Chapter 88 Grandma Ji and Mom Ji are here
Since the children learned that Molly was pregnant, they have taken over all the housework. Lu Lu cooks breakfast every day, Mo An goes to the vegetable garden to water the vegetables, and Mo Chuyang stays at home to water the sweet potatoes, potatoes, and fruit trees in the yard.
Molly's daily routine consisted of only one thing: taking twelve geese swimming in the river and catching a few fish along the way.
She didn't experience morning sickness; aside from feeling sleepy and tired, her appetite increased, but she had no other discomfort.
With limited meat at home, Molly mostly ate the fish she caught herself. Mo An was afraid she would get tired of it, so he cooked it for her in different ways every day, including pan-frying, deep-frying, stewing, and grilling.
By November, the weather had already turned quite cold.
Molly takes her twelve geese out for an hour every day, and stays home the rest of the time.
In early December, Mo An, along with Lu Lu and Mo Chuyang, harvested the corn from their small plot of land in the vegetable garden. The corn was growing so well that some people offered to buy some, but Mo An refused them all.
After harvesting the corn, the children would listen to the radio and pluck corn kernels every night. Once the kernels were dried, they would grind them into cornmeal. They would then steam buns and fry corn pancakes for Molly.
The weather was getting colder and the wind was blowing all day long. Molly herself didn't feel cold, but her three children thought she was cold and reminded her to wear more clothes when she went out every day.
The peanuts in the vegetable garden are still stubbornly thriving, and Molly secretly feeds them a few tendrils every day.
One Friday in late December, Molly said to Moan, "I have a feeling it's going to snow. Tell Uncle Wang to come and harvest the peanuts."
Mo An didn't doubt Molly's words and went straight to find Uncle Wang.
The next day, after breakfast, Mo An took his two nephews to the field to pick peanuts. Uncle Wang and his son Wang Hechuan arrived at ten o'clock. In the morning, there were still five people working, but by noon, a group of children had joined them in the field.
That evening, Uncle Wang's son, Wang Hechuan, took the peanuts away, leaving Molly only a sack as seeds.
The quality of this batch of peanuts is comparable to that of the one harvested in early August. Perhaps because there was no flooding, the total quantity has even increased this time.
"I never expected she actually succeeded in growing them." Her sister-in-law, who had initially predicted that Molly's peanuts would not grow successfully, sighed with regret.
"Who would believe that? In this freezing weather, the peanut vines are still lush and green."
"The peanuts are so plump, packed full, and every bite is bursting with oil."
"Speaking of oil, I can't help but miss the five catties of peanut oil I bought from her. It was so fragrant. After eating her oil, other oils just don't taste quite right."
"That's right, it's far from that. I plan to buy a few more pounds this time."
"You think you can just buy it like that? The quantity is fixed, everyone wants to buy more, so who should we sell to?"
“We’re not selling peanut oil this time,” Mo An interrupted the military wives.
"Not selling? Why?" The military wives felt like the sky had fallen.
“My sister-in-law is pregnant, and we’re going to trade oil for chicken for her to eat,” Mo An said.
"........"
The group of women looked at each other, unable to bring themselves to blame the young boy. He simply wanted his pregnant sister-in-law to eat chicken; it was an act of filial piety, and they couldn't very well say Mo An was wrong.
To everyone's surprise, Mo An continued, "If you have chickens at home, you can sell them to us. For every chicken you sell, you can buy five catties of peanut oil from us. Chickens are two yuan per catty, and peanut oil is eight yuan per catty. First come, first served, and once they're gone, they're gone."
The women exchanged glances, secretly delighted, but also couldn't help but mutter to themselves, "This child is really clever." Afraid of not being able to buy chickens, he devised a plan to have them delivered to his door.
What's even more infuriating is that they knew perfectly well what the boy was up to, yet they had no choice but to fall into his trap. It's because their peanut oil is so fragrant; you can't buy it anywhere else.
Molly was completely unaware of Mo An's actions. When Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang brought over the freshly pressed peanut oil, they also gave Molly eight hens and seventy-eight yuan.
"Where did you get so many chickens?" Molly asked in surprise.
"I bought it from the village," Aunt Wang said with a smile, explaining the rule that Mo An only sells oil when he buys chickens.
Molly rubbed her forehead, feeling a warm glow in her heart, "This kid."
"Mo An is very good. You didn't raise him for nothing." Aunt Wang was very satisfied. Nobody wants someone who will hold them back. The more successful Mo An is, the better it will be for the young mistress and young master.
"I don't think you've gained weight, but your belly looks like you're seven or eight months pregnant." Aunt Wang stared at Molly's belly with a worried expression.
Molly: "......."
Perhaps her desire for a child was too strong that night, inadvertently activating the tentacles. Molly didn't know how they operated or how they 'selected' the fetuses; by the time she realized something was wrong, it was too late.
"Perhaps it's multiple pregnancies," Molly warned Aunt Wang.
Aunt Wang was shocked. "The test results are in?"
"The doctor said yes." But the doctor didn't specify how many.
