Crossing Over to Yamada Love

Bai Qing'er's displeasure could not be hidden from Mo Lan. Mo Lan saw it clearly and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Mo Lan then spoke up, "Sister, I didn't mean anything by it. Don't overthink it. Actually, everyone is the same. Think about it, which family wants their daughter-in-law to manage her own family every day and ignore her husband's? Anyone would have their own thoughts about that. It's not that we don't want you to manage your own family, but if that were the case, we would be too unreasonable. It's just that there is a better solution. I wonder if you would like to hear it?"

"Oh, tell me, sister, what kind of good idea is it?" Bai Qing'er replied, but in her heart she thought: If you ask me to abandon my family in the future, I will definitely not agree.

“Sister, Uncle Bai has been living alone for several years now. If you get married, the household will be short of someone to manage it. If we could find someone else to manage the household affairs for Uncle, you would feel much more at ease. Wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?” Mo Lan offered her suggestion.

Bai Qing'er frowned upon hearing this. She didn't want her father to find a stepmother. How many good stepmothers were there? She could marry, but what about her younger brother? If a stepmother treated him badly, how could she live with herself? She couldn't agree to such a condition just because she wanted to marry Erlang. How could she even think of that? She hadn't even entered the Mo family yet, and they were already interfering. Didn't they think they were overstepping their bounds? If she married into the family, wouldn't they control her to death? That wouldn't do!

Thinking of this, Bai Qing'er raised her eyebrows and smiled at Mo Lan, saying, "Sister, since ancient times, many stepmothers have mistreated the children left behind by their ex-wives. I can get married, but I don't want my brothers to live under her care. How could I face my deceased mother like that? I promised Mother that I would take good care of Father and my brothers, and I cannot break my promise."

Actually, in a few years my brother will be grown up, and once he gets married, there will naturally be someone in charge of the household. In a few years, you'll be able to take over. Don't you think so, sister?" Bai Qing'er retorted to Mo Lan's words.

Mo Lan smiled and offered the other person tea, then picked up her own cup and took a couple of sips. Her eyes were lowered, so the other person couldn't see her emotions. In truth, Mo Lan wasn't particularly satisfied with Bai Qing'er. Through their conversation, she realized that Bai Qing'er's personality didn't match her appearance. Perhaps because her mother had died young and she needed to manage the family, she was too strong-willed and her thinking was somewhat extreme. If it weren't for Erlang's own approval, Mo Lan wouldn't have liked this kind of woman.

Yes, Bai Qing'er is indeed a filial and family-oriented person, but her personality and ideas are too stubborn and self-willed. Once she dislikes someone, she will think the worst of that person, and her actions in certain matters will be unacceptable to others.

Mo Lan smiled slightly and asked Bai Qing'er, "Sister, not all stepmothers are bad. There are still many virtuous women in the world. It will be many years before your younger brother grows up. Do you intend to let Uncle live alone forever? Aren't you afraid that Uncle will be lonely in his old age?"

Bai Qing'er listened to Mo Lan's words and carefully examined her. What did she mean? She had two men in her heart, but was her in-laws putting pressure on her? Mo Lan was not only beautiful, but she also seemed quite formidable. When she became her sister-in-law, she wouldn't be easy to deal with. If Mo Lan, as the eldest daughter-in-law of the Mo family, kept interfering in the Mo family's affairs, how could she still be in charge?

No, I can't let her outdo me. If I let her make her own decisions today, I won't be able to control her in the future.

After thinking it over, Bai Qing'er continued, "What you say is true, but unfortunately, I'm just a worrier. I'm always worried that my brother will be bullied. Actually, we should find someone for Father. Don't worry, sister. Once my brother gets married, we'll discuss finding someone for Father so that someone can manage our household."

Although Bai Qing'er promised to find someone for her father, she delayed until after her brother's marriage, which was a subtle way of giving Mo Lan a cold shoulder.

Mo Lan didn't care. In fact, whether Bai's father found someone or not was none of her business. She just wanted to resolve some trouble so that Bai Qing'er could get along well with the Mo family in the future. If the other party didn't appreciate it, so be it. She didn't have the time to interfere in her affairs.

"Sister, you're so generous, I admire you. By the way, I heard from my brother-in-law that you want to live in town. I wonder if you have any requirements for the house? Also, may I ask if you plan to live in the house all the time, or will you move back to the estate after you have children? Anyway, there are plenty of people to serve you on the estate, so you won't have to do anything and won't get tired." Mo Lan changed the subject and asked Bai Qing'er about her plans.

Bai Qing'er was overjoyed upon hearing the first half of Mo Lan's sentence. The other party had agreed to buy a house in town for her and Erlang to live in. This way, she could not only take care of her parents' family, but also not have to serve her parents-in-law. She could be in charge of the household, and her life would surely be harmonious.

But after hearing the second half of the sentence, she frowned. Did the Mo family intend for her to give birth in town and then move back to the manor? Wouldn't that mean she would have to live a subservient life in the manor? No matter what, she came from the town. She had heard that the Mo family were genuine farmers before they became wealthy. Her future mother-in-law was a typical peasant woman, the kind who would curse at the drop of a hat. Could she stand it? Could she live like that?

