Chapter 124

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

Grandmother-in-law Zhou held Shen Yao with both hands, and the grandmother and granddaughter walked back and forth simply inside the house.

If she really couldn't walk anymore, they wouldn't force it; she just sat down to rest.

Supporting her belly with both hands to keep her balance, Shen Yao turned her head and complained to Grandmother-in-law Zhou, not knowing when she would finally give birth.

"Soon, soon. Wait a few more days, and you'll see two fair and clean, beautiful children."

Grandmother-in-law Zhou knew Shen Yao was carrying twins, but she didn't know the gender of the twins.

However, judging by Shen Yao's mother Yuan Li's ability, they were most likely dragon-phoenix twins.

Listening to Grandmother-in-law Zhou's confident analysis, Shen Yao thought her grandmother was quite impressive; just by guessing, she could accurately deduce that Shen Yao was carrying dragon-phoenix twins.

"They say newborns are all wrinkled and ugly, but Grandma is lying."

They need to be raised for a while to look fair and clean; even if the system intervenes to help them recover, it can't change the initial form of a red-skinned monkey.

Grandmother-in-law Zhou patted her wrist. "Whose child isn't wrinkled when they're born? They'll look fine in a few days."

"The milk powder we should have prepared is all here, and those meat stamps I specially saved for you are here too. Several old hens have already been arranged; you can pick them up once you give birth."

"I guarantee you and your two children will be raised fair and plump. When has Grandma ever lied to you?"

Shen Yao listened to Grandmother-in-law Zhou finish speaking with a thoughtful expression, nodding her little head along.

Indeed, Grandmother-in-law Zhou had never lied to her since she was young, and she always did what she said; there was nothing she couldn't do.

Her beautiful eyebrows curved into crescent moons as Shen Yao hugged Grandmother-in-law Zhou and couldn't help but act coquettish.

"Grandma~"

Grandmother-in-law Zhou gave her a slightly disdainful glance, but still brought Shen Yao the malted milk she loved to drink, not forgetting to put the medicinal herbs for recovery into the pot to simmer slowly over low heat for soup.

Shen Yao sniffed her nose, indicating her belly was a bit hungry.

"Eat some biscuits and steamed buns to tide you over first; we'll have a meal in a while."

Grandmother-in-law Zhou touched her head and turned around to add some water to the pot.

Just as she had finished lifting the pot lid and was busy, someone started shouting outside the doorway and window again.

She temporarily put the water ladle in the basin and closed the pot lid again.

Grandmother-in-law Zhou leaned against the door handle to peek outside, looked around, then hurriedly turned back to call Shen Yao, who was bored inside the house, to come see the excitement.

Shen Yao:... Huh?

Shen Yao supported her belly; her walking was still a bit unsteady, but her eyes were bright as could be. "Grandma"

Grandmother-in-law Zhou made a shushing gesture and whispered, "The Cheng family is making a scene. Let's sneak a look, don't make a sound."

Shen Yao understood, nodding her little head like she was crushing garlic, tapping away nonstop.

The grandmother and granddaughter quickly reached an agreement, turning around to secretly reveal only two pairs of eyes.

Not only Shen Yao and her grandmother did this, but the Qian family across from the Cheng family, the Zhao and Zhou families across from the Xie family, and the Lin and Jin families living at the outer gate were all sneaking around to watch the excitement.

There was no helping it; who made the Cheng family so explosive in the courtyard lately? After all, a fake pregnancy was something no one expected, but it let everyone enjoy a big melon during this wind of the approaching New Year.

The story is complicated; to make a long story short, Cheng Xue wasn't pregnant, but during the time she thought she was, she had caused plenty of trouble for her son-in-law living with his wife's family, Zhang Wang.

Zhang Wang spent money and put in effort, thinking he could get a child, but ended up with nothing.

Now, Zhang Wang's ancestral home was unhappy and came to arrange for the two to divorce quickly, while also making the Cheng family spit out the money Zhang Wang had spent during this time.

