Gu Zuozuo took the child, glanced at the already stiff, bluish-purple infant, and shook her head.
“He died in your belly five days ago. You should have been able to feel it. Did you bump your belly that day? The impact caused the placenta to detach, stopping the blood and oxygen supply to the baby in your belly. He must have struggled in your belly for a long time.”
Lan Xiuhe was stunned for a long time. She remembered that day when her sister-in-law went back to her parents' home. Because it was too cold, she was afraid that her feet would get frostbite, so she asked her sister-in-law to make her hot water to soak her feet. However, the water was too hot, so she kicked her sister-in-law in the stomach, who was squatting on the ground adjusting the water temperature for her.
She only felt a slight pain and thought it was nothing. That night, the baby started to move around in her belly. She thought... she thought... she thought it was just because she hadn't eaten all day and the baby was too hungry, which was why it was moving so much. But... was that her baby calling for help?
The cruel truth shocked Lan Xiuhe so much that her eyes rolled back and she fell straight down onto the kang (a heated brick bed).
"Xiuhe!"
"Sister-in-law Xiuhe!"
Ma Quan lunged forward and hugged Lan Xiuhe tightly, his expression one of terror and sorrow. This usually taciturn man was now making gurgling sounds from his throat, regretting that he had almost suffocated Lan Xiuhe by pressing down on her.
Awakened by the silver needles once again, Lan Xiuhe shakily climbed out of Ma Quan's arms, reaching out to hold the child who had been in her belly for eight months, her expression already somewhat deranged.
Aunt Li looked away, her eyes reddening. She had once had a son who died shortly after birth, her husband's last gift to her. But she was useless; she couldn't keep him alive, and he only had time to see the world once before he was gone.
Lan Xiuhe hugged the little bundle in her arms tightly, and large tears fell down her cheeks.
The baby in the package was not good-looking, even somewhat terrifying. His arms and legs were tightly huddled together, his eyes were closed, and his whole body was bluish-purple to black, with fetal blood still congealed on his tiny body.
Lan Xiuhe was so heartbroken she could barely breathe. She touched the stiff baby in her arms again and again until she couldn't even cry anymore. She opened her mouth and held the child, wailing silently. Despair slowly crept onto her frostbitten face.
Seeing her like that, everyone in the room had tears in their eyes. Ma Quan slapped himself repeatedly, his heart aching with regret. The grown man cried his eyes out.
Some people will never understand what a boy symbolizes in the countryside.
Regardless of whether a family is rich or poor, even if they can't afford to eat, as long as the next generation in the family has a son, the man in charge can stand tall, and the woman can walk with her head held high.
Families without sons are looked down upon. Neighbors ignore you in social interactions. Men are often told they're no good, and women are subjected to all sorts of nasty remarks. Anyone can step on you and bully you without any excuse. People take advantage of you with a sense of entitlement, saying things like, "You don't have a son, what's the point of keeping him?" It seems like this is the unspoken rule: without a son, you're not even considered human.
Gu Zuozuo knocked Lan Xiuhe unconscious with a single palm strike, and her expression didn't change even when she met the disapproving looks from the older women.
"If we don't stop her, she will be severely traumatized and might even become mentally unstable."
He popped a Qi-nourishing pill into her mouth, making sure she was alright and wouldn't die. He left her a bottle of health-preserving pills and instructed his eldest daughter, Ma Baiyun, who had just come in and was crying so hard she was hoarse, to remember to give them to her mother. Then he packed up his medicine box and prepared to leave. Just before leaving, he glanced at Ma Quan, who was sitting blankly on the ground, and frowned.
"Do you know how to take care of a woman during her postpartum period? Your wife's body is seriously injured, she needs to stay in confinement for at least three months. During that time, she can't be deprived of good food and nutrition, otherwise, if you still want a son, you'll have to wait until your next life."
The four village cadres, who were squatting by the door, twitched at the corner of their mouths upon hearing this. It was she who said those words.
Gu Zuozuo had just stepped out the door when she saw Duan Jianhua, whose expression was hard to describe. Her eyes lit up and she stretched out her fair hand in front of him.
"No need for the consultation fee. As for the rest, here's one Blood-Replenishing Pill and one Qi-Boosting Pill. They're made with ginseng, lingzhi, and many other precious medicinal herbs. I bought them with my own money, so I'll give you a discount: twenty."
It shouldn't be too much, right? Actually, there's no ginseng or lingzhi in it, just ordinary medicinal herbs, but she can't stand the owner of this place, so she wants more; she won't lose out.
Duan Jianhua almost choked on his cigarette smoke. How could someone be so brazen as to ask for money? Wasn't he afraid of being reported for speculation and profiteering?
"Alright, alright, I'll put it on your tab. Honestly, do I look like the kind of person who would owe money?"
He said he was being generous, but inside he was heartbroken. Twenty yuan! His family of three might not even spend that much in a year!
No way, this is Ma Quan's mother's fault, I won't take the blame, I have to go and ask her for it!
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