Chapter 36 Because they're family.
Fu Ci got angry.
Although he wouldn't dare call himself good-tempered, he has indeed rarely been truly angry in the past twenty years.
In his view, getting angry doesn't solve problems. The more problems you encounter, the more you need to stay calm.
But he was really angry today, and he was sulking.
My wife and I haven't been intimate for over a month. We finally had a day off at home, and we were really getting into the mood when a guest showed up at the last minute.
The moment he heard his grandmother call out, Fu Ci finally understood what it meant to have a lump in his throat.
It's so frustrating not to get what you want.
Reluctantly putting his wife down, Fu Ci replied sullenly to his grandmother, "Okay, I'll be right down."
She thought to herself, "My aunt didn't come during the New Year, so why did she suddenly come today, and with my cousin Gu Lin?"
Tang Mingli, whose feet had landed on the ground again, used all her self-control to barely suppress her laughter.
It's hard to imagine that someone as self-disciplined as Fu Ci could also experience frustration and anger due to unfulfilled desires.
He was already in such a sorry state, but his wife was still laughing, so Fu Ci could only laugh along helplessly.
He can get angry with his relatives, but he can't get angry with his wife.
Tang Mingli gave him a suggestion: "Why don't you go wash your face?"
There's definitely no time to take a cold shower, but washing your face with cold water is still an option.
Fu Ci had the same idea. He used his fingers to tidy up his wife's hair, which he had messed up, before going to the bathroom on the second floor.
Tang Mingli also took the opportunity to go back to her room and check her appearance in front of the mirror, afraid of giving herself away.
Not long after, the two came downstairs one after the other.
Mr. Fu and Mrs. Fu were talking to each other, or rather, Mrs. Fu was talking to each other, while Mr. Fu sat to the side with a stern face.
When Tang Mingli saw this scene as she went down the stairs, she felt even more strongly that the world truly cannot exist without women.
The more gentle a woman is, the more compassionate the world will be.
When they arrived downstairs, Tang Mingli and Fu Ci obediently greeted her as "Auntie".
Gu Lin and Fu Ci are the same age. Since Fu Ci is two months older, Gu Lin has to call him cousin, and naturally, she also has to call Tang Mingli cousin-in-law.
After sitting down, Tang Mingli began to think of herself as a mascot.
She tries to leave the socializing with her husband's relatives to them as much as possible; she only needs to refill anyone's teacup when she sees it empty.
But she was determined to be a mascot, and the others were unwilling to let her off the hook.
After chatting for a while, Fu Caiping took the initiative to steer the conversation toward her.
"Mingli looks even better than the last time I saw her. It seems the Fu family really takes good care of her."
The implication is that Tang Mingli is doing very well in the Fu family.
That's a fact, Tang Mingli has to admit, but she said the Fu family drew such a clear line... Well, they weren't wrong, don't be the kind of person who nitpicks.
Tang Mingli smiled and replied politely, "I have indeed been living quite well in the Fu family."
She didn't elaborate on how good it was, lest she accidentally hurt someone's lungs.
It wasn't that she was being petty, but her great-aunt's sudden visit today, accompanied by her granddaughter, gave her the impression that she wouldn't come unless she had a reason.
Moreover, some things cannot be faked, such as whether you are doing well or not.
Although Gu Lin tried her best to keep a smile on her face, the worry in her eyes was impossible to hide.
At least Tang Mingli noticed it.
This is Grandpa's own sister. No matter how much they quarrel, she is still one of the few remaining close relatives in Grandpa's world. She still has to be careful and not accidentally stab her in the heart.
Not only will my great-aunt be unhappy, but my grandfather certainly won't be happy either.
Tang Mingli deliberately steered the conversation away from the topic, but Old Madam Fu chimed in, praising her: "Mingli is such a cheerful child, always eating and sleeping, how could she not be happy?"
She didn't mean anything by it; she just wanted to praise her granddaughter-in-law for being simple-minded and easily satisfied. However, Gu Lin, who hadn't said much, stiffened upon hearing this.
She ate her fill, slept, and ate again after waking up. She had never lived such a life in all her years.
