Chapter Thirty-Five: Thoughts

My cousin picked up the child and hurried to catch up with the couple. He tried to strike up a conversation with Su Xiangdong along the way, repeatedly bringing up childhood memories. They were only a year apart and grew up together, so they had a lot to talk about.

Having followed them all the way to the Su family home, Su Xiangdong and his wife exchanged a knowing glance. Auntie San, seeing her son arrive with her grandson, had a bad feeling, but still gave her grandson some biscuits.

What are you doing here?

Su Ping smiled ingratiatingly, his attitude much better than when his mother had been at his house before. "Mom, what are you saying? You're here, so I have to make time to come and see you."

"Stop beating around the bush. Just say what you want to say, we're not strangers." You came empty-handed during the New Year, what are you trying to do now? Do you think I don't know?

The man looked at his cousin and began to complain with a smile, "Xiangdong, look at my mom. Anyone who didn't know better would think she was a stepmother."

Su Xiangdong didn't reply, but poured him a glass of water. Su Ping sat there chatting idly, only getting down to business when it was almost time to eat.

"Well, Yiyi and Xuxu are in daycare now, and I'd like my mom to come to my house to help out for a while. My wife is about to give birth, and there's no one to take care of her during her postpartum period."

Auntie San sighed, knowing it was about this. Her daughter-in-law was expecting her second child, the due date was just around the corner. She'd actually mentioned it before, but she'd managed to brush it off. But her son had caught up, and now she couldn't fool him anymore.

"Xiangdong's wife is also pregnant, so I can't leave here."

Su Ping had already lost her temper with her mother, feeling that her mother was too petty. It was just that her mother hadn't paid for her medical treatment last time; it wasn't intentional, she hadn't simply refused. Why would she hold a grudge until now, especially since she was her mother?

His anger was rising, but this time he managed to control himself, knowing that arguing with his mother was pointless. The old lady was hard-hearted now; the more he argued with her, the less effective it would be. She had made it clear that she was determined not to rely on them anymore.

"Mom, I know you're still angry. But we really didn't have any money back then, it's definitely not that we didn't want to take care of you. Look, it's all in the past, please don't be like this anymore, after all, we're mother and son. I... I can't just abandon my daughter-in-law during her postpartum period."

This is not the future; nowadays, it's common for mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law to spend their postpartum period together. It's said that being a daughter-in-law in the 1960s was difficult because the parents-in-law were often the heads of the household. If young people lived in their own work unit's housing, it was fine; but if they lived in their parents-in-law's house, they had to listen to their parents-in-law.

My aunt was too weak before. She was bullied by her husband and mother-in-law her whole life, and when she got old and had no income, she dared not say anything. As a result, the more she retreated, the more she was despised.

"I told you, I can't leave."

"Mom," Su Ping said, suppressing her temper, "it's just that you'll take care of her for a month. You can leave if you don't want to stay after she's finished her confinement. Is that okay?"

Before his mother could reply, he turned to Su Xiangdong and said, "Xiangdong, you heard that too. Talk to my mom. I don't necessarily need her to stay at my house all the time. She just needs to take care of my wife during her postpartum period."

Su Xiangdong wouldn't be morally blackmailed by him. "This is Auntie's business. You two can discuss it yourselves."

That day, the third aunt couldn't completely refuse her son's persistent nagging, and a few days later Su Ping came to visit again. This time it was the three of them, and the daughter-in-law also put aside her haughty attitude and spoke to him in an extremely friendly manner.

"Mom, I was young and ignorant before, please don't hold it against me as your elder. We made a partition with wooden boards to create a small room for you."

Su Ping quickly chimed in, "Yes, we've also put on new sheets and blankets for you. Mom, why don't you go take a look?"

Despite her firm stance, Auntie San could still maintain her composure. But her son and daughter-in-law kept trying to persuade her, and after several attempts, she couldn't hold back any longer. That evening, she discussed it with Shu Yao and her husband.

"They said the mother had prenatal wind, which is very dangerous. If she doesn't recover properly during her postpartum period, her health will suffer later. I..."

She was taught from a young age how to be a wife and mother, and how to behave. She was told that as a mother, she couldn't be petty with her child. She had already endured all of that, but now, facing her daughter-in-law's difficulties with childbirth, she, being a woman herself, couldn't help but soften. She was a kind person to begin with.

"Can I go there and help out during my postpartum period before coming back?"

