Chapter Thirty-Six Production
Meng Xi was walking home from the cafeteria when people greeted her. She smiled and chatted with them. "I didn't eat the spicy chicken; I just loved the sour smell as soon as I went in. I had the pickled fish. Oh, that fish was so delicious! I heard that fish is good for pregnant women and makes the baby smarter."
"Is that so?"
"Absolutely. That sour smell is so nice, I don't want to leave."
"Sour for a boy, spicy for a girl, looks like it's a boy in her belly."
Meng Xi had been waiting for these words, and immediately smiled happily. Old Mrs. Sun, hearing that her daughter-in-law liked sour things, brewed her a large cup of sour plum tea that evening; it was so sour that Meng Xi grimaced in secret.
The noodles for dinner that night had a lot of vinegar in them, and the smell made her nauseous. But since her mother-in-law was in front of her, she tried to endure it. After a couple of bites, she couldn't stand it anymore and pushed the noodles away.
"What's wrong? Aren't you going to eat?"
"It's too sour."
"Don't you like sour food?" Grandma Sun eagerly awaited her grandson, her heart pounding with anxiety but she suppressed it, cooking and washing clothes for her daughter-in-law every day. Her daughter-in-law demanded to hand over only half her salary, and they were forced to agree. Now, the couple only hand over half their salaries, and the rest they can do as they please.
"But it has to be in moderation. If it's so sour it makes your teeth ache, you can't eat at all."
While eating her noodles, her eyes kept darting back and forth over the jar of chili sauce. She knew best that she craved spicy food. But everyone said sour foods meant boys and spicy foods meant girls, and her mother also told her to eat more sour foods. Having finally conceived after so long in the family, she was determined to have a son to secure her position.
It was hot, so everyone ate in the courtyard. Shu Yao, who lived just a wall away, was also pregnant. Ever since she discovered that spicy food didn't cause her any heatiness, she couldn't live without chili sauce. After her husband's colleague finished his, her aunt learned how to make several jars from a neighbor, and she liked them very much.
She put chili sauce and a little vinegar in the noodles, making them sour, spicy, and appetizing, which made her sweat profusely. Su Xiangdong wiped her face with a towel and then fanned her with a fan.
"You used to like rice, why do you love noodles so much now?"
"Who knows?" She laughed to herself, and the little one in her belly kicked her. "Your daughter kicked me, probably saying that she's the one who likes noodles."
Su Xiangdong looked at her and laughed heartily, having already experienced the bliss of fetal movement. When the baby in his belly was well-behaved, it was especially so; when it was active, it would kick its legs repeatedly, greeting its parents.
"Be good in Mommy's tummy, and Daddy will make you noodles when you come out."
He Yi and He Xu stood to the side with spoons, saying, "Daddy, I want one too."
Okay, yes, we have them all.
Shu Yao was both amused and exasperated: "Why do the three kids who love rice all love noodles?"
Su Xiangdong's eyes darted around: "Perhaps because it's in the north?"
The family was filled with laughter and joy. After finishing their meal, the two little ones even sang songs for their parents. They had learned many nursery rhymes at daycare, and they sang along while clapping their hands.
The next day at work, Meng Xi brought pickled cowpeas for lunch, which made her mouth water just looking at them and felt like her teeth were about to give way. Watching Shu Yao share chili peppers with others, the bright red color and aroma were enough to whet anyone's appetite.
Zhou Aili looked at Shu Yao and then at her: "What are you doing, looking so envious?"
"nothing."
"Sour for a boy, spicy for a girl, the old saying is still very accurate. When I was pregnant with my son, I craved sour foods, and I even had to soak hawthorn in my water."
"I also love sour foods."
"Then why are you looking at Shu Yao's dried chili peppers?"
"Who looked? I didn't look." Meng Xi picked up her rice bowl and looked for another place, unwilling to sit with Zhou Aili any longer. What kind of person is she, always making her uncomfortable.
"An experienced doctor said I'm having a boy. And I love sour food. So my mother-in-law made me some pickled green beans."
She told everyone she met this, her face beaming with longing for her son despite her large pregnant belly. She clocked out at four in the afternoon, and as she slowly walked out, someone was talking to her.
How do I take the bus?
"Su Xiangdong gave it to me this morning, but I didn't ride it."
"That's true, with such a big belly, it's inconvenient for you to ride a bike."
