A reborn mother longs for her daughter's happiness.

Chapter 186 Shi Qing's Return to Her Bride's Home

Sunlight filtered through dappled leaves, casting golden shadows on the path Li Shiqing and Zhang Chen took home, adding a touch of romance to their homecoming journey. Li Shiqing sat in the passenger seat, her eyes fixed on the familiar scenery outside the window, her heart soaring like a joyful bird in the warm spring breeze.

"Zhang Chen, do you think my parents will be especially excited to see us come back?" Li Shiqing turned her head, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, revealing two shallow dimples.

While focused on driving, Zhang Chen replied with a smile, "Of course! Their daughter is coming back to visit her parents' home just a few days after getting married. They'll be beaming with joy. Your mom might have already prepared a table full of your favorite dishes, just waiting for us to go back and feast."

"Hmph, I think you're just thinking about food." Li Shiqing gently patted Zhang Chen's shoulder, pretending to be angry, but she couldn't hide the smile on her face.

Not long after, the car came to a smooth stop in front of the Li family's house. Li Shiqing eagerly pushed open the car door and, like a swallow returning to its nest, rushed towards the door. "Mom and Dad, we're back!" Her clear and melodious voice was like a spring breeze, instantly blowing into the hearts of everyone in the house.

Li Yuan, who was busy in the kitchen, almost dropped the spatula in her hand when she heard her daughter's voice. She quickly put down what she was doing, untied her apron, and hurried towards the door. "Oh, my darling daughter, I've been waiting for you to come home!" Li Yuan hugged Li Shiqing tightly, her eyes glistening with tears of excitement.

"Mom, I miss you so much!" Li Shiqing hugged her mother tightly and said coquettishly.

At this moment, Liu Xuan also came out of the house. Seeing his daughter and son-in-law, his face was filled with a happy smile. "Xiao Zhang, welcome home! Come in quickly, don't stand outside." He warmly greeted Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen walked into the house with a big smile, carrying the carefully prepared gifts. "Dad, this is a little something from Shi Qing and me for you and Mom. We hope you like it."

Liu Xuan accepted the gift and said with a smile, "You came all this way, why bring a gift? That's too formal." Although he said that, he was secretly overjoyed.

Just as everyone was exchanging pleasantries, Liu Yixin rushed out of the kitchen like a gust of wind. "Sister, you're finally back! I've missed you so much!" She hugged Li Shiqing tightly and gave her a big kiss on the cheek.

"Oh my, my little Xin, your enthusiasm almost knocked me over." Li Shiqing smiled and patted Liu Yixin's head.

"Sis, the house feels so much quieter since you left," Liu Yixin said, pouting and pretending to be aggrieved.

"Come on, stop pretending to be pitiful. I bet you've been having a blast at home, completely forgetting about your older sister." Li Shiqing gently pinched Liu Yixin's nose.

At this moment, Liu Qicheng also came out of the kitchen, holding a kitchen knife in his hand, looking at everyone with a blank expression. "Sis, you're back! I'm helping Mom and Dad cook. Today I'm the chef's right-hand man."

Li Shiqing couldn't help but laugh when she saw her younger brother's serious expression. "Wow, Qicheng in our family has become a chef's assistant! That's amazing!"

The family chatted and laughed as they entered the house, filling the living room with a warm atmosphere. Li Yuan took Li Shiqing's hand, looking her up and down with concern in her eyes. "Shiqing, how are you doing at your in-laws' house? Have you been mistreated?"

"Mom, don't worry, Zhang Chen is so good to me, and my in-laws take good care of me too. How could I possibly suffer any injustice?" Li Shiqing said happily, leaning on her mother's shoulder.

"That's good. If Zhang Chen dares to bully you, just tell Mom, and Mom will teach him a lesson." Li Yuan gave Zhang Chen a fierce look.

Zhang Chen quickly raised his hands, looking innocent, and said, "Mom, don't worry, I will never bully Shi Qing. If I do something wrong, please feel free to criticize me."

"Haha, I was just kidding. You look so nervous." Li Yuan was amused by Zhang Chen's reaction.

After chatting for a while, Li Yuan suddenly remembered the food she was cooking in the kitchen and hurriedly stood up. "Oh dear, I almost forgot about the food in the pot. Shi Qing, you and Xiao Zhang sit for a while, I'll go check on it in the kitchen."

"Mom, let me help you too." Li Shiqing stood up as well.

"No need, no need. You've finally come back, so just relax. Leave the kitchen chores to me, your dad, your younger siblings, and me," Li Yuan said, pulling Liu Yixin and Liu Qicheng towards the kitchen.

Li Shiqing couldn't refuse her mother's request, so she sat on the sofa with Zhang Chen to watch TV. Not long after, a lively sound came from the kitchen.

"Dad, you put too much salt in this dish. Is it even edible?" Liu Yixin's voice came from the kitchen.

"How could that be? I placed them based on experience, there's definitely no problem," Liu Xuan replied confidently.

"Oh dear, your experience is outdated. Nowadays, cooking is all about health, so you need less salt and less oil," Liu Yixin retorted.

"What do you know, girl! I've been cooking for so many years, do you think I don't know how to add salt?" Liu Xuan said, somewhat unconvinced.

"Alright, alright, stop arguing. We'll know if this dish is salty or not once we taste it," Li Yuan quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Let me try it." Liu Qicheng said, dipping his finger in the soup and putting it in his mouth. "Wow, it's so salty! Dad, you really put in too much salt."

