Chapter 509 - 493: Dad (3)
The only one who wasn’t very happy was Chen Fengjiao, because Jiji wouldn’t call her Grandma. She had tried teaching her many times, but Jiji just wouldn’t say it, making her complain that she was getting the short end of the stick. Lin Shan always just laughed, but every time Jiji came over, he would drop what he was doing to play with her, showing incredible patience.
Jiji started walking at eleven months old. Though she wasn’t very steady, she could take steps on her tiny legs. Cao Qiu was absolutely thrilled, as most children don’t start walking until they are a year old or more. Jiji was a whole month ahead of schedule.
Around the time Jiji learned to walk, Zheng Zhongshan held his wedding. It wasn’t an extravagant affair, but plenty of people attended, including colleagues from the mall and some of Lin Shan’s friends. Zheng Changsheng made a special trip to be there as well. He had originally wanted a grander celebration, but after discussing it, Lin Shuying and Zheng Zhongshan decided to just find a mid-range restaurant and have a lively gathering.
Li Zhi had also finalized the purchase of the apartment. It was in the same complex, two floors above theirs and roughly the same size, but it cost over ten thousand yuan more than what they had paid for their own.
Zheng Changsheng, however, thought it was a bargain, saying you couldn’t even dream of finding a decent place in Guang City for that price.
The apartment was registered in Lin Shuying’s name. Zheng Zhongshan and Zheng Xinghua were very moved when they found out. They hadn’t expected Zheng Changsheng to do this. While they weren’t after anything from him, seeing him treat their mother with such wholehearted devotion put their minds at ease.
After the wedding, news arrived that Liu Yuan’s wife, Bai Xiaohua, was pregnant. As it happened, Bai Xiaohua hadn’t been able to conceive since marrying Liu Yuan, and his mother gave her a hard time about it every single day. Liu Yuan had tried reasoning with his mother many times, but she refused to listen and just kept making nasty remarks. Finally, Liu Yuan suggested they buy an apartment and move out.
He didn’t want to upset his mother, but he couldn’t stand listening to her constantly find fault with Bai Xiaohua, calling her a "hen that can’t lay eggs," claiming that "any woman off the street would be better," and asking "what right does she have to marry my son when she brings nothing to the table?" and "what’s the point of having her around if she can’t even produce a child?" Although Bai Xiaohua never complained in front of him, his heart ached for her. ’She’s my wife, yet I can’t even protect her,’ he thought. ’What kind of husband am I?’
Since he couldn’t reason with his mother, moving out was the only answer. It would give Bai Xiaohua some breathing room, and with some distance, his mother might cool down. He would still be a filial son, but he refused to make his wife suffer for the sake of his filial piety.
When Liu Yuan proposed the idea, his mother was in utter disbelief. She thought her son had gone crazy, that he’d been corrupted by his daughter-in-law. She summoned all of her sisters, and together they condemned Liu Yuan. In the end, their attacks focused entirely on Bai Xiaohua, accusing her of instigating everything. The things they said were horrible.
Bai Xiaohua’s eyes reddened with anger. She had always held her tongue and deferred to her mother-in-law, both because Liu Yuan was so good to her and because the woman was her elder. She had been deeply touched when he suggested moving out, knowing he was doing it because his heart ached for her and he saw how oppressed she was. But the idea hadn’t come from her; she hadn’t instigated a thing. Now her mother-in-law was blaming her for everything, and no matter how much Liu Yuan tried to explain, they refused to listen, treating her like some irredeemable monster.
Bai Xiaohua was heartbroken. She loved Liu Yuan, and he loved her; their relationship was wonderful. But she truly couldn’t stand her mother-in-law any longer. If things kept on like this, she felt she would eventually go insane or be driven to do something drastic. Yet the thought of leaving Liu Yuan because of his mother was unbearable.
Her mother-in-law threatened that if they dared to move out, she’d kill herself by bashing her head against a wall. And if that didn’t work, she’d sit downstairs and make a scene every day, letting everyone know what an unfilial son and wicked daughter-in-law she had—one who had manipulated her husband into abandoning his own mother. Bai Xiaohua didn’t know what to do, but she couldn’t continue like this. She told Liu Yuan she wanted to go back to her parents’ home for a while, or maybe live on her own, just to get some space and cool down. Perhaps if her mother-in-law didn’t have to see her, she’d stop making such a fuss.
But there was no way Liu Yuan would let her go alone; he insisted on leaving with her. At this, Liu Yuan’s mother rushed over, grabbing at them and trying to strike Bai Xiaohua. Overwhelmed by anxiety and rage, Bai Xiaohua fainted.
Terrified, Liu Yuan scooped Bai Xiaohua into his arms and rushed to the hospital. His mother, however, just made cold remarks, insisting she was faking it and didn’t need a doctor. As Liu Yuan left with his wife, his mother didn’t even bother to follow.
Once at the hospital, an examination revealed that Bai Xiaohua was pregnant. It was still very early—just over a month along. The doctor said she was slightly anemic and suffering from severe anxiety, warning her to rest and take good care of herself to avoid potential complications.
Bai Xiaohua was stunned when she found out she was pregnant. Because she had been unable to conceive and her periods were irregular, the possibility hadn’t even crossed her mind. Tears streamed down her face. All the abuse she had endured had been for this child. Her anemia, her crippling anxiety—it was all because of this. And now that it had finally happened, she was overcome with a mix of emotions she couldn’t begin to describe.
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Thank you to Hua Yishang for the peace charm and to Mo Xiaoyan for the monthly ticket. My eyes are bloodshot—completely red. It wasn’t painful yesterday, but it started hurting today. Not sure what’s going on, but I hope a few days of eye drops will clear it up.