Chapter 38: Conflict with In-Laws

“Buy, buy meat?” Xie’s mother mind was spinning.

This couple wasn’t working today, they had come to the county town specifically to buy meat?

They ate meat the day before yesterday, they ate meat yesterday, and they’re eating meat again today?

Even the old landlords didn’t live this comfortably!

Xie’s mother felt like she was about to pass out.

Lin Xiangyi was about to ask Xie’s father and Xie’s mother if they had prepared dinner, wanting to tell them that they had bought duck meat and were going to have duck for dinner.

Seeing Xie’s mother expression, she felt a pang in her heart, remembering that Xie’s mother was a very frugal person. Seeing them so extravagant, Xie’s mother must have been furious.

Logically, Lin Xiangyi should have remained silent at this moment, saying nothing and letting Xie Qingxiao handle it.

No matter how much a mother and son argued, it would be difficult to damage their feelings. If she, the daughter-in-law, got involved, it would be a different story.

But Lin Xiangyi thought about it and still chimed in, “Mother, I wanted to eat meat, so I bought duck.”

Xie’s father and Xie’s mother were so concerned and interfered with them because they felt that she and Xie Qingxiao couldn’t stand on their own two feet, right? She had to make her stance clear to Xie’s father and Xie’s mother, that both she and Xie Qingxiao were capable of standing on their own.

Even if they lived with Xie’s father and Xie’s mother, they didn’t rely on them to survive.

They had established their own small family, and they could make their own decisions about some things, especially something as small as buying meat.

Xie’s mother didn’t expect Lin Xiangyi to speak up. She looked at her and finally swallowed the words she was about to say, words that were meant to scold Xie Qingxiao.

After a while, she said, “I have something to talk to you two about.”

“…” Actually, Lin Xiangyi was also afraid that Xie’s mother would be a difficult mother-in-law, misunderstanding her speaking up as a challenge. If that happened, her life in the Xie family would probably not be peaceful.

Fortunately, Xie’s mother was reasonable and respected her daughter-in-law.

Xie’s mother respected Lin Xiangyi, and Lin Xiangyi would naturally respect her.

She smiled, “Okay, Ah Xiao and I also have something to say to you two. How about this, Father and Mother, you’ve been busy all day, you must be hungry. Why don’t you sit down and rest? Ah Xiao and I will go cook. When the food is ready, we can chat while we eat?”

“…Okay, we’ll leave it to you,” Xie’s mother face softened slightly.

“I’ve already steamed the rice,” Xie’s father added.

“Good, then we’ll just cook the dishes,” Lin Xiangyi said with a smile, giving Xie Qingxiao a wink.

Xie Qingxiao coughed, following Lin Xiangyi into the kitchen.

Their exchange of glances was noticed by Xie’s father and Xie’s mother. The old couple looked at each other, Xie’s mother took a deep breath and turned to go outside.

Xie’s father quickly followed her.

“I told you this daughter-in-law is opinionated, I wasn’t wrong,” Xie’s mother chuckled to herself, making sure Xie Qingxiao and Lin Xiangyi couldn’t hear, “She’s only been married for a few days, and she dares to talk back to me, her mother-in-law.”

“You can’t say that. They just bought a piece of meat, and your face was blacker than coal, as if they were spending your money. How could she not talk back to you?” Xie’s father said.

Xie’s mother face darkened even more, “Yes! She’s not spending my money, but I’m doing this for their own good! They’re both not working, and they’re eating fish and meat every day. How much money will it take for them to spend?”

“Okay, okay,” Xie’s father quickly appeased her, “I know you care about them, you’re doing this for their good! Don’t worry, no one misunderstands you, Ah Xiao’s wife definitely knows your good intentions!”

“Didn’t she say nicely after that, asking us to sit down and letting her and Ah Xiao cook? If she really wasn’t happy with you, she would have already turned her face away.”

Xie’s mother face finally looked better, she mumbled, “Then I was just meddling.”

“Don’t be stubborn,” Xie’s father said impatiently, “Ah Xiao’s wife doesn’t mean that. When you eat later, you two should talk properly.”

“Do I need you to tell me that!” Xie’s mother glared at Xie’s father.

Xie’s father: “…” Okay, he was the one meddling.

In the kitchen, Xie Qingxiao, following Lin Xiangyi’s instructions, washed the duck meat clean, placed it on the chopping board, and prepared to cut it into small pieces. He glanced at Lin Xiangyi and said, “You’re really bold.”

Lin Xiangyi was squatting on the ground peeling pumpkin skin. This was a dish that Xie’s father and Xie’s mother had prepared before they came back. The pumpkin was already half peeled. She finished peeling the rest and then asked Xie Qingxiao to slice it.

Hearing Xie Qingxiao’s words, knowing he was referring to the incident just now, she looked up at his expression and asked, “You’re not angry, are you?”

A sensitive person might think she was dissatisfied with Xie’s mother.

Xie’s mother was Xie Qingxiao’s mother, wouldn’t he be unhappy?

“Why would I be angry?” Xie Qingxiao said, “Even if you didn’t say anything, I would have to say it to her.”

“I was just surprised at your straightforward personality,” Xie Qingxiao continued, he used to think he knew her well, but after marrying her, he realized he didn’t know her at all.

Logically, with her straightforward personality, she wouldn’t be willing to suffer losses, but how did she endure Lu Dingyuan’s treatment of her before?

Did she really love Lu Dingyuan that much?

Xie Qingxiao’s eyes darkened, swallowing the jealousy that surged in his heart.

Looking at Lin Xiangyi again, he changed the subject, “But the reason why my mother acts like that is mainly because she thinks I can’t stand on my own two feet. When I can stand on my own two feet, she won’t be like that anymore. Now, if she does anything to offend you, I apologize for her…”

“No, no, no, you’re making me sound like an outsider,” Lin Xiangyi quickly said, seeing him so serious, “Your mother is my mother-in-law now. I can feel that she’s not only doing this for your good, but also for mine. If there’s anything, just talk it out. If you can’t talk it out, then it’s a different story.”

Xie Qingxiao: “…”

“Why are you smiling at me?” Lin Xiangyi noticed that Xie Qingxiao wasn’t moving, and when she looked up, she saw him smiling at her, looking very happy.

“Yes, you’re an insider,” Xie Qingxiao smiled, turned to pick up the cleaver, and chopped the duck meat, “Da! Da! Da!”

Lin Xiangyi reacted for a moment before she realized that his “insider” was a response to her “outsider” just now.

“What’s this new vocabulary?” Lin Xiangyi complained, “Exposing your cultural level, Comrade Xie Qingxiao!”

Xie Qingxiao laughed and let her say it.

Tonight, Lin Xiangyi was the chef, and Xie Qingxiao was the assistant.

Lin Xiangyi didn’t forget the several pounds of duck innards she bought. Those innards had to be dealt with tonight, otherwise they would stink tomorrow.

Time was tight, so she didn’t do anything fancy with the duck meat and pumpkin, just stir-fried them with salt and oil.

It was done quickly.

They carried the dishes to the main room, and Xie’s father and Xie’s mother also got up to scoop rice, scooping some for Xie Qingxiao and Lin Xiangyi as well.

The rice was steamed by Xie’s father, with a lot of sweet potatoes added. However, most of the rice in Xie Qingxiao and Lin Xiangyi’s bowls was rice, while Xie’s father and Xie’s mother bowls were mostly sweet potatoes.

Lin Xiangyi felt very emotional. Seeing that they weren’t eating much meat, she got up and gave Xie’s father and Xie’s mother a piece of duck leg each, smiling, “Dad and Mom, eat some meat.”