Chapter 27
Tao Aihong held her belly nervously, her face turned pale, and she kept mumbling:
"Mom, sister-in-law, I think I'm about to give birth! My stomach hurts so badly and my heart feels empty."
Zhen Zhen helped her lie on the cart. Tao Aihong's screams were much louder than Jiao Huilan's, which made her nervous. Fortunately, with Jiao Huilan's experience in giving birth, she calmed down a lot.
"Mom, I'll go with you! I'll help you take care of Aihong." Jiao Huilan said.
"You have two children, so just stay at home and take care of them. Daguo, come with me."
The doctor on duty at the county hospital was the same one from last time. When he saw Zhen Zhen, he asked, "Why are you here again?"
Zhen Zhen was embarrassed. Did he think she wanted to come? She didn't want to be a mother-in-law to so many people and take care of two daughters-in-law during their confinement.
"Doctor, my second daughter-in-law is about to give birth again."
The doctor remembered that she named her granddaughter Meng Xi. "Your Meng family is quite prosperous, with children coming every few days."
What do you mean by "every few days"? It sounds like a hen laying eggs. Zhen Zhen didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he asked the doctor to push the patient in.
Tao Aihong was nervous now. She was even more timid than a cat. She covered her stomach and cried:
"Ouch! Ouch! Mom, I'm in so much pain, will I be unable to give birth?"
"Don't worry, you will definitely give birth to a healthy baby. Listen to the doctor and don't use up all your strength. Push harder when the doctor tells you to."
In the original novel, Tao Aihong gave birth to a boy. Although she knew that the child would be born safely, the woman's near death still made Zhen Zhen, a bystander, worried.
The nurse came out and said, "Your daughter-in-law won't be able to give birth for a while. At this rate, she might not be able to give birth until tomorrow. If you feel tired, you can find a place to sleep."
Rural mothers-in-law these days don't take their daughters-in-law seriously at all.
Last time, a woman screamed loudly when she gave birth, and her mother-in-law scolded her, saying that she was shameless and hypocritical. It's as easy as a hen laying eggs, so it's not worth screaming so loudly. She just wants to act pitiful in front of men.
This mother-in-law should be this kind of person, right?
Zhen Zhen agreed with a smile.
The nurse shook her head after entering the room. "Some mothers-in-law wish their daughters-in-law would die sooner. They left without saying anything, even though it was such a big thing as giving birth."
"Looking at the beautiful and open-minded mother-in-law, who would have thought she was such a person."
"It's nothing new. Have you ever seen mothers-in-law waiting in the delivery room for their daughters-in-law to give birth? Men have even less hope. They just go back to sleep and come back the next day to see if it's a boy or girl after the baby is born."
Zhen Zhen had no idea that they were talking about her behind her back. She went to get some food from the cart and handed it to the nurse.
"Hello, this is Tao Aihong's food. If she's hungry, please give her some to replenish her energy."
There was no Red Bull and chocolate these days, so Zhen Zhen followed suit and took peach cakes, jujube cakes and White Rabbit milk candies, and also made a cup of soy milk powder for Tao Aihong.
The nurse was stunned when she saw so many things.
Not only is the mother-in-law so kind to her daughter-in-law, she is also so generous that they eat expensive food that other families cannot even eat in a year.
Not to mention peach cakes and White Rabbit milk candies, this date mud cake is made of date mud, which is labor-intensive and time-consuming. Ordinary people can't even afford to eat enough rice, so why would they bother making this thing?
When the nurse brought this thing in, it caused a stir in the delivery room.
Other women who had given birth had nothing to eat. Only those who were well-off could drink brown sugar water. But Tao Aihong ate several kinds of food, which was so tempting!
The key is that the mother-in-law knows how to behave. She showed what she should do at a time like this and brought out all the good things.
The nurse sighed: "You are so lucky!"
"Not only am I happy, I'm also very lucky. My mother-in-law is still waiting outside!"
"Yes, this mother-in-law is not only a good person, but also has medical knowledge. She knows that mothers need to replenish their energy. She is also polite to our doctors and nurses. It's really rare!"
Tao Aihong curled her lips, thinking that her mother-in-law must be so attentive because of the baby in her belly. However, since others had nothing to eat, she was the only one who got to eat these rare things, and she inexplicably felt a sense of pride.
Although Tao Aihong, the daughter-in-law, is cunning and lazy, much worse than Jiao Huilan, Zhen Zhen will not set rules for her at this time. Besides, childbirth is a major event in a woman's life. If she, as a mother-in-law, does not do a good job, she will probably be criticized by her daughter-in-law for the rest of her life.
