I Bacame the Mother of His Child-Chapter 92 - 91: Mrs. Song Flies into a Rage

Wang Qinghua’s tone of grievance was something Mrs. Song really disliked hearing. She, who had never treated her granddaughter poorly, felt unfairly accused at this time of the year when families gather. Considering how she’d never let her granddaughter go without food or drink, sometimes even sparing tasty treats that not even her own daughter or youngest son had enjoyed, weren’t all the snacks Xu Xiuxiu mailed over eaten by the child? And wasn’t the chicken soup she especially made today inspired by her longing to see her grandson after such a long time?

Wang Qinghua, on the other hand, without any explanation, accused her of being partial, as if she were mistreating her granddaughter on a daily basis. This made Mrs. Song push back the idea she had originally meant to keep the peace, "Wang Qinghua, explain to me how I, as the elder, have been biased? The family of Second Mrs. Song spends the year away, and as a grandmother, I don’t even get to see my grandson. When we finally hope for a family reunion during the holidays, do you really have to stir up drama and ruin the New Year for everyone?"

Ever since her oldest son had been injured and hospitalized during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Wang Qinghua had disappeared when it mattered most, her daughter abandoned her man and went back to her mother’s house, and Mrs. Song felt enough sympathy for her son. Sure, she rattled off nice words, claiming she was going back to ask friends and relatives for money to help with medical expenses, but not a dime of that ever came to fruition. Mrs. Song, already advanced in years, longed for family harmony, and didn’t want to cause a stir over Wang Qinghua’s behavior—considering her oldest son’s current situation, that wouldn’t do any good. Weighing the options, she swallowed her resentment.

And what about Wang Qinghua? When she came home, she barely took proper care of her man and would frequently head out, mingling with the women in the village, hardly looking after her own daughter. She even made her younger son and daughter feel so pressured that they hid inside, reluctant to go out during their winter break.

Now that Yuanhuan’s wife had just come back, and she stewed a chicken, Wang Qinghua started complaining about favoritism. She never considered how much effort Yuanhuan’s wife had put in during the last Mid-Autumn Festival, even paying a large sum for medical expenses. She was so ungrateful, yet accused her, the elder, of playing favorites? Mrs. Song wished she could be completely impartial, to spare Yuanhuan’s wife any heartache or feeling of injustice. freewёbnoνel.com

Mrs. Song’s questioning, however, made Wang Qinghua furious. She pulled her daughter Song Tianxin in front of her and snapped at Mrs. Song with a cold face, "Not biased? You have the nerve to say that you aren’t biased! Then take a good look at Niuniu! She used to be such a bright child! What about now? Confused and absent-minded, she starts taking medicine every other day the minute it gets cold, with a cold dragging on for a month now, and I haven’t seen you, as her grandmother, offer to cook a chicken to help her recover, have I?" These words filled with resentment stunned everyone in the room.

Wang Qinghua had never stood up straight in front of her mother-in-law since she gave birth. After Xu Xiuxiu married into the Song family, she bore a son the following year even though he was born preterm. To the villagers, even a frail son was preferable to a chubby daughter, for a boy could carry on the family line. After all, what use was a girl? Raise her for a decade or more only to dress her for another’s home. So when Xu Xiuxiu taunted her for not having a son, she could only swallow her grief and hold in her temper.

Then Song Yuantao had an accident during the Mid-Autumn Festival, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Initially, Qinghua was so confused that she thought Yuantao’s disability meant her future held nothing worth looking forward to, so she took the opportunity to flee back to her parents’ home. It was only after her brothers consoled her that she came to her senses.

After all, she wasn’t a young girl anymore. A divorced woman’s prospects for a second marriage are uncertain, and the Song family had been decent to her, not tormenting her like her sister’s wicked mother-in-law. But with Yuantao confined to a sickbed for a year or even longer and unable to do heavy labor, it was obvious that the days ahead would be tough. Plus, they still had a pile of debts to pay off. With this in mind, Qinghua felt that she was already being generous enough by agreeing to return to the Song family. If anyone there dared to make life difficult for her, she would surely refuse. Hence, she never stopped creating trouble after she came back.

When Mrs. Song heard Qinghua’s accusations, she almost burst into laughter. Pointing to Song Tianxin standing in front of Qinghua, she raised her voice, "I didn’t think to nourish Niuniu? I just made chicken soup today and brought a bowl in for her to drink. Are you blind as her mother, or what? True, Niuniu isn’t feeling well and is on medication, but have you ever instructed her once on when to take her pills? A few days ago, I was too busy to manage – with New Year’s around the corner, I steamed some glutinous rice to make rice cakes at the village temple. Before I left, what did I tell you? I told you not to go out, to stay home and keep an eye on the children. And what did you do then?"

Qinghua felt intimidated by Mrs. Song’s stern expression and remembered that indeed, she had gone to chat leisurely with the daughter-in-law of Mrs. Song from the village. Feeling guilty, she opened her mouth but didn’t dare to retort with conviction.

"To go out flaunting your looks, all dressed up in the dead of winter, only returning home at dusk. I’ve held back from calling you out on these shameful acts as your mother-in-law, but you – always with Song Erpo’s daughter-in-law – do you not reckon who she is? A widow who’s been fooling around with who knows how many men; with a reputation in the village so foul it reeks like a cowpat. Who’d want to be associated with her? Yet you’re oblivious, cozying up like flies on dung? You neglect your own daughter, and yet you have the nerve to blame me for not being diligent enough as your mother-in-law?" The more Mrs. Song thought about Qinghua’s recent behavior, the angrier she got, almost wishing she could slap her for having the audacity to blame her.

"Niuniu is my own granddaughter. I’ve taken care of her since she was in diapers. How bright and lively she used to be, catching birds in the hills and fishing in the rivers with the local boys, fearless in seeking fun. But ever since you left her to go back to your parents’ home, she’s been losing weight and is constantly ill; a cold that lasts a month before getting better, followed by coughing spells. In these months, when has she ever been without her medicine? And now are you suggesting that it’s me, her grandmother, who isn’t being attentive? Then tell me, when has Niuniu not eaten her meals and had her clothes and bedding washed by me? Even so, if you still think I’ve treated her unfairly, well then, let’s split the house – Wang Qinghua, I’ll lay it out for you right now! You and your family of three can live on your own, out of my sight and out of my mind. Or you can pack your things and go back to your parents’ home. We the Song family may not be wealthy, but we can still afford to find a wife for our son. As for a daughter-in-law like you, I’m afraid the Song family is not up to the task of serving you."