A Northeastern Mother-in-Law Tears into a Southern Couple

#Family Drama #Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law #Everyday Family Life #Modern Romance

Qiu Xiaodan had just found out she was pregnant, and hadn't yet had a chance to tell her husband, when her in-laws came all the way from the south and descended on their home in the northeast.

Their first words after stepping inside: "Xiaodan, there are some rules we need to establish."

She had to greet them and serve tea at seven every morning.

At night, she had to massage her in-laws' heads and give them foot massages, rubbing with her bare hands.

Qiu Xiaodan put up with it. Her mother, Zhang Lijun, didn't.

Zhang Lijun was a retired cafeteria worker in Shenyang, widowed, and had raised her daughter all by herself.

When the mother-in-law said, "It's our family tradition," Zhang Lijun replied, "What is this, Empresses in the Palace?"

When the mother-in-law said, "A daughter-in-law should be filial," Zhang Lijun asked, "Has your son ever greeted you and served you tea?"

When the mother-in-law cried, "My son got married and forgot his mother," Zhang Lijun said, "Why did you raise a son? So his wife could bring you your foot-washing water?"

Their son-in-law, Chen Jiahao, was caught in the middle. For the first time, he stood his ground: "Mom, Dad, go home tomorrow. Xiaodan is my wife, not our family's servant."

After the in-laws returned south, they continued to cause trouble remotely, sending one relative after another into the fray. Zhang Lijun took on the whole crowd alone and only got bolder with each battle.

Later, the in-laws moved to the northeast, just a bowl of soup away. Zhang Lijun laid down new rules:

"First, no rules. Second, there must always be enough sauerkraut. Third, if I hear you call each other 'husband and wife' like that again, I'll put the sauerkraut crock over your head."

A southern couple and a northeastern mother-in-law. Toss the north and south together in one pot, and after a long simmer, it all tastes the same.