Chapter 32 – “Alright then. You have to be good at home too. Listen to dad.” (1)
Song Tingshen had a habit. Every time he came back from a business trip, he would find a way to take a few days off to spend time with his son. This time wasn’t an exception.
The next day, Father Ruan and Mother Ruan, who had heard that Song Tingshen was back home, called the Song household and invited the family of three over for a meal.
Father Ruan made two separate calls to Song Tingshen and Ruan Xia to invite each of them over. After doing this, he and his wife went out with a basket to buy groceries.
Father Ruan had been on tenterhooks before the call. He had asked his wife, “Song Tingshen will definitely bring Little Wang over, but do you think Xiaxia will come too?”
Father Ruan couldn’t be blamed for feeling apprehensive about inviting Ruan Xia. After all, it was rare for this family of three to be seen together. Song Tingshen would occasionally bring their grandson over for a meal. Contrarily, it was rare for them to see their daughter for extended periods of time. A neighbor had even joked that Song Tingshen looked like he was their son and Ruan Xia was their daughter-in-law, and it was a daughter-in-law that didn’t have a good relationship with her in-laws.
Neither Father Ruar nor Mother Ruan had the ability to control Ruan Xia. Their daughter had a stronger personality than them. Even when she was a child, their daughter had the final say in important and minor decisions in their family.
After Ruan Xia had married Song Tingshen, Father Ruan and Mother Ruan’s standard of living had greatly improved. They had moved from a small shabby home to a large apartment, and they no longer had to worry about making ends meet. Although Ruan Xia wasn’t close to her parents, she would timely deposit five to six thousand yuan to her parents’ bank account each month.
This amount of money wasn’t much to Ruan Xia, but for Father Ruan and Mother Ruan, it was more than enough to cover their daily expenses. They could live a leisurely life.
And so, because they relied on her to support them when they hadn’t even reached old age, Father Ruan and Mother Ruan didn’t have much confidence to speak to Ruan Xia even though she was their daughter.
Mother Ruan was also doubtful. “Xiaxia’s attitude seems to have softened the last time we saw her. We’re her parents. Parents want the best for their children. Since she has that idea, we should help her.”
Although, she didn’t know if their daughter would appreciate their help…
“Actually, Song Tingshen is very good. He’s a big boss of a publicly traded company, but he’s always very polite to us when he comes over.” Father Ruan had a good impression of his son-in-law. “I just don’t get why Xiaxia doesn’t like him.”
Mother Ruan didn’t understand her daughter and son-in-law’s relationship either. She only knew that their relationship had remained stagnant in the past four years. She had once asked her daughter about it, but her daughter had only coldly replied it was none of their business.
—
Song Tingshen had a good impression of his in-laws as well. Although he didn’t view them as his parents, he still went through the motions, and no one could find fault with his treatment of them.
Translator Ramblings: At first, I questioned why Father Ruan doesn’t just continue working at his job or keep a lower standard of living, so they’re not financially dependent on their daughter. But, I realize it’s because even if he works hard, he and his wife will still be hovering over the poverty line. The difference between accepting their daughter’s money is one step above poverty vs a comfortable middle class, not middle class vs luxurious spendthrift life.
Comments