Free Web NovelChapter 50: Chapter 50: A Few Things During Pregnancy (Part 1)
In the blink of an eye, Zhou Lian was already six months pregnant. The Mid-Autumn Festival on the fifteenth of the eighth lunar month arrived during the busiest part of the autumn harvest.
Before the autumn harvest, Li Xiu had secretly gone into Daqing Mountain again and hunted two wild boars. He sent half a boar to Zhou Lian’s family, and the remaining half was split between Eldest Li and Third Brother Li.
Of the other boar, they kept half for themselves. The other half was divided among Ge Ye, Ge Dayu, Sun Ershan’s family, and Li Xiu’s aunt’s family. The old residence, however, acted as if it knew nothing. Ever since that last incident, they’d had no contact.
On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone who was supposed to work still went to work. Farming families had no such thing as holidays, and this was the busiest time of year. Zhou Lian, with her six-month pregnant belly, carried a large bamboo basket to the edge of the fields to bring Li Xiu his meal.
It was the hottest part of the day, and the workers were resting in twos and threes in the shade of the trees, waiting for their families to bring them food. Li Xiu tilted his head back and drank half a canteen of water, wiped his sweat, and tossed the canteen to Li Guo. "Your sister-in-law boiled this mung bean water," he said. "You and your brother drink it. I’m going to meet your sister-in-law on the path."
Watching his eldest brother quickly walk towards the path leading to the village, Li Guo, holding the canteen, chuckled and said to his own older brother, "Bro, Eldest Brother really dotes on Sister-in-law. He even has to go meet her for such a short distance?"
Snatching the canteen, Li Bao drank most of it before looking at his younger brother with disdain. "Sister-in-law is over six months pregnant. What’s wrong with Eldest Brother being worried and going to meet her? What does a little brat like you know!"
"Bro, leave some for me! Sister-in-law puts rock sugar in her mung bean water." Seeing his brother was about to finish it, Li Guo quickly snatched it back. He shook the canteen; there was still quite a bit left. His brother had saved some for him after all. He drank the rest of the water, smacking his lips in enjoyment.
Li Guo continued, "Sister-in-law is so good to Eldest Brother. She always adds rock sugar to the mung bean water she brings him, and she makes him so much delicious food. There’s always a share for us, too. Sister-in-law is just too good to us."
Li Bao smiled but didn’t say anything. ’He’s still young; there are some things he doesn’t understand. Sister-in-law is a good sister-in-law, and she’s truly good to us, but she and Eldest Brother are cut from the same cloth—they are both people who are clear about gratitude and grudges. You can tell just by looking at Second Uncle’s family.’
’A while ago, Eldest Brother brought over thirty or forty pounds of pork, all of it good meat, but Second Uncle’s family didn’t see so much as a pig’s bristle. If Sister-in-law were a soft-hearted person, she would have definitely persuaded Eldest Brother not to make things so ugly. He dotes on her so much, he would have certainly listened. But alas, Sister-in-law is no pushover who lets others walk all over her. Still, a sister-in-law like that is more reassuring and likable. Eldest Brother’s life hasn’t been easy, but with a sister-in-law like this to support him, his good days are ahead of him!’
Seeing Li Xiu striding over to meet her and hearing the good-natured teasing from the nearby aunties, Zhou Lian smiled helplessly. ’I’ve told him not to come and get me. On such a hot day, after working all morning, he should just rest and wait. But Li Xiu never listens. He nods his head when I tell him, but when the time comes, he does exactly what he did before. He just won’t be told!’
He walked up, took the basket from Zhou Lian’s hands, and supported her with his other arm, asking with concern, "Are you tired? Why did you bring so much? This is so heavy."
"It’s nothing, it’s not that heavy. I can carry it," Zhou Lian said softly, letting Li Xiu support her as they walked slowly. ’It’s not like I’m that delicate. In my last life, although I didn’t work in the fields, I still went to work. I was picking peanuts at the threshing ground. Even though I was sitting, it was still very tiring to sit for a long time with a six-month belly.’
Seeing his eldest brother and sister-in-law approaching from a distance, Li Guo jumped up, ran over, took the basket from Li Xiu’s hands, and greeted Zhou Lian. "Sister-in-law, why is this so heavy? Did you make more delicious food?"
Looking at the lively Li Guo, Zhou Lian said with a smile, "I did. It’s the Mid-Autumn Festival today, so I made an extra dish for your eldest brother. And there’s a share for you!"
"Oh, thank you, Sister-in-law! Your cooking is so much better than my mom’s. I just don’t get it, with the same ingredients, how come my mom can’t make it like... OUCH, OUCH, OUCH."
