Then, led by Dingwen, the children greeted the remaining elders one by one and received many red envelopes.
"Xuemei, this is for Linlin, you can keep it!" Granny Liu handed a red envelope to Zhang Xuemei.
Zhang Xuemei quickly said, "Thank you, Mom. I thank Grandma on Linlin's behalf."
The Xu family didn't have the custom of staying up all night on New Year's Eve. The men gathered together to play cards, while the women chatted and ate melon seeds. As they chatted, the conversation turned to the eldest and second eldest sons of the Xu family.
“Tomorrow he told me that after the New Year he and his second son would go out to find work and wouldn’t follow Master Chen anymore.” Zhou Nianmei was both happy that her husband could find work and earn money on his own, but worried about not having a stable income, since no one knew if there would be any work for them at the beginning.
"Is it the eldest brother?" Zhang Xuemei knew that in rural areas nowadays, people prefer to hire experienced craftsmen for building houses, doing carpentry and cement work, and these craftsmen usually have a team, which makes the work easier.
"Mingri and Minghui are together, and they've brought a few brothers with them, making a total of five or six people. They include carpenters, plumbers, and bricklayers, which will make it easier for them to find work."
Zhou Nianmei also knew a little bit about it; one person alone couldn't do it.
"You two, work hard. I'll have your dad keep an eye out for any families in the nearby villages who are building new houses. It's okay if the wages are low at first; we need to get things started first."
Granny Liu smiled and comforted him, knowing that her two sons were skilled and wouldn't have trouble finding work.
Zhang Xuemei was thinking that she could ask her older brother and his family to come and help with the renovations of the house in Tianshui City, since it's good to keep the profits within the family! But it's too early to talk about that now!
Later, Zhang Xuemei couldn't stay up any longer and went to sleep, while the men were still there like night owls, preparing to stay up all night!
The next day is the first day of the Lunar New Year. The old saying here is that you shouldn't work on the first day of the Lunar New Year, otherwise you'll be busy all year round.
Then you could see the village women, young and old, chatting in small groups with their hands tucked in their sleeves.
Zhang Xuemei also joined them, holding her youngest daughter.
"Xuemei, when are you planning to have a third child?" A village auntie teased with a smile when she saw Zhang Xuemei carrying a child over.
Zhang Xuemei knew that some people were genuinely curious, while others were just looking to see her make a fool of herself.
So he smiled without changing his expression and said, "Why have more? Two is enough. We can't afford to raise any more."
"That's true, but it's really not good to not have a son in the family. Listen to your aunt, take good care of your health and have another son. That way, you and Minghan will have something to rely on when you get old!" These words sounded like they were genuinely thinking of Zhang Xuemei, but she didn't need them.
"That's right. If you're worried about having another daughter, I know a doctor who has a secret formula that will guarantee you a son." Lin Xianghong said this with a smug look on her face. She wouldn't normally tell just anyone, but she felt sorry for Zhang Xuemei because she had given birth to two daughters in a row!
Zhang Xuemei's smile almost faltered as she forced a smile and replied, "Auntie, there's really no need. Our two children are doing fine. You two chat first. The children are asleep, so I'll take them back now."
After saying that, she turned and left. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would start arguing with them again. She felt that her temper had become much more irritable since her rebirth. Surely menopause had come along with her?
"Hey, don't regret it, that doctor..." Lin Xianghong was about to say something when Chen Chunfeng pulled her away.
"Hey, ignore her, she's just being a hypocrite. Um, is that secret recipe really as effective as you say? Guaranteed to give birth to a boy?"
"Of course! You can tell by the fact that all three of my daughters-in-law have given birth to boys. This has been tested. If they give birth to a girl, we'll refund the money. So, it's not a bad deal, is it?"
Seeing that Chen Chunfeng was interested, Lin Xianghong quickly began to introduce the doctor, after all, the doctor had said that she would receive a ten-yuan referral fee for each referral!
Anyway, the medicine is just some traditional Chinese medicine for conditioning, it won't make you sick, and you have a 50/50 chance of having a boy or a girl.
"By the way, who in your family needs to use it? I remember your eldest son already has two sons, Lin! As for the second son..." At this point, Lin Xianghong understood. Chen Chunfeng's second son had just given birth to a daughter a year ago, and she didn't expect him to be in such a hurry to have a second child.
Imagine Chen Chunfeng keeping an eye on young women in the village who wanted to have children, and calling the township government at the first sign of trouble.
With her character, she's already offended everyone. She thinks it'll be difficult for her second son to have a son!
Chen Chunfeng's eyes flickered, and he waved his hand, "No, she's my niece-in-law from my maternal family. She's been married for several years but there's been no sign of a child, so I was thinking of bringing her to meet you."
How could my family possibly have another child? We strictly adhere to national policies, unlike others.
As he spoke, he glanced several times in the direction of the Xu family's residence, making his meaning quite clear.
Lin Xianghong didn't expose her. Everyone knows what's going on in each other's lives! Her third son's wife isn't pregnant yet either. Anyway, as long as she can make money, that's all that matters.
"Alright, you can take your nephew's wife with you sometime. They need to take your pulse before they can prescribe a medicine, since everyone's constitution is different, right?"
"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right! That's what a professional doctor looks like!" Chen Chunfeng had been a little skeptical, but after hearing Lin Xianghong's explanation, he completely believed her. This doctor looked professional.
"Okay, we'll find time then."
"Then I'll tell my nephew's wife when I go back to my parents' home for the New Year tomorrow."
After agreeing to stop talking about it, the two chatted with smiles about village gossip.
Zhang Xuemei carried her child home, where Granny Liu was warming herself by the fire.
"Can't stand being outside anymore?" She knew that the old women in the village always said things that others didn't like to hear, so she was too lazy to go out.
"They keep pressuring me to have a third child as soon as they see me. They're more like my mother-in-law than you are. It's so annoying. What does it have to do with them whether I have a third child or not? They're just being nosy."
Zhang Xuemei, holding her child, sat down next to her mother-in-law and spoke directly, without hiding anything.
Granny Liu glanced at her, wanting to say something but ultimately held back.
Zhang Xuemei had already noticed her mother-in-law's hesitant expression out of the corner of her eye, but she pretended not to see it.
"You two should take care of your own affairs. Your father and I can't manage everything. Just don't regret it later."
Zhang Xuemei smiled and then changed the subject.
"By the way, Mom, is it Minghan's turn to visit his uncle's family for the New Year this year?"
The mother-in-law's family home is located near Zhang Xuemei's village, about a half-hour walk away.
My mother-in-law is getting old, and her parents have passed away. She only has a younger brother, so now her sons take turns visiting her for the New Year. Judging by the time, it should be their turn by now.
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