Before dawn arrived.
-------------
Watching Cai Hongying, who noticeably sped up her pace heading to the kitchen after collecting the bowls, Liao Hui sighed secretly. He was sure that his mom genuinely wanted the best for her daughter-in-law, but he still felt the need to ask his uncle to feel at ease. However, would it break his mom’s heart if she knew?
Zhou Xiangping felt similarly to Liao Hui. They’re not unfeeling creatures, and she was sure that the kindness Cai Hongying showed her wasn’t fake. However, having had her doubts to start with, and after Third Brother’s analysis, she was even more convinced there was sothing off about the prescription. Not asking wouldn’t bring her peace.
Even so, if it turned out both Third Brother’s analysis and her intuition were wrong, she would force herself to carry on and would sincerely apologize to her mother-in-law.
Checking the ti and seeing it was still a while before lunch, Zhou Mikang suggested, "Why don’t you call right now and ask? It’s best not to delay this matter."
"Alright." Liao Hui got up and went upstairs, turning back to remind his wife, "If mom asks, just say I’m too hot and went upstairs for a shower."
Zhou Xiangping waved him off, saying, "Quickly, don’t dawdle, I’m not a fool."
Before Liao Hui returned downstairs, Cai Hongying had already brought out the fish soup. Seeing no sign of her son, she asked curiously, "Where is Little Hui?" Zhou Xiangping replied as Liao Hui instructed, prompting Cai Hongying to imdiate frown, "Can’t handle the heat already? His endurance is too weak; how can he bear family responsibilities like this? No way, I’ll definitely have to talk to him, he can’t spoil himself like this. He’s going to be a father, he needs to have so backbone."
Zhou Xiangping hastily agreed, "Yes, yes, mom, you need to speak to him. You were busy all morning and didn’t mind the heat; he couldn’t stand it already, how could this work?"
"I’m used to working in the kitchen, so I don’t feel anything; Little Hui has never cooked before, he certainly needs more ti to adapt."
That’s the way mothers are; you can chastise your son, but if anyone else does, you will find reasons to excuse him. That’s exactly how Cai Hongying is now.
"Mom, you’ve worked hard." Not knowing what else to say, Zhou Xiangping could only praise her mother-in-law in this way.
"Not hard at all, not at all. As long as you’re well, mom doesn’t feel tired one bit. You two quickly drink the fish soup, I’ll go prepare lunch." After saying this, Cai Hongying returned to the kitchen.
"By the way, where’s your Mrs. Zhang?" Chuxia asked puzzled, "Her annual leave isn’t over yet?"
"Sothing happened at her ho..." With a sigh, Zhou Xiangping’s face turned sad, "The night before last, her brother went out drinking and had too much; on his way ho, he saw a fallen electrical wire and went to pick it up by hand, and then... he was gone."
Both Chuxia and Zhou Mikang were speechless. Yet during the holiday season, such a tragedy happened. They really didn’t have anything appropriate to say.
"I’ve heard her brother went out drinking because he was upset, said he argued with his sister-in-law, supposedly over Zhang Jun’s marriage. Previously Zhang Jun had settled on your Little Jing, and then Grandma Zhou also expressed agreent.
But, around New Year, Zhang Jun’s mom went back to her family and encountered an old classmate’s daughter who works in a performing arts troupe now. That girl had always liked Zhang Jun since she was young. Perhaps upon hearing Zhang Jun had a girlfriend, she told Zhang Jun’s mom about her feelings, and then Zhang Jun’s mom wavered.
However, both Zhang Jun and his dad disagreed, saying people can’t act that way. Zhang Jun’s mom accused them of being closed-minded, saying marrying a doctor’s daughter is better than marrying a maid.
This was revealed by Mrs. Zhang to my mother-in-law after the incident. Having worked here for so many years and since the Liao family and Zhou family are in-laws, she figured with this happening, it’s hard for Zhang Jun and Little Jing to be together, and so she revealed the truth.
My mother-in-law consulted on how to handle the situation, and I thought we should first observe Zhang Jun’s reaction. If he doesn’t react, then perhaps wait until after the fifteen-day mark to tell Little Jing the matter."
Once Zhou Xiangping finished speaking, Chuxia furrowed her brows, "What I want to ask is, where was the daughter of Mrs. Zhang’s brother’s old classmate all this ti? Zhang Jun retired years ago and was always going on blind dates; she must’ve known, why did she have to interfere now?"
"Mrs. Zhang says the girl is shy and had always been too embarrassed to speak out. Plus, seeing Zhang Jun had high standards, she didn’t worry. This ti, seeing Zhang Jun was serious, she got scared."
"That’s absolutely a character issue." Chuxia snorted with her nose scrunched, "Is this shyness? If she weren’t ’shy,’ would she be able to forcibly snatch soone even if they’re married?"
"Sigh!" Zhou Xiangping sighed, "I’ve seen that girl, she looks pretty average and is especially thin, probably lacks confidence?"
Chuxia secretly massaged her forehead. In later generations, just a word ’thin’ would inspire lots of confidence, wouldn’t it? But as for now, most people’s sense of aesthetics is still very reflective of this era’s characteristics.
