After the New Year, on the first few days of the new year, every household in the village visits relatives.
Zhang Fangyuan had never traveled much before, and his two closest families lived in the village anyway. However, Xu He felt that he still had to take care of interpersonal relationships and interactions with relatives and friends, after all, they all lived in the village.
Their family seems strong now, but everyone has ups and downs, and there will always be times when they are troublesome.
With him in charge, Zhang Fangyuan still obediently went to his uncle's house to deliver a jar of wine and a box of cakes. As for his sixth uncle who lived in the city, he had never come when his family had something to do, so he just ignored him. There were also some relatives from his mother's family, who were also in the city, but they rarely contacted them even when his mother was alive, so there was no need to bother with them now.
In addition, there were some cousins who he had contacts with in the village and he also sent some gifts. Then there was Xu He's mother's family.
On the sixth day of the New Year, the couple took some things and went to Xu's house together.
Xu Shaochun also took Fei Lian back to her parents' home. Since their two children got married one after another, this was the first time that each of them returned home with her husband.
"Mother, I brought you two pieces of cloth."
Xu He talked about cloth, but actually Zhang Fangyuan took a lot of things, not only cloth but also a box of fruit and a large piece of fresh meat.
Liu Xianglan smiled from ear to ear when she saw the food, and called the two to go into the house to warm themselves by the fire: "We'll have fish stewed with tofu for lunch. We bought a large field fish, weighing four or five pounds. Your father is slaughtering it now."
The house hasn't been so lively for a long time, and the Xu couple were also quite happy.
Xu Shaochun and Fei Lianxian arrived at Xu's house first. Upon hearing the noise, Xu Shaochun went to the door and saw Xu He with a bulging belly and empty hands, and Zhang Fangyuan holding all his things. He felt a little uncomfortable.
Thinking about how Fei Lian came earlier and walked straight ahead with empty hands, let alone helping to carry things, it had rained at the beginning of the year and the road was very slippery due to being trampled on. He didn't even pull himself up and just took care of himself. She also complained about why she had to go back to her parents' home for dinner today and why her feet were dirty from the muddy journey.
Moreover, seeing Xu He and his wife bringing so many things, they both carried a basket of eggs and a pot of wine, which even she felt a little unsatisfactory, and she didn't know if her mother was suspicious.
"Second sister arrived first."
Xu Shaochun nodded and said indifferently: "Come in, it's cold outside."
"I'll go to the kitchen to see Dad first."
Zhang Fangyuan held Xu He's waist, and the two of them went to the kitchen to call Xu Changren.
Xu Shaochun went into the house and could not help complaining to Fei Lian: "It's not easy to go back to my mother's house. I told her to prepare more things so as not to lose face, but your mother refused to do so. Look at Xu He, she came back with fruits and cloth, what do we have?"
"We are a family of scholars, how can we compare with a merchant? Merchants are naturally more wealthy than our family, and they build large houses with blue tiles. When they go back to their mother's house, they will definitely bring more things than ordinary people."
Xu Shaochun was even more annoyed: "They are building a big house, but a part of our back eaves collapsed and it has been a long time since we repaired it, and you can still confidently say that they built a big house."
Fei Lian added, "When the school opens in a few days, I can easily find two students' parents to help repair the house without paying them. Can the Zhang family do it? Shaochun, I asked you to read more books every day, but you refused. This is short-sighted."
Xu Shaochun, however, didn't buy it. After being tortured for half a year, she was no longer as naively admiring scholars as she was when she was a girl.
This scholar is good, but he has to be a scholar from a wealthy family in the city, and only he can be called a god-like character in the opera script.
Like the poor scholars in the village, most of them are people who are arrogant and self-righteous.
"Don't bluff me with these things. Merchants these days are no longer as suppressed as they were by the previous two generations. Look, they are living a more prosperous life than anyone else." Xu Shaochun said angrily: "You only blame me for not studying. I also need time to study. Your mother always tells me to do this and that."
Seeing that Xu Shaochun's voices were getting louder and louder, and she was crying uncontrollably at her mother's house, Fei Lian quickly comforted her and said, "I'll go back and talk to mother."
