It was the first time the in-laws had visited. After the elderly couple finished their meal, they swept the floor, wiped the table clean, prepared the leftover melon seeds and wedding candies from their son's wedding, and brewed tea in anticipation.
Looking at the elderly couple, Su Xueli felt sorry for them: You two will suffer later.
Wei Mingshen also felt sorry for his parents and sat in the house feeling guilty, not daring to go out.
Su Guojun and Liu Fengying arrived on their old bicycles and were warmly welcomed into the old couple's house for a chat.
Cao Maizi noticed immediately upon meeting her in-laws that they looked unhappy. Could it be that their son had embarrassed himself at his in-laws' house yesterday during his three-day homecoming visit? Had he caused trouble?
"In-laws..." Cao Maizi and Liu Fengying called out to each other at the same time.
Both sides paused for a moment, then Cao Maizi chuckled and said, "My dear sister-in-law, you go first."
Liu Fengying's smile was more like a grimace, and she forced herself to say, "My dear in-law, this matter... is hard to say, but we can't keep quiet about it either."
Cao Maizi and her husband exchanged a glance and said softly, "My dear sister-in-law, we're all family now. Just say what you need to say. We'll do what's right. As elders, aren't we all just looking out for the children?"
Liu Fengying grasped Cao Maizi's hand and said, "My dear in-law, you're right. We're all just trying to make a good life for our two children; we have no other intentions. Well, yesterday was our daughter's homecoming, and she told me something... this..."
"My dear sister-in-law, is this true?!" Cao Maizi's face immediately turned pale, and her whole body stiffened.
Wei Tiezhu was also shocked and shrunk down.
Wei Mingshen and Su Xueli sat idly in the room, waiting for the people in the other room to make a decision and inform them.
A moment later, Wei Tiezhu called his son out from outside. Wei Mingshen stood up and let out a long sigh: "A true warrior dares to face the bleakness of life and the dripping blood. Charge!"
This was the first time in both of her lives that Su Xueli had seen him so adorable in front of her, and she couldn't help but giggle, only to stop halfway through. She scolded herself: What are you laughing at!
As soon as Wei Mingshen entered his parents' room, his mother hugged him tightly. "My son, how did you get this disease? Your parents have no bad intentions..."
With red eyes, Cao Maizi tried to comfort her: "Sister-in-law, don't cry. If you're sick, get treatment. The child is young and can be treated easily."
The two fathers-in-law echoed this sentiment and offered the same advice.
Wei Mingshen was already prepared, so he acquiesced without expression.
Wei Tiezhu said to the child, "Shenzi, your parents-in-law just said that they don't look down on us and will even take us to see a doctor, but they can't let them pay for it. Your parents will borrow money, sell grain, and even sell our pots and pans to pay for your treatment."
People weren't well-off in those days. Su Guojun knew that his in-laws had spent all their savings on the wedding, so he couldn't really ask them to borrow money or sell grain. Otherwise, his daughter would suffer along with them.
He stopped Wei Tiezhu and said, "Brother-in-law, listen to me. Now that we're family, let's not stand on ceremony. I work as a foreman at the brickyard and get a monthly salary, so I'm better off than you. I'll pay for it. I'm doing this for my daughter. You just need to talk to your son and get him to cooperate with the treatment."
Wei Tiezhu and Cao Maizi were moved to tears. In the end, Wei Tiezhu said that the money for the medical treatment should be considered as a loan from the Su family to the Wei family, and that he would definitely repay it in the future.
At this moment, Wei Mingshen said slowly, "Grandpa, Grandma, thank you for your kindness. But, Father, Mother, I don't plan to get treatment."
In southwestern Shandong, it is customary to address one's father-in-law and mother-in-law as "Grandpa" and "Grandma."
"What did you say!" Wei Tiezhu and Cao Maizi exclaimed in unison.
Wei Mingshen shook his head sadly: "Father, Mother, my illness cannot be cured."
He then said to his parents-in-law, "Uncle, Aunt, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hidden my illness and hurt Shirley. If Shirley wants to divorce me, I won't blame her at all."
Su Guojun and Liu Fengying stood there, stunned.
"You brat, get out here!" Wei Tiezhu grabbed his son by the collar and pulled him out.
Wei Mingshen followed his father to a corner of the yard and said matter-of-factly, "So what? It's not my fault I'm sick."
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