1 . I never thought a misunderstanding over strawberries would send my mother-in-law out to the hills at dusk, just to pick an entire basket for me, an English.

It happened in May many years ago. I lived with my in-laws （公婆）in their _______. One day at the dinner time. I thought I had _______ somebody say miaozi., the term for strawberries in the local _______ . They were my favorite fruit in _______ . so I didn't wait to ask if there were some in the house.

It turned out that I was _______ ,but that didn't stop my Chinese in-laws from regarding my _______ as a veiled （含蓄的）request. Then. my father-in-law, _______ my mother-in-law to go into the hills and _______ some for me.

I was so _______ and I begged her not to do this. ________ she just smiled and disappeared into the kitchen for a while. Just as we prepared to ________ the table after the meal, she appeared in the dining room, carrying a basket of the very fruit.

Although I ________ my head for that was not my intention. I also ________ it for what it really was—another way to show how much she ________ me.

My Chinese in-laws have ________ told me "I love you." nor have they ever ________ or kissed me like my parents do. But I've felt that same care and regard in ________ ways.

While all this has meant learning a ________ language of love. I've come to appreciate just how ________ Chinese families will go to show their affection—even into a hillside in such a rural ( 农村的）village at __________   looking for strawberries.