Chapter 779 - 401: Private Talk Between Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law (Part 2)

Chapter 779: Chapter 401: Private Talk Between Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law (Part 2)

Seeing that Juhua didn’t get her drift, He smiled and shot her a look. "That’s not the real reason. She’s probably worried about her daughter being pregnant at the same time as her mother-in-law. A mother-in-law is, of course, held in higher regard. Doesn’t that mean her daughter would have to serve her mother-in-law even while pregnant? How could she possibly be at ease with that?"

Juhua’s jaw dropped, and it took a long moment for her to close it. "No wonder she kept jumping in to stop Yunlan from doing anything yesterday! I just thought she was doting on her daughter. I even smiled and told her it’s not good to be completely still during pregnancy. Oh no! Does she think I was deliberately giving Yunlan a hard time? My mother was feeling unwell and resting at that very moment!"

He kneaded the dough vigorously, shaking her head as she did. "Overthinking it? That will depend on what Yunlan tells her. Yunlan is a sensible person; she won’t let her mother get the wrong idea. Still, you should go over and help out in the next couple of days, and say a few things to put her mind at ease. Logically, she shouldn’t be worried. First, your family’s reputation speaks for itself. Second, your sister-in-law is carrying a child of the Zheng Family too. It’s not like they’d favor the elder and neglect the younger. But your sister-in-law’s mother is a simple soul. Things need to be spelled out for her before she can rest easy."

Juhua quickly said, "When the fruit pastries are done baking, I’ll take some over and check on them."

She was suddenly struck by a feeling. She stopped her work, stood by the stove watching He knead the dough, and said to her sincerely, "Mom! I’m so incredibly fortunate to have married Huai Zi and become your daughter-in-law. This family isn’t too big, so it’s not complicated, and you’re so straightforward. Yangzi is bound to become an official, so even when he gets married, they won’t live with us. That’ll save us from all the drama that can happen between sisters-in-law. If I’d married into a huge family, I’d be miserable—I’m just not used to living with a big crowd. Some families don’t believe in splitting up the household. If a bunch of brothers and their wives were all crammed under one roof, you might as well just kill me."

As she spoke, she slipped into the exaggerated tone she often used in her past life, which left He dumbfounded. He shot Juhua a look, trying to hold back her laughter. ’This daughter-in-law of mine... Sometimes she’s silent and seems so profound, but other times she’s so blunt she leaves a person at a total loss.’

She advised, "Even if you think such things, you shouldn’t say them aloud. When Yangzi gets a wife, you can’t just say you don’t want to live with her. Even if she had no intention of living with you in the first place, she wouldn’t be happy to hear you say that."

Juhua nodded quickly and smiled. "I’m only saying this to you, Mom. Besides, after Yangzi establishes his career and starts a family, if he asks you and Dad to come live a comfortable life with him, Huai Zi and I couldn’t possibly follow. We’d stay here in the countryside to look after the house. The way I see it, it’s best to rely on oneself. You can’t depend on your brother for everything."

He gave her an appreciative look and sighed. "Of course I’ll be happy when Yangzi makes something of himself. But as for going to live a life of comfort with him... let’s just forget it. I suspect your father and I wouldn’t be able to get used to that kind of life. We’re more comfortable here in Qingnan Village. When the time comes, don’t you dare think your old mother is just an old freeloader getting in your way."

Juhua burst out laughing and said teasingly, "How could we possibly let you be a freeloader, Mom! We’re still going to have lots of kids, and when you and Dad get old, you’ll look after the grandkids. You’ll be plenty busy. Just don’t you complain that too many grandkids are a nuisance when the time comes."

These words delighted He. She slammed the dough down in the basin, making the wooden bowl give a dull THUD. She laughed and said, "Don’t underestimate me just because I only had two children myself. I’m a real pro when it comes to raising kids. Your grandmother had so many children—aside from the ones we lost along the way, didn’t I practically raise your second, third, and fourth uncles?"

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were cheerfully looking toward the future, lost in their conversation, when a commotion suddenly erupted outside. A child was crying. Juhua quickly said, "I’ll go check!" and turned to run out.

He called out loudly after her, "The children are still little! A bit of crying is normal. Just coax him, don’t lose your temper!"

Juhua’s crisp reply came back.

It was Banli crying again. Pu Pao had stopped him from pulling the dog’s ears, and he wasn’t having it. His lips trembled as he began to wail, though no tears came.

Juhua thought with a sigh of resignation, ’Why is this child so obsessed with dogs? This is a bad habit I really need to correct.’

Remembering her mother-in-law’s advice and looking at her son’s pitiful, crying face, she knew that no matter how irritated she felt, a mother couldn’t just resort to spanking. So, she picked him up and said, "Stop crying now. Let’s go outside and see if the peaches have grown, and then we’ll go look at the ducks in the river. Pu Pao, I’m just going out for a stroll, I’ll be right back. You stay here with Grandma and look after your little brother Cong."

After giving a few instructions, she carried Banli out.

Although Cong stared longingly after her, he didn’t cry. Juhua hadn’t let Pu Pao carry Cong along because she worried the girl was too small and not strong enough to hold him for long.

Outside the courtyard, fallen red petals were scattered in the grass along the path. On many trees, the peach blossoms had all disappeared, replaced by tiny green peaches. Only a few trees were still in bloom. Willow branches swayed in the wind, their graceful forms unfurling.

She strolled through the grove with her son in her arms, chattering nonstop. She pointed out the peach trees, the peach blossoms, and the peaches, and even recited a poem about them: "...When sober, I sit before the flowers; when drunk, I come to sleep beneath them..."

Banli, of course, understood none of it, but he was delighted. It was a rare treat to be held by his mother as she chattered on. He giggled the whole time, his little arms wrapped around Juhua’s neck. Mother and son were cheek to cheek, and he was as good as gold, not making a single peep.

Seeing Banli like this, Juhua felt a pang of guilt. ’Have I been playing favorites?’ she thought. ’I’m always holding Cong. Is this poor child lacking a mother’s love?’

With this thought, she hugged her son even tighter. She followed a small path to the riverbank and sat down under a large willow tree. Pointing at the ducks in the river, she said to her son, "Those are ducks. As the saying goes, ’When the spring river warms, the ducks are first to know—’" She glanced around and, sure enough, saw their own little goslings grazing on the grassy bank up ahead. She turned Banli’s head, pointed at the geese, and began to murmur, "’Goose, goose, goose, you curve your neck and sing to the sky. Your white feathers float on the green water...’"

As the mother and son were murmuring to each other, a voice suddenly came from behind them: "Banli, is your mom teaching you poems? Come on, say ’Uncle’!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)