'My father-in-law scolded me when he saw me resting on the sofa': Taiwan celebs share in-law horror stories

On an episode of Taiwanese talk show Student Coming, two celebs came prepared to share their best or rather, worst in-law horror stories. 

First was Taiwanese actress Jing Xiang 34, who shared that she’s basically treated like a maid whenever she visits her in-laws.

Jing Xiang (right) with her husband Lin Daoyuan (left) and their two kids.

“I have to do everything at home, if my father-in-law sees [my husband] Lin Daoyuan helping out, he would scold Daoyuan for being henpecked. Also, when I was pregnant, a single whiff of cooking oil would make me feel dizzy and nauseous. But when my father-in-law saw me resting on the sofa, he scolded me: “What right do you think you have to make my wife cook for you to eat!”” Jing Xiang shared.

The actress later added: “Those who are surnamed Lin are always their own family, and those who aren’t surnamed Lin will always be an outsider. My status in the Lin family is lower than my kids 'cos their surname is Lin. Even my mother-in-law took the surname.”

From left to right: Shen Shi Ping, the couple's son, Dylan, and Li Xin.

Fellow Taiwanese actress Li Xin, 35, agreed with Jing Xiang, sharing that she’s also treated like an “outsider” by her parents-in-law.

“We don’t stay together with my in-laws, and when I first gave birth, my husband was away for filming in the south, so I had to take care of my kids on my own. He eventually returned to Taipei, and my mother-in-law told us to go over to their place for a visit. When I called them, I could hear them laughing and chatting as they ate dinner, and I broke down in tears. I wanted to tell them that I was starving, just so I could feed the grandson of your Shen family, how can you guys bear to eat [knowing that I’m struggling?]” Li Xin said.

Taiwanese host Ken Lin attempted to speak up for Li Xin’s in-laws and her husband, Taiwanese actor Shen Shi Ping, 50, remarking that they might have overlooked this aspect, and that Li Xin just needed to “train” them.

Then, Li Xin replied with a laugh: “It’s okay. For this type of situations, it’s best to just hit them once, and they would understand!”

Li Xin and her husband Shen Shi Ping.

Li Xin, who hails from Qingdao, China, also shared that she didn't understand Taiwanese Hokkien when she first married into the family. However, her in-laws did not bother to accommodate her at all.

“I felt so perplexed. You guys obviously know how to speak Mandarin, but why would you speak in Taiwanese Hokkien, which I don’t understand at all? If they do that and keep their expressions pleasant, I would think that they’re complimenting me,”  she said.

While some guests felt that Li Xin was overthinking things, Li Xin stood firm, sharing an instance when she felt excluded.

“The whole family went out for a meal together, and we were all in the same vehicle. For the entire 40-minute journey, I couldn’t catch what was going on at all. Won’t you feel aggrieved if that were you?” she asked.

Thankfully, there’s a happy ending to this... ish. Li Xin has since picked up Taiwanese Hokkien.

“I even went to buy language books, and act a show in Taiwanese Hokkien. That was my crash course in picking up the dialect. It's why I was able to understand what they were saying. But I never told them that I understand their language now, so I could secretly listen in to their secrets,”  she said.

Until now.

Photos: Li Xin/Instagram, Jing Xiang/Instagram