Chapter 118 The Xia family was demoted and assigned to carry manure.
Xia Qianqian was about to sit up when her mother-in-law pressed her back down on the kang (a heated brick bed): "Lie down! Lie down now!" She smiled helplessly: "Mom, it's only been a little over a month, why do you have to 'keep' me like this every day?"
That's what they said, but ever since the day she returned home, her mother-in-law treated her like a fragile porcelain doll. Brown sugar millet porridge, angelica chicken soup, scrambled eggs with lard... nourishing foods were brought into the house like a flowing stream, and Xia Qianqian felt that her face had become rounder.
When she wanted to eat less, Daya would gently persuade her, saying that her younger brother needed to eat more to grow strong. She would even supervise her at every meal to make sure she didn't eat a single bite less.
Er Ya even offered up her own precious plum candy, telling Xia Qianqian that eating the candy would give her an appetite. Faced with the child's expectant eyes, Xia Qianqian had no choice but to bite off the loving meal her mother-in-law had prepared for her.
That day, Li Aiqin walked in carrying a bamboo basket filled with golden-yellow dried mushrooms: "Qianqian, I heard you're pregnant? I took a special day off to come see you."
She spotted the food laid out on the kang table and then looked at Xia Qianqian's rosy cheeks from being fed by her mother-in-law, and said enviously, "Qianqian, you're so lucky! The Lu family spoils you like a queen!"
Xia Qianqian rolled her eyes at her: "If you envy this 'Empress's life,' hurry up and win over Peng Fei! Then I'll have Lu Zheng talk to him, and I guarantee you'll be able to lie on the kang (heated brick bed) every day eating brown sugar and eggs!"
Hearing her say that, Li Aiqin blushed and stomped her foot, scolding, "You stinky Qianqian! You just know how to make fun of me!"
She pretended to pinch Xia Qianqian's arm, but stopped in mid-air, her voice both shy and angry, "If it weren't for the fact that you're pregnant, I'd teach you a lesson!"
Just then, Lu Zheng walked in: "Qianqian, the barefoot doctor is here. Let him take your pulse quickly."
Seeing this, Li Aiqin quickly moved aside to make room for the doctor. The barefoot doctor entered the room, put down his medicine box, sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and gestured for Xia Qianqian to reach out her hand.
Xia Qianqian placed her wrist on the pulse pillow as instructed, and the barefoot doctor's fingertips rested on her wrist, instantly silencing the room.
After a while, he laughed: "Congratulations! It is indeed a pregnancy pulse, and the pregnancy has become much more stable."
"Can I get out of bed now?" Xia Qianqian's eyes lit up and she quickly asked, "I've been lying on the kang (heated brick bed) all day, and my back is almost stiff!"
The barefoot doctor nodded: "You have a good constitution and the pregnancy is stable, so walking around normally shouldn't be a problem." He then advised, "But remember not to overexert yourself; the first three months are the most crucial. If you want to do anything light, you'll have to wait until after three months."
"That's great!" Before Lu Zheng could react, Xia Qianqian jumped up from the kang (a heated brick bed) and said to Lu Zheng, "How is it? The doctor said I can get out of bed!"
"Slow down!" Lu Zheng was so frightened that his face turned pale. He rushed over and grabbed her arm, both angry and amused. "Why are you moving so fast? What if you fall?"
"Okay, don't be nervous." Xia Qianqian smiled and slapped his hand away, then turned and walked towards the kitchen. "I'll go help Mom start the fire."
As soon as she reached the kitchen door, Lu's mother, who was adding firewood to the stove, was startled: "Qianqian? Why did you come down? Are you feeling unwell? Go back to your room and lie down! I'll go call the doctor right away!" She said, and was about to rush out.
"Mom, I'm fine." Xia Qianqian quickly pulled her back and explained, "The barefoot doctor just came by and said the pregnancy is stable and I can get out of bed and walk around."
"Really?" Mrs. Lu's eyes lit up. She grabbed her arm and looked her over from left to right, then frowned. "That won't do! Just to be on the safe side, she should stay in bed for another ten days or half a month!"