Aunt Wang was both surprised and delighted. "Then the clothes, shoes, and quilts I made before won't be enough. Fortunately, you don't need coupons to buy fabric now, so I'll buy some more fabric and make a few more sets."
"Thank you so much! I'll get the money for you in a bit." Aunt Wang was very skilled, and Molly was more than happy to have her make clothes for her child.
Aunt Wang repeatedly refused, saying, "I don't need your money. Consider it a gift I'm giving to the children."
"Yes, I'll take it. If you have time, please make me a few more sets, I'm worried I won't have enough to change into later." Molly gave Aunt Wang a hundred yuan.
"So many?" Aunt Wang was stunned.
“I don’t even know how many I’ll have, so it’s better to be prepared.” Molly displayed just the right amount of ignorance and helplessness.
Aunt Wang: "......That's true."
Thanks to Mo An's efforts, the military wives in the camp sold chickens and bought oil, giving Molly's family more than thirty chickens. Adding the eight brought by Aunt Wang, they had a total of forty-two, enough for Molly to eat for a long time.
Not long after the peanuts were harvested, the weather grew colder and colder, and on the third day of school holiday, it snowed.
Mo An took his two nephews and bought three stoves, five cartloads of coal, and three cartloads of charcoal. He picked all the melons and vegetables from the garden and carried them home. Fearing there wouldn't be enough greens, he rode his bicycle to the market and bought several hundred kilograms of cabbage and several hundred kilograms of radishes, filling his and Mo Chuyang's room to the brim.
Thick layers of dry grass were laid under the goose shed, as were the chicken and rabbit cages.
"I'll go buy some more mutton and pork tomorrow. Beef is relatively rare; it's lucky if I find any," Mo An said.
Looking at her younger brother, who was managing the household like an adult, Molly's eyes stung, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
When she cried, Mo An was terrified, and Lu Lu and Mo Chuyang were also frightened.
"Does your sister miss her brother-in-law?" Mo An asked.
"I didn't think about it. I just think the three of you are so sensible, and I'm happy about that," Molly said in a muffled voice.
Hearing this, Mo An breathed a sigh of relief. "Sister, don't cry, it will scare me. I haven't seen you cry in years."
Mo Chuyang, however, had experience: "Pregnant women are often sentimental and prone to tears."
Lu Lu looked terrified. "Pregnancy is so scary. Mom, after this one, we won't have any more."
Mo An: "I heard at school that they're implementing family planning now, and you can only have one child. I don't know if it's true."
The snow continued to fall for several days without stopping. Every morning, the first thing Moan and his children did upon waking up was to shovel snow, afraid that Molly would slip and fall. There could be no snow accumulation in the house, and the ground could not be wet. If a few drops of water were accidentally spilled, they had to be wiped dry with a cloth.
On the day before the Lunar New Year, two jeeps were parked in front of Molly's house.
"Is it my brother-in-law coming back?" Mo An excitedly ran out, but two unfamiliar women got out of the car. One looked to be in her sixties or seventies, and the other looked to be in her forties.
"Excuse me, is this Molly's house?" the older one asked.
Mo An nodded. "Yes. You've come to see my sister?"
"You must be Mo An?" The older woman walked towards Mo An with small steps, her face full of joy. "You're really good-looking, a handsome young man. I'm Grandma Ji, you must have heard of me, right? This is your Aunt Ji, your sister's mother-in-law."
Mo An had certainly heard of Grandma Ji and knew that her family had been sent down to a farm, but the two people in front of him were wearing thick mink coats, leather gloves, and exquisite leather boots, looking incredibly wealthy, and there were two cars behind them.
These days, what kind of family can afford to drive two cars?
"Is your sister at home? Please take us to see her." Grandma Ji asked anxiously.
Mo An silently ushered the person inside.
Molly was sleeping, and the stove in the room was burning, making her little face flushed with warmth. When Grandma Ji and Mama Ji came in, they saw the rosy cheeks and were instantly smitten.
Mrs. Ji turned to the people carrying things in and said, "Put them in the hall first, and be careful."
The two drivers made six or seven trips before they finished moving everything.
"You should go back first, and come back after the New Year," Mrs. Ji instructed them.
Mo Chuyang, who was in the corner, tugged at Mo An's sleeve. "Uncle, who are they? Are they going to stay at our house?"
“They are your father’s grandmother and mother.” Mo An looked at the mountain of things, many of which were beautifully packaged and he had never seen them before.
So my brother-in-law's family is that rich?
Mo An thought it would be good if they stayed; he wouldn't feel at ease without an adult at home. Despite his calm demeanor these past few days, he was actually incredibly anxious inside.
He had never cared for a pregnant woman before, let alone a newborn baby. Only he knew how panicked he was.
Grandma Ji and Mama Ji came out of Molly's room and took a quick look around the house. When they saw so many hens, they were stunned.
"It seems Molly has enough to eat." Grandma Ji felt a little relieved.
"There's meat to eat, but no fresh fruit here. It's all our fault for arriving too late," said Mrs. Ji guiltily. "I'll call Dad and the others in a bit and ask them to send some fresh fruit over."
