The weather in July is extremely hot.

Old Mrs. Feng got up early in the morning, went to the fields to pull weeds first, then went to a few acres of corn fields for a walk, and then walked home from the fields.

Old Lady Feng's home was at the far western end of the village. From afar, smoke could be seen rising from the chimneys. She walked to the door, plucked a cucumber from the fence, rubbed it on her clothes, and took a bite, her mouth filled with its delicate fragrance. She also picked a handful of beans and two eggplants, then pushed open the wooden door and entered the yard.

There are a few chickens clucking in the yard.

"I wonder if Dahua laid eggs today..." The weather is too hot, and the hens at home have been on strike for the past two days.

Old Mrs. Feng wiped the sweat from her head and scooped a bucket of water from the water tank into the wooden basin.

The water tank had just been filled, and the well water was cool. Old Mrs. Feng washed her face quickly, put the wet towel around her neck, and let out a long sigh.

"Grandma, you're back!" Feng Lianhua poked her head out from the kitchen. "What are you cooking this morning?"

Next to the water tank was a stone platform with a cutting board on it. A kitchen knife was stuck on the cutting board. Old Lady Feng quickly washed the beans and eggplant and chopped them quickly on the cutting board.

Feng Lianhua took a bamboo basket, swept the vegetables on the chopping board into it, shook it a little, and went into the kitchen to cook.

After breakfast was ready, Feng Lianhua stood in the yard and called out to the west room window, "Sister-in-law, get up and eat."

Soon, a young woman came out of the west room. She had a beautiful face and a big round belly.

"Shuixiu, how do you feel today?" Old Mrs. Feng asked after drinking a mouthful of porridge.

The young woman's name is Shuixiu, and she is the granddaughter-in-law of Old Lady Feng.

"Not bad." Shuixiu's voice was thin and small, and she seemed to be lacking in strength.

"If you ask me, you still need to walk more, otherwise you won't have the strength to give birth to a child." Old Mrs. Feng always felt that her granddaughter-in-law was too weak, and seeing her speak in a soft voice, she looked down on her even more.

Shuixiu said "hmm" and looked outside the door with a frown.

It was only eight or nine in the morning, but the sun was already scorching outside, and the grass on the ground was a little wilted.

Old Lady Feng also looked outside: "It's too hot this year... Forget it, just walk around the next few rooms."

The family finished their breakfast leisurely. Taking advantage of the bright sun, Mrs. Feng and Lotus took the clothes out of the suitcase and spread them out in the yard to dry.

Shuixiu was sitting in the west room, fanning herself and reading a book.

Old Lady Feng was busy for a while, then she called out to the west room, "Shuixiu, get up and move around."

Shuixiu put down her book and walked a few steps in the palm-sized room, fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan. After a few steps, she felt something flowing down between her legs.

"Grandma..." Shuixiu shouted in panic.

Old Lady Feng immediately opened the door curtain and rushed in: "What? What happened?"

"I...I..." Shuixiu held her belly.

"Hurry! Lotus, help me help your sister-in-law lie down."

Old Lady Feng and Lianhua hurriedly helped Shuixiu onto the bed.

"Did your water break?" Old Mrs. Feng looked at it and asked.

She took two pillows and placed them under Shuixiu's feet.

Shuixiu frowned, her black hair was scattered on the bed in a mess, and the strands of hair on her forehead were wet and stuck to her forehead.

"Lotus, go boil some water first. Then soak the two slices of red ginseng in my bedside table." Old Lady Feng gave instructions in an orderly manner. She was a well-known midwife in the surrounding villages, and most of the babies in the area were born through her care.

Lianhua went to boil two large pots of water, but Shuixiu still didn't make any noise. She then took out a large ceramic bowl, soaked the ginseng slices in it, and gave Shuixiu a few sips from time to time.

Old Mrs. Feng found the delivery tools, scalded them with boiling water, and was ready to deliver Shuixiu at any time.

Shuixiu struggled in bed for a whole day. In the evening, just as it was getting dark, she finally gave birth to a baby girl.

Old Mrs. Feng was so happy. Although Shuixiu was thin and small and had a weak voice, she was very strong when giving birth to the child and she did not have any difficulty at all.

This little baby is also very cute. His whole body is red and his cry is loud.

Old Lady Feng patted the bottom of the little baby's feet gently and said with a smile: "Little thing, you have more energy than her mother. Look at her whole body red, she will definitely be fair-skinned in the future."

She has delivered many babies and is very experienced in this.

Besides, there was another delightful thing about the newborn: a tiny mole between its eyebrows. Old Lady Feng had delivered so many babies, but she had never encountered such a thing before. She loved it no matter how she looked at it.

"Lotus, hurry up and make some brown sugar and eggs for your sister-in-law to nourish her."

Lianhua agreed crisply and went to the kitchen to cook a bowl of brown sugar eggs with great swiftness.

"Sister-in-law, I'll fan you to cool you down. Eat it quickly." Lianhua was holding a large porcelain bowl with four eggs and thick brown sugar water in it.

Shuixiu's mouth watered at the sweet aroma of eggs and brown sugar. She'd eaten well throughout her pregnancy, but since families were generally poor these days, being able to eat an egg every now and then was considered good.

Shuixiu felt exhausted all over. With Lianhua's help, she ate a bowl of brown sugar eggs and then lay down to rest.

The daughter was in her grandmother's arms, looking around with her big misty eyes.

Shuixiu knew that Old Lady Feng was good at taking care of children. Her eyelids became heavier and heavier, and she gradually fell asleep.

As soon as the newborn was born, Old Lady Feng named her "Jiaojiao".

The little baby grinned, revealing his pink gums.

"My baby Jiaojiao is so smart. Why is great-grandmother so happy to give her such a name? Why does she like the name so much?" Grandma Feng thought everything about her baby was good.

"Lotus, in two hours, wake up your sister-in-law and feed Jiaojiao."

Old Lady Feng held Jiaojiao in her arms and rocked her gently.

The baby blew a bubble of contentment, and in her drowsiness, she felt as if something was wrong. But the arm was so comfortable that her eyelids grew heavy and she fell into a deep sleep.

In my dream, I saw a woman dressed in black, with flames shooting up into the sky behind her. A man grabbed her arm and stumbled out of the fire. Their faces were obscured by the flames, making them unclear.

The baby in the cradle pouted, sobbed twice, and finally burst into tears.

Old Lady Feng quickly dropped the palm-leaf fan in her hand, picked up her precious jewel, and rocked her from side to side: "Oh, my little Jiaojiao, are you dreaming? You're dreaming at such a young age! My little Jiaojiao is truly amazing!"

Jiaojiao still pouted, opened her eyes and looked around.

Everything in front of her was white, and she could only see a blurry figure. But she could hear clearly. She listened to the nursery rhyme the woman sang to comfort her, and thought to herself, it was quite nice.

Jiaojiao was drowsy from the shaking. Suddenly, she opened her eyes abruptly, her sparse eyebrows tightly furrowed. No, she had to think clearly now!

Feng Jiaojiao's background is somewhat unique. Her family has a long tradition of divination and prediction, with one woman in each generation inheriting this bloodline. However, over time, the Feng family's skills have gradually diminished. However, the family remains unfazed, as their ancestors once predicted that by the 27th generation, a formidable fortune teller would emerge, leading the clan to restore its former glory.