Chapter 290: The Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law in Collusion
Dahua shrank back under her blanket, convinced that the man intended to snap her neck right then and there.
“What exactly are you doing lurking around here in the middle of the night?” Gu Tingxiao’s low voice cut through the shadows.
“N-nothing! It’s nothing,” Dahua stammered, her voice shaking. “I… I was just looking for the restroom and got turned around.”
She scrambled back to her cot as fast as her legs could carry her, frantically clutching her chest to calm her racing heart. She was completely shaken. For a second, she had genuinely felt the icy grip of death closing in around her.
Sheng Wanyan’s husband was terrifying—utterly terrifying.
It was glaringly obvious that she couldn’t pull this off on her own. But with Sheng Wanyan scheduled to remain in the hospital for a few more days, Dahua knew she had to find another way. She lay awake, her mind pivoting to her calculating, status-obsessed mother-in-law.
If this scheme promised to yield immense wealth and prestige for the family, the old woman wouldn’t hesitate to join in. And once the plot succeeded, Dahua’s own standing within her husband’s household would naturally skyrocket.
The following morning, Dahua managed to pass a message through a visitor, summoning her mother-in-law to the hospital. The old lady was highly reluctant to make the trip at first, but the moment she decoded the massive financial hints hidden in the message, she hurried over, her curiosity thoroughly piqued.
Meeting in the privacy of the corridor restrooms, Dahua leaned in and whispered the details of her plan into the old woman’s ear.
Meanwhile, back behind the curtains, Gu Tingxiao didn’t believe a word of the restroom excuse. One maternity bed sat directly adjacent to the main door, while theirs was anchored in the absolute innermost corner of the ward; it was mechanically impossible to confuse the two destinations. He had caught the sheer, naked panic flashing in Dahua’s eyes.
However, he chose to keep his silence for now. Some traps simply required patience; if you gave the culprit enough rope, they would eventually hang themselves.
Later that afternoon, the patient occupying the bed next to Sheng Wanyan was officially cleared for discharge. The family near the door had already left days prior, meaning the ward was rapidly emptying out. The departing neighbor happily cradled her newborn son, bidding a warm farewell to Sheng Wanyan, who had served as her primary source of entertainment and gossip over the week. Sheng Wanyan offered a few polite, standard pleasantries to see them off.
Ever since Dahua’s aggressive attempt to handle the baby, Sheng Wanyan’s maternal instincts had been on high alert. She poured her entire soul into guarding little Jinsheng, leaving absolutely no room in her mind for anything else. Gu Tingxiao recognized the intense anxiety weighing on her, ensuring that either he or her brother remained glued to the mother and daughter at all times. Sheng Wanze sat rigidly on his wooden stool, his cold, unyielding gaze tracking Dahua’s every movement.
Under his steady watch, Dahua felt as though a lethal tiger were coiled just inches away, ready to tear her to pieces the moment she slipped up.
She shot a desperate look toward her mother-in-law. The old woman, having fully digested the plot, took a deep breath. She watched with an observant eye as Gu Tingxiao meticulously changed the little girl’s diaper. After a moment of calculated thought, a wide, syrupy smile broke across her weathered face, and she ambled over to Sheng Wanyan’s bedside to strike up a conversation.
“My goodness, little sister, your man truly dotes on you,” the old woman cooed, leaning against the guardrail. “I’ve walked this earth for a very long time, and I can honestly say I have never witnessed a country man bend over backward to serve his wife like this. It seems you city folks really do possess a superior mindset; your men are just incredibly considerate.”
Sheng Wanyan listened to the hollow flattery, offering a polite nod but choosing to keep her mouth shut.
“Here, Wanyan, have some fruit,” Sheng Wanze interjected smoothly, handing her a freshly peeled apple.
Sheng Wanyan took a few crisp bites before passing the remaining half back, dividing it between her brother and husband. Sheng Wanze knew her appetite perfectly; if she consumed an entire apple at this hour, she wouldn’t have a single inch of space left for her recovery dinner. He didn’t waste a second, tossing his portion back in two quick bites.
Watching them casually consume a premium apple, the old lady subconsciously licked her dry lips. She had survived her entire existence in the rural provinces without ever tasting a piece of real fruit. It was a luxury she rarely even crossed paths with, let alone had the coin to purchase. Looking at the crisp slices in Sheng Wanyan’s hands, a wave of profound greed washed over her.
“My, is that a genuine apple?” she asked eagerly.
Sheng Wanyan offered a brief, polite nod, continuing to eat in silence.
“Merciful heavens! I’ve truly never laid eyes on such a precious luxury in all my days,” the old woman sighed, her eyes wide. “So that’s what a real apple looks like. Standing here with you has certainly expanded my horizons! Tell me, little sister, it tastes absolutely magnificent, doesn’t it?”
Sheng Wanyan looked up, tracking the old woman’s desperate gaze. “It’s fine,” she replied evenly. “My husband’s family simply treasures me, so they insisted I consume the only piece of fruit available in our household.”
