Chapter 24

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Wang Zhanggen brought Li Xiulan back home, put her on the bedroom bed to lie down, then hurried off to fetch hot water to give Li Xiulan her medicine.

After Li Xiulan took the medicine, the bleeding stopped.

But her belly still sent wave after wave of unbearable pain.

She just endured it like that.

Endured the whole night.

Not until the next morning did the pain gradually ease a little.

In her exhaustion she gradually fell asleep.

Wang Zhanggen, dragging his exhausted body, went to tend the livestock, made breakfast for the two children at home, washed clothes, watered the vegetable patch, picked mulberry leaves to feed the silkworms, busy from dawn to dusk.

It was precisely at this time that Wang Zhanggen deeply realized how hard it was for his wife to raise two children alone at home and do so much farm work — simply more tiring than his factory job.

After lying in bed recuperating for a week, Li Xiulan miraculously recovered.

She not only kept the child, but also regained her vitality.

Perhaps sometimes life isn't as fragile as imagined.

Rural people aren't coddled like city folk; as long as they have a mouthful of rice they can survive.

Li Xiulan's situation is the best portrait of that.

As soon as Li Xiulan could get out of bed and move around, she couldn't stay idle.

Sweeping, feeding chickens, cooking — some light housework — she bustled about happily.

Wang Zhanggen wouldn't let her do it, but she was unwilling to stop.

She even said if she didn't do something she'd be bored to death.

The couple's relationship was silently mended by a serious illness; both sides tacitly stopped mentioning divorce.

Though a layer of unspeakable estrangement had grown between them, sometimes they even became a bit polite with each other.

But all of this, given enough time, can slowly be ground smooth.

He Dazhu, the culprit, didn't come to visit once during the days Li Xiulan was bedridden.

He knew Li Xiulan was sick, knew she lay in bed unable to rise, but simply didn't come look.

He was afraid inside — afraid Li Xiulan would die and Wang Zhanggen would blame him, afraid Wang Zhanggen would come at him with a knife.

After all, Wang Zhanggen had chopped Yang Dafu; chopping him wasn't impossible either.

So he just kept hiding.

This man never took responsibility from start to finish, just like his limp cock — no wonder Liao Chunhua looks down on him so.

On the other side, Yang Dafu spent these days everywhere proclaiming his innocence, saying he didn't rape Li Xiulan, hoping to become Shanggou Village's Women's Federation Director again; for this he even personally went to the Town Government several times, trying to pull strings by sending gifts.

Too bad, the Town Government had already chosen a new person for the Shanggou Village Women's Federation Director post, and they wouldn't accept the gifts he sent.

Seeing reinstatement was hopeless, plus he'd already divorced his wife.

Yang Dafu felt staying in the village was pointless, so he decided to go to a big city to work.

Once he left, the village gossip about Li Xiulan quieted down by more than half.

In a blink, over half a year passed.

Li Xiulan's due date was fast approaching.

"Husband, what should we name this child?"

Li Xiulan held her big belly, face full of expectation, and asked this question.

"Don't know if it's a boy or a girl?" Wang Zhanggen's face full of expectation: "A girl would be best!"

Because they already had two boys, he didn't want the third to be a boy too.

"It's definitely a girl, I have a strong premonition!"

Li Xiulan's tone was firm.

Wang Zhanggen said: "If it's a girl, let's call her Wang Xiaohua."

"Xiaohua, Xiaohua, little flower, later she'll bear big fruit!" Li Xiulan laughed, talking to herself, "Wang Xiaohua, good name!"

Because it was an over-quota birth, Wang Zhanggen and Li Xiulan couldn't get a Birth Permit.

So there was simply no way to go to the Hospital to give birth.

But at that time the countryside still had many Midwives, and the Midwives' techniques were very professional.

Wang Zhanggen calculated the date and gave the Midwife advance notice.

In the few days before his wife was due to give birth, he brought the Midwife to stay at their Home, ready to deliver at any time.

On October 12, 1993, Li Xiulan and Wang Zhanggen's third child was finally born.

Li Xiulan's delivery this time went very smoothly; because she had already given birth to two children and had the experience of the previous two times, she didn't feel much pain this time before the infant came out of the uterus.

"Aunt Lifang, is it a boy or a girl?"

When the infant's first cry rang out in the crude, dilapidated room, Li Xiulan hurriedly asked.

She wanted to know the result too much.

She had longed day and night for her Xiaohua to come into this world and grow up happy together with her.

However, a single sentence from Midwife Chen Lifang plunged her into a disappointment difficult to accept.

"One with a handle! It's a boy!" Chen Lifang wore a happy smile and even praised: "Xiulan, you're really something, three boys in a row — Wang Zhanggen this is glory to the ancestors!"

Wang Zhanggen heard the infant's crying and walked in from outside:

"Wife, you've worked hard!"

The Midwife brought the child over:

"Changgen, you're truly blessed, it's another boy!"

Wang Zhanggen also felt somewhat disappointed.

He had also wanted a girl.

If he hadn't wanted a girl, he wouldn't have let his wife continue her pregnancy.

The two of them had already thought of a girl's name for the child, Wang Xiaohua, what a cute and beautiful girl's name it was, but now a boy had arrived instead, truly fate playing tricks!

"Another boy, how could it not be a girl?" Wang Zhanggen sighed.

Chen Lifang said with a laugh:

"Look at the two of you as a couple, still not happy! Truly, some die of drought while others die of flood; other families give birth to several girls without producing a single boy, but you're fine, three in a row are all males! What a blessing it takes to give birth to three boys in a row, how much virtue did you accumulate in your past life!"

Facing such cutting words from Midwife Chen Lifang, Li Xiulan and Wang Zhanggen could only smile helplessly.

They really wanted a girl.

"Wife, what should we name this child?"

After seeing off the Midwife, Wang Zhanggen held the child and came over to ask Li Xiulan.

The name Wang Xiaohua was clearly not very suitable for a boy.

Li Xiulan's face was full of gloom:

"Why not still call him Wang Xiaohua? I've called him Wang Xiaohua for over half a year already, changing now would feel stiff."

Wang Zhanggen thought it over and finally nodded in agreement:

"As you wish, then let's call him Wang Xiaohua!"

Since Li Xiulan had a serious illness and nearly miscarried, Wang Zhanggen had become doting on Li Xiulan in every way; whatever request Li Xiulan made, he would agree.

So now, although he felt the name Wang Xiaohua was too feminine, he ultimately agreed to Li Xiulan's suggestion and named his third son Wang Xiaohua.

……