"No, it's nothing, I'm used to it. I just wanted to walk around a bit more so that I could live a better life in the future."
"You don't intend to walk home, do you?"
"That was my original idea, but after taking a few steps, I realized that I was all talk and no action."
"Of course, it's tiring after a day's work, how can you walk that much with such a big belly?"
Most of the people waiting for the bus at the stop were workers from their factory. Meng Xi was also waiting for the bus. Just then, Wu Er's bus arrived, and he glanced at her in the crowd. He even pointed eastward.
Everyone got on the bus, and she quietly went to the place the man pointed out. It was a secluded grove of trees, and Wu Erhu was holding a paper package.
"I specially saved this roast chicken for you."
Where did you come from?
"I secretly saved this for our meals together. You should eat quickly, you've gotten so thin."
"Absolutely. That old hag makes me eat sour food every day, it makes my stomach ache."
"Then I'll try to get you some food; I can't let my son go hungry."
"Come on, we don't even know if it's a boy or a girl yet. Why are you still saying 'son'? Your wife has already given you a son, aren't you satisfied with having more sons?"
The man smiled and said, "No, I don't care what kind of child you have."
Sun Yaozu supported him for free; his son and daughter were all his earnings. The two enjoyed the passion outside of marriage. Meng Xi not only got practical benefits from Wu Erhu, but what she couldn't bear to give up was the emotional value. It was hard for the men at home to say a kind word, but the men outside could say kind words for free, always managing to make her happy.
She said she was going to her parents' house because she was late, and her in-laws didn't say anything. She had eaten dinner outside and didn't eat anything else, but her mother-in-law was worried that her unborn grandson would go hungry, so she made her some dumpling soup around 9 p.m.
As the weather grew colder, her belly grew even larger. Shu Yao, who was sensitive to the cold, wrapped herself up like a ball. She began her maternity leave in September, and seeing her on leave, Meng Xi also took leave, both awaiting the birth of their child.
At the end of September, Shu Yao suddenly went into labor at night and was taken to the hospital by her husband. Her aunt stayed home to take care of the child, while Su Xiangdong accompanied her to the hospital for delivery.
"Don't be nervous, my second pregnancy should be soon." On the way, she wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was covered in sweat in the cold weather, and she still felt lingering fear when she thought about her own experience with twins.
"I'm fine. Honey, are you in a lot of pain? We'll be at the hospital soon."
"It's okay, it shouldn't be that fast."
She said that, but she knew in her heart that this pregnancy would be very quick. Sure enough, she was wheeled into the delivery room as soon as she entered the hospital, and about half an hour later, the nurse came out with the baby.
"Shu Yao's family members,"
Su Xiangdong stood at the door of the delivery room and said, "I'm here."
"Mother and daughter are safe and sound. The baby girl weighs 6.2 pounds and is very healthy."
"Oh, okay, okay."
Su Xiangdong took his daughter, smiling tenderly at the child. His way of holding her was very practiced; by blood, this was his first child, his biological daughter. But psychologically, he naturally considered her his third. One son and two daughters, two adorable little girls—a happy smile never left his face.
The birth of her second child went very smoothly, and Shuyao returned home after only one day in the hospital. Neighbors, hearing the news, came to see the baby; she was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) drinking chicken soup.
"Has your milk come in yet?" Aunt Xu asked with concern.
"They're here."
"This is because I was worried you wouldn't have enough breast milk, so I made you some chicken soup."
"Hmm. When we had twins, it wasn't enough to eat, but now that we only have one, I think it should be enough."
"It's normal that two children don't have enough to eat. If you don't have enough breast milk, just soak some steamed bun slices in water and make them into a paste for the children to eat."
Those who knew her well came to see the baby, and soon everyone knew that Shu Yao had given birth to another daughter. Meng Xi came out specifically to inquire about the news, and upon hearing that she had given birth to a daughter, she immediately smiled with schadenfreude.
"Another girl born."
Aunt Xu didn't tolerate this behavior. "How can you talk like that? Aren't you a woman yourself?"
“No, I mean, we already have a daughter, it would be so much better to have a son.” No one responded, but she continued, “A son is the foundation, the support. Having more sons wouldn’t be a problem, so why did we only have a daughter?”
"It doesn't matter what kind of child is born, as long as both mother and child are safe and sound, that's the most important thing. In this new society, women can hold up half the sky."
