Prosperous Marriage: Married to My Brother-in-law-Chapter 511: Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law Relationship (3)_1

After dinner, Mrs. Ruiz seemed to remember something important. She pulled Hansen upstairs to the Study Room with a mysteriously secretive air.

As for chores like washing dishes and tidying up the table after dinner, Mrs. Ruiz naturally left them for Rachel to handle.

She was the lady of the Ruiz family, after all. It was impossible for her to engage in household chores.

Rachel was also considered a lady of the Ruiz family. However, in Mrs. Ruiz's subconscious, Rachel would always be a country girl, no different from a servant in the house. Therefore, it was natural for her to do household chores. Besides, Mrs. Ruiz was the mother-in-law; if she were to do chores while Rachel rested, it would be terribly unfilial of Rachel. Conversely, it was the natural order of things for her to rest while Rachel busied herself.

"Hansen, Mom has something to tell you. I hope you won't mind me saying this." Once inside the Study Room, Mrs. Ruiz's serious demeanor made Hansen raise his eyebrows. He then asked indifferently, "Mom, what is it? Just tell me. I'm listening."

Mrs. Ruiz closed the door of the Study Room and faced Hansen with a worried expression, saying, "Hansen, Rachel wasn't home when I arrived. She was outside. I had to call her to come back."

"So what?" Hansen retorted. What's wrong with Rachel being out and about? She has her freedom.

"She said she was with friends. Hansen, what kind of friends does she have? You need to investigate thoroughly. Don't let her associate with undesirable people out there." Mrs. Ruiz stopped just short of accusing Rachel of meeting a lover.

Hansen's expression darkened. He understood the insinuations in his mother's words.

"Mom! Who Rachel befriends is her freedom, her business. I won't interfere as long as she isn't harmed. Also, please don't speak about Rachel with such suspicion, making baseless accusations. Regardless of whether you like Rachel or not, please refrain from casually slandering a woman's reputation. Mom, let me emphasize once again: Rachel is my wife. I love her, I trust her, and I intend to spend my life with her. She isn't spending her life with you, so there's no need for you to constantly target her. I hope you won't say such things again. Otherwise... you will not be welcome here!"

Hansen warned his mother very seriously. He deeply disliked his mother's groundless suspicions and distrust of Rachel. He understood Rachel's character a hundred times better than his mother did. Her constant nitpicking was testing his patience.

"Hansen, your mother just wants you to take precautions and prevent trouble before it starts," Mrs. Ruiz said, her face darkening as well.

"Mom, you don't need to concern yourself with my affairs. If you're truly so idle, then focus on arranging marriages for your two younger sons. Let them marry wives you approve of." Hansen's tone grew heavier, deeper, and colder.

Seeing Hansen's change in demeanor, Mrs. Ruiz said nothing more, seething inwardly.

"Mom, if there's nothing else of major importance, I'll have Floyd Thomas take you back later," Hansen said coolly. He then walked past Mrs. Ruiz, opened the Study Room door, and left.

He's kicking me out! I only arrived this morning, and he's sending me away this afternoon! Hansen Ruiz, you're truly ruthless!

Hansen Ruiz walked downstairs. Rachel Bailey had already finished washing the dishes, removed her apron, and was coming out of the kitchen. Perhaps accustomed to tidying up, she began to meticulously arrange anything in the living room that was slightly out of place.

Pausing on the stairs, Hansen surveyed every corner of the living room. It was much cleaner and more orderly than when he had lived there alone. Most importantly, every corner seemed to bear the mark of Rachel's diligence. This, this finally feels like home.

"Rachel." He finished descending the stairs, walked over to her, and reached out to pull her into his embrace. Her petite frame accentuated his sturdy build. "Let's go for a walk." Then, holding Rachel close, he started towards the door.

Mrs. Ruiz came downstairs just in time to see the young couple's intimate retreating figures.

She paused, momentarily lost in thought as memories of her early days married to Matthew Ruiz surfaced. When they were younger, Matthew had been very loving and considerate towards her. She, too, had once snuggled close to him like a delicate bird, and they had walked hand in hand.

Isn't it a good thing that my eldest son and daughter-in-law have such a good relationship?

Suddenly, she felt she might have been too harsh.

Then, a conflicting thought arose: Too harsh? How could I be too harsh on a country girl like her?

Thinking of Rachel's humble background and unremarkable appearance, any fleeting remorse Mrs. Ruiz felt was instantly consumed by dissatisfaction, leaving not even a trace behind.

Upon waking, Julia instinctively reached out to the space beside her. When she didn't feel Glades Horne, she opened her eyes. She gazed at the ceiling for a moment, then touched her belly, reassured that the baby was resting contentedly inside her. Only then did she sit up.

"Glades."

After calling his name several times without a response, she knew Glades was not in the room.

She slid out of bed. Her jacket had been thoughtfully placed by Glades where she could easily see and reach it the moment she woke up. A wave of happiness washed over her at this considerate gesture.

After putting on her jacket, freshening up, and ensuring she was presentable, she left the room.

The second floor was quiet.

First, she walked to the window and looked out over the Courtyard. She saw the Old Madam, Marcel Horne, and an older young woman with him, all basking in the faint, intermittent sunshine. Her mother-in-law, Mila, and her younger sister-in-law, Adele, were not in sight. Julia guessed that Adele was still taking her afternoon nap; that girl often slept until evening. Julia herself rarely napped for more than two hours; she usually woke up on her own after about an hour.

Her mother-in-law is probably still in her room too, she thought. This might be the perfect time to have a heart-to-heart with her.

With this thought, Julia turned and headed upstairs. In the third-floor living area, her father-in-law, Gian Horne, was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper. Hearing footsteps, Gian looked up. Seeing it was Julia, he smiled warmly. "Julia, are you looking for your mother?"

Julia nodded and casually asked, "Dad, you didn't go out?"

Gian glanced towards Mila Anderson's room, trying to hide his discomfort. "No," he replied. "Your mom should be up by now. Go ahead and knock. I'll go downstairs for a walk." He felt a little awkward facing Julia, perhaps because he had favored his other daughter-in-law in her presence too many times. Setting down his newspaper, Gian stood up and headed downstairs.