When Doctor Wu was invited into the inner room, he saw Lin Wanru lying on the bed. Her face was pale and she had some cold sweat on her forehead.
Doctor Wu took out a pulse pillow and began to take pulses.
"Dr. Wu, how is my wife?"
Brother Jiang asked anxiously, while his mother, who had just entered, also looked at Doctor Wu with worry.
"It's nothing serious. Your wife is pregnant, but she's feeling a bit tired and has had some miscarriage trouble."
"Are you pregnant?"
"Did the baby get upset?"
Neither Brother Jiang nor his mother had considered this possibility. Shao Ning was already four years old, and there had been no further news of Sister-in-law Jiang being pregnant. Neither of them had expected this.
"Dr. Wu, is my eldest daughter-in-law's condition serious? Does she need to rest in bed? What about her medication? Does she need to take any medication to prevent miscarriage?"
"She's still early in her pregnancy, so she just needs to rest for a few days. I'll prescribe some medication to help with the pregnancy, and she'll be fine. She doesn't need to stay in bed all the time; pregnant women should still get some exercise."
After speaking, Dr. Wu picked up his medicine box and walked out. Brother Jiang followed with his money bag, as he needed to get some medicine to prevent miscarriage and pay the consultation fee.
Jiang's mother knew what important matter was, and felt much more at ease. The only thing was that they needed to hurry up and find someone to cook for the family's school.
Seeing that her eldest daughter-in-law was sleeping soundly, Jiang's mother quietly went out.
As soon as Jiang's mother left, Jiang's sister-in-law, who had been sleeping soundly in bed, opened her eyes. She had actually been awake for a while, but hadn't opened them. Initially, she wanted to appear more seriously ill so she could avoid cooking for a few days. She never expected to be pregnant—it was such a surprise! Since giving birth to Shao Ning, she hadn't had any pregnancies and thought she would only have three children in her life. This unexpected joy came too suddenly.
However, the child came at just the right time. She can rest for a few days now. The doctor said she needs to recuperate for a few days.
Brother Jiang carried the medicine in and handed it directly to Jiang's mother.
"Mother, this is Wanru's medicine. The doctor said to take it for three days. Boil three bowls of water down to one bowl. Could you help me boil it? I still need to go and check on things at the school."
Brother Jiang can't be of much help since he doesn't go to school. He's a true old-fashioned man, believing that a gentleman stays away from the kitchen. He's completely inept at housework, even worse than Jiang Shuyun.
Jiang's mother took the medicine bag, and Jiang's eldest brother went into their room to check on Lin Wanru. Jiang's mother, carrying the medicine bag in one hand, gently rubbed her lower back with the other; she was tired too.
That evening, Jiang's father returned home. Looking at Jiang's exhausted mother and Jiang Lan's unhappy expression, he understood everything.
"Find a suitable helper as soon as possible, otherwise your body won't be able to handle it."
“I know, we’ve already looked. But we haven’t found the right one yet. Two people came for a trial period. They were okay at work, but they weren’t very clean. The school is full of children, so the food has to be clean.”
Jiang's mother was helpless; their resources were limited, and they couldn't afford to buy people back, nor could they reach that level.
"Jiang Lan, go and call your sister-in-law for dinner."
Jiang's mother told her youngest daughter to call her eldest daughter-in-law. Although the doctor said she needed to rest, he didn't say she needed to stay in bed.
Jiang's wife came out looking extremely weak and sat down directly at the table.
Now that there are fewer people in the family, we don't eat separately anymore.
"Mom, what are we going to do about tomorrow's meals? I feel so weak, I really can't cook that much food."
"Jiang Lan and I will be in charge of cooking tomorrow, once we find the right person."
Jiang's mother wondered to herself who else in Jiangjia Village could do this job.
"Mother, how about we ask my second sister-in-law to come and help out for a few days?"
