Chapter 78 This chapter is from Tang Mingli's perspective, focusing on Tang Mingmei's life...
Tang Mingmei did gain a lot of weight after becoming pregnant, and Tang Mingli knew this as well.
She thought that people at that time didn't have this awareness and believed that pregnant women should eat more, eating enough for two people.
But after hearing what my aunt said, I realized that they also knew that eating too much could cause the fetus to be too large, which would be detrimental to the mother's delivery.
Tang Mingli was a little angry.
It's one thing for others, but my aunt, as my cousin's biological mother, knew that eating too much would make the fetus too big and make childbirth difficult, so why didn't she remind or stop her?
Tang Mingli couldn't stand it anymore and asked Li Hong directly.
When asked, Li Hong stammered, "I, no, I..."
Perhaps because he was in a hurry, his face turned red, but at least he managed to finish a sentence.
“I have reminded her before, but we don’t live together after all. Li Dazhu’s mother is afraid that the baby in her belly will go hungry, and she will nag if Mingmei eats less. In addition, since she got pregnant, Mingmei’s appetite has become bigger and bigger, and she gets hungry very easily. She simply can’t control her mouth.”
Her explanation cleared her name, implying that her daughter's pregnancy and subsequent weight gain were due to her and Li Dazhu's mother.
That makes sense. We're all adults, so we have to be responsible for ourselves.
The problem is, she is Tang Mingmei's biological mother, Tang Mingmei is her only daughter, she has given birth herself, and she knows what childbirth is like.
Tang Mingli was completely baffled, and a nameless anger surged up from the bottom of her heart. She took a deep breath to suppress it.
While Tang Mingli was taking deep breaths to calm herself down, Li Hong seemed to have opened a floodgate of words, complaining to her about the various strange things the Li family had done during Tang Mingmei's pregnancy.
In short, no one in the Li family truly cared about the pregnant woman; they only cared about the child in her womb, as if she were nothing more than a tool for the Li family to produce offspring.
That's why Li Hong and Tang Jianguo were so moved when they saw that Tang Mingli had made a special trip because she remembered that her daughter was about to give birth.
They weren't blind; they could actually tell that their daughter and niece weren't very close.
I had tried to get closer to the two of them before, especially after seeing Tang Mingli doing better and better in the Fu family.
But her daughter's stubbornness made it seem like mentioning Tang Mingli was touching a raw nerve. And Tang Mingli was an ingrate; before marriage, she seemed docile and obedient, but her true colors were revealed after marriage. She only visited her parents' home on two major holidays and never thought of them at other times.
Over time, they gave up on the idea.
Once you think things through, you'll see the relationship from a different perspective.
They weren't blood sisters to begin with, so it's normal that they're not close.
As long as Tang Mingli doesn't stand idly by in matters big or small, it's fine.
They believed that Tang Mingli would not stand idly by, after all, they had raised her for several years.
But unexpectedly, with their daughter about to give birth, this niece, whom they considered ungrateful, actually made a special trip back home.
After comparing their own actions with those of the Li family, Li Hong and Tang Jianguo no longer viewed Tang Mingli with the same attitude as before.
After all, they are related by blood. Even if they are heartless, they are still better than those with different surnames.
Li Hong spoke with righteous indignation, while also feeling the sentiment that family is family after all.
However, Tang Mingli felt extremely heartbroken upon hearing this.
Okay, the anger that had just been suppressed is now rising again.
Even though she couldn't win against her child, she knew that the most vulnerable stage for a woman is during the ten months of pregnancy.
At the time when she needed care and attention the most, her husband and in-laws only cared about the baby in her womb. Although her own parents had some complaints about the in-laws' actions, they also thought the child was important.
How pitiful, how tragic.
Tang Mingli understood a principle: parents are merely the vessel through which each person comes into this world. If one is fortunate enough to have loving parents, that is naturally the best outcome. But if one unfortunately encounters parents who do not love their children, one must learn to reconcile.
However, understanding is one thing, doing it is another.
She knew how much Li Hong and Tang Jianguo loved their only daughter, and they planned for her in every way.
If Tang Mingmei hadn't gone against her parents' wishes on such important life decisions, her life might not have been smooth sailing, but it would have been much less turbulent.
Therefore, without a doubt, they love their daughter, and at one point they loved her so much that they were willing to do anything for her.
Why did things change after Tang Mingmei got married?
Tang Mingli couldn't figure it out, so she simply asked her uncle and aunt directly.
"Since you think this is actually bad for pregnant women, why don't you argue with the Li family?"
Li Hong looked at Tang Mingli with an expression that said, "You're too young to say that," and said matter-of-factly, "Mingmei is now a daughter-in-law of the Li family and is carrying a child of the Li family."
“She is also your daughter, and she is carrying your grandson.”
"That's true, but there's still a difference. If we interfere too much, the Li family will be unhappy."
“If they’re unhappy, they’re unhappy. My cousin’s health is the most important thing.”
Li Hong disagreed with what Tang Mingli said, but she couldn't say that Tang Mingli was wrong. She could only sigh and say, "We don't live at the Li family's house all the time."
"You can bring your cousin back."
