"And these eggs, all laid by our own hens. I wrapped them one by one in rice bran, and not a single one was cracked. Eat two every day to nourish your body!"
Wen Yuzhen pulled out the items one by one, like presenting treasures. None of them were valuable; they were all ordinary local products from the countryside, yet they all carried a simple and profound warmth.
Su Wantang's eyes felt a little hot.
She thought of those awful relatives from her past life, and then looked at the simple, honest rural mother-in-law in front of her. Her heart felt filled with something, a bittersweet mix of emotions.
Lu Linchuan put everything away, and Wen Yuzhen pulled Su Wantang down to sit, carefully asking her about her pregnancy. She inquired whether she was eating well, sleeping soundly, and if she felt unwell anywhere.
...
The next day, Lu Linchuan had to go to a meeting at the regiment early in the morning.
Su Wantang thought that her mother-in-law had just arrived and wanted to cook her a good meal, so she got up early and went into the kitchen.
She had just picked up a potato to peel when a hand reached out from behind and took the potato and the peeler away.
"Go, go, go back inside and sit down." Wen Yuzhen pushed her out of the kitchen, her face showing an uncompromising determination. "This kitchen is full of fumes, don't you feel uncomfortable smelling it? You only have one task now, which is to take good care of yourself and the baby in your belly. You don't need to worry about anything else."
"Mom, I'm not that delicate. Moving around is good for my health." Su Wantang said, somewhat amused and exasperated.
"That's none of your business in the kitchen! If you want to move around, just walk around in the yard and soak up some sun." Wen Yuzhen pressed her down onto a chair in the main room, turned around and went into the kitchen, closing the door behind her as if afraid she would sneak back in.
Soon, the kitchen was filled with the sounds of chopping vegetables and the clinking of spatulas.
Su Wantang sat in the chair, listening to the sounds full of everyday life, and a strange feeling welled up in her heart.
This home, her and Lu Linchuan's little home, seemed to become more complete and warmer because of this woman's arrival.
Before long, a rich aroma of chicken soup wafted out of the kitchen.
Wen Yuzhen carefully walked out carrying a large bowl. Inside the bowl was a milky white millet and chicken soup, with a few bright red goji berries floating on top.
"Quick, drink it while it's hot. I added some ginseng and astragalus to replenish qi and blood." She placed the bowl in front of Su Wantang, then took a small spoon, blew on it, and handed it to her. "Drink slowly, it's hot."
Su Wantang took the spoon and took a sip. The chicken soup was perfectly cooked, fresh and mellow, with the fragrance of millet and the sweetness of medicinal herbs blending together perfectly. The warmth slid down her throat to her stomach, soothing her whole body.
While she was drinking her soup, Wen Yuzhen sat opposite her, not saying a word, just smiling and looking at her with loving eyes as if she were looking at some rare treasure.
All day long, Wen Yuzhen didn't let Su Wantang touch a drop of water or do any work.
She cleaned the whole house spotlessly, washed all the clothes she had taken off, and hung them on the line in the yard, where they fluttered in the wind like little flags.
In the afternoon, she found one of Lu Linchuan's old training uniforms with worn-out elbows from somewhere, put on her reading glasses, and sat by the window, mending it stitch by stitch.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window, casting a warm golden outline on her gray hair and wrinkled profile.
Su Wantang leaned against the bed, touching her round belly, and looked at this scene with a sense of peace in her heart.
She suddenly understood where Lu Linchuan's calm, reliable, silent yet gentle qualities came from.
Like mother, like son.
This time, my mother-in-law brought much more than just that big, heavy bag of local specialties.
What she brought was a mother's most genuine love for her son and daughter-in-law, and an elder who held up the sky for this little family. (This chapter has been read. Please click to continue reading the next chapter!)
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