A family of three walked on the muddy snow-covered road, presenting itself as a picturesque sight to others.
The man was tall and burly, while the woman was petite and graceful. Their chubby son, "Little Fatty," was particularly noticeable with his round, fair face. The red scarf around his neck fluttered in the wind, saving him from the biting cold.
"Xibao has grown up so nicely, look at his chubby appearance."
"Lu Jiang, you’re indeed blessed, with a good wife and a chubby son. You should treat your wife well while she’s at home."
"With the weather so cold, both of you are quite bold to bring Xibao out. Aren’t you afraid of him getting cold?"
Such chit-chat was a constant companion along the way.
Lu Jiang laughed somewhat foolishly, suddenly meeting a hurried Miao Fengqin.
"Where are you three coming from?" Miao Fengqin stopped in her tracks the moment she saw them. She grabbed Feng Qingxue, "Xiaoxue, I seemed to hear that Wang Jiao’s mother-in-law was looking for you. What did she want with you? Was it because of Wang Jiao or the child?"
Who would invite Feng Qingxue over without a valid reason such as illness or childbirth?
Thinking about her daughter and grandchild, Miao Fengqin was all worry. She had been carrying water when she heard the news and rushed home immediately. After dropping the water container at home, she hurriedly left for her daughter’s.
Feng Qingxue smiled, "Aunt, don’t worry, Jiaojiao and Goudan are both fine."
"If they’re fine, why did they look for you?" Miao Fengqin was somewhat incredulous.
"Jiaojiao couldn’t produce breastmilk, and Goudan’s milk powder just ran out. He got so hungry that he began to cry loudly, so Zhang’s wife asked me to feed Goudan for a meal."
Upon hearing this, Miao Fengqin furrowed her brows even more, "Wang Jiao got so fat eating well during her pregnancy, and even after the birth of the baby, we sent over quite a few things, didn’t you also? If she ate so well, why doesn’t she have breastmilk? Isn’t Zhang Yuejin’s mom willing to cook delicious food for Wang Jiao? On the day Goudan was born, didn’t she promise to look after everything? Is she not keeping her word?"
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship had always been a paradox. Mothers seemed to automatically suspect that their daughters weren’t being treated well by their in-laws.
"That’s not true!" Feng Qingxue quickly said, "When I got to Jiaojiao’s house, Jiaojiao’s husband was stewing an old hen for her! Jiaojiao told me she eats two eggs every day, either in noodle soup or with brown sugar. She even had pig trotters soup a few days ago."
Miao Fengqin was half-convinced, "If she’s eating so well, why doesn’t she have breastmilk?"
Feng Qingxue smiled knowingly, "Don’t you know what kind of person Jiaojiao is? She eats everything, except a loss. Doesn’t Jiaojiao’s husband and her mother-in-law always spoil her? Jiaojiao’s husband’s two younger brothers were standing at the kitchen door, salivating and sniffing, and you wouldn’t believe, Zhang’s wife sent the two away with steamed buns, fearing they’d drink a mouthful of soup and Jiaojiao would have one mouthful less. Jiaojiao, she’s just too eager for food, so when her appetite isn’t fulfilled, she doesn’t have enough milk for her child."
Zhang Yuejin also has two younger brothers, ten-year-old Zhang Qianjin, and eight-year-old Zhang Fenjin. Both are in school. Although Zhang Yuejin moved out right after getting married, he’s the one who pays for his brothers’ school fees. In the future, they’ll still have to rely on Zhang Yuejin when they marry. According to Feng Qingxue’s private analysis, this is probably why Zhang Yuejin’s mom tolerates Wang Jiao to such an extent.
Zhang Yuejin’s dad is still alive, working hard every year to earn work points. But everybody knows, working on his own fields all year round, he can just about afford enough food, leaving not much money left. The whole family sees Zhang Yuejin as the most promising, and everyone depends on him.