Chapter 74 Reunion Dinner

When Lin's parents heard this, they knew that Xiao Shu wouldn't be bullied by her older brother; on the contrary, it was Xiao Shu who was bullying her older brother. So they chose to pretend they didn't see or hear anything.

After all, Xiao Shu had argued with Zhou's eldest brother's mother-in-law to stand up for them. If they chose to help Zhou's eldest brother, wouldn't they be betraying Xiao Shu's good intentions?

Aunt Xue looked at her eldest brother in disbelief. She couldn't believe her ears and wondered if she had misheard. How could her son-in-law say such a thing? Not only did he not help her, but he also accused her of being rude.

Lin Yuanshu was very satisfied with her elder brother's sensible attitude. She wished her mother-in-law was as sensible as her. She smiled and agreed, "You're right. I'm not entirely without fault either. How can I argue with someone who can't understand human language!"

Aunt Xue glared angrily at Lin Yuanshu, and was about to retort when her older brother pulled her out of the living room.

Mr. Xue followed Mrs. Xue out the door. If he weren't a man who felt embarrassed to argue with a woman, he would have already spoken up for Mrs. Xue.

"Are you crazy? Why are you afraid of your brother's wife! You have no manly spirit at all. You are the pillar of the family and can take care of your brother and sister-in-law." The three walked to the corridor, and Xue's father criticized them mercilessly.

The eldest brother said calmly, "I'm doing this for your own good, because she's really capable of throwing you out, and she can even turn the tables and blame all the mistakes on you, without affecting her own reputation at all."

Aunt Xue said in disbelief, "Are you kidding me? How could she possibly be that capable!"

The eldest brother looked at Xue's father and asked, "You must have heard of the name Lin Yuanshu, right?"

Mr. Xue nodded and replied, "I've heard of it. After all, our chemical plant also participated in the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau. I really envy your chemical plant for having such outstanding talents."

The elder brother said calmly, "My sister-in-law is Lin Yuanshu, whom you've heard of."

Of course, Aunt Xue knew that her son-in-law's sister-in-law was named Lin Yuanshu, but so what? In her mind, women could never be better than men.

After a moment of silence, Mr. Xue looked at Mrs. Xue and said with difficulty, "Go in and apologize to her later, and let this matter pass. We can't offend Comrade Lin Yuanshu. He has achieved such great results at such a young age; his future is limitless."

Aunt Xue asked in confusion, "What are you talking about? No matter how capable your sister-in-law is, can she be more capable than a man?"

Mr. Xue said with a complicated expression, "She is more capable than most men. Even our factory director wants to poach Comrade Lin Yuanshu. We have no reason to offend Comrade Lin Yuanshu."

They came here to freeload, not to commit suicide.

Aunt Xue was puzzled. She couldn't imagine how capable Lin Yuanshu really was. In her eyes, Lin Yuanshu was just like Aunt Zhou's second daughter-in-law, naturally inferior to her own daughter. But she wouldn't contradict her husband.

In the living room, Lin's mother asked in a low voice, "Why is your older brother being so polite to you?"

Lin Yuanshu raised an eyebrow and guessed, "I have influence with my brother's superiors, so they're probably afraid I'll report them!"

Anyway, she had met the principal of the chemical plant's primary school several times in the factory manager's office. The principal was quite polite to her, and she had chatted with him a few times.

Lin's mother nodded thoughtfully. She didn't really understand these work-related matters, but as long as her daughter wouldn't be bullied by her older brother and sister-in-law, that was fine.

Not long after, Aunt Xue walked into the living room awkwardly and said with a forced smile, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu, I know I was wrong. I spoke without thinking and it was a bit too harsh. It's understandable that you're angry."

Lin Yuanshu blinked and said with a smile, "I'm not angry. It's normal for relatives to have some disagreements. My mother-in-law and I often have disagreements too. You don't need to take it to heart."

Aunt Xue gave a fake smile. What was there for Lin Yuanshu to be angry about? He wasn't the one who had been wronged, so of course she didn't have to be angry or take it to heart.

