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“Mom, let me support you over there. I’m afraid I might accidentally drop you if I carry you. I wouldn’t mind getting hurt, but if you fall again, it’s no joke. Elderly people fear falls the most. Remember how Mr. Zhang from the neighboring house had that incident after a fall?” Wang Zhenjiang suggested, trying to convince his mother to be cautious.
Unwilling to listen, Zhu Qiyu’s face immediately darkened, glaring at Zhang Lan. “Daughter-in-law, what are you implying? Are you cursing me?”
With Zhu Qiyu’s tone turning unfriendly, Zhang Lan realized that her mother-in-law was displeased. Reluctantly, she began to carry the heavy elderly lady to the bathroom. Just as they were about to proceed, Wang Juan, witnessed the scene and intervened, cautioning Zhang Lan to be careful.
Surprised by the unexpected assistance, Zhu Qiyu couldn’t resist making a snide remark towards Wang Juan for her interference. However, Wang Juan remained composed and cheerful, explaining her presence and inquiring about their intentions.
Wang Juan didn’t take Zhu Qiyu’s words to heart, maintaining a smile on her face. “Mom, I just came to check on you. Your son wanted me to make sure everything was okay. By the way, what are you planning to do?”
Zhang Lan gestured with her mouth to indicate they were going to bathe.
Understanding the situation, Wang Juan couldn’t help but feel annoyed internally. She found it exasperating that Zhu Qiyu, with her leg in a cast, was still causing commotion. She advised Zhu Qiyu to be cautious about bathing in the cold weather, reminding her not to give the impression that her care wasn’t up to par.
Annoyed, Zhu Qiyu retorted, “I know whether I’m being taken care of or not. It’s none of your business. Stop babbling and help me inside.”
After washing and assisting the elderly lady, Zhang Lan and Wang Juan helped her back. Sitting in the adjacent room, Zhang Lan took a deep breath, feeling exhausted. She expressed her frustration to Wang Juan about how demanding Zhu Qiyu was and how tiring it was to attend to her without a break. Wang Juan advised Zhang Lan not to cater excessively to Zhu Qiyu’s demands, as it would only encourage her to be more difficult.
Reflecting on Zhu Qiyu’s behavior, Wang Juan suggested not treating her as a typical elderly person and to avoid overindulging her. She hinted at Zhu Qiyu possibly holding grudges and using the opportunity to cause trouble. Wang Juan proposed a different approach for handling Zhu Qiyu in the future, emphasizing the need to stand firm.
Wang Juan was genuinely upset; she found it unfair that Zhu Qiyu behaved differently at her brother’s house, happily eating simple meals like pickled vegetables and pancakes but demanding more at their place. The contrast was glaring.
Zhang Lan sighed, “Sister-in-law, she is Zhenhe’s mother after all. I have to consider her feelings. I’m frustrated too, but at this point, what more can we do? We need to focus on helping her recover her leg and eventually send her back home. Otherwise, we’ll be the ones enduring the hardship.”
Considering the situation, Wang Juan agreed that getting Zhu Qiyu back on her feet was crucial for everyone’s well-being. They needed to prioritize her recovery to escape the ongoing challenges.
In the afternoon, Wang Zhenjiang returned home, realizing he couldn’t stay away too long with his demanding mother at home. Understanding Zhang Lan’s compassionate nature, he knew she wouldn’t refuse to care for Zhu Qiyu, despite the difficulties. With Wang Zhenhe present, Zhu Qiyu behaved more obediently, sitting with a smile as she expressed concern for her son’s health, surprising him with her unusual show of care.
This unexpected display left Wang Zhenhe feeling both touched and apprehensive, unsure of his mother’s intentions. He couldn’t shake the feeling of unease, as his mother rarely showed such affection. Despite the gesture, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable, preferring his mother’s familiar and characteristic demeanor.
After Zhu Qiyu’s actions, Wang Zhenhe couldn’t stay in the room and hurried next door to take a break. Zhang Lan, seeing that it was still early, came over to check on him.
“Why did you come over here? Aren’t you going to sit with your mom for a while?” she asked.
Wang Zhenhe sighed, “Wife, I was just scared by my mother. How was your day? Did she trouble you?”
