There are specific customs surrounding the delivery of rice soup in Jiaodong City.
Generally, it's the third, sixth, or ninth day after the newborn's birth, with the latest being the twelfth day, and the latest being the full moon.
Zhao Jingwen and Wu Xiufang arrived on the third day and went back that same day. They had to go to work, and Zhao Chengjun had to go to school. There was a primary school near the meat processing plant, which was very close to their dormitory, so they didn't need to be picked up or dropped off.
Xu Jianguo and Jiang Yumei arrived on the morning of the sixth day, bringing two jin of eggs, a chicken, and a small blanket.
Tang Wenya just returned from the hospital yesterday. Jiang Yumei has been taking care of her at the hospital, and her eyes are red from exhaustion.
Neither Zhao Jingyu nor Xu Qingning showed up. Xu Qingning told them through the door to take their things away, saying she didn't need them.
Zhao Futang and Yang Yuelan were in a dilemma.
They weren't greedy for these things, but rather found it difficult to refuse.
“Qingning is also our daughter, and we give Wenya just as much.” Jiang Yumei forced a smile. “We originally wanted to go to the hospital to see Qingning, but Wenya’s situation is quite special. She gave birth and then had a fever, so we can only take care of her first. We are very relieved that Qingning is being taken care of by you.”
Yang Yuelan just smiled.
Although she didn't help her daughter during her postpartum period, she still felt uncomfortable hearing Jiang Yumei say those things.
“Yes, I was here that day too. Qingning is still at the hospital and hasn’t come back yet.” Xu Jianguo looked at Zhao Futang, looking very tired. “The main problem is that the two sisters are having babies at the same time, and we can’t manage it all.”
Zhao Futang smiled but didn't say anything.
Xu Jianguo did come that day, but he left after asking a few questions. He knew that Xu Qingning and the child were in the hospital, but he didn't go to the hospital to see them!
As a biological father, what he did is truly heartbreaking.
Xu Qingning wasn't angry inside the house. She held the child and stopped talking, refusing to go out to see them.
Who cares about their stuff?
If she were Jiang Yumei's biological daughter, and she and Tang Wenya had children at the same time, she didn't believe that Jiang Yumei would only care about Tang Wenya.
Only someone like Xu Jianguo, who is henpecked and can't distinguish right from wrong, would think that they are really too busy.
The couple devoted themselves to serving Tang Wenya, with one taking care of her and the other delivering meals; they were indeed very busy.
Since you're so dedicated, and you must be very busy taking care of her during her postpartum period, why are you coming to see her?
Zhao Jingyu couldn't stand it anymore. He opened the door and walked out, saying coldly, "If you're too busy, go take care of Tang Wenya. We don't need to worry about this. Take your things; we don't need them."
“Jingyu, I know you’re upset that we’re late, but it’s because I know Qingning and the baby are both safe and sound. I’m relieved that you’ve taken good care of them,” Xu Jianguo said awkwardly. “These are all for Qingning to nourish her body, just like they are for Wenya. In my heart, Qingning and Wenya are the same.”
“Yes, yes, they’re all the same,” Jiang Yumei echoed.
"You took care of Tang Wenya for five days and five nights, and now you're only coming to see my wife? How dare you say that?" Zhao Jingyu was too lazy to argue with them about these trivial matters. He said with a stern face, "Take these things away right now, or I'm really going to throw them out."
"Then just throw it out!" Xu Jianguo said angrily.
He really didn't understand why Xu Qingning couldn't understand him. For her sake, he had been in a cold war with Jiang Yumei for a long time and had just made up.
Moreover, Tang Wenya's situation was indeed much more dangerous than hers this time; he only delivered meals to her a few times.
Without saying a word, Zhao Jingyu carried the things out and placed them directly by the public pool. His wife wouldn't be happy eating these things anyway, so it was better not to eat them at all.
Xu Jianguo and Jiang Yumei looked at each other in bewilderment.
The two men walked away with grim faces, pushing their bicycles. Zhao Futang and Yang Yuelan came out to see them off, unsure of what to say.
As she passed the public water fountain, Jiang Yumei silently placed all the items on the handlebars of her bicycle, thinking, "Don't bother, save your energy."
Xu Jianguo was in a bad mood and pushed his bicycle out the door first.
Jiang Yumei wanted to visit Tang Wenya, but today was the fifth day after Tang Wenya gave birth, and with so many things in her hands, it wasn't appropriate for her to go over. So she had to go home with Xu Jianguo.
Xu Jianguo and Jiang Yumei had just left when Yang Yuexiang and Zhao Lei arrived. Zhao Lei took Yang Yuexiang on her bicycle, and both of them carried a small blanket.
Zhao Jingyu then brought out his son, Xiao Tianbao, for them to see, and specifically asked Yang Yuexiang, "Auntie, do you think my son looks like me?"