She didn't want to stay in the living room facing Lin Yuanshu any longer, because apologizing to a junior in front of so many people made her feel extremely embarrassed. So she smiled and said, "You two can chat in the living room. I'm going to help in the kitchen."

"Go ahead!" Xue's father nodded. It was better to go to the kitchen than to stay in the living room and have another argument with Lin Yuanshu.

After getting her husband's consent, Xue's mother left the living room without hesitation and went to the temporary kitchen in the hallway. At this time, Zhou's mother was not in the temporary kitchen, but went to the communal kitchen, because the temporary kitchen was too small to accommodate so many people.

Mr. Xue looked at Lin Yuanshu with a smile and said, "I have always admired your work ability. I didn't expect that we were relatives. It's a pity that we didn't keep in touch earlier. Comrade Wang from our chemical plant went to your chemical plant for further training. I wonder if you remember him?"

Lin Yuanshu thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Of course I remember. Comrade Wang is a hard-working and diligent student. After returning to his chemical plant, he will definitely be able to successfully transform the naphthalene intermediate production workshop."

“If you’re a good teacher, your students will naturally be good too,” Mr. Xue chimed in.

It's all his fault for not paying enough attention to his daughter's affairs. If he had known he had this relationship with Lin Yuanshu, he might have gotten this opportunity for further studies! What a pity!

Lin Yuanshu smiled and gave a few perfunctory replies.

Hearing Lin Yuanshu's voice, Zhou Dafu knew that Lin Yuanshu and the others had returned home. He quickly came out of his room and, not seeing Ma Long in the living room, asked in confusion, "Why didn't Comrade Ma Long come back?"

Lin's father explained with a smile, "He's never seen a movie in a theater before, so he went to see one."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Dafu didn't think much of it and could only chat with Lin's father. Although the two didn't have much in common, Lin's father found that as long as he held Zhou Dafu in his arms, Zhou Dafu would talk incessantly, making him very easy to deal with.

Chow Tai Fook also discovered that his in-laws were wonderful people, and the two had a lot in common.

Lin Yuanfeng was a little bored in the living room since no one was chatting with her, so she went to the kitchen to help Zhou Xiangyang cook.

Although Zhou Xiangyang didn't need any help, he noticed his sister-in-law's boredom and asked her to help wash the cabbage.

As Xue's mother sliced ​​the cured pig's head meat, she smelled the aroma of the meat. Today's lunch was even better than she had imagined, with fish, duck, cured pig's head meat, and fresh pork.

If she had known Lin Yuanshu had called his sister over, she should have called her sons too. If she hadn't been afraid that Zhou Ma would kick them out if there were too many people, she definitely wouldn't have come with just the two of them.

She couldn't help but swallow hard. The last time she ate meat was half a year ago. It seemed that the Zhou family's life was getting better and better, unlike her family, who couldn't even get enough to eat, let alone meat.

She glanced around, and before anyone could notice, she quickly stuffed a piece of meat into her mouth.

Lin Yuanfeng happened to witness this scene and shouted, "She's stealing meat..."

Aunt Xue's face flushed uncontrollably. She quickly swallowed the food and retorted, "What nonsense are you talking about? I didn't eat any meat at all. You've mistaken me for someone else."

Lin Yuanfeng said confidently, "I can't be wrong."

"No, you must be mistaken. There's no meat in my mouth, how could I possibly be stealing meat?" Aunt Xue said, opening her mouth as she spoke.

Lin Yuanfeng didn't see any meat in Xue Ma's mouth, and began to doubt whether he had seen it wrong, so he stopped worrying about it.

Zhou Ma, who was cooking in the communal kitchen, heard the commotion coming from the temporary kitchen. She frowned and walked over, asking, "What are you all arguing about?"

Aunt Xue explained with a smile, "This child is seeing things and thinks I'm eating meat. Actually, I've been wronged."

