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Sure enough, just two days later, I received a rare call from my mother-in-law. She seldom calls me, and when she does, it’s usually for something important. Her voice sounded unfamiliar, warm yet distant.
“Zhuang Jun, are you home?”
I got up and walked to the balcony, shutting out the noise of the television, and I lied.
“No.”
“Then where are you?” Her tone turned cautious.
“I’m out shopping.”
“How can you just wander around like that? You need to take care of yourself. The smog is so bad right now, and with so many people on the streets, who knows what could happen? Hurry back home and stop loitering outside.”
Her tone shifted sharply; just a minute ago, she was pretending to be friendly, and now she was back to her usual cold demeanor, scolding me for my behavior.
Wang Xu's infidelity was something I had tolerated, and my mother-in-law's difficulties were also something I had endured. I understood the reasons behind it all but couldn't swallow this.
“Mom, I'm fine. I haven't shopped in a while; I'll head back later.”
“You!” Her voice tightened before slowly relaxing again. “I’ve told you not to wander around. If you must go out, I should accompany you. Where are you now? I’ll come pick you up and make some black-bone chicken soup for you.”
“Mom, it’s fine. I’m eating well at home. My parents are taking good care of me; you don’t need to worry.”
I replied with a deliberately sharp tone. Whether she was pretending not to understand or genuinely didn’t get my attitude, she continued to argue with me: “That won’t do! They certainly don’t have my experience. When I was pregnant with Wang Xu, I paid special attention to everything. Look at him now—he’s doing so well, smart and obedient. A child needs to be well taken care of even in the womb.”
What a joke! She praised Wang Xu without hesitation. Wang Xu is smart and listens to his mother; if that’s due to how she influenced him during her pregnancy, then I wanted to ask her—was Wang Xu's infidelity, his fickleness, and his shameless lies also something he brought from the womb?
“No need, Mom.”
“How can there be no need? You’re young and don’t understand anything. You don’t cherish your health or pay attention to your diet! Don’t mess around and affect my grandson!” Her agitation made her voice sound tight and strained, making it hard for me to continue the conversation.
"Mother-in-law." I suppressed a bitter smile. "Your grandson is also my son; he is the flesh of my flesh, especially since I only have one son. But your grandsons are not limited to just this one. You don't need to worry too much; it will save you trouble."
Taking care of everything from the past is quite a hassle.
In the few seconds of silence, I could imagine what expression my mother-in-law had. If I were standing face to face with her, I might feel a bit of vengeful pleasure, but at this moment, I was more cautious.
She seemed to believe my words just like Wang Xu did; it felt like I had a get-out-of-jail-free card, and I was slightly relieved.
"Zhuang Jun, Zhuang Jun. Let's meet and have a good talk, shall we?" she said in a negotiating tone, softening her voice as if seeking my opinion.
"No, Mom." I flatly refused.
"How can that be!" Her tone shifted sharply; she returned to her usual aggressive self. "I'm getting old and just want to see my daughter-in-law. Why can't we? Let's just sit down and have a good chat. Can't you just comply with your old mother?"
"Mom." I clenched my left fist but deliberately made my voice sound calm and normal. "I'm too tired from shopping and want to go home to rest early. If meeting you is necessary, I can hold on for a while longer. If you insist on seeing me, then I'll endure it."
Upon hearing that I wasn't feeling well, my mother-in-law's insistence began to waver again. "Are you feeling very uncomfortable? Then you should go home and rest early. How about this: I'll wait for you at home so I can take care of you. I'm really worried about you living outside."
The idea that my mother-in-law, who previously wouldn't lift a finger, now wanted to take care of me? What a huge joke! Did she genuinely want to care for me or was she more interested in the grandson I fabricated in my belly?
Sima's intent was clear.
"Mom, this is my home. My biological parents are the ones taking care of me; they truly care about my well-being."
My parents genuinely think about my health and emotions without any ulterior motives; they simply want what’s best for me. Thinking about certain concerned gestures that come with agendas feels like someone shoving greasy meat into my mouth while claiming it's for my own good—it's disgusting.
"What are you saying? Of course, I'm thinking of your well-being and wanting the best for you and Wang Xu. Why don’t you stay outside for a couple more days? After that, I'll ask Wang Xu to come pick you up. You can prepare everything at home; just come back and live comfortably."
I firmly rejected her proposal: "Mom, I don't want to go back right now. Please don’t send Wang Xu over; I'm trying to rest and take care of myself. If he comes over, it might affect my mood and lead me to make more trips to the hospital."