"Yes." Afraid of being rebuked, she didn't dare say anything directly, but still tried to find a sense of superiority indirectly. "She had a daughter, so she should be able to eat whatever she wants, right? Su Xiangdong treats her very well, and she doesn't have in-laws, so she definitely won't be mistreated, right?"
These words clearly indicated that she hoped to hear news of Shu Yao's mistreatment. However, she was greatly disappointed by the result; Aunt Xu said that Shu Yao was drinking chicken soup, and she looked completely disbelieving.
"Auntie, you don't need to save face for her."
"Just telling the truth."
Meng Xi didn't believe it. She had just asked Sun Yaozu last night what he would feed her if she gave birth to a daughter. Sun Yaozu replied without hesitation that she would eat whatever was available.
She deliberately approached the Su family's gate, just as it was mealtime, and sure enough, she soon smelled the aroma of stewed chicken. Her third aunt carried a bowl into the main room, and if she wasn't mistaken, there was definitely a chicken leg in the bowl.
She felt incredibly upset that she was still getting such good food after having a daughter. It was infuriating to not have it herself, but it was even more upsetting to see others have it.
She was determined to have a son; she couldn't let Shu Yao outdo her. She wanted to eat chicken legs too. Perhaps her resolve was too strong, because she went into labor that very night.
Two days different from his previous life, Sun Yaozu felt a chill in his heart. It was probably a daughter. The child he loved so much in his past life, yet now she seemed utterly meaningless. He couldn't understand why, and quietly sat on a chair in the corridor, waiting for the outcome.
Her first birth was difficult; in his past life, he had only heard her mention it, and he felt particularly sorry for her then. The situation was the same in this life. In the middle of the night, the doctor came out and said the mother was having a difficult labor, and he should prepare for a cesarean section.
She hadn't given birth by daybreak, and it wasn't until after 11 a.m. that she finally gave birth. When the family of three saw the nurse carrying the baby out, they rushed over to see what was happening.
"Is it a boy?" Sun's mother asked anxiously, her heart pounding in her chest.
"It's a girl." The nurse could tell that this family favored boys over girls, but she still had to tell the truth. "Five pounds and nine ounces, a very healthy baby."
"What?" Mr. Sun's eyes widened. "How could it be a girl? Weren't you told it was a boy?"
"Yes, it's clearly a grandson, how could it be a girl? You, did you give her the wrong baby? This isn't ours."
"There's no mistake, there are only two pregnant women, the other one hasn't given birth yet."
Upon hearing this, the Sun family elders felt as if the sky had fallen. Their son had been married for several years, and they had been eagerly anticipating their daughter-in-law's pregnancy, always expecting a boy. How could it have turned out to be a girl?
"No, it can't be like that." Mr. Sun shook his head, not even glancing at the newborn child. His family had only had one son for generations; what use would a girl be?
"No way, I don't believe it." Sun's mother blushed, picked up the child, and reached out to unwrap the small blanket. She yanked off the diaper, revealing clear gender characteristics.
"No, no, how could this happen?" She staggered back a step, her eyes filled with the pain of her unfulfilled expectations. Her eyes were red and her face was flushed, then she suddenly rolled her eyes and fell backward to the ground with a thud.
Sun Yaozu rushed to help her up. Fortunately, she was in the hospital and received timely treatment. She survived, but the doctor regretfully told them that the illness would have serious long-term consequences.
"She has no feeling in half of her body. The best outcome is that she can walk with crutches. Her blood pressure is very high, so we shouldn't upset her these days. After she is discharged from the hospital, she needs to actively rehabilitate and exercise more to try to be able to take care of herself."
Old Sun staggered back a step. Having lived so long and had so much life experience, he certainly understood what it was like to have a paralyzed person in the family. "My God, I'd rather be dead!" he thought. But by sheer coincidence, the patient was rescued in time at the hospital. Now it was too late for anything else.
Meng Xi fainted after giving birth and didn't wake up until evening. "Where's my son? Let me see him."
Sun Yaozu's face darkened. In his past life, he was overjoyed to learn that she had given birth to his daughter, and he secretly gave her all the money he had gotten from Shu Yao. So why was he unhappy now? He felt no joy at all looking at his daughter.
"It's a daughter."
"What?" Meng Xi was struck dumb, reaching out to take the swaddled baby. "How could it be a daughter?"
“I told you it was most likely a daughter, but you insisted it was a son. Now look what’s happened. You were so boastful in public, now you’re going to be laughed at when you go back.”
