Chapter 36 Wang Juan gave birth
During the month that Wen Xiaoxiao was in postpartum confinement, Zhao Qingda only came back once.
That afternoon, he rode his old bicycle into the yard with a clanging sound, a bag of peach shortbread hanging from the handlebars.
Upon entering the main room, he glanced around and saw Wen Xiaoxiao sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) breastfeeding. He only mumbled an "Mmm" before slipping into the west wing to find Li Yugu.
The door was closed, and the mother and son spoke in hushed tones, but Wen Xiaoxiao still vaguely heard a few words.
"...Mom, Wang Juan is also quite far along in her pregnancy, and I really can't manage everything by myself..."
"How dare you say that! Xiaoxiao only gave birth to two for you, and you..."
“…That’s different! Wang Juan is carrying a boy! A boy!”
"Shut up! You bastard! You cut it open and it was a son?! I'm telling you, Zhao Qingda, if you dare run over there again, I'll..."
The voices grew louder and louder, and Li Yugu's curses could be heard clearly even through the door.
Finally, the door to the west wing was flung open, and Zhao Qingda emerged with a livid face, pushing his bicycle away without looking back.
The bag of peach shortbread was still hanging on the handlebars, he forgot to take it, or rather, he never intended to leave it behind.
Li Yugu chased after his son, stood at the courtyard gate, cursed at his departing figure a few more times, and then returned with red eyes.
Two days later, Li Yugu came in with the household registration booklet: "Let's name the child, don't wait for him."
Wen Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "I've thought it through. The eldest will be called Zhao Yizhen, and the second will be called Zhao Yibao."
Li Yugu repeated it twice: "Yizhen, Yibao... Zhenbao." She nodded, "Okay, the name is good."
The next day, she took the household registration book to the household registration office and registered her two granddaughters' names under Zhao Qingda's household registration page.
It was already mid-August when I finished my postpartum confinement period.
The morning and evening breezes were cool, no longer as sweltering as they had been a few days ago.
The two little ones are changing every day; they've grown up, and their features are becoming more and more defined.
Sometimes, when the morning sun wasn't too strong or the evening was cool, Wen Xiaoxiao would carry them to the small bamboo bed under the jujube tree in the yard and let them sunbathe their hands and feet.
That day, Zhao Fei arrived, carrying a package tied with hemp rope.
Upon opening it, I found two brand-new bamboo carts.
"I bought this for the kids." Zhao Fei put the stroller on the ground. "It will be convenient to push it around when they can sit up."
Looking at the two delicate little cars, Wen Xiaoxiao felt both warm and anxious. "They're too small to sit in them," she whispered.
"It will grow up eventually." Zhao Fei squatted down and flicked the bell on the cart, making a crisp sound.
He looked up at Wen Xiaoxiao and said, "Leave it for now."
Afraid that Li Yugu would misunderstand, Wen Xiaoxiao waited until Zhao Fei left and then told her mother-in-law, "Mom, that little car... I asked my older brother to buy it. It's very convenient, so I asked him to bring back two for me."
Li Yugu was picking vegetables when he heard this. He paused, grunted, and neither agreed nor disagreed.
After a while, he said casually, "How much? I'll pay him for the ride later."
“He said no need, just consider it… a gift for the baby’s one-month celebration.” Wen Xiaoxiao’s voice grew softer and softer.
Li Yugu didn't say anything more, but he picked the vegetables a little harder, making the green beans "snap" loudly.
The peaceful days didn't last long.
That morning, Zhao Qingda suddenly rushed into the yard with a radiant face, forgetting to lock his bicycle, leaving it at the gate and shouting, "Mom! Mom! It's born! It's born!"
Li Yugu was hanging diapers to dry in the yard when he was startled: "What? You gave birth? Why are you in such a panic..."
"Wang Juan gave birth!" Zhao Qingda's eyes lit up, his voice trembling with excitement. "She gave birth last night, nine pounds! A big, healthy boy! Mom, nine pounds!"
The wet diaper in Li Yugu's hand fell back into the basin, splashing water everywhere.
She stared blankly at her son, his face radiating an excitement and joy she had never seen before when Wen Xiaoxiao gave birth.
"You..." She opened her mouth, wanting to scold, but seeing her son's almost crazy with joy, the words stuck in her throat.
Zhao Qingda stepped forward and grabbed her arm: "Mom, go and see! The baby looks exactly like me! Wang Juan can't manage alone, can you help out and take care of her for a few days during her postpartum period..."
"I'm not going!" Li Yugu shook off his hand, her voice trembling. "Zhao Qingda, do you even remember your wife and two daughters in the east wing?! They've only been out of confinement for a few days!"