"What are you talking about! You being a pregnant daughter-in-law running back to your parents' house is already enough for people to gossip about our Wang family behind our backs. Now that you're pregnant with our Wang family's flesh and blood, how can you not come home for proper care? I've raised Wang Xu all this time; I have plenty of experience and won't harm you!"
"Mom." My mother-in-law's words sounded like a joke to me, how could she so openly distort the truth? Reflecting on Wang Xu's various actions, it seemed I had found the basis for my thoughts.
"You never said anything when I returned to my parents' home. The fact that I lost my pregnancy was due to Wang Xu and also my own doing. How could I possibly harm my own child? I have to choose the best option for both myself and the baby, which is to stay in my own home. If I go back, does that mean I have to serve you again?"
"Of course not! You just need to come back and rest well, take care of your health. The rest will be taken care of by me, and you don’t need to worry about it. I promise the grandchild will be born healthy and chubby!"
My mother-in-law assured me with conviction, but it didn't sit well with me.
"No thanks, Mom. Now that we've reached this point, I don't want to say more. In short, if Wang Xu comes to my house again, it can only mean one thing: he wants to force me to run even further away. By then, I'm afraid I won't even be able to take care of my parents. It would be troublesome for me alone. Mom, please think about it."
I was worried that Wang Xu might suddenly come over and tell my parents about my pregnancy. If they accidentally let something slip, my plans would be ruined before I even had a chance to turn things around.
"Hey, Zhuang Jun, if you're going to say that, then I disagree. I'm getting older; what's wrong with you taking care of me a little when you were young? It might have been a bit of a burden for you, but isn't that how every daughter-in-law has gone through? Now that you're pregnant, it's only natural for me to take care of you in return. Why are you so stubborn and unwilling to listen? Think about yourself and also think about my grandchild!"
Ha, it seems you're only thinking about your grandchild and not about me as your daughter-in-law.
"Mom, you also said you're getting older and might not be able to handle everything. Let's leave it at that for now. My stance is very clear: I hope Wang Xu won't act recklessly. If there's anything, I'll call him. You can rest assured; the baby in my belly is doing well for now without any issues, but if something happens later on, who knows what could happen."
Before my mother-in-law could say anything else, I hung up the phone. Holding the phone in my hand, my mind was in chaos. Not long after, there was a knock on the door of my room. I quickly walked over and opened it; my mom stood at the door with a flicker of concern in her eyes.
"Zhuang Jun, come out to the living room; I need to talk to you."
I nodded and stepped outside, closing the door behind me. Once in the living room, I sat down on the sofa; there were some things I wanted to tell my mom all at once.
"Zhuang Jun, what are your plans? Your dad and I don't want to interfere but we also want to understand what you mean."
I sniffed and felt quite dejected: "Mom, I've told Wang Xu that I'm pregnant."
My mom became agitated upon hearing this; she grabbed my arm tightly and stared at me with wide eyes as she softly asked, "Are you really pregnant?!"
I shook my head: "No, I'm not pregnant; that was a lie I told him."
With my head down, I didn't dare to look at my mother's expression. I could imagine the complex emotions on her face, all of them unpleasant.
“Zhuang Jun, how can you say such things? Don't you know that your mother-in-law and Wang Xu care about this the most? How can you lie to them like this…”
“Mom, I really didn't mean to, but I had no choice. My mother-in-law treats me like that; I can't just swallow my pride. Yes, I lied to them, but Wang Xu has a mistress outside, and my mother-in-law is helping to cover it up. They are hurting me with the truth; what does my situation even count as?”
“But you can't do this! Your actions are too hurtful. You should have a good talk with Wang Xu. If you can stay together, then do so; if not, just get a divorce. By doing this, others will blame you. This kind of deception is too damaging for them. Just because they are being unreasonable doesn't mean you should change your original intentions, Zhuang Jun.”
My mother earnestly advised me for quite some time, emphasizing that what I was doing was truly excessive. My parents had always taught me that no matter how much one suffers, one should respond with dignity; if that's not possible, then endure it and consider it a lesson learned.
I also wanted to be an upright person throughout this matter. When Wang Xu's mother and Deng Xiaomei pushed me into this corner step by step, I was justified in fighting back. However, Wang Xu looked down on me and Deng Xiaomei mocked me for being too low-level. All I could do was wait helplessly and retaliate.
“Mom, there's no turning back for me now. This path is the one I've chosen; whatever the outcome, I'll accept it. If anything goes wrong later, I'll take responsibility for it. I hope you and Dad won't worry about me anymore. I'm grown up enough to handle this; don't worry about me so I can focus on defending what I want.”
I just wanted fairness and restitution, to reclaim everything that belonged to me.
“Ah, Zhuang Jun, think it over carefully,” my mother sighed deeply and fell silent.
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