Chapter 151 Mother-in-Law Criticism and Experience Exchange Conference
"Hao Yan? Sending letters to my parents? Visiting relatives?"
Song Zhan's brows furrowed into a tight knot.
He could understand every single word Bai Lu said, but when put together, it sounded utterly absurd.
Bai Lu stood to the side, her expression a perfect blend of worry and innocence.
"I overheard Hao Yan saying it by chance."
She paused, carefully observing Song Zhan and Shen Wanjun's expressions.
"She told your parents about your promotion to regimental commander, and she also said..."
"He even said that as a son, you should bring your parents here to enjoy their retirement, and also..."
Her gaze drifted to Shen Wanjun's slightly protruding belly. "Take care of Comrade Shen."
Shen Wanjun sneered inwardly; she didn't believe it a thousand times over.
With Hao Yan's brain, how could she possibly remember the address of Song Zhan's hometown in that remote corner?
Nine times out of ten, it's Bai Lu who's behind this.
Shen Wanjun glanced at Bai Lu sideways, her words laced with sarcasm.
"Comrade Bai, you really are a kind-hearted person."
He came all this way to deliver the message, just to upset her.
Bai Lu remained expressionless, seemingly oblivious to the sarcasm in Shen Wanjun's words.
Instead, he reminded him, "Comrade Shen, you need to get on with the rehearsals. The performance is approaching, and we can't afford any mishaps."
After saying that, she left quickly, as if she had accomplished her mission.
This explosive news left both Song Zhan and Shen Wanjun speechless.
Shen Wanjun rubbed her temples, looking at Song Zhan beside her who had instantly deflated.
After a few days of peace and quiet, another problem arose.
"It's alright." Shen Wanjun suppressed her irritation and took Song Zhan's hand.
"This is still far from certain, and it might just be Bai Lu talking nonsense to deliberately cause us trouble."
Song Zhan's voice was hoarse: "What if... what if they really come?"
He knew his parents too well; if they really tried to pressure him with the big label of "filial piety," he would be almost powerless to resist.
Shen Wanjun rested her chin on her hand, her mind racing through the chaotic conflicts between the original owner and her mother-in-law in the book.
I felt suffocated just reading about it back then, let alone experiencing it firsthand now.
But soon, she took a deep breath—she wasn't the submissive original owner; she had plenty of ways to deal with things.
Moreover, she was already familiar with the traditional mother-in-law routine, which was equivalent to having a third eye and being able to foresee the plot.
Thinking about it this way, I suddenly felt more confident.
"Then we'll meet force with force, and water with earth. If you're not afraid, you're my son, so I have even less to fear."
She tried to lighten her tone.
Song Zhan smiled wryly: "Who said I'm not afraid?"
He was terrified.
He was worried that something might have happened to Shen Wanjun even though he had only left for a short while in the morning.
If my parents come, it'll be chaotic every day.
My wife is pregnant, and the thought terrifies me.
Dr. Huang Ya repeatedly reminded the pregnant woman that her emotions were the most important factor and that she should not be upset or bumped.
"Go to work, stop worrying about things unnecessarily."
After seeing Song Zhan off, Shen Wanjun immediately made two preparations.
Meanwhile, Zhang Kuan secretly went to the post office to check if there were any letters sent to his hometown in Song Zhan's name.
On the other hand, she quickly assembled her "think tank"—Du Meiling, Feng Xiang, Dang Xianghong, and even Hao Mei joined after hearing the news.
Several women gathered together for a "Conference on Criticizing Mothers-in-Law and Exchanging Experiences."
While pouring out his grievances, he didn't forget to share his unique tips and tricks.
Du Meiling slapped her thigh, regretting her actions.
"The best solution? It's to never let your mother-in-law come at all."
Inviting a god is easy, but sending him away is difficult. She can't get rid of that Buddha statue in her house, no matter how much she kowtows.
If she had known, she would never have let her mother-in-law take care of her during her postpartum period.
Feng Xiang was more rational: "The key is which side the man is on."
If a man cares about you and protects you in everything, then things are fine.
The worst case scenario is someone who's a fool, only listens to his mother's complaints, and then blames you for being immature; that would be truly disastrous.
The Party clearly aligns itself with the red flag and advocates that distance creates beauty.
"If you ask me, a mother-in-law is someone who must stay in her hometown!"
"Sending more money every month is better than anything else; it guarantees motherly love and filial piety, and peace throughout the world!"
Her own family is a success story; they only get five yuan a month.
The mother-in-law was so pampered in the village that she had no time to cause trouble.
Hao Mei suggested a "fatigue tactic".
"People can't be idle, or they'll cause trouble. Find her something to do, keep her busy all day long."
Love to cook? Let her cook three meals a day, and let her eat whatever she makes without being picky.
Does she like to nag? Just let it go in one ear and out the other, and don't engage in her conversation. It'll just be like punching cotton.
Even Gao Xiaoman, who is usually not very sociable, probably wanted to make herself noticed, so she squeezed in and chimed in.
Her tone remained uniquely condescending: "If you ask me, women still need to have their own careers and financial foundations."
"If you can stand on your own two feet and make money, you'll have a strong backbone, and who will dare to give you attitude?"
Saying this to a group of military wives inevitably sounds a bit jarring, like "Why don't they eat meat porridge?"
Gao Xiaoman's IQ and EQ are indeed not very good.
But Shen Wanjun's heart stirred, and she put aside her old grudges with Gao Xiaoman.
She deeply agreed with the core idea of this statement—economic independence is the foundation for facing any storm.
Pregnancy makes everything inconvenient, but I still need to find a job later.
Shen Wanjun listened silently, occasionally taking out her notebook to jot something down.
Two days later, Shen Wanjun came to find Song Zhan with a notebook full of notes.
"look."
"What's this?"
"My secret weapon," Shen Wanjun said proudly.
Song Zhan turned a few pages and nodded frequently.
"Honey, don't worry, I'll definitely stand by you."
Song Zhan appreciated Feng Xiang's suggestion.
Indeed, most conflicts between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law originate from the son.
Knowing that his parents would be coming soon, Song Zhan cherished the days he spent alone with Shen Wanjun even more.
During the week, Song Juan attended training, and Huang Ya rarely went home.
There were only Song Zhan and Shen Wanjun at home, so they could do whatever they wanted.
At night, the courtyard is very quiet, with the occasional bark of a dog.
Song Zhan stood by the bed and looked outside.
"Is the baboon making noise again?" Shen Wanjun asked.
"That silly dog is probably catching mice again."
Song Zhan closed the courtyard gate, temporarily shutting out the disturbing news.
I walked to the table, turned on the old-fashioned transistor radio, and the tuning knob made a slight hissing sound.
He walked to the chair and sat down, habitually patting his leg.
Upon seeing this, Shen Wanjun smiled slightly and walked over naturally.
She nestled into his lap, found a comfortable position, and rested her head on his firm chest.
Song Zhan wrapped his arm around her and gently placed his warm palm on her slightly protruding belly.
Neither of them spoke; they simply nestled together.
Shen Wanjun tilted her head back, resting her chin on his chest.
Suddenly, she chuckled softly, "We've already started living the life of an old married couple so quickly."
Song Zhan was taken aback when he heard this. He looked down and met her smiling eyes, but his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
An old married couple?
He subconsciously pondered these four words—ordinary, habitual, lacking passion?
Is his wife complaining about him?
She thinks he's not romantic enough and lacks charm.
Has he been too busy with work lately and neglected her?
Various thoughts raced through Song Zhan's mind in an instant, and his expression unconsciously tightened.
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