Sister-in-law Jiang asked tentatively, feeling that she was now pregnant and needed to rest more. There were a lot of things to do at home, and she felt exhausted since the family division.
“Second daughter-in-law? They’ve already separated the family, how can we ask her to come and help with the work? Besides, they just moved, and they have a lot to do. Jiang Lan and I will fill in for a few days, and we’ll find someone suitable.”
Jiang's mother didn't agree. She knew perfectly well what her eldest daughter-in-law was up to. It wasn't her first pregnancy; she couldn't do other chores, and she wanted to rely on others for household chores? What a pipe dream!
"Mother, can't my sister come back to help for a few days? My hands are all scabs, and I'm even scratching the thread when I'm embroidering."
Jiang Lan stretched out her hands; she really didn't want to do housework, her hands were already rough. What would she do if her aunt sent word in the next few days?
"Jiang Lan, you need to recognize your own place."
Jiang's father put down his chopsticks and looked calmly at Jiang Lan.
"Father, why can't I see my own identity clearly?"
“You’re just an ordinary girl from a farming family. What’s wrong with helping with housework? Don’t all the girls your age in the village work in the fields and gather pig feed on the mountain?”
“Father, how can they compare to me? My father is a scholar, and my brother is also a scholar. I am the daughter of a scholar.”
Jiang Lan believed she was prettier than the girls in the village. She was also literate and could read and write, thanks to her aunt's instruction in these skills, which the other girls in the village didn't possess.
“Father, I think my little sister is right. No one in the village can compare to her. She’s much prettier than them. Besides, she’s going to marry into a good family. She’ll be able to have servants at her beck and call and call and will never have to do any work herself.”
Sister-in-law Jiang firmly believed that if her sister-in-law could marry into a wealthy family, her own Chu Tong would be able to as well.
“Since ancient times, people have valued marriages between equals. Jiang Lan, you are determined to marry into such a family. Have you ever thought about whether your family has the ability to prepare a corresponding dowry for you? Your future dowry will not be much different from your sister’s.”
Mr. Jiang did not criticize his youngest daughter's idea; he had already analyzed the pros and cons, whether it was right or wrong. If she remained obstinate, there was little he could do as a father.
"Father, how can my dowry be the same as my sister's? Can the Fan family my sister married into compare to the Zhou family? Without a good dowry, how can I stand on my own two feet?"
Jiang Lan cried. She felt that things were going too hard for her, and that nothing was going right.
“I don’t care whether it’s the Fan family or the Zhou family, you and Jiang Qi are both my daughters, so we have to treat each other equally. I’m telling you this: no matter which family you marry into, your dowry will be the same as before. This is the best I can give you.”
After saying this, Jiang's father turned and left without looking at his sobbing little daughter.
"Mother, I'm not feeling well, I'm going back to my room."
When Sister-in-law Jiang saw her father-in-law getting angry, she didn't dare say anything more. However, she couldn't do any work; she had already upset her pregnant belly.
Jiang's mother didn't try to persuade her younger daughter. The child was stuck in a rut and wouldn't listen to anyone. She was genuinely worried that her daughter wouldn't have a good future.
As for the eldest daughter-in-law, she's also clueless. She's obsessed with relying on others and can't even raise her own children properly. Shao Qin is selfish and only cares about himself. Chu Tong does things inappropriate for her age every day, while the eldest daughter-in-law is solely focused on ensuring she marries well in the future. As for Shao Ning, his eyes lack any sparkle.
As a grandmother, there's not much she can do. The children have their parents, and the eldest daughter-in-law is all talk and no action, but behind the scenes she still does her own thing.
Jiang's mother ignored all that and decided to clean up the dishes first.
Mu Yi'an and the others were unaware that Sister-in-law Jiang was pregnant, and that she was taking advantage of her pregnancy to act arrogantly and secretly try to order her around.
Even if she found out, Mu Yi'an wouldn't indulge her. It wasn't her who got her pregnant. If she wanted to be waited on, she should go find her own man.
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