Xia Qianqian was being affectionate with her mother-in-law when suddenly a barrage of comments appeared in front of her.
These past few days, the live chat has been filled with viewers' idle chatter and nonsense, either spamming "bet on the boy" or "bet on the girl," which is giving her a headache. She was already too lazy to pay attention to it, but this one comment made her freeze instantly.
[Warning: High-energy content ahead! The Xia family has arrived in Xiangyang Village! Xia Wenwen is here to snatch someone away! More drama is on the way!]
Xia Qianqian was filled with doubts. She originally thought that the Xia family would definitely go to jail this time. After all, Number 3 and Number 8 were like oil and water, and the Xia family was a staunch supporter of Number 8's camp. How could Number 3 let the old party off easily when it was purging them?
Judging from the comments, the Xia family only ended up being demoted, which was really too good for them.
On the dirt road at the village entrance, Xia Wenwen jumped off the car in her shiny little leather shoes. Looking at the layer of yellow dust covering her shoes, she irritably took out her handkerchief and wiped them again and again.
She still can't understand how Number 8 could have lost so quickly! If Number 8 hadn't fallen, why would her father have taken his anger out on her? He not only scolded her for being "good for nothing and good for making things worse," but also cut off her from any thoughts of getting involved in family affairs, coldly saying, "Once I've made contact with the Qin family, you'd better hurry up and marry into their family!"
The Qin family? Am I still destined to marry Qin Yan in this lifetime?
Xia Wenwen grew angrier the more she thought about it, and kicked the pebbles at her feet far away.
"Wenwen! What are you dawdling for!" Madam Xia also got out of the car. She was wearing a well-fitting Xiangyun yarn cheongsam, but she was shivering from the wind blowing in from the village entrance. Looking at the mud walls and the chaotic courtyard in the distance, her face was even more unpleasant than Xia Wenwen's. "This is the place arranged by the Revolutionary Committee? There isn't even a proper gatehouse!"
She has lived a life of luxury, never even having her fingernails touched by mud. Now she has to live with these "mud-legged" people. Does she really have to learn to "face the loess soil and turn her back to the sky"?
Madam Xia clutched her chest, feeling a sudden dizziness. She couldn't take it anymore!
When the production team leader came over, Mr. Xia quickly took out his cigarette case, handed it to him, and greeted him humbly.
He used to look down on the person in front of him, but now that the person controlled the fate of his family, he couldn't afford to offend him.
"Comrade Captain! We are newly arrived residents from the city undergoing reform. This is our letter of introduction!" He held up the manila envelope with both hands.
The captain didn't take the cigarette, but took the letter of introduction. He glanced at the Xia family mother and son, his gaze lingering on Xia Wenwen's shiny leather shoes and Madam Xia's Xiangyun silk cheongsam. A cold smile appeared on his lips. "A pampered lady from the city? Come with me!"
Mr. Xia hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, yes! We will definitely obey the organization's arrangements and reform ourselves well!"
With a creak, the team leader pushed open the door of a dilapidated mud-brick house, where light was still leaking through the roof.
"That's it!" he said gruffly. "This is the only empty house left in the village. Clean it up yourself. Start work tomorrow morning!"
"Go to work?" Madam Xia finally couldn't help but speak, her voice shrill. "We...we have to go to the fields too?"
She had never even turned on a tap in her entire life, let alone seen such a dark and dingy earthen bed.
The captain glanced at her sideways, then slammed his pipe against the wall: "Don't you work the land and starve? You city folks can't lift a finger."
He paused, deliberately drawing out his words, "Let's go to the manure yard at the west end of the village first, sort out the manure, mix it with some soil, and pile it up to ferment."
"Manure...manure field?!" Xia Wenwen screamed, her face turning pale—just thinking about the smell made her want to vomit!
Mr. Xia was also stunned, his lips trembling as he said, "Team leader, could we change the task? My daughter..."
"Change?" The captain sneered, pointing his pipe at Xia Wenwen's nose. "Either go to the latrine, or go back to the city and go to jail! The choice is yours!"
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