table full of dishes, including favorites for both Su Meng and Long Wu.

This meal, thanks to Long Wu’s conversational skills, ended up being relatively pleasant overall.

Hu Li kept her head down, focusing entirely on eating, and didn’t dare say much at all.

In truth, she had her own thoughts. Earlier, she had confided in her aunt, saying she wanted to stay in Beijing after graduating college, find a job, work for a few years, and hopefully date a local guy from Beijing.

Her parents would benefit from that, wouldn’t they?

Su Meng’s aunt thought about it and realized it wasn’t a bad idea. Her brother and sister-in-law were simple, hardworking folks who had spent their lives focusing on earning money and raising a family.

Their one and only daughter had finally graduated from college, and if she could settle down in Beijing, it would truly be a blessing.

But staking a claim in Beijing was no easy feat.

So both of them started setting their sights on Su Meng and Long Wu. However, Su Meng’s aunt knew this wouldn’t be simple either.

A while ago, she might have been confident enough to promise results, but now, Su Meng and Mrs. Su clearly bore some resentment towards her.

This matter would have to be approached gradually. Hu Li would need to talk things over with her parents back home first, and even the family itself would need to make preparations.

Besides, the Lunar New Year was barely over a month away. There was no rush to find work just yet.

It would be better for her to finish celebrating the new year with her family, and then consider heading to Beijing after the fifteenth of the lunar month.

Su Meng’s aunt remained optimistic, thinking perhaps by then her relationship with Su Meng and the others would have smoothed over. Who knows?

By then, helping Hu Li secure a job would be as easy as Long Wu saying the word.

Su Meng and Long Wu forced themselves through the somewhat stomach-churning meal. When Long Wu went off to rest in Su Meng’s room, Hu Li must’ve been persuaded by her aunt. She eagerly volunteered to clean the table and do the dishes, while Grandma Su sat in the living room watching TV.

Mrs. Su promptly pulled Su Meng into her own bedroom—the two of them clearly had things to talk about.

A mother and daughter chatting privately after a return visit was perfectly normal. Nobody would think twice about it!

Once Mrs. Su had Su Meng seated, she gently asked, "Meng Meng! How’s everything going?"

She didn’t have the courage to ask anything too direct. After all, Su Meng and Long Wu had been together for a while now, so this wasn’t exactly their ’first time.’ But as a mother, she couldn’t help worrying deeply.

She was terrified her daughter might suffer mistreatment after marrying and moving in with her in-laws.

After all, their family’s circumstances were plain to see. Su Meng’s mother-in-law seemed polite and respectful on the surface, but through her demeanor and actions, Mrs. Su could tell she wasn’t entirely satisfied with Su Meng. They were maintaining appearances, nothing more. Truthfully, their family had married up.

Su Meng chuckled and shook her head. "Mom! Look at you! You worry too much! Everything’s great between us! Yesterday, we even went over to Sisi’s place for dinner—we had so much fun!"

Seeing her daughter’s bright, genuine smile allowed Mrs. Su to finally relax. However, she still offered advice: "Meng Meng, marriage is different from dating! No matter what your mother-in-law says, just endure it—as long as it’s not something unreasonable. I think Wensong is a good man and will stand up for you. But in the end, she’s his mother. When conflicts arise early on, he may take your side, but over time, who knows how things will unfold?"

"Oh, Mom! Why are you telling me this during my return visit? I already know this stuff! Please don’t worry!" Su Meng held her mom’s hand and reassured her.

"Alright, as long as you know what to do, I’m at ease!" Mrs. Su nodded with relief.

At this point, Su Meng frowned slightly and looked at her mother, asking seriously, "Mom, I’ve completed my return visit—when will Grandma and Auntie leave?"

She wished for her mother to enjoy peaceful, happy days. But with her aunt and cousin sticking around, she felt utterly uncomfortable! (To be continued. If you enjoy this story, please visit Qidian.com to cast your vote or provide support. Your encouragement is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.Qidian.com for reading.)