Several customers came into the shop that day. Zhao Mingyue was taking measurements for a customer when she heard Jingjing sweetly call out "Auntie." She turned around and immediately smiled broadly: "Big sister, brother-in-law, Jingjing, you're here! Please have a seat. I have some things to take care of, but I'll be right back."
Shen Fuyu and Yang Maolin led their son by the hand as they stepped in from outside. Jingjing's leg had fully recovered, and he walked with a bouncy gait, showing no signs of injury. Children have a strong will to live; with more exercise, recovery is only a matter of time.
When Mao Jianlan saw Shen Fuyu's family, she was not as generous and natural as when Shen Fuyu came last time. She hesitated for a moment before going to pour water for them.
Zhao Mingyue said, "Big sister, please sit down for a while. I'll be done soon." She quickly measured the guests' clothes, arranged a time, and then turned back to entertain Shen Fuyu's family.
Zhao Mingyue asked, "Big sister, are we getting clothes made?"
"Yes, our family is planning to go back to our hometown for the Chinese New Year this winter. Is it too early to start making winter clothes now?"
Zhao Mingyue smiled: "It's not early, the sooner we prepare, the sooner we'll get it done. What kind of clothes do you want to make?"
Shen Fuyu said, "All three of us in my family need to make cotton-padded jackets, and I also want to make a set of clothes for my parents."
"Are you making this for your uncle and aunt?" Zhao Mingyue asked.
Shen Fuyu nodded: "Yes. Let's make an overcoat for each of them."
Zhao Mingyue suddenly said somewhat shyly, "Actually, I've always wanted to make clothes for my uncle and aunt, but I was afraid my aunt wouldn't like them."
Shen Fuyu sighed and said, "My mother has a bad temper and often embarrasses people to their faces. Luckily, you are kind-hearted and don't hold it against her. My mother doesn't know how difficult it is for Xiaoxu. My Maolin can't stand her like that."
Zhao Mingyue chuckled, "I don't go often, only occasionally. Xu Yue told me to let her words go in one ear and out the other, and that's what I did, I don't take it to heart."
Mao Jianlan listened quietly to their conversation, then looked up at them, appearing thoughtful.
Zhao Mingyue said, "Big sister, should I go and measure Uncle and Aunt's measurements?"
Shen Fuyu said, "I've already measured it out, here you go."
"Okay." She'd also make a couple of outfits for the elderly couple while she was at it, otherwise it would be impolite of her to say that she was being disrespectful.
Shen Fuyu and her family spent the morning there. Zhao Mingyue took their measurements and explained their clothing requirements, including the amount of fabric and cotton needed, which Shen Fuyu then prepared herself. At noon, Zhao Mingyue treated the family to lunch.
After seeing them off, Mao Jianlan asked, "Xiao Zhao, that..." She hesitated before continuing.
Zhao Mingyue asked her, "What's wrong, Jianlan?"
Mao Jianlan pursed her lips: "Is Shen Xuyue's mother difficult to get along with?"
Zhao Mingyue paused for a moment and said, "She's not easy to get along with. She values social status and doesn't think much of people from rural areas."
"So how does she treat you? Has she accepted you?" Mao Jianlan asked.
Zhao Mingyue thought for a moment and said, "I don't know either. Anyway, I guess I won't be able to win her favor." She then sighed.
Mao Jianlan sighed and fell silent, staring blankly into a corner. Zhao Mingyue thought to herself that Shen Qixue had probably confessed his feelings to her, and she was worried about her mother's opinion of her.
Before the start of the school year, Zhao Mingyue had finished making all the clothes that her two elder sisters, Shen and Shen, had ordered. Zhao Mingyue made two sets of clothes for each of her elder sisters and asked Shen Fuyu to take them with her.
Shen Fuyu said, "You can take it yourself; I won't take credit for it."
"Big sister, could you take this to me? I don't think Auntie will want my clothes."
Shen Fuyu thought for a moment and said, "My dad's birthday is after National Day. You can bring it over as a birthday present. I guarantee they won't refuse it."
"Alright then, I'll bring it myself."
