“Who still believes you now? You should hurry back and wash off that bird droppings from your face!”
“He Xue Zhu is due next month.”
“Just watch, her mother-in-law values sons over daughters; she will definitely turn against her!”
She still spoke with conviction, but this time, she didn’t dare to promise what would happen if her words didn’t come true.
On the other side, Li Chunhua followed her son and daughter-in-law to their new home. As soon as she pushed the door open, her eyes immediately turned red.
“Why is it so small?”
For Li Chunhua, who grew up in the village, the house could be run-down, but it could never be small. This time, when they built a new house, she had reserved a large piece of land for a yard.
Even the dilapidated He family house, her daughter’s family home, was larger than this small room.
Lin Shiheng was putting down his belongings when he chuckled, “Mom, this is a place provided by the army; how can it be as big as ours?”
“And it’s just me and Xue Zhu living here; if it were too big, it wouldn’t be convenient.”
Li Chunhua couldn’t accept her consolation and wandered around the room with reddened eyes.
Previously, when Shiheng wrote home, he had only mentioned that the army had arranged a place for them, and everything was good. She felt sour inside, only thinking about how happily her son and daughter-in-law had come together without her. But upon arrival, she realized they were living in this cramped space, while she, as the mother, was left in their new house.
When she looked up again, He Xue Zhu saw the tears in her eyes and quickly handed over a tissue. “Mom, this place isn’t small at all. Shiheng is an officer; our room is much bigger than others’.”
Li Chunhua looked at her daughter-in-law, who had a gentle appearance and a worried expression, but there was no trace of hardship or grievance in her eyes.
Xue Zhu really didn’t feel wronged living in such a small room with her son.
How did she end up with such a kind, understanding daughter-in-law?
She grabbed the hands of the person in front of her, her eyes red with emotion. “Xue Zhu, you’ve endured so much. It’s late today; let’s wait until tomorrow, and Mom will take you to buy clothes!”
He Xue Zhu looked confused.
What grievance had she borne?
Before she could clarify, Li Chunhua had already confidently rushed off to tend to the chickens she had brought.
“Shiheng, bring me a knife!”
Xue Zhu realized she was about to kill the chickens and quickly rolled up her sleeves to help.
“Xue Zhu, you sit down. You’re pregnant and shouldn’t see blood. Mom can handle it!”
Oh dear, this girl, wanting to work even while pregnant, is much more considerate than those blunt daughters-in-law in the village. With such a good daughter-in-law, how could she not take care of her?
Seeing the elderly woman already rubbing her hands and going outside, Lin Shiheng grabbed a kitchen knife and smiled at his puzzled wife. “Mom is worried about you coming to the army while pregnant.”
He Xue Zhu suddenly understood, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I haven’t been able to help with anything since I arrived at the army…”
“Where do you think you haven’t been helpful?”
“Every time I go on a mission, just knowing you’re at home waiting for me calms my heart instantly.”
He Xue Zhu’s face gradually turned red as she gently pushed her husband. “Alright, hurry up and go out; Mom is still waiting!”
After spending so much time together, she realized Shiheng really enjoyed expressing love seriously. Growing up in an environment where even holding hands garnered judgment, she had gone from shy and speechless to feeling a sweet, rosy shyness mixing with undeniable warmth.
Lin Shiheng smiled and reached out to pat her head before heading toward Li Chunhua, who was bending over, inspecting the tied-up hens.
“Mom, which one should we kill? I can do it.”
Li Chunhua wasn’t modest with her son and chose one that seemed lively. “This one, hurry and kill it so I can stew it for you. I need to go to the guesthouse soon!”
She hadn’t planned to stay in the compound. When her son first joined the army, Li Chunhua found out the rules—only military partners or children could accompany them; she hadn’t heard of a mother following along, so she couldn’t stay in the compound either.
Besides, with such a small room—just one bed—if she stayed, it would be overcrowded.
Hearing his mother’s words, the man in crisp military attire squatted down and skillfully bled the hen. “Mom, I can’t go with you tomorrow; right before I came to pick you up, I received a notice that I have to stay another day in the army before I can take leave.”
“It’s fine; I can take Xue Zhu with me.”
Li Chunhua felt a bit disappointed but quickly adjusted herself.
She was about to remind her daughter-in-law not to be too intimate with her son during the pregnancy, but after their hurried departure, Li Chunhua had been immersed in the idea of “her son not being able to have children” and “thankfully, he was left with a single seed” and had forgotten the reminder until after they left.
To mention such matters in a letter would be inappropriate; she could only wait until tomorrow to talk to Xue Zhu in person.
The chicken was soon prepared. The mother and son worked together to pluck the feathers, not bothering to call out for Xue Zhu inside; they clearly managed together.
The yard was this small, and living close by, others noticed the commotion.
Miao Xing opened her own door, pouring out water and glancing at the mother and son busy at work across the way, her eyes flashing.
She hadn’t expected He Xue Zhu to be such an unfilial person; in this cold weather, her mother-in-law was outside killing a chicken while even her husband came to help. Yet, as a daughter-in-law, she remained inside the house and didn’t come out.
However, this was also good.
The more unfilial He Xue Zhu was, the more opportunities Miao Xing would have to insert herself between the two.
Just an old rural woman; wasn’t it simple to please her?