Chapter 286: What Triggered You?

Qiu Shaofeng was just about to carry the foot-washing water back to his room when he saw his second cousin's wife standing at their doorway, about to knock: "Second Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"

After all, it was so late; everyone was preparing to rest.

Zhang Shanmei hadn't expected her brother-in-law to return so quickly and offered a somewhat embarrassed smile: "I just couldn't sleep, so I wanted to ask if my sister-in-law still had any apricots."

Qiu Shaofeng was about to reply when the door was pulled open: "Second Sister-in-law, they're long gone. There weren't many to begin with, and with my morning sickness lately, I've been craving things with strong flavors to curb the nausea, so I ate them all a few days ago."

Hearing they were gone, Zhang Shanmei's face immediately fell: "If they're gone, then they're gone."

With that, she turned and walked toward the room where she lived.

Qiu Shaofeng's expression was not very good; this second cousin's wife was truly something else. She had come asking before, and now she seemed addicted to it.

Xia Qiu saw him still standing there in a daze: "Come in quickly."

Hearing his wife's words, he hurried inside.

After setting down the foot-washing water, he said: "Next time Second Sister-in-law comes asking for things, just refuse her directly. You can't spoil people like that."

Hearing her husband's words, Xia Qiu laughed outright: "Alright, I'll listen to you, but if you really do that, Second Sister-in-law will definitely start being passive-aggressive toward us again."

"What's there to fear? In a few days, when Qiu Shaohu gets married, the split of the household will be imminent. By then, the two branches will live separately, and who will care about her anyway?"

Xia Qiu thought it made sense: "Mm."

Meanwhile, Zhang Shanmei, returning to her room next door, saw Qiu Shaohu already lying on the kang and felt anger rise for no reason: "You've worked all day, and your feet are practically stinking to death. Hurry up and get water to wash them; do you not fear you'll suffocate our son?"

Qiu Shaohu glanced at her: "What got into you? Taking your anger out on me?"

Zhang Shanmei thought that since Xia Qiu became pregnant, Qiu Shaofeng had been the one to draw the foot-washing water every night.

She, too, was a daughter-in-law of the Qiu family; whether when she was pregnant with her son before or now with this second child about to be born, she had never received such treatment. Just thinking about it made her feel stifled.

Perhaps from being too angry, she suddenly felt her pants wet, and at the same time, her belly felt a sinking sensation; she couldn't help but look down at her stomach.

Having already given birth once, she naturally knew what was happening. In her panic, she raised her voice: "Qiu Shaohu, I'm going into labor."

Hearing his wife raise her voice, Qiu Shaohu had been quite angry, but upon hearing the rest, he suddenly rolled off the kang: "Going into labor?"

Zhang Shanmei couldn't worry about anything else now: "Yes, my water broke."

Qiu Shaohu panicked as well and shouted toward the courtyard: "Mother! Mother! Great-Grandmother! My wife is going into labor!"

In an instant, the courtyard became lively.

Qiu Tai Nai, who had already gone to sleep, quickly threw on some clothes and climbed down from the kang.

This even caused Xia Qiu, who had washed her feet and was preparing to turn off the light, to come out into the courtyard.

Qiu Mu saw her come out: "Shaofeng, take your wife back to your room."

Just after speaking, she perhaps felt it was inappropriate: "No, forget it. Take your wife to stay overnight at the farm's guesthouse."

Xia Qiu was about to refuse when she heard Qiu Mu say: "Listen to me."

With that, she looked at her son: "Hurry and take Xia Qiu over there. Her pregnancy isn't stable yet; she can't withstand the shock."

The rooms of the brothers Shaofeng and Shaohu were right next to each other; she feared the noise of her niece-in-law giving birth would frighten her daughter-in-law, so this money had to be spent. After all, the courtyard was so small that even if they moved to another room, they could still hear it.

Xia Qiu never expected her mother-in-law to think so much for her: "Mother, thank you."

She had barely finished speaking when Qiu Shaofeng also came out of the room with his things packed: "Mother, I'll take Xia Qiu over right now."