Chapter 36

Fang Man just spat out the vegetable-filled dumplings her mother-in-law made, and she was still feeling quite smug. But when she suddenly heard her mother-in-law say that she was carrying a piglet, she immediately got furious. Her eyes widened like eggs, and she fired back at her mother-in-law: “What did you say?! You said I’m carrying a piglet? Zhu Youcai! You good-for-nothing! Did you hear what your mother just said? I’m carrying a piglet?! What I’m carrying is the heir of your old Zhu family! If it’s a piglet, then everyone in your Zhu family must be piglets!”

Zhu Youcai, Fang Man’s husband, frowned when he heard his wife’s words. He complained to his mother: “Mom, it’s New Year’s Eve, and this is what you’re saying? What do you mean by saying that Manman is carrying a piglet? Aren’t you just insulting our Zhu family?”

Actually, as soon as Mother Zhu said those words, she regretted it. She was quick with her mouth and had meant to say that Fang Man had just lost a baby. In their countryside, women having babies was as normal as laying eggs. They would fetch water, cook, weed the fields, and nothing would stop them. Sometimes they’d even deliver a baby in the fields if things got rushed.

But Fang Man was different—she stayed at home all day, doing nothing, living like a queen, eating and sleeping!

Moreover, in their countryside, children weren’t always called “piglets” like that. So what was wrong with calling her a piglet?

Zhu’s mother-in-law, feeling justified, looked up and fired back at her son:

“You little brat! You’re the one who remembers it’s New Year’s Eve, huh? All the work at home is done by your old mother! I chopped the firewood, I kneaded the dough, I even made the dumplings! And the wife you brought home, Fang Man, does nothing but eat and sleep all day! She’s a good-for-nothing, and now she has the nerve to complain and ask for meat dumplings! Pah! Who does she think she is! If you ask me, Fang Man is worse than the old sow back home. That old sow can have piglets and still provide meat for the New Year! What can Fang Man do?!”

“And you, you little brat! I gave birth to you and raised you, and in the end, I’ve only raised an ungrateful son! Raising you was no better than raising a pig!” 

Fang Man and Zhu Youcai, who were as worthless as pigs, could only remain silent….

---

As the saying goes, experience wins in the end. Fang Man, the naive young wife, was no match for the wily Mother Zhu. The latter had scolded Fang Man so fiercely that her face turned red and her neck bulged. She was shaking with anger, but Fang Man couldn’t even respond. After enduring the scolding, she burst into tears and, with her big belly, ran back to her parents’ home on New Year’s Eve.

The Fang family was sitting down to enjoy a delicious plate of dumplings when they saw Fang Man, out of breath and crying, return home with her swollen belly.

At first, the family didn’t understand what had happened and could only get her to sit down.

This wasn’t the first time Fang Man had run back to her family crying. Under normal circumstances, Colonel Fang’s wife wouldn’t have bothered with this little sister-in-law, but now that Fang Man was pregnant and crying on her way home, Colonel Fang’s wife couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy for the unborn child. Even before it was born, it already had such a troublemaking mother.

Life wasn’t going to be easy for the child.

Reluctantly, and with some compassion for the unborn baby, Colonel’s wife let Fang Man in. In contrast, when Fang’s mother-in-law saw her daughter crying and hopping around the house like a grasshopper, she didn’t even ask what had happened. Instead, she immediately demanded Colonel Fang, the family’s military officer, go and confront Zhu Youcai’s mother and son.

Colonel Fang was speechless. “What do you think this is, a military camp?” he thought. He couldn’t just grab his weapons and march over to the Zhu family’s house to teach them a lesson. If he did that, he’d probably get kicked out of the party right after.

Having been a soldier for many years, Colonel Fang knew his sister’s temperament. He first comforted Fang Man and then asked her what had happened.

Between sobs, Fang Man, being as innocent as ever, quickly recounted everything that had occurred that evening.

The Fang family, upon hearing Fang Man’s story, was left in disbelief. It was New Year’s Eve, and Fang Man had done nothing at home, which was bad enough, but she had even gone as far as spitting out the dumplings her mother-in-law had worked so hard to make, simply because there was no meat filling.

This was all Mother Fang’s fault!

Colonel Fang was furious.

Meanwhile, Mother Fang and Fang Man were still ranting about teaching Zhu Youcai and his mother a lesson. It wasn’t until Colonel Fang finally exploded in anger that the two of them quieted down.

In any case, thanks to Fang Man’s arrival, the Fang family’s New Year was far from peaceful.

—–

Luckily, the military district’s houses were built a few years ago with thick green bricks, and the family residences were located quite far from each other.

Since it was also New Year’s Eve, many families had already finished their dumplings and were outside setting off fireworks. With all the noise and commotion, no one paid attention to what was happening at the old Fang family’s house.

As Colonel Fang’s wife put it, if outsiders had overheard their family drama, the Fang family would have lost all their face.