Shu Yao gives her eight yuan a month, and she has the freedom to eat and stay as she pleases. If you're talking about comfort, this is definitely the place. She doesn't want to leave. But her son and daughter-in-law have begged her several times, saying that her daughter-in-law's childbirth this time is very dangerous, and she can't bring herself to harden her heart.

"Okay. You've made your decision, so we have nothing to say."

Shu Yao, as the lady of the house, spoke up, saying that she was only three months pregnant and that it wouldn't be a problem if her third aunt returned in two months. With both children in daycare, and Su Xiangdong capable of handling all the chores, she felt no pressure.

Auntie packed her things and left, not leaving the twins at home. When they got home, they found Grandma wasn't there, and the two little ones searched for her for several days. Their parents told them Grandma had gone somewhere else and would be back soon, and the little ones seemed to understand.

"Will Grandma come back?" Yiyi is by nature gentle and sentimental, and she is still very reluctant to part with her grandma.

“Come back. Grandma said she’ll be back after two months of being away.”

"Oh well."

When her third aunt left, Shu Yao didn't think much of it, but Meng Xi next door was all smiles, looking on with amusement. Now that she was pregnant, no one in the family dared to argue with her. Her mother-in-law tried her best to cook what she liked, and her mother-in-law even washed her clothes.

Sun's mother had previously promised to take care of her, but now she wanted to go back on her word, which displeased her husband and son. They had finally gotten pregnant, and they didn't want to upset her. Sun's mother held her breath, deciding to confront her after the baby was born.

Meng Xi was flattered and felt like she was a real queen. Seeing that the Su family no longer had her third aunt's help, she was gloating and waiting to see them make a fool of themselves. But her third aunt had been gone for several days, and she hadn't heard any arguing from next door.

She and Shu Yao had switched shifts; she was now on the afternoon shift, arriving at four in the afternoon. She got up in the morning to go for a walk and soak up the sun, carrying a handful of sunflower seeds. Seeing the Su family's front door open, she deliberately went inside.

"Without anyone to help, you..." The expected chaotic scene didn't materialize; instead, the courtyard was filled with a warm atmosphere. Shu Yao sat drinking jujube tea, while a row of clothes hung to dry on the line. The two children were nowhere to be seen; they must have been sent to daycare.

"Oh, you're up early, washing so many clothes." Her words were full of superiority, and she slightly protruded her belly to show off her status as a pregnant woman.

“My mother-in-law does all the washing at my house. You don’t have a mother-in-law, so it must be tough for you.”

Shu Yao was speechless. People really do want to show off the things they don't have. Before, the Sun family was always in chaos and she was always busy with chores. Now that she's finally pregnant and has a better life, they immediately want to show off to her, who has never been very good at housework.

"The child's father did the washing; he did get up quite early. By the time I got up, he had already left, the meal was ready, and the child had been taken to school."

"I……"

Meng Xi's face turned a deep purplish-red, and she gritted her teeth, unsure what to say. She was about to remark on how much effort it took to keep the yard clean, only to discover that Su Xiangdong had done it all. She had a husband even without a mother-in-law, so she didn't have to work from dawn till dusk herself.

"It's been four months, so enjoy it while you can."

"Shu Yao, what do you mean?"

"It's meaningless." Using pregnancy to force someone to submit, there'll be plenty of trouble after you give birth. What's so arrogant about it? I don't know what's so great about it.

Meng Xi wanted to show off her superiority in front of Shu Yao, but ended up leaving looking humiliated. In her past life, she never dared to act strangely in front of Shu Yao, otherwise Shu Yao wouldn't have never noticed anything amiss in the same factory.

Having had an unpleasant experience here, she went straight to the kitchen when she got home. "What's for lunch?"

Grandma Sun didn't look well; she'd been feeling unwell and weak lately. But for her grandson's sake, she persevered, tolerating her daughter-in-law's behavior time and time again.

"Make porridge and steamed buns. Vegetable buns, I went and dug up some shepherd's purse." Hmph, even if you're pregnant, you still have to give me your salary. I'll put up with it, I'll argue with you after you give birth.

"I don't want to eat vegetable dumplings, I want to eat shepherd's purse dumplings."

"Me? That would be too much trouble, it's too late now."

"I don't care, it's okay if it's late, I just want to eat shepherd's purse dumplings."

