Chapter Twenty-Five: I'm Sorry to the Zhong Family
Zhou Mingli's spoon froze in mid-air, her gaze towards Zhang Chunxue filled with both respect and fear. For a moment, she even forgot to drink her soup.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment, leaving only the sound of fish soup bubbling and boiling in the kitchen, which was particularly jarring in the silence.
Life had to go on as usual, but the atmosphere in the courtyard became quieter and more orderly than ever before.
However, Zhong Chengfa always made excuses and did not go through with the divorce.
Zhang Chunxue knew exactly what was going on, but she didn't care.
If he doesn't want to divorce, then he doesn't have to! Anyway, Li Honghong can forget about ever stepping into the Zhong family again.
Zhang Chunxue remembered exactly how Li Hongjuan had treated her in her past life!
Over the next few days, Zhang Chunxue magically prepared different ways to nourish Zhou Mingli's body every day.
Steamed egg custard, pork liver porridge, millet porridge, and crucian carp stewed with tofu were served in turn. Sometimes, they could even get two fresh carrots, shred them, and cook them into a sweet soup, filling the house with a delicious aroma that made the neighbor's kids cry with envy several times.
Every time she prepared a meal for the patient, she would personally serve it to Zhou Mingli and watch her eat it all before she would stop, adding a word of advice: "Don't skimp! You're like a porcelain doll now, eat as much as you need, and ask me for more if you're not full."
As for the others, they all relied on their own efforts to provide for themselves, and no one dared to linger near the patients' bowls.
Even if someone occasionally steals a glance, Zhang Chunxue immediately sweeps them away with a glare. No matter how tempted they are, they can only suppress the drool in their throats and pretend to be nonchalant as they nibble on their cornbread dipped in soy sauce.
Zhong Xiaoxiao benefited from this, receiving special tutoring from Zhang Chunxue.
Sometimes it's a scrambled egg dish, sometimes it's a bowl of tender pork rib noodles; in short, it's a lot more good stuff than others.
Xiaoxiao happily helped wash the vegetables and pick the scallions. Every time she secretly stuffed a piece of meat into her mouth, she would smile and give Zhang Chunxue a thumbs up: "Mom is the best!"
After all this commotion, everyone in the hospital realized that anyone who dared to mess with the patients' meals would suffer ten times worse than Li Hongjuan!
With such good care and nourishment, Zhou Mingli, who was originally sallow-faced, thin and weak, actually recovered in just a few days.
Zhou Mingli was mostly recovered from her illness, so she could no longer lie in bed.
Now that she had the strength, she thought about finding some work to do, so that her mother-in-law wouldn't always have to work so hard alone.
She carried out all the dirty clothes of her family, gathered them in a wooden basin, and slowly made her way to the riverbank.
As she rubbed the clothes, she couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth into a smile.
Now that her mother-in-law treats her so well, she finally has hope for the future.
Yuanyuan is growing up day by day, and she will definitely take good care of her mother-in-law in the future.
As she was washing Zhong Chengren's mud-splattered trousers, her hand reached into the pocket and found it hard and uncomfortable.
She took it out with a puzzled look and saw that it was a neatly folded piece of paper.
Upon unfolding it, it turned out to be a receipt from a gold shop in the county, clearly stating that a gold necklace worth 150 yuan was purchased a few days ago, and the purchaser was Zhong Chengren.
Gold necklace?
Zhou Mingli's mind went blank, as if she had been hit on the head with a club.
This gold necklace wasn't for her.
She's been married into the family for so long, and she's never even seen a gold hairpin, let alone a silver one.
She had never seen her mother-in-law wear any new jewelry; she still wore the same few simple clothes.
So... who was this gold necklace bought for?
A terrible thought, like a venomous snake, suddenly darted into her mind.
She recalled Zhong Chengren's long face after she gave birth to Yuanyuan, and the words "worthless good-for-nothing" still felt like needles pricking her heart.
During that period, he left early and returned late every day. When asked where he went, he would stammer and not be able to give a clear answer, only saying that he went to town to find work.
But where can you find a job and still have spare money to buy a gold necklace?
Could it be... could it be that he's having an affair?!
Once this thought arises, it's like a wildfire that can no longer be suppressed.
Zhou Mingli felt cold all over, her hands and feet were icy, and she didn't even have the strength to scrub clothes.
It felt like a huge rock was blocking her chest, making it hard for her to breathe.
She wanted to talk to her mother-in-law, but the words stuck in her throat.
Will her mother-in-law believe her? After all, he is her own son.
What if her mother-in-law thinks she's being unreasonable and stirring up trouble...?
The more Zhou Mingli thought about it, the more frightened and aggrieved she became. Tears fell unconsciously, dripping onto her freshly washed clothes and spreading into a small water stain.
She returned home dejectedly, carrying a basin of clean clothes, and buried herself in her room, sobbing uncontrollably under the covers.
The suppressed sobs still startled Zhong Xiaoxiao, who was helping Zhang Chunxue pick vegetables in the yard.
Xiaoxiao peeked through the crack in the door and saw her second sister-in-law crying so hard her shoulders were shaking. She was immediately startled.
She rushed to the kitchen and grabbed Zhang Chunxue's sleeve: "Mom! Mom! Second Sister-in-law is crying! She's crying so hard!"
Zhang Chunxue was cutting fish on the cutting board when she heard this. She frowned and slammed the cleaver down on the cutting board with a loud bang.
"Why are you crying? Who's been up to her again?"
She wiped the fishy smell off her hands and strode towards Zhou Mingli's room.
As soon as I entered, I saw Zhou Mingli lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), her quilt soaked with tears.
"Mingli, what happened? Tell Mom, did that brat Zhong Chengren bully you again?" Zhang Chunxue's voice carried a rare urgency and unquestionable authority.
Zhou Mingli looked up at Zhang Chunxue with teary eyes, her lips trembling, wanting to speak but not daring to.
She clutched the receipt tightly in her hand, her palms sweating.
Zhong Chengren is, after all, his mother's own son. Blood is thicker than water. Will his mother protect him?
But then she thought about it again, and realized that her mother-in-law had been genuinely good to her these past few days.
For her sake, her mother-in-law even drove away her sister-in-law, Li Hongjuan, and gave her special meals every day. She couldn't pretend not to know about this kindness.
If she doesn't say anything, this thorn will remain stuck in her heart forever, and how will she live her life from now on?
She took a deep breath, as if she had made a tremendous decision, and pulled the crumpled receipt from under her pillow, handing it over with trembling hands.
"Mom...look...this is...this is what I found in Chengren's pocket..."
Zhang Chunxue took the receipt, glanced at it, and the color drained from her face.
"Mom..." Zhou Mingli's voice trembled with sobs, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls, "Is it... is it because I can't give birth to a son... that Chengren... he found another woman outside..."
"He despises me, he despises Yuanyuan for being a money-loser..."
"Waaaaah... Mom, it's my fault... I've let the Zhong family down..."
As Zhou Mingli spoke, she became increasingly distressed, throwing herself into Zhang Chunxue's arms and weeping uncontrollably.
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