The Spoiled Young Lady Who Married a Military Officer-Chapter 122 - 120: Mother-in-law and Mom Are Fighting?
Lu Xiao quickly stopped her hand. "Don’t be so formal with Mom and Dad. Come on, sit down."
Hearing this, Mr. Lu and Mrs. Lu quickly said the same.
Mrs. Lu put another piece of meat into Su Tang’s bowl.
"Eat more. Look how thin your little face is. Now that I’m here, I’m going to have to build you up."
"Get our Tangtang all nice and plump."
After all, the medical care back then couldn’t compare to modern standards.
With a stronger constitution, childbirth would be easier.
Being too thin would mean a difficult ordeal.
When it was time to clear the dishes after the meal, Mrs. Lu rushed to wash them, saying that Mrs. Su was already tired enough from taking care of Su Tang and shouldn’t be getting her hands in cold water.
Mrs. Su refused. "You’ve been on a train for so many days, how could I let you wash the dishes? Besides, I’m hale and hearty."
The two of them went back and forth at the kitchen door for a long while, until Mr. Lu finally said in a low grumble, "Let the young ones do the washing. Us old folks should be resting."
Lu Xiao and Su Tang exchanged a smile and silently carried the dishes into the kitchen.
’It’s just washing some dishes; it’s not like it would tire me out. Besides, Lu Xiao was the one doing most of the work anyway.’
This was the ’price’ he paid for doting on his wife.
That night, as Su Tang lay in bed, she told Lu Xiao how wonderful it was to have the whole family together.
’This was what she had always hoped for, and she never expected it to come true here.’
Lu Xiao massaged her legs and simply smiled without a word.
However, more people meant more friction, especially between two different social backgrounds.
That morning, Mrs. Lu and Mrs. Su got into a disagreement over what Su Tang should eat and drink.
Mrs. Lu said that in the countryside, they always had millet porridge with brown sugar, but Mrs. Su insisted on following the hospital nutritionist’s meal plan, saying too much brown sugar was unhealthy.
Their voices weren’t loud, but neither was willing to back down. They were both being very stubborn.
"You hear that?"
Standing by the door, Su Tang poked Lu Xiao’s arm. "Sounds like our moms are digging their heels in."
Lu Xiao pulled her into his embrace. "It’s normal. My mom has trusted old adages her whole life, and your mom is very particular."
"We’d better not get involved."
Just as he said that, the two mothers fell silent, having apparently reached a temporary truce.
However, something happened on the morning of the third day.
Before Su Tang was even fully awake, she could smell a fragrant aroma wafting from the kitchen.
Mrs. Lu was squatting before the stove, stirring millet porridge in a clay pot. A thick layer of rice cream floated on the surface of the gleaming yellow porridge.
Mrs. Su stood nearby, a manual in her hand.
"See? The book says to control sugar intake. We absolutely cannot add brown sugar to this porridge."
Mrs. Lu added a piece of firewood into the stove. "When I was pregnant with Lu Xiao, I had brown sugar millet porridge for every meal. Look how sturdy he turned out."
Mrs. Su flipped to a page and pointed at it for her to see.
"We have scientific parenting methods now. Look what it says here..."
As they went back and forth, their voices gradually grew louder.
Just as Su Tang reached the kitchen door, she saw Mrs. Lu stand up abruptly.
"Mom."
Leaning against the doorframe, Su Tang said softly, "The porridge smells so wonderful. It’s making me hungry."
Mrs. Lu’s expression immediately changed to a smile. "Quick, sit down. I’ll get you a bowl. No sugar, but how about a couple of red dates?"
Su Tang could tell from Mrs. Lu’s tone that she had taken Mrs. Su’s words to heart.
Mrs. Su, in turn, softened her tone. "A few red dates would be nice. They’re good for the blood."
Just then, Lu Xiao came in from outside, carrying breakfast he had picked up from the cafeteria.
"Moms, try these. You have no idea how delicious the steamed buns from our cafeteria are."
"Really, we all just want what’s best for the baby. We can figure things out as we go."
After hearing Lu Xiao’s words, neither of them said anything more.
Lu Xiao raised an eyebrow at Su Tang, as if looking for praise.
Su Tang silently mouthed the words, ’Not bad.’
