Chapter 59: Blood Ties, Bitter Roots

The early morning light filtered gently through the gauze curtains of the Jia household. A mild breeze stirred the blooming magnolia tree outside, its fragrance curling into the room like a soft whisper.

Inside, Xu Li stood before the full-length mirror, dressed in a warm wool qipao with floral embroidery. Her eight-month pregnant belly rounded out the silhouette of her figure. Jia Lan helped pin her hair into an elegant bun, slipping a jade hairpin through it for a touch of grace.

"You look perfect, jie," Jia Lan said with a smile.

Jia Zhe stood nearby, holding a scarf and a thermos. He approached and gently wrapped the scarf around Xu Li's neck. "And now, warm too," he said with a chuckle, pressing a light kiss to her temple.

Mother Jia entered the room, her expression part warm, part worried. "Don't overdo it. Just stay an hour or two. And no standing for long. You should be resting, not dealing with... unnecessary stress."

Xu Li smiled and nodded. "Yes, Mother. We'll be careful."

Grandmother Jia added firmly, "And take the car. I already had Old Chen get it ready. There's no need for a pregnant woman to jostle around in a public vehicle."

Soon, the couple was settled into the back seat of the government-assigned vehicle, the driver steering them through the streets with practiced ease.

When they reached Xu Li's parents' home, the contrast to the Jia estate was striking. Modest and narrow, but meticulously clean, the house carried a sense of earnest dignity.

Her father, Xu Shouming, greeted them with a genuine smile. "Li-Li, Zhe ah, come in, come in. The place hasn't changed much, but you're always welcome."

Her mother, Liu Sufen, emerged with a nervous smile, wiping her hands on her apron. "You must be hungry. I've prepared a few dishes."

Xu Li's parents greeted them with polite, reserved smiles. The house was modest and clean, but an immediate shift in tone crept in the moment they stepped inside.

Her elder brother, Xu Rong, emerged from the back room with a feigned smile, followed by his two sons—Zhiqiang, aged twelve, and Zhiqing, eight—both dressed tidily but with an unmistakable look of curiosity and entitlement in their eyes.

Then came Ding Meiyun.

"Ah, younger sister's arrived. Look at you—eating well, aren't you?" she said, eyes scanning Xu Li's belly with a smirk.

Xu Li's polite smile didn't reach her eyes. "I'm being taken care of."

"I can see that. All these soft clothes and fancy scarves. In my second pregnancy, I was still chopping wood!"

Jia Zhe smiled without warmth. "That sounds like your husband's failure."

At lunch, the table was set with six dishes and two soups. Xu Li's mother nervously passed dishes to everyone, especially Jia Zhe, who accepted everything with practiced politeness.

"Let's hope it's a boy," Ding Meiyun said as she nibbled on a dumpling. "Otherwise, all this pampering will go to waste."

Xu Li put down her chopsticks. "I'll be happy with a healthy child."

"A boy carries on the name. That's just how it is. Girls... they get married and are gone."

Jia Zhe's voice was calm but icy. "In our family, daughters are cherished, not discarded."

Xu Li's mother tried to smile. "We just want the baby to be healthy. Let's not stress Li-Li with these talks."

After lunch, Xu Li asked to speak privately with her parents in the small sitting room.

"Ma, Baba," she began slowly, "why do you always let her talk like that? Why do you never stop her?"

Liu Sufen sighed, sitting down heavily. "She speaks out of turn, I know... but she's the daughter-in-law of this house."

"And I'm your daughter!" Xu Li cried, tears springing to her eyes. "Why do I always have to endure? Why is it always about her comfort and her mood and her son?"

Xu Shouming looked torn. "Li-Li, it's complicated. We only want peace in the household."

Xu Li shook her head. "No, it's not peace—it's silence. You've traded your daughter's dignity for quiet. All my life, I've had to step back so she could step forward. I kept quiet when she insulted me, when she told me I'd never marry well, when she looked down on me in front of guests. And you... both of you... stood there."

Tears spilled freely now.

"If you keep letting her speak for the family, then don't be surprised when I stop visiting. I won't raise my child in that kind of environment. I won't let my baby grow up thinking silence is love."

