After Divorce: Why My Aloof Ex Starts Chasing Me?

Chapter 317: Sweet Burden

Shen Qingqing finished her maternity leave and returned to work at the school.

On her first day back, she received a warm welcome from her colleagues.

Li Xue suggested, "Let’s go out for lunch to welcome Teacher Shen back to work."

Shen Qingqing needed to go home to see her children in the afternoon, so the only time suitable for a gathering was lunchtime.

The other teachers had no objections.

Shen Qingqing also had no objections.

According to the original plan, she would have lunch in the school canteen.

After finishing her work in the afternoon, she would return to the courtyard to be with her children.

Li Xue: "Teacher Shen, what do you feel like eating? Today you’re the guest of honor, you decide."

Shen Qingqing wasn’t picky, "Let’s eat something you guys had at your last gathering that I wanted but missed out on."

When it comes to eating, everyone has their own preferences.

When their office went out for meals, they rotated choices to accommodate everyone’s tastes.

This mutual consideration and respect for each other was the main reason for the harmonious atmosphere.

Li Xue laughed, "Today is different, we should eat what you want, don’t just brush it off."

Shen Qingqing thought seriously for a moment, "Let’s have hot pot lamb, the weather is quite suitable for it."

"Alright, as you wish."

During her maternity leave at home, Shen Qingqing, breastfeeding two children, undoubtedly had restricted her diet for a long time.

Now that the children were drinking formula, she could finally eat whatever she wanted.

On her first day back at her post, Shen Qingqing not only received a warm welcome from her colleagues but also received eggs as gifts from her students.

The class monitor brought them to the office on behalf of the entire class.

There were twenty eggs.

Matching the number of students in the class.

Fearing the teacher might not accept if they brought too many, they controlled the quantity.

"We wanted to send them a long time ago but were afraid of disturbing your rest. Now it should still be timely; we hope Teacher Shen recovers well and continues to shine bright in her role."

There were already many eggs at home, but Shen Qingqing didn’t want to disappoint the students’ goodwill either.

This care was indeed deeply meaningful.

She accepted the eggs and gave the class monitor two packs of White Rabbit candies she had brought from home.

Recently, relatives and friends would often come to visit and see the two children.

They would bring eggs, candies, canned goods, and fruits.

There were many at home, more than they could eat.

Shen Qingqing brought a little, fruit for her colleagues, and candies for her students.

Just the right amount.

"Share these with your classmates, thank you for your care."

The class monitor scratched the back of his head, feeling a little embarrassed, "Then, on behalf of the classmates, thank you."

Shen Qingqing was amused, "And please pass on my thanks as well."

"Sure!"

Holding the two packs of candies, the class monitor happily walked away.

Li Xue teased Shen Qingqing, "As expected of the most popular teacher, just look—it’s only the first day back, and they’re all ready to welcome you."

Shen Qingqing blinked, "I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder; I wonder if they’ll still welcome me back once I assign more homework."

This drew hearty laughter from everyone in the office.

After joking around for a while, everyone went back to their work.

Shen Qingqing put away the eggs and took her teaching materials to class.

Though she had been busy with her children lately, she hadn’t let work slip from her mind.

Standing back at the podium felt as natural as ever.

Her fluent and precise English flowed effortlessly, accompanied by smooth, detailed explanations of the textbook content.

Standing at the podium, Shen Qingqing exuded the same confidence as when she was a translator.

The same sense of certainty.

So naturally, people trusted her and focused intently on what she was teaching.

During class, time always seemed to fly by.

Before she knew it, the morning had passed.

The place for lunch was near the school, just a few minutes’ walk away.

Passing by the house assigned to Shen Qingqing, Li Xue asked her, "When do you plan to move into your new home? We can come for a housewarming."

"We’ll wait for Jiang Zhixun’s vacation; we haven’t decided on the furniture yet."

Li Xue teased, "Your Mr. Jiang sure is impressive; he can do anything, from managing formal settings to handling the kitchen. If there was an award for model husband, he’d definitely win first place."

Shen Qingqing teased Li Xue back, "Your man is more impressive; his hands-on ability is even stronger than Jiang Zhixun’s."

The two exchanged banter.

Listening to them, one of their companions couldn’t help but feel a bit envious.

"Young couples really aren’t the same. Unlike us, as we get older, we find ourselves bothered by the other’s presence, wishing to have some alone time even after work."

Li Xue was curious, "Does love really turn into familial affection after many years of marriage?"

Teacher Ji: "It could also turn into friendship. My spouse and I can talk about anything, but it’s not as intimate as it used to be."

She whispered, "Not even interested in intimacy—it’s pure friendship, sleeping under the same blanket every night."

Li Xue: "Being able to talk about anything is great; it means your relationship is sincere and spiritual connection is rare to achieve."

Shen Qingqing agreed, "The most fearsome thing in marriage is having nothing to say."

Teacher Ji agreed with this.

"We’re not young anymore; intimacy or not seems to make little difference."

Shen Qingqing didn’t know what marriage was like for her peers, but she and Jiang Zhixun were still in the honeymoon phase.

They had plenty to talk about.

Their marital life was harmonious.

What it would be like in a few years, Shen Qingqing didn’t know.

Perhaps their feelings would mellow into familial love or friendship...

But as long as they stayed connected at heart, without straying, Shen Qingqing was okay with it.

To her, emotions were just that—emotions.

Where emotions would ultimately lead, she didn’t know herself.

The only thing she could do was live well in the moment.

Enjoy every stage of their relationship and let nature take its course.

During the gathering, they put work aside and only talked about life.

As a new mother, Shen Qingqing received a lot of parenting tips from those who had been through it.

Teacher Ji: "Having a mother-in-law to help with the children is great, but you and Mr. Jiang shouldn’t shirk the responsibility. Parental involvement in their growth is significant for the children."

Many people, after having children, leave them to be cared for by the elders.

They provide food and clothing but neglect everything else.

This is considered irresponsible.

Raising children never was just about adding another pair of chopsticks at the table.

Only with responsible parents can children grow better.

Shen Qingqing took heed, jokingly saying, "Then, after work, I won’t be able to join you for gatherings anymore."

Li Xue: "No problem, when your children get a bit older, we can go out and enjoy some free time together on weekends, and have a full day of fun."

Shen Qingqing sighed, "With two kids at home, I’m scared to take them out; can’t handle it."

When they couldn’t walk, it was fine; you could just lay a mat and let them play on their own.

Once they could walk, they’d probably be like piglets escaping the pen, running everywhere, impossible to stop.

Even one would be a headache.

Two... it’s unthinkable.

Luckily, she had foreseen this and hired Sister Zhou to help out.

Otherwise, relying only on her mother-in-law, she might have ended up exhausted.

Li Xue gave Shen Qingqing a playful glare, "Happy people like you should stop bragging about your sweet burdens here!"