Mo Lan could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her expression. She sighed inwardly: Erlang is still too young. He thinks that Bai Qing'er is pretty, has a pitiful background, and is also strong and filial. So he has developed a liking for her and then fallen in love with her.

Once people fall in love, they only see the other person's strengths and advantages, while their weaknesses are overshadowed. There was a hint of disdain for her own family in the light in Bai Qing'er's eyes. Although it was only a hint, it would make it difficult to get along with them in the future.

"Lanlan, I don't have any requirements for the house, as long as it's habitable. If we already have one, we don't need to buy one. If not, we can just buy any house. I'm thinking that as long as there's a yard and a few rooms, the child will have a place to live when the time comes." Bai Qing'er said her requirements with a blush.

Demanding a place for the child to stay means she doesn't want to go back to the village. I don't know how I offended her; she seems to be constantly challenging me. Oh well, if she doesn't want to go back, she doesn't want to. We're not begging her for anything. If she wants to live a carefree life with Erlang, so be it. If I want to look after the children, there are other options—my sister's family, my own family, and others. By the time they're all grown up, Sanlang will be married and have children. They can keep up. It doesn't necessarily have to be hers.

"Alright. Is there anything else you need, sister?" Mo Lan continued to ask, her heart now much calmer, no longer demanding anything from the other party.

"That's all. Actually, finding a good husband is what matters. Money is just an external thing. I believe the Mo family won't treat me badly, after all, it's the eldest daughter-in-law they're marrying. If they don't treat me well, outsiders will talk. I'll have to trouble you, sister, to take care of this." Bai Qing'er didn't mention any conditions, but she did say something: the Mo family is marrying the eldest daughter-in-law, everyone is watching. It's best if the woman isn't treated unfairly, otherwise people will laugh at them.

Mo Lan wasn't stupid; there was nothing she couldn't understand. She smiled, the corners of her mouth curving upwards, and chatted with the other person for a while before seeing Bai Qing'er off.

After a while, Chen Xuan walked in and asked with a smile, "Lanlan, how is it?"

Mo Lan stared at Chen Xuan for a long time, then sighed softly.

"What? Didn't you reach an agreement?" Chen Xuan asked, puzzled. But when he saw Bai Qing'er leave, her face was filled with joy and shyness, so it should have been a success. Why is Lanlan sighing?

"We've reached an agreement, but I don't think she's the sister-in-law I'm looking for. If it weren't for my brother's affection for her, I really... I'm afraid that if she marries into the family, things will get messy in the Mo family. Brother-in-law, you're close to my family, and we all treat you like family. We never treat you like an outsider. You're the same way, treating my family like your own. But she... she'll be at odds with us in the future." Mo Lan didn't hide anything and shared her thoughts.

Chen Xuan felt somewhat disheartened after hearing this. He had lived in the town and knew that many people there, though poor, looked down on those in the village. He had thought the same way before visiting the village, but after becoming acquainted with the Mo family and fortunate enough to become their son-in-law, he truly felt a deep connection with them. However, others hadn't had his experience, and he feared that, as Lanlan had said, they might become estranged in the future.

"Lanlan, your mother has us. Your sister and I live close by, and we'll need your mother to take care of our children when we have them. You live in the other courtyard, which is also very close, so you can go back to your parents' home every day. There will be a mistress in the future, so your mother won't be idle. Besides, I believe Erlang isn't the kind of person who forgets his mother after getting married." Chen Xuan persuaded Molan.

“I know that, brother-in-law. You don’t know, I don’t object to taking care of my wife’s family after marriage. I’m that kind of person myself. I also take care of my wife’s family. But I can’t ignore my husband’s family. After I got married, I already agreed with Xue Lingfeng that I would bring my mother-in-law over to take care of her. If she wants to go back to the Xue family, we will often accompany her back for a short stay.”

After all, we're both born of the same parents, and we should be filial to both sides. That's how we can live a good life. If you only care about one side, everyone will have complaints. You're right, my brother isn't the type to forget our mother. I'm just worried that he'll have trouble in the future because of family discord, but this is the person he likes. Oh well, as long as he's happy, that's all that matters. I can't worry about anything else.”

Mo Lan never intended to break up Erlang and Bai Qing'er, after all, she was someone Erlang had finally fallen for. She was his first love, and she didn't want to hurt him.

"What did Mother say?" Chen Xuan asked Mo Lan if she should tell Qiu Shi about this.

"I'll talk to Mother. When she asks about you, just say everything's fine. Oh, and brother-in-law, Grandma asked you to help find five houses. Four for us siblings, and one for Aunt's unborn child. They don't all need to be in the same place, but they should all be about three courtyards. The price doesn't have to be too high. She also needs five shops, to be divided up like that. I'll trouble you to keep an eye on things. Find a suitable one first, for my brother's wedding. Don't rush the others, just take your time." Mo Lan explained Wang Shi's plan.