Chapter 388 - 390: Applying for a Dormitory
During dinner, Sun Yuhua did come out to eat, but the Gao family quickly noticed something was off with both Xia Xiao and Sun Yuhua.
In the morning, the sisters-in-law appeared harmonious, but now they weren’t speaking, nor did they exchange a single glance. Sun Yuhua held Weilin closely and wouldn’t let her near Xia Xiao, who was also tending to the two children, dodging Weilin’s pitiful gaze.
Gao Guoqiang looked at Zheng Xianghong, who looked at Gao Jiazhi, who glanced between Sun Yuhua and Xia Xiao, moved his mouth as if to speak, but didn’t know what to say.
After dinner, Zheng Xianghong bathed Weilin while Sun Yuhua went straight back to her room. Gao Jiazhi entered the room and asked Sun Yuhua, "Did you have an argument with Xia Xiao?"
Sun Yuhua didn’t answer, so Gao Jiazhi asked again, "What’s wrong with you two? You were fine this morning, why is it like this now?"
Sun Yuhua scoffed, "What? Can’t I argue with Xia Xiao? She had twins, she’s your family’s hero now, so I’m not allowed to have an opinion on her, right?"
"So why did you argue with Xia Xiao? Tell me the reason. There must be a reason for the argument, right?" Gao Jiazhi said.
"I’m dissatisfied with her, okay?" Sun Yuhua said.
Gao Jiazhi frowned, "What are you dissatisfied with Xia Xiao about? She’s always been close to you as your sister-in-law, always helped with chores, and has taken care of Weilin. What else are you unhappy about?"
"So Xia Xiao had a son for your family, she’s the hero, and if I’m dissatisfied with her it’s my fault, right?" Sun Yuhua scoffed coldly.
Gao Jiazhi’s brow furrowed deeply, "Can’t you talk without being sarcastic? Can’t you have a civil conversation? We’re all one family. As the eldest sister-in-law, you should be understanding of your younger sister-in-law, especially since Jiaxing is not at home and Xia Xiao and the two little nephews are having a hard time. Yet you’ve had a dispute with Xia Xiao."
"Look, my daughter sides with Xia Xiao, and she even calls her ’mom’ in front of me. Now even you side with Xia Xiao, and you’re supposed to be my husband," Sun Yuhua’s eyes reddened.
"That’s what you’re upset about?" Gao Jiaxing let out a breath and laughed helplessly, "Weilin is still young, she doesn’t understand. As her mother, you should just teach her well. To make an issue out of this with Xia Xiao, isn’t that embarrassing? And besides, what Mom said yesterday wasn’t wrong, it’s already good enough that she takes care of your daughter. But Xia Xiao spends even more time with the child than you, the mother. Can you blame Weilin for being close to Xia Xiao?"
"She’s doing it on purpose," Sun Yuhua said, unamused.
"What happened today? Xia Xiao doesn’t seem like the type to stir up trouble. You used to be educated youth in the same dorm, had a good relationship, and even after becoming family, Xia Xiao has always been deferential to you. Why would she argue with you?"
It wasn’t strange that Gao Jiazhi didn’t side with Sun Yuhua. Since Xia Xiao married into the family, she had been diligent in her chores, and she was always yielding to Sun Yuhua, even helping care for Weilin. Even after having two sons, Xia Xiao remained cordial and didn’t become arrogant. If it had been Sun Yuhua who had the two sons, who knows how she might have behaved.
Gao Jiazhi was well aware of this, so when he heard about the conflict between the two, he felt that it must have been Sun Yuhua who provoked Xia Xiao.
"Today, while I was at home taking care of the kids, I was worried about not being able to watch them while cooking, so I locked them in a room. When I heard crying, I ran over. Weilin and Feiyang and Feiyue had all fallen to the ground, probably knocked over. Xia Xiao came home at that time and saw; she was distressed about her sons. Right then, Weilin also called her ’mom.’ How could I not be angry? You think she’s always so nice, but you didn’t see her tone, her expression, her words were infuriating."
