Chapter 4 Dad’s embrace is strong, generous and reliable
Waiting from dusk to nightfall, nearly an hour, seemed so long that it seemed endless.
The continuous snow finally stopped, but the cold wind was still howling.
Those who stayed in the snow were all poor people. They ran out in a hurry. Without a house to shelter them from the wind and a brazier to keep them warm, their hands and feet became stiff with cold in a short while and they could not even speak straight.
The same is true for the Su family.
The whole family did not have any clothes that were warm enough. The old cotton wool in the jackets they wore had long since turned yellow and hard, and could not keep out the cold at all.
The little guys' teeth were chattering from the cold.
Worried that the children would catch a cold, Liu Yuelan called the three of them over and made them huddle together under a thin blanket.
That's not much better.
Old Lady Su looked at the snow-capped mountains that had been silent for a long time and gritted her teeth, "Let's go home!"
The Su family was in a mess.
The avalanche caused the ground to shake, and the walls and roof of the dilapidated farmyard collapsed in the shaking, with broken beams and wood, pots and pans scattered on the ground.
Fortunately, the main house had just been reinforced during the day, and except for half of the roof collapsed, it was still barely habitable.
The kitchen was the worst hit. It could no longer be called a kitchen at this point, but was just a pile of ruins. If you moved the dirt and rocks, you could see broken pieces of porcelain bowls buried everywhere.
"Second brother, find some firewood and build a fire in the main room to keep the children warm. Eldest and second brother, clean up the house and see if there is anything left that can be used. Dad, you go and fix the doors and windows. I'll go to the cellar and check. I need to dig something out to get something to eat." Old Mrs. Su was good at managing the household. Both the men and the children were used to listening to her when it came to household matters.
She paused after she finished speaking, and then said to Su Dadao, "After the house is cleaned up, go to Xiu'er's husband's house in the next village tomorrow to see how things are going. If you can help, please lend a hand."
Su Da frowned and immediately responded, "I know, mother. I'll go there early tomorrow morning."
My sister Su Xiuer married into the Chen family in the next village last year. The man, Chen De, is a decent person, but her parents-in-law are hard to describe.
Xiu'er came to help his daughter-in-law give birth today. He should go over tomorrow to check it out, so that Xiu'er won't get into trouble in front of his parents-in-law.
A fire was lit in the main room, and the warmth gradually dispelled the coldness in the air.
The three kids kept rubbing their hands around the fire. The fear and panic they had experienced in the avalanche gradually faded away after they returned home.
Home will always be a haven where they can feel safe and at ease.
Liu Yuelan sat a little further away from the fire, fearing that the smoke would choke her daughter.
She was still weak after giving birth, and couldn't help with the mess at home. She could only take care of the children to the best of her ability.
"Mom, is my sister asleep?" Four-year-old Su An stretched his neck and peeked into the tightly wrapped swaddling clothes.
Su Wen and Su Wu also stretched their necks to peek at the little bit of fetal hair that was exposed from the swaddling clothes, feeling curious and intrigued.
Liu Yuelan smiled softly, "My sister hasn't fallen asleep yet, you can come closer to see."
As soon as these words were spoken, three more heads appeared above Xiaobao.
The one with a crooked bun, the one with a chubby face, and the one with a snotty nose.
Eight eyes met.
The three kids said, "Wow! My sister is so ugly!"
Yaobao had no expression on his face.
"My sister's face is so chubby, all fleshy!! She's so small! Her face is so soft! So smooth! So nice to touch!"
"Let me touch it!"
"I want one too!"
It would have been fine if there were just three heads squeezed on top, but they not only talked but also started to fight, with each of them poking a finger at the baby's face.
The little baby couldn't bear it, so he clenched his little fists and struggled to get out of the swaddling clothes, waving his hands forward.
Pop.
He swung it at the slug's nose, the force so light that it felt like he was just wiping his snot.
Slug's eyes lit up, "Sister is so cute!"
Yaobao, “…”
Yaobao fell asleep in anger.
The Su family worked hard for half the night and finally tidied the house up again.
During this time, I could still hear crying and shouting coming from several houses next door.
An avalanche has caused great hardship to all the residents nearby.
There was gloomy fog and clouds everywhere.
When Xiaobao woke up in a daze, he was lying in the room where he was born, wrapped in swaddling clothes and covered with a hard thin blanket.
The surroundings were dimly lit, with no lights on. A few rays of moonlight leaked through the windows, barely providing illumination. It was already midnight.
The curtain at the door was lifted, and the man tiptoed in and whispered, "Why aren't you asleep yet? Did Xiaobao wake up and bother you?"
Liu Yuelan sat on the headboard and said softly, "No, my baby is very well behaved. He hasn't made a fuss since he was born. He doesn't cry when he's hungry. He just opens his eyes and waits."
After saying that, she lowered her head and glanced towards the side of the bed, and met her daughter's dark eyes.
After adapting to the light in the room, you can see things at night.
Liu Yuelan's eyes softened unconsciously. She held her daughter in her arms, patted her gently, and untied the button of her slanted collared inner garment with one hand. "You're awake. You must be hungry. Mother will feed you."
Yaobao didn't smell the fragrance of rice in the air. When he looked at the woman's actions, he vaguely realized something and his eyes widened.
It's too late.
When the little mouth started sucking automatically and naturally, Xiaobao was confused.
The clear clicking sound in her ears made her feel like she had lost all desire to live.
Su Da walked to the bed and sat down gently, looking at the scene in front of him tenderly in the moonlight outside the window.
I stayed quiet during the whole process, for fear of disturbing my daughter while she was eating.
He didn't reach out until his daughter was full, "Come, let daddy hug you."
Yaobao was transferred.
From one embrace to another.
Different scent, same warmth.
She raised her eyes in the dim light, silently looking at the face above.
The face was square, resolute, kind and honest.
When holding her, he was very careful and steady.
Unlike my mother's gentle embrace, my father's embrace is strong, generous and reliable, which makes people feel at ease for some reason.
"Little baby, my daughter." The man held the baby in his arms, a smile on his face, his eyes softened, and even his voice softened unconsciously. "I'm your daddy. Oh, my little baby is so well behaved. He really doesn't make trouble at all, unlike your brother who was very naughty when he was a child."
Yaobao blinked.
She was just too small to move, otherwise she would have rolled over and run away.
The father poked her with the stubble of his chin-length beard.
In the dim and cramped little room, a family of three was whispering in harmony.
After teasing his daughter for a while and seeing her little mouth start to yawn, Su Dacai reluctantly put her into the thin quilt and tucked in the corners.
After settling his daughter down, Su Da took Liu Yuelan's slender hand in his palm. The lightness in his voice disappeared, and became low and heavy. "Yuelan, I'm sorry for making you suffer today."
Liu Yuelan was stunned for a moment and spat at him, "What nonsense are you talking about? Which woman doesn't suffer when giving birth? You are being pretentious today."
"Things are tough at home. You didn't have much to offer your daughter after you gave birth. You haven't even had your confinement period yet, and you've been forced to go out and get cold in the snow..." Su Da's eyes were damp, and his throat felt clogged. "Mom said this might cause a serious illness."
This is not the first time Liu Yuelan has become a mother.
After giving birth, women need to take good care of themselves to recover their health, otherwise they may suffer from postpartum illness if they are not careful.
She understands all this.
But we have no control over the environment, so we can’t blame anyone.
Her situation is better than many people. Although her family is poor, her parents-in-law are kind and her sisters-in-law are harmonious, so there are few troubles at home.
"It's worth it." She leaned her head gently on the man's shoulder and smiled slightly.
She is content.
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