Chapter 160: Picking Up a Baby

Cheng Huazi nodded, “Mm, it’s good that you’re back. Come inside.”

The family entered the main room.

The main room was very simple, with no furniture.

There was just an Eight Immortals table cluttered with things.

In the center of the room, a brazier burned for warmth, surrounded by low stools.

It seemed everyone had been sitting here by the fire, waiting for them.

Cheng Jingmo led Yu Xiangnian and Xiao Jie to the elderly man and woman, formally introducing them, “Dad, Mom, this is my wife, Yu Xiangnian, and this is our adopted child, Xiao Jie.”

Yu Xiangnian bowed, “Dad, Mom.”

Xiao Jie also bowed, “Grandpa, Grandma.”

The couple nodded in acknowledgment.

Cheng Jingmo then guided Yu Xiangnian around the room, introducing everyone.

However, he didn’t recognize many of the people present.

Cheng Shuanzhu stepped forward to introduce them, “This is my wife, Li Cuihua, and these are my two kids, Da Mao and Xiao Mao.”

When Cheng Jingmo joined the army, Cheng Shuanzhu wasn’t married yet, so he naturally didn’t know these people.

“This is the third brother’s wife, Zhang Hongli, and their eldest, Anzi.”

“And you must remember him; he’s the sixth brother, Cheng Shuanliu. He was just a toddler when you left.”

Cheng Jingmo laughed sincerely, “I didn’t expect everyone to have grown up so much.”

After everyone was introduced, it was already very late.

Cheng Huazi said, “Let’s all go to bed. We have to get up early to work tomorrow!”

Cheng Shuanzhu pointed to a room, “This is yours. It’s all set up.”

Cheng Jingmo lit a kerosene lamp and led Yu Xiangnian and Xiao Jie into the room.

The room smelled musty and contained only a bed and a cabinet.

The bed had old, worn-out bedding, and the cabinet was so old it had lost its color.

The adjacent rooms were occupied by Cheng Shuanzhu’s family and Cheng Shansuo’s family.

The house had no soundproofing, so conversations in the neighboring rooms could be heard clearly.

Xiao Jie asked, “Uncle, where will I sleep?”

Cheng Jingmo replied, “We’ll have to make do for tonight. I’ll find a solution tomorrow.”

Yu Xiangnian thought, “Three people sharing one bed?!”

Cheng Jingmo then told Yu Xiangnian, “We can’t take a bath tonight. We’ll have to make do with washing up. I’ll take you to the washroom.”

He led Yu Xiangnian and Xiao Jie to the kitchen.

Yu Xiangnian was puzzled, thinking it was the first time she’d seen a washing area combined with a cooking area.

There was a washstand in the kitchen with a few basins on it.

Cheng Jingmo said, “I’ll buy a basin tomorrow. For tonight, we’ll use theirs, but I’ll wash it first.”

Yu Xiangnian didn’t want to use others’ things, “No need. We’ll just make do.”

Making do meant that Cheng Jingmo filled a ladle with cold water and went to the courtyard wall.

He wet a towel to wipe his face and splashed water on his feet to wash them.

Yu Xiangnian thought, “This way of washing is a first.”

“Xiao Jie, you wash up and go to bed,” Cheng Jingmo told him, and Xiao Jie went back to the room.

Cheng Jingmo then said to Yu Xiangnian, “Sorry, you’ll have to make do with just wiping.”

Yu Xiangnian knew what he meant. Even though she couldn’t take a bath, she still needed to clean herself every night, but without a basin, it was impossible.

Yu Xiangnian wanted to go home immediately.

Back in the room, an exhausted Xiao Jie was already asleep.

Cheng Jingmo spoke softly, “Lie down on the bed, and I’ll massage your feet.”

Yu Xiangnian, also speaking softly, said, “Let me massage you instead.”

Cheng Jingmo had carried and hauled so many things alone; his arms and shoulders must be sore.

Cheng Jingmo, surprised, said, “No need.”

“Be good, let me massage your shoulders,” Yu Xiangnian insisted.

Cheng Jingmo sat on the bed, and Yu Xiangnian knelt behind him, massaging his shoulders and arms.

With every move, the bed creaked.

Yu Xiangnian chuckled, “Cheng Jingmo, I understand why you were so rough last night.”

Cheng Jingmo probably realized they couldn’t do anything at home and wanted to make the most of it while they could.

Cheng Jingmo’s ears turned red, “I hurt you.”

“I enjoyed it too,” Yu Xiangnian teased, “Does this mean we brought all those things for nothing?”

Cheng Jingmo: “…”

Inside, he felt a surge of joy because Yu Xiangnian said she was also very happy.

Feeling heartbroken for Yu Xiangnian, Cheng Jingmo let her massage him for a bit before telling her to go to sleep.

The three of them lay on the bed: Xiao Jie on the innermost side, Yu Xiangnian in the middle, and Cheng Jingmo on the outermost side.

The quilt had a musty odor, but the temperature was low, so Yu Xiangnian had no choice but to cover herself with it.

Currently, there were no ready-made quilts for sale; everyone had to order them, and it would take some time to make a new one.

Yu Xiangnian felt increasingly desperate and sighed.

Cheng Jingmo knew what she was thinking. Feeling guilty, he gently stroked Yu Xiangnian’s head and said softly, “Sorry for making you suffer. I’ll find a way to get a quilt.”

Yu Xiangnian didn’t respond, feeling unhappy with Cheng Jingmo’s parents.

They knew the couple was coming back but hadn’t prepared a new quilt for them.

They hadn’t prepared anything, not even towels—they had to bring their own!

Yu Xiangnian asked quietly, “Cheng Jingmo, why do all your siblings have names like Cheng Shuanxiu, but you’re not called Cheng Shuanmo?”

In the darkness, Cheng Jingmo took a while to respond, “I was adopted.”

His tone was calm, but Yu Xiangnian could sense a hint of sadness.

No wonder they called Cheng Jingmo “Jianwa.”

Yu Xiangnian now understood that it wasn’t Jianwa, but an adopted child!

No wonder Cheng Jingmo introduced Cheng Shuanzhu as the eldest of the family; he wasn’t blood-related to them!

No wonder Cheng Jingmo would never abandon Xiao Jie—he shared the same background.

Yu Xiangnian felt a pang of sorrow and said, “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

Cheng Jingmo replied, “I was self-conscious and couldn’t bring myself to say it. Later, I thought you would find out everything when you came home with me.”

Yu Xiangnian comforted him, “It’s alright. You and your parents are both kind and loving.”

Cheng Jingmo kissed her forehead, “Go to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow.”

Yu Xiangnian barely managed to fall asleep before she woke up from the itching.

Her legs and arms were unbearably itchy.

Cheng Jingmo turned on the flashlight and saw that Yu Xiangnian had dozens of welts from bites on her legs and arms.

“It’s fleas,” Cheng Jingmo said, touching the welts with a heart full of pity.

Yu Xiangnian, drowsy and itchy, pouted unhappily.

“Don’t scratch,” Cheng Jingmo said as he got out of bed. “I’ll find some medicine for you.”

Cheng Jingmo opened the door, walked to the next room, and knocked, “Shuanzhu, Shuanzhu.”

Cheng Shuanzhu’s voice came from the other side, “Brother, what’s wrong?”

“Do you have any cooling oil?”

“Cooling oil? Yes, wait a moment.”

The walls of the house were so thin that even the sounds from the neighboring room were audible. Soon, the sound of a door opening was heard.

Cheng Shuanzhu asked, “What’s the matter?”

“There are fleas,” Cheng Jingmo replied.

He returned to the room, closed the door, and held a small red box.