Chapter 46 A Man's Responsibility
Zhang Jiaren pushed open the gate and walked in familiarly. She stuffed the box of pastries in her hand into Wang Xiulan's hands without saying a word, but her eyes glanced at Gu Qiuyue: "Oh, this is Aunt Xie, right? I am Zhang Jiaren, the wife of Captain Xiang of the Third Regiment. I heard that you came from far away. Here is a little gift from an old shop in Beijing. Please try it." She deliberately emphasized the word "Beijing" in an attempt to get closer to Wang Xiulan, who was also from Beijing.
Wang Xiulan took it politely with a gentle smile, but her eyes were a little scrutinizing. She just said lightly: "Comrade Zhang is thoughtful. Please take a seat." The sense of alienation made Zhang Jiaren's heart skip a beat.
Gu Qiuyue didn't say anything. She stood up and poured a glass of water for Zhang Jiaren, placed it on the small table in front of her, and then sat down again next to her mother-in-law.
As soon as Zhang Jiaren's butt touched the edge of the chair, she couldn't wait to start talking, her target directed at Gu Qiuyue: "Aunt Xie, you are so lucky!" She smiled exaggeratedly, her eyes glancing at Gu Qiuyue's flat belly, "Qiuyue just got pregnant, and Shi Yu was reluctant to let her do any work. Look, you came all the way here, and you still have to be busy taking care of your daughter-in-law.
Tsk tsk, sister Qiuyue is so lucky, she is so precious. When I was pregnant, didn’t I still go to work, cook, and take care of the whole family with a big belly? " She shook her head, her words were full of thorns. She was envious on the surface, but every word she said was implying that Gu Qiuyue was lazy, spoiled, and ignorant, and that she was causing trouble for her mother-in-law.
Gu Qiuyue picked up the cup in front of her and slowly took a sip of warm water. She didn't rush to refute, but quietly observed her mother-in-law's reaction out of the corner of her eye.
Zhang Jiaren's provocation just confirmed her malicious intentions in the afternoon, and also brought to light her lingering grudge against Gu Qiuyue's identity as an "educated youth" and "stealing the yard".
The polite smile on Wang Xiulan's face gradually faded. She didn't look at Zhang Jiaren, but slowly picked up the tea that Gu Qiuyue had just refilled for her, gently blew away the foam, and took a sip.
When she put down the teacup, she raised her eyes, her gaze resting calmly on Zhang Jiaren's face. Her voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable force: "Comrade Zhang, what you said is a little unpleasant to me."
She said in a calm tone, "Our Qiuyue is naturally blessed. As for the fact that no one helped you when you were pregnant, that is your family's problem. What does it have to do with our Qiuyue?"
The fake smile on Zhang Jiaren's face froze.
Wang Xiulan changed the subject, her tone filled with warmth and justified pride: "Shi Yu loves his wife, that's because he's sensible. He knows Qiuyue is going through a hard time carrying our Xie family's child. As a mother, I'm so happy! I wish he could love her even more!"
She leaned forward slightly, staring directly at Zhang Jiaren's face which had suddenly turned ugly, and said clearly, "Besides, Comrade Zhang, the men in our Xie family, since his grandfather's generation, have always believed in one thing - loving their wives. The men in the Xie family are all famous for loving their wives!" She paused, her voice rising a little, with a bit of sharpness that brooked no argument, "Housework? Isn't that something men should share? If men don't love their wives and share the housework, do they treat them like masters?"
The last sentence, "treat him like a master", was both straightforward and sharp, like a loud slap in Zhang Jiaren's face.
"Qiuyue is also someone else's baby. She is willing to give birth to children for Shiyu, and Shiyu and I are happy to serve her!" Wang Xiulan made a resounding conclusion with a frank look in her eyes and a clear position.
The blood color on Zhang Jiaren's face faded away completely, her lips trembled, and the carefully prepared provocations were shattered by this onslaught of ruthless "Xie Family Men's Experience". She couldn't utter a word. She just felt her face burning, and sitting in this small courtyard, she felt like there were nails under her butt.
Gu Qiuyue picked up the teapot just right, gently added water to Wang Xiulan, and said in a sweet voice: "Mom, have some tea. You've talked so much. Moisten your throat." The tacit understanding and flowing warmth between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law that did not require words were like a silent mockery, making Zhang Jiaren even more ashamed.
She stood up suddenly, the chair legs scraping harshly on the ground. "Well...well, Aunt Xie, Qiuyue, I remembered that there's still soup simmering on the stove at home. I have to go back quickly!"
She finished her incoherent speech and almost ran away without even saying a proper goodbye. She also forgot the box of "Beijing Pastries" on the table, like evidence of her embarrassing escape.
The gate slammed shut behind her.
Wang Xiulan looked at the box, sneered, put it aside, and patted the back of Gu Qiuyue's hand: "Don't pay attention to this kind of people. They say grapes are sour because they can't eat them. Let's live our own lives."
Wang Xiulan thought that the matter was over, but she obviously underestimated how much evil Zhang Jiaren's narrow-mindedness could cause. The shame and anger of being humiliated instead of being able to sow discord grew like poison ivy in her heart.
The next day, the clothesline in the small playground of the family compound became a "fertile ground for rumors" carefully cultivated by Zhang Jiaren. She specifically targeted those sisters-in-law who loved to spread gossip and had a mediocre relationship with Gu Qiuyue, adding fuel to the fire and spitting everywhere:
"Hey, you didn't see it. Deputy Colonel Xie's educated youth wife, tsk tsk, she started to act so arrogant as soon as she got pregnant. Her tail is almost up to the sky!"
"Is this true? It doesn't look like it..."
"You can't judge a person by his appearance. Her mother-in-law, an old lady from the capital, is so old, but as soon as she walks in, she's ordered around by her, serving tea and water, almost to her mouth. Deputy Captain Xie is also like a possessed person, busying himself in the kitchen without stopping. But she, on the other hand, just sits there like a landlord's wife, waiting to be served."
"Ah? This is too... Aren't educated youth said to be able to endure hardships?"
"Hmph, that's just pretense. She's a spoiled brat at heart. She thinks she's so great because she's pregnant. As for housework? She doesn't even touch it. She leaves it all to her mother-in-law and husband. We are military wives, and our husbands have to rest well after a tiring day outside. But her family is so... This isn't even like marrying a wife, it's like inviting a living Buddha home to worship."
She deliberately brought up Gu Qiuyue's identity as an "educated youth" and chewed on it over and over again, implying that she was "arrogant", "not suited to a stable life", and "didn't understand the rules of the military family compound".
These words, like fishy bait, were quickly swept up by idle tongues, stirring up a small ripple of sourness and curiosity in the small family compound.
Gu Qiuyue went to the Propaganda Department early in the morning and was completely unaware of the rumors behind the scenes.
Wang Xiulan wanted to change her daughter-in-law's taste, so she went out to the service center with a basket to buy some fresh meat and eggs.
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