Chapter 17
Zhen Zhen was stunned. How could this happen on the road?
Although she has three sons, they were all born to the original owner. At heart, she is still a 90s girl. She used to watch other people giving birth on TV and was frightened by the actors’ ferocious expressions. She has always been afraid of giving birth. How could she have seen such a scene?
Isn't childbirth difficult and painful? Why is Jiao Huilan so relaxed?
Oh my God! Someone come to help her! Zhen Zhen was a little panicked.
Jiao Huilan was also frightened, "Ah! Mom, the baby is out!"
"It's okay! Don't panic!" If she didn't panic, there would be something fishy going on! What should she do? This child was really impatient, and Jiao Huilan was in good health. Before Zhen Zhen had finished tying the knot, the baby was almost born.
I've heard people say that giving birth is difficult. Some women have stomach pain for a whole day and night and still can't give birth and have to have a caesarean section. But some people surprisingly give birth to their babies easily on the way.
Zhen Zhen was in a panic, not knowing how to deal with the sticky child, so she had to wrap the child in the prepared blanket, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and urged Meng Daguo and Meng Eryong to pull the cart faster.
On New Year's Eve, the doctors went home to celebrate the New Year. The doctor on night duty saw them pulling a cart and came over to ask, "What's going on?"
“My daughter-in-law is giving birth!”
"Push into the production room!"
"Wait!" Zhen Zhen grabbed the doctor, causing the doctor to glare at her. Zhen Zhen could see clearly that the look in his eyes was simply saying, "What time has it become? And you, as a mother-in-law, are still holding us back?"
Zhen Zhen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She pointed at the dirty child under the quilt and said, "Doctor, my daughter-in-law gave birth on the way. Please take care of the umbilical cord for the child."
Doctor:"……"
Twenty minutes later, the doctor cleaned up the battlefield and carried the child out.
"It was born eight months ago. The baby is a little small, only 15.80 kg, but don't worry, the baby is healthy."
Zhen Zhen finally breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, doctor, I'm glad I'm healthy."
The doctor was also happy. The child was born big and the birth process was so dramatic that even though he was well-informed, he would probably remember it for the rest of his life.
"Last time, a woman in our hospital gave birth on the road. The family's surname happened to be Ma, so the couple named the child Malu. I wonder what name your family plans to give the child?"
Meng Daguo shook his head. He had never been to school and didn’t know how to name a child, otherwise Daya wouldn’t be called Daya.
Zhen Zhen thought that with Daya's experience as a precedent, it would be better not to give this name to her father. After thinking for a while, she said, "The county is in the west, and we gave birth on the way to the county. The child's head is facing west, so why not call him Mengxi!"
The doctor and the nurse all laughed and said, "I think it's good, simple and convenient." It's much better than Shufen and Aifang!
Meng Daguo smiled innocently: "Mom, Meng Xi is good, but it's a pity that the name I thought of was not used."
"What do you want to call me?"
"Of course it's Arya! Daya, Arya! How easy it is to say!"
Zhen Zhen smiled: "Daguo has a good idea, don't think about it anymore in the future."
Meng Daguo smiled innocently. Meng Eryong had not expected his sister-in-law to be so smooth. He came over to see his niece. She was so pretty! Although her face was dirty and her hair was sticky, her skin was white. Under the light, she was a beauty.
"Mom, Erya looks like you." Meng Eryong said.
Zhen Zhen also felt that there was some resemblance. When the original owner was young, she was also a notorious evil beauty in the area, otherwise she would not have been able to marry a big country father who was a soldier. Her figure was impeccable, otherwise Zhang Cuihua would always say that she had two taels of extra flesh on her chest!
Erya's features are somewhat similar to hers, and she is indeed very beautiful.
Blood relationship is truly amazing. As soon as the girl was born, Zhen Zhen felt very close to her. He held her tightly in his arms and refused to let go. He felt that his granddaughter was someone he liked no matter how she looked at her.
Jiao Huilan was pushed into the ward. When she heard that she had given birth to another daughter, she felt inexplicably lost.
She thought she could turn the tables, but she turned out to be a girl! Although there was nothing wrong with a girl, she was worried that her mother-in-law would be disappointed when she saw her, that she didn't like her, and that she would take back the kindness she had shown her.
How wonderful it would be if it was a boy! A girl and a boy would make a good combination, which would not only help her gain a firm foothold in her husband's family, but also satisfy everyone.
"Mom!" Jiao Huilan saw her mother-in-law coming in with the child, so she sat up and looked at her mother-in-law humbly.
Zhen Zhen smiled and patted her hands. "Erya is very pretty, with fair skin. She has the best features of you and Daguo. She will definitely be as pretty as Daya in the future."