’Still, his peacemaking skills were actually pretty impressive.’
That afternoon, Mrs. Lu took out some floral fabric she had brought with her and sat on a small stool in the courtyard, sewing a shoe sole.
Mrs. Su came over with a basin of freshly picked green vegetables to prep them. Seeing Mrs. Lu’s shiny thimble, she couldn’t help but praise her, "Your handiwork is amazing. The stitches are even more uniform than a machine’s."
Mrs. Lu lifted her chin proudly. "Just wait until I make some tiger-head shoes for my grandson. I guarantee they’ll look better than any you can buy in a store."
Mrs. Su said with a smile, "I went to the supply and marketing co-op yesterday and saw some baby shoes with soft plastic soles. They’re good for protecting their feet."
Mrs. Lu’s needle paused. "How can plastic be as breathable as a cloth sole? A child’s skin is delicate. We can’t be careless about that."
Su Tang, who had been reading inside, heard this and quickly came out to smooth things over. "We’ll do both! The tiger-head shoes for wearing during the day, and the plastic ones for going out. Our baby will have a bit of everything."
’The last thing she wanted was for them to start arguing again.’
Mrs. Su and Mrs. Lu exchanged a smile. "This child is afraid we’re going to argue again."
"What’s there to argue about? We’ll just listen to whoever’s right," Mrs. Lu said nonchalantly.
Su Tang breathed a sigh of relief. She moved a small stool to sit between the two women and picked up a vegetable to help them prep.
Mrs. Lu sewed the shoe sole at a remarkable speed, her movements nimble and efficient.
"You know, when it comes to clothes, cotton is still the most comfortable," she suddenly said, her needle pulling the thread through the layers of fabric. "I’ve set aside several bolts of fine cotton cloth for the baby, all spun by the best weaver in our village."
Mrs. Su’s hands didn’t stop their work. "I had someone bring some Dacron back from Shanghai. I hear that kind of fabric is easy to care for and doesn’t stain easily."
Mrs. Lu pursed her lips. "How can that slippery fabric be as soft on the skin as cotton? The baby is guaranteed to be uncomfortable in it."
"It’s all the rage in the cities now. It’s lightweight and holds its shape well."
Mrs. Su argued her point, snapping the ends off the vegetable leaves in her hands with crisp precision.
Su Tang quickly cut in. "Moms, why don’t we just make two sets of clothes for the baby to alternate? The cotton ones for everyday wear against the skin, and the Dacron ones for going out. Both are great!"
’This whole peacemaking thing is a real art form,’ she thought. ’Lu Xiao is still better at it.’
Just then, Lu Xiao walked in from outside, carrying a wooden trunk on his shoulder that was still caked with a bit of dirt.
"Dad chopped down a peach tree on the back hill. He said he wants to make a cradle for the baby."
He placed the chest on the table in the courtyard. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
"I had a carpenter plane it. Take a look at the grain."
Mrs. Lu immediately put down her shoe sole and went over to get a closer look, her fingers stroking the surface of the wood. "This is good peach wood. It can ward off evil."
Mrs. Su also walked over to examine it. "A silver trim would look nice, too."
Mrs. Lu’s eyes lit up. "A silver trim? Wouldn’t that cost a lot of money?"
"What’s a little money when it’s for the baby?"
"We can each pay for half. It can be a joint gift to the baby from both sets of grandparents."
Mrs. Lu didn’t object this time. "That’s a wonderful idea! I’ll go find my old man right now and we can discuss what patterns to carve."
With that, she bustled off toward the backyard.
Mrs. Su watched her retreating figure and shook her head with a sigh, then turned to Su Tang. "Look at your mother-in-law, always so impatient."
Su Tang took her arm. "Mom, my mother-in-law just wants what’s best for the baby, too."
"I know. It’s just... the old ways and the new ideas are always at odds. It’ll just take some time to get used to each other."
Lu Xiao brought a cloth out from the house and spread it on the stone table. "Moms, you two rest. I’ll sand this wood down."
Su Tang moved a small stool and sat beside him. Watching his focused profile, her heart filled with a gentle warmth.
’Even though there was a little friction now and then, the whole family had the baby’s best interests at heart. And that was more than enough.’
’This lively bickering was just a part of life, after all.’
