Chapter 135 Even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes
Originally, it was just Grandpa Fu who wanted to go out for a walk, but now it has become three people.
Seeing this, Fu Cheng'an, who rarely gets a day off at home, began to hesitate about whether he should follow suit.
But it was just hesitation.
He felt that as an active-duty soldier, he should be the most composed person in the family.
Before long, he became proud of his choice to remain calm.
Because Fu Ci and his family had returned, they entered the home they had been away from for so long, surrounded by the three elders of the Fu family.
As soon as she returned to this familiar environment, Tang Mingli felt her lazy cells instantly awaken.
After taking a sip of the hot water Zhang Guihua had poured on the ground, she sighed, "No wonder they say, 'It's always good to be at home, but difficult to go out even for a day.' It's definitely more comfortable at home."
It's so cold outside that people are shivering, but it's so warm at home that you don't need to wear a coat.
Madam Fu said to her with a mixture of pity and reproach, "Let's see if you dare to do it again next time."
Tang Mingli smiled, but dared not reveal her true thoughts.
Of course I dare to do it; how could any young person be afraid of hardship and hold themselves back?
hey-hey.
So she changed her approach and said to Madam Fu in a coquettish tone, "No matter where we are, we always think about how good it is to be at home."
Madam Fu was deeply touched by these words and sighed that girls and boys are indeed different.
Fu Ci spends the whole year away from home, but he never says he misses home.
She looked Tang Mingli up and down carefully, thinking that the conditions there were tough and she had to work hard, so she must have looked a bit haggard.
But after a closer look, they found the baby to be plump and healthy, showing no signs of suffering whatsoever.
Those prepared words of comfort had no chance to be used, and all that could be said was, "Luckily, you adapt well and didn't lose weight."
Tang Mingli touched her face and said honestly, "With my mouth, it's quite difficult to lose weight by starving myself."
Besides, the factory food at Fu Ci's place was quite good, and she always bought herself a lot of food whenever she went shopping.
If Madam Fu believed that Tang Mingli was not the kind of person who would make herself suffer unnecessarily.
Just then, Zhang Guihua finished cooking the last dish and asked everyone if they wanted to eat now.
Madam Fu said, "Eat, the food must be eaten while it's hot."
Fu's mother also said, "You must be hungry after traveling so early in the morning. Let's eat first, and then you can tell us about your time in Shenzhen."
Tang Mingli smelled the aroma of the food and was indeed tempted.
Although I ate well during those months in Shenzhen, I did miss Aunt Guihua's cooking from time to time.
Today, Zhang Guihua put in a lot of effort, serving almost every dish that Tang Mingli loved. Tang Mingli couldn't resist and ended up eating until she was stuffed.
Seeing this, the elders of the Fu family felt sorry for him.
It's not that she eats well in Shenzhen; it's all because she's not picky about food that she's been able to grow up to be plump and healthy.
To make up for Tang Mingli's lack of food, the Fu family provided her with meals for the next few days that were as lavish as those during the Chinese New Year.
Tang Mingli ate heartily for several days, and her belly started to grow, but she was completely oblivious to it.
It wasn't until one morning when she was taking a walk in the courtyard with Madam Fu, and was being stared at by Aunt Li from the same compound, who was staring at her belly, that she suddenly realized what was going on.
She, who was usually quite slim, developed a small belly in just a few days. Her neighbors, unaware of her condition, probably thought she was pregnant.
Sure enough, when Grandma returned from her walk alone the next time, she hesitated to speak to Tang Mingli and Fu Ci.
Tang Mingli couldn't ignore it, so she had to bring it up and ask, "Grandma, is there something you want to tell us?"
Madam Fu immediately denied it, but after the denial, she stammered, "Grandma wants to ask you a question."
The two looked at her again, waiting for her to continue her questions.
"You...Mingli, have you gained weight or...?"
"Or what?"
Fu Ci didn't understand, but Tang Mingli did.
Although this answer will disappoint the elderly, it is still necessary to make things clear as soon as possible.
"Grandma, I think I've been eating too much these past few days, that's why I have a little belly."
As she spoke, she patted her belly.
Although a look of disappointment flashed across Madam Fu's face, it was only for a moment; she was mostly relieved.
I breathed a sigh of relief after figuring out the situation.
She explained, "I was taking a walk in the yard just now when Aunt Li came over mysteriously and asked me if I was... I told her it was impossible, if it were true... you definitely wouldn't have kept it from me. But she insisted that Li's belly was protruding, so it must be."
The way you're saying that makes it sound like there are some forbidden words.
Tang Mingli was both amused and exasperated; she certainly didn't want 'pregnancy' to become a taboo subject in her family.
Such deliberate actions can actually create more pressure.
Whether it's her or them.
So she decided to take the lead in saying it, and to say it repeatedly, until everyone thought it was just an ordinary thing.
"Grandma, if we get pregnant, we'll definitely tell you right away."
Tang Mingli's candid mention of it made Madam Fu feel embarrassed for her deliberate avoidance of the topic.
