Chapter 2: Using Wit and Courage to Battle My Mother-in-Law

"No, I insist that she be the one to pay for this full-month banquet!"

Which family makes the mother’s side of the family pay for a child’s full-month banquet? If word got out, everyone would know that she and her daughter aren't treated well by the in-laws; it would be absolutely humiliating!

Furthermore, because the mother-in-law looked down on Ying-jie'er so much, Madam Wu felt she had to carve a piece of silver out of her, just to make her feel the sting and vent her own frustration.

She had carried her daughter for ten months; why should she let the mother-in-law call her a "money-losing good-for-nothing"?

Seeing her indignant expression, Xiao Hong glanced toward the door. Seeing no one, she whispered, "I think it would be better if you let the son-in-law handle it. The old lady dotes on him the most; having him speak for you would be all gain and no loss."

Madam Wu nodded in agreement. "That’s true. I’ll talk to my husband tonight."

Liang Jin doted on her and was a reasonable man; whispering in his ear was the most effective method.

Everyone knew how much Old Madam Liang spoiled her son, so having Liang Jin ask her for the money would surely leave her both furious and helpless.

"Pfft~"

Madam Wu and Xiao Hong exchanged a look and smiled, understanding each other perfectly.

Ying-jie'er, listening from the side, found it quite amusing. She grinned with her toothless little mouth and laughed along.

In her opinion, her mother was quite the eccentric character.

She was truly different from the rigid, stereotypical women of ancient times.

Perhaps it was because Ningxi Town was far from the capital, nestled between mountains and water, that there weren't many strict rules. It was a lively little place with many surrounding villages.

Most of the people here were ordinary folk, and the only official was a small, insignificant magistrate, so everyone lived relatively freely.

Madam Wu had grown up in the village and had a cheerful personality.

When she first married into the Liang family, she had tried to please her mother-in-law, but Old Madam Liang had looked down on her from the start for being a pig farmer and disliked her no matter what she did.

Madam Wu wasn't the type to debase herself; since her mother-in-law didn't like her, she wouldn't bother fawning over her. Besides, she had plenty of silver and didn't need to live by anyone else's whims.

As long as Liang Jin’s heart was with her, life would remain harmonious.

Ying-jie'er felt her mother was quite wise, knowing how to make herself happy instead of wasting energy playing mind games with her mother-in-law.

Just like now, after her bout of anger, she immediately asked Xiao Hong for something tasty.

"Go to the kitchen, slice up that pork my mother sent over, and let’s make a small copper pot to eat."

Xiao Hong, also craving the copper pot, smiled and went off.

When Ying-jie'er was drifting off to sleep, she smelled the aroma of hot pot.

The scent was spicy and appetizing.

She opened her dark, round eyes and looked around, only to see her mother and Xiao Hong eating hot pot over there??

Eh? Could it be that this place actually had hot pot? How magical.

She opened her baby mouth, "Wuwah, wuwah," asking her mother to hold her.

As soon as Madam Wu heard her cry, she came over to pick her up.

"What’s wrong? Are you hungry?"

With that, she reached out and poked Ying-jie'er’s chubby little cheek.

However, Ying-jie'er only wanted to look at the hot pot, not eat milk, so she wiggled her little baby body, babbling and trying to make Madam Wu understand her intent.

Madam Wu naturally didn't understand what she wanted, but she carried her to the table and sat down, eating the copper pot soup while looking down at her.

Ying-jie'er looked up at her mother eating the shabu-shabu meat, and her mouth began to water.

Madam Wu looked down to see her staring intently at the meat on the chopsticks and laughed. "My sweet treasure, do you want to eat meat?"

Ying-jie'er kicked her chubby little legs excitedly.

*I want to eat, I want to eat!*

Seeing her kicking so vigorously, Madam Wu laughed again.

She said to Xiao Hong with a smile, "Look at this little thing, she doesn't even have a single tooth yet, and she wants to eat meat. She’s killing me with cuteness."

