Chapter 4 — Mother-in-law Tests Daughter-in-law's Heart

"Mom, my body is different, the doctor also told me to avoid allergens." Ton Que Phan smiled faintly. "Doctor and doctor, when I open my mouth, it's only the doctor." She turned around and continued mixing the filling. This time, she didn't cover up anymore. Ninh Uyen saw that in the bowl of golden eggs, transparent vermicelli, and a bit of dark green crumbs mixed in. Few. So little that if you don't look closely, it will almost be covered by eggs. Her fingertips immediately turned cold. Ton Que Phan used chopsticks to mix the filling, his tone was light: "Mom, I just added a few chopped vegetables, just for flavor." Ninh Uyen stared at that bit of green. "What vegetables, Mom?" The chopsticks in Ton Que Phan's hand stopped. She turned her head to look at her, her eyes carrying the certainty of someone who was probing. "Guess." Ninh Uyen did not answer. Outside the door, the elevator made a "Ding" sound, then quickly faded away. In the house, there was only the sound of rustling filling. Ton Que Phan took out the dough and started rolling the shell. Each sheet of white dough is spread out on the cutting board, as thin as the moon. She wrapped it very quickly, and with one squeeze of her finger, a dumpling stood up straight. "Don't look at it like that." She smiled and said, "Are you really planning to harm me?" Ninh Uyen lowered her eyes. The phone screen lit up, it was a message sent by Tran Nghien. *I can come home for lunch this afternoon, what do you want to eat?* Ninh Uyen looked at that text and was about to answer when Ton Que Phan held a row of wrapped dumplings and stood in front of her. "Eat this today." She said. "Multiply eggs, nourish your child." Ninh Uyen raised her head. Ton Que Phan's smile was very bright, but her eyes were fixed straight on her face. The water in the pot began to boil, white steam rose, covering the kitchen glass door with a layer of fog. 04 Ninh Uyen looked at the phone screen, her fingers hovering over the text typing box. She wanted to answer: *Don't come home, mom is wrapping the dumplings.* Also wanted to answer: *Please go home, I'm a bit scared.* But Ton Que Phan was holding a plate of raw dumplings and standing in front of her, eyes like a nail, pinning her on the chair. "Why don't you answer?" Ton Que Phan smiled and asked. "Did Nghien ask you what you had for lunch?" Ninh Uyen put the phone face down on the table. "He said he might be back this afternoon." The smile on Ton Que Phan's face paused for a moment, then quickly rose. "That's good, let's ask him to taste it." The water in the pot rang even more fiercely. White steam stuck to the glass door and climbed up, the kitchen seemed to be surrounded by a layer of damp mist. Ton Que Phan dropped each dumpling into the pot. The back of the ladle pushes the water surface out, the dumpling sinks into the boiling water, then slowly floats up. Ninh Uyen sat at the dining table, her palms pressed against the rim of the cup. The water has cooled. She lowered her head and glanced at her stomach. That place was still flat, but she knew there was a very small life inside, obediently lying there. She suddenly found herself very tired. It's not just today that I'm tired. From the first time I was accused of pretending to be absent-minded, from every explanation being interrupted with a smile, those fatigues kept accumulating little by little, piling up until today, like a wet rock weighing down on my chest. Ton Que Phan scooped out the first plate of dumplings. The plump white dumplings were crowded into the plate, the edges of the skin dimly revealing a light green color. She deliberately placed a plate of dumplings right in front of Ninh Uyen. The vinegar plate was also pushed over. "Eat it while it's still hot." Ninh Uyen did not move. Ton Que Phan sat down opposite, both hands resting on the edge of the table. "What's wrong?" "It's hot." "Blow on it and the heat will go away." Ninh Uyen picked up her chopsticks and picked up a piece of dumpling. The dumpling skin is very thin, the color of the filling is clearly visible. She placed it in the vinegar dish and paused for a few seconds. Ton Que Phan's eyes kept following her hand. That look was so familiar. It's not like she cares if she can eat, but she's waiting for a result.