At that moment, thinking about her daughter calling Xia Xiao "mom," Sun Yuhua’s heart was still aching.
"Everyone gets angry sometimes, you have a temper too. And Xia Xiao didn’t act like this when she was taking care of your daughter. Put yourself in her shoes; if Xia Xiao was taking care of your child and had locked your child in a room, think about how you would feel. If you came home and saw your child locked up and crying like that, would you feel okay?"
Gao Jiazhi tried to reason with Sun Yuhua. Sun Yuhua fell silent, and Gao Jiazhi added, "You shouldn’t have said yesterday that you would stay at home with the children. You can barely handle Weilin alone, not to mention taking care of both Feiyang and Feiyue. Xia Xiao would never feel relieved."
"Anyway, everything I do is wrong, and nothing compares to Xia Xiao, right? Everyone in your family, including you, sides with her now." Sun Yuhua felt utterly isolated and under immense pressure from the recognition and position Xia Xiao held within the Gao family and their hearts.
"I’m just talking sense to you," Gao Jiazhi said.
"You’ve already decided I’m the one in the wrong; what’s the use of saying anything more?" Sun Yuhua stood up and walked outside.
Zheng Xianghong had just finished bathing Weilin and brought her over, and seeing Sun Yuhua walking out, she asked Gao Jiazhi, "Yuhua, where are you going?"
Gao Jiazhi replied, "I don’t know."
Zheng Xianghong carried Weilin inside and asked Gao Jiazhi, "Did you find out what happened between Yuhua and Xia Xiao?"
"They had a fight." Gao Jiazhi explained the situation.
Zheng Xianghong sighed, told Gao Jiazhi to take good care of Weilin, and then she went out.
Sun Yuhua went to see Wang Aihua to complain, whereas Xia Xiao didn’t make much of it. When Zheng Xianghong came to show concern, Xia Xiao remained largely silent.
Who would have thought that the very next day, after Gao Jiazhi returned from school and was having dinner, he said, "Mom and Dad, I’ve applied for a dorm at the school. In a couple of days, I’ll take Yuhua and Weilin there to stay for a bit, and we’ll come back on weekends to see you."
"I’m not going." Sun Yuhua was the first to object.
Gao Jiazhi frowned. Before he could say anything more, Sun Yuhua stood up and declared, "Anyway, I’m not going to stay there."
Having said that, Sun Yuhua left again to find Wang Aihua.
Xia Xiao watched Sun Yuhua leave and said to Gao Jiazhi, "Big brother, you don’t need to apply for a dormitory. There’s no major conflict between Yu Hua and me. The day before yesterday, I was just worried about the children. When I came back and saw them crying so badly in the house, I couldn’t help but argue with Yu Hua out of a broken heart."
"You’re not in the wrong. Your sister-in-law has had it too easy at home, so maybe it would be better for her to live outside temporarily." This was what Gao Jiazhi had been thinking too.
"Last year, when Jiaxing came back, he mentioned that he might get the opportunity to go with the army this year. Now, with just a few months before the New Year, if Jiaxing doesn’t return this year, he might next year. When that time comes and I accompany my husband with the military, the household will depend on you and your wife."
That’s what Xia Xiao expressed, which was also her reason for putting up with Sun Yuhua: she anticipated that she and Gao Jiaxing wouldn’t often be at home in the future. Once she went with the military, the house would rely on Gao Jiazhi and Sun Yuhua.
If Gao Jiazhi and Sun Yuhua moved out with the children, the house would certainly feel lonelier, and Gao Guoqiang and Zheng Xianghong didn’t know if it would upset them.
But as soon as Xia Xiao mentioned the impending military accompaniment, Gao Guoqiang and Zheng Xianghong felt a tinge of reluctance, yet they understood that constant separation between their son and daughter-in-law could indeed strain a relationship, so they said no more.