"What? Eldest daughter-in-law, you, you're really pregnant?" Zhou's mother stammered.
Shen Banxia nodded firmly and said decisively, "That's right," and then nudged the stunned Zhou Mingqian.
“Yes, my wife is right, we have a baby,” Zhou Mingqian subconsciously agreed.
Zhou's mother didn't even bother to look at his silly appearance; she just kept confirming things.
After all, she knew that the eldest brother had indeed established a solid foundation, and she had already prepared to have his younger brother's child adopted by him in the future.
Zhou Mingjiao murmured subconsciously, "How could this be? It shouldn't be like this."
Zhou Mingqian immediately exploded, "Zhou Mingjiao, Zhou Mingjiao, I used to think you were just a little girl throwing a tantrum, but I never expected you to be so vicious. You just want me to suffer, don't you? Huh?"
Despite Zhou Mingqian's carefree and nonchalant attitude, he still feels a great burden when it comes to having children. He always feels sorry for his wife, knowing that she loves children.
Zhou's mother instinctively defended her, saying, "Mingqian, you can't say that about your sister. She's still young."
When she saw Zhou Mingqian's angry eyes, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed, "Your little sister doesn't know how to talk, Mom scolded her."
Zhou Mingqian ignored his mother. Anyway, in this family, everyone revolves around Zhou Mingjiao.
He just couldn't understand what was so good about Zhou Mingjiao. Everyone was blind and their brains seemed to have run away from home as they defended her.
"Say what you will, but if she dares to treat my wife badly again, I'll beat her up," Zhou Mingqian said upfront.
Zhou's mother's face darkened immediately. She had been happy because her eldest son's family had a baby, but now, pointing at Zhou Mingqian's nose, she said, "I think you've forgotten your mother after you got married. I should never have let you, a sent-down youth, into the family."
After pausing to catch her breath, she continued her tirade, "All you do all day is eat and drink. You're not even as good as a child when it comes to earning work points."
Shen Banxia ignored him completely, but Zhou Mingqian objected, saying, "Well, what can I do? My wife is so beautiful." He was quite smug as he finished speaking.
He took a liking to her at first sight.
Zhou's mother couldn't bear to watch his smugness. "Alright, since your wife is pregnant, you don't have to go to work. You have to go."
Zhou Mingqian acted like a spoiled child, saying, "No, I just found out I'm going to be a father, I haven't recovered yet, and I have to take care of my wife." He then tugged at Shen Banxia's arm as he spoke.
"No way!" Zhou's mother roared. Seeing that her eldest son was about to speak, she threatened him, "If you keep babbling, you two will be separated from me."
Zhou Mingqian turned off the engine, and Shen Banxia scratched his palm.
With his head drooping, he said weakly, "Okay, I'll go."
"Why don't you come along, sister-in-law?" Zhou Mingjiao suddenly said.
The three people in the room turned to look at her immediately. Zhou Mingqian was the first to jump up and down, "Zhou Mingjiao, do you even have a heart? I think you're just a troublemaker in the house. You should just get married and leave the house."
Zhou's mother, who was originally planning to say something, patted Zhou Mingqian on the shoulder and said loudly, "What nonsense are you talking about? You never keep your mouth shut."
When facing Zhou Mingjiao, she was truly gentle and kind, speaking softly, "Jiaojiao, don't listen to your brother's nonsense. But your sister-in-law won't be going, since she fainted." She had initially thought it was just an act.
Zhou Mingjiao felt uneasy. She had a feeling that, in some mysterious way, she should let her older brother and sister-in-law go to the fields to earn work points.
"But, but the leader is coming today," Zhou Mingjiao still wouldn't give up.
She has always trusted her intuition, and many times, because of that inexplicable feeling, she has received many good things. This time, she still chooses to believe.
Zhou Mingqian chimed in sarcastically, "You make it sound like the leader knows your second sister-in-law."
Zhou Mingjiao was speechless.
But she always felt that if she missed this opportunity, she would lose something very important.
She gently tugged at her mother's sleeve. "Mother, why don't we let my sister-in-law go look after the cattle? That's not hard work, and it'll be good exercise for her."
Shen Banxia was speechless.
“Are you out of your mind? My wife just had a baby. She fainted, and I had to carry her home. You saw it yourself. Her face is still pale. If you’re blind, go to the clinic.” Zhou Mingqian wasn’t going to tolerate it.
Ever since he saw his sister's true colors, he could no longer look at her the same way, nor could he bring himself to love her.
Unlike his second, third, and fourth brothers, who treated him like royalty, he was not like any of them.
Zhou's mother habitually defended her, saying, "Don't talk nonsense about your sister; she meant well."
Zhou Mingqian was numb. His family members were all like they were under a spell, unable to see Zhou Mingjiao's true colors.
Sometimes he even wondered if he was adopted. It was a pity that he looked a lot like the old man in his family.
Shen Banxia saw the sadness beneath the man's numbness and comforted him by gently squeezing his palm.
Zhou Mingqian smiled broadly. He wasn't sad at all; he had found the best wife.
Perhaps because Zhou Mingqian had been silent for too long, Zhou's mother said symbolically, "Jiaojiao, don't meddle in your older brother's affairs."
Zhou Mingqian pursed his lips.
Zhou Mingjiao wanted to struggle again, but she really couldn't find a reason.
Unwilling to give up, she said, "Mother, it's getting late, let's hurry to the fields."
“You’re showing off. The village loudspeaker hasn’t even urged you yet, what’s the rush?” Zhou Mingqian planned to stall for time.
He felt that he was inherently incompatible with working. He just didn't understand why, with so many able-bodied people in his family, and the brigade owing them work points every year, they were still so enthusiastic about working every day.
He didn't know that Er Gouzi's family in the village was lazy and always had the lowest income in the village, but they still received the same per capita grain rations.
Anyway, it doesn't matter how much he does, so he's too lazy to do more. He doesn't know when the extra work points will be converted into money.
Moreover, my own father is very selfless; whenever he had a chance as a team leader, he would give it to someone else.
Zhou Mingjiao stamped her foot, "Mother, look at my eldest brother."
Zhou's mother comforted him, "Alright, I'll talk to your older brother." Then she turned around and said, "Alright, don't provoke your sister. Let's go, go to work."
Zhou Mingjiao was dissatisfied. It was like this again. Why couldn't her eldest brother be like her second, third, and fourth brothers, who always took everything from her and didn't let her have any say in anything?
Shen Banxia shook her head as she read it. If she hadn't clearly seen the script in her mind, she wouldn't have understood how Zhou Mingjiao could become the female lead in a novel where everyone is a beloved character.
Anyway, she didn't see any truth, goodness, or beauty at all.
Well, in Zhou Mingjiao's eyes, she was still a terrible sister-in-law who stirred up trouble between the brothers, was lazy, cunning, and had no qualities of an elder sister-in-law at all.
"Pah!" Shen Banxia complained. "To hell with being a 'perfect' person. If I had to fawn over Zhou Mingjiao, I'd rather be a 'perfect' person."
Right now, the most important thing is raising the baby. Chen Banxia stroked her flat belly and couldn't believe that she was carrying a child. She still felt like a child herself.
Why are we starting to raise babies?
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