My Mother-in-Law Gave the Other Daughter-in-Law a Porcelain Tea Set for Easter, and Me — Plastic Plates
“Marinochka, this is for you!” Lidia Petrovna said with a smile, holding out a bag. “So you’ll have something to serve snacks on when you go out into the countryside.”
Marina took the bag and looked inside. A set of plastic plates decorated with an Easter design stared back at her. Four of them, bright yellow, with pictures of little chicks.
“Thank you,” Marina said, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. “Very… practical.”
“And you, Svetochka…” Lidia Petrovna turned to her other daughter-in-law and ceremoniously handed her a large box. “This is for you, my dear. Open it!”
Svetlana carefully untied the ribbon and removed the lid. Inside the box, gently wrapped in paper, was a porcelain tea set: elegant cups with gold rims, saucers, a teapot, and a sugar bowl.
“Lidia Petrovna!” Svetlana gasped. “It’s beautiful! This is real porcelain!”
“Of course, darling. I thought you and Dima could use it when you have guests over. You always set such a beautiful table.”
Marina felt her cheeks grow warm. Andrey, her husband, was enthusiastically telling something to his younger brother Pavel and seemed not to have noticed the scene at all. Or perhaps he was pretending not to notice.
“Lida,” came Nina Mikhailovna’s voice, “didn’t we talk about the tea set?”
Lidia Petrovna straightened abruptly.
“Mom, not now,” she snapped. “Everyone received wonderful gifts, everyone is happy. It’s a holiday, after all.”
Grandmother frowned but remained silent, and Marina caught herself thinking that the elderly woman looked upset. But that was the end of the incident: everyone moved to the festive table, where dyed Easter eggs and kulichi occupied the place of honor.
“Is something bothering you?” Andrey asked when they were already driving home. “You were unusually quiet all evening.”
Marina turned toward the window.
“Didn’t you find it strange that your mother gave Svetlana a porcelain tea set and me plastic plates?”
Andrey sighed.
“Marin, they’re just gifts. Mom knows we like going out into the countryside, so she thought of something practical. Dima and Sveta hardly ever leave the city, but they often have people over for tea.”
“It’s not about the gifts themselves, Andrey. It’s about the attitude. Your mother is constantly showing that Svetlana is the perfect daughter-in-law to her, while I…” Marina hesitated. “I’m just the wife of her eldest son.”
“You’re exaggerating.” Andrey shook his head. “Mom treats both of you equally.”
Marina wanted to argue, but she kept quiet. There was no point in explaining something he didn’t want to see.
A week passed. Marina had almost forgotten about the Easter incident when her mother-in-law called.
“Marinochka, I wanted to invite you and Andrey over for the weekend. Dima and Sveta will be here too. Mom has wanted to gather everyone together for a long time, not just on holidays.”
Marina wanted to refuse, saying they had things to do, but she understood that would only make the situation worse.
“Yes, of course, we’ll come,” she replied.
On Saturday they arrived at Lidia Petrovna’s house just in time for lunch. Svetlana was already bustling around the kitchen, helping her mother-in-law with the preparations.
“I’m so glad you came!” Lidia Petrovna hugged her son. “Svetochka just baked cookies using my recipe—you absolutely have to try them! And you, Marina, can rest after the drive. We can manage here.”
Marina forced a smile. That tone again! “Svetochka” was working hard while “you, Marina” could sit off to the side. She went into the living room, where Nina Mikhailovna was sitting with a magazine.
“Sit down, dear.” Grandmother patted the sofa beside her. “How are things in your family?”
They began talking. Nina Mikhailovna turned out to be an interesting conversationalist with a sharp mind, nothing like her daughter. They were discussing books when unusual sounds came from the kitchen—as though someone were crying.
“I’ll go see what’s happening,” Marina said and headed toward the kitchen.
The door was slightly open. Marina was about to enter when she heard Svetlana’s voice.
“Please, stop doing this! I can’t take it anymore. You’re constantly interfering in our lives, telling us how to live, how to arrange our apartment, what to cook…”
“I’m only trying to help!” Lidia Petrovna protested. “You know I only want what’s best for you.”
“Your help has turned into control!” Desperation rang in Svetlana’s voice. “You even turn Dima against me whenever I don’t do things the way you think they should be done.”
Marina quietly stepped away from the door. Suddenly, a lot of things made sense. The “perfect daughter-in-law” Svetlana simply didn’t dare contradict her mother-in-law because she was afraid of damaging their relationship.
The next day Marina tried to speak to Svetlana privately, but she remained distant and clearly avoided conversation. After lunch, when the men went to the garage to help Pavel with his car, Marina finally found a moment to approach Svetlana, who was arranging dishes in the cabinet.