"Huh? Really? Let me try it again." Liu Xuan also took a bite, frowned, and said, "It seems a bit salty."

"See? I told you so," Liu Yixin said smugly.

"What do we do now? The dishes are already cooked," Liu Xuan asked anxiously.

“I have a solution,” Liu Yixin said, taking a bottle of mineral water from the cupboard and pouring some into the pot. “Diluting it like this should reduce the saltiness.”

"Will your method work?" Liu Xuan looked at Liu Yixin with some skepticism.

"Whether it works or not, we'll find out by trying." Liu Yixin stirred the vegetables in the pot, then took another bite. "Hmm, much better."

"Our Xiaoxin is so smart," Li Yuan praised with a smile.

Laughter and cheerful voices drifted from the kitchen, which Li Shiqing and Zhang Chen listened to with great interest from the living room. Zhang Chen couldn't help but laugh and say, "Your house has such a lively atmosphere; it feels like a comedy show every day."

"Yes, that's how it is in our family. Although we often bicker, it's full of warmth and happiness," Li Shiqing said with a happy expression.

After a while, Li Yuan and Liu Xuan finally finished cooking. A table full of delicious dishes was laid out, including braised pork, sweet and sour pork ribs, steamed fish, stir-fried vegetables... each dish exuding an enticing aroma.

"Shi Qing, Xiao Zhang, come and eat! Try the cooking of your dad, your younger brother, and your sister," Li Yuan greeted them warmly.

Li Shiqing and Zhang Chen sat down at the dining table, their mouths watering at the sight of the delicious food. "Wow, these are all my favorite dishes! Mom, you're so thoughtful!" Li Shiqing picked up her chopsticks and eagerly popped a piece of braised pork into her mouth. "Mmm, it tastes so familiar, it's so delicious!"

"Eat more if you like it." Li Yuan smiled and put a piece of pork rib on Li Shiqing's plate.

"Mom, your cooking is absolutely delicious! I'm so full!" Zhang Chen said, giving a thumbs-up as he ate.

"Haha, eat as much as you like. If Shi Qing's cooking doesn't suit your taste in the future, just come back and Mom will cook for you," Li Yuan said with a smile.

"Mom, are you saying my cooking is bad?" Li Shiqing said, pretending to be angry.

"No, I was just worried that Xiao Zhang wouldn't be used to the food," Li Yuan quickly explained.

Everyone ate and chatted, filling the table with laughter. Suddenly, Liu Yixin put down her chopsticks and looked at Li Shiqing and Zhang Chen with a mysterious expression. "Sister, brother-in-law, when are you planning to have a baby? I want to be an auntie soon!"

Li Shiqing's face flushed instantly, and she gently patted Liu Yixin's head. "You little rascal, why are you suddenly asking this question? We haven't thought about it yet."

“That’s right, these things can’t be rushed, we have to let nature take its course,” Zhang Chen said with a smile.

"Oh, I was just asking casually. If you have a baby, I'll definitely be a super nice auntie and spoil him rotten," Liu Yixin said with a hopeful expression.

"You should take care of your own affairs first," Li Shiqing said with a smile.

"I've already taken care of my own affairs. I'm engaged to Fu Yu now, and we'll be getting married in a few days," Liu Yixin said proudly.

"Hey, Zhang Chen and I will attend your wedding," Li Shiqing encouraged.

"Don't worry, sis, I definitely won't let you down," Liu Yixin said confidently.

After dinner, Li Shiqing and Zhang Chen offered to help clear the dishes. Li Yuan wanted to stop them, but couldn't persuade them otherwise, so she let them do it. After clearing the dishes, the family sat in the living room and chatted for a while.

Time flew by, and it was afternoon in the blink of an eye. Li Shiqing and Zhang Chen had to go back. Li Yuan held Li Shiqing's hand, her eyes full of reluctance. "Shiqing, take good care of yourself when you get back. If anything happens, just call home."

"Mom, I understand. You and Dad should also take care of yourselves." Tears welled up in Li Shiqing's eyes.

"Mom, don't worry, I'll take good care of Shi Qing," Zhang Chen said from the side.

"Okay, I'm relieved to hear that." Li Yuan nodded with a smile.

Liu Yixin and Liu Qicheng also ran over to say goodbye to Li Shiqing. "Sister, you must come back to visit us often," Liu Yixin said reluctantly, holding Li Shiqing's hand.

"Yes, I will. You must listen to your parents at home." Li Shiqing patted their heads.

Li Shiqing and Zhang Chen got into the car and slowly drove away from home. Looking out the car window at her parents and younger siblings standing at the door, Li Shiqing felt a mix of emotions. She knew that no matter how far she went, home would always be her warmest harbor.

As the car drove further away, Li Shiqing turned her head and looked at Zhang Chen sitting beside her, a happy smile on her face. "Zhang Chen, today was so much fun. Although the time spent returning to my parents' home was short, it was filled with warmth and joy."

"Yes, I really envy your warm and loving family. We want to make our little family as happy as yours in the future," Zhang Chen said affectionately, holding Li Shiqing's hand.

"Yes, I believe we can do it." Li Shiqing leaned on Zhang Chen's shoulder, closed her eyes, and enjoyed this moment of peace and happiness.

The sunlight bathed them, creating a warm and beautiful scene. This day will become an unforgettable memory in their lives, forever treasured in their hearts.