I was reborn after my cousin stole my life.

Chapter 172: What kind of group is this? They're meddling quite a bit.

Teacher Shen's mother arrived the next afternoon. Teacher Shen was about to be discharged from the hospital when she arrived. Before she came, Teacher Shen's mother had not even sent a telegram to the army, so no one went to the station to pick her up. She came by herself in a tricycle.

On the way, I asked other military dependents and found out that Teacher Shen was still in the hospital, so I came straight to the hospital.

There was a line of people paying at the registration window. Seeing that there was no one at the window of the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy, Shen's mother ran over and asked, "Comrade, could you tell me which ward Shen Mingxiu is in?"

"In room 203 on the second floor."

Ms. Shen's mother looked very much like Ms. Shen, with her hair neatly tied up behind her back and wearing a well-fitting Lenin suit.

Remembering what Teacher Shen said about her mother arriving in the next couple of days, Yuan Xiu immediately guessed that this person must be Teacher Shen's mother.

"Thank you, comrade."

Shen's mother smiled at Yuan Xiu, picked up two large bags of luggage, and nimbly went upstairs via the stairs next to her.

When she entered the ward, Political Commissar Wang and Wang Ting were packing their things together. Teacher Shen was sitting on the empty bed next to her, holding a child in her arms and a scarf to shield her head from the wind.

Upon seeing her daughter, Shen's mother's eyes welled up with tears.

Wang Ting was facing the door when she saw this and gestured towards her father with her lip.

Political Commissar Wang turned his head and looked over. "...Mom, what brings you here?"

Shen's mother rolled her eyes at him. "Why can't I come? Do you want me to come, or not?"

Political Commissar Wang chuckled awkwardly twice: "Of course I wanted you to come. What I mean is, why didn't you send me a telegram in advance so I could arrange for someone to pick you up?"

His mother-in-law had never been kind to him, blaming him for bringing her daughter so far away. If it weren't for his father-in-law's easygoing nature, his marriage with Xiao Shen would have been impossible.

After marriage, she had a lot of complaints about him because he and Xiao Shen never had children.

"What's the point of picking me up? Do you think I'm a grown man who can get lost? It's not like it's my first time here."

The last time Shen's mother came was when Teacher Shen and Political Commissar Wang got married.

"mom."

As soon as she uttered the word "Mom," Teacher Shen's voice became hoarse.

Shen's mother put down her luggage, took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears, and said, "You mustn't cry. You're in your postpartum period. If you cry, your eyes will go blurry when you get old!"

Teacher Shen sniffed and hummed in agreement.

"Quick, let me hold the baby." Mrs. Shen wiped her hands with a handkerchief and took the child from Ms. Shen's arms. "He's so beautiful!"

Political Commissar Wang: ...My mother-in-law has excellent taste!

After kissing her granddaughter, Shen's mother began asking Sister Zhu, "Where is she? Where is she now?"

"He has already been detained and taken to a labor camp, and sentenced to twelve years."

"She got off too easy! Why didn't you just shoot her dead!"

Mrs. Shen was filled with regret: "When we said we wanted to find a relative to help, I originally planned to ask your aunt. Her mother somehow heard the news and rushed over, saying her family was having financial difficulties. I thought I had met her a few times when she was a girl; she looked clean and hardworking, so she shouldn't be a bad person. Your aunt is well-off and might not be willing to come and help. Rather than asking your aunt, I thought it would be better to have her come. Even if it's just for the salary, she'd do her best. Who would have thought we'd hired a wolf in sheep's clothing!"

"When I received the telegram, your father and I were nearly scared to death!"

Ms. Shen gently stroked Ms. Shen's body, gazing at her with pleading eyes. "Thank goodness you and the child are alright. If it really were... I wouldn't be able to live either."

"Oh dear, look at you, you were telling me not to cry, but you're the one who's started crying. Aren't you just trying to provoke me?" Teacher Shen's eyes also began to redden.

These past few days, she hasn't said anything, but she's actually been feeling lingering fear. She's had nightmares for several nights and can't sleep, staying awake until dawn.

Political Commissar Wang quickly reassured them, "The great calamity has passed; good fortune awaits us from now on. Our family will surely live in peace and safety from now on!"

"What you said is quite pleasing to the ear." Mother Shen wiped away her tears, noticing Wang Ting. "This is..."

"This is Xiaoting."

A smile immediately appeared on Shen's mother's face. "Oh, it's Xiaoting! You were only this tall when I last saw you." She gestured to her chest. "Time flies. You've grown into a young lady."

She saw it when she came in; the girl was helping to put away diapers.

Wang Ting touched the tip of her nose. Last time they met, she didn't have a good impression of the old lady. She still remembered how angry the old lady was, pounding her chest.

"Thanks to Xiaoting, she has lost weight these past few days from taking care of us, running between home and the hospital."

Shen's mother went over and took Wang Ting's hand: "Good child, you've worked hard."

Wang Ting blushed with embarrassment, "I...I was helping my little sister."

"Of course I know, which is why blood ties are the closest relationships in the world," Shen's mother said with a smile.

Political Commissar Wang reminded Wang Ting, "You child, why don't you greet people?"

Wang Ting forced a smile: "...Grandma."

"Sigh!" Mother Shen felt relieved. She had always been quite worried about her daughter's family situation. Even though her daughter always said everything was fine in her letters home, she could still guess from the fact that her daughter had never had her own child that her family was not harmonious.

Now, I'm so worried because my child has grown up and become more sensible, unlike when he was a child.

This is a good thing.

"Are we going back? Hurry up and pack, hurry back. I brought a lot of dried goods with me. I'm going to make a lot of soup for my daughter to nourish her. Xiaoting should also nourish herself. It's good for a girl to be a little chubby."

Wang Ting: "I can't get fat, the troupe will talk about it if I do."

"What kind of group is this? They're being quite nosy."

Teacher Shen explained, "Xiaoting is a dancer who performs on stage. She doesn't eat an extra bite normally."

"Xiaoting is so capable! We need to be careful."

"By the way, Mom, how long of a leave did you take?" Political Commissar Wang asked. He needed to know the details so he could make the necessary arrangements.

"I didn't ask for leave."

Teacher Shen and Political Commissar Wang exchanged a glance. What did that mean?

"I've cancelled my reservation early." Shen's mother held her child and let her son-in-law carry her luggage.

Teacher Shen: "Aren't you...?"

"No matter how important work is, it's not as important as my daughter and granddaughter. I'll stay here and help you take care of the children. I'll go back home when I'm ready to leave."

If she had known this would happen, she should have applied for early retirement when her daughter was pregnant and come to take care of them herself.

Teacher Shen was deeply moved. "Mom."

Her mother had always been a model worker in the factory, valuing her work above all else. Unexpectedly…

"Stop crying and begging. I have to persuade you. Anyway, I've been doing this for over thirty years. I'm tired of it. It's good to retire early and enjoy a peaceful life."

As she spoke, Mrs. Shen laughed, "No one in our family has taken over the business. Your brother and sister-in-law both have jobs. I retired early, and I even sold this job for 1,200 yuan."

Political Commissar Wang chuckled: "Then Mom, you're rich!"

Mother Shen: "This money is for you, do you want it or not?"

Political Commissar Wang: "..."