Zhang Li cried.
At first, I couldn't hold back, and large tears rolled down my cheeks.
Later, she simply burst into tears, becoming breathless.
Xu Ruantang was nearby, so she went over and helped her sit down, tearing off a piece of tissue paper and handing it to her to wipe her tears.
"Sister-in-law, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Xu Ruantang asked softly.
This was a side of Zhang Li she had never seen before.
In the past, when I saw her, she was either scolding her two daughters or nagging about Hao Jianjun.
Moreover, Hao Jianjun almost never argued back; he either obeyed her orders or silently walked away.
Zhang Li spoke very little from the moment she met them until she entered the house.
She quietly made dumplings, her interest seemingly neither high nor low.
Why did you suddenly start crying after coming out of the bathroom?
Wang Xiuxiu guessed and said, "Sister-in-law, it's normal to have mood swings during pregnancy. If you're unhappy about something, just talk about it and you'll feel better."
The paper Xu Ruantang handed her wasn't enough, so she tore off two more pieces and handed them to her, while also pouring a glass of water and placing it in front of her.
"Sister-in-law, you and the baby are the most important. Don't cry." Xu Ruantang vaguely remembered that she had seen a video before where someone went into premature labor because they were crying too much.
She gently patted Zhang Li's back, and Zhang Li's emotions gradually calmed down.
"I'm fine, I just didn't expect you guys to wait for me to eat."
The three people looked at each other, not understanding. It's normal for a group of people to wait a while while eating together.
Could it be that they took so long to book the room, and then ate while the other person went to the restroom?
That would be too bizarre.
Zhang Li wiped away her tears and forced a smile, "Eat first, eat first. If the dumplings get soggy, we can talk while we eat."
Xiao Bao drinks milk, and Lu Xiao Zhao eats with the adults.
He wanted to feed Xiaobao, but Xu Ruantang stopped him with a smile and explained gently, "Xiaobao is too young. The food we eat is too salty for her. Xiao Zhao, be good, you eat by yourself. Your sister's food is being cooled separately."
Wang Xiuxiu thoughtfully prepared a special filling for Xiaobao, adding only a pinch of salt, and made the dumplings to a child's exact size, making them the first ones to be cooked.
It's still cooling down.
Wang Xiuxiu's cooking skills are truly impressive; her chive and egg dumplings are fresh, fragrant, and delicious, with just the right amount of saltiness.
Xu Ruantang tasted the flavor of her mother's cooking.
If Zhang Li doesn't mention it, the others won't take the initiative to ask her why she was crying. It would be awkward if she didn't want to talk about it.
Zhang Li ate a few dumplings and gradually calmed down. She smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "I'm about to give birth. Hao Jianjun brought my mother-in-law over, saying she'll take care of me during my postpartum period and look after my two daughters."
The others didn't interrupt her and listened attentively.
"I had porridge last night, but I didn't eat enough and felt uncomfortable all night. I woke up early this morning and just wanted to eat some cabbage and pork dumplings."
Zhang Li's smile was inexplicably bittersweet. "I was busy all morning, while my mother-in-law slept all morning. The dumplings were just cooked when she smelled them and got up. She took them out to eat without even washing her face."
What happened next is something everyone can guess.
Because Zhang Li was pregnant, she kept going to the toilet. When she came out, the whole family had eaten all the dumplings, leaving her with none.
Zhang Li lost her temper, and her mother-in-law felt even more aggrieved than she did, sitting to the side and starting to cry.
A while later, seeing that she was still angry, she started crying and slapping herself.
She said, "It's all my fault for being greedy and not leaving any meat for my grandson. Once he's born, I'll take him back to the countryside and never come back."
Before Zhang Li could speak, Hao Jianjun, who had been silent all along, spoke up: "Zhang Li, I'll give in to you in everything, big or small, at home, except for my mother. I can't give in to you then!"
She just arrived, do you have to treat her like this? She's an elderly woman, can't you just be a little more considerate? It's just dumplings, I'll buy two pounds of meat tomorrow, you can eat as much as you want, okay?
Upon hearing this, Zhang Li immediately flew into a rage: "Hao Jianjun, what did I say? You're just siding with your mother. Are you not planning to accept me and your son anymore?"
She finished speaking and ran out crying.
Then, she met Xu Ruantang and two children.
After listening, Xu Ruantang's first thought was that Zhang Li was completely incapable of arguing, and she didn't know where the problem lay.
Then there are those who were originally honest, but only appeared honest on the surface...
"I don't even want to say anything nasty!" Wang Xiuxiu slammed her hand on the table. "Your mother-in-law is a green tea b*tch, and your husband is clueless and heartless. Whoever ends up with you is unlucky!"
Xu Ruantang glanced at her, thinking, "She really has guts."
Li Shuhe chimed in, "That's really going too far. How can we not wait for you when we're eating? We're all family. Even if we have to eat first, we should at least leave enough for you."
Xu Ruantang pushed a plate of pork and cabbage dumplings in front of her, saying, "Sister-in-law, you should eat first. You can't go hungry while you're pregnant."
If they continue chatting like this, Zhang Li will probably cry again.
Wang Xiuxiu and Li Shuhe seemed to understand Xu Ruantang's meaning and consciously changed the subject.
After the dumplings cooled down, Xu Ruantang fed them to Xiaobao, who ate them one by one with great relish.
This is the first time in my life that I've tasted something so delicious, and my eyes are squinting again.
She finished the whole small bowl and was still waiting with her mouth open for Xu Ruantang to feed her.
Xu Ruantang picked up the empty bowl and showed it to her, "Baby, you've already eaten a whole bowl, your little tummy is all bulging."
Upon hearing the word "little belly," Xiao Bao looked down at his clothes, which were stretched taut.
The next second, it was lifted up for everyone to see.
Xu Ruantang was both amused and exasperated, and quickly helped her pull down her clothes, saying, "Cover yourself up quickly, your little tummy will get cold."
Everyone was amused by her, and Lu Xiaozhao also tried to imitate her by lifting her clothes, only to be glared at by Wang Xiuxiu.
Just as Wang Xiuxiu was about to speak, there was another knock on the door.
She sat outside and went straight out to open the door.
"Deputy Regiment Commander Hao?" Wang Xiuxiu finally stopped speaking in a high-pitched voice.
When Hao Jianjun saw that it was Wang Xiuxiu who opened the door, he was also surprised. "Is my wife inside?"
Wang Xiuxiu nodded. "Yes, Deputy Regiment Commander Hao, please come in?"
As they were talking, the others came out. Xu Ruantang was carrying Xiaobao, and Li Shuhe was holding Lu Xiaozhao's hand.
When Zhang Li saw Hao Jianjun, her face immediately fell, and she asked in a stiff tone, "What is it?"
Hao Jianjun didn't get angry at her cold face. He said kindly, "Honey, Mom made dumplings. I've come to call you home for dinner."
If you didn't know the background, everyone would think that this mother-in-law and husband are the best family in the world.
Zhang Li didn't give Hao Jianjun a way out, and said directly, "No need, your family can eat. I already ate a big plate of pork and cabbage dumplings at Comrade Xu's house. Everyone didn't mind that I'm pregnant and move slowly, and waited for me to eat with them."
The implication is that the neighbors all knew to wait for her, and their behavior this morning was simply too hurtful.
“Mom chased after you this morning, and you scolded her, but Mom didn’t hold it against you. So don’t be willful.” Hao Jianjun still had a smile on his face. “She’s been busy at home all morning just so you can eat what you like. Her back is so sore from all the work.”
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