The old lady scoffed inwardly at the claim. The family clearly lived an elite lifestyle; she had personally witnessed Mother Gu flooding the bedside with refined grains and cash deliveries every single day. There was absolutely no way this was the single piece of fruit in their larder.
“Well, your in-laws certainly seem to value your worth,” the old woman pressed, her smile stretching wider. “I noted that you and my daughter-in-law delivered your babies on the exact same night. Of course, bringing a daughter into the world is technically a financial loss—”
She abruptly bit her tongue, catching herself just before the traditional insult could fully leave her mouth. She remembered her daughter-in-law’s warning: this specific family didn’t harbor a single shred of bias against girls and treated the infant like an absolute heirloom.
“I mean to say, since both babies turned out to be girls, it must be absolute fate!” the old lady pivoted smoothly. “What do you say we formalize the bond? Why don’t our families agree to recognize each other as godparents, little sister?”
Sheng Wanze and Gu Tingxiao remained perfectly silent, exchanging a knowing glance. They were fully aware that Sheng Wanyan was an exceptionally sharp woman who refused to tolerate a single ounce of manipulation; no one could ever take advantage of her.
“There is absolutely no reason for us to establish a godparent dynamic out of nowhere,” Sheng Wanyan declined flatly.
“Oh, you’re young, little sister, so you don’t grasp the wisdom of the elders,” the old woman argued, stepping closer. “If we formalize a godparent bond, the children will naturally have a steady companion to rely on as they navigate the world. Furthermore, it grants you an additional maternal network, providing you with immense backing and confidence down the line. I may not possess much wealth, but I am blessed with an abundance of strong sons.” The old lady squared her shoulders proudly. In the rural districts, a woman’s social currency was directly tied to the number of males she successfully brought into the lineage.
“Thank you, but it’s entirely unnecessary,” Sheng Wanyan countered, her tone absolute. “I am already blessed with a devoted father, a mother, and a capable brother. I have zero requirement for an external maternal network. As for my daughter requiring companions, our family estate is already bursting with children; she won’t be lacking for playmates.”
Sheng Wanyan had absolutely zero intention of forcing pre-arranged friendships onto her daughter’s upbringing. It was her firm belief that as her child grew, she should possess the absolute freedom to select her own social circle and allies. As long as her daughter’s choices didn’t cross legal or moral boundaries, Sheng Wanyan would never dream of interfering.
Throughout her previous life in the modern era, she had navigated countless social dynamics—crossing paths with genuine, ride-or-die allies as well as opportunistic vultures who only approached her with hidden agendas. Having seen every facet of human nature, she had long since lost interest in superficial networking. The loyal friends would anchor your life, while the toxic ones would teach you valuable survival lessons; both served a purpose. A child’s choice of friends was simply a mirror of their own personal growth at that specific milestone. Ultimately, only one or two true confidants would ever stand by a person’s side until the end of the road. Having walked that path herself, she refused to dictate her daughter’s future bonds.
The old lady was thoroughly taken aback by Sheng Wanyan’s blunt, unyielding refusal. In her mind, establishing a godparent link was a harmless, standard custom—and one that would offer this city girl immense local leverage. She hadn’t expected the young woman to be this aggressively uncooperative.
Left with no choice, the aunt attempted to soften the mood by pivoting to generic family small talk. While she was eagerly chattering away, Mother Gu walked through the ward door carrying a fresh container of hot food. The old woman immediately swarmed her, enthusiastically trying to pull Mother Gu into her web of conversation. To an outsider entering the room, the display was so warm and hospitable she looked like she was the one hosting Sheng Wanyan.
Mother Gu, however, possessed an incredibly sharp, aristocratic judgment. She traded a few frosty, standard pleasantries with the woman before seamlessly cutting her off.
“Sister, my daughter-in-law needs to consume her recovery meal while it’s hot,” Mother Gu announced, her posture commanding. “You should run along and secure some food for your own daughter-in-law as well. We can certainly catch up another time when our schedules are clear.”
With that, Mother Gu began systematically arranging the porcelain dishes on the nightstand. Left with no logical counter, the aunt had no choice but to nod stiffly and retreat to her corner.
Seeing her mother-in-law approach her cot, Dahua’s eyes flared with intense anticipation. She desperately hoped the old woman was carrying a ration of food; she had been entirely cut off from the family’s coin over the past few days and was quietly starving.
Now that she had engineered a plan to insert their bloodline into an elite, wealthy dynasty, her mother-in-law surely wouldn’t dare treat her like an unwanted dog or leave her to starve.
Dahua’s calculations were entirely accurate. The old lady had originally intended to starve her out to punish her for delivering a girl, but the tantalizing prospect of becoming the maternal anchors to an elite officer’s child shifted her logic. She couldn’t risk her daughter-in-law collapsing from deprivation before the swap could be executed; at the very least, she had to keep her nourished enough to manage the baby.
Watching her mother-in-law reluctantly count out a few coins to purchase a hot plate of hospital food for her, a cold, triumphant smile curled the corners of Dahua’s lips.