After Meng Xi finished speaking, she turned and left. Grandma Sun, grumbling, went to prepare dumplings. While cooking, she lamented her miserable life, thankfully her husband would come in to help her for their grandson's sake.

The first fresh taste of spring is undoubtedly shepherd's purse. It wasn't just his family who dug it up; almost everyone went to dig it. Shuyao also loved it and was just thinking of going to dig some when her third aunt came in carrying a basket.

"I've already cleaned and blanched them. You can just prepare them however you like."

"Thank you, Auntie." She was very happy. "I was just thinking of digging some up, to make steamed buns or dumplings and wontons."

"I know you like it. You can eat these first, and I'll go and get some more for you the day after tomorrow."

"Thank you."

"Don't be so polite with me." Her third aunt had known her for several years, and the two had a very good relationship. "Are Yiyi and Xuxu doing well?"

"It's fine. When I got home, I asked where Grandma went. I was a little sad to see her go, but I didn't cry."

Auntie wiped her face, trying to hold back her tears. She had raised the two children single-handedly; they were both well-behaved and sensible, and she couldn't bear to part with them.

"I'll come back after I finish taking care of my eldest son's wife during her postpartum period."

"Okay. But you'll need to take care of her after giving birth; she won't be able to be left alone."

"The eldest son's wife was just a temporary worker; she's quit."

"Okay."

After sitting for a while, Auntie San left with her basket. Shu Yao took the blanched shepherd's purse into the kitchen. Her husband and children wouldn't be back for lunch. Su Xiangdong had already prepared the dough and washed the vegetables in a basket before leaving in the morning, so she could quickly make whatever she wanted.

She scrambled some eggs, added soaked glass noodles, shepherd's purse, and various seasonings. She quickly prepared the filling, divided the ready-made dough into portions, and dumplings soon appeared on the steamer.

She not only wrapped up her own clothes, but also wrapped up the clothes for the father and his two children. She covered them with clean white cloths so they wouldn't dry out when they came back. She goes to work at four o'clock, and Su Xiangdong picks up the two children in the afternoon, so she doesn't have to worry about them.

Auntie San left, but the couple worked together and their lives were quite stable. As time went by, Shu Yao's belly began to grow bigger. This time, the hospital checkup showed it was a singleton pregnancy. Hearing the doctor's definite answer, Su Xiangdong breathed a sigh of relief.

"Single pregnancies are good, single pregnancies are good," it's not that having twins is bad, but it's too tiring for pregnant women. He still remembers how big Shu Yao's belly was back then, and how he couldn't sleep well in the later stages because of worry. He was afraid of premature birth, and even more afraid of a difficult delivery.

Shu Yao smiled and shook her head. Her husband always put her first; what woman wouldn't appreciate that? Whether the baby was a boy or a girl, it was a stress-free pregnancy with no discomfort—it was actually quite enjoyable.

Feeling the baby move in the womb, the couple remained remarkably calm, even though it was their second pregnancy. The two babies, however, were incredibly excited. They lay next to their mother, talking to their younger siblings, and even sang nursery rhymes to her belly in a very convincing way.

"Mom, is it a little brother or a little sister?"

"I don't know," Shu Yao said with a smile, sitting leisurely and waiting for her meal. "Do you prefer a younger brother or a younger sister?"

"I want a little sister." Su Hexu raised her hand; the little guy seemed to really like his little sister.

"I want a little sister too!" He Yi chimed in, happily touching her mother's belly. "Little sister, grow up quickly, your big sister will be waiting for you."

Why do they all want a younger sister?

He Xu didn't say anything, but He Yi smiled and said to her mother, "Brother said he wants a little sister, so I want a little sister too. There's only one baby in Mommy's tummy."

Shu Yao hugged her daughter and said, "How come our Yiyi is so sensible?"

The little girl nodded obediently: "I am Mommy's good baby."

He Xu quickly chimed in, "Mommy, I'm good too. I'm a good baby too."

Shu Yao held one in each hand, saying, "Okay, you're both Mommy's good children."

In her past life, the two children were indeed sensible, and what was even more remarkable was that, despite living in the Sun family's environment, they remained bright-eyed and closest to their mother. That's why she didn't want the Sun family or Sun Yaozu, but she wanted her children. They were her precious treasures.

For lunch, Su Xiangdong made multigrain noodles with zucchini and tofu sauce. While eating, she asked, "Is your cousin's baby almost a month old?"

