The Challenge (12)

Mrs. Xiu considered every aspect and in the end, the elder woman shook her head. Seeing this, Mrs. Lin was shocked because she was under the assumption Mrs. Xiu would do anything for her daughter. Why would she say no? Shocked by the answer, Mrs. Lin blurted out, asking, "But why? Don't you want to help Xiu Ling?"

Indeed she wanted to help Xiu Ling and that was the exact reason why Mrs. Xiu wanted to stay home. Based on what Mrs. Lin said, Xiu Ling was facing a challenge that had to do with business. What would she, an old woman from the countryside know about business? She would only be a distraction and a disturbance to Xiu Ling if she followed her in-law back to the city.

While she was glad at her daughter's advancement in life, Mrs. Xiu acknowledged the fact that her daughter had moved beyond the simple life where she grew up and where Mrs. Xiu still resided in. In other words, Xiu Ling had evolved into a different world and lifestyle and Mrs. Xiu did not want to drag her back into this backwards lifestyle.

They say the job of a parent was to raise their children to be better than they were and Mrs. Xiu was proud to say she had passed that assignment with flying colors. She had handed in her report card and now was the time for her to retreat to the background.

Therefore, she told Mrs. Lin, "Because I don't want to be her burden."

Mrs. Lin did not get what Mrs. Xiu was saying at all. Her mind was simply not wired that way. One could say she did not have that sense about her. In her mind, the whole family should face a challenge together when it presented itself, everything else was just background noises.

Mrs. Xiu tried to explain her perspective to Mrs. Lin, saying how she would not have been able to help in any way even if she moved to the city, if anything she would only be a distraction but Mrs. Lin was having none of it. She came to find her in-law, not because she thought Mrs. Xiu was a brilliant businesswoman but because she believed in a moment of great trial like this one, her daughter-in-law would need as much support as she could get. Mrs. Xiu would be there not as a financial advisor but a spiritual support to Xiu Ling.

The two mother-in-laws were just not getting through to one another. They had their own perspective of viewing this particular incident. In the end, Mrs. Lin knew she had to rely on her secret weapon to convince Mrs. Xiu. Mrs. Lin thus grabbed Lin Xi who was enjoying his snack and asked the boy, "Lin Xi, you would want Grandmother Xiu to come with us to the city, right? Wouldn't you like it if she stays with us for a while? She'll cook delicious food for you daily."

With the prospect of delicious snacks, the boy knew what to do. He turned his little face to Mrs. Xiu and he begged, "Grandma, why wouldn't you come back to the city with us? Pretty please... I promise you, it'll be so much fun!"

Well, as reluctant as she was, how was Mrs. Xiu going to say no to that? As mentioned earlier, every grandparent's kryptonite is their grandchildren. There is rarely an exception to that rule.

...

That was why when the door opened, it was Mrs. Lin, Lin Xi and Mrs. Xiu that walked into the room. Make no mistake, Xiu Ling was beyond overjoyed when she saw her mother but she was at the same time, incredibly confused. That confusion only increased when she saw the luggage her mother was carrying.

Mrs. Lin sat beside Lin Xi and she transformed into the role of a hostess perfectly as she made conversation with Joann. Mrs. Xiu then dragged Xiu Ling into the kitchen to explain the situation to her.

Mrs. Xiu was wrought with guilt when she explained why she was there. She really did not want to be there to be a distraction to Xiu Ling especially when she was facing such a big challenge in her life. She was proud of Xiu Ling but she did not want to be her burden. Mrs. Xiu even told Xiu Ling she could move into a nearby hotel if she needed some peace and quiet at home. She did not want to overstay her welcome.

Xiu Ling couldn't help but smile at the ludicrousness of her mother's concern. Of course, she would not be a burden to her and that was what Xiu Ling told her mother. She would love to have her around. They were currently in a brainstorming session and the more the ideas that were thrown into the mix, the better.

After Lin Xi finished his mother's lunch, he was hauled off by the maid to his bedroom to lay down for his nap. Mrs. Xiu offered to cook for Xiu Ling and everyone else. Mrs. Lin felt embarrassed for getting her guest to work but since Mrs. Xiu insisted, she finally relented. Mrs. Xiu cooked a scrumptious meal and the group of four women sat around the dining table, discussing the issue of Xiu Ling's challenge over lunch.

Unfortunately, none of them were businesswomen and the topic kept going back and forth with no progress being made. Mrs. Lin picked at the sweet and sour fish that Mrs. Xiu cooked and she praised it heavily, "In-law, this is amazing. It's even better than the food served at 5-star hotels!"

Mrs. Xiu accepted the compliment with a wave of her hand, saying it was just simple country cooking.

"No, I'm not being kind. You should totally sell these."

It was then that the idea hit Joann who also had a seat at the table. She uttered, "Wait a minute, Xiu Ling, why didn't you just open a restaurant with Mrs. Xiu?"