Chapter 813: 814, Life Motto (Second update)

The elderly Mrs. Mo nodded with a smile, "Alright, be careful on your way." As she said this, it seemed as if she remembered something and added, "Oh yes, with the New Year approaching, Jin, there are only your mom and Xiu at your family’s home. How about letting them come over for the New Year this time? It’s livelier with more people around. I’ll go to your place this afternoon to bring your mom and Xiu over."

"If my mom agrees to come, that would be wonderful," Chu Jin responded with a smile, "It’s just that it’ll bother you to go there, but thank you very much."

They say that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship is the most difficult to manage, but Chu Jin never felt any difficulty in it.

Having a good mother-in-law like the elderly Mrs. Mo was a blessing in her life.

"It’s no trouble at all, we’ll settle it then. You both hurry off to the hospital, leave the household matters to me." Actually, the elderly Mrs. Mo had been thinking about bringing Zhao Yan and the others over for a while now.

The Mo family had few members, as did the Chu family, and joining the two families together would make for a truly vibrant New Year.

Chu Jin and Mo Zhixuan left the house.

Snow had fallen all night long, covering the earth as if it were wrapped in a layer of cotton, everywhere clothed in white.

Shoes crunched on the thick snow with a squeak.

Children engaged in snowball fights could be seen everywhere.

Laughter could be heard as well.

The sun peeked quietly from behind the clouds, casting a golden light over the land.

Soon, a black car stopped at the hospital entrance.

No matter the time or place, or what the weather was like, hospitals were always crowded.

The prenatal checkup was quick, and Chu Jin emerged shortly after, not having to wait outside for long.

"How is it? What did the doctor say?" Seeing Chu Jin come out, Mo Zhixuan immediately walked up to her and took the report from her hand.

Chu Jin, with one hand on her belly and the other in Mo Zhixuan’s, said, "The doctor said the babies are in good condition now, all indicators are normal, and they’re not too big, which is very suitable for a natural birth. It’s just that currently, one of them has the umbilical cord wrapped around its neck three times, so if it’s still like that at the time of delivery, we may need to have a cesarean section."

"Then we’ll opt for a cesarean," Mo Zhixuan said, clutching Chu Jin’s hand a bit nervously, "We’ll do whatever is safest."

Mo Zhixuan had been truly frightened by that pregnant woman who had threatened to jump off a building last time.

He could hardly imagine what sort of pain it was that could push someone to contemplate suicide.

"It’s fine, don’t worry, I know what I’m doing," Chu Jin reassured him, squeezing his hand.

Chu Jin and Mo Zhixuan walked hand in hand down the hospital corridor, a handsome man and a beautiful woman making for an especially pleasing sight.

Duanmu Sheng also came out of the prenatal examination room holding her report and stopped short upon seeing Chu Jin and Mo Zhixuan. After composing herself, she approached them, "Nine Ye, sister-in-law."

Mo Zhixuan responded with just a slight nod, not saying a word.

Chu Jin offered a gentle smile, "Sheng Sheng, you’re here for a checkup too? How’s the baby?"

Although Duanmu Sheng had made some foolish mistakes before, looked at from another angle, she was also a victim. A woman’s IQ is zero when in love.

Duanmu Sheng instinctively touched her belly, "I’m fine, thank you, sister-in-law." Thank you for giving me a chance to start over.

"No need to be polite, it was just a small effort." Chu Jin’s voice was light as she continued, "It’s good to understand some things. Remember not to be so stubborn in the future, there are no parents in this world who don’t want their child to be happy."

Chu Jin had said these words to herself before, but the pity was that she hadn’t taken them to heart at the time.

Perhaps this is what they call the bitterness of frank advice.

Duanmu Sheng looked up at Chu Jin, "Mm, don’t worry, sister-in-law, I won’t make the same mistake again. Some mistakes once made are enough. I will try my best to be a good mother." Duanmu Sheng was now four months pregnant, her belly was already very noticeable, and every night she could feel the baby moving.

She had gone from despising to accepting this child.

Now, she was beginning to feel the happiness of motherhood, even if just a little.

Chu Jin nodded with a smile, "Well, we’ll be going now."

"Alright, take care, Nine Ye, sister-in-law," Duanmu Sheng said as she watched Chu Jin and Mo Zhixuan leave.

In the vast corridors of the hospital, there were many pregnant women coming for checkups, but most of them were accompanied by family members. Only she was alone.

A bitter smile crossed the corners of Duanmu Sheng’s mouth.

Perhaps this was the fruit of her own doing.

Duanmu Sheng watched as Chu Jin and Mo Zhixuan left, and then she entered the doctor’s office.

Chu Jin and Mo Zhixuan didn’t head straight back to the imperial palace, but went directly to the photo studio instead.

The staff at the photo studio received them enthusiastically.