"Yesterday was the full moon celebration." He placed the noodle soup in front of his wife so she could drink it whenever she wanted. "They made it sound serious, but the births actually went very smoothly. The first child was a son, and the second was a daughter. I heard that my third uncle called her a money-losing child, so she was kicked out by her whole family and is now staying with my cousin."

"Serves him right." He complained about his daughter on one hand, but relied on her on the other. I don't know how he could be so shameless.

“I agree. My cousin should have kicked him out and left him to live on the streets.”

Shu Yao smiled. It felt so good to have a husband who shared her values. She could share things with him without worry, and the process was pleasant. He rarely talked about work, handling his negative emotions on his own. But he would definitely tell her about everyday life and chat with her.

Seeing his wife's belly growing bigger, Su Xiangdong became anxious. He had promised to come back after her postpartum period, but three months had passed and there was still no sign of pregnancy. If his aunt couldn't come, he would have to find someone else to help his wife.

He planned to visit his cousin's house over the weekend to ask about the situation. However, on Saturday evening, his aunt returned with her belongings. Seeing that she looked unwell, both Shu Yao and Su Xiangdong were very concerned.

"What happened?"

Upon hearing this, Auntie San couldn't hold back her tears and quickly wiped them away. "They promised to take care of me during my postpartum period, and I did that for a hundred days. I did the laundry, cooked, and took care of the baby, and now they don't want me to leave. I had no choice but to tell them that I should be in charge and that I should hand over my salary so they could distribute it, and then I would stay. And sure enough, they immediately became unhappy about it."

Shu Yao didn't say anything about her own family affairs. Her aunt gulped down the water her nephew had poured for her, then took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"They don't want me to be in charge, and they won't leave me a single penny more than necessary. They're even afraid I'll overpay when buying groceries, calculating every single item against me. If things get even worse, then I'll be completely unreliable. Fine, I won't leave any more for myself; I'll just have to make my own plans."

Shu Yao earns eight yuan a month here, and the couple provides food and lodging, and they get along well. Household expenses are kept in a drawer, and she never asks what to buy. Everyone knows what's going on, so of course she wouldn't spend recklessly. But this sense of freedom and respect makes her feel comfortable.

She saves a little over a hundred a year, and with her good health, she won't be penniless after a few years. She'll be kicked out when she's no longer useful. Her son and daughter-in-law have done this before; it's safer to stay with her nephew and his wife than with them.

“I just tidied up the east room; you can sleep as soon as you lay out your bedding.”

After my third aunt went to tidy up and move in, the house felt much more relaxed when she returned. The next day was the weekend, and Su Xiangdong wasn't working. In the morning, my cousin came over with his eldest son. My third aunt was cooking in the kitchen, and the mother and son started talking loudly.

"Since you're not going to help me, don't come to me for anything in the future." My cousin's voice was angry, and his face was full of displeasure.

"Would it have been helpful for me to contact you when I was sick before?"

"That's all in the past, why bring it up again?"

"Let's not talk about the past. You're capable again now, right? What about next time? I won't mention the help I gave you after you got married. I raised you with great difficulty, that's a fact. Your wife can say she doesn't support me, I won't hold it against her. But if you, as her son, say that, what can I expect from you?"

Su Ping hadn't expected his mother to be so ruthless; her few words left him speechless. The house was a complete mess without her help, and he had hoped she could lend a hand. But instead, things had turned out this way.

"Mom, are you my mom or Su Xiangdong's mom?"

"I'm sick and you don't care, you don't contribute any money or effort, it's all Xiang Dong's responsibility. So, who's my son, you or Xiang Dong?"

"I……"

Throughout her life, Auntie San had always believed in the spirit of selfless dedication. She had never mentioned it to her children or husband before. But an illness made her see too many things clearly and understand too many things. If her husband and son couldn't be relied on, she had to start thinking about herself.

"I never want to be kicked out again when I'm no longer useful. Let me be in charge and hand over my salary, or we can each manage our own affairs. The choice is yours."

The work itself isn't the problem; the real issue is that her son would say something like that, showing he's unreliable in the future. She's already been through this once; can she really be so foolish as to continue living like this?

His wife is such a strong-willed person, how could she possibly want her mother-in-law to be in charge? This is non-negotiable. Su Ping realized that going back was out of the question, so he settled for second best.

