A red cloth strip was hung on the door frame of the Jiang family's old house, informing the neighbors that a girl had been born in the family.
Generally, if a boy is born, a bow and arrow are hung on the child; if a girl is born, a red or blue cloth strip is hung on the child.
When Mu Yi'an and Jiang Qi came in, Jiang's mother was killing a chicken in the yard. Because Jiang's sister-in-law had a premature birth, the delivery was quite sudden, which caught Jiang's mother off guard.
"Mother, how is my sister-in-law? What about the child?"
"You've arrived. Your sister-in-law is alright. Although she fell, thankfully she's unharmed. The baby is fine too, just a little small and a bit weak."
Jiang's mother felt it was already a blessing from their ancestors; being so heavily pregnant, she had fallen and yet both mother and daughter were safe and sound. What else could it be but ancestral protection? As for why she had fallen at the Lin family's house, they didn't know. The Lin family, they believed, would have to give the Jiang family an explanation.
"Mother, these are eggs. Give them to my sister-in-law to cook. What about the things at home? Can my cousin's wife take over?"
Mu Yi'an basically doesn't concern himself with matters concerning the old house, and Jiang Da Sao's personality is not exactly admirable.
"Yes, we've already talked to her. She'll be in charge of lunch and dinner. Jiang Lan and I will start making breakfast, and she'll take over once your sister-in-law finishes her postpartum confinement."
Jiang's mother had no choice. She had given birth to many children when she was young. In addition to the five that survived, two others died before they were even a year old.
So, although she looks to be in good health, she has a weak constitution and can't do any heavy work.
"That's good. Shuyun said that Mother's health doesn't allow her to do any heavy work. I was quite worried that you would have to take care of things at home."
"It's alright, you don't need to worry. I know my own body well, I won't push myself."
Jiang Qi felt relieved after hearing this, took the work from her mother, and told her to get up and rest for a while.
Mu Yi'an didn't go into the delivery room either. Jiang's mother said that Jiang's sister-in-law was asleep, and the baby was asleep too, so she had a good excuse not to go in.
Mu Yi'an and Jiang Qi helped put the hen in the stew pot, brought it to a boil, and then simmered it over low heat.
"Mom, we're going back now. It's time to cook dinner."
"Go back, Shuheng will be back soon."
Jiang's mother knew that her second daughter-in-law had been quite busy lately, going to the watermelon patch every day, and had gotten quite tanned.
Mu Yi'an and her husband went home to cook. They killed a chicken, but instead of making chicken soup, they made chicken stew with potatoes. The chickens were small ones they caught last year and have been raised for more than seven months now, so they are at the perfect time to eat.
This spring, Mu Yi'an caught another forty or fifty chicks, which have grown quite big now and will be able to lay eggs in a few months.
There weren't many pig farmers at that time, so pork was quite expensive. And for some reason, the pork had a slightly rancid smell. Mu Yi'an wasn't used to it; she was an agricultural science teacher and had no experience with animal husbandry, so she really didn't know why.
To ensure they could have meat, Mu Yi'an raised more chickens and caught over ten goslings. These would provide meat and also guard the house. Mu Yi'an also wanted to get a dog. If Jiang Shuyun passed the entrance exam for Bailu Academy in the second half of the year, it would just be her and Jiang Qi with their three children at home. Having a dog would be a good option.
As Mu Yi'an cooked, she thought about all the little things at home.
In the days that followed, Mu Yi'an became even busier. She had already collected quite a few eggshells. She set up a stove in the backyard, and there happened to be a large pot in the warehouse, which had been left by the previous homeowner's uncle.
The large iron pot is quite big, but it's a bit damaged, so it's not suitable for cooking, but it's fine for drying eggshells.
The collected eggshells were completely dried out. They were poured into a large iron pot and stir-fried over high heat to carbonize them.
"Honey, you rest for a bit, I'll take care of it."
Jiang Shuyun came from the study and saw that Mu Yi'an was covered in sweat, and she felt a little uncomfortable.
Mu Yi'an has had a really tough time lately. Every day she goes to the melon field to prune and trim the vines, and she's gotten tanned and thinner. Now she also has to make eggshell fertilizer. Working in front of the stove in this heat must be really tough.
"Okay, you can turn it over, I'm going to cool off for a bit."
Mu Yi'an didn't try to be strong. She handed the wooden spatula in her hand to Jiang Shuyun and went back to the front yard to drink some water and cool off.
"Second sister-in-law, I've let the mung bean soup cool down, have some. I'll go make some this afternoon, we can take turns."
"Okay, thank you, Jiang Qi. It's not easy keeping things at home, and you haven't been idle either."
Mu Yi'an knew exactly what was going on. Jiang Qi took care of everything at home – three meals a day, the children's clothes – all while she was out early and back late. If the watermelons were plentiful, she would definitely hire a servant to relieve herself of these mundane household chores.
A family, regardless of how much or how little work they have, will live comfortably and happily as long as they are considerate, understanding, and loving towards each other. Jiang Qi used to live with the Fan family, where she was waited on hand and foot, but she wasn't happy.
Fortunately, after persistent efforts, the melon vines in Mu Yi'an's melon patch are growing well and there are already flower buds. They will bloom in a few days.
Jiang's postpartum period is about to end. Although she survived the fall, her chances of getting pregnant again are slim.
What could she do? She fell at her parents' home; it was the eldest grandson of the Lin family who knocked her down. Could she tell her in-laws the truth? No, she could only endure it and lie to her mother-in-law, saying that she had fallen on her own.
On the day of Jiang Dasao's one-month celebration, the Jiang family's old house was bustling with people, as relatives and friends came to offer their congratulations. Even Jiang's aunt from the county town and Jiang Lan's future in-laws came.
Mu Yi'an and Jiang Qi each made a set of children's clothes. They visited a few times and could sense that Jiang's sister-in-law's attitude towards her youngest daughter was lukewarm.
"Oh my, Miss Jiang is here! Let's see what you've prepared for the baby's one-month celebration. I heard you gave longevity locks to your second brother's twins!"
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