"Mom, the doctor said the birth will take a long time, you should go back and rest first!" Meng Eryong said.
Zhen Zhen smiled and waved her hands, "Eryong, it's not easy for Aihong to give birth to a child, and it's your child, how can I leave at this time? Even if I am tired and exhausted, I will stay here and wait for your child to be born safely, and witness you becoming a father for the first time in your life."
The word "father" made Meng Eryong's heart warm. Yes, this was the first time he became a father in his life, and the first child was always different.
I wonder if his father was also so excited when his mother gave birth to him.
Meng Eryong was moved by his mother's words, "Mom, thank you for your hard work and worrying about me and my eldest brother."
Meng Daguo nodded continuously. His mother was really hard-working. After taking care of Erya, she now had to take care of the second child.
Zhen Zhen smiled and said, "Who asked me to give birth to three sons? I am destined to be a mother-in-law in my life."
The two of them laughed, and Meng Eryong asked worriedly, "Mom! Do you think Aihong can give birth to a son for our Meng family?"
"Eryong, this is where you're wrong. Aihong went through so much trouble giving birth, but you only want to have a son. How disappointed she would be if she heard that! To be honest, it's the same whether it's a boy or a girl!"
This happened to be heard by a nurse who was passing by, and she went back to the delivery room to preach again.
"Listen to her realization! Boys and girls are the same, unlike some mothers-in-law who only favor sons over daughters!"
The other mothers-to-be looked at Tao Aihong with envy. What had she accumulated in her previous life to have such a wonderful mother-in-law?
Tao Aihong curled her lips, thinking that this baby was a son, what would happen if it was the same boy or girl?
Tao Aihong gave birth to the child safely the next afternoon. It was a healthy little boy. His face looked like Tao Aihong's, but his facial features were like Meng Eryong's. The expression between his eyebrows and eyes was as if he was carved from the same mold as Meng Eryong, and he had a shrewd look.
It was also strange that Tao Aihong gained more than 80 kilograms during pregnancy, and her belly looked big and round, but the baby weighed only 6.52 kilograms.
"Mom, you are really my son!" Meng Eryong was so excited!
He is so amazing. Others may think of having a son, but he is a son all his life!
"Brother, my son is pretty good, isn't he? He looks like me, so handsome!"
Zhen Zhen laughed. How could he look like her again? Could it be that all his grandchildren would look like her?
She looked at Meng Daguo. His nephew was born and Meng Daguo was also happy for his brother.
But his younger brother had been a son all his life, but he had two daughters. If he had a grandson, would his mother no longer like the two girls, or him? He wished he could give his mother a grandson to carry on the Meng family line.
Zhen Zhen knew what he was thinking, and patted his shoulder with a smile, and Meng Daguo came back to his senses.
"Mom?" His tone was not without disappointment.
"Daguo, mother has said before that boys and girls are the same. Aihong gave birth to a son, and Huilan must be upset. Don't say the wrong thing in front of her when you go back, and make her worry! Look, there are many families in our village who have given birth to several sons, but are they living well? Most of the people who are filial to their parents in front of the bed are daughters. Having a daughter is a blessing. You and Huilan's blessings are still to come."
Meng Daguo thought carefully and realized that all the sick elderly people in the village were taken care of by the ladies.
There are too few sons who are filial.
He has two daughters. As long as he loves and treats them well, they will treat him well when they grow up. Just like his mother said, then they will have endless blessings!
Meng Daguo's mood became high, "Mom, I understand. I won't say anything nonsense in front of Huilan when I go back."
Zhen Zhen knew that Tao loved Hong Tan, so she brought out most of the delicious food in the cupboard. She also asked Jiao Huilan to cook meat soup and egg noodles, and also boiled eggs with brown sugar like Jiao Huilan did, making sure she had nutritious food to keep her body healthy.
Tao Aihong started to show off as soon as she gave birth to a son, and she was unhappy when she opened the food box.
What's wrong with my mother-in-law! She gave birth to a son, but she didn't even have chicken soup during her confinement. Jiao Huilan gave birth to two girls and they ate so well. How could that be possible?
"Mom, why is there no chicken soup? My sister-in-law ate chicken every day during her confinement, but why do I only have brown sugar soaked eggs and meat soup when it's my turn?"
The women in the delivery room were drooling. There was meat soup, egg noodles, and eggs soaked in brown sugar. They were still not satisfied with so much food and they still had to have chicken soup?
