Madam? Or Wife?

They say a prospective son-in-law is more industrious than an ox, a sentiment Bai Sha truly witnessed today. He eagerly mopped the floors, insisted on washing the dishes, and even shadowed her uncle while he prepared tea.

Sons-in-law visiting on the second day of the Lunar New Year (TL Note: 初二 refers to the second day of the Lunar New Year, a traditional day for married daughters and their husbands to visit the wife’s family.), it was often said, fell into two categories: those who could effortlessly mingle with anyone, even the family dog, and those who found themselves only able to interact with the dog.

Upon their arrival at her uncle’s home, Bai Sha found herself relieved of childcare duties, allowing her to join Zhou Haochen in the kitchen as he washed the dishes.

“So diligent!”

“Don’t I also mop the floor and wash dishes at home?”

Bai Sha gently tapped his arm, retorting, “That’s only because I’m the one who sweeps the floors and prepares the meals.”

“My diligent wife,” he murmured affectionately.

Bai Sha playfully swatted him once more. “Who are you calling your wife?!”

With his hands still occupied by the dishes, Zhou Haochen leaned his head in for a quick kiss. “You, of course!”

Bai Sha glanced over her shoulder, confirming that no one was paying attention to the kitchen. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as she whispered, “Let’s not be so overtly affectionate out here. What if someone sees us?”

Zhou Haochen nodded, acknowledging his ‘mistake,’ though his expression subtly promised a repeat performance.

In stark contrast to the playful banter echoing from the kitchen, a more troublesome scene was unfolding in the living room, where her cousin found himself in a predicament.

Her aunt, holding Xiao Yu, asked pointedly, “Xiao Yong, don’t you find little Xiao Yu quite adorable?”

Seeing the chubby, rosy-cheeked little girl, the cousin nodded. “She’s adorable,” he affirmed.

Her uncle seized the conversational thread. “What good is being adorable?” he chimed in. “She’s still Bai Sha’s daughter, and in the end, she’ll call your mother and me great-aunt and great-uncle.”

The cousin, having already discerned the elders’ intentions, offered no rebuttal. He simply chuckled, feigning ignorance of their implied message.

“You’re not getting any younger,” her aunt continued. “Look at that young Bai Qing; you two used to play together so happily. Now she’s already married. And then there’s Little Bai, younger than you, isn’t she? She has both a partner and a child.”

Knowing his cousin had tuned out, her uncle subtly gestured for her aunt to cease her monologue.

“Your mother and I,” her uncle declared, “are approaching this differently. Let’s talk specifics: you get married, and I’ll cover the down payment for a house. You have a child, and I’ll gift you a car. What do you say?”

The cousin’s eyes briefly gleamed with hope, only to dim again. He sighed helplessly. “It’s not that I’m not trying to find someone; it’s genuinely difficult. Our office is entirely male, and even if a woman does join, she’s invariably already taken.”

Bai Sha emerged from the kitchen, drying her hands, and with a mischievous grin, fanned the flames of the conversation. “As long as your mindset remains firm,” she declared, “there will always be more solutions than problems.”

The cousin turned, intending to ‘greet’ his dear aunt with a retort, but upon seeing Bai Sha’s innocent face, he swallowed the words he had been about to utter.

He had forgotten that this wasn’t the mischievous ‘brother’ he used to joke around with. Now, looking at her, he genuinely couldn’t bring himself to utter a single harsh word.

“Your mother and I don’t particularly want you to go on blind dates either,” her aunt chimed in. “We understand that young people prefer free love. But you’re almost thirty, and there’s still no sign of a girlfriend.”

The cousin yearned to argue. How could twenty-seven possibly be ‘almost thirty’?

Yet, upon reflection, he conceded that it was indeed approaching rapidly.

Bai Sha, watching from the sidelines, couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for her cousin. In years past, she too had joined the chorus, urging him to find love and settle down. Now, with her own partner and child, she wondered if she had, in a way, ‘stabbed him in the back.’

The cousin lowered his head. Her uncle and aunt cradled the child, while Bai Sha leaned comfortably against Zhou Haochen, who had just joined them. ‘Perfect,’ she mused, ‘a world where only the cousin suffers has been achieved.’

Her aunt cast a discreet glance at Bai Sha before leaning in to whisper to the cousin, “You don’t happen to like men, do you?”

“What the—!” he exclaimed, his face contorting in indignation. “How could that be possible?! I simply haven’t encountered the right person yet!”

“Well, if you never leave the house,” her aunt pressed, “do you even know more than five people of the opposite s*x?”