Only then did Xu Shaochun stop talking.
Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He met Xu Changren before coming here.
"That fish is really big. The fish pond at Zuo Siye's home was not released last year to catch fish for sale, so the fish have grown fat. If we weren't busy, we would have bought one to eat."
"There are so many things left at home after the New Year. How can I have time to buy fish?"
When they entered through the central door, they saw Fei Lian, wearing a dark green long cotton robe, sitting at a square table placed low against the wall, with a cup of hot tea beside him. He had the noble demeanor of a scholar. If it weren't for the fact that the house was made of earthen walls, one would have the illusion that they had entered a house in the city.
After working as a private school teacher for a few months, Fei Lian lost a lot of his bookish airs, but instead had the demeanor of a scholar.
Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He looked at each other. It seemed that they had learned something from following those rich young masters in the city and owing a lot of debts. They didn't look as timid as before. However, they were not students going back to their parents' home to pay respects to the teacher and give tuition, so why put on airs?
Fei Lian waited for the two to greet him, but he heard no sound for a long time. He quietly raised his eyelids and glanced at the two of them, and saw Xu He with a big belly and Zhang Fangyuan nodding and bowing around them.
He couldn't tell what he felt in his heart, but seeing that the two of them didn't even look at him, let alone say hello, he felt a little awkward and put the teacup back.
"He Ge'er and Zhang the butcher are here. Did they have a smooth journey?"
The tone was like a teacher asking a student. Zhang Fangyuan looked up when he heard the voice, and felt it was very funny. Everyone knew each other well, so why pretend?
"It's OK. We drove here without slipping. I wonder how it is for Mr. Fei to walk here?"
Zhang Fangyuan took a look at Fei Lian's shoes. The mud on the soles was almost sticking to the instep. Fei Lian stepped back awkwardly and said, "We are OK."
Xu Shaochun felt that the atmosphere in the room was a bit strange, but he couldn't tell what was wrong, so he simply went to the kitchen to help his mother light the fire.
Fei Lian felt quite awkward being alone in the room and just kept drinking tea while Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He continued to talk about their own things.
Fortunately, we arrived late and had lunch quickly. A large pot of fish was brought to the table, and the steaming dish soon filled the house with fragrance.
Zhang Fangyuan helped Xu He sit down, and everyone at the table sat down to eat with their own thoughts. Zhang Fangyuan didn't bother to care what other people thought. He just ate the delicious food.
The bones of grass-fed field fish are thick and not easy to get stuck in the throat. The fish meat has a sweet taste like spring water and is very suitable for eating in big mouthfuls.
Zhang Fangyuan picked out a fish head for Xu He to eat.
"He'er's baby will be born in two months, right? Then we can send him to Fei Xiucai to start his education."
When Fei Lian heard his mother-in-law mention him, he half-put down his chopsticks and said, "Yes, if it's a son, it would be good for him to read more and learn some words."
Zhang Fangyuan said, "Let's talk about it later. The child is still young and it's too early for him to go to school."
"Well, the earlier the child starts to study, the better. Although not every child has a talent for studying, if they can read and write, they can help Zhang the butcher with his business." Fei Lian said, "If the child is sent to me, I will definitely teach him carefully and try to pass the examination to become a scholar and enter the official career. In this way, he won't have to work hard on farming or doing business."
Xu He felt somewhat uncomfortable after hearing such words. Zhang Fangyuan took the opportunity to pick up some food and said, "That's right. Mr. Fei is very knowledgeable and can teach many good students. I think his children can inherit his father's career and become officials in the future, and they will be better than their father."
"By the way, although not every couple can have children, it is still better to have a child as soon as possible and raise it yourself."
When Fei Lian heard this, Xu Shaochun's expression also turned ugly.
Liu Xianglan quickly tried to smooth things over: "Eat the food, eat the food, it won't be good if it gets cold."
The days after the New Year go by quickly, especially when it gets busy, as it is a new round of spring plowing.
This year, the Zhang family decided to open up two more plots of land to grow vegetables and use in the tea shed. After taking care of several plots of land at home, Zhang Fangyuan did not allow Xu He to go back to his mother's house to help with the spring ploughing this year. He was heavy and moved slowly. Spring ploughing was physical work and he could no longer do much.