When it was Mr. Shen's birthday, Zhao Mingyue accompanied Shen Xuyue to the Shen family home to celebrate with the old man. Since it was a regular birthday, no relatives or friends were invited to the meal; only his two children came to keep him company.
When Shen's mother saw Zhao Mingyue, her face showed no sign of welcome. Shen's father, however, was delighted by her arrival and expressed his pleasure at the gift Zhao Mingyue had brought. Shen's mother merely glanced at it, displaying a disdainful expression. Zhao Mingyue thought to herself, "Could she really have used the clothes I made as rags?"
On the birthday of an elderly person, the children naturally want to do their best. Yang Maolin and his wife are in charge of cooking. Shen's mother is pushed aside by her daughter. Since she can't get involved, she just supervises from behind, saying things like, "This meat can't be cut like this," or "That dish can't be paired with anything." Shen Fuyu pushes her away, saying, "Mom, don't worry about it. Just wait to eat. We'll take care of it. You go and keep Dad company."
Not wanting to remain idle, Zhao Mingyue rolled up her sleeves and went to the kitchen to help: "Elder sister, just tell me if there's anything I can do." Mother Shen glanced at Zhao Mingyue, then turned and left expressionlessly.
The meal went fairly smoothly. Perhaps knowing it was the old man's birthday, Mrs. Shen was quite mindful of the occasion, remaining silent throughout the meal. After dinner, Mrs. Shen called Shen Xuyue and Zhao Mingyue over. Zhao Mingyue was still wondering why she was being called in. Then she heard Mrs. Shen ask bluntly, "Your older brother is dating someone, you knew that, right?"
Zhao Mingyue wondered to herself, "Who is Shen Qixue talking to? Mao Jianlan?" Shen Xuyue shook his head: "I don't know, my older brother didn't tell me."
Mother Shen looked at Zhao Mingyue: "Little Zhao, you don't know either?"
Zhao Mingyue shook her head: "I don't know." Her heart skipped a beat. What did this mean? They were asking her directly.
Mother Shen slammed her hand on the table and shouted, "You're all pretending to be confused! Fine, keep pretending, are you going to wait until they're married and have children before you come to report to me? Do you even respect me?"
Shen Xuyue and Zhao Mingyue were both startled. Shen Xuyue frowned: "Mom, I really didn't know about this. My older brother didn't tell me either."
Chen's mother pointed at Zhao Mingyue: "That girl is your classmate. You dare to say you didn't know?"
Zhao Mingyue calmly said, "Auntie, I really didn't know about this. My older brother is the eldest brother, so it's impossible for him to report everything to me. I have no right to interfere."
Mother Shen was absolutely furious: "You are all lawless! The woman he's talking to is your classmate. If you hadn't been the matchmaker, how could they have known each other?"
Zhao Mingyue knew this would happen; Shen's mother would indeed take her anger out on her: "I have never acted as a matchmaker for my brother. When he was in Beijing, we went to climb the Great Wall together once. All my roommates went, and we probably met by chance that time. As for matchmaking, I swear to God, I never thought of doing such a thing." She had long anticipated Shen's mother's attitude and never intended to push her classmate into a pit of fire.
Mother Shen gritted her teeth, practically wanting to tear Zhao Mingyue's flesh off: "You're deliberately trying to embarrass me, going against me, aren't you? You don't like me, so you dragged your classmate to seduce Qi Xue, just to annoy me, aren't you?"
Hearing his mother say this, Shen Xuyue was furious: "Mom, what nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean by 'flirting'? That's awful. Mingyue never intended to introduce her classmate to my brother. It was my brother who took a liking to the girl, and I was the one who helped provide the opportunity to meet her. It has nothing to do with Mingyue."
Chen's mother glared at her son, gritting her teeth, and said, "You traitorous wretch, you're going to drive me crazy! You know I don't like country people, yet you insist on introducing him to them, just to get them to help your woman fight back against me, isn't that it?"
Shen Xuyue was furious: "Mom, you're being completely unreasonable! This has nothing to do with Mingyue, and it has absolutely nothing to do with you. No one has ever thought of isolating you or targeting you. This is about my older brother's lifelong happiness. He wants to find a like-minded woman he likes, not just any random woman you introduce to him who is a good match. Why don't you ever ask how my brother feels and push him towards a woman he doesn't even like?"