Xiao Hong also laughed. "Don't talk nonsense, Miss. The son-in-law said that babies under a hundred days old can't see very clearly; she’s probably just fond of kicking her legs."

Madam Wu didn't take it seriously and grinned.

"Alright, eat quickly. Your master will be back soon."

Xiao Hong agreed with a smile, and they hurried to finish the copper pot.

The two of them ate until they were sweating, then quickly set out fresh vegetables and meat slices so that everything would be hot and ready the moment Liang Jin returned.

Liang Jin had just stepped out of Old Madam Liang’s courtyard when he caught the spicy, fragrant scent.

He took a deep breath of the numbing, spicy aroma and said in surprise, "Wife, how did you know I was just craving this?"

Madam Wu had already rinsed her mouth and changed into clean clothes, holding the baby as she walked over to greet him with a smile.

"How could I not know you? Go wash your hands and eat; Xiao Hong has already sliced everything for you."

Liang Jin smiled and agreed, but as usual, he went over to check on his daughter first.

"Has Ying-jie'er eaten?"

Madam Wu nodded. "She has. She was just waiting for you to come back; she wouldn't sleep properly while you were gone."

This was definitely an exaggeration. Ying-jie'er had been perfectly content kicking her blanket in her mother's arms after being fed and didn't miss her father at all.

However, to make Liang Jin love their daughter even more, Madam Wu always said Ying-jie'er missed him.

Liang Jin was a foolish father.

Every time he heard his daughter was looking for him, he would beam with joy, pick up the child with fatherly love, and coax her to sleep.

"Look at you, so naughty. You need Daddy to coax you to sleep every day. If you aren't good, I'll have to spank your little bottom."

Though he spoke of spanking, his hand gently poked his daughter’s chubby little cheek.

Held in her father’s arms and coaxed in a low voice, Ying-jie'er soon closed her eyes and fell into a sound, innocent sleep.

Madam Wu watched from the side, her eyes filled with tenderness.

"Alright, she’s asleep. Come over and eat."

The couple’s affection only grew, as close as if they were one person.

Liang Jin sat down to eat the copper pot, saying to her as he ate

"I’ve settled the matter of the full-month banquet with Mother. It will go ahead the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, I’ll have Tongxi go and deliver the invitations to your parents. We’ll set up a few lively tables then."

Because it was a girl, they would only set up a few tables; if it were a boy, they would have invited the whole courtyard.

Madam Wu didn't care how many tables there were, as long as she could hold a full-month banquet for her daughter. After all, it was their first child, and she wanted everything to be perfect for her.

"Thank you for your hard work, husband."

Madam Wu shyly kissed Liang Jin, then ran off to the bedside to check on the baby, feeling embarrassed.

Liang Jin touched the spot on his face and smiled silently.

——

The next day.

Liang Jin got up early to write the invitations and had a servant send them to the countryside to invite his in-laws to the full-month banquet the day after tomorrow.

When Old Master Wu heard about his granddaughter’s full-month banquet, he was naturally delighted and carefully prepared a pile of gifts to bring along.

The next morning, as soon as Ying-jie'er woke up, she heard the lively sounds outside.

Today was her full-month banquet.

Ningxi Town was a place with open-minded customs; although most people preferred sons, they were fond of daughters as well.

Especially the younger generation, who doted on their daughters.

Perhaps because this place was far from the feudal, rigid etiquette of the capital, the people here didn't pay much attention to those rules.

If someone had a daughter and wanted to hold a banquet, they held one, and no one said a word.

When a daughter was born, they would carry baskets to distribute steamed buns to relatives and neighbors; when a son was born, they distributed eggs.

Of course, there were some in the older generation who favored boys over girls—that was the case everywhere.

Today, as the Liang family set the tables, almost all the members of the Wu family arrived.

Although many people came, they also brought plenty of gifts; they weren't there just to freeload.

(End of chapter)