As for the matter the Cheng couple mentioned earlier about the son-in-law living with his wife's family giving a bridal price, after Zhang Wang's mother spread the word, there was none at all.

Instead, Zhang Wang had put two hundred yuan of bridal price into the family to marry Cheng Xue.

Adding up the money Zhang Wang spent bit by bit during these days, the Cheng family paying three hundred and fifty would still be getting a bargain.

The melon-eating crowd in the courtyard:...

Shen Yao asked Grandmother-in-law Zhou how she viewed this matter. "Divorce probably isn't likely."

Her tone was hesitant. It wasn't about how deep Cheng Xue and Zhang Wang's feelings were, but rather that this era resisted divorce; as long as there wasn't a huge conflict, they always advised reconciliation, not divorce.

Better to destroy ten temples than break one marriage.

"No. The Zhang family coming over definitely means they've discussed how to force the Cheng family to make concessions."

Grandmother-in-law Zhou hit the nail on the head; she completely understood the Zhang family's purpose.

"Zhang Wang is a son-in-law living with his wife's family, but judging by the expenses and the situation in the Cheng family, it makes sense to talk about it as marrying a wife."

"I guess the Zhang family plans to turn living in as a son-in-law into going home, wanting the child Cheng Xue gives birth to to take the surname Zhang."

Grandmother-in-law Zhou even felt the Zhang family doing this was not unreasonable.

The shameful things the Cheng family did were all handles; as long as the Zhang family wasn't stupid, they definitely had to get some benefits back.

Shen Yao nodded, thinking that even though modern society was open, not everyone was willing to let their child take the mother's surname, let alone during this period. If a family only had girls, they still had to worry about being wiped out, showing the importance of surnames.

"If the child Cheng Xue gives birth to really takes the surname Zhang, Uncle Cheng and Aunt Cheng will have been busy for nothing."

"It would be better to find Qian Jian'gang as a son-in-law; at least the Qian and Cheng families are in the same courtyard, and you can see your daughter and grandchild just by stepping out, which is better than going to live at the Zhang family's."

Zhang Wang's home was opposite Fengshou Hutong; it took more than half an hour by car.

If Cheng Xue really went to the Zhang family to be a daughter-in-law, she would probably have her life with Zhang Wang in the Cheng family reversed.

Tsk tsk tsk

Shen Yao couldn't help but sigh; it really was karmic retribution.

"Tsk, if only they knew money was hard to buy earlier. Who let the Cheng family hand over the handle themselves?"

Grandmother-in-law Zhou withdrew her gaze, turned around, and reached out to send Shen Yao back into the house. "The figures are gone now; let's wait until they've made enough of a scene before we say anything."

Shen Yao looked back longingly, "When will it be settled?"

Watching melons and drama every day, and still no result—she's about to give birth.

The due date is in early to mid-January, calculated by the solar calendar.

Converted to this year's lunar calendar, that time happens to be the first day of the twelfth lunar month; after giving birth and returning home for postpartum confinement, Shen Yao can still lie in bed and celebrate the New Year.

"Just wait, it might be after the holiday."

Who knows when this kind of mutual pulling will yield results.

Grandmother-in-law Zhou signaled Shen Yao to go to sleep quickly since she was tired; she had to go back and cut the remaining cloth to make paper diapers commonly used by infants.

They were all old clothes worn by Xie family members, scalded with hot water, washed, and brought here for processing.

As for new cloth, new cloth cannot be used by infants; it will give them red buttocks.

Seeing her own grandma busy in a flurry, Shen Yao's expression paused, and she simply turned her head to lie on the soft bed and close her eyes to rest.

Relying on the support provided by the bed, Shen Yao soon fell into a deep sleep.

……

Time entered 1970, and the situation of the whole country became somewhat more severe.

Shen Yao's belly was already very big; she could hardly walk around.

Indeed, her belly was frighteningly big; Xie Ci'an worried, not only taking leave in advance for himself but also, against opposition, sending Shen Yao to the hospital to wait for delivery.