Zhou Ma leaned closer to Xue Ma, sniffed Xue Ma's mouth, and said expressionlessly, "If you haven't eaten meat, why does your mouth smell like meat? Although I don't know what happened, I know your personality. I don't need your help. You'd better go back to the living room. After all, I don't want the food to be stolen and eaten before it's even on the table."

Hearing this, Aunt Xue wasn't embarrassed at all. After all, she was used to losing face in front of Aunt Zhou. She put down the knife in her hand and forced herself to save face, saying, "If you don't need my help, then forget it. I don't want to help anyway!"

After saying this, Aunt Xue left the kitchen and returned to the living room.

Sister-in-law Xue blushed because of her mother's secret eating of meat; she didn't even want to admit that she had such a mother.

Aunt Zhou turned to Sister-in-law Xue and said, "Others may not understand your mother's personality, but don't you? You actually dared to entrust your mother with the task of cutting meat. What's the difference between that and letting a mouse guard the rice jar?!"

Sister-in-law Xue explained in a low voice, "I thought with so many people around, my mother wouldn't dare to do such a thing."

Aunt Zhou rolled her eyes and sneered, "What is there that your mother wouldn't dare to do? She even has the nerve to bring a big radish to your door."

Sister-in-law Xue: "..."

Hearing the lively sounds coming from next door, Zhu Huilan guessed that Lin Yuanshu had returned home, so she went out to see how the plan was going.

When Lin Yuanshu saw Zhu Huilan appear at the living room door, he quickly pulled her into the room.

After Lin Yuanshu left, Xue's father could only chat with his son-in-law, because Zhou Dafu wouldn't respond to him at all and only wanted to talk to Lin's father. This cold treatment made him feel very uncomfortable.

They were in-laws, yet they ignored him like this. Although he felt that his daughter was not as good as Lin Yuanshu, he still thought she was better than Lin's father, a country bumpkin.

He couldn't help but complain to his son-in-law, "I really have no hope for my life. I can't get enough to eat or wear, and I'm even disliked by my son-in-law. My in-laws don't even want to talk to me."

The eldest brother said with difficulty, "I'm afraid it's not that I don't want to talk to you, but I'm chatting with the second sister-in-law's father right now!"

Mr. Xue continued to complain, "You have time to talk to another in-law, but no time to talk to someone like me. Enough of this discouraging talk, Xiang Jun. Seeing how happy my daughter is today, I know I made the right choice in marrying you. Your lives are getting better and better, while my family is barely able to afford food. Eating a steamed bun made from mixed flour is considered a good meal..."

Zhou Dafu managed to avoid Xue's father's incessant complaints, but his elder brother couldn't escape them and could only force himself to cope. Besides that, he couldn't do anything else, since he didn't have much money.

Inside Lin Yuanshu's room, Zhu Huilan was the first to ask, "How is the plan going?"

Lin Yuanshu said with a smile, "Your mother-in-law is watching a movie with Comrade Ma Long right now."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Huilan exclaimed excitedly, "I never expected the plan to go so smoothly!"

Lin Yuanshu explained with a smile, "It's mainly because you chose a good stepfather-in-law. I heard that he looks somewhat similar to the type of man your mother-in-law liked when she was young. Your mother-in-law probably likes this type of man, and it was a perfect match."

Zhu Huilan smiled slightly and said gratefully, "Thank you for your help and for coming up with ideas for this plan. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't have known where to look for candidates."

"I didn't do anything; it's all thanks to your efforts. Besides, you helped me find so much information. I'm the one who should be thanking you," Lin Yuanshu said with a smile.

Most people wouldn't think of using this method to deal with their mother-in-law. Hopefully, Zhu Huilan will get what she wants in the end, rather than having the opposite effect.

After receiving the good news from Lin Yuanshu, Zhu Huilan hummed a song as she went home.

Everyone glanced at the beaming Zhu Huilan and asked, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu has already gone home, why hasn't Mom come back yet?"