Jiao Huilan secretly looked at her mother-in-law. The smile on her face did not seem fake. It seemed that she really did not care that she was having a girl! Jiao Huilan breathed a sigh of relief, but then she felt that she was too optimistic. Who in the countryside does not like boys? Without boys, she would not be able to beat others in a fight and would be bullied in the village.
Besides, Tao Aihong came into the family with a big belly, and she gave birth to a daughter. If Tao Aihong had given birth to a son as her first child, people in the village would inevitably talk about it, and her mother-in-law would also compare them.
She didn't want her mother-in-law to be disappointed in her.
"Mom, it would have been great if I could have given you a grandson, but who knew it would be a granddaughter instead."
Zhen Zhen thought to herself, how could this child be born to her? The child doesn't even have her last name.
She knew that Jiao Huilan's heart knot had not been completely untied, but some things are more useful than words.
She looked at her daughter-in-law and said seriously:
"I've said it before, it doesn't matter whether the baby is a boy or a girl. As long as the baby is healthy, we as elders are blessed! You just had a baby and your body is still weak. It's most important to take good care of your body! I'll go home tomorrow and make some soup for you to drink. I'll make sure you take good care of yourself and take good care of your body!"
Jiao Huilan's eyes gradually moistened after hearing what her mother-in-law said. Her mother really didn't treat her badly just because she gave birth to another daughter. Her mother really changed! The evil mother-in-law who used to beat and scold her at every turn would never come back!
The weak Jiao Huilan gradually fell into a deep sleep.
Meng Daguo was in high spirits when he saw that his mother liked Erya. Erya was pretty and pleasing, and she always liked to look him in the eye when she stayed up at night.
"Mom, Erya has been staring at me!"
"The child's eyesight is not well developed, how can he see people? Don't let the child be suffocated by not taking a bath for too long!" Zhen Zhen laughed.
Meng Daguo smiled innocently and smelled himself, which was full of the smell of sweat. If he had known that he would meet the second daughter today, he would have dressed up nicely!
Meng Eryong was not suitable to stay because his eldest sister-in-law had given birth, so he prepared to leave.
Zhen Zhen originally wanted to stay and take care of Jiao Huilan by herself, but then she changed her mind and thought that Meng Daguo, this scumbag, had no sense of responsibility towards his wife and children. She couldn't let him just sit there and do nothing in this situation.
To educate a man is not to teach him to say nice words, but to teach him to be present at all important occasions in his wife and children’s lives.
When it comes to a major event like having a child, if you don't consider men and don't let them get tired, and if they don't take care of the child, they will never have a sense of responsibility and will not be able to understand the hard work of the mother.
In Zhen Zhen's opinion, there was nothing wrong with Meng Daguo. After all, the general environment of the time was like this. It would be somewhat unrealistic to hold him to the standards of later generations.
He is good at work, but when he gets home he just sits there and does nothing. To reform him, we must first make him feel involved.
So, after daybreak, Zhen Zhen went back to prepare meals for the woman in labor, and left Meng Daguo to take care of Jiao Huilan.
It took her an hour or two to get home, and she was very tired.
"Grandma! What happened to my mother?" Daya ran over and hugged Zhen Zhen's thighs.
"Very good, your mother gave you a sister."
Daya blinked and stared at grandma for a long time. Her mother asked her every day whether she was carrying a boy or a girl. She could see that her mother wanted a boy very much. Her mother said that grandma would be happy if a boy was born. However, when her mother gave birth to a girl, grandma smiled.
"Grandma, do you like girls or boys?"
"Of course I like girls, preferably one like our eldest daughter!" Zhen Zhen patted his granddaughter's head. The eldest daughter had a layer of soft hair on her head, which felt soft and comfortable to the touch.
Daya bared her teeth, "Grandma, what do you look like me? Are you as cute as me, or as capable as me?"
"It's because I can eat as much as you do! I can sleep as much as you do!" Zhen Zhen laughed.
"Grandma, you're making fun of me!"
Daya hugged Zhen Zhen's thigh angrily, making it clear that she wanted to teach her a lesson.
Zhen Zhen smiled and took her granddaughter aside, then took out the prepared eggs and old hen.
In order to help Jiao Huilan with her confinement, she prepared ten old hens. Together with the hens in the space, they were enough to keep Jiao Huilan plump and white.
But here’s the problem: she doesn’t really know how to make chicken soup!
Living alone in modern times, she has had trouble with this a few times, but at that time she just followed the tutorials on her phone, and by the next time she had forgotten all the steps. After she came here, Jiao Huilan wouldn't let her do any work, so she had long thrown away her only remaining cooking skills!
Old hens are very valuable nowadays, we can’t waste them!
Forget it, let’s light a fire first!
Zhen Zhen took the chopped firewood and threw it into the bottom of the pot. Because it didn't burn, thick smoke filled the kitchen. Zhen Zhen was choked by the smoke and ran out to hold the wall and cough.