Chen's mother glared at Chen Xuyue: "You beast, what do you know! How can you marry someone from such an unequal social class? What will others think of you? What will they think of me? You'll be laughed at to death. You'll have a bunch of poor relatives in the future, and you won't be able to get rid of them even if you want to!"
Shen Xuyue gritted his teeth, his jaw muscles bulging on his face, and said, "You and my father were never a good match either, yet you got married. We live our own lives, not for others to see. You've lived this long, don't you understand this?"
Chen's mother looked at her son, stood up, grabbed his arm, and slapped him hard: "You beast, you think you're all grown up now? You don't respect your mother anymore and dare to lecture me? You ungrateful wretch! Who raised you with their own blood and sweat? I've wasted my time raising you! I might as well beat you to death. Let me tell you this: if you and your brother both marry women from the countryside, I'll kill myself!"
Zhao Mingyue looked at Shen's mother, who was becoming somewhat hysterical, and didn't know what to say. Shen's father, who had been happily playing with his grandson in the outer room, heard the commotion inside, went to the door, and pushed it open. The door was bolted from the inside. Shen's father said, "Open the door. What are you and your children doing in there?"
As Zhao Mingyue was about to open the door, Mother Shen suddenly shouted, "If you open that door, you'll never be allowed to enter my house again!"
Zhao Mingyue was stunned by his words. Shen Xuyue took a deep breath and said, "Mom, why are you doing this? Nobody is born a city person. My great-grandfather was a countryman too. Why are you so fixated on the sense of superiority that city people have? What's so great about city people compared to country people?"
Mother Shen wiped away her tears: "If city people are so bad, then why do they all want to be city people?"
Shen Xuyue said, "You know they're already city dwellers, so what does it matter?"
Mother Shen shouted, "Your older brother absolutely cannot go to her classmate's place!"
Shen Xuyue said, "We can't make decisions about your brother's affairs. You should go and talk to him yourself."
Mother Shen said fiercely, "If your elder brother marries that woman, you two cannot be together. If you two are together, your elder brother cannot marry that woman."
Zhao Mingyue found the old woman's unreasonable behavior particularly ridiculous, yet she took it as her doctrine and used it to regulate and force her children. This was clearly an attempt to break up the couple, and a deep sadness welled up in her heart.
Shen's father kicked the door from the outside: "What's going on? Open the door! Pei-jun, what are you doing with the children again?"
Shen Xuyue pulled his arm away from his mother's grasp, then opened the door. Standing by the door, his face sorrowful, he said, "Dad, Mom, for the ten years I was away from home, I always missed you both, always thinking about all the good things about you. In my imagination, I had a happy and fulfilling family, with loving parents and friendly, united siblings. I finally looked forward to this day, but reality is so cruel. Besides being loving, my mother is also very stubborn, extremely competitive, very concerned about her image, vain, and even unreasonable. That happy and fulfilling family was probably just a figment of my imagination; it never existed. So, I wish I had never come back."
Father Shen sighed: "Peijun, why are you so stubborn, pushing your children to this point? Isn't it good to be a loving and understanding mother? Why do you force your children to live the way you do? Isn't it good enough if they live happily?"
Sitting in the chair, Chen's mother said expressionlessly, "You can all leave! Get out!"
Shen Xuyue took Zhao Mingyue's hand, then left the room, picked up their schoolbags, and walked away without looking back. Shen Fuyu called out to them from the hall: "Xiao Xu, Mingyue."
Neither Shen Xuyue nor Zhao Mingyue responded. The two went outside and watched the golden ginkgo leaves fluttering in the air, like butterflies with broken wings, struggling helplessly in the wind, and finally falling into the dust, just like the fate of people.
After a long pause, Shen Xuyue finally spoke: "I'm sorry, Mingyue."
