The Domineering Cultivator Farmer

Chapter 41: The Mother-in-Law Pays a Visit

Amid the anxious anticipation of villagers and tourists alike, the long day finally came to an end. Everyone had finished dinner early and was now gathered in front of the TV, waiting for the show to air. Fang Yun’s family was no exception. “It’s starting! Amid everyone’s eager anticipation, Ke Jiafu finally took the stage. With a few witty and humorous opening remarks from Ke Jiafu, the show officially began. “Daddy, look—it’s Niuniu!” The little girl was so excited to see herself on screen that she shook Fang Yun’s hand frantically. “Mm-hmm, Daddy sees her. Niuniu is so cute.” “Mm-hmm, mm-hmm,” the little girl beamed with joy at the compliment. And it’s true—she really did look great on camera. She wasn’t the least bit shy, and her pouting little mouth was absolutely adorable. During the half-hour show, Fang Yun’s phone was practically ringing off the hook—all from tourists calling to brag about how well she’d performed on TV. He’d just hung up on a tourist when his phone rang again. He saw it was his uncle, Fang Zhong. “Hello, Uncle, what’s up?” “Hehe, nothing much—just wondering if I did okay on TV.” Fang Zhong’s cheerful laughter came through the phone. “Yeah, not bad, not bad—though it would’ve been even better if your legs hadn’t been shaking.” Fang Yun pursed her lips. How dare he ask about his own performance on TV? Didn’t he see how badly his legs were shaking? “…You unlucky kid, I was just excited—definitely not scared.” Fang Zhong fell silent for a moment before defending himself passionately. “I didn’t say you were scared.” Fang Yun continued to tease Fang Zhong. “……” Fang Zhong fell completely silent; Fang Yun could just imagine him blushing bright red right now. “By the way, Uncle, once the provincial TV program airs tonight, I expect a lot of tourists will come to visit tomorrow. See if you can make some arrangements.” Fang Yun decided to change the subject. “Right, right, right. I’ll head down to the village right away to discuss it with everyone and do my best to arrange accommodations and meals for the tourists tomorrow.” Fang Zhong hurriedly hung up the phone and went to find people. However, Fang Yun believed his uncle had hung up so abruptly simply because he was too embarrassed. At Feng Xiu’er’s home in the provincial capital, the whole family was gathered around the TV. Last night, Feng Xiu’er had called to say that she and Niuniu had appeared on the provincial TV station’s program *A Glimpse into Folk Life*, and she had told them all to be sure to watch it. Hearing that their precious granddaughter, whom they hadn’t seen in a month, was on TV, the family was so excited they told everyone they met. They finished dinner early and waited for the program to air. “Look, look—it’s Niuniu!” Feng Bodai exclaimed excitedly the moment he saw her. “Mm-hmm, our Niuniu is so pretty,” Liao Xue nodded repeatedly. “That ungrateful little thing—she hasn’t come back to visit Grandma and Grandpa in so long.” Although Feng Zhenjia didn’t say a word, his eyes were fixed on Niuniu on the TV. Everyone had missed this little ray of sunshine, whom they hadn’t seen in over a month. Watching Niuniu vividly recount her adventures in the mountains on TV, the whole family laughed uncontrollably and felt a deep longing to be there themselves. “Honey, do you really think the countryside is that much fun?” Liao Xue asked Feng Zhenjia after the show ended, clearly intrigued. “What’s so fun about the countryside? We both grew up there—haven’t we had enough of it yet?” Feng Zhenjia glanced at Liao Xue and replied casually. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand her feelings; he just still harbored a bit of prejudice toward Fang Yun. “Dad, other rural areas might not be that much fun, but my brother-in-law’s place is definitely a blast. Didn’t you see how much fun my sister and Niuniu were having—they didn’t even want to come back? And you just saw on TV—what amazing animals! Why don’t we go check it out? I really miss Niuniu.” Picking up on Liao Xue’s hint, Feng Bodai quickly tried to persuade his father. “That’s right, old man. Look how big Niuniu has gotten—it’s about time Fang Yun gave Xiu’er a clear answer. We can’t keep going on like this.” Liao Xue’s words hit Feng Zhenjia’s