Zhen Zhen laughed, "Chicken soup? That's right, your sister-in-law had chicken soup when she was in confinement. I told you at that time that each of my two daughters-in-law would have ten chickens, but what did you say at that time? You said you were greedy and wanted to eat it, so you took half of your sister-in-law's old hen every meal! I reminded you at that time that you would have no more to eat after the confinement period, but you didn't listen and ate all ten chickens in a row!"
Everyone was stunned. There were ten chickens! She ate them all? What kind of life was she living?
Tao Aihong looked around guiltily, "What's wrong with eating it? I'm pregnant with the eldest grandson of your Meng family. What's wrong with eating a few chickens? I don't care! I just want to eat chicken soup. If you don't give it to me, I will..."
Zhen Zhen's expression turned cold, "What do you mean?"
Tao Aihong was frightened by the look in her mother-in-law's eyes. She knew she had gone too far, but she had just given birth to a son, so what was wrong with being tough?
Tao Aihong raised her chin high when she thought of this. "If you don't give me food, I will take the child back to my parents' home! I won't let you take care of the child in the future. Let's see what you will do!"
Zhen Zhen laughed when she heard this. How could such a good thing happen if she was not allowed to look after the child?
Threats won't work on her. She wants to put herself above her by giving birth to a son, and not let her see her grandson. Even if there is no grandson, what does it matter? She really thinks she is so great.
Zhen Zhen smiled and said to Meng Eryong:
"Eryong, you heard it. It was your wife who said she wanted to go back to her parents' home. Since she wants to go back, you should pack up your things and go back with her!"
Meng Eryong's eyes widened, "Mom, she's going back to her parents' home, please don't take me with you!"
Tao Aihong: ???
Tao Aihong was dumbfounded. She was just acting a little bit, so why did he really let her go?
She wants to take the child away! Isn't the mother-in-law anxious?
"I, I, I... I want to take the child away too! This is the grandson of your Meng family, don't regret it!"
Zhen Zhen smiled:
"Let's go! I don't have to take care of the children, nor do I have to take care of my daughter-in-law during her confinement. I don't have to plan every day whether to make you pork rib soup or pork liver soup, chicken soup with brown sugar or red dates and longan soup, and snacks such as soy milk powder, malted milk or canned fruit. I don't want to be too happy! By the way, I just asked someone to buy donkey-hide gelatin and red dates the day before yesterday. The candied dates made with osmanthus, tangerine peel and donkey-hide gelatin are sweet and delicious, and can replenish blood and qi. You don't have a good time!"
Tao Ai's eyes were wide open. There were so many delicious foods.
Yes, what does she do? Although there is no chicken soup, there are other things!
She had never even heard of donkey-hide gelatin dates, something that only rich people could afford. Was it too late for her to regret now?
Tao Aihong is about to cry.
The women in the ward were drooling at the words, "My goodness, you eat so well, and you still want chicken soup?"
"I've never even eaten steamed bread at home, let alone pork rib soup and brown sugar eggs!"
"You are living a life like a god! And yet you don't even appreciate it! Look how mad your mother-in-law is!"
Everyone shook their heads, wondering why they couldn't meet such a fairy-like mother-in-law?
Tao Aihong was so angry that she cried, "Meng Eryong, look at your mother! How could she treat me like this!"
Meng Eryong sat in front of the hospital bed and sulked, "What's wrong with my mother? She's so good to you and you're still not satisfied. Okay, just take the child back to her parents' home! I want to see if your mother can take care of you during the confinement period!"
Zhen Zhen was so happy that she didn't have to take care of her daughter-in-law during her confinement. She went home humming a little tune.
Jiao Huilan asked in confusion: "Mom, Aihong and Eryong haven't come back yet?"
Zhen Zhen went to the water tank to wash his hands, and the coolness of the well water dissipated the summer heat.
"No, she said she would go back to her parents' home if she couldn't have the chicken soup. I couldn't force her to stay, right? So of course I let her go."
Jiao Huilan blinked. How could she hear a hint of happiness? Could it be? My mother's eldest grandson ran away. He is the eldest grandson of the Meng family. Isn't my mother sad?
"Grandma!" The girl in a beautiful floral dress came over.
Zhen Zhen hugged her and kissed her, "I haven't seen you for just one day. Grandma misses Daya already."
"Daya misses grandma too! She misses her so much that it hurts her heart and she can't sleep at night."
Zhen Zhen pinched her soft little face, "You are a big liar!"