Bai Sha silently concurred. Before her retirement, she had almost no male friends apart from her teammates’ girlfriends. Not being one to engage in casual relationships, finding a partner had naturally proven difficult.

“Zhou Haochen,” Bai Sha prompted, “do you have any female friends? Or perhaps a childhood sweetheart?”

Zhou Haochen immediately responded, “Rest assured, none at all.”

Before he met Bai Sha, he had been a true Sigma male (TL Note: A ‘Sigma male’ is a self-reliant, independent, and introverted man who lives outside the traditional social hierarchy, often prioritizing personal goals over relationships.). ‘Women,’ he’d always believed, ‘only hinder my problem-solving speed!’

****

Ultimately, the ambitious campaign to pressure her cousin into marriage quietly fizzled out. Her uncle and aunt, it seemed, were merely going through the annual motions.

Her uncle’s house, however, boasted only a single spare guest room.

In the past, when Bai Sha was perceived as a boy, she could easily share a room with her cousin. Now, not only was she a young woman, but she also arrived with her own family in tow, making it impossible for her uncle’s house to accommodate them all.

While squeezing all three into one room might have been feasible, Bai Sha and Zhou Haochen had not yet reached that stage in their relationship. Consequently, they were compelled to rush back home immediately after dinner.

“Zhou Haochen,” Bai Sha inquired, “what kind of style do your parents prefer?”

She stood in the walk-in closet, posing the question to him.

Zhou Haochen, who was in the living room playing puzzles with their daughter, responded helplessly, “This is my first time bringing a girlfriend home too. How would I know what style they prefer?”

‘Ah, right,’ she realized. ‘He’s an only child; he doesn’t even have a sister for reference.’ She decided to call her own older sister instead.

–Hello? Sis.

–Hello. What’s up, is something wrong?

–Nothing much, I just wanted to ask you something. What did you wear when you went to meet Brother-in-law’s parents?

–You’re meeting the parents? How long have you two even known each other?

Bai Sha counted on her fingers. ‘About three months, I think?’ she replied. Her sister and brother-in-law, she recalled, had dated for four or five years before meeting the parents. Compared to that, her own timeline did seem rather accelerated.

–We have special circumstances, alright! Now, just answer my question!

–Dress a bit more maturely. Since meeting the parents usually means you’re serious about marriage, you want his parents to see you as someone capable of managing a household.

–Okay, I won’t disturb you any further.

Bai Qing was likely still at her family’s ancestral home, and Bai Sha preferred not to prolong the call, knowing that someone else would inevitably take over her sister’s phone if she did.

A light-colored turtleneck sweater and a long, camel-colored fluffy coat. Bai Sha carefully laid out her clothes for the following day before stepping out of the room.

The little one was gnawing on her hand, deep in thought over her puzzle.

Zhou Haochen gently pulled her finger away, but it wasn’t long before it found its way back into her mouth.

“Zhou Yuying.”

Hearing her mother call her by her full name, the little one looked up with a bewildered expression. Despite believing she had done nothing wrong, she cast a guilty glance at her mother.

“Don’t bite your hand, it’s very dirty, okay?”

The little one nodded, instantly tucking her hands behind her back, behaving impeccably.

Zhou Haochen was astonished. This was true bloodline suppression! Sometimes, no matter how many times he told her off, it wasn’t as effective as a single stern word from her mother.

“Do we need to stay overnight at your parents’ house tomorrow?”

Unlike her uncle’s house in S City, Zhou Haochen’s parents lived much further away in their rural hometown, making round trips by car quite time-consuming.

“Let’s drive there and see, okay? If you don’t want to, we’ll just come back.”

“But wouldn’t that leave a bad impression on your parents?” she fretted. Going in the morning and leaving the same night made it seem as if she found them disagreeable.

“The ‘me’ who’s with you isn’t my parents’ me. Just be happy!”

Bai Sha glared at him, retorting irritably, “Then why were you so diligent at my uncle’s house?”

“Because I’m taking their little princess home, and I feel a bit guilty about it!”

“Pfft! You smooth-talker!”

Zhou Haochen wrapped his arms around her, comforting her. “Don’t overthink it. An ugly daughter-in-law always has to meet her in-laws.”

“Who’s ugly? Who’s your daughter-in-law?”

“I’m ugly, I’m ugly! You’re my daughter-in-law!”

Seeing their parents embrace again, the little one, engrossed in her puzzle, was completely immune. In the past, she would cover her eyes with her tiny hands, but now she didn’t even spare them a glance.

‘Sigh,’ she thought, ‘Mom and Dad are so childish.’