"Yulan, don’t worry, there’s always a way out. As long as you and your husband work together, there’s no obstacle you can’t overco. Besides, Shouwang’s not unemployed; it’s just a demotion, what’s the big deal? If it really cos down to it, you can co back to your mother’s ho to live; with Mama here, you and your grandchild will never starve." Mrs. Gao consoled her daughter.
"Mama, how did you know? It must have been Shouwang, that guy can’t keep his mouth shut. I told him not to tell you, wait till I get back and sort him out."
"It was who forced it out of him. You all keep things from , do you think Mama is useless and can’t help you?"
"That’s not it, Mama, you misunderstand. I just don’t want you to worry."
"I worry more when you don’t tell anything. Okay, when you go back, don’t bla Shouwang. He’s been good to you. Just listen to Mama and live your life peacefully, don’t think too much, and just focus on giving birth to a healthy grandchild."
"Mama, that’s exactly what I’m worried about, having an extra mouth to feed only ans more expenses at ho."
Yulan furrowed her brow, feeling both joy and concern about her pregnancy. With a decreased salary and increased expenses, how could she not worry?
"Don’t worry, everything will work out when it cos to it. Back in the day, your Daddy and I didn’t have a cent in salary, but we still managed to raise the four of you. Alright, don’t overthink it. I’m going to cook you so brown sugar eggs. Aunt Tian really showed great kindness this ti, not only providing a mattress pad but also thirty eggs and a pound of brown sugar. You have to rember this; you owe her."
Mrs. Gao truly didn’t think it was a big deal. Although she was gentle by nature, influenced since childhood by her father’s traditional thinking, she was open-minded with a philosophical outlook on life and tended to see things more lightly than others.
In the evening, when the Gao Family returned ho from work, Gao Shaoyue was also doting on his daughter. Hearing that Yulan had a pregnancy scare, he urged her to rest more at ho and not to rush back to the town in case it worsened. Yulan’s elder brother, Gao Yushan and his wife, both earnest people, also advised their younger sister to recuperate at ho until the baby was stable before leaving.
This ti, Mrs. Gao was unusually firm, declaring that she would go to town with Yulan first thing in the morning to take care of her and the grandchild. She would stay until Yulan was three months into her pregnancy before returning ho, leaving everything to the care of Gao Family’s eldest sister-in-law. If it got too busy, they could ask the eldest granddaughter, Xin i, to help out. Xin i, Gao Yushan’s daughter, was a capable fifteen-year-old girl, quite reliable and decent.
Gao Shaoyue initially thought to object. Having the old lady not at ho for two months simply didn’t seem right, but before he could say anything, he saw his wife sternly declaring, "None of you try to persuade ; my mind is made up. If anyone tries to stop , I’ll be furious with them."
Gao Shaoyue was dumbfounded when his wife, who usually was soft-spoken and dared not utter a word of defiance, boldly challenged him. Little did he know Mrs. Gao held a grudge against him!
Mrs. Gao believed that the n in her family were just like her youngest son, Yuzhu—they were all too willing to sacrifice their daughter’s happiness for the sake of their own future prospects. She had tolerated how Yulan had been treated in the past, but this ti, Yuzhu’s restlessness had caused trouble again, affecting both Yulan and her son-in-law. With old grievances compounded by new, Mrs. Gao was incensed.
As Gao Shaoyue was about to scold his wife, Yuzhu hurried over empty-handed, followed closely by Tian Chunfang, who was also empty-handed. Gao Yulan saw that Yuzhu had nothing good to offer and turned her head, feigning sleep. Yuzhu didn’t intend to talk to his younger sister; instead, he inquired about her condition with Mrs. Gao. Learning that Gao Yulan wasn’t seriously hard, he excitedly said to Gao Shaoyue:
"Dad, this could be a great opportunity. Yulan had an incident at the Tian Family’s house, and they should bear the responsibility no matter what. Let Yulan lie in bed for a few more days. We can exaggerate the severity and demand the Tian Family to compensate us with money and goods. Then we can go around spreading the word, saying that the Tian Family abuses their power to bully Yulan, a pregnant woman, to the point of almost causing a miscarriage. This ti, I’m going to make sure that the Tian Family pays in both reputation and wealth, and let all the surrounding villages know just what kind of character the Tian Family has."
After hearing this, Gao Shaoyue pondered for a while, his expression revealing a hint of temptation, but given his age and greater experience, he ultimately said, "That’s improper. Your sister isn’t seriously hard this ti, and Yulan herself said it was due to her own carelessness, which has nothing to do with the Tian Family. Moreover, the Tian Family has shown decent generosity, giving us thirty eggs, a pound of brown sugar, and a quilt. The gift was no small gesture."
"Ah, how could Yulan be so foolish? At the ti, there were no outsiders present. Who else can attest to how she suffered from miscarriage scare but Yulan herself? Anyway, the incident happened at the Tian Family’s house, so we just need to cling to that point. Dad, this is a good opportunity. As long as Yulan cooperates, we’re sure to gain an advantage."
No sooner had Yuzhu finished speaking than Mrs. Gao, already trembling with anger, picked up a broom from the ground and began to beat Yuzhu over the head and face with it.
"I’ll beat you to death, you conscienceless wretch! If I knew you’d turn out to be such a coldhearted beast, I would have drowned you in the toilet as an infant to save us from your future calamities. Once wasn’t enough for you to harm Yulan, and now you’re thinking of doing it again? If it weren’t for your ill will, your greed to take on the Tian Family, would Yulan have suffered such anxiety to cause a miscarriage scare? Yulan is your own sister, Yuzhu, is your heart made of stone?"
Mrs. Gao’s voice trembled with anger; she really had not anticipated that her youngest son would turn out to be so wicked. Ever since he was a child, he had shown himself to be smart and clever, with a charming appearance, endearing everyone. People praised her for her good fortune in having such a fine son, but she never expected that Yuzhu’s intelligence was not used in the right way!
To sell his own sister out for personal gain—thankfully, Yulan was fortunate to have t Shouwang, an earnest man who truly cared for her. Just when their days were looking brighter, Yuzhu beca restless again, almost costing his son-in-law his job and almost causing Yulan to miscarry. As Mrs. Gao thought about this, her rage surged again, and she struck harder with the broom.
"You unscrupulous thing, what has the Tian Family ever done to you? Mama taught you from a young age to be decent, that it’s wrong to be heartless, yet you’re the first to commit any wicked deed! Yuzhu, how did you turn out this way? Are you intent on seeing Yulan dead before you’re satisfied?"
Tears stread down Mrs. Gao’s face, and as she exhausted her strength, the Gao Family’s eldest sister-in-law rushed over to support her, helping her to sit down and rest.
With tears in her eyes, Gao Yulan was feeling both aggrieved and touched. In her mory, Mama had always been gentle, never raising her voice, let alone hitting soone. She never expected Mama to not only scold but also hit her brother for her sake.
Yuzhu felt wronged too. Wasn’t all this to revive the Gao Family? After all, Mama was but a woman and couldn’t understand a man’s grand ambitions. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welco to Qidian (qidian) to cast your vote for the recomndation and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian to continue reading.)
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