Chapter 98

In the blink of an eye, Xiao Doubao had already run over and hugged his Grandma’s thigh. “Grandma, you’re here! Where’s my Brother Dabao and Xiao Bao~~~”

Li Yufeng smiled and put down what she had in her hands, then picked up Xiao Doubao, gently rubbing his cheek. “Your Brother Da Bao and Xiao Bao are at school. Grandma sneaked away alone.”

With so many children in the Han family, even if they were all obedient children, there would still be noise. Adding two more would surely make the house chaotic.

Su Xiaoxiao’s small dimple showed as she smiled. She walked over and reached out to hug Li Yufeng and Xiao Doubao. “Mom…”

Li Yufeng patted her daughter’s arm. “Let go of me for a moment so Mom can have a good look at you.”

Su Xiaoxiao let go of her mother, and Li Yufeng put Xiao Doubao down. She examined Su Xiaoxiao from head to toe. Her daughter’s baby bump was noticeable, which might seem a bit daunting, but Li Yufeng calmly reassured her, “It’s not too bad. Before, a woman from the commune who was pregnant with twins around the same time as you had an even bigger bump. She had to stay in bed, but in the end, both the mother and babies were fine. You look good; just make sure to move around a bit every day and get some sun. It should be an easy delivery.”

Su Xiaoxiao looked at her mother in confusion. “Why is this the first time I’m hearing about the woman from the commune who was expecting twins?”

Li Yufeng let go of her and picked up the things from the ground. Xiao Doubao squatted down to help his Grandma carry her luggage, and Li Yufeng handed him the lightest item. “Do you think you’re supposed to know everyone in the commune? You were studying in the city back then; you couldn’t possibly know all of this. Well, my dear, this one’s heavy; you can help Grandma by carrying this one.”

Li Yufeng successfully changed the subject, and Su Xiaoxiao didn’t press further with her questions.

……………

After entering the house, Su Xiaoxiao asked, “Mom, why did you bring so many things? Why didn’t Da Bao and Xiao Bao come with you?”

Li Yufeng replied, “They wanted to come, but I was afraid that having too many kids at home would disturb your rest, so I sneaked away while Xiao Bao was at school.”

Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but laugh and cry. “During the New Year, we promised to bring them together. What will Da Bao and Xiao Bao say when they find out?”

Li Yufeng replied while sorting out the things she brought along. “Let them cry. Them, crying for a few days is better than disturbing your rest later.”

In Li Yufeng’s heart, her daughter was the most important person in the world.

Su Xiaoxiao thought about it and realized there would be many more opportunities to visit, so this momentary absence wouldn’t make a big difference.

“Mom, why did you bring so much ginger? We still have a bag left from the New Year. And what is this grass?”

Li Yufeng explained, “How can this be considered too much? I was worried it wouldn’t be enough. This is mugwort and some other mountain herbs. Ginger isn’t just for eating; when you’re in confinement, you’ll need it to make baths to dispel wind. The older ginger should be planted in your vegetable garden; you won’t have to worry about running out in the future.”

It’s still over three months before the baby is born, so it’s too late to plant it now. However, using tender ginger sprouts to stir-fry or pickle into sour ginger will also be extremely delicious.

Li Yufeng placed them on the wall to dry.

All these mountain herbs were collected on her recent trip to the mountains and were thoroughly dried.

Su Xiaoxiao didn’t quite understand this, and if it weren’t for Li Yufeng, she wouldn’t know what to do. “Mom, don’t rush; I’ve stewed some chicken soup for lunch. Have a bowl and take a break first.”

Li Yufeng entered the house and kept herself busy like a spinning top.

Li Yufeng glanced at the chicken coop and asked, “You’re already eating the chickens so early? Wasn’t it planned to slaughter them during confinement?”

Su Xiaoxiao replied, “I wasn’t feeling well before, and the doctor advised me to build up my strength. Han Cheng has been exchanging meat coupons with his colleagues and often brings home various meats to stew.”

Seeing her daughter’s slightly pale face, Li Yufeng nodded and said, “A healthy body leads to an easy childbirth. Don’t worry. Eat well and do your usual tasks. The day before I gave birth to you, I was still working in the fields. Just don’t think too much, and you’ll be fine. No need to worry.”

Li Yufeng had never been pregnant with twins, and she was worried herself, but she couldn’t show it in front of her daughter. If everyone around her was anxious, she would naturally become anxious too. If she doesn’t show her anxiety, there will be no reason for others to be worried.

Like the  “Cudgel of the Divine Sea-Calming Needle,” Li Yufeng’s arrival can be said to have completely changed Su Xiaoxiao’s life. ^[1]“Cudgel of the Divine Sea-Calming Needle.” – It refers to the magical cudgel wielded by the Monkey King Sun Wukong in the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West.” … Continue reading

Su Xiaoxiao’s entire body relaxed, and her mental state began to improve. Her head was no longer dizzy, and her legs were no longer numb.

This positive change also affected Han Cheng. His sleep quality improved significantly, and he no longer woke up in the middle of the night to check on Su Xiaoxiao’s breathing. Unless Su Xiaoxiao was awake and needed to get up, he generally slept peacefully.

The children’s lives also improved. Li Yufeng took care of activities like feeding the chickens, sweeping, and watering the vegetables. She prepared breakfast with different flavors that Su Xiaoxiao loved, and the entire family enjoyed the meals. With Li Yufeng’s presence, the family’s life finally returned to normal.

As the weather warmed up, the children could once again dig for earthworms to feed the chickens. Mian and Fan had become roosters, crowing every morning like alarm clocks, even more punctually than the new alarm clocks Han Cheng had bought for the children. The other chickens and hens also resumed their daily routines. In short, everything improved with Li Yufeng’s presence.

