19 First Lesson (2/2)

Looking at her disgruntled daughter, Mrs. Xiu smiled to herself and placed the bowl of braised pig's feet on the table. The dish was filled with collagen and was perfect for new mothers who just gave birth. It would help tremendously to heal the surgical wounds.

Xiu Ling turned to her mother and said, ”Mom, why did you agree to do this? You could have gone home and left things be. Why did you volunteer to take on this degradation? You know as well as I do how the Lin family looks down on us, so why did you go and ask for this humiliation?” Xiu Ling hated that she could not keep the petulant whine out of her voice.

”And leave my daughter to fend for herself? You know I cannot do that,” Mrs. Xiu commented with a smile.

She sat down on the bed and used her fingers to smooth Xiu Ling's, something she used to do when the young Xiu Ling threw her rare tantrums.

Xiu Ling turned her head away, a non-verbal sign that she still disapproved of what Mrs. Xiu did in spite of her kind intention.

Mrs. Xiu smiled to herself, to be honest, she was glad that her daughter was acting this way. It meant that Xiu Ling was honest with her feelings, she did not put up a façade like Mrs. Xiu noticed her daughter was prone to do around other members of the Lin family.

When Xiu Ling was in her mother's presence, at least Xiu Ling could be herself and could show as well as vent her authentic emotions. Mrs. Xiu was to be dumpster where her daughter could channel her emotions. Knowing that she had at least served that purpose, Mrs. Xiu felt her decision to stay had been more than validated.

”Furthermore, how can I leave my precious grandson just like that?”

The mention of her new-born son softened the expression on Xiu Ling's face.

Mrs. Xiu carried on, ”Before Sister Sun left, she assured me that while the members of Lin family, especially Mrs. Lin, might be hard to please but they are good individuals at heart.

”After a few days' of interaction, I am prone to believe that she is right. They are not malicious individuals, they are merely products of their environment. It will be wrong of us to hold that against them.

”Xiu Ling, I will be fine. Don't you worry about me, if anything, you should be more worried about yourself. This one month period after birth is the most important for a new mother should she wish for a perfect recovery so you need to let me take good care of you and stop worrying about me.

”You know your mother has weathered worse, or do you have that little faith in me?” Mrs. Xiu smiled genially.

Xiu Ling could not help but smile in return. Her mother was right, she was a tough cookie, how else did she manage to raise a daughter alone in the patriarchal society of China?

However, this did not mean that Xiu Ling could stop herself from worrying about her aged mother. It is a mother's nature to worry about her children but who is to say the opposite is not equally true?

Ultimately though, Xiu Ling's concern was unfounded. Things at the Lin family mansion went much more smoothly than she anticipated… or at least initially.