"That's how I refuted her. Her granddaughter-in-law isn't close to her, but my granddaughter-in-law is very close to me."
"That's right. Since we're on the topic, there's something I should tell Grandma. Fu Ci and I think we should go to the hospital for a check-up after the New Year to see what's going on."
Upon hearing that she was going to the hospital, Madam Fu immediately asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Tang Mingli shook her head: "No, it's just that I've been trying for several months, but without success, so I'm planning to get a routine checkup. If the checkup is normal, then we can relax and let nature take its course. If the checkup reveals any problems, we'll treat them if possible."
If it cannot be cured, then it is the will of Heaven.
People must obey Heaven.
Madam Fu nodded: "Indeed, we won't run away from problems. If we really aren't meant to be, we'll accept it. We can't let the children make the adults suffer."
Tang Mingli was shocked to hear this.
She knew the Fu family elders were open-minded, but she didn't expect them to be this open-minded.
Even in China decades from now, it's unlikely we'll hear about this.
Many people feel that if they can't have a son, the sky will fall, their family will be ruined, and they won't be able to die in peace.
Therefore, enlightenment is not only related to the progress of the overall environment, but also depends on the individual.
-
On the 26th of the lunar year, Zhang Guihua finished her last day of work at the Fu family's house and went home to celebrate the New Year.
Fu's mother was also on holiday, and she led Tang Mingli to take stock of the New Year's goods they had bought, reviewing whether anything had been forgotten.
This review revealed that something had been missed, so the two went to department stores and markets the next day to replenish what they needed and stocked up on a refrigerator full of meat and vegetables.
After a busy day, when she could finally sit down and rest, Fu's mother was filled with emotion.
"I haven't been to the market in a long time, and I found that there is much more meat and eggs than in previous years. You can buy them even if you don't have meat coupons."
Then he asked Fu Ci, "How come the reform and opening up has brought about such great changes? How did so many meat and eggs suddenly appear?"
This is something that can't be explained in just a few words.
Fu Ci tried to be concise as he spoke to his mother: "This is not just due to reform and opening up, but also to many other reasons. For example, the promotion of individual farming, the advancement of planned aquaculture, and so on, are all changes brought about by the implementation of multi-level reform policies."
Fu's mother said "oh," but that didn't mean she understood.
She smiled and said, "Although I don't understand, everyone's life is getting better, and that's something we can all see."
How many people in this world have the vision and courage of her son to seize opportunities and make a difference? Most are just ordinary people like her. Fortunately, the country has not abandoned anyone.
The group was chatting happily when the phone rang.
Tang Mingli was nearby and took it without hesitation.
After saying "hello," Fu Caiping's voice came from the other end of the phone.
When someone calls close to the Spring Festival, most people would assume it's to wish you a happy new year in advance, or to chat about preparations for the holiday.
However, Fu Caiping started crying after saying only a few words, which left her family at a loss.
Knowing that her granddaughter-in-law's generation couldn't handle things like this, Madam Fu grabbed the microphone and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you crying again during the New Year?"
Fu Caiping said, "Sister-in-law, it's just that during the New Year, I couldn't help but cry because I thought about how pitiful my Gu Lin is."
"What's wrong with your Gu Lin again?"
“The child got sick again a few days ago, and her husband and in-laws kept sighing and saying they were worried that the child wouldn’t survive.”
Madam Fu closed her eyes helplessly to calm herself down.
It's an old topic, and I don't know how many times I've heard her bring it up this year.
Madam Fu said helplessly, "Isn't what they're saying just a way of saying they want Gu Lin to have another child?"
"That's right, but would you dare to have a baby? If you do, you'll not only be fined, but you'll also lose your job."
"That's fine. You know the implications, and they can't possibly be unaware of them. Let them be. We're all too old to worry about this."
"You make it sound so easy. She's not your own granddaughter, so why don't you feel sorry for her?"
These words enraged Old Madam Fu, who retorted, "My own grandson hasn't even had a child yet, have you seen me worrying about it?"
These words really left Fu Caiping speechless.
After a few seconds of silence, she pleaded, "Sister-in-law, you have status and position, could you step in and warn Gu Lin's in-laws? Let them stop being so ungrateful."
"How can I warn them? They just have this 'the more children, the more blessings' mentality."
“You all helped Mingli when her ex-husband started harassing her after the divorce, so why are you so cold to her when it comes to people you’re closer to?”
Madam Fu snorted and said, "Fine, then we'll go find Gu Lin's husband's boss and warn him that he needs to raise his awareness, respond to national policies, and stop thinking about having a second child all the time?"
Before Fu Caiping could answer, she continued, "He won't be eligible for promotions or awards anymore. Do you think he'll hate Gu Lin even more then?"
Fu Caiping was speechless again.
Knowing her grandson-in-law as she does, she'll definitely hate him.
"Why can't you understand this?" Old Madam Fu sighed. "The reason we helped Mingli's cousin is because the two of them have completely broken up. But Gu Lin still wants to live a good life with her child's father. If someone else interferes, they might bring this up when they have conflicts in the future. We would be the ones who are wrong."
"Even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes!"
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