Meng Xi also pulled off the baby's diaper, and after seeing it clearly, she felt like the sky had fallen. "Could there be a mistake? I'm having a son, a son! Who switched my son with someone else's?"
"Alright, stop crying. It'll be even more troublesome if the milk doesn't come in. Mom suffered a blow that left her partially paralyzed, and we've spent all our money. We don't have any money to buy her food."
Meng Xi was devastated, as if she had lost both her parents. One piece of bad news after another. She had just given birth to a daughter, and now her mother-in-law was paralyzed. Did this mean she would have to do all the work from now on? Even if she became pregnant again, there would be no one to take care of her.
The Sun family stayed at the hospital for a few days and then quietly returned home in the evening. But these things can't be kept secret forever. Soon, neighbors came to see them and learned that they had given birth to a girl.
Meng Xi looked at the rice porridge in her bowl and burst into tears. "Shu Yao gets chicken soup when she has a daughter, why do I only get rice porridge?"
"Why are you always comparing yourself to Shu Yao? She had a son before. Now it doesn't matter what she has."
“Sun Yaozu, I don’t even breastfeed. Even if it’s just for the sake of the child, you have to give me good food. Look at Su Xiangdong, how does he take care of his wife? He gives her good food and drink, look how good he is to his wife. And look at you, no wonder Shu Yao doesn’t want you to remarry.”
Sun Yaozu's fragile male pride was touched by her words, and he jumped up from his chair, putting down the child he was holding.
"If you think he's good, go find him. Go, go now."
Being compared to other men by his wife, and being made to feel utterly worthless, would be unbearable for most men, let alone someone like Sun Yaozu who had been pampered since childhood. He immediately turned red-faced and yelled at her, his neck stiff with rage.
"Sun Yaozu!" Meng Xi burst into tears, unable to believe he would treat her like this. She was still in her postpartum confinement period, and everything had been fine before. Just because she gave birth to a daughter, everyone turned against her. They had showered her with sweet words when they were pursuing her, but now they were yelling at her like this during her postpartum confinement.
Arguments between couples are inherently damaging to relationships, especially for women who are at their most vulnerable, where the hurt is amplified. She initially felt some guilt towards him. But now, that guilt has vanished, leaving only resentment.
"When you were pursuing me, you said you liked me, that you had never liked Shu Yao, and that you only liked me. You liked me, and this is how you treat me now?"
Sun Yaozu didn't know how the topic had jumped to this point. Weren't they arguing that Su Xiangdong was better than him? Why were they bringing up things from back then? How long ago was that? What's the point of talking about it now?
"Stop crying. Haven't I been good enough to you? When you were pregnant, I massaged your shoulders and back and took care of you. I gave you all my salary so you could buy whatever you wanted and eat whatever you wanted. How have I ever been bad to you? You've been so demanding during your postpartum period that you've dried up your milk. What will you do if the baby doesn't have any milk? You're not just yourself, you're also a mother. Do you even act like a mother?"
Arguments often escalate unconsciously, with voices rising and falling, as if trying to subdue each other. Shu Yao, while eating, heard the argument next door, Meng Xi's crying, and the child's wailing—it was all in chaos.
Su Xiangdong was at work and not around. Holding her bowl, she listened to the sound and felt a pang of comfort. But she also clearly sensed that the feeling wasn't as intense as before. Meng Xi used to act all lovey-dovey in front of her, the original wife, but now that she'd given up her position, the two of them seem quite affectionate.
Setting down the bowl and touching her chest, she murmured softly, "It's all over, really over."
Her newborn daughter was right next to her, the little one sleeping soundly with her eyes closed, completely undisturbed by the neighbors. In just a few days, the initial redness had faded, revealing the baby's fair and delicate skin. It was impossible to tell who she resembled, but whoever she looked like, she was their precious darling.
This child, who didn't exist in her past life, has truly appeared in her life, and it means a lot to her. A change, a real change. She is no longer the woman who sacrificed herself in her past life; now she is surrounded by children, and her husband is loving and devoted. Let everything from her past life go with the wind.
As soon as He Yi and He Xu got out of school, they climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed). The two of them especially liked this little sister. Yi Yi gently touched her sister, looked at herself, and then looked down at her sister.
"Mom, doesn't my little sister look just like me?"
"Yes, you're sisters."