Listening to his wife, Zhang Lan recounted everything she had done that day to her husband. She remarked, “Zhenhe, honestly, this is more like your mom. She feels uncomfortable if she’s not causing a commotion. Judging by your reaction earlier, she probably misunderstood something.”
Wang Zhenhe acknowledged the challenges Zhang Lan faced that day, understanding how difficult his mother could be to deal with. He comforted her, saying, “Hang in there. Once she’s better and gone in a few days, you’ll feel relieved. If her demands are unreasonable, just ignore them. If she continues causing trouble tomorrow, call your brother and sister-in-law over. With them around, she might not be as troublesome.”
Despite Zhang Lan’s reservations about involving their siblings-in-law, Wang Zhenhe believed it was necessary to handle Zhu Qiyu’s behavior. He urged Zhang Lan to endure a little longer until things settled down once Zhu Qiyu recovered and left.
“Let her make a fuss. I’ll just ignore her. Eventually, she won’t be able to cause much trouble,” Zhang Lan decided.
Dinner was served with delicious dishes as usual. After the meal, Wang Deshan left. Later, Zhu Qiyu demanded fruit, knowing there were apple trees behind the third son’s house. Zhang Lan peeled an apple for her, and Zhu Qiyu sat on the kang, slowly eating. Despite being well cared for by the third daughter-in-law, Zhu Qiyu felt lonely as she hadn’t engaged in conversation with anyone all day.
Compared to living with the eldest and second son’s families, where the wives would argue back, the silence here was unsettling for Zhu Qiyu. The house was silent, and Zhang Lan and Wang Zhenhe whispered about their day in the adjacent room, leaving Zhu Qiyu feeling restless.
“Son, I need to use the restroom. Hurry over,” Zhu Qiyu called out, interrupting their conversation.
The couple quickly attended to Zhu Qiyu’s needs, with Wang Zhenhe helping her to a special chair. After assisting Zhu Qiyu, the couple prepared to rest. Zhu Qiyu shared a room with them, separated by a wall, with a way to call out if needed during the night.
As the couple had just fallen asleep, the elderly lady in the other room began calling out, “Daughter-in-law of the third son, I need water.”
Zhang Lan planned to get up, but her husband stopped her, saying, “Don’t get up. You might catch a cold. Your health isn’t great. I’ll go get it for her.”
With pre-prepared room temperature water, Wang Zhenhe quickly prepared it for Zhu Qiyu. After drinking the water, Zhu Qiyu wasn’t ready to sleep yet. “Son, call your wife over to massage my legs. They feel achy and numb, making me uncomfortable,” she requested.
Reluctantly, Wang Zhenhe climbed onto the kang to massage Zhu Qiyu’s legs, but she refused his help, insisting, “Why are you here? Let your wife do it. She’s been idle all day at home. You’ll need to work tomorrow.”
Wang Zhenhe couldn’t tell if his mother pitied or troubled him. He understood that if Zhang Lan fell ill, the household would suffer. He tried to reason with Zhu Qiyu, urging her to let them rest, emphasizing the long day they had.
Realizing his mother’s intentions were to keep them awake, Wang Zhenhe asserted himself, acknowledging that his mother’s request was more about keeping her company rather than genuinely needing assistance.
Zhu Qiyu, finally finding someone to converse with, wasn’t about to let Wang Zhenhe go so easily.
“Alright, if your wife won’t do it, you come and massage me. What’s the difference? I’m old enough; I don’t have to worry about appearances at this age,” Zhu Qiyu insisted.
Sadly, Wang Zhenhe seemed to brush off her request, continuing to massage her legs without calling Zhang Lan for help. He had learned from past experiences not to take his mother’s words at face value. Choosing to ignore her comment, he quietly massaged her legs while stifling a yawn.
“Son, I heard you’ve been working in town. What kind of work are you doing? It seems pretty easy. I remember seeing Minglin ride that motorcycle too,” Zhu Qiyu casually remarked, unintentionally catching Wang Zhenhe off guard.
Her comment startled Wang Zhenhe out of his drowsiness. He responded, “We’re working for a factory, and I borrowed that motorcycle from someone. The factory manager even deducted my wages for borrowing it. It’s not as simple as you think.”
Zhu Qiyu didn’t delve further into Wang Zhenhe’s work, as in her eyes, he was merely the son who did manual labor without much potential for success. She didn’t have high hopes for him, considering him unable to assert himself and lacking clarity in communication.
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