"Mom, even if I lack success, I’m still the one you gave birth to."
Zhou Qiang sat down next to her and grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds to crack open. His speed of cracking seeds matched the pace of his speech as he said, "Anyway, I’m not doing it, sis. Fortunately, brother-in-law didn’t make me do it."
"Your brother-in-law cares about you too," Zhou He took the opportunity to chime in.
Their mother shivered with anger, shooting Zhou Qiang a look of profound disappointment, then turned her displeased face towards Zhou He and said, "Xiaohe, are you still Xiaoqiang’s sister? Or have you lost your mind? What kind of caring is this? I see it as them not treating you like a daughter-in-law at all; otherwise, what’s wrong with helping out your little brother?"
"But I am helping him. It’s better than him starting something and not being able to finish, right?" Zhou He replied, her face the picture of innocence. Changing the subject, she said, "Mom, did you come to see me today? I’ll be giving birth in two months, and soon you’ll be a grandma."
"Just becoming a grandma? I’ve been one long ago." Her mother said with indifference, glancing at her belly before adding, "Your belly is pointed; it might well be a boy. Has your mother-in-law mentioned any reward for having a son?"
The child to be born was her own flesh and blood. Why would she need a reward from someone else?
Besides, whether a son or a daughter, they would still be a piece of her own flesh, and she could never care enough for them.
"Mom, have some cookies, these are specially good."
Zhou He attempted to divert the conversation once more.
"Mom, sister-in-law’s mother and brother have come; I asked them to stay for lunch," Xu Nianhua ran all the way to the factory, drenched in sweat.
Upon hearing this, Ji Ying immediately set down what she was doing and hurried back home.
"Mom, aren’t we going to buy groceries?" Xu Nianhua hurriedly asked.
Ji Ying stuffed ten yuan into Xu Nianhua’s hand and said, "You go buy the groceries, I’ll head home first."
Previously, when Zhou He’s mother visited, she had even hit Zhou He, causing Ji Ying to worry.
The daughter-in-law was heavily pregnant.
Xu Nianhua looked bewilderedly at Ji Ying’s retreating back, stunned. What was mother doing? Even if she was in a hurry to get back, there was no need to be this anxious.
Xu Nianhua murmured to herself, then took a different path to the farmers’ market to buy groceries.
"Mom, you’re back?" Zhou He was at a loss about how to talk to her own mother, feeling like every sentence they exchanged left her grasping for a response.
"Your in-laws have arrived."
Ji Ying spoke with a beaming smile, adding, "Xiaohe, please take a seat. It was my lack of attentiveness not knowing that your in-laws were visiting. I didn’t prepare anything in advance at home."
The politeness from Ji Ying made Zhou He’s mother feel valued as she sat there and smilingly said, "In-Law, I didn’t know you weren’t home either. My Xiaohe is carrying the Xu family’s grandchild; what if something happens? Who would take care of her then?"
"Mom," Zhou He quickly interjected, "Nianhua is here too."
Zhou He’s mother glanced at her sideways and said, "What does a young girl know? In-Law, if something were to suddenly happen to my Xiaohe and there’s no adult around, think how worried I would be as a mother."
"The in-law makes a good point," Ji Ying entered the house and poured herself a glass of tea. After drinking the water, she finally felt like she could catch her breath. With a meaningful tone, she said, "Everyone in the family is busy, so the task of looking after Xiaohe has been handed to Nianhua. Nianhua might not be married yet, but she’s a grown woman of twenty. I trust she will take good care of her sister-in-law."