She was so choked that tears streamed down her face. She wiped her tears for a long time before they stopped. She lowered her head and went home, wiping the corners of her eyes with her sleeves from time to time. Her expression was very intriguing to others.
"What happened to Zhen Guizhi? Was she bullied by her daughter-in-law?"
"I heard Jiao Huilan gave birth to another daughter. I guess she must be upset! Everyone knows that Zhen Guizhi favors boys over girls!"
"She deserves this day!"
Zhang Cuihua frowned and walked closer. Although she usually liked to gossip with the villagers and couldn't stand Zhen Guizhi's arrogant and unreasonable look, she had fought for more than 20 years and was already a grandmother. Seeing the usually tough Zhen Guizhi crying silently, she inexplicably felt uneasy in her heart.
Such a shameless person, usually she is the one who scolds others, but now she is being bullied by others?
These people obviously don’t understand Zhen Guizhi. Only she knows the real reason why Zhen Guizhi is crying!
"Hey! Zhen Guizhi! What are you doing here?"
Zhang Cuihua avoided the core members of the village's intelligence center and quietly walked behind Zhen Zhen.
Zhen Zhen didn't expect Zhang Cuihua to take the initiative to talk to him, but when he thought about it carefully, he realized that the two of them didn't have any deep hatred.
Zhen Zhen wiped his tears with his sleeves, sighed, and calmed down:
"I'm fine, I just wanted to make some chicken soup, but I got burned by the smoke while I was lighting the fire!"
Zhang Cuihua's expression was somewhat meaningful. Zhen Guizhi was really stubborn! How could a country girl be smoked by a fire?
Isn't that the same as a duck falling into a river and being drowned? Who would believe that?
Zhang Cuihua sighed:
"Alright! We have fought for a lifetime, how can I not understand what Zhen Guizhi is thinking?"
Zhen Zhen:??? What did she understand?
"You, you just feel unhappy because Jiao Huilan gave birth to a girl! You used to be so successful and you were the only one who could scold others. Now your second daughter-in-law comes home and scolds you, and you feel unhappy! These two things together are like a flash flood, and they are the last straw that breaks your heart! You are sad! You can't get over it! You are burning with anger, but you are thinking about your father, Daguo. You think about the loving couple who were once separated by life and death, and that's why your eyes are sore!"
Zhen Zhen blinked and thought with tears in her eyes. Is that so? Is she like this? How come she doesn't know it herself?
Zhen Zhen began to doubt her life.
But Zhang Cuihua had a different interpretation of her look.
Look, look! He lowered his head, looking lonely, and it was obvious that what she said hit the nail on the head!
It’s Zhang Cuihua’s fault that she is so cruel!
Zhang Cuihua couldn't stand it anymore, so she took the fire tongs from her and kept muttering:
"Alright! Although I don't like you, I won't take advantage of you! I know you're sad, but why are you so upset? I'll make you the chicken soup you want. It's for women who have just given birth, right? The old hen you bought is pretty fat. Where did you get the red dates and wolfberries? Alright, go lie down in the house! I'll call you when you're ready!"
Zhen Zhen: ???
Zhen Zhen looked up at the sky in silence for a long time before he sighed and said sadly, "Cuihua! It's so good to have you!"
Zhang Cuihua shuddered, her hair standing on end, "Zhen Guizhi, please stop hating me. Can you be more normal?"
Zhen Zhen was enjoying some free time. Just as he walked out of the kitchen, Tao Aihong came over with a rosy face.
"Mom, I heard that my sister-in-law gave birth to a girl?"
Zhen Zhen glanced at her and saw her tricks clearly.
"Yes, your sister-in-law gave birth to a girl. The child is very pretty and I like her very much. I am preparing to stew some old hen soup for your sister-in-law to nourish her body."
Tao Aihong stared at her mother-in-law in disbelief. She wanted to see a good show. Jiao Huilan only ate one egg every day, had good food and drink, and her quilt was thicker than hers. After all the trouble, she gave birth to a girl?
This is already the second child, who’s mother-in-law wouldn’t be angry!
I thought my mother-in-law was just being stubborn when she said she liked girls, but I didn't expect her to be so smiling and even stewed such a big hen for Jiao Huilan!
How much does this cost?
These days, every family is in confinement after childbirth and can’t even afford meals. Drinking some brown sugar water is a luxury enough. How can they dare to dream about an old hen?
"Mom, how much did you buy this old hen for? It's very expensive, right?" Tao Ai's eyes were wide open.
Whose mother-in-law stews an old hen for her daughter-in-law who has just given birth to a girl? Isn't this a foolish mother-in-law?
"It's not a big sum of your money! You don't need to worry about it!" Zhen Zhen said angrily.
Tao Aihong pouted, not daring to contradict her mother-in-law. She glanced at the old hen in the pot and hid in the room.