Zhu Huilan lowered her head guiltily and said vaguely, "Mom is watching a movie with Lin Yuanshu's relatives. Although they are not from the same production team, they still have a lot in common."

Upon hearing this, Quanmin stopped asking questions and assumed that the relative was Lin Yuanshu's mother. After all, he had never imagined that he would be able to invite a distant cousin to eat with him at the New Year's Eve reunion dinner.

Ma Long timed it perfectly; they had just finished making the last dish when Ma Long returned.

Zhou's mother also breathed a sigh of relief, after all, the whole family no longer had to wait for Ma Long to come home hungry.

Ma Long said to Li Xiaohua with reluctance, "I'll stay at the Zhou family's house for a few more days. I hope we can meet again tomorrow."

Li Xiaohua replied with a smile, "I live right across the street, it's hard not to see each other."

Malone gave a bright smile. "That's good. I hope you can get to know me better and then carefully consider what I said before. I'll wait for your answer."

Li Xiaohua lowered her head shyly and whispered, "Mm."

When Ma Long heard Li Xiaohua's answer, he was overjoyed, relieved that she hadn't rejected his advances.

As Zhou Ma left the communal kitchen, she saw Li Xiaohua preparing to go home and greeted her warmly, "Sister Xiaohua, you don't need to go back. Stay and have dinner."

Li Xiaohua waved her hand and refused, saying, "Forget it, this is your family reunion dinner. What's the point of me, an outsider, interfering?"

Aunt Zhou continued to persuade her, "She's not an outsider. In my heart, she's always been my sister, my family."

Li Xiaohua still refused, "If you really want to treat me to dinner, I'll come over tomorrow. Let's skip today!"

"Alright then!" Aunt Zhou said with a regretful look.

Just as Zhou Ma and Li Xiaohua were talking, Lin Yuanshu and Sister-in-law Xue brought the dishes to the table one after another. Since there were twelve people, they couldn't all sit at one table, so they were divided into two tables, one for the men and one for the women.

Zhou Xiangyang didn't want to be separated from his wife, and he didn't want to be persuaded to drink by others, so he shamelessly sat down at the table with the women.

Seeing this, Aunt Xue sat down at the men's table without any hesitation, because the men's table usually had larger portions of food, which was why she didn't want to stay at the women's table.

After bringing out all the dishes from the kitchen, Xue Ma looked at the meat dishes, including sauerkraut fish, braised duck with konjac, braised rabbit with potatoes, braised rabbit with dried cowpeas, meatballs with cabbage, and so on. Her mouth was watering. She was so glad she came today.

She glanced at the next table and noticed that the portions of food on both tables were about the same. She said to her daughter, "How did you scoop the food? Have you forgotten the rules I told you before? Men eat more, so their portions should be larger."

She turned to look at Zhou Ma, her face full of apology, and said, "Mother-in-law, I'm so sorry, I haven't taught this daughter well. She can't even do this small thing properly."

Zhou's mother replied solemnly, "My family doesn't have this rule. We believe in gender equality, so don't bring your family's rules into my home."

Aunt Xue looked at Aunt Zhou in disbelief. How could the Zhou family not have such a rule? No wonder her daughter didn't care about her husband at all; she must have been corrupted by Aunt Zhou.

If she had known this would happen, she should have gone to the women's table. After all, the women ate less, and she could have eaten more.

Seeing the somewhat stiff atmosphere, Zhou Dafu took the initiative to speak, saying, "Every family has its own rules, and these are not important matters. Eating is the most important thing. I apologize for not being a good host today, and I hope everyone enjoys the food and drinks."

Mr. Lin strongly disagreed, saying, "This can't be called poor hospitality. My family hasn't eaten this much meat in a year. You've put in a lot of effort to treat us well."

Chow Tai Fook laughed heartily and said, "As long as everyone enjoys the meal, it means my efforts are worthwhile. Don't be so polite, let's eat!"

No one remained polite and picked up their chopsticks.

Without hesitation, Aunt Xue picked up a duck leg and put it in her bowl. One bite filled her mouth with the rich aroma of meat; it was so delicious.

