Chapter 310 Mother-in-law, give me a straight answer.
"The second son's family."
Grandma Fang frowned and glanced at Erniu's mother.
Sister-in-law Fang looked on in disbelief, while Brother Fang frowned. "Mom, do you know what you're saying?"
Erniu's mother paused, looked at her eldest son, and wondered if she had sworn again.
She coughed lightly, forcing an awkward but polite smile, and said, "Mother-in-law, please don't be angry. I... I was just thinking that opening a shop with two children will cost a lot of money, and then there's the wedding, booking a hotel, and the banquet, which you've already booked at a mid-to-high standard. That'll be another expense, and I was worried that you wouldn't be able to afford it..."
Li Banxia's eyes flickered slightly, and she glanced at Erniu's mother more subtly.
He explained, "The money to open the grocery store was earned by Lao San and Er Niu themselves. The grocery store belongs to them. I didn't put any money into it. If I got involved, I was afraid that things would get complicated in the future."
"ah?"
Erniu's mother's expression changed, and she looked at Li Banxia in surprise, saying, "Does the mother-in-law mean that the shop will rely on the two of them in the future?"
"Yes," Li Banxia replied clearly.
Erniu's mother frowned, looking somewhat displeased.
She glanced at Fang Erniu, sighed, and called to Li Banxia, "Mother-in-law, some things may be hard to hear, but... for the sake of the children, I have to say a few words to you."
"Please speak, mother-in-law."
"To put it nicely, your third son has been idle at home all these years; to put it bluntly, he's been living off you. My second daughter hasn't done any hard work either. Do you think that kind of shop can be run by just two teenagers?"
Erniu's mother, feeling deeply sorry for Li Banxia, earnestly advised her, "...As parents, isn't our job to provide a safety net for our children? We should contribute money if we have it, and do our best if we can. When it's time to help, we should be there to lend a hand, don't you think?"
"mom!"
Brother Fang instinctively felt that his mother shouldn't have said those things, so he quickly spoke up to stop her.
Did I say something wrong?
Erniu's mother glanced at him sideways, then at Grandma Fang.
Grandma Fang did not express her opinion.
She agreed with what Erniu's mother said about Su Laosan being lazy and good-for-nothing all these years. She knew what Erniu was like at home, and she was also a little skeptical about the fact that the two children could support a shop.
She also wanted to hear Li Banxia's answer to this matter.
But her eyes were a little cold, so Erniu's mother thought she had said something wrong. She swallowed hard, looked at her innocent-looking daughter, and clenched her hands.
She felt that there were some things she, as a mother, had to say, otherwise she would suffer the consequences if she waited until Erniu got married.
Li Banxia seems like a good person, so why doesn't he want to care about anything?
Since you've given birth to a son, shouldn't you help out with his family?
We can't let our daughter-in-law do whatever she wants, can we?
Why should they have to bear children for their family to carry on the family line, and also do business to earn money to support their family?
Even before Erniu got married, she already felt sorry for her.
Erniu's mother smiled, looked at Li Banxia, and continued, "The old saying goes that men should be in charge of external affairs and women should be in charge of internal affairs. Your third son has improved a bit, but... no one knows how long he can keep it up. Can Erniu keep running around with him doing business? What if Erniu gets pregnant? Does she have to keep running around outside with a big belly? Doesn't she need to teach and raise the child? To put it bluntly, if Erniu stays at home and bears children for your Su family, what if Su Laosan does something reckless outside..."
"mom!"
Fang Erniu stared wide-eyed in disbelief, her eyes almost popping out of their sockets. She cried out, stopping her mother from finishing her sentence, "Why are you worrying so much? We're still young. If you're worried, Su Laosan and I will... we won't have children until we're thirty. We'll focus on making money, okay?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Erniu's mother glanced at her sideways, "What kind of marriage did you get if you didn't want to have children? When I was your age, your older brother was already helping me with the cooking and buying soy sauce! Besides, what kind of image does it have for a woman like you to stay at home raising children and always act like a man, showing your face in public?!"
"If it's not Mom, what's wrong with a woman?"
Fang Erniu didn't understand. She had been following Su Laosan for more than half a year, so why did her mother suddenly say such a thing?
"...The Chairman said that women hold up half the sky. Sister-in-law Yao told me and my sister-in-law that a woman's value is not just about giving birth to children. She can do well in the investment promotion office, and I can also make a name for myself in the business world. Su Laosan and I are full of fighting spirit. How could you underestimate me!"
When Erniu's mother heard her say that, she couldn't help but burst into laughter. She tapped Erniu's head and said, "Don't I know what kind of person you are? You think you've made a name for yourself? You're just indulging in useless daydreams in broad daylight."
She laughed at her own daughter as if it were a joke.
Fang Erniu's eyes turned red with anger, and she stomped her feet, yelling, "Mom!"
"See, you get upset after I say a few words to you. With a temper like yours, how can you possibly get along with people? Do you even know how to bargain when someone buys something? You'll probably chicken out as soon as they try to lower the price..."
"Mom! I won't do that. When I talk to those old men and women, uncles and aunts, and young wives in the village, they're all led by my words. When I negotiate with buyers, they're the ones who have to fawn over me..."
Fang Erniu tried to persuade her biological mother, but her mother just laughed, her expression clearly showing disbelief. She would also say something to provoke Fang Erniu from time to time, and when she got anxious and jumped up and down, her mother would laugh as if she were teasing a cat.
Seeing that Fang Erniu's eyes were red, Grandma Fang frowned and glared at Erniu's mother. "Alright, that's enough. What kind of person is Erniu? Do you think you can read her mind just because you gave birth to her? That you know everything? Stop judging Erniu with your shallow understanding! If she wasn't capable, could she have helped Su Laosan set up a shop? Do you think opening a shop is that easy?!"
After saying that, he mumbled a curse, "You're not very capable yourself, but you always think the kids are inferior to you. What kind of person are you?"
Erniu's mother didn't hear clearly, but knew it wasn't something nice. She opened her mouth to retort, but when she looked up and saw Li Banxia, she swallowed her words back. She couldn't let Li Banxia know that her future daughter-in-law's mother was someone who liked to take the blame for her mother-in-law. If Li Banxia thought that Erniu was like her, it would affect Erniu's marriage.
Erniu's mother took a deep breath and shut her mouth.
Li Banxia glanced at her, then looked at Su Laosan.
Su Laosan quickly raised three fingers to swear, saying, "Auntie, don't worry, I won't let Erniu suffer at all because of me! I've changed for the better, and I won't change for the worse..."
He paused for a moment, then looked at Li Banxia.
Feeling somewhat aggrieved, she defended herself, "Mom, I've never been bad, I'm just a little lazy."
"Uh-huh."
Fang Erniu nodded vigorously, encouraging Su Laosan, saying, "Su Laosan, you're doing great."
Su Laosan turned his head and grinned at Fang Erniu.
He chuckled, giving her a look that said, "Erniu, you're the one who understands me best."
An eerie silence fell over the room as both families watched the two clowns quietly.
Erniu's mother glared at Fang Erniu with exasperation, then looked at Li Banxia, demanding a definite answer from her: "Mother-in-law, you will help the young couple, won't you?"
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