Zhang Cuihua shook her head as she was burning with fire. "Your second daughter-in-law is not simple! She is cunning and calculating, and she plans to use her belly to suppress the eldest daughter-in-law! Fortunately, Jiao Huilan is an honest woman. If she had met a tough sister-in-law, your family would have fought long ago!"
Zhen Zhen thought to herself, that's right! The second daughter-in-law is not an easy person to deal with, but fortunately she is also a wicked mother-in-law, so at most she can be suppressed by her status! Who is afraid of who?
The smell of chicken soup from the kitchen permeated the house.
Tao Aihong sniffed. This old hen stew smelled really good! This wasn't just chicken soup, it was Tao Aihong's favorite!
She had lived a good life for a few days at the Meng family and was used to eating meat, so she was hungry a long time ago.
When Meng Eryong came back, she said quickly, "Did you know? Mom actually made chicken soup and wanted to give it all to my sister-in-law!"
Meng Eryong frowned as he took off his shoes. "What's wrong with chicken soup? You had it when you gave birth, too!"
"But my sister-in-law gave birth to a daughter!"
"What's wrong with my daughter? Is she no longer a descendant of the Meng family?" Meng Eryong also liked his son, but when he saw that his niece was cute, he thought his daughter was also good.
Tao Aihong felt that she was unreasonable, but Meng Eryong had been drugged by his mother-in-law and would not listen to any advice.
"Eryong, go ask mom to give me some chicken soup. I'm really greedy! Actually, it's not me who wants to eat it, but the baby in my belly who wants to eat it! My son is a big eater!"
Meng Eryong was annoyed by her. He had sent his sister-in-law to the county town last night and was very tired after working all night. Tao Aihong didn't even cook and just kept making trouble for him! However, he liked sons after all. When he thought that Tao Aihong was pregnant with a boy, he lost all his temper.
The daughter born to Jiao Huilan was not as precious as the baby in her daughter-in-law's belly.
Meng Eryong went into the kitchen and said with a smile, "Mom, the chicken soup that Aunt Cuihua made is so delicious!"
Isn’t it? The fat in the chicken has been stewed out, the red dates are rolling in the soup, and a few mushrooms and red dates are dotted in it. The red, yellow and white complement each other, which is really delicious!
Zhen Zhen glanced at him, not wanting to laugh, "It smells pretty good, so what?"
"Oh! Mom! You are so smart, you know what I am doing here! But what can I do? Ai Hong Tan! The baby in her belly wants to eat! Just give her a small half, so that she can satisfy her hunger!"
Zhen Zhen frowned. Chickens were hard to find, and she had managed to collect such a small number of chickens. She also secretly bought a few from the villagers and shared the chicken soup with Tao Aihong. It would not be enough for Jiao Huilan during her confinement. If a pregnant woman does not eat well, her milk will not be good, and if her milk is not good, the baby will not grow fat.
It's so cold, it's hard to raise a child, let alone a premature one!
Of course, we have to keep up with the mother!
Besides, after Tao Aihong came into the family, the family had been eating white flour and rice every day, and meat was always available. It was really inappropriate for them to have chicken soup when they were eating so well.
However, she was pregnant after all, so Zhen Zhen thought for a moment and said:
"Just this once. This chicken soup will be your sister-in-law's food for two or three days. Don't let it happen again."
"There won't be a next time!" Meng Eryong smiled, "Mom, just this once, just give me a little less."
Zhen Zhen gave Tao Aihong a chicken leg and a chicken wing. She stewed noodles in chicken soup and also gave her some noodles.
Tao Aihong's mouth watered as she smelled the delicious chicken soup, but when she opened the can, her expression changed. "Why is this so little? How can I feel full?"
Meng Eryong was very angry, "Are you a pig? Why can't you eat enough? Do you want me to give you the whole chicken? Is it you who is in confinement after childbirth or my sister-in-law?"
Although Meng Eryong didn't take Jiao Huilan seriously, he wouldn't snatch food from a woman who was in confinement after giving birth!
Tao Aihong pouted, "Your mother is partial to your eldest sister-in-law! Is it necessary to eat chicken soup for a girl? If I finish the chicken soup, what will I eat during the confinement period? What will our son eat?"
Meng Eryong felt that what she said made some sense, but he was impatient to talk about such trivial matters. Besides, he firmly believed that his mother loved him the most!
"That's enough, even food can't stop you from eating!"
Jiao Huilan drank some brown sugar. It was almost lunch time. The sun was shining outside and the house was warm. She felt happy looking at her children.
The woman in the next bed came in yesterday. She gave birth to a son and was very proud of her husband's family. Now, her mother-in-law brought her some fried dough sticks with brown sugar. Rural people have nothing to eat, so it's good to have brown sugar to drink! The woman didn't get this treatment when she gave birth to daughters twice before!
