Chapter 78 Wu Lan

The last time I heard Li's mother tell stories was four or five months ago. Today, we finally managed to get all the mothers and children together, so we had to listen carefully to Li's mother's stories.

You said Kogoro is a gentleman.

Ah, yes, Kogoro is indeed a young man. But he's still young, so he should stay with his mother for now. Once he can run and jump, he won't care about staying by his mother's side anymore.

Looking at Li San Niang's demeanor, Li's mother smiled slightly and said, "You, you, the older you get, the more you like to listen to these gossipy old women."

“Mother, I’m not just listening to stories. I’m going to take the alliance’s assessment later, and then I want to open a clinic like Father. However, I want to treat women specifically. So, for the sake of the future, I should listen carefully to the stories about the women who go out to deliver babies!”

Li Ersao felt that Li Sanniang's words were sincere. She put Xiao Wulang in the basket and smiled at Li Sanniang, saying, "Sanniang, your idea is good. Before I married into our family, in the countryside, let alone doctors, we couldn't even see a traveling doctor or traditional Chinese medicine doctor. Only my grandfather and father could go to Chang'an to get some medicine when they were sick. If my mother, me, or any of the children were sick, we didn't get that treatment. My youngest brother could get a bowl of sweet soup with eggs from my grandmother. As the eldest granddaughter, I was favored by my grandfather and would get an egg. But my grandmother, mother, and younger sister could only suffer."

Thinking of her childhood at home, Li Ersao felt a pang of sadness, but she quickly smiled again. "Mother, eldest sister-in-law, third sister-in-law, I'm so lucky to have married into our family. I remember when I first married into the family, I had terrible menstrual cramps. When my husband saw me like that, he immediately wrote a prescription and brewed the medicine himself. After just one dose, my stomach pain subsided. If you, third sister-in-law, were to treat women in the future, that would be a truly great deed."

No one expected that Li San Niang's few words would elicit such a long string of words from Li Er Sao, who was usually not very talkative.

Li's mother thought to herself, "I knew I hadn't misjudged her. Second Sister-in-law Li is a simple and honest person. Whoever treats her well, she will treat them even better."

At this moment, Li San Niang was thinking that joining the alliance and obtaining a medical license would be the first step she had taken.

After listening to Li Ersao's heartfelt words, Li Sanniang felt even more strongly that she should do something for the women here.

Before Li San Niang could grasp the fleeting thought in her mind, Li's mother put down her teacup, reached out and took Li Er Sao's hand, patted it gently a few times, and said to Li Er Sao with a smile and tenderness, "Lan Niang, it's not that you're lucky to have married into our family; it's that our family is blessed because you married us. Going back a few generations, whose ancestors weren't country men? You're kind-hearted, hardworking, and sincere. Er Lang is lucky to have married you. You must never belittle yourself or think that just because you're a country girl, you're inferior to your neighbors. That Song Niangzi from the west end is all talk. Next time she talks about you, just talk back. Your mother will stand up for you. Let's see who dares to bully you."

Before Li Ersao could finish being moved, Li Dasao reached out and took Li Ersao's other hand, saying with a smile, "You, you always think too much about yourself. What haven't you worried about at home? We've been sisters-in-law for so many years, and our children are already up to the fifth grade. Why are you still being so polite with me? Next time, if Sister-in-law Song says anything to you, just call me, and I'll spit on her."

Li San Niang sensed from the implication in Li's mother and sister-in-law's words that Li Er Sao had been bullied about her rural background by Song Niangzi, who ran a steamed bun shop at the west end of the street.

"Second sister-in-law, did Madam Song bully you? What right did she have to bully you? When did this happen?"

Although Li Ersao had been married into the Li family for more than ten years, Li Dasao's family had better backgrounds than Li Ersao, who came from the countryside. This was because Li Dasao's father and brothers held positions in the Imperial Guards, and Li Dasao had grown up in Chang'an and was quite knowledgeable.

Therefore, after marrying into the Li family, Li Ersao always felt inferior because she was a country girl. Also, because she was illiterate when she first married into the family, she didn't talk much.

She worked silently, which her parents saw, but they knew that she had to overcome this hurdle on her own. They could only tell her second brother to take care of her and not to upset her.

After the New Year, Li Ersao gave birth to Li Sanlang. She probably felt that she had done everything a new wife should do after giving birth to a son, and she was well taken care of during her postpartum period, so she gradually became more cheerful.

In the following years, Li Ersao also learned to write from Li Erxiong. Although her handwriting wasn't very good, she could still write a note or read a letter. She also learned how to process medicinal herbs, which she considered a valuable skill.

After years of being a new bride, and knowing that everyone in the Li family was easy to get along with, she finally felt at ease and was willing to go out for a stroll with her mother, sister-in-law, and third sister-in-law.

She's no longer the shy, timid girl she used to be, afraid to go out.

Everything was fine until Xiao Wulang was in Li Ersao's belly. She went to Song Niangzi's shop in the west to buy cakes. Song Niangzi was jealous that Li Ersao, a country girl of average appearance, could marry into a family in Chang'an and give birth to two sons in a row. Moreover, her husband was a pharmacist in a clinic. She was quite remarkable.

Jealousy makes people vicious.

That time, Madam Song deliberately tripped Li Ersao. Fortunately, Li Ersao had taken good care of herself in recent years and was in good health. She managed to turn around and lean against the corner of the wall without falling. When she got home, Li Ersao didn't tell anyone about it, but she didn't go out much anymore.

Li's mother could tell that something was wrong, but since Li's second sister-in-law had finally cheered up, the family didn't want to press her to ask what had happened.

Sister-in-law Li, being very shrewd, managed to get the live broadcast from Granny Sun, who was standing nearby, by using several insect-repelling sachets.

At that time, Li San Niang had not yet returned home, so Li's mother told Li Da Sao to remember this and wait until Li Er Sao had given birth safely before discussing anything else.

It all happened so fast, I never expected to say it out loud today.

Li Ersao was a simple and honest person. When she heard Li's mother, Li Dasao, and Li Sanniang's undisguised words of protection, she was immediately moved and tears streamed down her face.

Lu Zhu'er, who was playing happily with Xiao Huang, saw Li Ersao crying and her legs twitched. She rushed to Li Ersao's side and said, "Second Aunt, who made you cry? Zhu'er will beat him up for you."

Li Ersao, still deeply moved, burst out laughing upon hearing this, because Luzhu'er's words were exactly what her mother usually said to her and Li Silang.

Dewdrop was still young and didn't understand why she was crying and laughing at the same time. She looked at Li San Niang with her little head, blinked and asked, "Second Aunt, what's wrong? She's crying and laughing at the same time."

Li San Niang was good at teasing children. "Your second aunt adores you. She can't stop laughing whenever she sees you."

Like a little adult, Dewdrop imitated how her mother usually comforted her, reaching out her little hand to grasp one of Li San Niang's fingers, patting it twice, and then mimicking her mother's coaxing voice, saying, "Mother, don't be sad. Today, I'll lend Dewdrop to Second Aunt for a while, so Second Aunt can dote on me. Tomorrow, Dewdrop will be your favorite."