Zhou Yunmei opened her mouth, not knowing how to respond, and finally just waved her hand, "Forget it, I don’t feel like explaining; have Hong Lan take me to the hospital then."
"Let’s go." Fang Pingying didn’t say much either and they went downstairs together.
It just so happened that, when Fang Pingying and Zhou Yunmei entered the store, they ran into Li Aihua coming their way, her hands full of various items.
Li Aihua worked at the university, where the benefits were generous. Every month, she received quite a few items that she and her husband couldn’t possibly finish, so ever since she found out Fang Pingying was her daughter, every month she would bring some things to Juzi’s store, and occasionally have a meal there with Fang Pingying and others.
Since the store was opened together with Juzi, Li Aihua didn’t make it obvious that the gifts were specifically for her; Fang Pingying didn’t say anything either and let her bring them.
Today, Li Aihua was bringing items to Juzi’s place as usual and wanted to check on Fang Pingying, whose belly was growing bigger by the day. As a mother, she was worried, so she specially brought some nutritious delicacies for Fang Pingying.
But when she arrived there, she heard from Juzi that Fang Pingying’s in-laws from the countryside had come.
She had heard from Zeng Weiguo before that Fang Pingying’s mother-in-law was quite a formidable person, and Juzi had also mentioned that Zhou Yunmei favored boys over girls. She had even pressured her daughter-in-law into getting an abortion if it wasn’t a boy. These things made Li Aihua think that she must come over to meet Fang Pingying’s mother-in-law and stand up for Fang Pingying.
She couldn’t let Zhou Yunmei think that Fang Pingying’s maternal family was non-existent, as if she were an easy target to bully.
Therefore, with a policy of courtesy before force, Li Aihua brought quite a few items on this visit, which were perfect to bring along, not only to help Fang Pingying save face but to also put Zhou Yunmei in her place.
The items she brought this time were all upscale goods like bird’s nest, specially imported from abroad, and she was certain Zhou Yunmei had never even laid eyes on such things.
Since Luo Honglan found out about Li Aihua and Fang Pingying’s relationship, she became quite familiar with Li Aihua. Upon seeing her come in, she sweetly greeted, "Auntie, you’re here to see my sister-in-law again today."
Li Aihua nodded her head and then smiled at both Fang Pingying and Luo Honglan, "Yes, the school has been very busy these past days, and I haven’t had the chance to come by. Today I brought some things to see Pingying."
If it were any normal day, Fang Pingying would have spoken up, but in front of Zhou Yunmei today, Fang Pingying didn’t say much.
Had she spoken at length, it would undoubtedly have led Zhou Yunmei to inquire about past events, and Fang Pingying did not want Zhou Yunmei to know too much.
Fang Pingying remained silent, but Zhou Yunmei, who had come to the store with her, wasn’t pleased to see Li Aihua’s affectionate greeting for Fang Pingying.
She looked at Fang Pingying with some displeasure and asked, "Who is this, coming to visit you out of the blue?"
Fang Pingying didn’t say anything but just glanced at Li Aihua.
Li Aihua, before entering the house, had silently sized up Zhou Yunmei and from her attitude, she concluded that Zhou Yunmei was definitely not an easy person to deal with. Plus, seeing how she had interrogated Fang Pingying just now made Li Aihua even surer.
Thinking that it was a good thing she had come today, she had to have a word with this so-called mother-in-law and defend her daughter.
Although not happy in her heart, her facial expression remained impeccable. She looked at Zhou Yunmei with a smile, "I’m Pingying’s birth mother. And you are?"
"Mother?" Zhou Yunmei was rather shocked upon hearing this, her eyes widening into perfect circles as she stared at Fang Pingying, speaking with a tone that was accusatory as she demanded, "Since when did you have a mother? Why didn’t I know about it?"
After saying this, Zhou Yunmei’s eyes swept over Li Aihua.
Li Aihua had Fang Pingying at a very young age and was not even forty this year. With her exposure to the outside world, she knew how to dress fashionably, which made her look like she was only in her thirties.
It was particularly because of Li Aihua’s distinguished aura that one would immediately perceive her to come from a good family background and to be educated. Clearly, she was no ordinary person.
This filled Zhou Yunmei with jealousy. She felt that comparing herself to Li Aihua was like comparing two different generations, even though they were only a few years apart in age.
Hearing Zhou Yunmei’s tone, Li Aihua slightly frowned and then suddenly smiled, "Madam, what you’re saying is rather amusing. Everyone has a biological mother, and naturally, so does my Pingying."
"Not that..." Zhou Yunmei glanced at Li Aihua with a furrowed brow, seemingly reluctant to speak to her, then turned her body again to face Fang Pingying, "I just want to know what is going on here?"
However, Li Aihua persistently followed her, and stepping in front of her, she inquired, "Madam, are you a relative of Pingying’s family?"
Zhou Yunmei felt somewhat uncomfortable when Li Aihua called her "Madam," as no woman, regardless of the era, likes to be called old, especially in front of another woman of similar age who refuses to admit her own old age.
But Li Aihua’s question was posed so politely that Zhou Yunmei couldn’t quite lash out. She just pursed her lips and replied, "I am her mother-in-law."
"Mother-in-law?" Li Aihua feigned utter shock as she looked at her, retorting, "You are Zhiyong’s mother?"
"That’s right," confirmed Zhou Yunmei with a nod, feeling inexplicably proud, although she couldn’t say why.
"Then you are a mother-in-law indeed," laughed Li Aihua before she suddenly slapped her forehead, "Look at my silly head, I didn’t catch on at first. With your age, I thought you were from the grandmother’s generation."
"You..." Zhou Yunmei’s expression darkened, on the verge of scolding.
"I am sorry, mother-in-law, it was my mistake," Li Aihua interjected, cutting Zhou Yunmei off before she could speak, and intentionally flaunting the item in her hand in front of Zhou Yunmei, "Actually, I came here today especially to see you. I heard from Pingying’s good friend Juzi that you had come from the countryside and thought it would be nice to meet you. So, I brought some things with me."
Zhou Yunmei had already noticed the items in Li Aihua’s hands; judging by the affluent appearance of Li Aihua and the beautiful packaging of the gifts, and considering that Li Aihua had just insulted her several times, Zhou Yunmei felt it was only fitting for her to accept some token of appeasement.
She reached out to receive them, "Thank you very much, mother-in-law."
"Mother-in-law, these are for you," but Li Aihua only handed her a small bag of fruit, while the other higher-end items remained in her possession, switching hands as she explained to Zhou Yunmei, still slapping the items cheerfully in her hand,
"These are for my Pingying. She’s pregnant now, and your family has a lot going on, no time to look after her. It’s tough on her, having to be busy at the shop every day and then go home and get busy again. I’m worried about how it might affect her health, so I purposely had someone buy some things from abroad to boost her nutrition."
Li Aihua’s words, on the surface, expressed concern for her daughter, but they were actually pointing fingers at the Luo Family for not only failing to ensure a comfortable life for the pregnant daughter-in-law but also for intentionally causing her trouble. (To be continued. If you work, you are welcome to vote for it with a recommendation ticket or monthly ticket at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)