The day mother-in-law officially moved in, Shen Nanxing had just reached fourteen weeks.
Gu Cheng'an tidied up the secondary bedroom, changed the sheets, and cleared out an old wardrobe for his mother. Mother-in-law stood at the doorway and looked around before nodding in satisfaction. “This room is fine for me. I’m not picky. As long as you two are doing well, even if I have to work a little harder, it’s worth it.”
Shen Nanxing stood beside her and hurriedly said, “Mom, thank you for your hard work.”
“We’re family. Why talk about hard work?” Mother-in-law smiled at her, but her next words were directed at Gu Cheng'an. “You can focus on your work. I’ll take care of the household.”
At the time, Shen Nanxing had yet to grasp the weight behind those words.
After mother-in-law moved in, the household did indeed become livelier. There was soup in the kitchen every day, the refrigerator was packed full, and the balcony filled with the little clothes the baby would need in the future. She reminded Shen Nanxing to eat fruit, reminded her to go to bed early, reminded her not to bend over, and reminded her to walk more slowly.
But she also checked the shopping receipts.
“This maternity dress cost over two hundred?” Mother-in-law asked, holding the receipt.
Shen Nanxing felt somewhat embarrassed. “My old pants pinch my stomach when I wear them to work.”
“One dress is enough. Pregnancy only lasts a few months. There will be plenty of expenses after the baby is born.” Mother-in-law said, “Cheng'an works hard to earn money. You need to learn how to manage a household too.”
Shen Nanxing wanted to say that she had bought it with her own salary, but when the words reached her lips, she swallowed them back. She did not want to make things unpleasant over a piece of clothing.
After Gu Cheng'an came home, mother-in-law would make a point of bringing the hot dishes to the table. “Cheng'an, eat more. That surgery wore you out today, didn’t it?”
Shen Nanxing sat beside them, still feeling somewhat nauseated by the smell of cooking oil. When mother-in-law saw her put down her chopsticks, she frowned. “Not eating again? Pregnant women can’t be picky. The baby needs nourishment.”
Gu Cheng'an put a serving of food into her bowl with his chopsticks. “Eat a little. Mom spent all afternoon making it.”
Shen Nanxing lowered her head and looked at the food in her bowl, suddenly feeling very tired.
She knew mother-in-law was not a bad person. Mother-in-law truly cooked, bought groceries, and cleaned the house, and she truly hoped for the baby’s well-being. But her kindness always followed a certain order: first Gu Cheng'an, then the baby, then the household, and only after that might Shen Nanxing come into consideration.
And Gu Cheng'an had grown accustomed to that order.
As the months passed, Shen Nanxing’s belly became visibly prominent. The department colleagues finally adjusted her night shift schedule, but the work itself did not become much lighter. She still had to stand for long periods, still had to deal with patients’ emotions, and still had to complete tedious records. After she returned home, mother-in-law would ask, “Did you eat properly today? Did you drink your soup on time? Did you tell your supervisor not to work you too hard?”
She asked many questions, but rarely asked whether Shen Nanxing was in pain, afraid, or happy.
During one prenatal checkup, Gu Cheng'an was once again unable to go because of an emergency surgery. Mother-in-law accompanied her to the hospital, talking the entire way. “A man’s career is the most important thing. Cheng'an is at a crucial stage in his advancement. As his wife, you need to support him.”
Shen Nanxing sat in the waiting chair, resting a hand on her belly, and softly murmured in response.
During the examination, the tiny fetal image appeared on the screen. The doctor said the baby was developing well, and Shen Nanxing’s heart softened at once, all her grievances briefly dispersing. That was her child, growing unmistakably inside her body.
On the way home, mother-in-law called Gu Cheng'an to share the good news, her voice light and cheerful. “The doctor said the baby is doing well. You can work without worrying.”
Shen Nanxing stood beside her and heard Gu Cheng'an laugh on the phone. He said, “Mom, thank you for your hard work.”
No one mentioned her.
That evening, she sat alone at the edge of the bed, looking through her prenatal examination report. When Gu Cheng'an came out after his shower and saw that she was still awake, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
Shen Nanxing looked up at him. She wanted to say that she had been a little afraid that day, that she had thought of him so badly while lying alone on the examination bed, and that he could perhaps look at her first once in a while.
In the end, she only shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
Gu Cheng'an let out a sigh of relief, lifted the covers, and lay down. “Then go to sleep early. You still have work tomorrow.”
After the lights went out, the room sank into darkness. Shen Nanxing stared into the dark, listening as her husband’s breathing quickly settled into a steady rhythm, while her palm slowly covered her belly.
At that time, she still did not know that many disappointments in a marriage did not descend all at once.
They had simply begun very, very early. It was only that, back then, she always believed things would get better.