Xue's mother and father don't know how to pick up vegetables; they only eat meat.

The eldest brother felt extremely ashamed when he saw Xue's mother and her eating like starving ghosts. Even though Lin Yuanshu's parents were from the countryside, they were not as uncouth as his mother-in-law.

Zhou Dafu had originally planned to have a drink with Lin's father, but seeing the situation, he decided against it. Otherwise, once they finished their drinks, there would only be food left on the table, and they wouldn't be able to eat any meat.

He also started to join in the quick meat-clamping.

What could Lin's father and Ma Long do? Unless they didn't want to eat meat, they had no choice but to join.

The men at the table wolfed down their food, while the women at the table ate slowly and deliberately. None of them ate like Mr. and Mrs. Xue, so they didn't scramble for the meat.

Sister-in-law Xue took a deep breath and pretended not to know Mr. and Mrs. Xue. She was very dissatisfied with their behavior today, even though they had promised her that they would turn over a new leaf and try to get along well with her in-laws.

The result was the same as before: she brought some vegetables that her in-laws didn't like to their house, and then ate them to her heart's content at the Zhou family's house.

After finishing her meal, Aunt Xue patted her round belly. She saw some meat left on the table next to her and sighed inwardly. It was a pity that she really couldn't eat anymore, otherwise she would definitely have finished all the remaining meat.

Aside from Chow Tai Fook, who was able to rest, Lin Yuanshu and the others began cleaning up the mess.

Aunt Xue took out an enamel bowl from the wicker basket and said with a smile, "It's a waste to throw these bones away. I can take them back to feed the dogs."

Sister-in-law Xue said in confusion, "Mom, I don't remember we have a dog."

Aunt Xue retorted confidently, "So what? You can feed it to someone else's dog."

Zhou Ma didn't stop Xue Ma's actions. Anyway, it was a bone that nobody wanted, so Xue Ma could take it back if she wanted. She couldn't care less whether she took it to feed the dog or to make meat soup.

While picking up bones from the table, Xue's mother kept her eyes on the meat in the bowl.

Worried that Xue's mother might secretly steal meat from the vegetable bowls, Zhou's mother quickly put the bowls into the cupboard and locked them, not giving Xue's mother any chance to steal meat. Xue's mother and father had already eaten so much meat from them for free, and she didn't want to see Xue's mother eating and taking some at the same time.

Aunt Xue was very disappointed that she couldn't get any meat from the dish, but she had a great meal today, so she considered it a win.

Besides Chow Tai Fook, the entire Chow family joined in washing the dishes. Even the hardworking Mrs. Lin couldn't stay idle and joined the dishwashing team.

After finishing the finishing touches, everyone finally had time to rest. Zhou's mother chatted enthusiastically with Lin's mother, while Zhou Dafu took Lin's father and Ma Long for a walk in the nearby park.

Zhou Xiangyang didn't have that much energy, after all, he had been busy in the kitchen all morning. He was going to go back to his room to rest. Lin Yuanfeng wanted to eat pastries, and Lin Yuanshu didn't want to chat with others, so the two of them followed him.

Sister-in-law Xue pulled Xue's mother into her room and complained without any politeness that Xue's mother had embarrassed her today. When she couldn't get pregnant before, her mother couldn't help at all, but now that she was pregnant, her mother was starting to make things worse.

Aunt Xue was also very angry. She had always acted this way. She had never complained before, but now she was starting to complain. She didn't understand the saying, "A dog doesn't mind a poor home, and a child doesn't mind an ugly mother."

The two argued about this and parted on bad terms.

Not wanting to stay in the Zhou family any longer and become a nuisance, Xue's mother took Xue's father with her and they left.

When she reached the corner of the tenement building, she saw garlic sprouts, chives, cilantro, and other vegetables growing in the corner.

Aunt Xue's hands were itching to move. She looked around and saw that the door to the room in the corner across the hall was wide open. The old woman inside was staring at her fiercely, her eyes seeming to say, "You dare to touch the food!"

