The factory was running smoothly, with everything progressing in an orderly fashion. Thinking that Gu Xingdong's company had been quite busy during this period, Chen Lishu glanced at the time and decided to leave work early. She planned to pick up Ruirui from school first, then go home and spend time with the children.
After all, once things got busy again, she wouldn't have time to spend with them.
Today was Tuesday, and elementary school only had half-day classes.
Ruirui was overjoyed when he saw Chen Lishu coming to pick him up, and he quickly came out of the school gate with his backpack.
Chen Lishu opened the car door and, after seeing her son settled in his seat, asked, "How is it? Have you adapted to the new class and surroundings?"
Ruirui nodded, "I'm the youngest in the class, and the teacher and classmates take very good care of me."
Chen Lishu started the car, "Can you keep up with the teacher's lessons?"
Ruirui said solemnly, "I read books during the holiday, so the teacher's lectures are quite easy to understand."
Chen Lishu smiled and praised, "My son is really amazing."
When the mother and son returned home, the two little ones excitedly ran over when they saw their elder brother.
"Brother, brother."
Ruirui, without even putting down his backpack, hugged his younger siblings.
Seeing the good relationship between the three siblings, Chen Lishu couldn't help but feel a little jealous. She crouched down and said to the two children, "Don't you see that Mommy is back too?"
Little Chenzi immediately let go of Ruirui's hand and, scrunching up his nose, revealed a few tiny white teeth as he smiled at Chen Lishu.
Chen Lishu playfully tapped her son's forehead, "If you don't want to smile, don't. This fake smile is too ugly."
Little Chenzi seemed to understand his mother's teasing and, unhappy, turned around and waddled to the sofa to complain.
Li Xiulan, who was sitting on the sofa, couldn't help but chuckle when she saw her grandson "ah-ah-ing" something with a look of accusation.
Zhao Qiuyue brought out a bunch of grapes from the kitchen, "You called to say you were picking up Ruirui, and I figured you'd be back soon. I happened to see grapes at the fruit stall this morning and bought a bunch. Ruirui, put down your backpack, wash your hands, and then come eat grapes."
"Okay, Aunt Xiao Yue," Ruirui replied, quickly went upstairs, put down his backpack, and then came downstairs, washed his hands, and ate grapes with his younger siblings.
Watching Zhao Qiuyue meticulously peel grapes for the two younger ones, Chen Lishu asked, thinking of something, "Sister Xiao Yue, how old are you this year?"
Zhao Qiuyue replied, "I was born in the Year of the Snake. After the New Year, I'll be thirty."
"Sister Xiao Yue, have you considered taking another step?"
Zhao Qiuyue was stunned by Chen Lishu's sudden question.
Ever since she was hired by Chen Lishu as a nanny, she had good food and accommodation, received a salary, and most importantly, Chen Lishu and her husband were easygoing. As long as she did her job well, they never made things difficult for her.
She once thought that heaven had finally opened its eyes and her hard times were over. But Chen Lishu's sudden mention of this issue...
The more Zhao Qiuyue thought about it, the worse her complexion became. She quickly stood up, her expression anxious, and said, "Is there something I'm not doing well? If I'm not doing well, you can criticize me or deduct my salary. I'll definitely correct it immediately."
Her mother was gone, and her brother and sister-in-law were snobbish. Besides working for Chen Lishu, she truly didn't know where else she could go.
Chen Lishu hadn't expected her casual question to elicit such a strong reaction. She quickly soothed her, "Sister Xiao Yue, don't misunderstand. You haven't done anything wrong; on the contrary, your work has always been excellent."
Chen Lishu paused and continued, "But I can't selfishly keep you here forever."
Before she could finish speaking, Zhao Qiuyue quickly stated, "I don't need to find a partner; I'm happy to keep working here."
Chen Lishu gestured for her to calm down and said with a smile, "Sister Xiao Yue, don't rush. Let me finish speaking."
"Since you came to this house, our family has always considered you a part of it. As family, I naturally have to consider your lifelong happiness. Firstly, you've been taking care of the children at home all this time and haven't had much contact with people, so there haven't been any developments in recent years. Secondly, you're at an age where you should seriously consider this matter. If you get any older, being an older mother might affect your health. I interact with many people, so I can help you find a few well-qualified suitors. That way, I can rest assured when you get married."
Hearing that Chen Lishu wasn't trying to dismiss her but was genuinely concerned about her, Zhao Qiuyue was filled with emotion.
Even her own brother and sister-in-law hadn't thought of her this way.
"Sister Xiao Yue, do you have any requirements for a partner? I can keep an eye out for you then."
When asked about her requirements for a partner, Zhao Qiuyue suddenly became very shy and embarrassed.
"With my background and having been married before, as long as the other person doesn't mind me, that's enough."
Chen Lishu didn't like hearing this and retorted, "I think you're very outstanding, Sister Xiao Yue. You possess many qualities of a traditional woman – you can cook, take care of the household, have a good temper and patience, and you're not bad-looking. Don't underestimate yourself; you definitely deserve a better man. Don't worry, I'll definitely help you find someone who is worthy of you in all aspects."
After speaking, Chen Lishu, seeing that the three children had eaten most of the grapes, suggested taking them to the park for a stroll.
The weather was nice for early spring, and there was a park nearby. After getting the children dressed, the family took the three children to the park.
They played for the entire afternoon, and as it was nearing time to prepare dinner, the three adults brought the children home.
Not long after they got home, Liu Yuemin suddenly arrived. Her cheeks were flushed, and her hair was a bit disheveled. As soon as she saw Li Xiulan, she burst into tears.
She recounted what had happened while crying.
It turned out she and Gu Xingmin had quarreled again over that woman, and Gu Xingmin had slapped her again because of that woman.
"Why are you fighting again?" Looking at Liu Yuemin's state, Li Xiulan was also very angry with her second son this time. "Can't you just talk things through? How can he, a grown man, hit his wife?"
Seeing that her mother-in-law was on her side, Liu Yuemin secretly breathed a sigh of relief and explained the entire incident in detail.
"That bitch is skilled at seducing men. Last time my husband and I argued because of her, she shamelessly sent a box of fruit a few days later, calling it an apology. But Mom, you don't know, the way she looked at Xingmin was so flirtatious. She was exchanging glances with Xingmin right in front of me."
"I initially thought it wasn't good to argue in front of so many people at the market, so I tolerated it. Who knew that today, when I passed by her stall, she deliberately called me over to say that Xingmin was a good man, called him 'brother,' and said things like she wished she had met him sooner. How could I tolerate that? I wished I could scratch her face off."