Isn't that like a god?
What did my aunt mean by saying that?
Did they already realize that she and her grandmother came today to ask for their help, and gave them a heads-up beforehand?
Can they still say that? Will they say she's overthinking things, which is why she's suffering so much?
Gu Lin was already feeling uneasy before she even began to realize the purpose of her visit.
Fu Caiping was also affected by these words. She was already smiling but couldn't keep up her smile. After hearing what the old lady Fu said, she couldn't keep up her smile at all.
Madam Fu still didn't understand what she had said wrong, or why everyone had suddenly fallen silent.
She was just teasing her granddaughter-in-law.
Madam Fu looked around helplessly.
Of all those present, only Tang Mingli probably guessed something, so she had to step in to ease the tension.
"Grandma, you're making me sound like a pig. No one would act like that."
At the very least, there should be a toilet break between eating and sleeping.
Tang Mingli's words brought Gu Lin and Fu Caiping back to their senses.
The two thought similarly; Madam Fu's statement was indeed too exaggerated. How could a person possibly eat their fill and then sleep? It seemed to be a joke.
After the atmosphere eased, Tang Mingli said, "It's rare that my aunt and cousin are here today. How about we have Aunt Guihua make some lily bulb and lotus seed sweet soup for everyone to cool off in the summer?"
Forgive her, but besides talking about food, I really couldn't think of any other suitable topic to change the subject.
Just then, Aunt Guihua bought two pounds of very fresh lilies and lotus seeds at the grocery store that morning, planning to make sweet soup tomorrow. Making it a day early would allow them to make the most of their ingredients.
No one would disagree with Tang Mingli's suggestion.
In order to let everyone drink it as soon as possible, she could also reasonably go into the kitchen to help Zhang Guihua.
Let's hand this social engagement back to Fu Ci and his team.
In the kitchen, Tang Mingli slowly peeled lilies, while Zhang Guihua deftly removed the lotus seeds; the two worked together quite well.
In the living room, without Tang Mingli's chatter, awkward silences would occasionally fall.
Unable to continue the idle chatter any longer, Fu Caiping gritted her teeth and explained her purpose to her brother and sister-in-law.
"Brother, sister-in-law, there's actually another matter I've come to see you about today."
Madam Fu had guessed as much, and said gently, "We're all family, so please tell me what's on your mind."
The words "family" brought tears to Fu Caiping's eyes.
Although she and her older brother were not born to the same mother, to be fair, her older brother had always been very good to her since she was a child.
Unfortunately, they were both reserved in their emotions, and their relationship was never as close as that of other siblings.
But there's no denying that her older brother was really good to her.
Especially after his parents passed away, he devoted himself to raising her.
If it weren't for his unwillingness to help Gu Lin with her rural assignment, she wouldn't have had any complaints about him.
Fu Caiping looked at her granddaughter with heartache, but finally managed to speak despite her pain.
"As you all know, Gu Lin has been married for a while now, but there's still no news about her getting pregnant, and her in-laws have some objections."
The Fu family members all frowned upon hearing this.
Madam Fu said, "It hasn't even been a year yet, why are you already complaining?"
She then used her own husband, Fu Ci, as an example: "Fu Ci and Mingli have been married for even longer, this is their fourth year, and they still haven't had any children, but we don't have any objections."
Fu Cixin, who was suddenly called out, jumped a few times, then glanced in the direction of the kitchen and secretly felt relieved.
Fortunately, my wife went to help Aunt Guihua and didn't hear what my grandmother said.
Fu Caiping said, "That's because you people are good. In other families, who wouldn't be anxious if they hadn't had children after three or four years of marriage?"
Fu Ci was afraid that the topic would continue to be brought up with her and her husband, so she quickly said, "Aunt, Mingli and I have discussed the child's matter, so let's not talk about us. Let's talk about my cousin's in-laws."
That's true, she can't control whether her nephew and niece-in-law have children or not.
When Fu Caiping spoke of her granddaughter, her eyes welled up with tears.