"We should give them a call; they don't know Molly is pregnant yet," Grandma Ji said with a smile. They only found out about Molly's pregnancy after coming to town and visiting Xiao Wang's house.
"This child has suffered so much." Ji's mother felt sorry for her. "I wonder how badly she vomited in the early stages of her pregnancy. Without any elders around, she must have been so worried."
"Who says otherwise?" Grandma Ji felt even more guilty. This child appeared when their family was going through the most difficult time, but when she needed them, they were nowhere to be found.
Mo An looked at the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law silently, neither saying that her sister didn't have morning sickness nor that her sister was eating and sleeping well.
He went to the kitchen to cook steamed eggs for his sister, who woke up a little while later and wanted to eat them.
Dinner would be cooked later, so Mo An took out the lamb to thaw, planning to have lamb hot pot tonight. Remembering there were two more people in the house, Mo An also took out a few extra lamb ribs.
Molly was sleeping soundly and didn't want to get up.
"Mom, it's three o'clock, time to get up," Mo Chuyang called softly from the doorway.
Grandma Ji and Mama Ji were taken aback and turned to look at Mo Chuyang. Where did this child come from? He looked about eight or nine years old. Could Molly have given birth to such a big child?
Mo Chuyang gave them a shy smile. "I am my mother's adopted child. My name is Mo Chuyang."
Lu Lu also said, "And me, I am also a mother's child, my name is Lu Lu."
"Chuyang, Xiaolu, who are you talking to?" Molly's languid voice came from the room.
"Molly, it's Grandma." Grandma Ji hurriedly walked into the room with small, quick steps.
Looking at the two children, Mrs. Ji rummaged in her pocket, pulled out a handful of money, counted out ten ten-yuan bills, divided them in half, and handed them to the two children. "Nice to meet you. This is your New Year's money from Grandma."
Lu Lu and Mo Chuyang exchanged a glance and neither took the items. "Mom said we can't take other people's things without permission."
Mrs. Ji: "......"
After a year apart, Molly almost didn't recognize Grandma Ji. The wealthy old lady in front of her was completely different from the destitute Grandma Ji in the cowshed.
It seems the Ji family has been exonerated.
"Are you still half asleep? Don't you recognize Grandma?" Grandma Ji looked at Molly with affection.
"Grandma," Molly called out, then called to Mrs. Ji who came in, "Mom."
Sigh~
The two women sat on Molly's bed, their eyes welling up with tears.
"Hurry up and get dressed, or you'll catch a cold." Mrs. Ji went to get Molly some clothes. "These few pieces by the bedside?"
Molly nodded.
Mrs. Ji touched the clothes and pants. "They're warm because of the stove."
With the help of Ji's mother and grandmother, Molly got dressed, and even Ji's mother helped her put on her shoes.
"Your Aunt Wang said you're carrying twins and your belly is very big, but now that I see it, it's even bigger than expected. Your due date is in May, so how did it get this big? What are we going to do for the next few months?" Mrs. Ji frowned, her eyes filled with worry.
Grandma Ji wondered if Molly had eaten too much, but when she looked at Molly, she saw that her face was small, her hands and feet were still slender, and the only big thing was her belly.
"Could it be a third pregnancy?" Grandma Ji, who was very knowledgeable, felt that this did not look like a twin pregnancy, but rather like a triplets pregnancy.
Molly: "......."
Grandma Ji is truly daring.
Mo An made three bowls of steamed egg custard, giving one to her sister and the remaining two to Grandma Ji and her mother.
Mother Ji took out money again, this time she counted out eighteen ten-yuan bills, giving six to each child, "It's our first meeting, here's some money to ward off evil spirits, wishing you peace and safety year after year."
Mo An and the other two looked at Molly, who nodded. "It's from our elders, so please accept it."
As she spoke, Molly pointed to Mo An, "This is my younger brother, Mo An."
He then pointed to Lu Lu and Mo Chuyang, "They are both the children of my comrade-in-arms He Feng. Now they are my children. They are both nine years old this year. One is named Lu Lu and the other is named Mo Chuyang."
“They are all good children,” said Mrs. Ji. “Your children are also children of the Ji family, and they will be my grandchildren in the future.”
Grandma Ji greeted the two with a smile, "I am your great-grandmother. I brought you some delicious food. I'll go get it for you now."
"Grandma, please eat your steamed egg custard first, otherwise it will get cold," Molly reminded her.
"Xiao An's steamed egg custard is excellent. It's very smooth, fragrant, and has no fishy smell at all," praised Mrs. Ji.
"He and Xiaolu both learned cooking from Uncle Wang. Ever since they found out I was pregnant, they haven't let me cook. Now it's all him and Xiaolu who do the cooking. Xiaolu is amazing too; don't let his young age fool you, his cooking skills are already better than mine. And then there's Chuyang, that girl is well-behaved and capable, she keeps the house very tidy." Molly said with a proud look.
The three children blushed from the praise.
"That's amazing!" Mrs. Ji exclaimed in surprise, sincerely thanking the three of them. "Thank you for taking such good care of Molly."
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