Chapter 530: Chapter 527: When the Maid is Ordered Around
He Qianhui hadn’t expected that getting married could somehow be linked to this, and, as she drove, she could feel her cheeks growing hot.
She deliberately refrained from turning her head to speak with Zhang Hao, and only after he had hung up the phone did she say, "Mom said we should come over for dinner today, so we won’t need to go home at noon. Let’s just drive straight there."
He Qianhui actually heard what Zhang Hao’s aunt had said to him on the phone.
"Okay, let’s buy something on the way, we should at least bring some fruit with us."
Zhang Hao hadn’t thought so much about it, his parents’ life was practically divine.
Not only could they not spend all their pension every month, but they also had other income.
And they didn’t have to look after kids, their love for each other was also quite blissful.
Zhang Hao was actually quite envious of their life.
When the two of them arrived at the destination, He Qianhui thought about buying something to bring along. Zhang Hao, whose leg was inconvenient, just sat on a chair at the entrance and waited.
Before long, He Qianhui appeared, carrying two boxes and a fruit basket. Seeing how much she bought, Zhang Hao sighed.
"Mom’s going to comment when she sees you brought all this stuff."
He Qianhui looked at what she held in her hands, "What’s there to say about this? I’ve bought some health products. Uncle and Aunt are getting on in years and should supplement their nutrition more, to avoid constant trips to the hospital."
Carrying the goods, they went upstairs, and, as soon as the door was opened, Zhang Hao’s mom welcomed them warmly.
Upon seeing the two boxes in He Qianhui’s hands, she pretended to complain, "What did you buy? It would have been enough just to have you here."
He Qianhui giggled and said, "Auntie, how could we come to eat without bringing anything? However, I carefully selected these, hoping you would like them."
Zhang Hao hobbled into the living room with his crutches, one step at a time.
Once he sat on the sofa, he tossed the crutches aside.
"Your uncle is at home today and he’s cooking, going to make us a nice meal. I was worried you might have already eaten when I called you earlier."
He Qianhui glanced at the kitchen and said, "Let me go help for a bit, Auntie, you sit down first."
Zhang Hao looked at his mom and said with a smile, "How about that, Mom? Isn’t this wife of mine considerate?"
How could Zhang Hao’s mom not understand He Qianhui.
"You little rascal, how’s your leg?"
"No big deal. It’s healing well. But I still need to rest in bed, and it’ll be over a month before I can walk."
"Really now, these drivers nowadays don’t pay any attention at all, causing harm to others and themselves. But he agreed to compensation, has it been paid yet?" his mom asked.
"It should have been. Let me check," replied Zhang Hao as he took out his cellphone to look through the past month and a half’s bank transactions.
Even when He Qianhui wasn’t at home, Zhang Hao’s meals were taken care of by his aunt.
Yet it didn’t stop him from surreptitiously ordering takeout or running an errand to buy something.
So his bank card had been used quite frequently during this time. As he slowly checked through it,
he indeed found a large transfer that was dated about a half-month after the rear-end collision.
At that time, he had been recuperating in bed at home, not in the mood to check his phone, and was naturally unaware of the transaction.
"It’s been paid. No need to worry," Zhang Hao said.
With the reassurance that the compensation was in place, Zhang Hao’s mom’s mind was put at ease.
"I’ll go wash some fruit for you. We bought your favorite honeydew and Xiao Hui’s preferred peaches."
Watching his aunt move to the kitchen, He Qianhui quickly made space.
"Xiaohui, you go and keep Hao company in the living room; he’s bored sitting there all by himself. I’ll wash the fruit for you two but don’t eat too much, dinner will be ready soon," the aunt advised.
He Qianhui made a sound of acknowledgment, turned around, and walked from the kitchen to the living room. As soon as she sat down, she felt something was off.
It was then she realized that Zhang Hao had been staring at her the whole time.
"Why do you keep staring at me? It’s not like you’ve never seen me before."
"I’ve never seen you looking as beautiful as you do today, though. Tell me, why are you so strange? When I don’t look at you, you complain that my eyes aren’t on you. When I do, you get annoyed that I’m always staring. Can’t you be a bit more fair?"
He Qianhui knew that he would dwell on this issue.
Just then, the aunt brought over some washed fruit. He Qianhui took a piece of cantaloupe and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Eat up and shut your mouth for a bit."
His mouth might be blocked, but Zhang Hao’s heart wasn’t.
"Look at how much my mom dotes on you. You know those honey peaches? I don’t think I’ve seen them in any of the supermarkets or fruit stores downstairs. She must have gone far to buy them."
Liking honey peaches had always been He Qianhui’s little secret. For one, honey peaches are sweet and soft, and also, there’s a psychological effect.
Whenever she wanted to eat one, she would search through various fruit stores. If she found them, she would buy several at once.
If she couldn’t find them, she wouldn’t buy any other kind of peaches, no matter what.
She tasted a peach and it was just as she had imagined it to be.
And with Zhang Hao mentioning just now that his aunt had to go to so many places to find them, she felt a happiness she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
At lunchtime, Zhang Hao’s mom suddenly asked when the two planned to make their relationship official.
Even though Xiaohui was considering a second marriage, not a single ritual should be missed. If possible, they would do it before the end of the year.
At the latest, it should be by next summer. Suddenly, the matter had to be seriously considered.
He Qianhui, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, "Auntie, we’re both still young. Isn’t it a bit too hasty for us to get married so soon?"
"What’s the hurry? Look at this kid; he’s never serious. His father and I can’t even discipline him."
"That’s why the two of you need to hurry up and get married. Then you can rightfully take control of him on my behalf."
He Qianhui, with a shy head tilt, covered up her bashfulness, "Auntie, how can I manage him? He’s the director of a big hospital and what he says goes."
"Sometimes, when he comes home, he orders me about as if I didn’t matter. Anything I say to him goes in one ear and out the other."
He Qianhui wasn’t saying this just to say it; she was telling it like it was.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Hao’s mom knew it wasn’t right; she couldn’t let her son become some spoiled rich kid.
"Hao, is what Xiaohui says true? Do you boss her around at home?"
Zhang Hao, feeling wronged, hurriedly set down his rice bowl, "No, don’t listen to her nonsense. How could I boss her around? How would I dare to?"
"It’s just that one time I asked her to pour me a cup of tea, and she’s held a grudge ever since."
He had thought his mom would take his side, but then he heard her say:
"That’s unacceptable. A capable man should bear responsibilities. Back when your father married me, if he hadn’t enjoyed cooking..."
"He would’ve taken over all the cooking. My culinary skills today should credit him for half the effort. Understand?."
About his parents’ love story, Zhang Hao knew very little; he had never cared to know about such matters before.
Now that his mom brought it up, it sparked his curiosity.
"Dad, is what mom says true? Did you really spoil her that much?"
Zhang Hao’s dad was always serious, but at the mention of this topic, his face finally showed a subtle change.
This change was a genuine pride coming from within: "Of course. A woman you bring home is to be cherished, not ordered around like a maid."
