If you don't consummate the marriage for three years and then marry a successful educated youth

Wen Yao nodded: "Come around four or five in the afternoon, don't wait until it's dark, it'll be too dark for me to see clearly. Also, remember to take the pills I gave you."

Lin Fengjiao waved behind her, her attitude much better: "Okay, I'll remember."

The chair is left there; she can wash it when she gets back.

"Sister Peilan, let's go to your mother-in-law's house."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Dr. Wen."

As the two walked along the road, Lin Peilan hesitated, then said, "Dr. Wen, do you think I'm too weak? If I were more assertive, would my mother-in-law stop bullying me?"

Wen Yao thought for a moment and said, "I think relationships are reciprocal. If you have good intentions, but the other person doesn't know it and even tries to turn the tables on you, then you should learn to back down."

"Take it back?"

"Yes, you can continue if the other party is not appreciative and you are willing to make efforts, but it is really hard to accept that they pretend to be sick for three years, torment their daughter-in-law and then pin the blame on them."

"However, every couple has a different way of getting along. You should know your family situation best. You need to try different methods to find a way to avoid being taken advantage of."

Lin Peilan sighed, "Okay, I understand. I really envy you, Wen. You have good in-laws who don't cause trouble, and a man who cherishes and protects you."

Wen Yao smiled and said softly, "Actually, if you want to be an easy wife, it mainly depends on whether your husband protects you. If he protects you, your life at home won't be too difficult."

"Even in-laws will be mindful of their son's feelings, don't you think?"

"Although Feng Jiao's words are harsh, they are not without reason. The problem you should solve most is actually the problem between you and your husband. If your husband protects you, many problems will not be problems."

"If he doesn't protect you, then what you should do is dump those trivial matters on him, let him experience how hard it is for you. People don't know how difficult it is until they do it themselves."

Lin Peilan nodded thoughtfully: "Okay, I understand. Thank you, Wen."

"Cultural people are really something; I understood what you meant in just a few words."

"It's nothing, you can see for yourself whether it's there or not."

As the two entered the courtyard, they heard cries and curses coming from inside the room. Stepping into the room, a strong stench of urine assaulted their nostrils, and Wen Yao pursed her lips.

When the old woman saw her daughter-in-law return, her voice rose several octaves: "Lin Peilan, you heartless wretch! I'm in so much pain, where have you been? Why didn't you come back?"

Lin Peilan said helplessly, "Mother, I've gone to call a doctor for you. It's the same doctor who treated you before, Dr. Wen, who is very skilled."

Before she could finish speaking, the old woman grabbed a pillow and threw it at her: "You slut, I think you're trying to anger me to death on purpose. I told you to find a barefoot doctor, not this wretched girl."

"What good medical skills? I think she's just a shell. I wasn't sick before, so why did she charge me for treatment? You spendthrift woman, all you do is squander my son's money."

Lin Peilan reached out and grabbed the pillow, her temples throbbing. "Fine, if Mother doesn't want to see a doctor, then forget it. I'll go find your son and bring him back to keep you company."

"I don't need to earn work points anymore. I'll stay home with you. If we run out of food, I'll kneel at your door with the kids. Surely you won't just stand by and watch us starve to death."

"I'm fine with being hungry, but I'm worried your son will go hungry too. He's the most filial son, much more so than your brother-in-law. What will you do when you're old if he starves to death?"

The old woman glared at her: "You..."

Wen Yao asked calmly, "Auntie, should I check your pulse? Or should you continue to be in so much pain?"

"Hmph, why don't you say I was faking it this time?"

"Because you were faking it last time, but not this time. A person's real pain response can't be faked. You broke out in a cold sweat, and the veins here are bulging."

"Alright, since you're already here, take a look at it for me."

The old woman held out her hand, gesturing for her to take her pulse. After a few minutes, she couldn't help but urge, "How is it? Don't tell me you can't diagnose anything wrong."

Wen Yao didn't answer directly, but instead lifted her clothes and pressed her hand against her abdomen: "Where does it hurt?"

"Not here, it's in the lower abdomen."

"Hmm, here?"

"Yes, yes, right here. I've had cramps since this morning. I've had this problem before, and it always gets better after a while. But today the pain is so bad that I feel nauseous and want to vomit."

The old woman was a little scared: "Could this be a terminal illness?"

Wen Yao helped her pull down her clothes and said softly, "Did you have a miscarriage when you were young, or was it a fetus that was more than four months along?"

"...Yes, but what does it matter? That thing was expelled a long time ago, a complete miscarriage. I even gave birth to two sons afterward, so there can't be any problems, right?"

"I suspect it, but I'm not sure. You need to go to the hospital for an ultrasound. I suspect there's something in your stomach."

The old woman fell silent. What did it mean if there was something in her belly? Did she have some kind of bad growth? Would she need surgery? Would surgery at her age be too much of a drain on her energy?

I've tormented my eldest daughter-in-law before. If she tries to make things difficult for me after my surgery, wouldn't I suffer?

Lin Peilan advised, "Mother, since Dr. Wen said so, you should go to the hospital for a checkup. If it really is something growing there, the sooner you know, the sooner you can get treatment and recover faster."

"But you had a miscarriage before, why didn't you mention it?"

The old woman glared at her and said irritably, "Why bring that up? Do you want me to digest this? It's just that I miscarried my first child when I was five months pregnant."

"Our conditions were so bad back then, we had no food, I was so hungry I was eating grass, how could I keep the baby? It's a good thing that I lost it. Could my stomach pain be related to the miscarriage?"

"That can't be right, the baby's already been lost, how could it have any impact?"

Wen Yao didn't say much: "Go to the town hospital for a check-up. I can handle routine problems, but for something growing in your stomach, you need to get an X-ray at the hospital to see it clearly, and surgery is a Western medicine procedure."

"As a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, I cannot perform surgery to remove the object. Go get it checked out as soon as possible, don't delay."

"Your pain is so severe, which means you can't delay any longer. Alright, I should go back now. Here's your consultation fee of one dollar."

The old woman glared at her again: "You didn't even prescribe any medicine, you just came to take my pulse and check my pulse, why does it cost a dollar? If a barefoot doctor came, it would only cost a few cents."

Wen Yao wasn't angry. She smiled and said, "Next time you can find a barefoot doctor. This is my price, Auntie."

"Okay, I know. Fine, I'll give it to you. Go ask my daughter-in-law for it."

"Hey Wen, come out with me for a bit, I'll give you some money."

"Um."

When the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law returned in the evening, the old woman was pale.