Jiao Huilan looked at them secretly. Her mother-in-law looked normal and was teasing Daya and Erya lovingly. Her husband had a smile on his face and didn't have any opinion about her because she had a nephew. It was as if the boy or girl was really the same.
Jiao Huilan couldn't help but have tears in her eyes.
It's great that all the things she cherished are still there.
The red bricks and wood needed to build the house have been prepared. As the wood was not enough, she went to the timber company to buy some. Now that everything was ready, Zhen Zhen was ready to build the house.
Farmers do not need to pay labor fees when building houses. They just need to share their own work with the helpers, and they also need to provide a meal at noon.
Zhen Zhen went to the county town to buy some green beans, and took pork and rice from the space, and asked Jiao Huilan to cook them.
Maybe it was because Daguo's father was popular in the village, Meng Eryong's wedding banquet was very grand, and Zhen Zhen's temper had changed a lot. Although he still chased people with a machete, he would take the initiative to smile and say hello to the villagers when he met them, which changed the villagers' views of him a lot.
As a result, on the first day of work, there were twenty-three people!
"Mrs. Daguo, if you have any plans for us to do, please don't hesitate to tell us!"
Zhen Zhen was frightened by everyone's enthusiasm and had to ask Boss Meng to arrange the work.
Boss Meng is also very capable. He arranges everything perfectly, including who throws the bricks, who catches the bricks, and who transports the wood.
They were working so fast and it was so hot that they had no time to rest.
Since they were building a house for the Meng family, Zhen Zhen also knew how to handle the situation. She poured a newly bought sack of mung beans into the pot and stir-fried them.
After frying, add water to boil and add some rock sugar when taking it out of the pot. The mung bean soup made in this way will be sandy and sweet. Add freshly drawn well water to chill it. It is simply the best drink to relieve summer heat.
Zhen Zhen scooped a large bowl with a spoon, "Everyone, take a break first and drink some mung bean soup to cool down!"
Everyone was stunned. They didn't expect there would be mung bean soup. Daguo's mother was really generous!
The lunch was even more eye-opening. Not only was there greasy pork belly, but there were also meatballs and roasted pork intestines. The cold dishes were refreshing pickled radishes and cold lotus root slices. That was just five dishes in total. There were also several pots of steamed rice, which made a man like me, who hadn't eaten rice or noodles for more than half a year, stare in amazement.
"Daguo's mother, you cooked the pork belly so well!" said Dachuan's mother who came to help.
Dachuan's mother gave birth to ten children, six sons and four daughters. The six sons had four children in each family, so there were more than twenty children in the family. Usually there were no bowls for meals, so the food was put in the grinding trough for the children to eat.
Children can never feel full no matter how much they eat, so naturally, as a grandmother, she is always hungry. Okawa's mother ate a few pieces of wild boar when she sold it, and she hadn't eaten a full meal for a long time.
I didn't expect that just because they came to help today, the Meng family gave them work points and cooked such a big table of dishes. They are so generous!
Zhen Zhen smiled and licked a bowl of mung bean soup for her.
"My eldest sister-in-law and daughter-in-law made it. You know my cooking skills are not good enough."
"Daguo's mother, don't be modest. You are a person who enjoys life. I think there is no one in our Batou Village who is more generous and capable than you. The food is so good, everyone will praise you when they go back. Just rest assured!" Dachuan's mother comforted.
Zhen Zhen smiled and gave her a few more pieces of meat. Dachuan's mother was flattered and did not feel like eating more, so she only ate two bowls of white rice.
Boss Meng and Old Lady Meng's father had not expected her to be so generous, and they both ate their fill.
Old Lady Meng also said that Zhen Guizhi was a spendthrift woman! When other people build houses, their food is simple, and there is definitely no meat. It is considered generous if they can have some pig offal. But she is so good that she cooks such delicious meals!
But now that the family has split up, she can't say anything.
Besides, Zhen Guizhi did a great job, and it brought honor to the Meng family.
The meal was delicious, and the sweet green bean soup quenched my thirst, which gave me more energy to work.
After laying the foundation the next day, we started building the walls in the evening.
The walls of a brick house can be built very quickly, as you just need to put the bricks on top. Unlike a mud house, you have to put the mud in a mold, wait for a few days to dry, and then tamp it down, which takes time.
Brick and tile houses are much easier to build, and Zhen Zhen cooks delicious food in different ways, including braised pork, bacon, grilled fish balls, stewed meat with mushrooms, and braised pork with pork belly.
One day we even made meat dumplings, and the workers wanted to swallow their tongues.