"No, it's that she looks like me," Xu Xu said eagerly, also wanting to claim the right to be the most like her sister.
"Like me. We're all girls."
His sister's words nearly brought Xu Xu to tears. He was a boy, and he knew he and his sister were different. But he loved his sister and wanted to be as much like her as possible.
"Okay, Xuxu, don't cry. You're all alike, you're all children born from your mother. You all came from your mother's tummy, you're all your mother's precious babies."
The little one is so easy to coax; a few simple words from her mother and she immediately shut up. It turns out that she and her sister both came from their mother's belly, which is why they look so alike.
"This is what we call siblings. You are brothers and sisters born of the same mother, the closest people in the world besides your parents. Your parents can't be with you forever, but siblings are for life. So you should love each other. Perhaps you are the older brother, and you should cherish your younger sister."
"Okay, I understand." Su Hexu nodded solemnly, looked at her older sister and then at her younger sister, and smiled happily, revealing her tiny teeth.
When Su Xiangdong returned, he was carrying spare ribs and two pork bones. The pork bones had already been cut open to expose the marrow, and he immediately handed them to his third aunt to make soup. He also put the spare ribs in the soup, and he was also carrying lotus root.
"Pork rib and lotus root soup, didn't you like it before?"
Shu Yao nodded: "Yes. This is the season for lotus root. My mother used to always make pork rib and lotus root soup at this time of year, and my brother and I both love to drink it."
"Do your two older brothers really like you and always give in to you?"
"Yes. My eldest and second eldest brothers are twins, so we probably have a twin gene in our family. My maternal uncle also had a twin brother, but unfortunately he didn't survive."
"A single pregnancy is fine; carrying twins at once is too tiring." When she was pregnant with twins, her belly was alarmingly large, and he was terrified. The second one wasn't small either, so he decided never to have another child.
The soup was rich and flavorful, the lotus root noodles had a hint of sweetness, and I finished the whole bowl. That evening, I started to feel unwell. My chest felt wet; breast milk was leaking. I helped myself to sit up, and just as I reached for the flashlight, the person next to me had already turned it on.
"What's wrong?" Usually, it's older female relatives who accompany and care for a new mother during her postpartum period, but this time it was him taking care of her. He reacted immediately to the sound, his deep voice full of concern in the darkness.
"Please get me a top, I have too much breast milk and it's leaking out."
"Oh, okay." He quickly got off the bed and got her a change of clothes. He also filled a basin with warm water and handed her a wet towel. Shu Yao hesitated for a moment while holding the towel, then turned back and gave him a reproachful look.
"Turn around."
"It's fine if you can't see at night, but with the flashlight so bright, it's embarrassing." Su Xiangdong smiled and turned away. His wife was really shy. Even when she was breastfeeding, she would hide behind him. With such a bright light, she was just embarrassed.
Hearing her rustling as she undressed, dried herself, and prepared to change into clean clothes, he suddenly turned around and pulled her into a tight embrace as she was completely naked from the waist up.
"Ah," she gasped, her voice short and low, both amused and exasperated by her husband's sudden intimacy. "Su Xiangdong, how old are you?"
"Three years old." Su San Sui held up three fingers and kissed her without any hesitation. "What's there to be afraid of? I'm your man. Let me see you a few more times, and you won't be shy anymore."
I hate you so much.
It sounded like she was scolding him, but her words were actually full of coquettishness. She hugged her chest, bent over, and laughed uncontrollably. He teased her for a moment and then stopped, kissing her before helping her put on her clothes. He then got out of bed and poured her some warm water; after all that fuss, she must be thirsty.
She slowly drank a few sips of water to calm her racing heart. Looking up at his mature and handsome face, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, gently placing a kiss on his cheek.
The man held her, glancing instinctively to the side. The three children were fast asleep. He kissed her reassuringly until they were both breathless. His chest heaved, a powerful sense of happiness filling him, even making his usually calm eyes sparkle.
"Wife,"
Shu Yao quickly let go of him. They hadn't been intimate since she was six months pregnant, and the man couldn't resist further teasing.
"I'm going to sleep."
Watching his wife release him and slip into bed, looking completely relaxed and content, he chuckled and shook his head. He prepared the swaddle and diaper, intending to change their daughter when she woke up. Then he turned off the flashlight and slipped into bed with his wife. She gently resisted, but he reached out and embraced her.
"Give me a hug, just one hug."
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