Before the photo shoot, they needed to choose outfits and get makeup done.

Chu Jin had good fundamentals, and even the makeup artist couldn’t help but exclaim, "Your skin doesn’t seem like that of a pregnant woman at all, it’s like that of an eighteen-year-old girl."

Chu Jin smiled faintly, "Thank you."

Mo Zhixuan, standing aside, added in a cool tone, "My wife is forever eighteen." It was clearly a joke, but his voice carried no hint of humor.

Chu Jin: "..."

Makeup artist: "..."

But Chu Jin did look like an eighteen-year-old girl, no one could tell that she was already twenty-four years old this year.

After finishing her makeup, the stylist brought out a crop top for Chu Jin, the kind that would expose her stomach, where a dedicated painter would paint whimsical designs.

Just as the painter was walking over with his tools, Mo Zhixuan stopped him, "Wait, what do you think you’re doing?"

The painter was a very young guy, who constantly got teased by an eighteen-year-old girl for being old, so now Mo Zhixuan was sensitive to young men like him.

"N-Nine Ye," stammered the painter nervously, "I- I’m going to paint."

This morning, the studio cleared all other clients for the exclusive service of Chu Jin and Mo Zhixuan.

The studio owner was shadowing about, fretting about his employees making a mistake, as these two were the most noble people in the three realms. Any mistake could not be afforded by anyone.

Seeing this, the studio owner’s heart skipped a beat and he immediately came over, "Nine Ye, do you have any instructions?"

The studio owner was a woman in her twenties with heavy makeup, but as the boss, she was much more composed than the painter.

Mo Zhixuan glanced at the studio owner and gently parted his thin lips, "Can you paint?"

"Yes, yes," the studio owner nodded immediately.

Mo Zhixuan’s expression then eased a bit, "Then you do it." He couldn’t possibly let a pretty boy touch Chu Jin’s stomach. That was his privilege alone!

"Alright," the studio owner took the tools from the painter and gave him a look, "Go on."

The painter promptly ran off at top speed.

The studio owner knew how to handle the situation, and then she replaced all staff members, including the lighting technician, photographer, makeup artist, and stylist, with female employees.

Sure enough, when he saw this, Mo Zhixuan’s expression improved significantly.

The photo shoot took more than two hours, but the pictures couldn’t be retrieved right away; it would be about a two-week wait.

After the photo shoot, Mo Zhixuan took Chu Jin out for a meal.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve.

Yesterday, the Mo family matriarch had Zhao Yan and Chu Xiu come over, so Mo’s house was quite lively today.

The Mo family matriarch and Zhao Yan were busy making dumplings.

Chu Jin was sticking couplets with Mo Zhixuan.

Chu Xiu was giving Little Grey a bath.

Little Bai was just sitting on the side.

Seeing Little Bai sit there with longing eyes like an abandoned puppy, Chu Xiu gave it a glance, then said, "Don’t worry, Little Bai. I’ll give you a bath after I’m done washing Little Grey."

Chu Xiu had always been a very caring child.

Now, Chu Xiu was a seventeen-year-old boy, and he’d be eighteen after the New Year.

He was growing more handsome by the day and shooting up in height; he was now nearly as tall as Zi. With delicate features and a hint of Chu Jin in his brows, he was totally a heartthrob.

To date, Chu Xiu had received hundreds of love letters at school.

Upon hearing this, Little Grey said with an air of arrogance, "I don’t need it, I can wash myself. Only fools don’t know how to bathe."

At that, Little Grey arched its back, its teeth bared in a grimace, letting out a low whine.

Little Bai stood up, stretched out its paw, and slapped Little Grey on the head, "What are you looking at? Never seen a handsome guy before?" With that, it turned around proudly and walked off with elegance.

Little Grey was directly smacked into sitting in the basin.

This damn cat, always bullying the small and weak!

Chu Xiu was somewhat speechless; he didn’t quite understand how these two of different species became such good friends.

After bathing Little Grey, Chu Xiu picked up a hair dryer to dry its fur, then he took out a new outfit to put on Little Grey.

Just as he finished these tasks, Chu Xiu’s phone started to ring.

This was the ringtone exclusive to a little loli.

Chu Xiu put down Little Grey in a hurry, took his phone from his pocket, and tapped to answer.

The sweet voice of the little loli immediately came through the phone screen, "Xiu Brother, Xiu Brother, Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year," Chu Xiu smiled shyly.

The little loli immediately showed Chu Xiu her newly bought dress, "Look, Xiu Brother, isn’t this dress pretty? My papa bought it for me."

"It’s pretty," Chu Xiu nodded; he never was much of a talker.

Instantly beaming, the little loli said, "But Xiu Brother, you are even more handsome. Oh, and Xiu Brother, what were you just doing?"

