Chapter 510 - 495: It’s Not Easy Being a Woman

The moment Liu Yuan’s mother heard her daughter-in-law was pregnant, she rushed to the hospital. The joy on her face when she saw Bai Xiaohua was something else. She held Bai Xiaohua’s hand, calling "Xiaohua, Xiaohua" with such affection, saying she was like her own daughter. She told her to ask for anything she wanted to eat and promised to worship her like a Bodhisattva. If anyone dared to say a single bad word about Bai Xiaohua again, she would slap them across the face.

What could Bai Xiaohua say to a mother-in-law like this? What *could* she say? She could only remain silent.

She could understand her mother-in-law’s desire for a grandchild, but she couldn’t understand her actions. Still, her mother-in-law was all smiles now. She’d even said that if Bai Xiaohua was still upset, she could curse her out or even make her kneel—as long as she took care of herself and gave her a grandson, it would be fine.

Bai Xiaohua couldn’t bring herself to do such things, so she could only swallow her grievances. Besides, there was Liu Yuan. For her sake, he was willing to buy a house and move out; he truly cared for her. And now she was pregnant. Even if this baby wasn’t a boy, as long as she could give birth, she figured her mother-in-law wouldn’t make things too difficult for her. So, she had to stay.

No matter how resentful Bai Xiaohua felt, she had to let it go. She couldn’t leave, and she couldn’t cause a scene. Otherwise, people would start saying she was the one in the wrong.

Liu Yuan knew exactly what his mother was like, but what could he say? All he could do was be extra good to Bai Xiaohua.

Fortunately, once she learned Bai Xiaohua was pregnant, Liu Yuan’s mother sent all the relatives she had summoned home. She spent her days bustling about, waiting on her daughter-in-law hand and foot, unable to even bring herself to say a single harsh word. Just as she had said herself, she wanted nothing more than to put her daughter-in-law on a pedestal.

Bai Xiaohua also took a leave of absence from work. Her pregnancy wasn’t very stable and she was suffering from malnutrition, so she didn’t dare go to the office. She decided to rest at home for a while to recuperate and build up her strength.

Although Liu Yuan was busy, his mood had improved significantly. There were no more arguments at home, and his mother was smiling all day. One moment she would ask, "Xiaohua, what would you like to eat?" The next, "Xiaohua, are you feeling unwell?" She was terrified that Xiaohua might feel even the slightest bit wronged. Although he knew this was all for the baby in her belly, as long as his mom would just quiet down, he felt the world was still a wonderful place.

Gu’er was silent for a long time after hearing the story. ’Actually, Liu Yuan’s situation isn’t unique. Many families are like this, placing a huge emphasis on carrying on the family line. Weren’t there even ancient laws allowing for divorce if a wife bore no children within three years? If a woman marries into a family and doesn’t get pregnant and have a child within a year, it’s as if she’s committed some terrible crime. She can’t even hold her head up in public.’

’I remember a neighbor from not far away in my past life. Her name was Mei Juan. She was a very beautiful and gentle wife, but she hadn’t had a child in the five years since she married. It’s impossible to describe the suffering she endured in those five years. Her mother-in-law would curse her out in the street every day, saying the family had married a barren old hen who couldn’t lay eggs. She’d say that even raising a dog was better than having a daughter-in-law because at least a dog knew how to guard the house, while her daughter-in-law couldn’t even have a baby. The entire street knew about it.’

’One day, I had to talk to Mei Juan’s mother-in-law about something. Mei Juan had finished making dinner and went to call her mother-in-law to eat, but the old woman completely ignored her. She called out again, and her mother-in-law, right in front of me, berated Mei Juan until she cried. I tried to comfort Mei Juan at the time, but I was in a miserable situation myself. How could I possibly help her?’

’Mei Juan’s mother-in-law also found so many folk remedies for her to drink. If she refused, she’d get a scolding. Mei Juan even drank urine. One time, she was poisoned by something she drank, but her mother-in-law wouldn’t even let her be taken to the hospital, saying that if she died, she’d just find a fertile wife for her son. But Mei Juan had a strong will to live and pulled through.’