The hospital she went to was naturally the City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital; although it seemed a bit off-track, Shen Yao's birth mother, grandma, and deceased maternal grandfather were all people from here; staying here for delivery would be more comfortable in every way.

"Little Xie did the right thing; you should come stay here for a few days; at least it will be safer."

Yuan Li came to the obstetrics and gynecology department during her spare time, specially asking the doctors here to take more care; before leaving, she didn't forget to instruct Shen Yao to go out as little as possible if there was nothing wrong.

Shen Yao:... Not moving at all, lying here alone is so boring.

"Be obedient; the City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital has been troubled lately," Yuan Li muttered softly, then went to the pharmacy to work.

After Yuan Li left, Shen Yao turned her head to look at Xie Ci'an and Grandmother-in-law Zhou, who were helping her tidy the bed and fetch things; well, these two were also very busy and had no time to pay attention to her at all.

Supporting her belly, she first sat on the stool to rest; after the bed was made with the quilts she brought, she simply took off her shoes and lay down.

"Grandma will go to the cafeteria to get food for you; Little Xie, you stay with Yao Yao first."

"Grandma, why don't I go instead?" The cafeteria of the City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital was in the back, quite a distance away.

"No need, no need; I have special tickets in my hand; I can get good things."

Grandmother-in-law Zhou pushed Xie Ci'an, letting him sit on the round stool to wait; she would be back soon.

Xie Ci'an:...

Xie Ci'an watched Grandmother-in-law Zhou leave with swift steps, turned his head, and joked with Shen Yao about being disliked.

"Grandma is a hero of the City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital; our lunch today is guaranteed to be good."

Shen Yao hehe laughed, holding her belly and half-leaning on the pillow to relax.

Xie Ci'an raised his eyebrows, his gaze sweeping over the somewhat empty room, "It shows."

Grandmother-in-law Zhou had more face than the mother-in-law at the City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital; even the doorman greeted them with a smiling face.

The young couple waited in the room, but instead of waiting for Grandmother-in-law Zhou to return, they saw another pregnant woman who had been admitted.

From her clothing and appearance, her family background was not bad; her figure and looks had not changed too much due to pregnancy.

This person directly stayed in the bed next to Shen Yao's, near the doorway for coming and going.

Shen Yao was near the window; between the two people was a white curtain, and the remaining space was a walkway for people to pass through.

In broad daylight, the white curtain was definitely not drawn, so the two people nodded at each other face to face as a greeting.

A little later, Grandmother-in-law Zhou entered the door holding two lunch boxes in her arms and carrying a thermos in her hand.

"Quick, Little Xie, set up the table; we should eat lunch."

Grandmother-in-law Zhou greeted them, smiling, and put all the things in her hand on the surface of the Xiao Ba Xian table newly propped up on the bed.

The lunch boxes and thermos were opened; the aroma of chicken soup instantly filled the whole room.

Shen Yao's eyes were bright and sparkling; she took the chicken soup and gulped it down to her mouth.

"Grandma"

Giving Grandmother-in-law Zhou a thumbs up, Shen Yao sincerely admired her own grandma.

Amazing

"Eat more; only when you are full and well-fed can you give birth to a child."

Grandmother-in-law Zhou continued to add dishes to Shen Yao's bowl; as for Xie Ci'an on one side, he took care of himself.

"Um, Auntie, I want to ask, where did you buy this chicken soup?"

The three people who were eating all raised their heads at the same time and saw a middle-aged man asking them awkwardly about the chicken soup they were drinking.

Grandmother-in-law Zhou wiped her mouth and smiled, telling the man to bring his bowl over, "There's still some left; give it to your wife for nourishment; it's too late for you to go buy some now; the cafeteria is closed."

"You have to bring your own materials to the cafeteria and ask them; just give a bit more labor fee."

Hearing this, the middle-aged man first thanked Grandmother-in-law Zhou, then somewhat embarrassedly asked for a bowl of soup for his wife; this person turned around and stuffed half a pack of brown sugar to Grandmother-in-law Zhou.

