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Realizing that words were futile at this point, Wang Qian refrained from offering further advice. “Mom, take care of yourself. Don’t let her have her way. If needed, clearly express your boundaries. Let my two good aunts come back to help care for her. Grandma has always favored them, so they should come and support her now.
If her leg is truly broken, recovering from a serious injury like that takes time. Taking care of someone isn’t a short-term task. Let everyone take turns. Don’t let sweet words confuse you,” Wang Qian expressed her concerns for her mother’s well-being.
Understanding her daughter’s concern, Zhang Lan smiled and gently touched her daughter’s face, “Sweetie, I’m not easily fooled. You and your brother go back and tidy up. If there’s anything, we’ll discuss it when you return next week.”
After informing Grandma Yang about the assistance needed, Wang Qian went back to the city to restock the supplies, feeling uneasy about the situation at home.
Upon hearing Zhang Lan recount stories from Weiguo’s childhood, the siblings bought a considerable amount of sugar-coated popped rice and sent it to Zhang Weiguo. Later, they discussed the family situation with their older brothers, with Wang Minglin contemplating while enjoying the sugar-coated popped rice.
“Don’t worry, Qian Qian. Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll drive over to see what’s going on. I’m concerned about Grandma too. Let’s hope she doesn’t cause trouble for Mom and our other uncles and aunts,” Wang Minglin reassured his sister as they discussed the family’s current situation.
Everyone maintained a facade of respectful deference towards the grandmother, despite disliking her actions. While they respected her as their elder, they were observant enough to see through her behavior. They offered their due respect, but if things escalated, Wang Minglin felt he might not be as patient.
Upon Wang Minglin’s return, the news he brought to the siblings was far from optimistic. Zhu Qiyu had injured her leg severely, rendering her immobile. The four daughters-in-law had started taking turns caring for her. However, with Ma Fenqing and Wang Zhenguo both working, unable to take leave every day, the responsibility fell mainly on Wang Deshan. While the others didn’t voice their discontent, they felt somewhat uneasy about the situation. They all worked tirelessly, yet somehow the burden always seemed to fall on the sons and daughters-in-law.
Rather than recuperating at home, Zhu Qiyu proposed staying at each of her sons’ homes in rotation, allowing the daughters-in-law to care for her. This arrangement saved on food and cooking, with Wang Deshan joining for meals but not involved in caregiving. Zhu Qiyu only returned home to recuperate when it was her eldest son’s turn to care for her.
Zhang Lan and Wang Zhenhe arrived the next day, as it wasn’t their turn that week. They were content to come and help manage the business during their leisure time.
During a meal, Wang Qian casually inquired, “Dad, is Grandma’s leg okay? And why haven’t my two aunts returned yet?”
She was curious to see how her mother’s beloved daughters would react upon learning about her mother’s illness, keen on witnessing a scene of maternal love and filial piety.
“I’m not entirely sure about your grandma’s leg; your younger uncle handled it, saying it’s a fracture that will require at least three months of care, with good food and drink. Your grandma didn’t want to bother your aunts, mentioning they were working and shouldn’t lose out on earning money,” Wang Zhenhe explained.
Mingyuan scoffed, “Dad, Grandma worries about aunts’ jobs but not about our financial situation for the children’s education. She’s prioritizing in the wrong places.”
Aware of her children’s discontent, Zhang Lan understood their frustration. However, given their roles as son and daughter-in-law, they had to maintain a certain demeanor.
Patting Mingyuan’s head, she said, “Good son, don’t argue with them. Your grandma is elderly, and caring for her is our responsibility. Let’s finish eating; you need to get ready for school soon.”
Zhang Lan asked her husband to inform her mother to come help out when he went to procure seafood. Hearing about Zhu Qiyu’s injury, Geng Lianhua decided to pay a visit, considering it was important to show respect, especially since their son-in-law had been kind to them.
Wang Zhenhe straightforwardly declined, “Mom, just help us manage the store in the city. I have to handle wholesale electronics and seafood transportation. It’s too much for me alone. You can assist with cooking, and we don’t need to involve my mom. Let’s keep our interactions to a minimum and avoid unnecessary conflicts.”
After finally dropping off the elderly lady at Han Cui’s house, Wang Juan couldn’t help but heave a sigh of relief. “Oh my, she’s exhausting me to death. I’ve never seen someone so demanding. It’s just a leg injury, why can’t she move her arms? Insisting on being fed, Wang Zhenhai, is your mother really sick or just here to trouble people? If she keeps this up, she can go hungry next time. Who has the time to feed her bit by bit? She’s more difficult to care for than a paralyzed person. I’m telling you, next time it’s your turn to look after her, I still have work to do. I can’t spend my days helping her go to the bathroom.”