Her idea of ​​stealing vegetables vanished instantly. She was utterly speechless. It's just a few vegetables! What's the big deal? They even sent someone to watch over them.

The older women in the tenement building knew that the two in-laws of the Zhou and Wei families were not exactly cultured people, so they specially assigned one of the older women to keep an eye on them to prevent them from harming the vegetables that everyone had worked so hard to grow.

Sister-in-law Xue snorted at Xue's parents for leaving. They only left because they had enjoyed the benefits. Even if they hadn't argued with her, they would still have left now.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one else was in the living room, Zhou Ma tentatively said, "Second wife is good in every way, but she has a bit of a temper. If we don't do what she says, she will throw a tantrum and treat us like we're nothing."

Lin's mother looked at Zhou's mother with disbelief, "How could this be! My Xiaoshu is so gentle, how could she do such a thing?"

Zhou Ma frowned. She didn't understand why Lin Ma wouldn't believe her. Didn't she, as her mother, know what kind of person her daughter was?

She said confidently, "Why would I lie to you? If you don't believe me, ask my eldest son and daughter-in-law. Besides, she is very disrespectful to me, her mother-in-law. She often contradicts me and doesn't take my words seriously. When I ask her to do something, she simply doesn't listen and makes up all sorts of excuses to refuse. To tell you the truth, she has never handed over her salary once in all the time she's been married into the family. For the sake of family harmony, I've even kept this a secret from others on her behalf."

Lin's mother's expression was very complicated. She couldn't believe that this was something her good daughter had done. She had imagined that after her daughter got married, she would be filial to her elders, considerate to her husband, work diligently, and manage the household, instead of acting so domineeringly.

"It's my fault for not raising our daughter well. You've really had a hard time," Lin's mother said guiltily.

Hearing Lin Ma's apology, Zhou Ma felt a strange sense of emotion, as if she had finally met a normal person. She sighed and slowly said, "Since my daughter-in-law has already married into the family, this matter cannot be changed. I have no choice but to accept it. I just hope you can educate your daughter properly and make her treat me better. Respecting elders is a virtue, and I hope she can learn this."

Upon hearing this, Lin's mother stammered, "Ah...this...is a bit difficult..."

Aunt Zhou looked puzzled and asked, "What's so difficult about this? Isn't your second daughter-in-law your biological daughter?"

Lin's mother waved her hand and quickly said, "No, she is my biological daughter."

“Then there’s no problem. It’s only natural for a mother to educate her daughter,” Zhou’s mother said confidently.

After thinking for a moment, Lin's mother replied, "Then I'll try my best!"

Zhou Ma smiled with satisfaction. She hadn't expected Lin Yuanshu's mother to be so easy to talk to. She really couldn't understand how such a gentle Lin Ma could raise such a strong-willed daughter.

Lin's mother called Lin Yuanshu to the living room, while Zhou's mother hid in the room to eavesdrop on their conversation, hoping that Lin's mother would make Lin Yuanshu suffer as much as possible.

"I heard some things about you from your mother-in-law," Lin's mother said, trying to find the right words.

Lin Yuanshu frowned and said righteously, "No matter what nonsense my mother-in-law says to you, don't believe it. As for her, well, I don't want to say more. Just go out and ask around and you'll find out."

Lin's mother was taken aback. She felt that her daughter's words made some sense. Everyone's words are bound to be biased towards themselves and are not necessarily the truth. The words of the neighbor ladies were definitely more truthful than those of Zhou's mother.

“Okay,” Lin’s mother readily agreed.

Inside the room, Zhou Ma was furious. She hadn't expected Lin Ma to be so easily fooled by Lin Yuanshu. Lin Yuanshu had won over Lin Ma without lifting a finger.

She quickly jumped out to stop them, saying, "Those neighbor aunties are talking nonsense. They don't know the truth at all. They always side with the second daughter-in-law based on just a few words. I think I've done an impeccable job as a mother-in-law."