"That's different!" Zhao Qingda said urgently. "That's a son! Mom, it's a son! Our Zhao family has an heir!"
These words were like a needle, piercing deep into the most traditional and stubborn part of Li Yugu's heart.
Her face turned pale then red, then red then pale again, her chest heaving violently.
In the end, Zhao Qingda half-dragged and half-pulled her out the door.
Before leaving, she glanced back and saw Wen Xiaoxiao standing behind the window, holding her child and quietly watching them.
Li Yugu felt a pang in his heart, hurriedly turned his head, and followed his son.
Zhao Qingda's rented house in the suburbs is not big, but it is kept quite clean.
Wang Juan leaned against the bed, her face somewhat pale, but she seemed to be in good spirits.
She was holding a swaddled baby in her arms. When she saw Li Yugu come in, her face immediately lit up with a smile, and she sweetly called out, "Auntie's here! Come and see your grandson!"
Li Yugu walked over stiffly.
Wang Juan lifted a corner of the swaddling clothes, revealing a rosy, chubby little face.
The child had his eyes closed, his hair was jet black, and his nose and mouth... indeed, he looked exactly like Zhao Qingda when he was a child.
A strange feeling of blood connection instantly gripped Li Yugu.
She instinctively reached out her hand, and Wang Juan immediately handed the child to her.
It was heavy, weighing nine pounds, and the child's body temperature seeped through the thin blanket onto her arm.
Her heart softened instantly.
The coldness on her face melted away without her even realizing it.
"Isn't it beautiful, Mom?" Zhao Qingda said proudly from the side. "Just like me!"
Wang Juan observed Li Yugu's expression and pressed her advantage, softening her voice even more: "Auntie, I'll have to trouble you these next few days. I don't have any elderly relatives to help me out, and Qingda is a clumsy man... Sigh, there's really no other way."
Li Yugu held his grandson, looked at the child's sleeping face, and then looked at Wang Juan.
She had just given birth, her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were tired. She was looking at him expectantly, completely lacking the arrogance she had shown when she last came to visit.
Li Yugu was a kind-hearted person.
She hated Wang Juan for destroying her son's family, but looking at this weak and helpless woman who had just given birth, she couldn't bring herself to say those harsh words.
She even felt that women in their postpartum period were all pitiful.
She held the child silently, without responding, but she also stopped giving him the cold shoulder.
Seeing that the time was right, Zhao Qingda suddenly knelt down in front of Li Yugu with a thud.
"Mom!" His eyes reddened. "I know I'm a bastard! I'm sorry to Xiaoxiao, sorry to my two daughters! But Xiaoxiao and I... I really have no feelings for each other! She's like a silent gourd, she hardly says three words a day, and just looking at her makes my heart ache! Wang Juan is different, she understands me, she takes care of me, and I'm happy to let her take care of me! Look at me lately, I haven't been drinking much, and I've even been able to save some money... Mom, please, just stay here and take care of her for a few days, until Wang Juan recovers..."
Li Yugu held his child, looked at his son kneeling on the ground, and thought of his daughter-in-law in the east wing. His mind was in turmoil.
"Mom!" Zhao Qingda hugged her leg. "It's all my fault! But the child is innocent! He's your own grandson! Can you bear to see him without a grandmother's love? Wang Juan really has no one left; even her family doesn't acknowledge her..."
Li Yugu looked down and saw that the child in his arms had woken up at some point, his little mouth pouting as if he was about to cry.
Her heart was in complete turmoil.
On one side was his newborn grandson, and on the other was this woman who, though hateful, was indeed pitiful at this moment.
On the other side was her daughter-in-law, who had just finished her postpartum confinement and was taking care of her two frail granddaughters.
Her kindness became a cruel tug-of-war at this moment.
She felt sorry for Wang Juan, who had no one to rely on during her postpartum period, and couldn't bring herself to leave her.
But when she thought of Wen Xiaoxiao and her two granddaughters, guilt gnawed at her heart like ants.
Finally, she sighed wearily, neither agreeing nor leaving immediately.
That night, she stayed in the cabin in the suburbs.
Zhao Qingda was overjoyed, and Wang Juan sweetly addressed him as "Auntie this, Auntie that."
Li Yugu silently changed the baby's diaper and prepared formula.
She did everything meticulously, but rarely spoke.
It was late at night, and Wang Juan and her child were asleep.
Li Yugu lay on the makeshift cot, staring at the dark night sky outside the window, unable to fall asleep.
She knew her son was a scoundrel, knew Wang Juan was ruthless, and knew Wen Xiaoxiao was pitiful.
But when she held her heavy, warm grandson in her arms, that old lingering preference for boys over girls still made the choice for her.
A choice that left the mother and her two children in the east wing even more helpless and alone.
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