章節 3: Shouting Match
Xiu Ling knew she would receive no respect from the Lin family even before she married her husband, Lin Kang. After all, their marriage was one built on a contract and, on her part, a fair bit of risk.
Xiu Ling did not expect much going in but it was still quite surprising to find her status lower than the family maid sometimes.
Mrs. Lin stood up from her kneeling position and straightened her pink cheongsam. The woman definitely did not let herself go in spite of her age. One needed a voluptuous figure to carry the unique cutting and charm of a cheongsam and to be perfectly honest, Mrs. Lin wore it better than Xiu Ling did.
In today's day and age, money can buy many things. A youthful face and figure? Definitely. A woman's dignity? Of course. The woman's unborn child? You would not think it can but think again. There is simply a price for everything… and a family as rich as the Lins could purchase anything should they want to.
"You shouldn't wander around the house like this. You have to be careful of the baby inside your stomach. What if you accidentally trip or something?" Mrs. Lin berated Xiu Ling with a smile.
Xiu Ling answered, "I just came back so I came to greet you, mother. I will be going to rest in a little bit."
"Xiu Ling, I know you miss seeing your friend and this is your first outing from home in months but since you are so close to your due date, I would hope you will stay quietly at home and rest until the day of birth."
"I understand, mother. I won't be going out anytime soon."
"Good, good. You cannot be too careful with my precious grandson. I am glad you are so understanding."
Xiu Ling merely smiled at that comment.
"A pregnant mother tires easily and that would not be good for her child. You must be tired from your outing so don't stand around anymore. Quickly go and take your rest. I will have Auntie Sun send the dinner up to your room later," Mrs. Lin suggested with an insistence that could not be mistaken or denied.
"Of course, mother. I will be going now." Xiu Ling bowed once more before retreating out of the prayer hall.
After she slid the paper door close behind her, the professional smile plastered on Mrs. Lin's face disappeared and her features were twisted with disgust.
Xiu Ling sighed quietly to herself as she stood outside the door. She did not fail to realize that while her mother-in-law had shown such disproportional care and concern to her, it was all in due deference to her "precious grandson".
This deterred Xiu Ling from bringing up that one subject that she wished to discuss with Mrs. Lin because she knew it would be pointless, her request would not be approved. When it came to Xiu Ling, Mrs. Lin was only concerned about matters related to her grandson, and she could not care less about the other happenings in the woman's life. Since Mrs. Lin was a definite no-go, she would have to seek the permission from her husband, Lin Kang.
Xiu Ling could already predict how that would go and she returned to the bedroom with a heavy heart.
…
"Joann, you're home already?" A female voice called out as Joann stepped through the front door. Joann frowned imperceptibly before she flashed a professional smile and said, "Mother, I do not expect to see you home so soon."
A woman about 60 sat on the living room couch, reading the paperwork in her hands. She had on a casual black dress, a complete departure from the sharp business suit Joann usually saw the elder woman in.
"It's the weekend and no one seems to appreciate being stuck at the company so I gave all of them an early leave. After all, most of the paperwork need not need to be done at the office."
Joann nodded wordlessly as she changed out of her shoes and stepped into the room.
When she passed the back of the couch, the elder woman called out, "By the way, Sylvia came back earlier when you weren't home, so she left me with a message to tell you. She will not be coming home tonight because she will be staying with a friend."
Joann frowned but did not comment on it except with a "Thank you, mother."
"Also, I had some time earlier to cook a simple dinner. They are inside the kitchen cupboard. Reheat them if you want but they should still be warm."
"Mother, thank you but that would not be necessary, I brought dinner home with me already," Joann explained while she waved the bag of take-out that she bought on the way home.
The elder woman's brows furrowed and just as Joann was about to walk away, she whispered in a tone that was definitely audible to Joann, "Of course, a simple home-cooked dinner would not be able to sate the appetite of an international star, I should have expected as much."
Joann stopped her footsteps. She told herself to just ignore the woman and not rise to the bait.
"To think she will lower herself to our standard and eat the kind of food that we normal people eat… I must have lost my mind!" The elder woman added as if to no one in particular but of course her target audience was Joann.
Joann snapped, "Mother, what it is with you today? I merely came back with some outside food, is that so wrong?"
"Young lady, who are you raising your voice at? Is that how the daughter-in-law should talk to her mother-in-law? Where is the respect?!" The elder woman slammed the document on the coffee table as she sprung up from her seat, she was all too ready to join Joann in this shouting match.
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