A year after marrying Chen Feng, we welcomed our first child.
The day he learned the news, Chen Feng lifted me and spun me around several times in the hospital before he asked me to quit my job and go home to focus on my pregnancy.
Given that I suffered from severe reactions during the early stages of pregnancy, I agreed after some consideration.
Ever since I got pregnant, Chen Feng has worked even harder, and has been especially kind to me.
As my belly began to grow, three days ago, my mother-in-law called to inform us that she would come over to look after me.
Today was the day of her arrival.
As soon as my mother-in-law stepped through the doorway, she fixed her gaze on my belly and started exclaiming in delight, "Such a sharp belly, it must be a boy."
Since I do not believe in gender preference, her words left me feeling rather uncomfortable. So, I replied: "Mother, times have changed. The old mentality where boys are preferred over girls doesn’t fit into the present. Even our country has declared that the gender of the baby doesn't matter."
To my surprise, my words caused a sudden change in my mother-in-law’s expression and she retorted, "Same? In the countryside, if you don't birth a boy, you are subjected to mockery. Chen Feng is the only son in three generations of our family. Are you trying to end our lineage by having a girl?"
I was just about to rebut when Chen Feng tried to mediate, "Alright, mother, you must be tired and hungry after such a long journey. Let's have dinner first."
Seeing Chen Feng shake his head at me, I swallowed my words.
Throughout the meal, my mother-in-law kept offering me food- mostly chunks of fat white meat, which I found quite repulsive.
But remembering she was doing so out of concern for me, I forced myself to eat a little while suppressing my nausea.
Scarcely had I taken a bite when my mother-in-law announced, "Wake up early tomorrow, I’ll take you to the hospital for a prenatal checkup."
Puzzled, since I had just received a checkup a few days ago, I responded, "No need, mother, I just had a checkup.”
Grandma slammed her chopsticks onto the table and declared loudly, "Children these days are precious. If one hospital's examination isn't accurate, you need to try a few more."
I thought Grandma had made a good point, so I nodded in agreement.
Early the next morning, Grandma took me to a rather small hospital.
I noticed that the hospital seemed run-down and I felt a bit uneasy.
However, all the prenatal examination procedures were ones I had done before, so I gradually became less worried.
After the examination was over, Grandma told me to rest outside while she asked the doctor if there were any precautions to be taken.
I obediently sat in the hallway, rubbing my belly with joy.
A few minutes later, Grandma came out as if she were in a daze.
I thought Grandma was too tired and just about to support her when she pushed me away and pointed at me, yelling "A barren old hen!"
After saying this, she abruptly turned around and left.
I was puzzled and followed Grandma, feeling wronged.
When we got home, Chen Feng had already come back.
Upon seeing Chen Feng, Grandma directly sentenced the child in my stomach, "We can't keep the child in her belly. It should be aborted in a few days."
Upon hearing these words, I was instantly stupefied.
Not to mention that the child was very healthy, and I was already more than 7 months pregnant. How could I just have an abortion?
I raise my head and look at Chen Feng, noticing that he is dumbfounded as well.
After a good while, Chen Feng recovers, his tone softens significantly: "Mom, why should we abort a perfectly healthy baby?"
My mother-in-law sneers and retorts sarcastically: "The child in her belly is a loss-making product, why should it be born?"
A loss-making product!
Upon hearing these words, everything becomes clear. No wonder my mother-in-law asked the doctor for contraindications. It seems she feigned concern only to ask about the baby's gender.
This child is my flesh and blood, and I will not allow anyone to abort it.
I turn to Chen Feng for help with a grievance: "Honey, this is our baby, we can't abort it."
Chen Feng looks torn, and after a while, I hear him stammering.
He says:"Honey, I know this is our child, but mother is right. This is a loss-making product..."
Ever since that day when Chen Feng and my mother-in-law persuaded me to abort the child, a silent cold war raged between him and me for three full days without a word being spoken.
It wasn't until he gave me repeated assurances and swore that he would not give up our child, that our relationship finally started to improve.
One day, like usual, I plan to go to the kitchen and heat up some milk.
As I pass through the living room, my mother-in-law, who is watching TV, glares at me and I notice her obvious discontent.
I do not overthink it and continue towards the kitchen.
However, just as I'm passing the dining table, I fail to see the wet patch on the floor, my foot suddenly slips, and I fall heavily on the floor.
Suddenly, I found myself sitting on the ground, with an immediate sensation of warmth trickling down my thigh.
When I touched it, I realized it was blood, frighteningly bright and shocking…
Abruptly, I felt a wrenching pain in my abdomen, which terrified me, and I cried out, "Husband."
On hearing my voice, Chen Feng quickly dashed out of the room.
"Honey, what's happened?"
Grasping through the pain, I gritted my teeth and said, "I fell, hurry up and call an ambulance."
Chen Feng was stunned for a moment but quickly reached for his phone to make the call. At that moment, my mother-in-law snatched the phone from him abruptly.
"You are not allowed to call."
Chen Feng looked at his mother worriedly, "Mom, Xiaoyao is bleeding. If we don't call soon, we may not save the child."
My mother-in-law looked at me placidly, a chilling tone in her voice, "God is not cruel enough to let our family line end. He wants to take back this loss-making item."
Pain unbearable, I shivered in rage, hearing my mother-in-law's words, my stomach hurting even more.
I reached for my abdomen, trying to alleviate the pain, and turned my focus to Chen Feng.
"Husband, why are you just standing there? Call now!"
"Do not call!" My mother-in-law stepped in front of Chen Feng, "If you dare to call today, you will be considered our family's sinner."
"Mom..."
Chen Feng looked helplessly at his mother, finally turning his head to look at me, his face full of hesitation.
Seeing this, my heart immediately chilled.
"Chen Feng, this is your child! The proverb says even a fierce tiger does not eat its cubs. Are you really going to stand by and let them die?"
As soon as I finished shouting, my abdominal pain that had just eased came back, causing me to sweat coldly.
Chen Feng's face changed color several times, finally biting his lip and saying, "Honey, we have to abandon this child. We'll have other children in the future."
His words startled me, and tears involuntarily slid down my face.
For the first time, I realized how ruthless Chen Feng could be.
My mouth was open, but I couldn't say anything.
Suddenly, the intense pain in my stomach came again, and I fainted.
When I woke up, I was in the hospital.
Before I had a chance to say anything, my mother-in-law, her eyes red, rushed up to me and grabbed my shoulder, shaking me.
"Our baby is gone, you owe me a grandchild!"
The baby is gone.
Even though I had mentally prepared myself, this sudden news still made me burst into tears.
My dearly hoped-for child didn't even get a chance to see the world because of my mother and my husband's preference for boys, and they were essentially the murderers.
I forcefully pushed my mother-in-law away and wiped the tears off my face.
"Weren't you always wanting to get rid of this child? Now you've got your wish."
My mother-in-law looked furious, her face alternately turning pale and green. She pointed at me and stammered, "You jinx, you're the one who killed my grandson. You owe me a grandchild."