Wang Zhenhai didn’t know what to say. She was his mother after all, and her behavior was indeed a bit unreasonable. He had even set up a chair with a hole to assist her in using the restroom, but she refused to go outside, complaining it was cold. He was at a loss.
“Wife, hang in there a little longer. Once we visit the second son’s house, you’ll get a break to see how they handle it,” Wang Zhenhai tried to reassure his wife.
The next day, Han Cui approached Wang Juan with frustration. “Sister-in-law, how are you caring for her? She’s a grown adult, not handicapped. Why are you feeding her? You can’t indulge this behavior. A broken leg doesn’t prevent someone from eating. I’ll serve the food, but whether she eats or not is up to her. I won’t tolerate this. Next time, don’t do it this way, or people might get the wrong idea about me.”
Han Cui’s straightforwardness highlighted what Wang Juan couldn’t manage. Watching her sister-in-law, Wang Juan smiled and said, “Sister-in-law, if you handle it this way, I won’t be as diligent. It’s my first time dealing with this. If you help the old lady adapt, it’ll make things easier for all of us. We have so many tasks at hand, inside and outside the house. None of us have the time to feed her bit by bit, even for water. It’s uncomfortable for me too.”
Both women had their struggles and found solace in sharing their frustrations. Meanwhile, Zhu Qiyu glared at the bowl of food in front of her, annoyed by her second daughter-in-law’s behavior, feeling she was hard to deal with.
“Zhenjiang, I want chicken soup. All you give me are pickled radishes. When will my body recover? Aren’t you mistreating your mother? I raised you with so much effort, and this is how you treat me. My life is so hard,” Zhu Qiyu complained tearfully, looking at her second son.
Wang Zhenjiang sighed and gently patted his head, “Mom, can you not act like this? The chickens at home are egg-laying hens. We rely on their eggs to sell and help your grandson find a wife. Can you bear to have them slaughtered? Besides, you always taught us to be frugal. Just bear with it a bit longer. In a few days, you’ll be at the third son’s house. They have plenty of chickens there for you to enjoy.”
At that moment, Zhu Qiyu’s elder brother, Zhu Mancang, heard about his sister’s illness and came to visit. Seeing his brother, the elderly lady began complaining once more.
After comforting his sister, Zhu Mancang turned to his nephew, “Zhenjiang, your mother’s request isn’t unreasonable. Just a bit of chicken soup. Eating chicken regularly could help improve her leg. It’s better than all the hard work you’ve been doing. Hurry up and get her a chicken. The sooner she gets well, the better for everyone.”
Reluctantly, under Zhu Mancang’s supervision, Wang Zhenjiang reluctantly went to the chicken coop, caught and killed a chicken. When Han Cui returned from the eldest son’s house and saw the chicken on the stove, she couldn’t help but express her distress, feeling heartbroken. “Wang Zhenjiang, who allowed you to kill the chicken? My poor mother, she lays so many eggs. How much salt could we have bought with that?”
Han Cui continued to scold Wang Zhenjiang in the kitchen, while Zhu Qiyu calmly sat on the kang, combing her hair and pinning it neatly. She calmly addressed Han Cui in the kitchen, “In-law from the second son’s family, what are you saying? My son is filial and wants to make chicken soup for his mother. Isn’t that appropriate? I’ve been thinking lately. I need to observe how each family behaves during this time. I have a chest of dowry items that I must decide who to leave it to in the future.”
Han Cui retorted, “Mom, do as you wish with the chest. An empty chest is useless.”
She didn’t believe her mother-in-law had anything left. The grandmother had already given her youngest son’s wife a pair of silver bracelets for the wedding. Whatever was left from before was probably sold long ago.
However, Wang Zhenjiang was intrigued by Zhu Qiyu’s mention. “Mom, do you still have those gold items?”
Zhu Qiyu smiled at her son from her perch on the kang. “Of course, those were part of the dowry your grandma gave me. How could I easily part with them? I intend to keep them as family heirlooms. If I had sold them over the years, our family wouldn’t have faced such hardships. I want to pass down these items through the generations, to show our descendants that the Wang family also had a solid foundation.”
Observing her husband’s genuine interest, Han Cui began to wonder if her mother-in-law truly had some hidden treasures.
Quickly entering the room from the kitchen with a smile, she said, “Mom, serving you is our duty. Just let us know what you want to eat, and I’ll do my best to prepare it as long as we have the ingredients.”
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