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Chapter 330: Chapter 330: What kind of illness is she going to treat there?
"Auntie, you finished talking with Dr. Si so quickly?" Lin Man suddenly asked, coming out of the room in front.
Lin Fengying quickly wiped the corners of her eyes, forcing an ugly smile that was worse than crying, "Now it’s working hours, he’s quite busy. It’s not good for me to stay in the clinic for too long and interrupt his patient consultations."
Lin Man noticed something unusual about Lin Fengying’s face and asked with concern, "Auntie, it seems like you’ve been crying. Has something happened at home?"
Lin Fengying was about to say ’no’, but before she could, Lin Man continued, "Auntie, Xiaohui and I are friends, we usually share everything. Please feel comfortable around me, just see me as your own daughter."
Lin Fengying, with a heavy heart and no one to share her burden with, was deeply touched by Lin Man’s words. She forced a smile and said, "It’s not really a big issue. It’s just that I cry too easily."
Expressing her feelings to herself, she sighed, "Once a son grows up, he no longer needs his mother. When mothers get old and can no longer provide help, everyone sees them as a nuisance."
So, it was a family conflict. Lin Man caught a brief flicker in her eyes and said softly, "Auntie, I don’t think Dr. Si is a person who is unfilial to his parents. I have an older brother too, he was very good to my parents and me before he got married. After marriage, he always listens to his wife, whatever she says goes. Sometimes, it’s not that he doesn’t want to be filial, but that he doesn’t want to argue with his wife. He’s actually stuck between his wife and his parents, which is a tough situation. That’s why if a daughter-in-law is reasonable, then the family will be harmonious."
Her words made Lin Fengying deep in thought. Her eldest son had always been somewhat apathetic, but he respected her and never talked back to her before getting married - he certainly didn’t treat her as an enemy as he does now.
Since he married Tong Yao, he has changed. He treats her like an enemy, forgetting his filial obligation, as though his education has all gone to waste.
Seeing Lin Fengying’s distressed look, Lin Man explained seemingly innocently, "Auntie, don’t take this the wrong way. I didn’t mean to say that Dr. Si’s wife is not good, but I think that if Dr. Si was different before, then something must have changed him."
"Xiao Man, you indeed have a point. Xiaochen used to be different. He turned into a completely different person after he got married. Not only has he become indifferent towards me, but he also ignores his sister. Even when his sister came to Kyoto, he didn’t take care of her."
Lin Fengying, oblivious to the relationship between Lin Man and Tong Yao, freely talked about her family without any caution, attributing Si Chen’s attitude all to Tong Yao.
It was as if her son only acted this way because he was instigated by his daughter-in-law, and not because of what she had done in the past. This narrative made her feel less guilty, giving her some moral high ground in front of outsiders.
"If we’re going by what you’ve said, it does seem like your daughter-in-law could be the major cause of all this," Lin Man analyzed sympathetically.
Lin Fengying said, "Our family’s situation is complex. My husband passed away early, leaving me to bring up the three kids alone. During the hard times, Tong Yao’s father helped us out. Xiaochen married his daughter out of gratitude. We initially thought it was a good marriage match, but we didn’t expect things to turn out this way."
Considering her good relationship with her daughter and her fondness for this newfound friend, Lin Fengying shared a rough outline of her husband saving Tong Yaohui and Tong Yao marrying Xiaochen.
Of course, she deliberately left out her involvement with Si Weimin. Presented in this way, to outsiders, it seemed like the Tong Family owed the Si Family a life debt.
Lin Man didn’t expect that there was such a connection between Tong Yao and Si Chen. So, a part of the reason why Si Chen treated Tong Yao so well might be due to the debt of gratitude to Tong Yaohui for funding his education, right?
It turned out that Si Chen did not willingly marry Tong Yao. Does it imply that most of his kindness towards Tong Yao stems from gratitude, not love?
This unexpected information was certainly a cause for Lin Man to feel pleased.
Suppressing her joy, Lin Man said, "Auntie, based on what you’ve told me, it seems like the Tong Family does owe your family. If your husband hadn’t saved them back then, you would be living a prosperous life now, not like this."
Lin Fengying heaved a sigh, "Well, it’s all destiny."
Shifting the blame onto others unburdened her significantly.
A question arose in Lin Man’s mind, "Auntie, Dr. Si has been married for a while, right? But I’ve never heard any news about them having a child."
"I’ve urged them several times, but the two of them just don’t seem to get it. Whenever I bring up the topic of having children, they just ignore me. My daughter-in-law is frail, I don’t know if this could be the reason why they haven’t had a child."
Lin Man, knowing how to stir things up perfectly, asked a question that was primed to hit Lin Fengying’s sore spot - the topic of marriage and childbirth deeply ingrained in her. Xiaochen has been married for a long time but doesn’t have any children yet, even though people are gossiping about it. But no matter how anxious she was as a mother-in-law, it had no effect, since Xiaochen himself didn’t seem to be bothered.
Lin Man feigned surprise, "Auntie, you mentioned it and I just remembered something. I used to work at the Third Hospital and noticed that your daughter-in-law had visited there."
Lin Fengying was confused, "Xiaochen works here, why did she go there for treatment?"
Feigning uncertainty, Lin Man said, "We have an expert there who is very successful in treating female infertility."
Hearing this, the color drained from Lin Fengying’s face. So, it turned out that Tong Yao truly had some health issues. No wonder Tong Yao was so angry when she heard her daughter tauntingly call her ’a hen that can’t lay eggs’. It seems her sensitive spot was indeed hit.
Lin Fengying wanted to discuss this with her son, but she was in a hurry to catch the train. After hesitating for a while, she finally decided to travel back to Li City.
Scared that Yuan Caizhen would cause a scene at home due to finding out about her secret involvement with Si Weimin, Lin Fengying, being timid, decided to put the matter about Tong Yao’s infertility on hold.
After chatting with Lin Man, Lin Fengying’s mood had improved significantly. When she bid Lin Man goodbye, there was still a smile on her face, promising to invite her over for a meal the next time she came to Kyoto.
Observing the smile on Lin Fengying’s face, Si Weimin thought that she and Si Chen had reconciled. Curious, he asked, "Sister-in-law, did Xiaochen apologize to you?"
On hearing her elder son’s name, Lin Fengying’s cheerful countenance fell again and she shook her head.
"No, I ran into Xiaohui’s friend and had a few words with her. If not for meeting Xiaohui’s friend, I wouldn’t have known that Yaoyao visited a doctor for infertility. They’ve been married for over a year now and have never gotten pregnant. I had suspected that something was wrong with Tong Yao all along, and turns out I was right. Of my three children, Xiaochen is the most educated. If he doesn’t have any children, I wouldn’t be able to face his father even in death."
