The mother-in-law, her eyes red and swollen from crying, went up to shield her daughter-in-law, speaking deferentially to the girl's mother.
'No matter how upset she is,' the mother-in-law thought, 'she'll feel a little better when she sees me.'
The mother-in-law had meant to be comforting, but her words made the widow's mother explode with rage.
"What do you mean, 'at least my daughter is still alive'? Was it my fault your son died?"
"No, no, my dear, you've misunderstood. That's not what I meant at all. Xiaoqin is still pregnant. Please, don't get worked up. Let's sit down and talk things over calmly, okay? I know how much you're hurting..."
The moment the child was mentioned, the mother's anger flared.
"A child? Hah! Are you delusional?! You make having this baby sound so simple. It's a child, not a side of roast pork! How could she just give birth and then wash her hands of it?"
"With this child, how is she supposed to start a new life?"