Han Cheng began doing morning runs with the children again. Exercise and a nutritious diet were crucial for the children, and over the past year, all three of them had grown taller, become stronger, and had an even better outlook on life.

In the entire military compound, there were no children more spirited than those in Su Xiaoxiao’s family; they were the compound’s brightest kids.

Xiao Yu also looked particularly energetic. After practicing their squats, the children had a running race, with Han Cheng and Zhao Xianfeng watching them side by side.

Zhao Xianfeng sighed. “Fantuan has grown really fast. Last year, he was the shortest of the three children, and now he’s even taller than Xiao Yu, almost as tall as Zhuzi.”

“Xiaoxiao’s pregnancy has improved our family’s meals,” Han Cheng said with a satisfied smile, looking at his son, who had become noticeably stronger in his arms and legs.

Zhao Xianfeng added, “By the way, Zhuzi’s parents should be able to transfer back next month. Have you talked to him about it?”

Han Cheng had been preoccupied with Su Xiaoxiao’s situation earlier and had completely forgotten about it. “Not yet,” he admitted.

Zhao Xianfeng gazed in Zhuzi’s direction and said, “He likes your family so much. You should tell him, even if you’re not sure how he’ll react.”

Han Cheng had another concern, though. “He’s very close to his grandmother, and I’m worried he’ll be even sadder when he finds out he’s not her biological grandson.”

Zhao Xianfeng shook his head and said, “That won’t be an issue. Are you and Zhuzi related by blood? Are Su Xiaoxiao and Fantuan related by blood? The depth of human relationships has never depended on blood. When Zhuzi’s grandmother passed away, she didn’t want him to change his last name, right? The world must be playing jokes, Zhuzi’s original last name is Zhang, whether there’s a blood connection or not, he will always be the grandson of the Zhang family.”

Han Cheng accepted Zhao Xianfeng’s explanation and nodded. “I’ll find the right time to talk to him. During Qingming Festival in a few days, I’ll take him to the mountain to pay respects to his father and grandmother.”

Zhao Xianfeng was about to say more when suddenly, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky. He shielded his head with his hand and cursed, “The ancients weren’t lying when they said that during the Qingming season, it rains a lot. Fantuan, Zhuzi, and Xiao Yu, stop running and hurry back home!”

…………….

The southern city’s rainy season lasts for several months, starting from the beginning of spring, with sometimes days on end of continuous rain. Even at the Qingming Festival, it was still overcast and rainy.

Han Cheng took a leave from work, put on his raincoat, and was accompanied by Zhuzi. They first went to his grandmother’s grave to pay respects, and then they visited the Martyrs’ Cemetery to pay homage to his foster father.

Before leaving, Han Cheng had already informed Su Xiaoxiao that he wouldn’t be returning home for dinner. At the agreed-upon time at the state-owned restaurant, Zhao Xianfeng was already waiting there.

Zhuzi had become a very mature and steady child. Seeing the situation, he vaguely felt that his Uncle Han and Uncle Zhao might have something important to discuss with him, perhaps something that shouldn’t be discussed with the whole family.

He had a somewhat uneasy feeling about it.

Zhao Xianfeng had already ordered three bowls of noodles, worried that Zhuzi might not be able to eat after hearing the news, so he told him to eat first.

Zhuzi silently ate his noodles, and the two grown men exchanged glances, unsure of where to begin.

Men prefer to get straight to the point and don’t need much preamble, and matters like these should be handled by the women at home.

Zhuzi felt uneasy, and although he couldn’t eat much, he knew that food was precious.

He didn’t even waste a drop of soup and quietly put down his bowl and chopsticks. “Uncle Han, Uncle Zhao, just tell me what’s going on.”

Zhuzi could see that his two uncles were also uneasy, and this matter concerning him couldn’t be trivial. He felt even more uneasy.

Zhao Xianfeng had a good relationship with the staff at the state-owned restaurant and had borrowed one of the private rooms used for hosting leaders. Normally, not many people come this way, and the people ahead wouldn’t be able to hear their conversation.

Zhao Xianfeng cleared his throat. “Zhuzi, what we’re about to tell you is not a small matter. It’s about your background. We think it’s good news for you, but we’re not sure if you’ll be able to accept it.”

Zhuzi blinked his deep, clear eyes and asked, “Is there something wrong with my background?” Besides having a mother and not having a mother, what else can he have? Is it about his mother’s side?

Zhuzi’s eyelid twitched inexplicably. Could it be that he wasn’t his mother’s biological child? Otherwise, he couldn’t understand why his mother could be so heartless as not to visit her own child for over half a year, even though he didn’t really want to see his mother.

Han Cheng also cleared his throat. “Zhuzi, you are not an orphan of a martyr. Your biological parents and grandfather are still alive. They were forced to leave you in the Zhang family’s care because they had some difficulties. Your grandfather left more than a year ago, and he is currently in the capital at his home. Your parents will be transferred back to our military district next month to resume their original positions.

Your biological father’s name is Zhang Hongtu, and like your Uncle Zhao, he is a regimental commander in our military district. Your mother’s name is Yali, and she is a member of the cultural troupe. They are good comrades and parents who love and cherish you. You should be proud of them.”

After hearing this, Zhuzi couldn’t come back to reality for a long time. He had many questions he wanted to ask, but he didn’t know where to start.

Finally, he asked the question that weighed on him the most: “Uncle Han, does this mean I can’t live with all of you anymore?”

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Lucia: Next update will on Wednesday! Thank you for reading~

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