"I was just bathing Little Grey. By the way, it’s New Year today, did you give Bao Bao a bath?" Taking a bath before the New Year signifies dispelling the old to welcome the new, and gradually, Chu Xiu and the little loli’s conversation grew more animated.

Perhaps even he did not realize it.

The two talked for over fifty minutes without hanging up the phone. Chu Xiu even taught the little loli how to bathe Bao Bao from afar.

The screen showed a bread loaf with a look of enduring humiliation, its head drooping, which was hilariously pitiful.

The hustle and bustle of New Year’s Eve in the Superpower World was no less than that of the mundane world.

In fact, it was even more lively.

Even before darkness fell, the sound of various fireworks could be heard.

The streets were already mostly empty, as everyone hurried home to have their reunion dinner and honor their ancestors.

Chu Jin stood by the door, directing Mo Zhixuan on how to paste the couplets, "Move it a bit to the left, now a bit to the right, no, move it up, down, down, sigh, you blockhead!"

Mo Zhixuan was also very good-natured, looking every bit the devoted husband of twenty-four filial acts, complying with whatever Chu Jin instructed and never retorting.

His life motto was:

As long as my wife is happy, that’s good.

Whatever my wife says is always right.

Everything prioritizes my wife; everything else is secondary.

While the house was filled with joy, the old Madam Mo quietly wiped away some tears.

At this time in previous years, the kitchen would always see the troublemaker Mo Qingyi.

Now...

One wonders if Mo Qingyi has adapted to life in the Duanmu Family.

In the customs of the Superpower World, a bride isn’t allowed any contact with her family for the three days following her wedding.

While everyone was busy, Zi pushed the door open from outside and entered.

Zi was alone, so the old Madam Mo had also invited him to spend New Year’s with the Mo family.

In some ways, Zi could be considered the Mo family’s benefactor. Had it not been for him that year, Mo Zhixuan couldn’t have persevered and would have followed Chu Jin to leave early on.

Therefore, the old Madam Mo was very grateful to Zi.

"Zi, why did you just get here? Are you cold? I’ll go pour you a glass of water," the old Madam Mo walked over and took the umbrella from Zi’s hand.

"Aunt Mo, I’m not cold. Please don’t trouble yourself. By the way, is there anything I can help with?" Zi always had a sensible disposition, thus winning the affection of people both young and old.

A year had passed, and Zi’s skin wasn’t as dark anymore, and his features had grown more refined. He was undeniably a handsome guy.

"There’s nothing much to do. You can watch TV for a bit. Aunt Yuan and I are making dumplings. We’ll eat them together later tonight," old Madam Mo said cheerfully.

Upon hearing "dumplings," Zi’s eyes immediately brightened, "Great! I love dumplings! Especially the ones you and Aunt Yuan make; they taste simply amazing. I could eat your home out of house and home!"

While Zi had changed in many ways, his foodie nature remained. Just a package of spicy strips could lure him back home.

At these words, the old Madam Mo immediately grinned from ear to ear, "Since you like them, I’ll make more later for you to take home and enjoy."

"Thank you, Aunt Mo. Make sure you pack a lot for me," Zi said unabashedly.

"Sure, sure, sure," the old Madam Mo nodded repeatedly.

After Chu Jin and Mo Zhixuan had finished pasting the couplets, they came downstairs and saw Zi. Chu Jin immediately greeted him with a smile, "Zi, you’re here!"

"Jin, Mr. Mo," Zi promptly turned around.

Zi always addressed Mo Zhixuan as Mr. Mo, a mark of his respect for him.

"Eh? Is it snowing outside again?" Chu Jin went over to Zi and brushed the snowflakes off his shoulder.

Zi nodded, "Yeah, it’s coming down quite hard. Jin, do you want to go out and build a snowman?" At times, Zi still showed a child-like nature, particularly in Chu Jin’s presence, where it was even more pronounced.

He felt a dependency on Chu Jin, like that of a little brother towards an older sister.

Chu Jin was like the head of the household, and he was the underage little brother.

"Let’s do it, let’s go together." Chu Jin handed the remaining couplets to Mo Zhixuan, "You go paste the rest of the couplets by yourself; I’m going to build a snowman."

Mo Zhixuan looked at Zi and suddenly felt an urge to eliminate him.

This third wheel was truly annoying.

"Let’s go quickly, to the backyard," Chu Jin said, pulling Zi by the hand and walking out.

Every girl has a special fondness for snow, and Chu Jin was no exception.

Watching the two holding hands, Mo Zhixuan immediately found breathing difficult. He put down the couplet in his hand and quickly walked to their side, forcibly separating their hands.

This man, indeed, got jealous over everything. Chu Jin looked at Mo Zhixuan with disbelief, "What are you doing?"

Mo Zhixuan feigned a look of [I am not jealous], his voice low, "It’s cold outside, put on gloves." He then took a pair of gloves from his coat pocket and put them on Chu Jin’s hands.