With his ear being twisted, Li Guo turned to see it was his own older sister. He sucked in a breath and secretly felt relieved. ’Thank goodness it’s just my sister. If it were my mom...’ He shook his head and shut his mouth. ’Disaster really does come from an unguarded tongue!’
"You little brat, mooching off Eldest Brother again, and you dare speak ill of Mom? You’re asking for a beating, aren’t you!" After greeting her eldest brother and sister-in-law, Li Gui scolded her younger brother. ’This little rascal always runs over to Eldest Brother’s to freeload before the workday is even over.’
"Sis, let go! My ear is about to fall off! It’s not like that, Eldest Brother called me over." Li Guo felt wronged. ’Eldest Brother calls me over every time, okay? He even sent a lot of meat to our house, so it’s not like I’m starved for it. It’s just that Sister-in-law is such a good cook, and her food is delicious. Besides, what meat doesn’t taste good?’
"Alright, Little Sis," Li Xiu said, smiling to change the subject. "Go get Third Uncle and Third Aunt, and call over Eldest Uncle’s family, too. Let’s all eat together today. Your sister-in-law made a lot." ’The basket must have twenty or thirty pounds of things in it. Looks like my wife planned this. Even though I sent them all meat, everyone is so busy right now they don’t have time to cook. They’re all just making do. Not like my wife, who comes up with new dishes every day just so I can eat well!’
Li Gui was about to refuse when she saw her sister-in-law looking at her with a beaming smile. She understood at once that her sister-in-law must have planned this all along. She gave Zhou Lian a grateful smile and said, "Alright then. The little ones are all with Grandma at the threshing ground. I’ll go get them. Eldest Uncle and my dad are right over there, I just need to give them a shout."
They watched as Li Xiu took out the contents of the bamboo basket one by one: a large basin of braised pork, a large basin of soy-braised ribs, a large basin of stir-fried loofah and egg, a large basin of smashed cucumber with garlic, a large basin of crispy fried little fish, a large basin of pickled mountain bamboo shoots, mountain peppers, and bracken, and a large basin of steamed white rice.
The little kids were drooling with hunger. The adults all stared at the dishes on the ground without a word. It was obvious that Zhou Lian had put a lot of thought into this. She knew everyone was extremely busy and didn’t have the energy to cook even if they had good ingredients. This was her way of adding some richness to everyone’s meals.
Grandma Li glanced around, saw their expressions, and nodded in satisfaction. ’It’s enough that they understand the child’s intentions.’ Watching her granddaughters lay out each family’s food together, she said, "Go on and eat. When you’re done, rest a bit before you go back to work."
Watching the Lao family’s first and third branches and Li Xiu’s little family gathered together, eating boisterously as the scent of meat wafted over from time to time, the other villagers all looked up and exchanged knowing glances before lowering their heads to eat again. A few of the younger folks who were friendly with Li Bao and the others curiously ran over to take a look, then returned to absentmindedly gnaw on the dry rations in their hands.
Before it was time for the afternoon’s work, the entire village knew that Li Xiu and his wife were living too well. Not only did they eat meat every day, but they were also generous enough to cook it for their uncles’ families.
Some troublemakers even went out of their way to gossip with Second Brother Li’s family. "Li Xiu’s wife made a huge basin of braised pork and a huge basin of soy-braised ribs. Didn’t they call you over to eat? I saw Eldest Li’s family and Third Brother Li’s family were all there!"
"My, your eldest son is really something! Cooking up those big chunks of meat by the basinful. How was it, was it tasty? Just looking at it made my mouth water!"
"I’m telling you, you’re all so lucky! That eldest son of yours is so capable, able to get his hands on so much meat. He must have sent you a lot, right? That Li Xiu is so filial!"
"You know, you’re just so fortunate. When Li Xiu was little, he was raised by his grandma and sister-in-law. When he was old enough to work, he was exceptionally capable. He even built his own house and got married without you, his mother, having to worry about a thing. Not only did you not have to spend any money, but you didn’t even have to lift a finger. And he’s so filial and generous! How did you ever give birth to such a wonderful son!"
Listening to these old hens gloating and showering her with sarcasm, Ge Er Ya almost lost her temper. But then she thought of Li Xiu’s attitude and how angry Second Brother Li had been, and she held it in, though she was cursing them endlessly in her heart.
Li Hua and Li Xin heard it all too. They couldn’t argue back, couldn’t speak out, and couldn’t get into a fight, which left them feeling utterly frustrated. Didn’t this just prove Grandma Li’s saying, ’Everyone bears the consequences of their own actions’? As they say, the heavens are watching what people do; deities are just three feet above one’s head.
