Chapter 48: Meeting the In-Laws
The morning light filtered through the window lattice and danced on the edge of the water vat in the Xie family's small kitchen. Gu Qiuyue moved lightly and gently, drawing out the clear spring water from the space, which condensed into a few crystal drops of water, which fell silently into her mother-in-law Wang Xiulan's enamel teacup, which had been used for many years. She also quietly dripped some into the rice porridge that was being warmed on the stove.
After doing all this, she leaned against the door frame, her eyes closely following Wang Xiulan who had just gotten up and walked into the yard to stretch her muscles.
Wang Xiulan stretched her arms, the morning light fell on her face, revealing a rosy glow. It was obvious that after a night's rest, she was in much better spirits.
She took a deep breath of the fresh air, turned to Gu Qiuyue at the kitchen door and smiled, "You slept really soundly last night, Qiuyue. It must be that your incense worked." Although her movements were still a little slow from a long journey, the subtle fatigue between her brows was indeed diluted a lot by the morning light.
Gu Qiuyue felt a little relieved and smiled: "As long as Mom sleeps well, breakfast is ready." As the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were talking, the slightly old wooden door of the courtyard was knocked "knock knock knock". The rhythm was neither fast nor slow, with a sense of familiarity that Gu Qiuyue had engraved in her bones.
"Who is it? So early?" Wang Xiulan asked while motioning Qiuyue to open the door.
The door latch was opened, and the figure standing outside the door was covered in dust. The navy blue Lenin suit was a little pale from washing, but it was ironed flat. The hair was meticulously combed behind the head, revealing the smooth forehead and fine wrinkles at the corners of the eyes - it was Gu Qiuyue's mother, Xu Qin.
"Mom!" Gu Qiuyue was instantly overwhelmed by the huge surprise. Her eyes became hot and she rushed forward to hug her mother tightly.
Wang Xiulan also reacted immediately, a warm smile on her face: "Oh! Mother-in-law, come in quickly. You must have had a hard time on the way here. Why didn't you send a message in advance so that Shi Yu could pick you up?"
In the main room, Wang Xiulan deftly poured hot tea, steam rising from the enamel pot. Xu Qin looked around the room, which was clean and tidy with items neatly arranged. Her gaze finally fell on her daughter's face, which was noticeably rounder but full of energy, and her almost five-month-old belly. Only then did the worry in her eyes finally fade away.
She took Qiuyue's hand and looked at Wang Xiulan again: "Mother-in-law, I really trouble you to take care of Qiuyue. This child has been spoiled since she was a child, and I have been worried about her a lot. Now that she looks so good, I, as a mother, am grateful to you from the bottom of my heart."
Wang Xiulan waved her hand cheerfully: "Mother-in-law, that's too formal. Qiuyue is a very good child. You don't know that someone gossiped about my daughter-in-law yesterday, saying that she is spoiled and orders her mother-in-law around. It really pissed me off!"
She stood straight and said in a loud voice, "I stopped them right there and explained clearly that my Qiuyue is always busy at work and at home. It's her husband and I who are worried about her and forced her not to work. The men in our Xie family love their wives. It's ingrained in their bones."
Xu Qin listened with a look of relief and understanding on her face, and gently patted the back of Wang Xiulan's hand: "Mother-in-law, you are a sensible person, and you really love Qiuyue. With you around, I am 100% relieved."
She paused, the smile on her face fading slightly. She leaned forward slightly, lowered her voice, and said with a solemnity that suggested a storm was about to come, "Qiuyue, Mom came here this time not only to see you, but also to give me...important news."
Gu Qiuyue's heart sank suddenly without any warning, and her fingers gripping the teacup tightened unconsciously. It was now July 1976, and some people should have known about the resumption of the college entrance examination in advance. Her parents were both university professors, so they should have no shortage of sources of information in this regard.
"I heard the council has already held several meetings," Xu Qin lowered her voice, almost to a whisper, but each word was clear and carried undeniable weight. "It's very likely that the college entrance examination will be reinstated!"
"Bang!" The enamel pot in Gu Qiuyue's hand suddenly slipped and hit the edge of the table. The boiling hot tea spilled out and wet a small area of the table.
Knowing is one thing, hearing it with one's own ears is another. At this moment, she felt a hot torrent rushing to her head in an instant, and then in the next second, she was dragged into the abyss by the cold reality.
The wave of ecstasy had not yet completely swept over her, but the weight of the little life in her belly had already pressed down heavily. Her hand subconsciously touched her slightly bulging belly, and her eyes were complicated, intertwined with incredible ecstasy, sudden great hope, and heavy confusion and pressure about the unknown future.
"Qiuyue!" Wang Xiulan was quick to steady the shaky enamel pot. The tea didn't scald anyone, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she looked at Xu Qin with a burning gaze and said in a firm tone, "Mother-in-law, this is a great thing, a great opportunity."
She turned to Gu Qiuyue, her voice loud and powerful, full of unquestionable encouragement, "Qiuyue, listen to your mother and me, it's time to take the exam! You must take it! Don't be afraid! I have your husband at home, and I am your mother-in-law to support you! I am in good health! Just go and study! If our family has a college student, it will be a great joyous event that will bring honor to the family!"
Xu Qin was moved by her mother-in-law's unwavering support. She nodded vigorously, her gaze fixed firmly on her daughter. "Qiuyue, your mother-in-law is right. Knowledge acquired within oneself is a mountain of gold and silver that no one can take away. This opportunity is right before your eyes. If you miss it, it's gone for good. Mom and your mother-in-law are here to support you. Let's work together to find a way to deal with your health, but you must not lose confidence. We are not afraid!"
As soon as these words came out, Wang Xiulan immediately understood what she meant and snorted heavily: "That's right, Qiuyue, don't be afraid, just do what you need to do. Anyway, I'm retired, and I'll take care of your children in the future."
Warm time always flies by quickly. Wang Xiulan accepted the nutritional supplements brought by Xu Qin with a frown. Wang Xiulan rummaged through the boxes and found a piece of soft fine cotton cloth at the bottom of the box. She insisted on giving it to her mother-in-law, saying that it was the most suitable piece of underwear for her future grandson (granddaughter). Gu Minzhi couldn't refuse, so she took it with a smile. The two of them interacted with each other, and the atmosphere was as harmonious as if they were old sisters.
In the afternoon, Xie Shiyu applied for a car from the division headquarters to take the two mothers to the train station. Gu Qiuyue also took an afternoon off and took the car to take her mother and mother-in-law to the train station.
Before getting on the train, Xu Qin held her daughter's hand and repeatedly reminded her about the college entrance examination. She said that she would come to see her again before she gave birth. Wang Xiulan patted her chest and promised that she would help them take care of the child in the future and told her not to worry about it.
The golden glow of the setting sun lengthened the farewell figures. The train drove away, raising a thin cloud of dust. Gu Qiuyue was on the platform, looking at the direction where the train disappeared, with mixed feelings in her heart.
Her mother's expectations were like a hot iron, and her mother-in-law's unreserved support was a solid backing. However, the heavy weight of life in her belly and the thorny road to the college entrance examination, which had just opened up a ray of light, were colliding violently in her heart, feeling heavy.
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