It turned out that Gu Lin's husband and in-laws were anxious because she hadn't conceived after being married for so long, so they asked her husband to take her for a checkup, and unexpectedly, the checkup revealed a problem.
"The doctor said it's polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which makes it harder to get pregnant." Fu Caiping didn't know what PCOS was, but she understood the part about it being harder to get pregnant.
She finally couldn't hold back her tears: "Why is Gu Lin's life so hard? Do you think it's because she worked too hard in the countryside those years and ruined her health that she has difficulty getting pregnant?"
Fu Caiping cried, and Gu Lin couldn't help but cry too.
The three members of the Fu family didn't know anything about gynecology, and for a moment they didn't know how to comfort or console the two women. They could only watch them cry and feel anxious.
Tang Mingli, who was in the kitchen, heard the crying and couldn't stand by and watch. She quickly came out and whispered to Fu Ci what was wrong.
Fu Ci probably told her that.
Tang Mingli was dumbfounded after hearing this.
In later generations with more advanced medicine, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is actually a relatively common disease.
Although polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) makes it difficult to conceive, it does not mean infertility; with proper care, it can be improved.
Fu Caiping and Gu Lin felt a glimmer of hope after hearing Tang Mingli's words.
With teary eyes, Gu Lin asked, "Really?"
Tang Mingli was in a real bind.
It's true, of course, but if she agrees, will Gu Lin cling to her words as a lifeline? What if she can't conceive no matter what she tries? Will she take out her despair on her?
This is something she cannot afford.
She had a good relationship with Fu Ci and lived a comfortable life in the Fu family, but the thought of taking responsibility for her husband's cousin made her subconsciously want to back down.
Two seconds later, she spoke in a trembling voice: "We can find a skilled doctor to treat her properly and see what the doctor says."
In the end, she still couldn't bear the burden of other people's fate.
However, these were exactly the words Fu Caiping wanted to hear.
They came here today to ask Mr. Fu for help in getting an appointment with Dr. Wu at the General Hospital of the Military Region.
That doctor is known as a gynecological expert, but it's extremely difficult to get an appointment. Without connections, it might take a year or two before you can see him.
Hearing his sister's plea, Grandpa Fu said with difficulty, "But I don't know any doctors at the General Hospital of the Military Region."
“I know you don’t know him, but if you’re willing to step in, we can definitely find someone who knows that doctor.”
"I……"
“Big brother,” Fu Caiping called him coldly, “It’s one thing for you to stand idly by while we go to the countryside, but this is about Gu Lin’s lifelong happiness. Are you really going to stand by and do nothing again? With your connections, is it really that difficult to get a doctor from the military hospital to help you with a medical checkup?”
This is something that only requires swallowing one's pride; it's not difficult for others, but dealing with the old man...
"I agreed to this on his behalf."
Before Old Master Fu could speak, Old Madam Fu agreed.
She looked at her husband unhappily, disregarding the presence of younger relatives, and said to him, "Can you not be so old-fashioned? We're begging for medical treatment, not asking for any other benefits."
"Let me ask you, if a stranger asked you for help, wouldn't you feel that it was an abuse of power?"
This question really stumped Old Master Fu.
If a stranger comes to him for help, he doesn't really feel like he's abusing his power for personal gain.
Having guessed correctly, Madam Fu scolded again, "You, sometimes I don't even want to talk to you. You treat strangers better than your own people. It's really unlucky to be your relative."
These words truly touched Fu Caiping's heart, and she choked up as she called out, "Sister-in-law!"
Old Madam Fu held her sister-in-law's hand with heartache, said many comforting words, and comforted Gu Lin, finally managing to coax the grandmother and granddaughter to stop crying.
Tang Mingli watched from the side with her head down.
Fu Ci thought she couldn't bear to see others cry, so he gently held her hand and asked softly, "Are you alright?"
Tang Mingli shook her head.
It wasn't that nothing was wrong, but rather that she felt ashamed at that moment.
Today, Madam Fu taught her that when dealing with family members, one must sometimes be brave enough to take responsibility.
Everyone has vulnerable moments, but because they are family, you should be their support when they are vulnerable.
Because we're family, family members should support each other.
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