She had always hoped her daughter-in-law would get pregnant. Aside from wanting to hold her grandchild, there was another reason related to her two sisters-in-law.
Was it just because her son had been married for three years without a child? They made it seem as if her daughter-in-law was incapable of bearing children, gossiping every day with the two old ladies. The implication was that if her son couldn’t have children, they’d adopt one from them.
When Li Chunhua first heard about this, she spat in disdain, asking, who in their right mind would want their children? Her son, Shi Heng, was thriving. Why couldn’t he have a child? How dare they talk about caring for Shi Heng in his old age? Everyone knew they were just eyeing his money!
If it weren’t for Shi Heng being too filial to confront his grandpa and grandma, she wouldn’t have to endure such grievances. Whenever she felt angry and saw her daughter-in-law, she couldn’t help but vent her frustration.
Li Chunhua hadn’t thought much about it before. She was the mother-in-law, and He Xuezhus was the daughter-in-law; what was wrong with her expressing her anger towards He Xuezhus? Didn’t she herself endure her mother-in-law’s wrath when she was a daughter-in-law?
But, thinking back to Shi Heng’s letter that thanked Xuezhus for the medicinal wine that saved his life, and recalling how pale He Xuezhus looked when she heard about Shi Heng’s incident, struggling to comfort her, Li Chunhua felt a pang of guilt.
When she first learned that He Xuezhus was making medicinal wine for Shi Heng, she had scolded her, saying there was a military hospital nearby; who needed that broken medicinal wine? Xuezhus had claimed worry for Shi Heng, and she even cursed her son.
Yet, if it hadn’t been for the medicinal wine made by her daughter-in-law, who knows if her son would even come back?
He Xuezhus, carrying her basket, was about to head out when she saw her mother-in-law walk out of the house. Li Chunhua handed over the big water bottle Shi Heng had brought back for her use, her expression surprisingly gentle: “Take this water with you. If it’s hard to find, don’t bother searching. Don’t go to dangerous places like the back mountain. If it doesn’t work, we can always buy some on the street.”
Taken aback by the kindness, she accepted the water bottle, saying, “It’s okay, Mom. I used to collect herbs in the back mountain when I was little. I’m used to it. The pharmacies only sell dried herbs, but fresh ones are better for making chicken soup.”
Seeing her daughter-in-law so dedicated to her son, and then remembering her own medicinal wine, Li Chunhua felt even more guilty. She cleared her throat and said, “Just be careful.”
“By the way, Xuezhus, Shi Heng mentioned in his letter that the money he brought back could build a house. I still have some money he sent home before, so we are doing quite well. When Shi Heng comes back, I’ll take you to the city to buy some nice clothes.”
She hadn’t realized until now that since Xuezhus came into their family, she had always worn old clothes. Before, she thought she treated her daughter-in-law well. In the entire village, who wouldn’t buy new clothes for their daughter-in-law within three years?
Although Li Chunhua hadn’t bought anything for herself, she felt even more guilty.
He Xuezhus was not just surprised; she felt like she was dreaming. Except for that brief time after she married, she hadn’t seen her mother-in-law treat her this well.
Holding the water bottle, she was full of gratitude, hurriedly thanking, “Thank you, Mom. I’ll go up the mountain now. If you’re not feeling well, just rest at home. I’ll try to come back early to cook.”
As Li Chunhua watched her daughter-in-law walk away, thinking of the sparkling gratitude in her eyes… she couldn’t shake off the feeling of guilt.
Meanwhile, He Xuezhus wasted no time and went straight up the mountain, seriously searching for herbs. She was excited, as someone who had hardly experienced love in her childhood, she cherished every bit of kindness and felt the need to repay it double.
She always knew her mother-in-law disdained her and had never dared to complain, as she felt inferior herself. A plain girl like her, married to a handsome and outstanding husband, couldn’t even read.
It made sense that she was looked down upon.
He Xuezhus was actually quite scared. Life in the Lin family was far better than in her own family. She could only keep her head down and work hard, fearing being thrown back home if she annoyed her husband or mother-in-law.
Thinking about her mother-in-law’s earlier concern made her smile a little.
But suddenly, she felt a wave of dizziness that made her gag a few times.
This dizziness lasted only a few seconds before returning to normal. He Xuezhus, preoccupied with finding medicine for her husband, didn’t pay much attention and continued her search.
Days later,
A handsome man in military uniform appeared at the village entrance, carrying a knapsack.
Inside the knapsack were money, clothes,
and a fake medical diagnosis.
Chapter 5: The Disgraced Military Wife (5)
Lin Shi Heng arrived at just the right moment, coinciding with the visit of He Xuezhus’s family.
The reason He Xuezhus wasn’t liked by Li Chunhua had a lot to do with her family background.
Her father was a doctor, and her mother was an ordinary woman in the village. The couple got together because their values aligned, and they had a straightforward belief: sons are precious, and daughters are disposable.
After they got married, they were determined to have a son, but after three daughters, they finally had a son. From then on, they spoiled their son while showing disdain for their daughters.
When the eldest daughter was born, although the couple was disappointed, they still lavished a bit of love on her as their first child. However, when the second daughter was born, their faces visibly darkened. By this time, He’s mother’s health, weakened from multiple childbirths, had only just recovered enough to conceive again.
When the third daughter, He Xuezhus, was born, her mother nearly tossed her into the river to drown, if not for the intervention of the elder He family members who were still alive at that time.
He Xuezhus stumbled through her early years and was 18 months old when her mother finally gave birth to a son.
The parents’ wishes were fulfilled, but the lives of the three sisters only became harder.
The son was spoiled, demanding milk powder, yet the family was poor. Both He’s parents worked hard to earn money for their son, expecting their three daughters to do the same. Young He Xuezhus didn’t have to work as hard as her two older sisters, who stayed busy with their mother’s needlework lessons. Her mother, too busy and disinterested, even tied He Xuezhus to the table with a rope to keep her from wandering around, leaving her that way for an entire day.