It must be said that the team that went to western Sichuan this time was really quite large.
Li Xiangdong, Zhao Sufang, Li Jiabao, Li Ping, Li Yan, Li Lan, Zhang Huan, Li Ying, Da Xia, Grandma Jiang, and Grandma Jiang's little tail, Doctor Gu.
It took Li Xiangdong a lot of effort just to buy sleeper tickets for eleven people, and he only managed to get it done with Wang Jianguo's help.
Before leaving, everyone did a big shopping trip, buying many things that are hard to find in the mountains of western Sichuan, such as brown sugar and white sugar.
Zhao Sufang, along with Li Ying and Li Lan, made many small clothes, shoes, swaddle blankets, diapers, and other things needed for postpartum care.
Children's clothes and shoes are made of soft cotton fabric, and after they are made, they are washed and dried twice to ensure that the fabric will not harm the child's delicate skin.
"Mother, is my aunt carrying a boy or a girl?"
Li Ying looked at the two pairs of cat-head shoes and the two pairs of tiger-head shoes placed on the kang (a heated brick bed) and asked Zhao Sufang.
In Huichuan County, boys wear tiger-head shoes and girls wear cat-head shoes.
Her mother made both tiger-head shoes and cat-head shoes. Could it be that her aunt is pregnant with twins?
However, it's not impossible, after all, they have the gene; aren't her aunt and her older brother twins?
Zhao Sufang chuckled as she put the little shoes into her bundle. "I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, but family planning isn't strict there, so I can have more after this one!"
Thinking about family planning, Zhao Sufang started worrying about her third daughter, Li Ying, again: "Daxia is already six years old, when are you going to have another one?"
The current family planning policy in rural areas is that if the first child is a girl, the couple can have another birth quota after the girl turns five.
Now Li Ying and Hong Shui fully meet the requirements, so it doesn't count as having an extra child.
Li Ying was also worried, as Hong Shui was an only child and the two of them were also anxious to have a son!
Unfortunately, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't conceive. Both of them had Dr. Gu check their pulses, and neither of them had any health problems.
"Dr. Gu said that these things also depend on fate, and we should let nature take its course."
Zhao Sufang had no better idea. After thinking for a moment, she smiled and said, "This time when we go to western Sichuan, let's take advantage of your aunt's good fortune. She got pregnant the month she got married."
The mother and her children chatted and laughed as they packed two large bundles of children's supplies.
...
Bai Yufeng is six months pregnant now and her pregnancy is already showing. She hasn't gained much weight, but her belly is bulging, like a pot placed on her stomach.
Bai Yufeng had many dark spots on her cheeks. Every time she got up early to wash up and look in the mirror, she would feel extremely annoyed and could only pinch Luo Yonggang to vent her anger.
Luo Yonggang secretly complained to his brother-in-law Bai Yulong, "Yu Feng used to be so gentle, but ever since she got pregnant, she pinches me every day. Look, my arm is almost swollen from being pinched."
He rolled up his sleeves to show Bai Yulong, and sure enough, his thick, dark arms were covered in bruises and cuts.
Bai Yulong couldn't help but chuckle, "My sister is carrying your child, who else would I pinch if not you?"
Luo Yonggang felt that his brother-in-law's words made sense, so he could only go back dejectedly and continue to be his wife's punching bag.
Bai Yufeng was very happy when she learned that Li Xiangdong and his group were coming, and she cleaned the house inside and out.
Her and Luo Yonggang's new house was built next to Liu Jiangsu and Luo Hongkai's house. Liu Jiangsu saw his daughter-in-law going in and out with a rag cleaning and quickly stopped her, saying, "My son, what are you doing with your big belly? Your sister can come and stay with me."
Bai Yufeng, supporting her lower back, said, "Mother, I'm not feeling unwell right now. Doing this little bit of work is nothing! Besides, with my sister and nieces all coming over, your own house simply won't be enough room for everyone!"
"Then you shouldn't do it either! You sit under the tree and let Gangzi do it!"
Liu Jiangsu asked Luo Yonggang to move two bamboo chairs under the jacaranda tree, then helped Bai Yufeng sit down slowly. After that, he directed Luo Hongkai and his son Luo Yonggang to clean the house.
When Li Xiangdong and his group arrived, Luo Yonggang and Bai Yulong hitched up two oxcarts to pick them up, and the carts were packed full of people and their belongings.
Liu Jiangsu and Bai Yufeng were waiting for Li Xiangdong and the others halfway up the mountain early in the morning, while Luo Hongkai was busy cooking inside the house.
The old ox strolled slowly through the mountains. Zhang Huan, Li Yan, and Da Xia were traveling so far for the first time. The three of them sat together, looking at the bottomless mountain cliffs, the swirling clouds that seemed to be right beside them, and the colorful wildflowers. They cheered incessantly, as if they had entered a fairy tale world.
Halfway there, Li Xiangdong saw a small cluster of red fruits on the mountainside. He jumped off the oxcart, climbed down the mountainside, and picked them.
I popped a red berry into my mouth, and wow, it was sweet and sour!
This is a clump of wild strawberries!
Li Xiangdong caught the oxcart and handed out wild strawberries wrapped in hemp leaves for everyone to try.
Li Yan was a bit picky, "They're not as sweet as the strawberries at home, they're sour!"
Daxia agreed, "The big strawberries in Grandma Jiang's yard are delicious!"
The others didn't seem to like it much either, but Li Ying exclaimed, "It's delicious! If you're not going to eat it, give it to me!"
She finished off all the remaining wild strawberries by herself. Zhao Sufang looked thoughtfully at her third daughter eating with relish, then at her belly, and silently put another cushion under Li Ying's back.
When family members reunite, it is naturally a very lively occasion.
After everyone settled their luggage and washed up to get rid of the sweat they had picked up on the train overnight, Luo Hongkai had finished cooking.
When Liu Jiangsu and Luo Hongkai went to Huichuan, they stayed at Grandma Jiang's house; they were very familiar with each other.
Sure enough, right after they finished eating, Doctor Gu started his rounds. He checked Grandma Jiang's pulse and confirmed that she was much better now.
"Please take another look at my daughter-in-law!"
Doctor Gu stroked his beard, closed his eyes, and first touched Bai Yufeng's left hand, then her right hand. "Her pulse is strong and powerful, very good. Just wait to hold your big, fat grandson!"
"Wow! That's great!"
Before anyone else could react, Luo Hongkai responded with a broad smile.
He was an old-fashioned man, and he was overjoyed to hear that his daughter-in-law was carrying a grandson.
Of course, he was happy to have a granddaughter, but wouldn't it be even better to have a grandson first and then a granddaughter?
Liu Jiangsu is fine; as long as the baby in her belly is safe, what does it matter whether it's a boy or a girl?
The adults were talking about having children inside, but the children couldn't wait to go out and have fun.
"Brother, brother, what kind of flower is this?"
Li Ping pointed curiously at the jacaranda tree. High up on the tree, purple flowers floated on the green leaves, like smoke and mist, like a dream.
A gentle breeze blows, and blue flowers fall to the ground, like a beautiful purple carpet draped over the earth.
"Uh, I think it's called the Jacaranda tree!"
Li Xiangdong remembered asking Liu Jiangsu about it last time.
Li Ping exclaimed, "It's so beautiful! How can there be such a beautiful tree in the world!"
Jacaranda
Jacaranda
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