’After that, she refused to drink the remedies. Her mother-in-law would curse her, but she still wouldn’t drink. Her husband also thought it was her fault, that she was the reason he didn’t have a son and couldn’t hold his head high. He even started hitting her. In the end, Mei Juan just couldn’t take it anymore. With the support of her brother, she got a divorce. I remember being shocked for a long time when I heard about it. How could she get a divorce? No matter how bad a husband was, he was still your husband. Whatever your life became, that was your fate. Zhang Da treated me so horribly, but the thought of divorce never even crossed my mind.’

’But the outcome of this was something I never could have imagined. After Mei Juan got divorced, her former mother-in-law said that a jinx had finally left the family and started arranging for her son to marry someone better. But her family wasn’t well-off, her son was a divorcé, and she herself was a difficult person. What girl from a good family would be willing to marry into that? In the end, they found a widow who had already had children, just to ensure she wouldn’t have trouble conceiving.’

’Mei Juan remarried as well. She married a big, burly pig butcher. I felt sorry for Mei Juan for a while. After all, her ex-husband was much better-looking than the butcher. This butcher looked intimidating at a glance; Mei Juan’s life was sure to be difficult.’

’But unexpectedly, when I ran into Mei Juan four months later, the color had returned to her face. She even had a smile. She chatted with me, saying that even though this pig butcher looked big and burly, he was a very considerate man. He never raised his voice at her and always let her eat first. Sometimes he would secretly save up money for a month or two to buy her a red scarf or something else she liked, just to surprise her. She never thought a man like him could be so thoughtful.’

’I remember I had trouble sleeping after I went home that night. I never thought that after her divorce, Mei Juan would meet someone like that and live so well. What about me? I didn’t dare to think about it.’

’Over a year later, I saw Mei Juan again. She had gained weight and was holding a big, chubby baby boy. It was her and the butcher’s son. I was completely stunned. Weren’t they saying Mei Juan couldn’t have children? But here she was, having given birth.’

’To this day, I still remember the look of pure bliss on Mei Juan’s face. She said that now that she’d given birth to a son, the butcher treated her like a treasure. Only now did she feel like a woman, like she was living a life fit for a human being. She could hold her head high wherever she went. She said that a man’s looks don’t matter; what matters is the man himself. If you meet a good man, a woman is a treasure. If you meet a bad one, a woman is no better than dirt. She even tried to persuade me, saying that suffering with a man like Zhang Da was pointless, and I’d be better off just divorcing him.’

’I was terrified. When I went home to cook that day, I even burned the rice. Zhang Da gave me a beating for it, but I still didn’t dare to entertain the slightest thought of divorce.’

’Mei Juan’s ex-husband married a widow who already had children, but he still couldn’t produce a son. His mother started cursing out this new daughter-in-law every day. But this wife was a formidable one, and she cursed right back. Every day, you could hear their shouting matches up and down the street, loud and lively like an opera. But his mother never got to hold a grandson before she died. Behind her back, many people said their family was wicked, so heaven wouldn’t grant them descendants. But I understand now. It must have been Mei Juan’s first husband who had the problem, who was infertile. But people back then didn’t understand these things, and it was the women who suffered.’

’It’s just like Liu Yuan and Bai Xiaohua. There’s nothing wrong with either of them, and they love each other, yet they ran into so much trouble over having a child. Thankfully, nothing terrible happened, or they would have regretted it.’

’And like me and Sun Jiaming. Before I got pregnant, my mother-in-law, Cao Qiu, was always making pointed remarks. And that was without us living together, and with Sun Jiaming on my side. I still had to listen to a lot of gossip.’

’Sigh. I hope there will be fewer things like this in the world from now on. I hope all women have smooth pregnancies. It’s not easy for women. I hope they all meet someone who treats them like a treasure, not like dirt, and suffer a little less in this life.’

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Thank you to book friends 160816220409284 and Doudouzui for the monthly tickets. I originally wanted to write 4,000 characters and post a two-in-one Chapter, but my eyes are hurting so much I really can’t write anymore. The entire bottom of my eye is red. My apologies, everyone. I’ll resume normal updates tomorrow. Once my eyes are better, I’ll make up for all the missed Chapters.