Chapter 647: Returning to the Country

Su Li had no idea about Wu Sheng’s marriage proposal trip.

After Wu Qihua and Wu Sheng returned, neither of them mentioned it. They didn’t even let it slip, so the thought never crossed Su Li’s mind.

Su Li really hadn’t thought about a marriage proposal or anything of the sort. She was on her own. Miao Fenghua never treated her like a daughter, and she had completely given up on her since her past life. Having experienced a future life, she wasn’t particularly bothered by it.

She made her own decisions and was responsible for her own future. There was nothing wrong with that.

If she didn’t have memories of a future life, any other girl in her shoes would surely have been upset.

After all, in some ways, a formal proposal was a reflection of the man’s attitude toward you.

Since Su Li didn’t care and hadn’t thought about it, Wu Sheng naturally didn’t bring it up with her.

He felt it was something he ought to do, and after doing it, he never thought of mentioning it to Su Li as if to claim credit. Her mother and brother were the way they were, and bringing them up would only put Su Li in a bad mood. He certainly wouldn’t be the one to do that.

Wu Sheng’s thinking was simple. Ordinarily, Su Li might have noticed something was amiss, but not this time.

Because she didn’t have the energy to notice.

Her energy and attention were completely consumed by the upcoming wedding preparations and Tang Mo’s return.

That’s right, Tang Mo was coming home.

Even though Tang Mo had only been gone for four months, to Su Li it felt like a very, very long time. She missed him terribly.

Knowing Tang Mo was coming back, Su Li set everything else aside. Outside of work, she busied herself with his return, starting to clean the house two days in advance and then buying a pile of things for him to eat, drink, and wear.

The house was tidied up inside and out, looking brand new. She also prepared some of the foods Tang Mo liked that could be made ahead of time. For the things that couldn’t be, she bought the ingredients and had them ready, just waiting for Tang Mo’s return to start cooking.

As Su Li got busy, she inadvertently pushed Wu Sheng to the back of her mind.

When Wu Sheng came to see Su Li, he opened the door to a sparkling home and saw the perpetually busy Su Li. “…”

He’d fallen out of favor again.

Pitifully fallen out of favor right before his own wedding.

The moment Tang Mo came back, his good days would be over. No, Tang Mo wasn’t even back yet, and Su Li already couldn’t see him anymore, her mind completely focused on Tang Mo.

Wu Sheng sat on the sofa, watching Su Li bustle in and out. He propped his chin on his hand and thought seriously:

‘I must have owed Tang Mo a lot of money in my past life. There’s no other explanation.’

Su Li didn’t know what Wu Sheng was thinking. She made small talk with him while she worked, her words sporadic.

“…Little Mo must have gotten thinner. When he gets back, I’ll have to fatten him up…”

Wu Sheng: “…”

He had to admit defeat.

「Two days later」 It was finally the day of Tang Mo’s return.

Su Li had arranged her schedule to have the day off. She arrived at the airport two hours early to wait.

She waited and waited. Just as Su Li, who had been staring so hard her eyes ached, felt like she’d waited an eternity, she finally saw Tang Mo.

At this age, children always grow the fastest. After just a few months, Tang Mo had gotten taller again.

“Little Mo.”

“Mom.”

Tang Mo came out of the airport exit, walking briskly. Behind him, Mu Haoye followed with long strides, and Cui Jiaren trotted to keep up.

Su Li spotted Tang Mo at first glance, and he spotted her at the same time.

The moment he saw Su Li, Tang Mo broke into a run. Without a second thought, he overtook the people in front of him and sprinted toward her.

“Mom.”

“Little Mo.”

The mother and son embraced tightly. Su Li couldn’t contain her joy and, just like when he was little, tried to pick him up and spin him around a few times.

But… she managed to lift him, and she managed to spin.

It was just a little strenuous.

Tang Mo had grown again. He was much heavier.

Su Li put Tang Mo down, feeling a mix of emotion, pride, and relief. She held his shoulders, touched his face and head, and said, “Little Mo, you’ve grown again.”

“You’ve gotten so big, Mom can barely lift you anymore.”

‘This is great, just great. Little Mo is growing up so healthy. This is really wonderful.’

Tang Mo obediently let Su Li fuss over him. Seeing his mother’s face flushed from excitement and exertion, he grinned, his eyes greedily taking her in.

“Don’t worry. When the time comes, I’ll carry you, Mom. You won’t have to carry me anymore.”

Su Li laughed heartily. “Okay, okay. When the time comes, you can carry your mom.”

Su Li felt like she could never get enough of looking at Tang Mo. She took a moment to greet Mu Haoye and Cui Jiaren, who had caught up, then immediately turned her attention back to her son.

“You’ve gotten thinner. You’re so thin. Now that you’re back, we need to fatten you up.”

Mu Haoye rubbed his nose, exchanged a look with Tang Mo, and jutted his chin, as if to say:

‘I knew she would say that!’

‘And I know my mom will say the same thing when I get home!’

It seemed that in the hearts of all mothers, a child who leaves home will always be too thin.

It wasn’t that the child was actually thinner, but because she worried every day whether he was eating enough or staying warm, her first glance would always register him as ‘thinner’.

That’s why a mother’s catchphrase upon seeing her child was always, “You’ve gotten so thin, so thin.”

Unless the child had gotten fat—so fat it was impossible to ignore—only then would she be forced to reluctantly swallow those words.

In reality, however, Tang Mo hadn’t lost any weight.

He hadn’t gotten fat, but he certainly wasn’t thin either. He had grown taller and sturdier.

But since Su Li said it, no one was going to argue with her.

“You’ve gotten thinner too, Mom. You should eat well with me,” Tang Mo said, also thinking Su Li looked thinner.

“Okay, okay, we’ll eat well together.” Su Li grabbed Tang Mo’s luggage, insisting on carrying it to the car herself.

Tang Mo felt his strength was increasing and should be about on par with Su Li’s, but he still couldn’t win the luggage back from her.

Su Li invited Mu Haoye and Cui Jiaren to her home for a meal before they went back, but both were eager to get to their own homes.

In the end, Su Li drove them both home before finally taking Tang Mo back to their own house.

Back in his familiar home, eating Su Li’s familiar cooking, the smile never left Tang Mo’s face all evening. He kept smiling until his cheeks ached.

Su Li was the same way. The mother and son ate a whole table full of food, each putting dishes on the other’s plate. It was only after they finished that they realized they had overeaten.

After eating, Su Li helped Tang Mo unpack his luggage. Tang Mo had bought many things for Su Li.

There were things to eat, to wear, and to use, as well as all sorts of small gifts. An entire suitcase was filled with things for Su Li.

Tang Mo had collected these things bit by bit over time.

“Mom, this is a scarf. I knew it would look good on you, so I bought it.”

“This is a hat. It’s really cute, and so are the gloves…”

“This is a shirt, this is a dress… these are shoes…”

One by one, items with an exotic yet classic style were laid out before Su Li.

There were even two pairs of shoes.

“Why are there so many things? Are all of these for me?”

“Mhm, and there’s more,” Tang Mo nodded. “Whenever I saw something I thought would suit you, Mom, I bought it.”

Tang Mo then took out two large bags. “These are for you too, Mom.”

He opened one bag, as if showing off for praise. “Mom, these are snacks, the local specialties over there. I only bought them back after trying them and making sure they were delicious.”

“This bag is full of things to use. This is lipstick, this is a bracelet, this is for your face, and this is perfume. Just a little spray smells really nice…”

“The salesperson said these are the most popular items, and they’re perfect for someone your age.”

Looking at all the things in the bag, Su Li was so stunned she was nearly speechless.