Chapter 223: What Comes After Having Children

The hustle and bustle were gone, but back at home someone felt ill at ease.

Yu Li, facing another round of pressure from San Da Ma, could barely take it.

"Yan Jie Cheng, can you do it? Hurry up and plant the fields—if you can't get anything to grow, your mom will tear me apart."

Yan Jie Cheng now walks with his legs splayed, holding his waist, begging repeatedly.

"Wife, wife, please spare me—I can't take it, really can't take it; if this continues, I'll die."

Yu Li ignored him.

"I don't care; if your mother pressures me, I'll pressure you."

"If you still can't get pregnant, how will others see me?"

Yan Jie Cheng held his waist.

"Fine, fine, I'll talk about this—don't pressure me; anyway, for the next six months you'd better not even think of touching me."

"It's killing me, it's killing me."

Yan Jie Cheng walked over like a crab to San Da Ye's house.

As soon as he entered, the couple hadn't gone to sleep yet.

Upon seeing San Da Ma, Yan Jie Cheng almost burst into tears.

"Mom……"

That single word 'Mom' held a grievance as vast as rivers, lakes, and seas—inexhaustible.

Seeing Yan Jie Cheng, San Da Ye and San Da Ma both felt a pang of heartache.

"Come on, Jiecheng, hurry over and sit."

Yan Jie Cheng did not go sit.

"Mom, Dad, can you stop pressuring Yu Li to have a child?"

"She's fine, but I might not be able to hold out."

"This isn't doable—demanding it every day, even an iron-clad man couldn't stand it."

San Da Ma complained.

"Who let you be so unpromising?"

San Da Ye glanced at him.

"You say you've been married almost a year—why is there still no sign?"

"Look at Sha Zhu, then look at Chen Hong."

"They already have kids—why don't you?"

San Da Ma chimed in.

"Yeah, we agreed to all your conditions—what's this you're putting us through?"

Yan Jie Cheng felt wronged and pitiful.

"Dad, Mom, I've looked into it—having a child isn't something you can just will into existence."

"Some get pregnant the first day, some after two or three years, and others only after seven or eight years."

"Whether we have a child is up to heaven—we can't decide it ourselves."

"What do you think—let's drop the special treatment; we don't want it, and just stop pressuring us about the child, okay?"

San Da Ye and his wife still hesitated a bit.

Afraid they wouldn't agree, Yan Jie Cheng continued.

"Mom, just agree—otherwise I don't know if we'll have a kid or not; anyway, I'm about to break down."

San Da Ye thought it over and figured: if Jiecheng were to have a child now, we wouldn't gain anything and might even have to subsidize them later; if they had no child, they could work for us for free for years—clearly it's better not to have a child.

The desire for a grandson mainly comes from San Da Ma; she's eager for a grandchild, so she's pressuring Yan Jie Cheng, while San Da Ye has little motivation.

"Alright, this really is up to heaven—I'll say this: for the next two years we won't pressure you, but when we talk to outsiders you must say it's because you don't want kids, and we'll revisit it when times are better."

San Da Ma tugged at him, San Da Ye ignored him, and he went on adding.

"However, if you don't want a child now, then things must go back to how they were."

"What a family eats and how much—everything's the same; nobody gets special treatment."

"And any money you earn from odd jobs later must be turned over—we won't ask for much, just ten yuan per person per month."

"You see, no problem, right?"

Yan Jie Cheng wanted to curse his mother in his heart—could they really be this harsh?

Twenty a month— that's equivalent to a full-time worker's wage.

The couple can't even slack off.

But compared to having a child, he'd rather work—he really can't bear it anymore.

"Fine, let's do it that way."

After the discussion, Yan Jie Cheng walked away with a crab-like gait.

As soon as Yan Jie Cheng left, San Da Ye quickly started reckoning with San Da Ma; hearing his calculation, San Da Ma's urge to push Yu Li to have a child faded.

"Then we'll just leave them be—let them have a child or not."

San Da Ye nodded as well.

"It'd be best if they didn't have a child before the second son marries—then we'd get two free laborers."

"We could also save some money; these years we've been scraping by, never having a single good day."

"Look at Liang Ladi—she bought a bicycle; if we saved for a year we could buy one too."

"Then, when we go fishing, we'll surely catch more."

"That way we'll sell more fish; the more we sell, the more money we can save."

Look, this is a virtuous cycle.

San Da Ma was taken in by San Da Ye and immediately forgot all about Yan Jie Cheng and his wife having children.

After Yan Jie Cheng went back inside, Yu Li immediately asked.

"What did your mother say?"

Yan Jie Cheng chose a spot farther from Yu Li to lie down.

"From now on they won't urge us, but everything stays the same; we still have to give them twenty each month."

Upon hearing that everything remained the same and they still had to pay twenty, Yu Li regretted it.

"Actually, I think we can still persevere."

Although it's always uncomfortable being in-between, the food is truly fragrant, and not having to work every day is also nice.

Ah, how did I end up being stupid and pushing this matter aside?

It must be my mother-in-law who cast a spell on me, making me unable to tell right from wrong.

Upon seeing Yu Li's state, Yan Jie Cheng immediately rolled far away.

"Wife, I was wrong, please spare me."

Only now does he understand why people say lust is a bone-scraping knife.

This is literally bone‑knocking and marrow‑sucking—too terrifying.

No wonder the old monk says beautiful women are red‑powdered skeletons.

Even in his current state, if Yu Li exerts a bit of her energy, he still can't help but indulge in a round of mandarin‑duck water play.

No more talk of Yan Jie Cheng's misery.

Meanwhile, Xu Damao's household is also launching a negotiation.

"Xu Damao, why haven't I seen any movement yet?"

Xu Damao has also lost a lot of weight, but being thin is normal in these times.

"Who knows that, I've done my best."

"Otherwise, let's try the folk remedy my mother gave."

"My mother says this works well."

Lou Xiao'e felt nauseous at the mention of the folk remedy; the remedy is so wicked that's why it's termed a 'biased' method.

The contents of it make Lou Xiao'e feel nauseous just hearing about them.

"Get lost—I'd rather die than drink that stuff."

"Xu Damao, if it doesn't work I'll go get you some medicine."

"My father still has tiger penis."

"I'll have it sent over."

"Let's put in a bit more effort."

Upon hearing about tiger penis, Xu Damao was jolted; he can't hold out anymore and needs to replenish.

"Alright, wife, get as much as you can."

"Look at me—I'm thin now."

"If we could get back some meat coupons, that would be even better."

Xu Damao and his wife are enterprising types, feeling that the more setbacks they face, the braver they become.

Even the things of Lou Half City have been eyed.