Also coming along were Tong Ailian, Tong Mu, and Wang Guixiang and her son.

Wang Guixiang was carrying a bag of apples and a pound of brown sugar.

Tong Ailian entered and said, “Lin Xia, Lin Shu, it’s just kids quarreling. Xiao Jun won’t do this again.”

Tong Mu added, “Who doesn’t know? It’s just kids arguing. Why should the adults make a fuss about it?”

Wang Guixiang, though frustrated with her mother-in-law, couldn’t do much since her mother-in-law was family.

She put down the fruit and sugar she had brought, saying, “I’m truly sorry for the trouble the children have caused. I’ve already reprimanded him. We shouldn’t escalate this kind of conflict between kids, to avoid harming the peace.”

She worried that Lu Shaotang might use this incident to make trouble, affecting her husband’s work.

Lin Xia, hearing their apologies which seemed to also criticize her family for escalating the situation, felt displeased.

It seemed like they were implying that she should accept their apologies and not create further conflict, just because they were trying to play the victim.

Lin Xia didn’t like this at all.

Her husband had already reported the situation to the factory committee, and she didn’t care whether the Tong family came to apologize or not.

But now they came to apologize and still seemed to blame her family for causing trouble.

“What are you doing here?” Lin Xia asked, her tone unfriendly.

Wang Guixiang was taken aback.

Tong Ailian quickly said, “Lin Xia, my mother and sister-in-law came to apologize with the children. It’s no big deal. Don’t be angry.”

Lin Xia replied, “Didn’t they already apologize at the factory office? Why are they still coming here? I thought they came to continue the argument.”

Tong Mu signaled to Qian Mu, urging her.

Qian Mu, feeling embarrassed about having the neighbors over and being pressured, said to Lin Xia, “Alright, it’s no big deal. Let’s not drag this out.”

Lin Xia thought Qian Mu didn’t understand the situation, so she said, “Mom, if you don’t know the details, just stay out of it.”

Qian Mu, feeling slighted by her daughter-in-law’s attitude, became upset, “Alright, let’s forget about it. Don’t bring it up again!”

The Tong family had apologized and made concessions.

Tong Mu assured them that Guoqiang had no intention of competing with Lisheng for the position of workshop deputy director; he just wanted Lisheng to take it.

Tong Mu praised her and reassured her, making Qian Mu believe they were sincere and that there was no need to make things worse.

They think that some people are thoughtless. Probably because they’ve been in the military for too long, they become rigid and lack social skills.

You went to Second Sister’s place and hit her colleague. You offended people, and your family just packed up and left. Isn’t it Second Sister’s family that has to clean up the mess?

For this matter, Qian’s mother was unhappy.

She wanted to come and see how her daughter-in-law’s surgery went.

If Lin Xia couldn’t take care of herself, she would have helped for a few days.

After all, Lin Xia had taken care of her when she broke her leg.

However, she found that her daughter-in-law had changed the lock!

Tong Ailian said Lin Xia’s sister came to accompany her to the hospital.

Qian’s mother was very angry and believed that her daughter-in-law deliberately changed the lock to keep her out because she was upset that Qian’s mother didn’t stay in the hospital with her.

It might have been instigated by Lin Shu.

In her anger, she left without going to the hospital to see her eldest daughter-in-law.

These past two days, she was thinking that Lin Xia’s salary for the month should be paid, so she came to check.

As soon as she entered the steel factory, Tong’s mother stopped her and complained to her.

Tong’s mother had always appeared polite on the surface but always maintained a high and mighty attitude.

After all, the Tong family was better off than the Qian family, and it was rumored they had connections inside and outside the factory.

When Qian’s mother saw Tong’s mother suddenly lowering her head and complaining in a pitiful manner, and praising her and Lisheng, she had a strange feeling.

Seeing someone who was usually strong, outstanding, and unyielding suddenly lowering their head to her, she felt an unexpected sense of pity and thought the other person was pitiful.

Her daughter-in-law and brother-in-law were a bit too much.

Especially since Tong’s mother kept praising her as a good mother-in-law and Qian Lisheng as a good man.

“Lisheng is such a fine young man. How could he not find a good wife? Why must he find someone from the countryside? The job was given by you, and everything he eats, drinks, and wears is provided by the Qian family. Isn’t that just sucking blood all the time? Your Qian family is really one of the rare great benefactors in the world.”

“Do you think Lin Xia is grateful? I don’t think so. If she were grateful, she wouldn’t have ignored her mother-in-law’s feelings and bullied her mother-in-law’s old colleagues and neighbors.”

“This Lin Xia doesn’t deserve Lisheng at all!”

Qian’s mother had accumulated some dissatisfaction with Lin Xia over the past two years.