Zhao Mingyue didn't speak, but simply reached out and squeezed their hands together. The reason Shen's mother was so hysterical was probably because Mao Jianlan was her classmate. She felt she had successfully won over Shen Qixue and introduced her classmate to him. Both her sons had betrayed her because of women, so she probably hated her to the core, hence her outburst.
"It seems your mother can't accept me at all." Zhao Mingyue looked up at the gray-blue sky and sighed helplessly.
Shen Xuyue felt a surge of anxiety: "No, Mingyue, my mom is just having trouble processing this fact right now, that's why she's reacting so strongly. I think she can't accept that my brother also found a girl from the countryside. Since she can't find my brother, she's taking all her anger out on us. I'm sorry, Mingyue, I'm sorry you had to suffer."
Zhao Mingyue prides herself on being very strong, but encountering a mother like this is truly speechless.
Shen Xuyue, not hearing Zhao Mingyue's response, sighed and said, "I'm really disappointed in her. She probably feels a great sense of accomplishment by letting her children live according to her own ideas. I don't know when she started to like manipulating other people's lives. If I had known she was like this, I would have preferred to have never come back to the countryside and just be a farmer. Anyway, she can't see it and can't control it."
Zhao Mingyue sensed the deep sorrow in his voice, sighed, and said, "Xuyue, don't worry, I'm fine."
Shen Xuyue turned to look at Zhao Mingyue, stopped walking, and said, "Mingyue, you know, when I was at your house, seeing you, your parents, and your brother all so loving and affectionate, I was so envious. I thought to myself, if only my family could be this harmonious. But I know I can't rely on my mom. I can only hope that in the future, I can create a harmonious and happy family myself. Do you think I can do that?"
Zhao Mingyue looked at Shen Xuyue with tenderness in her eyes and said softly, "Yes, I believe you can."
Shen Xuyue looked at Zhao Mingyue and really wanted to hug her in the street, but he couldn't. So he could only use his tender gaze to create a dense net of affection to wrap her up.
The two locked eyes, their gazes fixed on each other, oblivious to their surroundings. After what seemed like an eternity, someone coughed by the roadside, startling them awake. Zhao Mingyue's ears turned red, and she quickly lowered her head to hide her embarrassment.
Shen Xuyue looked around and licked his dry lips: "Let's go sit in the park."
Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Okay."
Shen Xuyue pushed his bicycle, and Zhao Mingyue followed silently as they walked slowly. Zhao Mingyue asked, "Is Jianlan really dating your brother?"
Shen Xuyue said, "I haven't asked my brother. He won't talk about this kind of thing, and I'm too embarrassed to ask. You're with Xiao Mao every day, have you noticed anything?"
Zhao Mingyue said, "They do keep in touch, but Jianlan has never told me that they are dating. Since she doesn't say, I can't ask her."
These days, people tend to be reserved with their emotions. Neither Zhao Mingyue nor Shen Xuyue are the type to be particularly gossipy. If the other party doesn't say anything, they certainly won't try to verify it.
Shen Xuyue was somewhat surprised: "I'm wondering who knew my older brother was dating and even told my mother. I forgot to ask him just now. I need to write to my brother to ask him."
Zhao Mingyue had a deeper worry: "Your mother is so determined to stop your brother and you from marrying women from the countryside, what are we going to do?"
Shen Xuyue recalled his mother's threat and said hesitantly, "She probably just said it casually and didn't really mean it."
“Even if you don’t take it seriously, this is still very serious. Are you going to tell your brother?” Zhao Mingyue asked.
This is a rather thorny issue. Mother Shen's meaning is that only one of you can be a couple, and she didn't say this in front of all four of you, only in front of Shen Xuyue and Zhao Mingyue. If they don't tell Shen Qixue, his relationship with Mao Jianlan is growing stronger, and they might face obstacles when they try to get married, forcing them to separate—that would be incredibly painful. Even if they don't separate, the obstacles to marriage are still significant. If they tell their eldest brother, wouldn't that be telling him, "For our happiness, you two shouldn't date anymore; Mom won't approve of you being together?" That would be far too selfish.
After thinking it over, Shen Xuyue sighed, "This is indeed a big problem. My mother is really ruthless."