Or only after giving birth to a son!
The woman in labor was lying on the bed drinking brown sugar water. She glanced at Jiao Huilan opposite her and winked at her mother-in-law.
The mother-in-law murmured quietly: "You gave birth to a girl, and she doesn't like it. She won't come to deliver meals! I've seen this kind of thing many times!"
"How pitiful!" the woman in labor said, and then she was glad that she finally gave birth to a son. Otherwise, she would be like Jiao Huilan, sitting alone in the ward with no one to visit her or bring her food.
"Sister, no one comes to your house?" the woman in labor gossiped.
Jiao Huilan smiled good-naturedly, "My mother-in-law will be here to deliver the meal soon."
"You haven't come since noon, which shows that you are not taken seriously! I heard that you gave birth to two daughters. I don't think your mother-in-law will be unhappy, right?"
Jiao Huilan patiently explained: "My mother-in-law is not that kind of person. She really likes my daughter! My mother-in-law walks slowly. I guess she is hurrying! Just wait a little longer!"
"No matter what, you can't not send food. There's no brown sugar, no chicken soup, but you have to send coarse grain cakes, right? I'm an experienced person, and I know that mothers-in-law these days are very realistic. If you don't give birth to a son, they won't value you, and they'll give you a cold shoulder at any time! You have to be mentally prepared!"
Jiao Huilan was very upset by what she said, but she believed that her mother-in-law was not that kind of person.
At that moment, the neighbor came in with a baby in his wheel. The woman in labor whispered:
"Sister, don't blame me for being nosy. This family has three sons, and this one is a boy! They have always wanted a daughter. It's fate that the three of us live together. This family just talked to me, saying that you are pregnant with a daughter, and two daughters are too much of a hassle, so why don't you two switch! This way you have a son, and they have a daughter! Both sides will be satisfied!"
Jiao Huilan didn't expect her to say such a thing and was frightened for a moment.
Replace the child? This is the child she carried for ten months, how could she bear to give it up!
But some seeds, once planted, will take root and sprout.
Really? Would my mother-in-law like it if it was a boy?
There were also women in her mother's village who were unable to give birth to sons, so they went out to adopt boys. When the boys grew up, several sisters worked together to build a house for the boys and raise the children.
If she switched with this family, would her mother-in-law be happier?
As they were talking, the door rang and Zhen Zhen came in holding Daya in his left hand and carrying a green tin thermos in his right hand.
As soon as she entered the room, the noses of the women in labor started to move. Wow! Whose family had cooked chicken soup? It smelled so good!
Zhen Zhen opened the thermos and scooped up the chicken leg with a spoon.
"Are you hungry? Daya saw me when I was leaving the house and insisted on coming with me. So, I was delayed for a while!"
Daya rushed forward and hugged Jiao Huilan, tears streaming down her face, "Mom, you've suffered a lot, Daya is very worried about you!"
Jiao Huilan was touched by the lady's thoughtfulness. Is the daughter not good? The daughter is so thoughtful, why does everyone like the son?
"Mom is fine. I gave birth to a sister for you."
Jiao Huilan held her daughter in her arms and looked at her sister. Daya looked at her wrinkled sister and said with a bit of disgust, "Mom, my sister is so ugly! She can't do anything but sleep."
Jiao Huilan was amused by her daughter's childish talk. "Sister is still young. When you were little, you only knew how to eat and sleep. When you grow up, I can play with you."
Daya lay on the edge of the bed, hoping that her sister would grow up quickly.
Jiao Huilan was attracted by the aroma and looked towards the greasy chicken soup, her stomach growling.
"Mom, why did you make chicken soup? It's such a waste!"
"What a waste! Giving birth is like walking through the gates of hell for a woman. If you don't take good care of your body, you'll suffer a great loss! I've been through this before, so I'm just going to make some chicken soup for you to nourish yourself! If you eat well and take good care of your body, and you have milk to feed the baby, I'll be relieved if you and your daughter are both fine!"
"Mom..." Jiao Huilan didn't expect her mother-in-law to take such good care of her during her confinement. Other women in the village who had given birth to sons had never eaten a chicken during their confinement. Chicken is a very expensive thing, but her mother-in-law actually stewed it for her!
"I'll give some to the second son's wife. After you finish eating, I'll stew it for you!"
Still stewing? What a wasteful mother-in-law! Jiao Huilan pouted, but she couldn't help feeling sweet in her heart. Her mother was really good to her!
Zhen Zhen put noodles in the chicken soup. Jiao Huilan ate the chicken and drank the hot chicken soup, and her body warmed up.
"Mom, would you like to eat something with me?"
"I'm not hungry, you can let Daya eat something too." Zhen Zhen smiled and handed the bowl to her granddaughter, "Your mother is in confinement after childbirth, you can enjoy it too!"