"Then could you please help us pick up and drop off our child? That would be alright."

“No. Shuyao is about to give birth, and I don’t have the capacity to pick up and drop off all three of them at once.”

"Mom, why are you like this?"

"What do you mean?" The old woman turned around and glared at him. "You're not a child anymore, don't expect your mother to do everything for you. Go home and wash your clothes, wash the dishes, pick up the kids and take care of them. These are things a father should do. You're just a hands-off parent, yet you keep ordering your mother around. What, am I your farmhand?"

Su Ping was driven away by his mother. The old lady now has food and shelter, and even her clothes are better than before. She's no longer someone they can control; he can't manipulate her anymore. She threatens to abandon him, but his mother knows that even if he works like a slave for her, she'll still abandon him.

Su Ping was at his wit's end and wanted his father to intervene. Even if his mother went back to cook for his father, she could also help take care of the children. Su Laosan also wanted his wife to come home and do his laundry and cooking, but upon hearing this, he sighed.

“Your mother said she wants a divorce, and if I go there, she'll chase me away with a broom. Forget it, I'm not going. As long as I have food to eat, that's enough for me.”

The second son, Su An, had his mother-in-law's help, so he didn't pay much attention to his mother. Su Ping and his father discussed the matter but couldn't come up with a solution. This was something his mother (wife) had done willingly, and bringing it up would inevitably bring up the past incident of neglecting his wife when she was sick, which would only bring shame upon them.

Su Ping was still unwilling to give up and said, "Could we report Su Xiangdong?"

Su Laosan rolled his eyes at his son: "What are you reporting? You need to have a reason. We've checked at work, but we haven't found anything."

The father and son were at their wits' end. Their mother (wife) was heartbroken and no longer said anything the same as before.

My aunt is living comfortably at her nephew's house, and she gets along very well with all the neighbors. Even if others don't say it, she'll bring it up herself, saying that her husband and his two sons are really no good. She wants a divorce, but the old man is dragging his feet and won't budge.

“When I was young, he used my child to manipulate me. I couldn’t bear to part with my child, and I had no job or income. My mother-in-law bullied me, and he hit me too. When I was sick, he wouldn’t take me to see a doctor and just told me to wait to die. I’m not going to live with that kind of bastard. I’ll just pretend I’m dead.”

Shu Yao knew that her third aunt had lived to be around 76 or 77 years old in her previous life, and had always been quite healthy. When Su Xiangdong was sent to a farm, she stayed with him there, and their relationship was closer than that of mother and son.

While chatting with her neighbors, Meng Xi, heavily pregnant, emerged from the Sun family's courtyard. Meng Xi was over six months pregnant, and through her own efforts, she had managed to keep half of her salary deducted, only needing to hand over the other half.

She was overjoyed, rubbing her belly and beaming. A neighbor asked her what was making her so happy, and she proudly stroked her belly.

"I heard that a master chef from the south came to the street corner canteen. His spicy chicken is delicious. I'll go and try it tonight."

"Really? Wow, things are really something now, the treatment is top-notch."

"Of course, I am now a meritorious member of the Sun family, and I am pregnant with the Sun family's grandson."

After she left, Aunt Xu frowned and lowered her voice: "How can you be so ostentatious? You have to keep a low profile when you're pregnant, like Shu Yao. Being so loud and boisterous is not good for the fetus."

Auntie San nodded, knowing she had her own opinions given her age. "Exactly! All they talk about are their grandsons and sons. What will they say if they have a girl? Wouldn't that be a slap in the face?"

"Exactly. She's a woman too, why is she acting like this?"

"Absolutely. It's a new society now, not like it used to be."

She chatted for a while while sewing shoe soles, then went home to cook lunch. The two children were at daycare and wouldn't be home at lunchtime, so it was just her and Shuyao.

"I just heard from Meng Xi that a master chef from the south came to the cafeteria, and his cooking is delicious. Do you want some? I can get you a serving so you can try it."

Shu Yao shook her head: "I don't like it. I just like home-cooked meals."

"Okay, I'll make you noodles with minced meat sauce."

Shu Yao nodded and reached out to touch her belly. The little one was so well-behaved; apart from her belly getting bigger, she hadn't changed much during her pregnancy.

She reached out and touched her belly, whispering to her baby, "Baby, are you a boy or a girl? Mommy is so curious, but don't worry, just stay here and grow properly before you come out."