"It's so small, how can you tell who it looks like?" Yang Yuexiang felt a little guilty. She had previously said that she didn't know who the father of Xu Qingning's child was, and now Zhao Jingyu was deliberately contradicting her!
Zhao Lei, unaware of the situation, exclaimed in surprise, "Auntie, take a good look! This child looks exactly like Jing Yu!"
Yang Yuexiang could only take another look: "It does look quite similar."
"Auntie's eyesight is failing, that's why she can't see clearly." Zhao Jingyu carried the child back into the house.
Yang Yuexiang knew that Zhao Jingyu was targeting her, but she didn't say anything, secretly thinking that Zhao Jingyu was petty.
Seeing that Zhao Futang and Yang Yuelan had tidied up the house so neatly, even the cabbage was placed on the wooden shelf, Zhao Lei was very envious: "Mom and Dad are so capable. I really want to invite them to stay with me for a while."
"Do you ask your parents to come to your house to do chores?" Yang Yuexiang bluntly said, disdainfully, "You are really filial."
She was actually talking about Zhao Jingyu.
But Zhao Jingyu wasn't there, leaving her with a feeling of powerlessness, like punching cotton.
"Auntie, what do you mean by this?" Zhao Lei's face immediately darkened. "My parents are living a life of luxury at their son's house, but do you expect them to work when they live at my house?"
"Didn't you just say your parents are capable?" Yang Yuexiang insisted on arguing with Zhao Lei. "If your parents didn't do anything, you wouldn't have let them stay with you, would you?"
She had a very clear understanding of the Zhao family's children.
None of them are good people. They always want Zhao Futang and Yang Yuelan to help them. They're both married with children, and they still cause trouble.
"I didn't say that." Zhao Lei rolled her eyes, displeased, and got up to knock on the door of the new house. "Jing Yu, I want to see Qing Ning."
Xu Qingning shook her head at Zhao Jingyu and continued reading leisurely; she had no desire to see this sister-in-law.
Zhao Jingyu understood and asked Zhao Lei, "Is there something you need?"
"Nothing much..." Zhao Lei was speechless. What else could she possibly want from Xu Qingning? She just wanted to chat!
"She's asleep." Zhao Jingyu refused to open the door, so Zhao Lei reluctantly returned to Yang Yuelan's side, muttering under her breath, "Jingyu is different from before; he's started to be afraid of his wife."
After a few days, Xu Qingning figured out Xiaotianbao's daily routine. When he cried, it was either because he wet himself or was hungry. After changing his diaper and feeding him, he would play by himself for a while and then fall asleep. He wasn't naughty at all.
She has plenty of breast milk now, enough for her to eat, and doesn't need to make any extra formula.
Zhao Jingyu also found things easier. His daily task was to wash diapers. He disliked the cold outside, so he washed them indoors and then put the washed diapers to dry by the stove.
As we entered the twelfth lunar month, water outside was freezing instantly, and anything left out to dry would freeze quickly. Moreover, the past few days have been overcast, looking like it's going to snow.
Xiao Tingshen also had this problem: he couldn't take the washed diapers outside to dry.
Xiao Yaodong and Liu Yuzhen had to go to work and couldn't take care of Tang Wenya during her postpartum period, so all the responsibilities fell on him alone.
She had to cook and wash diapers.
Tang Wenya was very dissatisfied with this, feeling that Liu Yuzhen did not care about Xiao Tingshen. Xiao Tingshen could not cook, and Liu Yuzhen did not even suggest taking a leave of absence to help him at home.
Her postpartum period was clearly a major event for the family, but they didn't seem to care.
Xiao Yaodong was actually quite nice. He suggested that Liu Yuzhen take a few days off, but Liu Yuzhen refused, saying that her department was quite busy at the end of the year and she couldn't afford to be late, plus she couldn't cook.
Tang Wenya knew immediately that Liu Yuzhen was making excuses.
No one is born knowing how to cook; it's all about whether you want to or not.
Although Xiao Yaodong was willing, he was, after all, the father-in-law, and he couldn't very well take leave from work to stay home and take care of his daughter-in-law during her postpartum period.
In the morning, he even helped stew the chicken in the pot, telling Xiao Tingshen to keep a close eye on the fire and serve it to Tang Wenya when it was cooked.
Xiao Tingshen was used to eating in the school cafeteria, so he was always flustered when it came to cooking and washing diapers.
Tang Wenya was very upset.
There's still a long month to go, how am I going to get through it?
In less than two days, Xiao Tingshen couldn't take it anymore and discussed with Tang Wenya: "I should ask your mother to take a leave of absence and come over to help. If this continues, I'm really going to break down."
During the day, he was busy cooking and washing diapers, and at night, when the baby cried, he had to get up to make formula.
Even the strongest person couldn't stand not being able to eat or sleep properly.
"Why didn't you ask your mother to take a day off?" Tang Wenya was furious when she heard that.
Thank you to reader-dd for the monthly ticket.
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