Daya grinned, "Grandma, you are wrong, it is Erya who is enjoying life. Erya eats and sleeps, sleeps and eats, she really knows how to enjoy life!"
Zhen Zhen was amused and laughed, and she took out the boiled eggs and brown sugar.
"Heat up the leftover chicken noodle soup at night. If it's not enough, I brought 20 eggs. Soak them in brown sugar water and have them as a midnight snack! In short, eat when you're hungry during confinement. Don't treat yourself badly!"
Jiao Huilan was loved by her mother-in-law and nodded happily, "Mom, I remember it."
"Where is Daguo? Why don't you see him?"
"He went to wash the diapers. Arya had some small bumps on her body, so he went to get some medicine to wipe it off."
As they were talking, Meng Daguo came in with a basin. When he saw Zhen Zhen, his eyes lit up, "Mom, this diaper is so hard to wash. I almost vomited while washing it."
Seeing her adopted son being tortured, Zhen Zhen was quite happy. She said cheerfully, "It's okay. You'll get used to it after washing for a while."
Meng Daguo let out a wail, which moved Jiao Huilan. When she gave birth to Daya, she was afraid of disturbing Meng Daguo, so she didn't dare to call him at night and did everything by herself. As a result, although Meng Daguo loved Daya, he was not that close to her after all.
Now that her second child was born, her mother-in-law left Meng Daguo behind, and he was busy taking care of her and Erya, which was really cool.
Jiao Huilan felt emotional, the mother-in-law still knows how to discipline her son!
The woman in labor on the opposite bed was so jealous that her eyes turned red. She ate her chicken soup and said to her mother-in-law in a sour tone:
"Other people eat chicken soup after giving birth to daughters, but I don't even have eggs."
Her mother-in-law glared at her and said, "It's good to have something to eat! There won't even be any Sanzi with brown sugar tomorrow!"
The woman in labor smelled the fragrant chicken soup and felt uneasy.
The neighbor saw that they had good food, so they wanted to send their sons to live there. If their sons married into this family, they would have enough food every day. Unlike their family, they couldn't even support four sons.
As for the daughter of the other family, she doesn't need much care to be raised. Just give her food to eat, and when she grows up, you can get some dowry and marry her off.
When Zhen Zhen went out to buy medicine, the woman in labor in the opposite bed came over and urged:
"Sister, what do you think about what I said? That family asked me to tell you that they want to swap the child. I think there is no mother-in-law who doesn't like her grandson these days. Why don't you talk to your mother-in-law?"
Jiao Huilan's heart was beating fast. She secretly glanced at the family. The man was not as good-looking as Daguo, and the woman was average too. However, the child they gave birth to was quite handsome. She thought that the boy would not be too ugly when he grew up.
In order to have a grandson, her mother-in-law once urged her to take Song Tieniu's secret medicine. Could it be that her mother-in-law also wanted her to take the initiative to bring up this matter?
Jiao Huilan was reluctant to give up her child, but she could not resist the instigation of the woman in labor. In the evening, she actually told Zhen Zhen about this.
The other two families have gone out for examination, and they are the only one here now.
After Jiao Huilan finished speaking, the delivery room fell silent. She felt very nervous, not knowing what her mother-in-law meant by not saying anything.
"Mom, if you like your grandson, you can change him."
Zhen Zhen took a deep breath, picked up a wooden stick beside him and hit her hard without any hesitation.
"Mom!" Jiao Huilan was stunned.
Zhen Zhen was furious. She had always tolerated Jiao Huilan's humbleness and her preference for boys over girls in the past. She felt that Jiao Huilan's transformation was inseparable from her upbringing.
After all, it is difficult for uneducated women to know what is right or wrong in such a social context, and they have no say.
Jiao Huilan can at least protect her children.
"Huilan, you disappoint me!"
"mother……"
"It's thanks to you that you came up with the idea of exchanging the baby! You carried Erya in your womb for ten months and gave birth to her. As a mother, you don't treat her as a treasure, so how can others look up to her? Besides, no matter how good other people's children are, they are still other people's children and have nothing to do with me! I am a layman and I can't like all children who are not related to me by blood. I only like my own children. If you exchange the child, yes, the Meng family will have an heir in the future! But you let me work hard all my life and leave all my property to an outsider. I really can't do it!"
"Mom, I thought..."
"In the final analysis, you just don't believe that my mother likes girls!"
Jiao Huilan was hit on the arm with a stick. Although it was a little painful, she inexplicably felt that she was one step closer to her mother-in-law.
"Mom, I was wrong! I shouldn't have hurt your heart! I shouldn't have distrusted you! I just felt guilty for not giving you a grandson, and thought that if I could give you a boy instead, you might be happy!"
Zhen Zhen didn't know what these people were thinking.