“It’s a beautiful tea set,” Marina began.
“Yes.” Svetlana barely looked at her. “Lidia Petrovna is very generous.”
“Listen, Sveta,” Marina decided to speak directly. “I accidentally overheard your conversation with Lidia Petrovna yesterday. I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but… I just want to say that I understand.”
Svetlana tensed.
“What exactly do you understand?”
“That things aren’t as perfect as they look from the outside. That a mother-in-law can be… demanding.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Svetlana glanced nervously toward the door. “Does it make you happy to see that we have problems?”
“No! I only wanted to say that we could support each other instead of competing for her attention.”
“Support each other?” Svetlana gave a bitter laugh. “You want me to complain about my mother-in-law so you can use it against me later? No, thanks.”
She slammed the cabinet door so hard that the cups inside rattled, then quickly left the room. Marina remained standing there in confusion. The situation was even more complicated than she had thought.
That evening, as they were getting ready to leave, Nina Mikhailovna approached Marina.
“Did you notice the tea set Lida gave Svetlana?” she asked quietly.
“Yes, it’s very beautiful,” Marina replied, surprised by the question.
“That tea set was supposed to go to you,” Grandmother said, looking Marina directly in the eyes. “I told Lida many times that I wanted it to pass to the wife of my eldest grandson. It’s a family tradition. But Lida decided otherwise.”
Marina didn’t know what to say. On the one hand, this information confirmed her suspicions about her mother-in-law’s attitude. On the other, she did not want to become the cause of a family conflict.
“Please don’t worry about it, Nina Mikhailovna. I’ll find a use for the plastic plates too.”
“It isn’t about the plates, my dear,” the elderly woman sighed. “Lida has always liked to manipulate people. She turns her sons and their wives against one another so she can remain the center of the family. I don’t want her to destroy something that generations of our family have built.”
On the way home, Marina told Andrey about her conversation with his grandmother.
“Is it true?” she asked. “About the family tradition with the tea set?”
Andrey frowned.
“Yes, there was something like that. Grandma always said that the eldest woman in the family should be the keeper of its traditions, and that the tea set symbolized that responsibility. But I didn’t realize it mattered so much to her.”
“Your mother deliberately ignored your grandmother’s wishes. And that isn’t the only thing happening, Andrey. Svetlana isn’t happy at all about being the ‘perfect daughter-in-law.’ Your mother literally controls her and Dima’s lives.”
Andrey tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“Marina, you’re making a mountain out of a molehill. Mom just wants to be part of our lives.”
“Being part of our lives is one thing. Controlling every aspect of our relationships is another!”
“You sound just like my grandmother now,” Andrey snapped. “She always thought Mom was too domineering.”
“Isn’t she?” Marina persisted. “Have you ever noticed the way she talks to us? As if we’re still children incapable of making our own decisions!”
Their conversation reached a dead end. Andrey didn’t want to acknowledge the obvious, and Marina refused to back down.
The tension continued to build over the next two weeks. Lidia Petrovna began calling more often than usual, each time asking how they were doing and casually offering advice about what they should do and how they should do it. Marina noticed that even when she was the one who started the conversation, her mother-in-law quickly shifted her attention to her son. Marina’s opinion seemed to mean nothing.
Then came an invitation to Nina Mikhailovna’s birthday. Lidia Petrovna was organizing a family lunch in her honor.
“We absolutely have to go,” Andrey insisted. “Grandma is turning eighty-five.”
Marina had no intention of refusing. In fact, she was looking forward to the gathering because after her argument with Andrey, she wanted to test her observations: was Lidia Petrovna really turning her sons against one another?
On the day of the celebration, Lidia Petrovna’s home was decorated with flowers. The table was overflowing with food, with the dishes prepared by Svetlana occupying pride of place—a fact her mother-in-law made sure everyone noticed.
“Svetochka has been making salads since this morning,” she announced when Marina offered to help in the kitchen. “She worked so hard that there’s really nothing else to do. Maybe you’d better help Andrey set the table?”
After everyone had gathered and congratulated the birthday woman, Lidia Petrovna proudly announced:
“And now we’ll drink tea from the new set I gave Svetochka! Especially for special occasions.”
Nina Mikhailovna, who until then had calmly accepted everyone’s congratulations, suddenly straightened in her chair.
“Lida,” she said in an unexpectedly firm voice, “I want to ask you something.”
Lidia Petrovna became wary.
“Yes, Mom?”
“Why did you give the tea set to Svetlana when I told you so many times that I wanted it to go to the wife of your eldest son?”
