Xia Liang received a letter from Xia Rong saying that Zhou Xiaohui's milk had stopped flowing since her wedding day, and his daughter had been drinking formula every day recently. He explained that his factory hadn't been doing well lately, so he hadn't been delivering goods and hadn't had a chance to buy nutritional supplements. He asked Xia Liang, who lived in the provincial capital, to buy some things and send them back, since she had a wider selection than in the county town. Xia Liang, of course, wouldn't refuse; after all, it was her little niece. Thinking about how her milk had stopped flowing on her wedding day, she guessed that Zhou's mother had told Zhou Xiaohui about what happened at the hospital that day, which had angered her and caused her to return home. It seemed she hadn't told Xia Rong yet, but Xia Liang didn't care; let her brother worry about it! After all, it was his mother-in-law.
After get off work, Xia Liang went to the department store. She figured Xia Rong was out of milk powder coupons; since having the baby, he'd probably been too worried and rarely went to the black market. Xia Liang had the wages and receipts Gu Yanxiao had handed over, which she didn't need right now, so she used them all to buy four cans of milk powder and four cans of malted milk powder, then headed to the post office. She figured it would be enough for her niece for a while; she'd go to the black market again later to stock up.
In the county town, Xia Rong received milk powder and malted milk powder sent by his sister. He carried them home and was about to enter his and Zhou Xiaohui's bedroom when he heard his mother-in-law say, "I was just worried your mother-in-law wouldn't treat you well. Besides, I only said a few words to her. She's just a country bumpkin, can't I even say a few words to her? And you're still nagging me, making your milk dry up. Is it really necessary? I'm your mother, I raised you from infancy." Zhou's mother was furious. Her own daughter was giving her such a cold shoulder. She was her own mother, and her mother-in-law was no match for her. Xia Rong went in expressionlessly, put the milk powder and malted milk powder on the table, and saw his wife's panicked face. He refrained from questioning his mother-in-law. Rationally, he should question his mother-in-law, as it was a son's duty to his mother. But emotionally, he didn't want to hurt Zhou Xiaohui, after all, she had just given birth, and it wasn't her fault. He could only swallow his anger and wait until later. He was afraid that if he provoked her further, Zhou Xiaohui might have some adverse reactions. After putting down the milk powder and malted milk powder, Xia Rong turned and went to the kitchen. Zhao Danxiang was still cooking. Seeing her son's pale face, she rushed over and asked with concern, "What's wrong? What happened? You don't look well!" Xia Rong felt even more guilty and stepped forward, saying, "Mom, I'm so sorry." Hearing this, Zhao Danxiang was even more confused. What did he mean by saying that? She became even more anxious and asked her son, "What exactly happened? Explain yourself! Are you trying to drive me crazy?" Seeing that his mother was frightened, Xia Rong quickly said, "It's what my mother-in-law said at the hospital." Zhao Danxiang said "Oh," and said nonchalantly, "I thought it was something serious! I didn't take it to heart. Don't overthink it." Xia Rong knew that his mother was just like that, but he couldn't let her be bullied just because she was gentle. He was even angrier. He could understand that his mother-in-law hadn't liked him before; after all, every family wants their daughter to marry well. But he couldn't let his mother suffer because of him! Xia Rong turned to leave, saying, "I will get justice for you." Zhao Danxiang grabbed him, saying, "Don't do anything rash. Let me tell you, this is nothing. I've suffered far more injustices in the first half of my life than this. This is nothing, really." Xia Rong slumped down, not arguing with Zhao Danxiang. He suddenly doubted whether he had made the right decision to marry her. Admittedly, he liked Zhou Xiaohui very much. He could accept being looked down upon, but his mother served her like a slave and was still disliked by her mother. He knew that his sister brought their parents to the city so that they could live a better life and no longer suffer from their grandparents' temper. But now, even though they had three workers and their savings were far beyond what most people could afford, his mother was still being wronged because of him. He felt lost and helpless.
Zhou Xiaohui didn't know if her husband had overheard her conversation with her mother. She didn't dare tell him the truth and was filled with anxiety. Several times she spoke to her husband, and although he gave normal answers without being sarcastic, she sensed something was wrong. She clearly felt something was on his mind, and she was terrified. However, she couldn't do anything about her mother. She had previously suggested that her husband apologize to his mother, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Caught in a dilemma, she quickly became familiar with her mother-in-law. She lost the few pounds she had gained during her pregnancy. Zhang Danxiang was worried about her and even killed all the chickens in the house to make soup for her. Seeing that she had a poor appetite and couldn't eat, Zhang Danxiang asked her daughter-in-law what was wrong when her son wasn't home. Zhou Xiaohui was deeply moved; her own mother disliked her mother-in-law so much, yet her mother-in-law still treated her well. Sobbing, she apologized to Zhao Danxiang, "Mom, I'm sorry, it's all my mom's fault. She was so worried about me the day I gave birth, that's why she blamed you. I'm sorry, Mom, I apologize on her behalf." Zhou Xiaohui said, sobbing between sobs. Zhao Danxiang found a handkerchief to wipe her tears, saying, "Silly child, it's not a big deal, I didn't take it to heart. I know your mom was worried about you, that's why she acted this way. As a mother, I understand her. Don't cry anymore, you're still in your postpartum period, if you ruin your eyes, you'll suffer when you're old." She gently patted Zhou Xiaohui's back, comforting her for a few moments. Just as she was about to go get water for her to wash her face, Zhou Xiaohui said, "Xia Rong is definitely angry. I feel like he's been treating me differently these past few days. Mom, what should I do?" Zhao Danxiang comforted her, "Don't be afraid, I'll talk to him. He's my son, he has to listen to me." Saying this, she went out to get water for Zhou Xiaohui to wash her face.
When Xia Rong came home from get off work that evening, Zhao Danxiang called him to the kitchen. Xia Rong spoke first, "What's wrong? Mom, is something the matter?" Zhao Danxiang whispered, "Let's just forget about your mother-in-law's matter. I won't hold it against her, and you shouldn't either. It's not a big deal. Look how much weight your wife has lost because of this. If you don't want her health to collapse, just let it go." Xia Rong turned his face away without saying a word. Seeing his expression, Zhao Danxiang said, "She's her, and her mother is her mother. The one you'll spend your life with is Xiaohui. As for her mother's side, if..." "If you don't want to interact with her, just treat her like a relative." Seeing that her son still didn't speak, Zhao Danxiang continued, "I'll have less contact with her in the future, and I'll be more assertive. If she says anything to me again, I'll talk back." Indeed, Zhao Danxiang didn't like being around Zhou Xiaohui's mother. Logically, the two mothers-in-law should be closer to her, after all, Gu Yanxiao's mother was an official's wife, and she was also a leader. The gap between them was not small. But on the contrary, Gu Yanxiao's mother was very easy to get along with, while Zhou Xiaohui's mother acted like she had her head on the top.
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