Achilles’ heel; for a conservative, traditional man, reputation was what he valued most. “You two figure it out. I’m a little tired—I’m going to get some rest.” Unwilling to lose face, Feng Zhenjia stood up, tossed out a parting remark, waved his hand, and walked away. “Yay!” Feng Boda jumped up in delight. He exchanged a glance with Liao Xue, and the two of them grinned like foxes that had just snatched a chick. “Hurry, hurry, hurry! Call your sister right now and tell her we’re coming over tomorrow. Settle this before your dad changes his mind,” Liao Xue urged Feng Boda. “Okay, I’ll call her right now.” After the Fang Yun family finished watching TV and were happily discussing their performance on the show, Feng Xiu’er’s cell phone rang. “Hello, Boda? Huh? Oh, oh, oh, okay, okay, I got it.” After hanging up, Feng Xiuer said to Fang Yun, “Fang Yun, um, my mom and my younger brother are coming here tomorrow.” “What? My mother-in-law is coming? Old Man, hurry up and get things ready—we can’t afford to treat her poorly on her first visit.” Before Fang Yun could say a word, Wang Jiu got all excited. “Right, right. We can slaughter some of the chickens we raise at home—let’s kill two tomorrow to entertain my mother-in-law. Then we’ll figure out what else to prepare.” Fang Changsheng hurriedly stood up and walked away with Wang Jiu, discussing how to arrange tomorrow’s welcome for his mother-in-law. “Oh, Grandma and Uncle are coming to see Niuniu!” The little girl was overjoyed, already thinking about where she would take them to play when they arrived tomorrow. Early the next morning, Fang Changsheng and Wang Jiu got up to slaughter the chickens and ducks and clean the house, keeping Fang Yun running around nonstop as they gave her a string of tasks. “Daddy, Niuniu is here to help you.” Seeing how busy her dad was, Niuniu scampered over on her little legs, eager to lend a hand. But the little girl only made things worse, so Fang Yun had no choice but to send her to help Feng Xiu’er prepare the room for Liao Xue and Feng Boda. The two arrived quickly, reaching the village entrance by 10:00 a. m. Seeing the area outside the village packed with cars, they had no choice but to park on the other side of the bridge and walk into the village. “Excuse me, why are there so many people in the village today?” Feng Boda asked, pulling a villager aside. “These are all visitors coming to the village for a day trip. It’s not usually this crowded. Didn’t the provincial TV station air a program filmed here last night? They’re all here to see the animals from the show.” The man was none other than Fang Yun’s second uncle, Fang Guofang. “Oh, the scenery here really is lovely. It’d be nice to come here for a visit when we have some free time,” Liao Xue remarked, admiring the village’s scenery. “You two are here to sightsee too, right? Then you’d better hurry and find a place to eat and stay. There are so many people today; I’m guessing everyone’s homes are already full,” Fang Guofang said, assuming Liao Xue and her companion were also tourists, and offering a word of advice. “No, we’re here to find someone. I’m looking for Fang Yun—my daughter and granddaughter are staying at his place right now,” Liao Xue hurriedly explained. “So you’re his mother-in-law! Oh my, why didn’t you let Fang Yun know so he could come pick you up? Come on, I’ll take you to his house.” As soon as Fang Guofang heard “daughter” and “granddaughter,” he realized Fang Yun’s mother-in-law had arrived, so he quickly led the two of them toward Fang Yun’s house. “Fang Yun, your mother-in-law is here!” Fang Guofang called out from a good distance away. Instantly, the whole Fang Yun family rushed out to greet Liao Xue and her daughter. “Grandma, Niuniu has missed you so much!” As soon as she saw her grandma arrive, Niuniu excitedly scampered over and threw herself into Liao Xue’s arms. Liao Xue quickly hugged Niu Niu and said, “Grandma missed you so much, too.” “Auntie and Boda are here.” “Mom, Boda, you’re here.” Fang Yun and Feng Xiu’er also walked over to greet them. “My mother-in-law is here! Quick, come inside and have a drink of water first.” Wang Jiu immediately took Liao Xue’s hand and led the two of them into the house. “You’re too kind, Mother-in-law.” Liao Xue, still holding Niuniu, followed Wang Jiu inside.