Silence fell over the room. Everyone turned toward Lidia Petrovna.
“Mom, I decided that…” she began, but Nina Mikhailovna interrupted her.
“You decided to ignore my wishes. That tea set is part of our family history. I received it from my own mother-in-law when I became the wife of the eldest son, and I wanted the tradition to continue.”
“But Sveta understands fine tableware better,” Lidia Petrovna protested. “And they have guests more often…”
“Don’t lie, Lida,” Nina Mikhailovna said, her voice full of disappointment. “You know that isn’t the reason. You have always favored Dima, your middle son. And now you’re using gifts like this to show your preference. You’re creating division in our family.”
Lidia Petrovna turned pale.
“What nonsense! I love all my sons equally!”
“Then why do you tell Dima one thing and Andrey another?” Nina Mikhailovna continued. “Why do you praise Svetlana to her face while constantly interfering in her life and criticizing every decision she makes? Why do you never help Marina the way you help Svetlana?”
“Mom, you’re exaggerating!” Lidia Petrovna’s voice trembled. “They’re adults. I’m only giving them advice.”
“No, you’re controlling them,” Nina Mikhailovna said firmly. “And you think nobody sees it. But I can see how unhappy your children and their wives are becoming because of it.”
Dmitry, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke.
“Grandma is right, Mom. You’re constantly interfering in Sveta’s and my life. We can’t even make a simple decision without your approval. It’s… exhausting.”
“But I’m only trying to help!” Lidia Petrovna exclaimed. “I’m your mother. I worry about you!”
“But we’re not children anymore, Mom,” Andrey said, joining the conversation for the first time. “We love you, but we need room to make our own decisions.”
“That’s why I still don’t have a serious relationship,” Pavel, the youngest brother, suddenly added. “I’ve seen how you control my brothers’ lives, and I was afraid the same thing would happen to me.”
Lidia Petrovna looked as though she had been struck. She glanced around helplessly, searching for support, but all she saw were looks of either disapproval or sympathy.
“I thought I was helping you,” she said quietly. “I didn’t want you to grow distant from the family, as so often happens when children grow up. I just wanted to remain part of your lives.”
“Being part of our lives doesn’t mean controlling us,” Andrey said gently. “We’re your children, and we’ll always love you. But we need room to make our own decisions, even if sometimes we make mistakes.”
Seeing that the conversation was beginning to take a constructive turn, Nina Mikhailovna made a suggestion.
“Perhaps the tea set should stay in this house? Let it become a symbol of what unites our family rather than what divides us. Then everyone can use it at our family gatherings.”
Svetlana, who had remained silent until then, nodded with relief.
“That’s a wonderful idea. I never wanted disagreements to arise because of me. And Marina…” She turned toward her. “I’m sorry if I was cold toward you. I was afraid that if we became closer, it would only make the situation worse.”
“I understand,” Marina replied sincerely. “I think we both became victims of manipulation, although I’m sure Lidia Petrovna did it unconsciously and with the best intentions.”
Lidia Petrovna stared thoughtfully at her hands.
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I was too afraid of being left alone after all of you grew up and started your own families. I didn’t want to admit that my sons no longer needed me the way they once did.”
“We’ll always need you, Mom,” Dmitry said. “But as our mother, not as our controller.”
After that conversation, the tension around the table gradually disappeared. For the first time in a long while, the brothers spoke openly to one another about their problems, the daughters-in-law stopped feeling like rivals, and Lidia Petrovna… It was difficult for her to change in a single evening, but she was clearly making an effort to listen to what her children were saying.
When it was time to cut the birthday cake, Nina Mikhailovna asked:
“Let Marina cut it. The eldest of the younger women in our family should do it.”
Lidia Petrovna frowned for a moment, but then nodded and handed the knife to Marina. It was a small but important gesture of recognition.
And after the cake had been cut and served onto plates, Svetlana approached Marina herself and said quietly:
“You know, I’ve actually always been a little jealous of you. You were never afraid to stand up for your opinion. Maybe we could meet sometime, just the two of us? Without our mother-in-law?”
Marina smiled and nodded.
“I’d like that.”
Perhaps the plastic plates and the porcelain tea set had been more than just gifts. They became the catalyst that finally allowed this family to speak openly about what had been dividing them. And strangely enough, it was that honesty that began bringing them together.
As Marina drove home, she thought that sometimes unequal gifts could lead to equal relationships—if people found the courage to talk about the real problems hidden behind the visible façade.
And the plastic plates?
They really did come in handy—at the next family picnic, where, for the first time in many years, every member of the family truly felt equal.