So, the work that others took six or seven days to complete was completed by Zhen Zhen in five days, and he did it very carefully, and there was no fault to be found.
On the day of the roof-capping ceremony, Zhen Zhen specially bought some fruit candies and fried peanuts, then stood on the roof and scattered them down for the children in the village to pick up, for good luck.
Farmers don't do much decoration when they build their houses, but Zhen Zhen wanted to do it well, so he asked Grandma Meng's father to find a way to get some wall paint. The big white walls are simple and pleasing to the eye, and the ground was also specially leveled.
The hand-drawn drawing of the bread stove was also given to Boss Meng, who was asked to look at it, and Meng Daguo was asked to watch the toilet.
After everything was done, Zhen Zhen looked at the newly renovated courtyard and felt a sense of unreality in his heart.
Life is so mysterious!
When she first came here, she couldn't accept that she had become a grown-up woman, and felt that a part of her wonderful life had been stolen from her.
But she couldn't choose the script of her life, so she could only force herself to adapt.
After a few months, she not only got used to her three sons calling her mother, but also got used to the identities of mother-in-law and grandmother.
Now, she has a new house, which is like having her own home in this world. It does not require a down payment or a mortgage, and can be built with just a few hundred dollars.
The house was built, except for the bread oven. Zhen Zhen drew a famous bread oven with cat ears, but was confused when she received the finished product.
"What is this?"
"Just do it according to the picture you drew!" said Boss Meng.
Meng Hua nodded, "That's right, mother. I made it according to your drawing. Look at your drawing and then look at our bread oven. Are they exactly the same?"
Zhen Zhen looked at the cat ears on the paper, and then at the pig head they made. Well, the pig nose cover could be opened to put firewood in.
Zhen Zhen gritted her teeth, it was exactly the same!
The family moved back from their makeshift house made of tarpaulin.
Zhen Zhen looked around and said, "Daguo, these doors and windows are not painted, they are too ordinary. Mix white paint and green paint and see if you can make a light green color and paint the doors and windows."
The weather was hot, Meng Daguo took off his shirt, revealing his muscular abdominal muscles, and smiled while wiping the sweat off his face:
"Got it, Mom, I'll do it later!"
Zhen Zhen glanced at her eldest son's figure. Wow! Men who work hard all year round are different. This figure is much better than those trained in the gym. It is firm, strong, and well-defined. It is also a sexy wheat skin color. Sweat flows down his neck, which is very manly.
"Daguo has a good body, just like your father has muscles, why didn't mom notice it before!"
Meng Daguo was stunned. Old men like them were used to working shirtless every day. Who would have thought that his mother would actually compliment him on his good figure?
Yes, he does farm work every day and has a muscular body. He has abdominal muscles and pectoral muscles. The muscles in his arms are even stronger and can bulge when he clenches them!
But is this the case for all rural men? He had never paid attention to his figure, and only after his mother praised him did he realize that he had this advantage.
Meng Daguo straightened his back and picked up the paint to show off his muscles.
Meng Hua rolled his eyes. What was there to show off? Only the gorillas in the jungle would foolishly show off their muscles. Men like them who have intelligence and brains can only use their brains to solve problems.
Meng Daguo went to fetch water again, and basked in front of his mother several times.
"Third brother! How about big brother's muscles! Look at big brother's arms, big brother's abdominal muscles, big brother's thighs!"
Meng Hua sneered: "What's so great about that?"
Meng Daguo disagreed, "Take off your clothes and let mother see. Mother, my third brother is too thin and weak. He will fall down if the wind blows. If you encounter a thief one day, you can't count on him! But it doesn't matter. Your son is strong and will protect you!"
Meng Hua was so angry that his teeth were bared, while Zhen Zhen sat beside him, smiling and feeling the happiness of his adopted son.
She also did not forget to tease Jiao Huilan, "Huilan, what do you think of Daguo's muscles? You must have touched them a lot, right?"
Meng Daguo didn't expect his mother to be so bold, and his face turned red.
Jiao Huilan lowered her head in shame, and only secretly glanced at Meng Daguo's abdominal muscles, wondering why she had never noticed that a man had such a good body before?
As soon as her mother said that, she noticed how attractive a man with a good figure was.
Erya is more than three months old now, and her body has almost recovered. The men have wanted to come over for several nights in a row, but their home is building a house, so they are temporarily living under tarpaulin. The house is not soundproof, so they dare not do anything wrong.
But now my mother has built several large wooden beds for our family, and they can do whatever they want with them because the beds are so big.
When Jiao Huilan thought of this, her ears turned red.
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