Zhao Mingyue gave a wry smile: "Yes, your old lady threw a hot potato at us, it's going to burn us to death."
"What should we do? It's difficult to decide whether to tell them or not." Shen Xuyue shook his head with a wry smile.
Zhao Mingyue looked at Shen Xuyue and said jokingly, "Why don't we just break up?"
Shen Xuyue's expression changed abruptly. He shoved the bicycle to the ground, causing it to fall over with a thud, startling Zhao Mingyue. Shen Xuyue's face was ashen: "You want to break up with me? To let my brother and Mao Jianlan be together?"
Zhao Mingyue realized she had misspoke, so she quickly grabbed his hand: "I was just joking, don't take it seriously."
Shen Xuyue suddenly pulled her tightly into his arms, gritting his teeth as he whispered in her ear, "Zhao Mingyue, listen to me, unless I die, you won't get rid of me. You'll never be able to throw me away!"
Tears welled up in Zhao Mingyue's eyes instantly. She had never imagined that Shen Xuyue would love her to this extent. She closed her eyes, feeling the force with which Shen Xuyue was constricting her waist, almost breaking it. It hurt, but she needed it; it reminded her how much this man needed her. Finally, she couldn't help but groan. Shen Xuyue sniffed and released her: "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"
Zhao Mingyue shook her head: "No, it's alright."
Shen Xuyue reached out and stroked her face gently, saying softly, "Don't ever mention the word 'breakup' to me again. It's not funny at all. We can't take responsibility for other people's affairs, even my older brother's. We shouldn't interfere. We only care about our own. I'll let him know my mother's attitude and let him figure it out himself. We're not going to make concessions or sacrifices for them!"
Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Okay." All along, she had felt that she was the one in control in her relationship with Shen Xuyue. Shen Xuyue was her dream lover. When they got together, she always felt that she had given more and taken the initiative more in the relationship. Only at this moment did she feel a sense of psychological dependence. This man was someone she could rely on. He could be the head of the household. She could trust him wholeheartedly and not worry about anything. She could just leave everything to him.
Shen Xuyue said, “If you don’t want to come back with me in the future, then don’t go. Don’t have to put up with my mom’s attitude. Every time I see you happily enduring her nagging and cold looks, I feel really uncomfortable. I think to myself, is this really my mom? You have so many good qualities, but she can’t see any of them. She just keeps finding fault. Her heart is blinded by grease. Let her marry whoever she wants. I can’t be bothered with her. If she objects to us being together, then we can just stop seeing each other. When she gets old and can’t move, I will take care of her and see her off in her old age.”
Zhao Mingyue remained silent. After listening to Shen Xuyue's words, Shen Xuyue picked up the bicycle that had fallen to the ground, looked expressionlessly at the people around them who were casting surprised glances at them, pushed the bicycle with one hand, and held Zhao Mingyue's hand with the other: "Let's go."
Zhao Mingyue smiled, the corners of her mouth curving upwards. This man's attitude was so resolute; he was on the same side as her, so she felt neither fear nor worry. No matter how many obstacles lay ahead, their happiness was in their own hands.
When Zhao Mingyue returned and saw Mao Jianlan, she felt a pang of guilt and sympathy. How strong could the foundation of a long-distance relationship like hers with Shen Qixue be? In relationships, women usually invest more deeply than men. If Shen Qixue couldn't withstand the pressure and broke up with her, Mao Jianlan would be the one who suffered. If Shen Qixue truly loved her and they insisted on being together, then he would have to bear the pressure from his mother, which was also a form of hurt. She wondered if Mao Jianlan could handle it. In any case, the men of the Shen family were never easy to love.
Zhao Mingyue thought to herself that she should have learned more about Shen Xuyue in her past life, gathered more gossip, and at least understood his parents' character. In this life, she wouldn't have fallen in love with Shen Xuyue; she would have stayed far away. But who would have thought she would have another chance to be reborn? And love is something that comes unexpectedly. She herself didn't know what it was about Shen Xuyue that attracted her this time. So, life is full of helplessness; even with rebirth, you still face many real-world difficulties and hardships that you can't avoid, and you still have to honestly face and endure them.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com