The gloves were black, Mo Zhixuan’s own. They were much too big for Chu Jin’s hands, giving the impression of a child sneaking into an adult’s gloves.

Chu Jin slightly frowned, "It’s kind of inconvenient to wear these. Is it okay not to wear them?"

"No," Mo Zhixuan said seriously. "It’s so cold outside, your hands will freeze."

Mo Zhixuan had an air of it’s all for your own good.

He continued, "Remember, you must never take it off. Go now, I’ll come find you after I’ve finished pasting the couplet."

"Jin, let’s go!" Zi once again took Chu Jin’s hand and started walking towards the door.

In the presence of Mo Zhixuan, Zi always felt an immense pressure.

Now, when Mo Zhixuan saw the two holding hands again, his face looked much better.

Mo Zhixuan took the couplet and headed upstairs to the attic.

Chu Jin was building a snowman with Zi.

"Jin, my snowman looks so much better than yours. If your snowman were a man, he definitely wouldn’t be able to find a wife," Zi said with pride, looking at the two snowmen in front of her.

Chu Jin raised an eyebrow slightly, "Can’t she be beautiful on the inside? And for your information, she is a girl! A girl!"

Upon hearing this.

Zi laughed even harder.

In Zi’s eyes, Chu Jin had always been a figure akin to an all-capable goddess, and now Zi realized that there was something Chu Jin wasn’t good at.

How could this snowman be so ugly?

"Jin, if you hadn’t told me, I really wouldn’t have known it’s supposed to be a girl," Zi laughed so hard that she could barely keep her eyes open.

Chu Jin glanced at Zi and then scooped up a handful of snow from the ground, shaping it into a snowball.

"Zi, come here for a moment," Chu Jin said with a smile, looking at Zi.

Zi, clueless, walked a few steps toward Chu Jin.

"Bend down," Chu Jin continued, looking at Zi with an innocent expression.

Zi didn’t suspect a thing and obediently bent over.

With a smile on her face, Chu Jin quickly stuffed the snowball down Zi’s collar.

Zi initially didn’t react, but then looked at Chu Jin with a face full of despair, frantically hopping up and down.

"Jin, you’ve changed! I treated you like a real sister, but you treat me like a younger cousin brother."

Chu Jin’s face was filled with amusement, "Sorry, but I am a girl."

Zi: "..."

The two played around in the snow for a while, and then Mo Zhixuan and Chu Xiu also joined them.

As evening fell.

After the New Year’s Eve dinner, Mo Zhixuan had someone deliver a pile of fireworks, and the family set them off in front of the house.

The sky was filled with fireworks of all colors, and the deafening sound of firecrackers filled the air, brimming with the spirit of the New Year.

At the same time.

At the Duanmu Family.

The Duanmu Family was also very lively, because of the New Year, Duanmu Sheng had returned as well, and at this moment, the whole family was sitting together for the reunion dinner.

After dinner, Duanmu Canghai and Zhou Jin even prepared red envelopes with money for everyone.

Of course, the thickest one was for Mo Qingyi; after all, she was the new bride, celebrating her first New Year’s at the Duanmu Family.

"Qingyi, this is a little token of my affection, please make sure you accept it," Duanmu Sheng took out a red envelope and handed it to Mo Qingyi.

Today was the reunion night, so Duanmu Sheng had also come back.

Mo Qingyi took the red envelope with a beaming smile and sweetly said, "Thank you, Sister Sheng."

"Don’t mention it. I hope you and Little Zhe have a child soon and give mom and dad a grandchild to hold early," Duanmu Sheng added.

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Canghai and Zhou Jin had faces full of content smiles.

A blush crept onto Mo Qingyi’s cheeks.

Duanmu Zhe put his arm around Mo Qingyi’s shoulders and smiled, "Soon, soon, Third Sister, just be ready with the red envelopes."

As Mo Qingyi blushed even more at Duanmu Zhe’s words, thinking about how unrestrained he had been in demanding her attention, these past nights.

After dinner, the Duanmu Family also went to the front yard to set off fireworks.

Looking at the sky full of blazing colors, Mo Qingyi suddenly said excitedly, "Look, Sister Sheng, those fireworks must be from my brother." Mo Qingyi hadn’t been home for three days, and she missed her family, especially after having the braised noodles delivered by Qinghe yesterday, that yearning feeling couldn’t be suppressed.

In the past, she also spent long periods away from home in the military, sometimes not seeing Lady Mo for months, but she never felt this urgent desire to go home and visit.

Before, when she went home, she was at least a member of the Mo Family.

But now, if she would return, she would be a guest in her own home.

Her mindset had changed.

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Sheng looked up into the sky, slightly puzzled, "With so many fireworks in the sky, how could you know which ones were set off by Nine Ye?"

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read