When Tong’s mother said this, she felt as if her grievances were being vindicated.

She felt that Tong’s mother understood her.

Tong’s mother continued: “Guo Qiang has never wanted to compete with Lisheng for the position of workshop director. He feels that he’s not as good as Lisheng and wants to go to the provincial capital for further study. Guo Qiang’s intention is to let Lisheng be the deputy director, and when Lisheng is promoted to the head director, he can then be promoted to deputy director. Isn’t that better?”

“I don’t think Lin Xia is sensible. She doesn’t support Lisheng’s major career development and insists on having surgery. Why choose to have surgery at this time?”

“Years without a child, and she’s insisting on waiting for this moment? Once Lisheng becomes the director, she can have the surgery and enjoy the director’s medical benefits. It’s so selfish of her, not considering the man at all.”

“Can’t wait for her mother-in-law to take care of her and bring her sister’s family over here to eat and drink. It’s all coming out of the old money’s pocket. As an outsider, I feel heartbroken watching this. I can’t stand it!”

“Anyone would prioritize a pregnant daughter-in-law over one who isn’t. If the mother-in-law isn’t going to care for a pregnant woman, who will she care for?

The grandchild in her arms and the one yet to come, which one is more important? Does Lin Xia not know the difference? To put it bluntly, she’s just being unreasonable, challenging her mother-in-law.”

Qian Mu felt that Tong Mu understood her perfectly, hitting the nail on the head.

She saw Tong Mu as a great person!

Qian Mu was this type of person—no matter how she might feign friendliness with relatives and neighbors, gossiping and speaking ill behind their backs, when it came to criticizing her daughter-in-law, she’d form an alliance, united in animosity.

In her mind, conflicts with her daughter-in-law were far more significant than any disputes with neighbors, who didn’t burden her with demands or require her to be on call.

Her daughter-in-law, however, was a real troublemaker for her.

Whenever she found herself inconvenienced by her daughter-in-law, she felt it was entirely justified.

As the mother-in-law and elder, she believed her daughter-in-law should be accommodating.

Especially since Lin Xia’s job had been arranged by her!

If not for the family, Lin Xia would have married a rural man, working in the fields.

How could she live so comfortably?

Tong Mu sneered and said to Qian Mu, “You’re so understanding, much more reasonable than those country folks.”

Tong Ailian added, “Mother!”

While she was annoyed at her mother’s and Tong Xiaojun’s behavior, and felt sorry for her brother being beaten, her biggest concern was still the juicy gossip.

Wasn’t Lin Shu’s husband a martyr? How could he suddenly come back?

The higher-ups had issued documents—what happened suddenly?

What about the compensation?

Should it be returned, or is the 800 yuan compensation still valid?

There’s so much gossip here, she really wants to be the first to know.

Unfortunately, Lin Xia hadn’t given her a chance to visit before.

She advised Lin Xia not to be angry, and that kids’ fights should be resolved easily.

Tong Xiaojun saw some children’s books on the table, books he hadn’t seen before, and immediately reached out to grab them.

Panpan quickly snatched them back, refusing to let him see them.

Tong Xiaojun began to throw a tantrum.

Wang Guixiang slapped her own son and scolded, “You little rascal, always taking other people’s things, huh?”

Tong Mu wasn’t pleased and immediately defended her grandson, scolding Wang Guixiang, “What are you doing? Why are you hitting my grandson?”

“You daughters-in-law really don’t respect your mother-in-law. Here at your Aunt Qian’s place, you act so unruly? “

She pointed at Wang Guixiang and criticized her, showing off her authority as a mother-in-law.

She seemed to be aligning herself with Qian’s mother, indicating: Look, I’m not giving my daughter-in-law any face for you.

Qian’s mother then said to Panpan: “Don’t be so petty. Show Xiaojun that you can play together and not fight anymore.”

Panpan naturally refused, “He and his grandma and uncle hit me, no way!”

Qian’s mother’s expression darkened further.

The relatives don’t know how to teach their children, not giving any respect to their elder.

Originally, she came to apologize, but because Lin Shu didn’t give face to the Tong family, things ended unhappily.

Tong’s mother took her grandson and said to Qian’s mother: “Forget it, we’ll leave for now.”

Qian’s mother sent them off, apologizing: “Don’t be angry, we’ll talk again later.”

Inside, Tong Ailian also advised Lin Xia, “Don’t be angry. My mother’s just like that, she’s always hard to please, and I’m always annoyed by her too.”

Lin Xia: “Alright, you can go now. Please visit less in the future.”

Whether it’s your mother’s mouth or something else, today your mother was clearly wrong.

She came to apologize but acted so arrogantly.