Dongqing grasped his wife's hands, tears welling in his eyes, and said, "Don't worry, my wife, if I have to redeem myself again, I'll chop off my own hands with a knife."
Li Yuzhu cried after hearing her husband's words. She said, "Spend more when you have money, spend less when you don't. There are plenty of poor families these days, and they all get by, don't they? As long as you don't gamble, I'm not afraid of suffering with you. I'm really afraid of worrying and being afraid with you. Do you understand, my husband?"
Do you understand the father of the child?
Li Yuzhu's last words were a reminder to Dong Qing that he was now a father and should act like one. Her words were both a reminder and an encouragement to her husband. Dong Qing not only understood the meaning behind his wife's words, but she also had good intentions.
After only two days in the hospital, which was too expensive, Li Yuzhu insisted on having her discharged on the morning of the third day after she finished her IV drip.
Dongqing and his sister helped his wife out of the ward. When they reached the ward door, they laid her down on the stretcher. Dongqing then pulled the stretcher out of the hospital, and his three sisters carried their newborn nephew to take them home.
It rained heavily again last night. When we got back to the village entrance, the one-kilometer dirt road was still muddy. Dongqing could only carry his wife home. Dong Sanmei pulled the cart to a relative's house by the roadside and left it there temporarily. Her younger brother would take it back after the road cleared.
Dongqing carried his wife back home. He hadn't come back for three days. The door was still wide open and the lights were on. Dongqing carried his wife directly into the room and put her on the bed. Dong Ermei put her nephew down next to her sister-in-law.
The family was so poor that there was nothing to lose. Dongqing looked around the room and found nothing missing. In fact, something was even missing: a dog that had somehow managed to find the outhouse had gone in and pooped.
Dong Damei grabbed a shovel, threw the dog poop shovel into the yard, and said, "This house is so dilapidated. When we have the money, we should rebuild it. It's not safe to live in a house like this when it rains heavily."
At this moment, Dong Sanmei also returned. Dong Qing said, "I can't be without money forever. You three, please keep an eye out for me in the city. If anyone is selling a house, even an empty one will do. I'll try to buy it. The roads in the village are really unusable. That one kilometer of dirt road is a real pain to walk on every time it rains. That one kilometer almost killed Yuzhu the night before last."
“This burden rests on my shoulders, my eldest sister, and my third sister. I truly hope that one day you will be able to afford a house.” Dong Ermei paused for a moment and said, “Brother, the baby was born three days ago. Let’s go to your wife’s parents’ house tomorrow to share the good news.”
Dongqing felt a headache after hearing his second sister's words. In the year since they got married, he had only visited his wife's parents' home twice with Li Yuzhu when they first got married. Later, because of his gambling, his mother-in-law wouldn't let him go. Every time he went, she would scold him. He hadn't been to his wife's parents' home for almost a year.
Seeing her younger brother remain silent, Dong Ermei said, "I know you won't get a good reception from your wife's family. No one can do it for you. It's your own business to go to your parents' house to share the good news of your son's birth. Your wife's parents are your in-laws. Go tomorrow. You'll have to face them sooner or later. Go home and apologize properly."
Dongqing nodded helplessly after hearing his second sister's words. Even if he was scolded, he still had to go tomorrow. He said, "Okay, I'll go tomorrow."
The three sisters then went to the cooperative to buy some eggs and bought a few old hens from their neighbor to nourish their younger siblings.
Back home, Dong Sanmei started a fire and first cooked a bowl of poached eggs for Li Yuzhu. Dong Ermei killed an old hen and stewed it, while keeping the other chickens tied up at home for the time being.
Li Yuzhu was fortunate to have met these three older sisters after her marriage; otherwise, she wouldn't even be able to afford egg tea now.
The next day, after breakfast, Dongqing said, "Honey, our son is four days old today. I'm going to your parents' house to give them the good news."
Li Yuzhu said, "My mother will scold you if you go. Don't talk back to her, just apologize to her properly, okay?"
Dong Qing said, "Don't worry, I know what to do!"
In the morning, Dongqing rode his bicycle to his wife's parents' house. The gate was wide open, so he got off and pushed his bicycle into the yard.
Li Yuzhu's mother was washing clothes in the yard when she saw Dong Qing. Without saying a word, she stood up, grabbed a broom, and started hitting him. Dong Qing didn't move and let his mother-in-law hit him as she pleased.
The mother-in-law threw the broom on the ground after hitting the ground for a while, and said angrily, "I once said that I would beat you every time you come. Who told you to come? Get out!"
Dongqing knelt on the ground helplessly and said, "Mother..."
Before Dong Qing could finish speaking, his mother-in-law stopped him from saying anything more, crying, "Don't call me 'mother'! I don't have a son-in-law like you! Are you leaving or not? If you don't, I'll kill myself right in front of you! You try me!"
With tears in her eyes, Dongqing said, "Mother, I've come today to announce good news. Yuzhu has given birth to a boy!"
After hearing this, the mother-in-law knelt on the ground and cried, "Heavens above, what sins have I committed?"
Dong Qing quickly stood up and helped his mother-in-law up from the ground. He said, "Mom, please don't be like this. It was all my fault before. You've always tolerated my beatings and scoldings."
The mother-in-law sat on a stool and cried for a while. After crying, she said, "Let me tell you, Dongqing, if you dare to gamble again, I'll break your legs. I let my daughter marry you to live a peaceful life, not to suffer with you. Get out."
Dong Qing stood rooted to the spot, his mother-in-law's words showing no forgiveness whatsoever. How could he leave like this?
"What are you standing there for? Are you trying to make me kick you out?" The mother-in-law paused for a moment and said, "Forget it, now that your son is born, what can I say? Go back, I'll go see my grandson at home tomorrow!"
The mother-in-law finally said a few words to the guests. Although she hadn't forgiven him, she at least gave him a way out. Dongqing said, "I'm going back," pushed his bicycle out the door, and rode home.
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