Seeing the land becoming greener and greener day by day and the house becoming more and more complete day by day, Zhang Fangyuan did not feel at ease, but was instead worried every day.
Xu He's due date was approaching, and he was afraid that something might happen under his nose, so he hired a midwife early just in case.
That day he was loading goods to the tea stall, preparing to take a look at the shops in the city. After the beginning of the new year, he only went there once on the opening day of the shop, and after that he asked the shop assistant to look after it.
This time he will go there to check the account books and replenish the stocks. Once everything is settled, he will stay at home and wait for the baby to be born before going back to do business.
"Second aunt, I have to go to the city. He Ge'er is alone at home. Please go back and help me look after him. Anyway, there is not much business in the tea stall today."
He said, "Okay, Second Sister, go back. I can handle this by myself."
Zhang Shiyue nodded: "Then I'll go back right away. It's a good time to go back and pick the sprouts."
Zhang Fangyuan was relieved and climbed onto the horse. He was holding the horse's belly but hadn't moved yet when suddenly someone on the official road shouted from a distance: "Zhang the butcher, your husband is about to give birth!"
Several people were startled and ran out of the tea shed in a hurry. They saw a villager driving cattle on the official road.
"I was fine when I came out!"
The villager said, "He Ge'er was driving ducks to the river, and he suddenly felt unwell on the way. His mother called two people to send him back home. I came here to give you a message, so hurry back and check on him!"
Zhang Fangyuan was so anxious that his back was on fire. He whipped the horse's butt and was about to drive back.
He hurriedly called out to the guards, "It's no use for you to go home at this moment. You might as well go and ask Mr. Qin from Zaojiao Village to come. He is the best midwife in the surrounding villages."
Zhang Fangyuan didn't even have time to respond, he just pulled his horse and rushed forward.
"Let's go back and take a look." Zhang Shiyue and He closed the tea stall and drove the villagers' carts back.
Giving birth is common in the village, it is almost a daily occurrence. When other families hear about it, they just think of it as another full moon banquet, but only their closest relatives are in a state of chaos.
The production risks were extremely high these days, and it was almost like a close call with death. Zhang Fangyuan was worried about Xu He, so he hurriedly went to Zaojiao Village to ask for help, and then rode his horse back in a hurry.
The dirt road in the village was trampled by horses' hooves and covered with a layer of dust. Seeing this, the villagers who were digging in the fields wanted to go and see what was going on.
When Zhang Fangyuan arrived home, there was a lot of people busy coming and going in the house, and many people gathered in the yard. He was about to rush into the house, but Liu Xianglan pulled him back and said, "Men are not allowed to go in during childbirth!"
"I'll just go and have a look at him."
"It's okay, the baby is being born, and the hot water has been sent in. We have invited a midwife from the village." Liu Xianglan turned around and saw the man who was delivering the baby from the neighboring village, and hurried to greet him: "It will be even better if Mr. Qin is here!"
It was the first time for Mr. Qin to ride a horse, and Zhang Fangyuan drove the horse so fast that he was scared and broke out in a cold sweat. His legs were still weak, but when he heard the young man's groaning in the room, he hastily pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his groans, then followed Liu Xianglan in.
Zhang Fangyuan followed for a few steps but failed to follow him in and was driven out by his second aunt.
He had never seen a family giving birth to a baby before, so he felt uneasy and thought that Xu He was suffering in there. He wanted to climb up to the window to see what was going on inside.
After a while, he saw his fourth aunt coming out with a basin, and he went forward anxiously to ask.
"It's not that easy to give birth to a child. Don't worry. This child seems to be a little strong and it will be difficult to give birth."
"When He Ge'er was pregnant, she did all sorts of things, and she didn't eat and drink a lot, so how could she raise a child so strong?" Zhang Fangyuan grabbed He's arm and said, "Should I go to the city to ask a doctor now?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a baby's cry was heard from the room. They were both stunned. Zhang Fangyuan realized it later and threw away the handkerchief in his hand: "It's born!?"
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