Her mother's eyes welled with tears. "You're right, Li-Li. I... I'm sorry. I should've protected you more. I just... I thought by keeping quiet, things would smooth over."

Her father nodded slowly. "You've become strong, daughter. You don't need us to speak anymore—but you deserve it all the same. Next time... I'll speak up."

Xu Li wiped her face and nodded, voice trembling. "That's all I wanted. Not gifts. Not apologies. Just... for someone to have my back."

As tea was served, the children surrounded Xu Li with loud greetings and then quickly fell into whispering among themselves.

"I heard Aunt Xu Li will have a big house of her own one day," Zhiqiang whispered too loudly.

"Yeah," added Zhiqing with wide eyes, "Mama said everything she has now will be ours in the future since she has no children yet!"

The room fell into stunned silence. Xu Li's face stiffened. Jia Zhe's expression darkened.

"Zhiqiang! Zhiqing! Stop talking nonsense," Xu Rong barked, but the boys looked confused.

Ding Meiyun tsked, "They're just children. Don't take it seriously."

"Children only repeat what they hear," Jia Zhe said, his voice cold. "It's good to know what kind of things are being said behind closed doors."

Xu Li turned to her parents, her voice trembling, "Is that what you believe too? That whatever I have will belong to my brother's family?"

Her father looked uncomfortable, but it was her mother who replied, "Xu Li, you're still our daughter, but you live with the Jia family now. And your nephews… they're family too. Surely you can help them a little in the future."

Tears pricked at Xu Li's eyes. "Why is it always me who is expected to give? Even when I was a child, if there was one egg, it went to Rong-ge. If there were new clothes, I got the hand-me-downs. I never complained. But now you want my peace, my dignity, my future, to be given away too?"

"You've married so well," her mother said feebly. "Shouldn't you be generous?"

"Generous?" Xu Li's voice rose slightly, but still steady. "I've tried. I visit, I bring gifts, I smile when your daughter-in-law insults me. But what do I get in return? Greed, gossip, and schemes."

Jia Zhe gently put his hand on her shoulder. "You don't need to explain, Li'er. We came out of respect, but we won't stay to be insulted."

Xu Rong muttered, "Why are you making a big deal out of this? They're kids."

"They're kids repeating what their parents taught them," Xu Li snapped. "And if this is the kind of talk happening in this household, then maybe I shouldn't be visiting anymore."

For once, her father looked deeply ashamed. "Li'er… you've always been obedient. We didn't realize—"

"I'm not a child anymore," Xu Li said with a tired sigh. "I have my own home now. And it is filled with love, not expectations."

With that, she stood. "Thank you for the tea. But I think this visit is over."

Ding Meiyun opened her mouth to protest, but Jia Zhe gave her a glance sharp enough to silence thunder.

They left with quiet dignity, leaving Xu Li's childhood home behind with its tangled shadows.

Later, when they were in the car heading back, she remained quiet for a long while.

"Li?" Jia Zhe asked gently, his hand over hers.

She shook her head, tears pricking her eyes. "I shouldn't have expected anything different. My parents—they'll never change. They will always ask me to give in. Always side with her."

Jia Zhe squeezed her hand.

"I kept hoping that maybe… maybe with time, they'd see how unfair they've been. But even now, even when I'm carrying their grandchild, I'm still the one who's expected to bow my head."

She laughed bitterly. "It's like they only see me through her lens. Like I don't exist outside the roles they put me in."

"I'm sorry, Li."

"No," she said quietly. "I think I'm done being sorry. I think... it's time I stop having expectations from people who never gave me what I needed in the first place."

Her words fell like small stones in the silence, and in her heart, something settled—a painful clarity, but a freeing one.

Jia Zhe nodded slowly, his gaze gentle. "Then let's build something different. Just us. Just love."

Xu Li closed her eyes and leaned into his shoulder, her disappointment quiet but deep.

And as their car turned onto the wide avenue back toward the Jia residence, Xu Li held Jia Zhe's hand tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For helping me choose my family."

On their way home, the car was quiet for a long while.

Finally, Jia Zhe reached over and clasped her hand.

"I was proud of you today," he said simply.

Xu Li leaned against him, whispering, "Thank you... for always being my shelter."

The city passed by in golden slants of sunlight, but inside the car, the warmth came from something deeper.