"Stop right there!" Xu's mother finally reacted. "Tangtang, what's wrong with you? Look at me, I'm your mother!"
"What's all the noise about?!"
The door to the house in the courtyard opened, and Xu's father walked out with a frown. He was stunned for a moment when he saw Xu Ruantang.
But he quickly realized what was happening and gave Xu Sheng a wink.
Xu Sheng walked over and closed the door, then pulled Xu Ruantang to sit down on a stool and handed her a cup of hot water.
Standing in the middle of the courtyard, Xu's mother complained to her husband with a livid face: "Honey, look at her! I told you I wouldn't come to see her, but you insisted on coming. Look at her now, is she trying to anger her own mother to death?"
Xu's father frowned even more deeply.
He had stayed inside the house the whole time, intending for his mother to teach this unfilial daughter a lesson first, before he came out to say a few kind words.
After all, things are different now than before. Back then, when they insisted on sending their daughter to get married, she harbored some resentment.
But Xu's father didn't expect that this brat harbored such deep resentment.
The threats and intimidation tactics that used to work are now ineffective.
If he doesn't come out soon, he might really be kicked out tomorrow.
Mr. Xu turned to look at Mrs. Xu and said in a calm tone, "Mother, talk to the child properly."
"Tangtang, your mother has always had this temper, don't take it to heart, she's just all bark and no bite." Xu's father forced a smile. "Tangtang, don't blame your parents, we really had no choice but to let you marry him."
Besides, so many families in our village want to marry into your family, but they can't. Look at you now, aren't you doing just fine? We are your own parents, how could we possibly harm you?"
Xu Sheng chimed in, "Yes, sister, you have no idea how much suffering we and our parents endured on the way here! Mom may be sharp-tongued, but she cares about you more than anyone else."
"Mom has always had this temper; she even hits me when she gets angry. Sister, don't take it to heart. Our mother is illiterate and has always been rough around the edges. As her children, we should be more understanding."
After the two finished speaking, Xu Ruantang's expression improved considerably.
She paused for a moment, looked up at Xu's father, and smiled slightly, "Father, it's not that I want to be angry with Mother, it's just that I defended my family in front of my husband's family, but when I came back, I was scolded by my family. I was caught in the middle, and you have no idea how sad I was."
As Xu Ruantang spoke, her face was full of hurt and grievance.
Upon hearing this, Xu Sheng became anxious and hurriedly went to Xu Ruantang to ask, "Sister, did your in-laws mistreat you? What happened? Are they treating you badly?"
Xu Ruantang sighed and said with her eyes downcast, "It's all because of what happened yesterday. This shop was opened by him for his godmother, but you guys didn't even say a word and took over her shop, affecting her business."
His godmother didn't say anything in front of you, but then went back to my husband's grandmother. They're from the same village, how could she not side with the other?
I already had no say in the Chen family, and now, your son-in-law has even taken back this yard! He used to share some of his earnings with me, but now he doesn't give me a single penny. I have to be subservient to his family even when I buy groceries.
Mr. Xu remained seated as steady as a mountain. Upon hearing this, he only vaguely replied, "Oh, it's nothing serious. They can continue their business after we leave. Where's my son-in-law? Why didn't he come?"
Upon hearing his daughter's description, Xu's father knew that the man was still in charge, and his daughter was completely useless.
However, he wasn't worried. Since they had become in-laws, no matter how high the man's official rank was, he would still be the Xu family's son-in-law.
As the son-in-law of the Xu family, he should contribute to the Xu family. Whether he likes it or not, he has to compromise for the sake of his reputation.
He's observed this over the past few days; everyone in the military compound knows each other, just like in a village.
There is no man in this world who doesn't care about his pride.
“I told him to come with me today, but he said he was busy in the army and couldn’t come.” Xu Ruantang looked hesitant. “Father, Mother, please don’t blame me for coming so late. I didn’t mean to. I just couldn’t get away.”
“I got up at four o’clock this morning. My husband’s family includes my older brother and sister-in-law, my parents-in-law and my grandmother. I had to cook for the whole family and tell them before I could come. I didn’t even have time to eat breakfast.”
After calming down, Xu's mother realized that she had gone too far with her words.
My daughter is no longer the same girl who stayed in the village. I heard that the man she married is now a military officer in Beijing. My daughter must have seen some of the world, so naturally she cares more about appearances than before.
When Xu Ruantang told her that she had been so busy that she hadn't even eaten, Xu's mother hurriedly asked, "Doesn't she have her sister-in-law at home? How can she let you cook alone? Have the eldest and second sons separated from the family?"
Xu Ruantang shook her head, "We didn't separate."
"Then they're bullying you! They're all daughters-in-law, so why is the eldest daughter-in-law so precious while the second daughter-in-law is expected to do the cooking?!"
Xu Ruantang lowered her eyes and said dejectedly, "My sister-in-law is pregnant and can carry on the family line, so naturally she doesn't have to cook. The whole family treats her like a treasure. How can I compare to them?"
Xu's father glanced at Xu Ruantang and asked, "No signs of pregnancy in your belly?"
"No, he took me to the military hospital. They said I have a weak constitution, I haven't been getting enough nutrition since I was little, and I have both anemia and hypoglycemia. It won't be easy for me to get pregnant, and I need to take good care of myself."
Xu Ruantang drew out her words with emotion, "Father, Mother, I know what our family's situation is. It's normal that we didn't have enough to eat when we were young. Unlike my sister-in-law, who is a native of Beijing. My family is nowhere near as well-off as hers. It's not surprising that she looks down on me, since I haven't been a help to my husband at all."
"What kind of talk is that?! Once you marry into their family, you're part of their family. With their son's circumstances, how dare they be so picky?! He offered such a high dowry back then, and still no one wanted to marry into their family!!"
Xu's father's face darkened, and his rebuttal slipped out, completely forgetting what he had just said about how many women in the village wanted to marry but were not fortunate enough to do so.
Now, he's really slapped himself in the face.
Xu Ruantang looked up with red eyes, staring at her father in disbelief: "Dad, didn't you say that many people in the village want to get married but can't?"
Xu's father touched his nose somewhat awkwardly and remained silent.
Xu's mother retorted confidently, "Why should they look down on our family? It's normal that your belly isn't showing any signs of pregnancy! How could it possibly be?"
Mr. Xu gave Mrs. Xu a sharp look, "Damn it!"
Xu's mother still hadn't reacted, and said loudly, "Her father, the matchmaker said when they introduced the man that he couldn't have children, and now it's all being blamed on Tangtang. Why can't I say it?!"
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