Chapter 47 Support
No.
As soon as I reached the corner of the row of bungalows near the service center, I heard a few low but clear voices floating from the corner:
"...I really can't tell. He's usually so polite..."
"That's right, relying on your pregnancy, you take yourself too seriously. Your mother-in-law just came and you're already trying to intimidate people?"
"Poor Deputy Commander Xie's mother, at such an old age, she still has to serve her..."
"The educated youth from the city are still not as tough and sensible as us country women..."
Wang Xiulan's footsteps suddenly stopped, the gentleness on her face disappeared in an instant, and her brows were tightly furrowed. She squeezed the vegetable basket with such force that her knuckles turned white. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, suppressing the anger that was rushing to her head.
She raised her hand to tidy up the messy hair on her temples, straightened her collar, then straightened her back, put a gentle smile on her face again, and walked straight over with steady steps.
Her figure suddenly appeared in front of the sisters-in-law who were talking excitedly. They were like chickens with their necks strangled. Their voices stopped abruptly, and guilt and panic flashed across their faces.
Wang Xiulan stood still, her eyes calmly sweeping over each of their faces. Her voice was not loud, but clear and powerful, with unquestionable majesty, enough for the few people around who were peeking in to hear clearly:
"Comrades, are you chatting? It's quite lively." She even had a smile on her face, but her eyes were sharp as a knife. "It just so happens that I have a little thing that I want to talk to you all about."
The corner of the service center suddenly became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
"I'm Xie Shiyu's mother, Wang Xiulan," she introduced herself in a steady voice. "I've only been in the family compound for a few days, and I've already heard a lot of gossip about my daughter-in-law, Gu Qiuyue. They say she doesn't do any work and just orders her mother-in-law around."
She paused, her gaze lingering for a second on the face of the sister-in-law who had just spoken most enthusiastically, causing her to lower her head in a hurry.
"That's really unfair." Wang Xiulan's voice suddenly rose, filled with the indignation of protecting her child. "My daughter-in-law Qiuyue is a very good girl. When Shi Yuai was seriously injured, if she hadn't taken care of him day and night, how could she not have suffered from some hidden diseases? Now she is pregnant with Shi Yu's child, what's wrong with Shi Yu taking care of her a little more?
Besides, she never missed a day of work, working diligently in the Propaganda Department and contributing to socialist construction!" She deliberately raised her point, "When she came home from work and saw Shi Yu and I busy at work, she always rushed to help. It was her husband and I who felt sorry for her and forced her to stay in the chair and not move!"
She glanced around, her eyes frank and sharp, finally landing on the gossiping sisters-in-law. She spoke with unwavering conviction, "It's a tradition for men in our Xie family to love their wives. My son is happy to cook and wash for his wife, and as a mother-in-law, I'm even more happy to take care of my daughter-in-law and my future grandchildren. This is our Xie family's personal business, and we're happy to live this way. Why is it that some people have made it a sin?"
She took a step forward, and the aura that permeated the courtyard of the capital suddenly emanated: "To those who have nothing better to do than gossip and spread rumors, I advise you to save your worries. If you have the time, you might as well think more about how to make your own lives prosperous.
If you stare at the food in other people's pots every day to see if it's salty or not, and make wild assumptions when you smell something, will you be able to eat and wear warm clothes?" This was almost a scolding to Zhang Jiaren, and also a slap in the face of all those who spread gossip.
Finally, her tone suddenly turned cold, with a sternness that brooked no offense: "If I hear anyone slandering my daughter-in-law again, destroying the unity of military families, and slandering the reputation of military families... don't blame me for being ruthless. Go directly to your leader and talk to him. I want to know the nature of this behavior."
The accusations of "destroying the unity of military families" and "slandering military families" weighed heavily on the women. The sisters-in-law paled with fear, their heads drooping even lower as they stammered, "It's not true," "It's a misunderstanding," and like frightened rabbits, they tugged at each other and, in the blink of an eye, scattered like birds and beasts, vanishing without a trace. The few who had peeked in to watch the action quickly retreated, leaving the service area completely quiet.
In the evening, Gu Qiuyue came home from get off work and smelled the aroma of food as soon as she opened the gate. Her mother-in-law Wang Xiulan was sitting on a small stool in the yard picking a bunch of tender green vegetables. The golden light of the setting sun added a warm edge to her hair with a few silver strands.
Hearing the noise, Wang Xiulan raised her head with a completely relaxed and loving smile on her face. The turmoil in the afternoon did not leave any trace on her face.
"Are you back? Are you tired? Take a rest, the meal will be ready soon." Wang Xiulan put down the dish in her hand and asked with concern.
"Not tired, Mom." Gu Qiuyue smiled as she walked over. She keenly caught a glimpse of barely perceptible fatigue between her mother-in-law's brows. Although she looked energetic, that hint of weariness seemed to be hidden deep in her eyes. Gu Qiuyue's heart moved slightly. The last time she saw her mother-in-law, she was in good health. Now this...
At this time, Xie Shiyu also strode into the yard with a fresh fish in his hand, "Mom, Qiuyue, look what good stuff I got!" The laughter of the three-member family soon filled the yard.
The dinner was sumptuous, and Xie Shiyu's cooking was as good as ever. The atmosphere at the table was harmonious, and no one mentioned Zhang Jiaren's visit that afternoon or the incident at the family compound, as if those unpleasant events had never happened. Wang Xiulan smiled as she served food to Gu Qiuyue, urging her to eat more.
"By the way, Qiuyue," Wang Xiulan casually mentioned it, as if she suddenly remembered something. She picked up a piece of fresh fish for Gu Qiuyue, "Does that Zhang Jiaren... have a younger sister? I think she asked someone to get close to Shi Yu before?"
As he spoke, a look of disdain appeared on his face. "Tsk, I think I saw that girl once from a distance. She looks just like her sister. That arrogance with her eyes on top of her head is so intimidating even from a distance. Our family can't afford a girl like that. My daughter-in-law is the best. She's sensible and capable."
She looked at Gu Qiuyue with a smile, her eyes full of satisfaction. These words completely confirmed the gossip that Sun Juan had revealed before, and also pointed out that Zhang Jiaren's targeting of Gu Qiuyue was largely due to old grudges.
Gu Qiuyue felt warm in her heart and responded with a smile. She noticed that her mother-in-law's appetite seemed not as good as usual when she ate, and her movements were a little slow, occasionally rubbing her solar plexus subconsciously. Thinking of the trace of fatigue she had caught when she just entered the door in the afternoon, the doubts in Gu Qiuyue's heart quietly emerged again.
Was her mother-in-law exhausted from standing up for her? Or... she was preoccupied with other things and didn't think about it any further. She just silently pushed the dishes her mother-in-law liked towards her. Otherwise, while she was at home for the next two days, she could give her some more space water to nourish her body.
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