"My wife and I have no elders to help us, and my beloved is pregnant with her first child."

"Auntie, thank you for these few days of helping to watch over; I am extremely grateful, extremely grateful."

The middle-aged man's speech sounded a bit awkward, like he was speaking in official tones.

Shen Yao looked at the other party with a strange gaze, turned her head and speculated with Xie Ci'an that this person must be a leader, with a not-low official position.

Grandmother-in-law Zhou said it was too courteous with her mouth, but her hand did not forget to properly take the brown sugar.

Smiling, she personally went over and greeted the man's wife; Grandmother-in-law Zhou also gave the other party several handfuls of dried jujubes she brought from home.

"Use them as daily snacks; your lip color is a bit pale; you need to nourish your qi and blood."

Hearing this, the middle-aged man hurriedly asked Grandmother-in-law Zhou what else could nourish qi and blood; "My wife is a bit anemic; drinking brown sugar water usually has no effect."

Grandmother-in-law Zhou suggested eating some animal liver, "As long as the oil is sufficient, there's no fishy smell.

Besides, pregnancy itself is hard work for a pregnant woman; brown sugar water, jujubes, and walnuts all supplement a bit."

The middle-aged man nodded, "I'll go home this afternoon and bring some over."

He didn't think the things Grandmother-in-law Zhou mentioned were precious at all; he even wanted to buy an old hen to stew chicken soup for his wife to drink in the evening.

"Auntie, I'll buy a big one, so everyone can have a sip of hot soup then."

"That's good, young man looks spirited; just looking at your wife's complexion shows she's been well-nourished during pregnancy."

Pregnant women, large and small, all have some minor ailments; the Qi and Blood issues Grandmother-in-law Zhou mentioned, if not severe, are just small problems, unless extreme anemia threatens life.

The man listened to Grandmother-in-law Zhou's words and smiled until his whole face blossomed.

The two looked to be about twenty years apart in age, yet still chatted heatedly.

When the man went out, his address for Grandmother-in-law Zhou had already changed from Auntie to Sister Zhou.

Shen Yao:...

Shen Yao looked helplessly at Xie Ci'an, thinking her own Grandma was truly capable.

In just this bit of time, she had recognized a sworn brother.

"Lie down obediently, put away the leftovers; Grandma will go buy you something delicious in the evening."

Grandmother-in-law Zhou turned her head and instructed Shen Yao in one sentence, then cared a couple sentences for her newly recognized sworn sister-in-law, asked about the due date, and didn't forget to share the diapers she had made herself.

Shen Yao performed very well in this aspect; even though Grandmother-in-law Zhou took out quite a few things from her own home and gave them away, Shen Yao remained natural and at ease, completely without pettiness, her emotions very stable.

And the sworn sister-in-law cared for by Grandmother-in-law Zhou, namely Cui Yuxi, was flattered.

She also hadn't expected that she merely normally entered the hospital to give birth to a child, and as a result pulled back a sworn relative for her family.

Although the two sides didn't know each other, they got along harmoniously; moreover, the other party's gifts reached Cui Yuxi's heart.

Cui Yuxi called her Sister Zhou with every word, and the middle-aged man was truly a match as a couple.

Grandmother-in-law Zhou was very pleased, at least on the surface enjoying it, pulling Cui Yuxi to popularize various postpartum matters.

The middle-aged man who had just left, namely Grandmother-in-law Zhou's sworn brother Huang Zhipeng, had said that the two of them had no elders to help, and the wife was pregnant for the first time, so their relevant knowledge certainly wasn't mastered proficiently.

This was just right for Grandmother-in-law Zhou's home turf; as a Grandmother-in-law Zhou with rich experience, she could be called a walking human-form machine, saying everything that could be said and couldn't be said, making Cui Yuxi both grateful and embarrassed.

Grateful because Grandmother-in-law Zhou helped the couple a great deal; embarrassed because they themselves had previously made a joke of it, fortunately Grandmother-in-law Zhou's popularization was timely.