"Third sister-in-law, her thinness is not like yours..." Chuxia’s action made Zhou Xiangping mistakenly think Chuxia was accusing her of alluding to her, so she hurriedly explained, "She is skinny to the point of being gaunt, without makeup it’s really not a good look."
"What does she perform at the performing arts troupe?" Chuxia was curious about the role of a not good-looking person in the troupe, so she asked.
"Recitation, she has a beautiful voice and her recitations are really moving."
"Do you really need to wear make-up for a recitation?" Chuxia asked curiously. She rembered that people in this era who went on stage to recite usually applied just a little, which couldn’t compare to the light makeup of later generations.
Zhou Xiangping nodded, "Yeah, every ti she does, and it looks quite nice."
"Then I should pay attention to her next ti. What’s her na?"
"Let think..." Zhou Xiangping apologized with a smile, "Since getting pregnant, my mory has been a bit off... Ah, right, her na is Jiang Xueqin, from the city art troupe."
Chuxia nodded, indicating she rembered.
"Do you want her to leave the art troupe?" Zhou Mikang finally spoke.
"No..." Chuxia shook her head, "Even though Mrs. Zhang said so, matters of the heart between n and won shouldn’t be interfered with without fully understanding the situation.
Besides, if you interfere, Little Jing might never get married in this lifeti. Don’t get wrong, I’m not jealous. I’m just stating the facts."
Everyone in the Zhou family knew about Little Jing’s crush on Zhou Mikang, but Chuxia spoke about it openly.
Zhou Xiangping quickly glanced at Zhou Mikang, smiling awkwardly as she replied, "Third sister-in-law, just because I ntioned it doesn’t an I’m asking Third Brother to get involved. I just think that since Little Jing is a maid in the Zhou family, we should discuss this matter with the family."
"You’re wrongly accusing again..." Chuxia stared at her unhappily. "You really think I’m jealous of Little Jing? It’s so hurtful to be misunderstood like this."
"No, no..." Zhou Xiangping waved her hands in agitation, looking to Zhou Mikang for help, "Third Brother..."
"Who told you to butt in?" Zhou Mikang gave her a glare then turned to his wife. "I want her to leave the art troupe not because of Little Jing, but because you don’t like her. It’s all up to you whether she leaves or not. Whether Little Jing overthinks it or chooses to marry has nothing to do with ."
"Even though I don’t like her behavior, I don’t think that alone should ruin her future. Let’s wait until we have more details to decide. But I like what you just said..." Chuxia smiled at him, "It’s comndable."
Zhou Mikang unconsciously looked away, especially in front of his sister. How could he talk like this? Ah, he spoiled her so much that she was becoming more and more unruly! But... this unruliness, he seed to quite like it!
Seeing her brother’s awkward deanor, Zhou Xiangping wanted to laugh but didn’t dare, feeling incredibly envious inside. Compared to her brother, Liao Hui was just too ordinary!
As she was silently grumbling, Liao Hui ca down the stairs, his brow tightly furrowed, and Zhou Xiangping’s face fell. By the look of her husband, the issue seed very serious, huh?
After sitting down, Liao Hui sighed and looked at the group, "It turns out it was a mistake my mom made. Third Brother, you can hit . If I had asked earlier, Xiao Si wouldn’t have suffered all these days."
"What happened?" Zhou Mikang’s face turned serious. How could such a thing be misheard? Didn’t they ask about it specifically?
"My uncle said five hours, but my mom heard it as five minutes..."
Everyone: "..."
Liao Hui felt helpless about this, thinking what a silly mistake, yet his mom made it anyway!
However, thinking back, he understood a bit. When he called his uncle, the man said five hours, and even he initially assud it ant five minutes, given how his uncle’s dialect-tinged Mandarin sounded. Who was there to bla?
Seeing Zhou Mikang’s face turn as dark as a pot, Zhou Xiangping quickly said, "Third Brother, don’t be mad. I trust mother-in-law didn’t do it on purpose. I’ve t my uncle before, and it’s true that his speech is a bit unclear."
"It’s forgivable at other tis, but now? When it’s about two lives—a mother and child—how could she afford to mishear?" Zhou Mikang stuttered angrily, eyebrows furrowed.
Liao Hui imdiately said, "Third Brother, you’re right. But I believe, truly believe, my mom didn’t do it on purpose. She might have been too excited, and her brain got overactive, causing the misunderstanding. If she knew the mistake she made, she definitely wouldn’t forgive herself for so ti.
Third Brother, I’m definitely not making excuses for my mom. How about I call her out right now to explain it to you in person? If you don’t trust , you can co with to call her, alright?"
"What’s the point?" Zhou Mikang glared at him, quickly standing up, "Hurry to the hospital, check if those soups drunk during this ti had any effect on health!"
"Yes, yes..." Liao Hui snapped back to reality, responding repeatedly and hurriedly got up to support his wife, with a face full of guilt. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welco to vote for recomndations and monthly tickets at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read on m.qidian.)
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