Why do some people think that adopted sons are better than their own daughters? They even give all their property to their sons, just because sons can carry on their family line.
What exactly is passed down from generation to generation?
She didn't understand and could only sigh:
"Why should I be happy? How can I be happy raising a child for someone else? I am a person who only cares about appearance. If other people's children are not as good-looking as ours, the more I look at them, the angrier I get. It's hard to believe that they will be good!"
"Mom, I've seen him. His child is pretty good-looking."
"Huilan, like children, like children. Many things are engraved in genes! Even if a child is good-looking when young, he will most likely look like his parents when he grows up. If both parents are not good-looking, the chances of their children being good-looking are very small! What if the family has any bad habits, and the child grows up to be a thief, the risk is too great! Anyway, if you want me to live a few more years, don't mention this again!"
Jiao Huilan had to admit her mistake. She didn't really want to change the child, she just wanted to please her mother-in-law.
This time she was really relieved.
Zhen Zhen was afraid that she would be led astray, so she immediately arranged to have her discharged from the hospital.
Jiao Huilan had a normal delivery and could go home right after giving birth. Hospital conditions are poor these days, there is no heating, and people are coming in and out of the ward, which is not conducive to confinement. It is better for her to go home and rest.
When they were discharged from the hospital, they ran into the woman in labor in the bed opposite them.
The woman in labor called out, "Hey, sister, about changing the baby..."
Zhen Zhen said with a dark face: "What child are you exchanging? What does it have to do with you whether we have a son or a daughter? Why are you so concerned about it?"
The woman in labor had never thought that a country woman like her would dare to provoke her. She was stunned, but she was actually very confident:
"I'm not being kind! I just want to help you because I feel sorry for you because you don't have a son! Look, is there anything wrong with being kind?"
The family who wanted to switch the child was watching from the side but didn't dare to come forward.
Zhen Zhen made a sound and almost spit in her face.
"Whether we have a son or not is none of your business! Look at how capable you are, you black-hearted person! If you are so considerate of others, why don't you give your own child to someone else? If you meet a blind man without eyes, you can dig out your eyeballs and give them to someone else. If you meet a person without legs, you can break your legs and send them to him. If there is no Buddha statue in the temple, you can sit on it to replace it! Living Buddhas like you are good in every way, but you don't look like a human being!"
The woman in labor had not expected to be scolded so harshly that she was shaking with anger.
“You, you, you…”
"What do you mean by 'I'? If you don't want to die, get out of my way! I'm in a hurry to go home, and I don't have time to listen to you! When you go back, remember to ask who has no sons and send your son over, so that you can pity them!"
Zhen Zhen said this rudely, pushed her away, took the eldest girl and walked away without looking back.
Jiao Huilan was completely sobered up by her mother-in-law's scolding. She was extremely grateful that her mother-in-law had such a personality and was always at the forefront of everything, protecting her from the wind and rain and preventing her from making mistakes in major matters.
Meng Daguo knew that Zhen Zhen was unhappy, and wanted to perform well in front of his mother, so he nailed up the windows when he got home, saying that he was afraid that Jiao Huilan would be caught in the wind.
"Daguo is good. He knows how to love his wife. But don't seal the windows. The room needs more ventilation."
Meng Daguo was praised by his mother and wiped his sweat happily.
Jiao Huilan slept in a soft quilt, wearing a woolen hat on her head and holding a teacup in her hand. Her mother had lit a charcoal stove in her room, with hot soup on it, so she could just open the pot and eat when she was hungry.
Today she eats eggs soaked in brown sugar water and noodle soup, tomorrow she will eat millet porridge and eggs and drink crucian carp soup, and the day after tomorrow her mother will prepare longan and red date soup for her.
Her daily snacks were peach cakes and small fruits. Occasionally, her mother would boil an apple for her so that she could supplement her vitamins.
After a few days, Jiao Huilan became plump and fair. It was also at that time that Zhen Zhen discovered that Jiao Huilan's skin was quite white. The dark color she had before was purely due to sun exposure.
The villagers who came to see the woman in labor with eggs were all dodged by Jiao Huilan.
"Oh! Huilan is still white!"
"Huilan has become more beautiful after she became white. It turns out that confinement can make you more beautiful."
This was the first time Jiao Huilan was praised for her beauty and her face turned red with embarrassment.
Tao Aihong was unhappy after hearing this. The next day, chicken soup was cooked at home again. She was very greedy and kept pestering Meng Eryong.
"Eryong, please ask mom for some more! The baby in my belly wants to eat again."
"Eat whatever you want! You know how to eat all day long! Look at how much you eat. You are only less than five months pregnant and your belly is bigger than my sister-in-law's at eight months. I think you should eat less!"
Tao Aihong felt that Meng Eryong didn't love her. "I'm pregnant with your Meng family's eldest grandson! What's wrong with eating some chicken soup? If I eat well, your son will grow up well. Don't you want me to give you a big, fat, white son?"
