My mother-in-law gave my daughter two thousand red envelopes during the Chinese New Year. I threw the money into the trash can. Why?

We have the habit of paying New Year greetings during the New Year. Our family lives in the city, and my parents-in-law and mother-in-law live in the countryside. In previous years, we would go back to celebrate the New Year with them, and they were very generous. They gave my daughter big red envelopes.

On this point, I feel that my father-in-law and mother-in-law really love my daughter, so I am relatively filial to the elderly. Compared with those old people in the countryside who favor boys over girls, I think my father-in-law and mother-in-law are relatively open-minded old people. However, since the two-child policy was opened this year, I feel that my parents-in-law have changed a lot.

They are not like before. When they call me, they are always concerned about my daughter's health, whether she is eating well, and whether she is growing taller.

Throughout this year, whenever I called, I would always ask: Are you ready for pregnancy? When do you plan to give birth to a big fat boy for your parents? Or they would just call to tell them that Zhang San's wife had given birth to a fat boy, Li Si's wife had given birth to a fat son... and so on.

It made me a little afraid of receiving a call from her. Whenever the call came from my parents-in-law, I would try my best to ask my husband to pick it up and let him deal with it on his own.

It’s like this cat-and-mouse thing, and it’s the Chinese New Year in a blink of an eye. When you go back for the Chinese New Year this year, your mother-in-law still gives my daughter a big red envelope.

I just opened it when I got home and saw that it was exactly what my mother-in-law said to her daughter: this red envelope will attract younger brothers.

My mother-in-law actually wrapped a big talisman in the red envelope. I immediately threw the red envelope as garbage.

What is all this about?

We have to work and live in the city. The little girl was sent to kindergarten when she was only three years old. If she has another child, I will resign. I am a teacher and I don’t want to give up this job that I love.

Also, I had already agreed with my husband not to have a second child. I really couldn’t stand my mother-in-law’s behavior.