Chapter 76: The Way of the Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: The Way of the Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law

"Mom, Dad, what brings you here?" Li Yan and Dong Xuezhan went up to greet them with sheepish smiles. "Have you eaten yet? Why don’t you join us?"

"Grandpa, Grandma, Mom made fish soup today, and it’s absolutely delicious! You should stay and eat with us," Dong Xinran said, skipping over and hugging Grandma Dong’s waist. Her parents both had jobs, so when she was little, she had been raised almost entirely by Grandpa and Grandma Dong. The bond between the grandparents and their grandchild had always been very strong.

"That’s right, Mom, Dad. I just finished making it and was about to bring some over. It’s perfect that you’re here, so you can sit down and have some with us. It saves us a trip," Li Yan said with a smile. She wasn’t just being polite.

Grandpa and Grandma Dong lived nearby, less than a five-minute walk away.

Although Dong Xuezhan was their only son and only had two older sisters, Grandpa and Grandma Dong preferred not to live with their son and daughter-in-law. They believed that familiarity bred contempt and that keeping some distance helped everyone get along better, so they had always lived separately. Since both their son and daughter-in-law worked, Grandma Dong, who often felt restless with time on her hands, not only helped raise her grandson and granddaughter but would also come over from time to time to help them clean the house.

With such considerate in-laws who helped out without ever interfering in her family’s affairs, Li Yan was anything but unappreciative. Even when her two older sisters-in-law occasionally had complaints, her in-laws would shield her from them, refusing to let the grievances reach her ears. Naturally, Li Yan was grateful for in-laws like them and knew how to return the kindness. Whenever she made something delicious, she always remembered to send a portion over to them. Beyond the usual holiday gifts, throughout the year, if she saw anything she thought they might need—be it food, household items, or clothing—she would thoughtfully buy it and send it over. This, in turn, led Grandpa and Grandma Dong to constantly praise their wonderful daughter-in-law to others. It was a virtuous cycle. As a result, even after all these years, with their eldest grandson now in high school and living in a dorm, the family remained harmonious. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had never had so much as a cross word, let alone a real conflict.

"We’ve already eaten, but we can always make room for a bowl of fish soup. Yanyan, your soup is so well-made—it’s flavorful and not the least bit fishy. Your father loves it. Just the other day he was saying it’s been a while and that he was craving some," Grandma Dong replied with a smile.

"I was not! You’re the one who was craving it, don’t blame me," Grandpa Dong said, blushing. He was both annoyed and embarrassed that his wife had called him out.

The exchange was music to Li Yan’s ears, and she laughed cheerfully. "Dad, Mom, I couldn’t be happier that you like it. It’s so easy to buy fish now; people from the countryside often catch them and bring them to town to sell. There are so many benefits to eating fish. Even if you suddenly get a craving one day, it’s no trouble at all to just ask."

"Exactly! Why are you being so formal with your own daughter-in-law? If you’re worried about troubling her, next time we’re craving it, we can just buy the fish ourselves. We can even clean and prep it for Yanyan to cook when she gets home from work. Wouldn’t that be great?"

Grandma Dong wasn’t one to be overly formal with her daughter-in-law. Over the years they had gotten along, it would be a lie to say there was absolutely no friction, just as it would be to say she was 100% satisfied with her. But then again, there will always be some small conflicts when people live together; she even had minor complaints about her own son and daughter, let alone her daughter-in-law. However, when you’ve known someone for a long time, you get a good sense of their character and temperament. Overall, she was satisfied with her daughter-in-law.

She was also very self-aware and knew she couldn’t hold her daughter-in-law to the same high standards as her own children. If her expectations were too high, disappointment was inevitable. And once you’re disappointed, isn’t it easy for small issues to escalate into major conflicts? So, she had always maintained that there should be boundaries in their words and actions with each other. The most important thing was to get along harmoniously. The lines that shouldn’t be crossed must be respected, as a good relationship required effort from both sides to maintain.

That way, her son wouldn’t be caught in the middle, and the whole family could live in peace and happiness.

"Mom, how could I let you go to all that trouble?" Li Yan couldn’t help but laugh. Over the years, influenced by her mother-in-law, she too had come to understand the art of their relationship. She thought their way of getting along was excellent and planned to follow her mother-in-law’s example when her own son got married someday.

"It’s no trouble. You both work, and we old folks are just idle most of the time. We should help you more while we’re still able. Later, when we’re old and can’t get around, won’t we just be a bigger burden on you? You could even say we’re the ones getting the better end of the deal."

"Mom, that’s one bargain I will never accept. It would be so much better if you both stayed healthy, still taking walks together as companions even when you’re ninety."

"Hehehe, if things turn out just as you say, that would truly be wonderful," Grandma Dong said, laughing happily. Grandpa Dong, Dong Xuezhan, and Dong Xinran also broke into wide grins and laughed along.

The food had been ready for a while. After all that commotion, it had cooled down a bit and was now the perfect temperature to eat, no longer scalding hot.

As they sat down around the dinner table, Grandma Dong returned to the previous topic. "What was all that commotion earlier that made such a mess? We had just finished dinner and were out for a walk when someone told us they heard a lot of noise coming from your apartment. We thought something had happened, so we rushed over to see."

The truth was, someone had specifically run over to tell them it sounded like their son and daughter-in-law were having a physical fight. That had given them a real scare, and they had rushed over immediately. The whole way, they wondered why their son and daughter-in-law, who had been as sweet as honey for so many years, would suddenly start fighting.

"Mom, ask Xinxin yourself. It was all her doing," Li Yan said as she brought the fish soup to the table. She ladled out a bowl for each of the grandparents before shooting a disgruntled glance at Dong Xinran. "Her dad was chasing her just now, trying to teach her a lesson."

"You hit Xinxin? The child is growing into a young lady, she has her pride! Couldn’t you talk things over properly? How could you bring yourself to hit her?"

Hearing this, both Grandpa and Grandma Dong grew anxious. Grandma Dong glared at Dong Xuezhan, reached out, and gave him a hard SMACK. "Where did he hit you?" she asked, pulling Dong Xinran’s hand toward her, her voice full of concern.

"That’s right, where did he hit you? Tell Grandpa, and I’ll hit him back for you." Grandpa Dong got worked up, too. He naturally doted on the granddaughter he had helped raise. Forgetting all about the fish soup, his eyes widened in anger. "If he can hit his daughter, then I can certainly hit my son."

"He didn’t land a hit. I ran away, and Dad couldn’t catch me," Dong Xinran quickly clarified, looking a little smug.

’I wasn’t even trying for real. If I were serious, you think I couldn’t have caught you?’ Dong Xuezhan was rather displeased with his daughter’s version of events.

She stuck out her tongue guiltily. ’I’m so much luckier than Gu Nuan Nuan,’ she thought. ’Her grandmother despises her for being a girl, but look at me. My grandpa and grandma don’t just not mind me, they dote on me completely. So how could I have been so foolish, even for a moment, as to wonder if I was their biological child?’

"You ran away? Haha, good job running! My granddaughter is so quick-witted," Grandpa Dong laughed.