After hearing his wife’s words, Colonel Fang sighed.

Who else could have caused such a fuss over not having meat dumplings for New Year’s dinner and ended up in a fight with her mother-in-law, running back to her parents’ home?

Only Fang Man could do something like this.

While the Fang family was drowning in gloom, the Lu family was having a blast.

The New Year’s Eve dinner at their home was lavish, and because Jiang Chunzhao had told her two kids that tonight, on New Year’s Eve, they could eat as many sweets as they wanted, set off fireworks, make snowmen, and even roll around in the snow, the children were absolutely delighted.

The two little ones were so excited their faces were flushed with happiness. After dinner, they went out to play in the yard. They ran around with fireworks, laughing, and rolling in the snow. The mischievous Shitou even thought about taking off his shoes to run barefoot in the snow. Not only did he want to run around in the yard himself, but he also wanted to drag his little sister, Moli, along.

Though Moli was only four years old, she was a clever little thing. She saw her brother’s mischievous glint in his eyes and shook her small head, saying in a babyish voice:

“Brother, Moli doesn’t want to go. It’s so cold outside, and there’s a scary old witch. The witch will eat Moli’s little feet.”

As she said this, Moli lifted her soft, white little feet to show Shitou, signaling that they were soft and beautiful, and it would be a shame if the witch ate them.

Shitou, who had been a little troublemaker, looked at his naive sister and thought about teasing her into coming along. Just then, Jiang Chunzhao, who was pregnant, walked out from the house with a cold expression. Shitou, like a slippery little eel, instantly darted away.

Leaving Jiang Chunzhao fuming in place, muttering to herself, “That little brat, the bigger he gets, the more slippery he becomes, just like an eel.”

Just then, Lu Lin came in from the yard. Seeing his little wife fuming, he smiled and asked: “What’s wrong? Who are you mad at?”

Jiang Chunzhao then told him everything, and Colonel Lu laughed, saying, “When I was little, I was like that too. In the winter, I would run around barefoot in the snow. Thinking back on it, those were some of the best times.”

Jiang Chunzhao was stunned. Oh my goodness, if Lu Lin hadn’t said it himself, who would have known that the cold-faced, serious Colonel Lu was once as mischievous as a little boy? Hearing this only made her more certain that she wanted a daughter. It would be so much better to have a sweet, obedient little girl, like Moli, soft and cuddly.

If they had another little boy, and he was anything like Shitou, tearing the house apart and causing trouble, just imagining that made her head hurt!

Hearing his wife’s words, Lu Lin smiled gently, his eyes full of tenderness as he looked at her growing belly.

—

This New Year’s Day was quite cold. Jiang Chunzhao, who had gotten up early, walked around the yard but quickly ran back inside, shivering. “My goodness, why is it so cold today? And we still have to go out to visit people for the New Year!” she thought. With the chilly wind blowing outside, she bundled herself up in layers of clothing, turning into a round ball to stay warm.

When Lu Lin came out of the house, he saw his plump wife waddling around, struggling to move in her thick layers. He chuckled, and as expected, his little wife shot him a playful glare.

With Lu Lin’s laughter echoing in the air, Jiang Chunzhao comfortably settled on the kang, watching her husband bustle around in the kitchen, making dumplings and tending to the fire. It felt so cozy.

After all, the New Year was a time for housewives to take a break. The men of the house, all year long acting like kings, did nothing but sit back and relax. They came home to hot meals, clean clothes, and a tidy house—all thanks to the silent, diligent work of the wives behind the scenes, making everything comfortable. The warm family life, with wife and children by the stove, was all built on the unrecognized efforts of the women.

During the New Year, it was only right for Colonel Lu to do more work around the house!

Jiang Chunzhao felt increasingly at ease. After Colonel Lu had put the dumplings in the pot, she ordered him to wake up the two sleepy kids.

Colonel Lu, with his good temperament, agreed cheerfully and went to the back room to wake up the children.

The two kids had been sleeping soundly in their warm beds, but suddenly being woken up by Colonel Lu left them a little disoriented. After a moment, they realized it was New Year’s Day—the first day of the year!

Excitedly, the two kids jumped out of bed, not needing any help from Jiang Chunzhao. They eagerly dressed themselves in their new clothes and shoes for the holiday, proudly strutting around the room. Their proud little faces beamed with joy as they received unanimous praise from their parents.

“You look great! Shitou, you look so handsome in your new clothes!” 

“And Moli, you look just like a little fairy from a painting—so beautiful!”

Jiang Chunzhao smiled brightly, showering the two kids with compliments. The children were so happy, they practically strutted around like two little roosters, eager to crow their delight. With the kids in high spirits, the Lu family sat down to enjoy the first meal of the New Year.

Breakfast that day was hearty, with dumplings stuffed with both pork and lamb filling, along with a delicious chicken soup that Jiang Chunzhao had made the night before. Colonel Lu had heated it up early in the morning, and the family enjoyed the steaming meal together.