Chapter 261 Compromise and Surrender
"But I can't wait any longer!"
Song Yazhi choked up, "I wanted to let her know that I was sincere before she gave birth, that I wanted to take good care of her and my grandson... but she, she wouldn't even call me 'Mom'!"
Her voice trembled so badly it was almost incoherent, each word carrying a long-suppressed grievance and anxiety.
The birth of a child is a new beginning for the family, and she longs to welcome that little life as a warm mother-in-law and a kind grandmother.
But the reality is that she can't even get the most basic form of address.
She prepared baby clothes for Qiao Wanyin, carefully matched complementary food recipes, and even secretly flipped through parenting books, afraid of overlooking anything.
But in Qiao Wanyin's eyes, all these efforts seemed to be a burden rather than a sign of care.
Before she could finish speaking, she started crying again, her shoulders shaking.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping onto her clothes and leaving a wet patch.
She didn't wail loudly, but sobbed silently, her shoulders heaving with each breath.
The pain of rejection is more piercing than being scolded.
She is no longer the domineering and picky mother-in-law. She is willing to humble herself and change, but the person who should understand her the most always turns her back on her and refuses to turn around.
At this moment, Fu Lian pushed open the door and came back. He immediately saw his mother crying and trembling, and his father looking helpless.
The atmosphere in the room was as heavy as if a stone were pressing down on it.
He stood at the door, his shoes still on, his hand still on the doorknob, frozen in place.
Under the lamplight, the mother's back was hunched and her head was bowed, like a child who had done something wrong.
The father sat on the sofa, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with heartache and helplessness.
The scene made his heart sink, as if an invisible hand had gripped his heart.
His heart tightened: "Mom, what happened?"
His voice was filled with urgency and worry.
He walked quickly over, squatted down in front of his mother, and placed his hands on her knees.
He had never seen his mother cry like this before. Even when the family was struggling financially, she always gritted her teeth and persevered.
The fact that things are in this state now shows that the situation is far more serious than it appears.
He knew it must be related to Wanyin, but he dared not ask rashly, for fear of hurting his mother's heart again.
Fu Xianxiu waved his hand, signaling him to sit down, and briefly explained the matter.
Fu Xianxiu sighed, looking at his son with a complicated expression.
His tone was calm, but it couldn't hide the heaviness in it.
He didn't embellish the story or defend his wife; he simply recounted the scene as it happened—Song Yazhi was alone in the kitchen wiping away tears, muttering to herself, "She won't even call me Mom," before completely breaking down.
Every detail pierced Fu Li'an's ears like a needle.
Fu Li'an frowned and rubbed his temples.
He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and pressed his fingers firmly against his brow.
My head is throbbing badly, like countless thin threads are pulling at my brain.
He had always thought that since his mother began to change, taking the initiative to do housework and care about Wan Yin's diet and daily life, the relationship between the two had been slowly warming up.
Unexpectedly, instead of improving the situation, it plunged the mother into even deeper pain.
He originally thought that once his mother changed her attitude, the iceberg between his mother and daughter-in-law would melt away.
He naively believed that as long as his mother let go of her past prejudices and treated Wanyin sincerely, time would naturally melt away that cold past.
He had also imagined a scene of his family sitting around a table for a meal, enjoying each other's company.
But reality is always crueler than imagination.
The iceberg not only didn't melt, but became even harder because of the mother's concession, as if silently declaring: some wounds cannot be healed by apologies and appeasement alone.
Unexpectedly, it got even colder.
It's not the air that's cold, it's people's hearts.
The more careful the mother was, the more distant Wanyin seemed.
That kind of polite distance, so extreme, is more suffocating than an argument.
He was caught in the middle, feeling like a sandwich filling, squeezed from both sides, yet no one could comfort him.
My mother was heartbroken. To make up for her past mistakes, she put aside her pride and was so aggrieved that she didn't want to say much.
Song Yazhi was once the backbone of her family, speaking crisply and acting decisively.
But now, she has learned to remain silent, to read people's expressions, and even at the dinner table, she only dares to whisper reminders to "eat more."
She no longer interfered in her daughter-in-law's life, no longer offered opinions, and didn't even dare to make a joke.
She shrunk herself down to such a small size that she was almost invisible.
But all of this only resulted in a deeper estrangement.
The wife also has her own troubles; those things that hurt her are like brands that can never be erased.
When Qiao Wanyin first entered the family, she was met with ridicule and sarcasm; in the early stages of her pregnancy, she was suspected of having an unclean baby; even her job opportunities were forcibly blocked by her mother on the grounds that "women should take care of their families".
Those words and those looks are etched into her memory, becoming nightmares that recur at night.
It's not that she doesn't want to forgive, but every time she tries to take a step closer, the shadow of the past jumps out and pulls her back to where she started.
He was caught between the two and suddenly felt powerless.
He wanted to persuade his mother not to be too hard on herself, but he was afraid that if he said too much, he would hurt her feelings; he wanted to coax Wanyin to be more understanding, but he was afraid that she would think he was favoring his family.
He became a bridge for conveying emotions, but often ended up pleasing neither side.
He was tired, not just physically, but also mentally.
That feeling of powerlessness washed over him like a tidal wave, almost drowning him.
"Li An, do you think Mom really hasn't done enough?"
Song Yazhi gripped her son's hand, her voice trembling, "Am I... not good enough for your wife?"
Her fingers were cold and trembling slightly, her nails digging into his palm.
Those once firm and powerful eyes are now filled with uncertainty and fear.
She was questioning her son, but it was more like she was questioning herself.
She made many mistakes, but she kept making amends.
But if even remedial measures are rejected, what else can she do?
Is she really destined to be an unaccepted mother-in-law?
Fu Lian gently patted the back of her hand: "Mom, don't overthink it, and don't force yourself."
He grasped his mother's hand in return, with just the right amount of pressure, trying to convey a little warmth.
He knew his mother was blaming herself, and he also knew she was afraid of losing the family.
But it is precisely at times like these that we cannot allow her to continue to suffer injustice.
The words "unworthy" should not have been uttered by her.
Family ties should not be measured by whether someone is "good enough" or not, but by mutual understanding and moving forward together.
“Qingqing has a knot in her heart that can’t be untied in a day or two. We know everything you’ve done lately.”
His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness.
He believed that Wanyin could see the changes in her mother, but it would just take time.
He also believes that his mother's efforts will not be in vain, even if he doesn't receive a response right now.
He knew they all needed patience and a little space.
He couldn't speak for Wan Yin and say "forgive me," but at least he could let his mother know that her efforts hadn't been ignored.
As soon as Qiao Wanyin entered the house, she sensed that something was wrong.
The entryway light was on, but the living room was unusually quiet.
There was no television sound, no conversation, not even footsteps.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