Meng Eryong was also persuaded by her. Besides, he had also earned about a hundred yuan when he went out to pan for slag with his elder brother a few days ago!
He also has a share of the family money. Now his son wants to eat chicken soup, so what's wrong with asking his eldest sister-in-law for some? Isn't that right?
Meng Eryong went to the kitchen with his head down, and when no one was there, he quietly took a porcelain bowl, put half of the chicken in it, and filled it with half a bowl of soup, and brought it to Tao Aihong.
Tao Aihong's eyes lit up, "You still love me! Why are you so generous this time?"
"Mother didn't see it, I served it myself."
Meng Eryong was also unsure.
Tao Aihong also felt guilty and did not feel at ease when drinking the soup. After all, her mother-in-law was the head of the family, and she was still quite afraid of her mother-in-law.
Zhen Zhen went back to her room and took out some red dates, intending to put them in the soup to replenish Jiao Huilan's blood. However, when she returned to the kitchen, she saw that half of the chicken soup was missing.
It's not that Zhen Zhen is stingy. Although she is partial to Jiao Huilan, Jiao Huilan treats her better after all. Jiao Huilan is the one who takes care of everything inside and outside the house on weekdays, so it is reasonable for her to eat better during the confinement period.
There wasn't enough chicken to eat, and the second daughter-in-law wanted to take half of it, but Zhen Zhen refused! Not to mention that she even stole the chicken soup behind her back.
No one could steal a chicken from her!
Zhen Zhen got angry and broke into Meng Eryong's room with a copper spoon.
Meng Eryong was listening attentively and was about to close the door when Zhen Zhen burst in.
"Mom!" He shuddered and hid behind the door fearfully.
Tao Aihong was so frightened that she almost knocked over the bowl, spilling half of the chicken soup. She took the initiative to explain:
"Mom, the baby in my belly is hungry. I saw chicken soup on the stove and served it a bowl."
Zhen Zhen sneered: "Oh, you are quite capable, you dare to steal chicken soup behind my back!"
One word defines the incident.
Tao Aihong knew that Zhen Zhen would not let it go, so she took the initiative and sat on the ground and started howling:
"What's wrong with me drinking some chicken soup? What's wrong with me drinking some chicken soup? We have chicken soup at home. I can't even drink a bowl of it? You are really partial to me! You are obviously partial to the eldest wife. I will go to the village to find someone to talk to. Let's see if I killed someone or broke the law by drinking a bowl of chicken soup!"
She continued to make a fuss, like a shrew, and it gave Zhen Zhen a headache.
Zhen Zhen was annoyed, so he picked up a copper spoon and hit her on the head with a "clang".
Tao Aihong covered her head, dazed by the blow.
All right! The world was instantly quiet. Zhen Zhen glanced at Meng Eryong, who was dumbfounded, and said slowly:
"Each person is given 10 chickens during confinement. This and last time will be counted as one chicken, and it will be deducted from the chickens you had during confinement! If you finish eating them, there will be no chickens left for you during confinement! You decide for yourself!"
Tao Aihong blinked, "Then I'll eat it again tomorrow!"
She didn't believe that her mother-in-law would let her eat those non-nutritious foods during the confinement period! After all, she was carrying the eldest grandson of the Meng family! When the grandson was born, his mother would feel pain in her eyes and know that boys are better than girls after all!
"Okay, write me a letter later, and I'll confront you with it in black and white!"
Tao Aihong was not afraid. She firmly believed that her mother was just trying to scare her and would not ignore the eldest grandson of the Meng family. She pouted and signed the document. In the document, there were two wrong characters for the words "吃雞". There was one more stroke for "吃" and one less dot for "雞".
Their quarrels were heard next door. Jiao Huilan was worried that her mother would be angry. "I might as well not eat it anymore. Eating chicken soup every day is such a waste!"
"Don't worry! You still have some talent. Just take good care of yourself and take good care of your body."
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, it snowed heavily. Zhen Zhen burned charcoal in the room. Fearing safety accidents, she asked Meng Daguo to make a ventilation duct to exhaust the smoke. She thought about building a fireplace in the house, but felt that the house was old and there was no need to renovate it.
Fortunately, after all the hassle, the room became much warmer. Because the weather was cold, Zhen Zhen drank a cup of hot tea and crawled into bed.
Charcoal was burning in the house, and she covered herself with a down quilt, feeling quite warm. She was sitting on the bed, humming a little tune, crossing her legs and knitting, when she heard someone knocking on the door.
"Who is it?" Meng Daguo's voice came.
"Brother, it's me!"
Zhen Zhen shuddered. She had the impression that this was the original owner's favorite voice because the other party was her most beloved youngest son. The original owner was very happy every time she heard her youngest son speak.
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