Lin Yuanshu remained silent, his face expressionless, arms crossed as he looked at Zhou Ma.

Seeing Lin Yuanshu's angry expression, Zhou Ma swallowed and explained, "Don't be angry. I didn't say anything bad about you to your mother. I was just telling the truth."

Lin Yuanshu chuckled lightly and said seriously, "I understand your honesty. When I go back to Grandma's house tomorrow, I won't forget to tell the truth either. My honesty is different from yours because I have newspapers and evidence."

Zhou Ma's eyes widened, and she screamed, "You can't do this!"

Lin Yuanshu smiled slightly and asked in return, "Why can't I do that? You can tell my mother the truth, so why can't I tell my grandmother the truth!"

Zhou Ma took a deep breath and decisively admitted her mistake, saying, "Second daughter-in-law, it was my fault. I shouldn't have been so talkative and complained to your mother about this and that. Can you please be lenient and let me off the hook?"

Lin Yuanshu stroked his chin and said with a smile, "I need to think about it carefully."

"What's there to consider?" Zhou Ma questioned.

Lin Yuanshu smiled and said, "If you keep asking, I won't even consider it anymore."

Zhou Ma immediately shut her mouth.

Seeing this scene, Lin's mother felt a mix of emotions. Zhou's mother wasn't entirely talking nonsense; her daughter did seem a bit domineering, completely dominating her mother-in-law.

After Zhou's mother left the living room, Lin's mother frowned and said, "You're being a bit harsh on your mother-in-law. She's still your mother-in-law, after all. You can't expect her to speak to you so humbly. You need to be gentler with her."

Lin Yuanshu sneered and said irritably, "I've already been lenient with her. It's a good thing she's not my colleague, otherwise I would have told her to get lost long ago. How could I let her continue to act so arrogantly in front of me! You haven't gotten along with my mother-in-law, so you don't really understand her. If you're gentle with her, she thinks she can control me and then she starts causing all sorts of trouble."

Anyway, she just couldn't understand some women who, despite being capable at work, holding high positions, and having money, still had to obey their mothers-in-law so readily!

For the sake of so-called family harmony, I have to compromise myself.

When a mother-in-law deals with her daughter-in-law, she never considers family harmony.

Lin's mother said with a complicated expression, "You're comfortable now, but have you thought about what you'll do after you have a baby? The baby will need someone to take care of it, and you can't just quit your job to take care of the child!"

Lin Yuanshu blinked and said with a smile, "It's better to let yourself suffer for a child that doesn't exist! It's better not to have the child born at all. Besides, I can't quit my job, but Xiangyang can. Anyway, he doesn't like dealing with people, so he can go home and take care of the child."

Lin's mother retorted, "Xiangyang is a man, how can he quit his job to take care of the child!"

Lin Yuanshu said indifferently, "Why not! What law in the country stipulates that men cannot leave their jobs to take care of their children? That's just a stereotype. Men can do what women can do. Besides, it's still a long way from when I have my child. Maybe the policy will change by then and allow us to hire someone to help take care of the child."

She was genuinely planning to wait until after the reform and opening up before considering having children, since she would still be young then, not even 30 years old, and wouldn't be considered an older mother.

Lin Ma really couldn't argue with Xiao Shu. She was afraid that if she continued, Xiao Shu wouldn't even consider having children. She really didn't expect Xiao Shu to have such unconventional ideas. Xiao Shu didn't have such strange ideas when she was in the production team. She must have been corrupted by others after coming to the city.

She wasn't as optimistic as Xiao Shu, so she could only sigh and compromise. "Fine, it's better for you to bully your mother-in-law than for her to bully you. If it really comes down to it, I'll come and help you take care of the child. Anyway, your father has Xiao Feng to take care of him, so I don't need to keep an eye on him all the time."

Lin Yuanshu said with a smile, "Mom, you're so kind."

Lin's mother patted Lin Yuanshu's head and said in a helpless tone, "Who told me to be your mother!"