“That won’t do. What will the neighbors say?” Li Hong blurted out her disapproval without even thinking.
Does it matter what your neighbors think?
Tang Mingli wanted to ask, but she knew there was no need to.
Parents' love is really strange.
Before she got married, she was his precious daughter, but once she got married, he automatically put her first as someone else's wife.
When she was a child, if she accidentally fell, she would feel so sorry for her that she would blame the ground for letting her fall. After she grew up and got married, she suffered a lot of grievances in her husband's family, but she was told to endure it.
Tang Mingli knew that Li Hong and Tang Jianguo were not special cases; there were millions of parents around the world just like them.
Arguing won't get you anywhere; she can't change them, nor has she ever intended to.
So after taking a deep breath, she told herself to forget it. She was just a cousin, and a cousin who wasn't liked by her older cousin at that. She couldn't care less.
One should not be too involved in the causes and effects of others, otherwise one will easily bear the fate of others.
She came today to find out about Tang Mingmei's situation. She'd achieved her goal, though it didn't sound good overall.
I'm almost due, and there's nothing I can do to change anything. During labor, I can only trust the doctor. If the baby is too big for a vaginal delivery, the doctor will recommend a C-section.
Thanks to medical advancements, the survival rates for mothers and babies have improved.
The words "disembowelment" were terrifying. Li Hong immediately jumped up from her seat and asked nervously, "Will something happen?"
Cutting open someone's stomach, wouldn't that kill them?
Tang Mingli couldn't possibly tell Li Hong that everything would be alright, she just said calmly, "Let's listen to the doctor then, choose the lesser of two evils."
Li Hong nodded, but still paced back and forth nervously, muttering to herself, "It won't come to this, it won't come to this."
But she was also aware that if the baby was too big, it would indeed be difficult to give birth.
Back when we lived in a large courtyard, there was a woman in the courtyard who couldn't give birth to her child because the baby was too big. She spent two days and one night trying, and in the end, both she and the baby died.
She had long forgotten about it, but for some reason, she kept thinking about it over the past two weeks, and then she would think of her daughter.
For the past two weeks, this has been her biggest worry.
The thought of her daughter's belly, which was even bigger than when she was pregnant, made Li Hong anxious.
At this moment, she had to admit that it would be a lie to say she had no regrets whatsoever.
Perhaps she should occasionally bring her daughter back to stay for a while, instead of letting her eat all the time. Perhaps when she saw Li Dazhu's mother constantly telling her daughter not to let her unborn child go hungry, she should have given her a good scolding.
Maybe……
She shouldn't be timid and hesitant.
But it's too late to regret it now.
Li Hong's anxiety reached its peak, and she felt so helpless that she couldn't help but beg Tang Mingli, "Mingli, I'm so panicked. Could you come over on the day Mingmei gives birth?"
Tang Mingli neither agreed nor refused, but simply said, "We'll see."
She's not a doctor, so she wouldn't be able to help much if she went.
That's what Tang Mingli thought, and she also knew how Tang Mingmei treated her.
Childbirth is the most vulnerable time for a woman, and Tang Mingmei certainly didn't want her to see it.
Since becoming pregnant, Tang Mingmei's proudest achievement has been getting pregnant less than a year after getting married, while she hadn't had any sign of pregnancy even after several years of marriage.
Therefore, Tang Mingli believed that even if Li Hong wanted to go by herself, Tang Mingmei would not agree.
-
A few days later, Tang Mingli sat on the sofa at home eating fruit, wondering whether she should take a nap or practice calligraphy first.
Just then, the phone rang.
It was Old Madam Fu who answered the phone. After chatting for a few words, she looked at Tang Mingli with a flustered expression.
"It was a call from your aunt."
"Aunt?" Tang Mingli was surprised. Her uncle's house didn't have a phone, so it was quite inconvenient to make a call. What could be the reason for making this special call?
Suddenly, she realized something.
After taking the microphone, she said "Hello" and introduced herself: "I am Mingli."
Upon hearing Tang Mingli's voice, Li Hong on the other end of the phone immediately cried out, "Mingli, can you come to the hospital? Your sister has gone into labor and has been in pain all night but hasn't given birth yet."
The word order was a bit messed up, but Tang Mingli still understood it.
Tang Mingmei must have gone into labor last night, but she hasn't given birth yet.
For a first-time mother, it's normal to endure labor pains for a full day and night, but for my aunt to cry like this is highly unusual; things are definitely not that simple.
Instinctively, Tang Mingli didn't hesitate and said, "I'll be right there," before hanging up the phone.
Ignoring the fact that she was still wearing her home clothes, she said to her mother-in-law as she walked towards the door, "My sister has gone into labor and is at the hospital now. I'm going over there."
From Li Hong's tone, Madam Fu guessed that something was wrong. When she heard that Tang Mingmei was about to give birth, she became nervous and asked, "Is she alright? Your aunt's tone doesn't sound quite right."
Tang Mingli was unaware of this either.
"My aunt didn't say anything on the phone, she just hoped I could come over."
"Then you should go quickly." After urging her, Madam Fu added reassuringly, "Don't worry too much, you're already at the hospital, everything will be fine."
Tang Mingli nodded, changed her shoes, and immediately went out.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
