The day Zhao Panpan found out she was pregnant, the whole Zhang Liang family was overjoyed. Her brother-in-law and sister-in-law even brought their little son over to celebrate.
From campus romance to wedding vows, their long courtship ending in marriage had always been the kind of story people called a perfect match. Now, a new life on the way felt like the cherry on top of their love. The thought that this child would carry both her and Zhang Liang’s blood made her heart swell with sweetness. A baby, she thought, could only pull two people who love each other even closer together.
“Hey, slow down!”
Sister-in-law Lin Jiajia called out with a smile as her son Kele ran around the house chasing the little dog. The Schnauzer, tiny and clearly scared, darted this way and that, trying to escape.
“Snowball, come here.”
Zhao Panpan called gently, and the little dog immediately ran into her arms, seeking safety.
But Kele, chubby and mischievous, scrambled onto the couch and grabbed one of Snowball’s legs, pulling hard.
Zhao Panpan lightly patted his hand. “Snowball is timid. Let go, don’t scare him.”
“Bad auntie! You’re a bad person!” Kele cried.
Lin Jiajia shot her a sharp look, cradling Kele and soothing him while snapping, “It’s just a dog. Why treat it like it’s royalty? You’re not even this nice to your own parents, are you?”
Zhao Panpan frowned, about to retort, when her arms suddenly felt empty.
Zhang Liang had taken Snowball from her while she was distracted with Kele and Lin Jiajia. “It’s just a dog, not a big deal. Kele, don’t cry. Uncle will give you Snowball, alright?”
Zhao Panpan stared at him in disbelief. “What did you just say?”
Zhang Liang looked awkward. “Well… you’re pregnant, and dogs carry germs. Toxoplasmosis or whatever isn’t good for the baby. Kele likes him, so we’ll let him care for Snowball for now.”
Even Zhang Liang’s mother chimed in: “Kids get bored fast. Maybe after two days he won’t want him anymore. We can keep him in the countryside until the child is older, then bring him back. No problem.”
Zhao Panpan laughed, but it was more bitter than amused. “Zhang Liang, you know better than anyone what Snowball means to me. How can you just decide to give him away?”
Snowball had been with her for eight years. He was old, gentle, and no child could handle him roughly like Kele did.
Lin Jiajia scoffed. Zhang Liang tried to soften it. “Panpan, I’m doing this for your own good. No need to get so upset.”
Zhao Panpan spotted Kele spinning in circles with Snowball’s leg in his grip. Snowball yelped in fear. She dashed forward, yelling, “Stop!”
Lin Jiajia blocked her, Zhang Liang held her back, and Snowball looked at her with pitiful eyes.
Kele stopped for a moment, but then grabbed both of Snowball’s legs and slammed him against the wall.
“Kele!”
Snowball whimpered, trying desperately to stand but failing.
Zhao Panpan’s heart sank. She rushed forward, wanting to check Snowball for injuries and take him to the hospital, but Zhang Liang held her back tightly. “Calm down. It’s just an animal.”
For a moment, Zhao Panpan felt like Zhang Liang was a stranger. He had always been kind to Kele, so why was he suddenly so cold?
Then, in a reckless instant, Kele barreled into her, hitting her stomach. “Bad woman!”
“Ah—!”
Zhao Panpan felt sharp pain and fell to the floor. Zhang Liang scrambled to help her, only to see blood pooling between her legs. He froze, unsure what to do.
Lin Jiajia clutched her son, watching coldly as chaos erupted. One of the onlookers yelled, “Quick, get her to the hospital!”
After hours at the hospital, doctors confirmed a threatened miscarriage. Zhao Panpan was admitted for observation. Thankfully, Kele had hit her stomach, not the womb—otherwise, the baby would have been lost.
Looking at Zhang Liang’s grateful expression toward his mother, Zhao Panpan said coldly, “Bring Snowball here to stay with me.”
Zhang Liang held her hand, trying to calm her. “Don’t worry. Snowball is at home. When you’re discharged, you’ll see him.”
Zhao Panpan shook her head. “He was thrown so hard. He must be hurt. Go check him and bring him here now!”
Tears streamed down her face. “You know how important Snowball is to me. He got me through the hardest years of my life!”
Seeing Zhang Liang hesitate to retrieve Snowball, she tried to get out of bed. “I’ll go myself!”
Zhang Liang grabbed her. “Stop it! Right now, the most important thing is the baby. If you really love me, you should put our child first.”
She pulled at her IV line. “Snowball is as important as my child! If I didn’t have him, I’d be dead already. Zhang Liang, why are you doing this to me? When that brat hurt Snowball, why didn’t you stop him? You’re complicit!”
“Enough!”
Nearby, Zhou Xiangping finally snapped. “Don’t compare my grandson to a dog! You want the dog? Fine! I’ll go get him now!”
“Mom!”
Zhang Liang tried to stop her, but Zhou Xiangping left the room with a dark expression.
The nurse returned to fix Zhao Panpan’s IV. Zhang Liang’s repeated hesitations only made her more anxious.
Zhang Liang’s father died early, and his mother raised two sons alone. The elder son, Zhang Jun, dropped out of school early to support the family, enabling Zhang Liang to finish university. Later, Zhang Liang married Lin Jiajia, a neighbor, and had always been very respectful and indulgent toward his brother, sister-in-law, and especially their son Kele.
But during that first month living with her in-laws after marriage, Zhao Panpan constantly felt Lin Jiajia’s malice. Though she was not a bitter person and even admired in her village for being virtuous, Lin Jiajia always sneered at Zhao Panpan or spoke with subtle mockery.
Zhao Panpan reminded herself that she was married to Zhang Liang, so she didn’t stoop to petty fights with Lin Jiajia.
Time passed. She couldn’t stay resent-free forever. Soon she returned to the city to work, and after several years of saving and buying a house with Zhang Liang, everything seemed back on track. They finally decided to try for a baby.
The arrival of the child should have been a joyful milestone in their shared future, yet this mess had happened instead. The more Zhao Panpan thought about it, the more upset she felt.
Zhang Liang’s gratitude toward his brother was understandable, but there were limits. He couldn’t involve her in his family’s favors—she had never received anything from them and had always been targeted by Lin Jiajia.
Zhao Panpan wanted to talk things through with Zhang Liang. Her boundaries could not be trampled.
Before she could say anything, Zhou Xiangping returned carrying a black plastic bag, her face dark. She dropped it on the floor. “Here. Your dog!”