Chapter 169 Mother-in-law is here
She decided to confess to Fu Lian tonight that she had met Sheng Qi.
Although Sheng Qi warned her not to make a fuss, she understood even more that concealment was the biggest crack in the marriage.
She and Fu Lian had made promises and weathered storms together, and that's why she didn't want any secrets to remain between them.
Even if it might worry him, she would rather he hear the truth from her own mouth than from someone else embellishing it.
After all, she had promised him that she would be honest with him.
That night, under the dim light, Fu Lian held her hand and said, "Wanyin, I'm not afraid of your past, I'm only afraid that you're hiding something from me."
These words were etched in her heart.
She knew that true trust wasn't maintained by sweet words, but built on each instance of proactively revealing one's true feelings.
Therefore, even though this meeting made her feel uncomfortable, she could not run away from it.
As soon as she entered the room, she took out some fresh vegetables, mushrooms, and pork from her storage space, preparing to make a warm mushroom soup for dinner.
Peel the radish to reveal its white flesh; the shiitake mushrooms exude a faint fragrance; and the pork, with its alternating layers of fat and lean meat, is cut into small pieces and neatly arranged on the cutting board.
Smoke and cooking gradually rose from the kitchen, and the water in the pot began to bubble.
As she chopped the vegetables, she thought about how to start the conversation later, making sure her tone was calm and not made him feel like she was being forced to say it.
I was washing vegetables when there was a knock on the door.
The sound of running water stopped abruptly. Qiao Wanyin turned the tap tighter and listened intently.
The knocking was neither too loud nor too soft, but three knocks in quick succession, carrying a strange sense of oppression.
Her heart skipped a beat, and her first thought was that Sister Li from the mutual aid group had arrived, probably to deliver pickled vegetables.
She dried her hands, wiped them on her apron, and walked quickly toward the door.
She thought it was one of the women from the mutual aid group who had come, so she quickly went to open the door.
As soon as her fingers touched the doorknob, she was a little confused—they usually didn't visit each other at this time.
But then I thought, maybe it's something urgent.
Without thinking much, she turned the lock, opened the door, and even had a smile on her face.
When the door opened, she froze on the spot.
The smile froze on my lips, and my heart seemed to stop for a moment.
The scene before her eyes left her mind blank, and it was as if a buzzing noise had suddenly filled her ears.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out; her feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, and she couldn't move.
An elderly woman in her sixties stood at the door, wearing a dark blue cheongsam, her hair neatly combed, not a single strand out of place.
The old lady stood upright with straight shoulders, and the buttons on her cheongsam were fastened all the way to the collar, making her look exceptionally dignified.
On her feet were a pair of black low-heeled cloth shoes, the surface of which was clean and without a speck of dust.
Her face was thin, and her eyebrows and eyes exuded a scholarly air, but her imposing presence was overwhelming and made it hard to breathe.
That face bore a resemblance to Fu Li'an's, but it was as cold as ice right now.
Especially those eyes, dark and sharp, as if they could see through people's hearts.
Qiao Wanyin only made eye contact for a second before instinctively wanting to look away.
She had never met Fu Li'an's mother, but from the few words Fu Li'an occasionally mentioned, she knew that Song Yazhi came from a scholarly family, had a strong personality, and valued rules very much.
“Mom…” Qiao Wanyin stammered, her mind buzzing.
Her throat was dry, and her voice sounded like it was being squeezed out of her throat.
After calling out, she suddenly realized that her hand was still on the door frame, so she quickly pulled it back and stood up straight.
Her palms were already sweating, and a chill ran down her back.
When she and Fu Lian registered their marriage, they did not obtain the consent of Fu's parents at all.
It was a hasty decision made during a special era.
The couple had a stable relationship, but fearing that policy changes would affect their future, they secretly got married during a family visit leave.
Fu Li'an had wanted to go back and hold a ceremony, but due to the military's tight schedule, he was unable to go.
Fu's parents lived in a small southern town, where they were out of touch with the outside world and only learned of their daughter-in-law's existence now.
Now that they've met, she naturally feels uneasy.
Qiao Wanyin looked down at her cloth shoes, her nails unconsciously digging into her palms.
She was not afraid of hardship or challenges, but when faced with this ethical deficiency, she always felt an indescribable guilt.
She truly loves Fu Li'an, but if this marriage doesn't gain the approval of her elders, it will ultimately be like a puzzle piece with a missing piece.
Song Yazhi gave her a cold glance and walked straight in. "What, you won't let me in?"
Her tone was flat, devoid of emotion, yet the coldness emanating from her felt like winter frost, stinging my face.
After she finished speaking, she stepped across the threshold, her high heels making a crisp sound on the cement floor.
She didn't wait for Qiao Wanyin's response, as if entering the room was the most natural thing in the world.
"No, I just..."
Qiao Wanyin hurriedly closed the door, "I didn't expect you to come so suddenly."
Her voice trembled slightly, and the words of explanation stuck in her throat.
She wanted to say that she hadn't meant to be negligent, but felt that any explanation would be superfluous.
She could only reach out and take the handbag that Song Yazhi had placed in her arms, her movements careful, as if afraid of damaging some valuable item.
"Can't I even come to my son's house?"
Song Yazhi placed her handbag on the coffee table and her gaze swept across every corner of the room like a knife.
She looked around, from the military medals hanging on the wall to the neatly folded clothes in the closet, and then to the faint aroma of food wafting from the kitchen.
Her expression remained unchanged, but her eyes seemed to be scrutinizing and judging.
Every detail left its mark on her heart.
Qiao Wanyin swallowed nervously.
She stood there, at a loss.
The air in the room seemed to freeze, and even breathing became heavy.
She didn't know what her future mother-in-law would say, or what would happen next, but she knew that from this moment on, her life would probably never be the same again.
"Does Mai Dong know you're coming? I'll give him a call—"
"Need not."
Song Yazhi interrupted directly, her voice crisp and decisive, leaving no room for negotiation, "I need to talk to you first."
Qiao Wanyin's heart sank, her fingers curled slightly, and her fingertips dug into her palm.
She suppressed her unease and tried to keep her tone calm: "Please speak."
Song Yazhi did not respond, but only glanced at her coldly before pulling a letter out of her black handbag.
Her movements were decisive, as if she had rehearsed countless times.
She flung the envelope away forcefully, and it landed on the coffee table with a sharp thud, as if pronouncing some silent accusation.
"Explain yourself clearly."
Her gaze was sharp as a knife, piercing straight at Qiao Wanyin.
Qiao Wanyin hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached out her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly.
She picked up the envelope and gently pulled out the papers inside.
It was a photocopy of her wedding photo with Fu Li'an. In the photo, the two were wearing simple formal attire, with gentle smiles, and the background was a small flower bed in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau.
However, on the back of the photo, four large characters were crudely written in red pen: "Qiao Wanyin's marriage fraud".
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