Lin Guihua chose a Sunday specifically for this visit, a day when her son didn't have to work. This way, she wouldn't interfere with his work and could spend more time with him.
Since she had her own key, she didn't need to announce her arrival.
The first thing she saw upon entering was a pile of clothes by the washing machine. Her displeasure was immediate, and she shouted into the house, "Liu Xiaoyu, what exactly are you doing? Don't you even know to wash these dirty clothes? Are you waiting for me to wash them for you? Where are you? Don't pretend to be deaf and mute with me. Where did you run off to?"
Seeing that her daughter-in-law hadn't appeared after several calls, Lin Guihua's temper flared. What was this? Was she trying to show her who was boss, or what? The clothes weren't washed, and judging by the takeout containers on the table, she hadn't even cooked, expecting her son to eat takeout? What if it ruined his stomach?
As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Guihua, fuming, stormed into the master bedroom. Not finding anyone, she hurried to the second bedroom and then to other closed doors, finally opening the room where her son played games. She found only her son in the study, and her tone immediately softened. "Junyu, where did your wife go... Isn't she off work today too? Why isn't she home? Could she have gone for a prenatal check-up? And why hasn't she washed those clothes? What is she trying to do? Not even cooking for you, is she trying to overthrow heaven?"
"Ah? Wait, Mom, just wait a moment..." Zhou Junyu was stunned, making his mother wait for several minutes until he finished his game. He then temporarily exited the game and turned to explain the situation to his mother. "Mom, Xiaoyu has been gone for several days. She's probably gone back to her parents' home. I called her a few days ago, but she didn't say a word and just hung up. Then she blocked me. I don't know what she's upset about. If you have time, could you help me wash the clothes? I only have one day a week to relax, so please don't disturb me while I'm gaming. We can talk about anything else during lunch. Oh, and I want to eat spicy bullfrog for lunch today. Mom, can you buy the ingredients and make it for me?"
He had never washed clothes at home; either his mother washed them, or his two older sisters did. When he lived in the dorms at school, he would usually save them up to bring home for his mother to wash, or later, for his girlfriend to wash. His daily meals were also dictated by him, like ordering from a menu. So, after briefly explaining his wife's whereabouts, he matter-of-factly started ordering his mother around. This was how things had been for years, so when Lin Guihua heard his requests later, she nodded repeatedly without any reservations, agreeing that it was no problem. She then began to speak quite angrily and indignantly about Ding Yun.
"Your wife is truly outrageous. Is she trying to be the Empress Dowager just because she's pregnant, or what? Does she really think she's carrying a precious gem and can't do anything or is unable to do anything? When I was pregnant, I still worked in the fields transplanting rice. What is she compared to that? A daughter-in-law who goes back to her parents' home for no reason. Who does she think she is? Even a princess in ancient times, after marriage, wouldn't just go back to her parents' home whenever she pleased. I'll have to go talk to her mother. I need to ask what her family is trying to do."
"This is truly outrageous. I've never seen such a daughter-in-law. She hasn't even given birth yet to know if it's a boy or a girl, and she's already acting like this. If she gives birth to a son, she'll be unbearable. No, I must teach her a lesson!"
Although Lin Guihua was saying this in anger, she didn't immediately call Ding Yun or contact her in-laws. She didn't rush out to her in-laws' house to cause trouble either. Because, for her, these matters weren't the most important. The most crucial thing was to wash clothes and cook for her son. So, after a tirade, she stuffed all the clothes except for underwear and socks into the washing machine, separated the underwear and socks into different basins to soak, and then left. She went out to buy the ingredients for her son's lunch.
In Ding Yun's absence, Lin Guihua took over all the housework for her son's household. Meals were prepared and served directly to Zhou Junyu's computer desk. The laundry was washed and hung out to dry promptly. Furthermore, places like the floor, kitchen, and bathroom were all cleaned thoroughly. Even the bedroom was tidied, with the sheets and bedding neatly folded.
After completing these tasks and having lunch, she then stormed over to her in-laws'. Since it was Sunday, government offices that handled various certificates were closed. Even if Ding Yun needed to buy fruit or take photos, she would only need to go to a wholesale market or a fruit shop. There was no need for her to be out for long. Therefore, when Lin Guihua arrived, Ding Yun, her father, and her mother were all at home. They were watching television and eating fruit. Even Liu Zeguo, who normally didn't like fruit much, was vying with his wife and daughter for the fruit, which was incredibly delicious after being processed by the low-grade wood and grass creation furnace.
As the loud, banging knocks echoed, like someone trying to smash down the door, Huang Pinjuan and Liu Zeguo exchanged glances. "Is it your mom?" "It could also be my little sister!" "You go open the door..." With a limited number of visitors, sometimes the knocking sound was enough to guess who had arrived. Such an aggressive knocking style was only heard when their own mother, or mother-in-law, and sister, or sister-in-law, visited. Thus, they naturally assumed one of those two had arrived. Huang Pinjuan, not having a good relationship with her mother-in-law, was not eager to open the door. Therefore, Liu Zeguo stood up and walked to open it.
"In-law, what are you here for? Zhou Junyu isn't even here, so why have you come?" As soon as he opened the door and saw Lin Guihua outside, and still not seeing Zhou Junyu, Liu Zeguo's face immediately fell. Although he politely called her "in-law," his tone was clearly not pleasant. The unwelcoming sentiment was quite evident. After all, he genuinely didn't want his children's issues to lead to their parents arguing or even fighting. Moreover, if they did argue or fight, and it was just one woman against him, it would be quite inconvenient for him to intervene.
"Why am I here? You're asking me why I'm here? Do you know what your daughter has done? Don't tell me you don't know. I'm not afraid to tell you explicitly today. I've come to cause trouble! Where is Liu Xiaoyu? Where is she hiding? Get out of my way. She's already married into our Zhou family, she's part of our Zhou family. She's as lazy as a ghost all day, and she still has the nerve to go back to her parents' home. Where is she?"
Liu Zeguo was unhappy that Zhou Junyu hadn't come. Lin Guihua was also unhappy that the person opening the door wasn't her daughter-in-law. She immediately pushed aside Liu Zeguo, who was blocking the doorway, and stormed into the house while cursing. And so, a war without smoke immediately broke out. Perhaps out of consideration for the pregnancy, they refrained from pushing or hitting each other, resorting only to verbal combat. One side accused Ding Yun of being lazy, of not working at home to serve her husband, and of still having the nerve to hide back at her parents' home. The other side accused Lin Guihua of valuing sons over daughters, and also criticized Zhou Junyu for being so lazy that he'd starve without takeout. How dare he criticize her daughter?