Chapter 208 A Member of the Family

On the morning of his military physical examination, she didn't say a word, but he later found out that she was hiding in her room secretly wiping away tears, and her pillow was soaked with tears.

“I know you wouldn’t hurt anyone, but…”

He finally spoke, his voice hoarse, as if it had been stuck in his throat for a long time before he managed to squeeze it out.

"But what?"

Song Yazhi's eyes reddened instantly, her voice rose sharply, then fell again, choked with sobs, "Just because she's your wife, you side with her and turn around to question the mother who gave you life and raised you?"

Her words were filled with chills and bewilderment, as if she had been stabbed in the back.

"I raised you to adulthood, braving wind and rain, worrying about you so much. Now that you have your own family and a wife, you blame me based on a single sentence from an outsider? Can a simple 'not feeling well' negate all my sacrifices?"

She became more and more agitated as she spoke, her fingers clenching the hem of her clothes until her knuckles turned white.

"Mom, Qingqing is not an outsider."

Fu Li'an felt a tightness in his chest, as if a wad of cotton was stuck there, making it hard to breathe.

He knew that his mother had never liked Lin Qingqing, always thinking that she was spoiled, didn't know how to manage a household, and wasn't filial enough to her elders. But in the three years of their marriage, Qingqing had always tried her best to be a good daughter-in-law and had never talked back to him once.

Song Yazhi suddenly grabbed his hand, her hand, marked by the marks of time, gripping his wrist tightly with such force that it almost hurt.

Her tone softened immediately, no longer aggressive, but instead, with a thick nasal tone, she said in a low, pleading voice, "Adong, do you know why I insisted she take this medicine? She's pregnant, her body is already weak, and she's deficient in both qi and blood. She never takes care of herself, staying up late, eating cold things, and not letting anyone help with housework. How can I not be worried?"

She paused, her eyes reddening, her voice trembling slightly: "I'm really scared... scared that she won't be able to hold on, that the baby won't survive. If something goes wrong, how will you two live the rest of your lives? How will I, as the grandmother, be able to sleep at night?"

She quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, fighting back tears, and continued, "I admit, I don't really like her. I always felt she wasn't good enough for you, too soft-hearted, and not decisive enough. But the child in her belly is yours, the root of our Fu family! It's the grandson I've been longing for for so many years! Tell me, how could I not care?"

As soon as these words were spoken, most of Fu Li'an's doubts dissipated, as if a thick fog had been blown away by the wind, revealing the truth beneath.

He gazed at his mother's aged face, the deep nasolabial folds, the black hair streaked with silver, and her calloused hands that still tirelessly tended to her family—

A mother would never harm her grandson.

Absolutely not.

The problem must lie with the medicine itself—perhaps this medicine really isn't suitable for Qiao Wanyin.

"Mom, I understand your good intentions."

He said in a low voice, his tone tinged with restraint and helplessness, "That medicine may have been well-intentioned, but Qingqing had a really bad reaction after taking it. So... please don't let her take it anymore, okay?"

Song Yazhi's eyes turned cold instantly, as if her pride had been hurt. But in the blink of an eye, she quickly put on a wronged and hurt look, her lips trembling slightly. "Fine, you two have a good relationship and think that I, as your mother-in-law, am meddling and targeting my daughter-in-law at every turn. Then I won't interfere."

"Anyway, whatever I say is wrong, and whatever I do, you won't appreciate it!"

Her voice suddenly rose, "If anything happens in the future, don't come to me! Don't expect me to help you in the slightest!"

After saying that, she suddenly stood up from the chair, the movement so large that it almost knocked over the stool behind her. She turned around and walked out, her steps hurried, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

"mom!"

Fu Lian hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed her wrist, his tone urgent and pleading, "That's not what I meant... Please don't leave. I just hope... that you and Qingqing can get along better, that the family can be peaceful, and that everyone can feel at ease."

Song Yazhi stopped in her tracks, but did not turn around. She remained with her back to him, her shoulders trembling slightly, as if she was trying her best to suppress her emotions.

After a moment, she slowly spoke, her voice lowered, carrying a deliberately created sense of desolation: "Adong, Mom is getting old, her health is deteriorating day by day, and she can't understand many things anymore, let alone the thoughts and habits of you young people."

“But there’s one thing you must remember,” she paused, her tone suddenly becoming serious, “blood ties are the closest. No matter how caring strangers may be, they are still strangers. When faced with major or difficult events, the only people you can truly rely on are your own blood relatives. The warmth given by others will dissipate in the wind; your own family is the wall that shelters you from the wind and rain.”

These words struck Fu Li'an's heart like a heavy stone, making it hard for him to breathe.

He stood there, feeling a tightness in his chest, as if something was blocking his heart.

He never imagined that his mother's prejudice against Qingqing was so deeply ingrained—it wasn't just a simple incompatibility, but a fundamental disapproval, even regarding her as an "outsider."

He had always hoped that if the two spent more time together, his mother would eventually see how good Qingqing was.

She is gentle, sensible, and filial. She never competes or fights, and she is extremely respectful to her elders.

He believed that time could heal the estrangement and that family ties could be gradually built up.

But the reality is quite the opposite.

Every interaction seemed to deepen the mother's dissatisfaction; every act of kindness was seen as deliberate flattery or insincerity in the other's eyes.

The conflict not only failed to resolve itself, but instead accumulated, growing larger and larger like a snowball, until one day it would crush the family.

He sighed silently and dragged his heavy steps back to the ward. Qiao Wanyin was sitting by the window, staring blankly at the gray sky outside.

Sunlight streamed through the glass onto her face, but couldn't penetrate the darkness in her eyes.

Hearing the door open, she turned around gently, her voice calm and gentle: "Have you finished talking with Auntie?"

Fu Lian nodded, his throat tightening slightly. "We've talked about it."

He sat down by the bed, looking at her slightly tired face, and forced a comforting smile. He said softly, "Qingqing, don't overthink it. Mom definitely loves her children, it's just her personality, she speaks a bit bluntly. She just doesn't know you well yet, and doesn't appreciate your good qualities. Once she gets to know you, she will definitely accept you, really."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Wanyin's lips curled up slightly, but the smile carried a hint of bitterness and irony.

The mother-in-law's approval is certainly important, after all, she is the husband's mother and a family member that they see every day.

But she's not the kind of person who needs other people's approval to survive.

Her dignity and her worth should never be defined by an elder who is prejudiced against her.

If it weren't for Fu Li'an, she wouldn't have needed to endure it again and again, swallowing those open and covert insults and silently bearing that unfair treatment.

But now that you're married and have become a member of this family, there are some things you can't avoid.