Chapter 88

At noon on the third day, the smell of urine from the soiled diaper finally became unbearable for Lin Daniu.

After coaxing the baby to sleep, he asked Wangcai to watch over his little sister and forced himself to get up to wash the diaper.

In the village, there had been cases where women returned to work in the fields just two days after giving birth.

So, when Chen Qiang returned with water and saw Lin Daniu washing the diaper, he assumed that she had recovered. Without much thought, he asked her to help wash his mother as well.

Mother Chen ate, drank, and relieved herself all while lying in bed. Due to her paralysis, she often did not feel the urge to relieve herself until it had already happened in her clothes.

Previously, Lin Daniu had been the one taking care of her, always keeping her clean and tidy.

But after Lin Daniu gave birth, Chen Qiang had temporarily taken over. However, no matter what, he was still a man, and dealing with such private matters was awkward for him. As a result, he had never given his mother a proper wash.

His mother-in-law had always treated Lin Daniu well. So, upon hearing his request, Lin Daniu gritted her teeth and did it. But immediately afterward, she collapsed in Mother Chen’s room, burning with fever.

Chen Qiang was terrified. He hurriedly carried his wife onto the heated brick bed and then rushed out to knock frantically on Shen Yiyi and Li Chen’s door.

Shen Yiyi had just finished preparing a meal and had not even started eating when she heard the knocking.

Without hesitation, she followed him to see what had happened.

As soon as Shen Yiyi stepped into the room, an overwhelming mix of smells—blood, sweat, urine, milk, and an indescribable stench—hit her nose.

She nearly gagged.

Lin Daniu had already regained consciousness. The past few days, no matter how much pain or exhaustion she had endured, she had not shed a single tear. But the moment she saw Shen Yiyi, she finally broke down. She cried in muffled sobs, unable to stop the tears from flowing, her suppressed weeping tugging at everyone’s heartstrings.

Shen Yiyi was utterly shocked when she saw Lin Daniu.

Lin Daniu looked utterly emaciated, completely devoid of energy. Her eye sockets were deeply sunken, dark circles heavy under her eyes.

Her hair was dry and disheveled, her complexion deathly pale, and her lips cracked. She looked like someone who had not slept for days.

Even the clothes on her body were the same ones she had worn on the day she gave birth!  

Chen Qiang stood beside her, at a complete loss, and asked Shen Yiyi: “Should I go get the barefoot doctor?”  

“What barefoot doctor? Borrow an ox cart and take her to the hospital immediately!” Shen Yiyi had lost all patience.  

Chen Qiang responded with two hurried “oh, oh” sounds and rushed off to find Uncle Niu to borrow his ox cart.  

When they arrived at the county hospital, they received devastating news—  

Lin Daniu had suffered a difficult labor, which had severely damaged her body. She had severe perineal tears, had come into contact with cold water, and had eaten cold food, causing her uterus to be weakened by the cold.

As a result, it would be difficult for her to conceive in the future. Even if she did manage to get pregnant, she would be at high risk of miscarriage.  

The moment Chen Qiang heard this, it felt as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured over his head.

He was completely stunned.  

Shen Yiyi no longer knew what to say. Giving birth was already like walking through the gates of death. A woman’s body would inevitably suffer great damage afterward, and if she wasn’t properly cared for, she could be left with lifelong health problems.  

Chen Qiang and Lin Daniu had been a marriage of convenience, each fulfilling their own needs. However, Lin Daniu was still his wife in name, and she had given birth to his child. Having survived such an ordeal, Chen Qiang should at least show some care and concern.  

With this outcome, it could be said that Chen Qiang was a decent person in general, but as a husband, he was still lacking.  

That night, Chen Qiang had no choice but to return home to take care of his mother, leaving Lin Daniu in Shen Yiyi’s care.  

Lin Daniu cried the entire night.

By morning, her eyes were so swollen that she could barely open them.  

When the doctor came in to check on her, he turned to Shen Yiyi and advised: “A postpartum woman’s emotions should not fluctuate too much. Try to comfort her and keep her calm.”

Shen Yiyi brought Wangcai to the hospital.  

With Wangcai by her side, Lin Daniu’s emotions finally improved a little.  

She stayed in the hospital for five days, but Chen Qiang never once found the time to visit her.

At home, he not only had to take care of his mother but also the baby. The overwhelming responsibilities had completely exhausted him.  

Knowing that Li Chen had experience soothing children, Chen Qiang ran to him in the middle of the night, eyes red from stress, begging for help.  

However, Shen Yiyi didn’t let Li Chen go. No matter how good their relationship was, they could help for a moment, but not forever.  

Twice, she had felt sorry for Lin Daniu and twice reminded Chen Qiang to be more attentive toward his wife.  

Yet both times, he listened but soon forgot, making it seem as if Shen Yiyi was meddling in his affairs.  

Since that was the case, then she decided not to interfere anymore.  

Everything had a cause and effect.

Whatever seeds one planted, they would have to reap themselves.  

Chen Qiang and Lin Daniu had been forced together by unfortunate circumstances. Even if they couldn’t devote themselves selflessly to each other, they still needed to learn to consider one another’s struggles and show some understanding.

Otherwise, their marriage was doomed to be filled with sorrow.  

Rejected and left with no other choice, Chen Qiang could only return home, holding the baby with a bitter expression.

For every day that Lin Daniu stayed in the hospital, he was on the verge of breaking down.  

When Lin Daniu was finally discharged, she returned home only to find that Chen Qiang had lost a significant amount of weight. His face was covered in stubble, his entire appearance unkempt and exhausted.  

The house was a complete mess—dirty pots piled up in the kitchen, unwashed dishes left on the table, diapers, clothes, and trash scattered all over the floor. The entire place reeked of filth, an unbearable stench lingering in the air.

It was impossible to even step inside.  

Shen Yiyi helped Lin Daniu into the house. The moment she entered and took in the scene, the foul smell made her gag. Clutching her chest, she turned around and left without another word.  

Chen Qiang felt like his heart had been pierced repeatedly. But when he saw his wife return home, he couldn’t hold back his emotions and burst into tears.  

From that day onward, Chen Qiang finally started paying more attention to Lin Daniu.

At the very least, he began sharing some of the household chores and learned how to show her some care.

But to Lin Daniu, her relationship with Chen Qiang now felt more like simply partnering up to get through life.  

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Days passed steadily, neither too fast nor too slow, and in the blink of an eye, December arrived.  

Zhao Youliang returned but did not bring back any letters from Shen Yiyi’s parents.  

He explained that when he arrived at her home, there was no one there. He had left the grain at the neighbor’s house, and the neighbor mentioned that her parents seemed to have gone to visit her grandparents.  

Hearing this, Shen Yiyi finally made up her mind to return home. She discussed it with Li Chen and decided to leave on December 8th.

The train ride alone would take two and a half days one way, making it around five days for a round trip. She planned to stay with her parents for ten days and return on December 22nd, just in time for the Winter Solstice.  

In total, Shen Yiyi and Li Chen would be away for half a month.  

This also meant that Shen Yiyi wouldn’t be able to see her little treasures for fifteen days. So, in the days leading up to her departure, she spent most of her time with the Three Baos.  

On December 6th, the kitchen for Old Li’s Family was finally completed.  

In the afternoon of the 7th, Shen Yiyi took the Three Baos with her and carried a large iron pot and a hot water kettle to Old Li’s Family.  

“What’s all this for?” Mother Li was the first to see them. She quickly put down her work and came over to help.  

“The kitchen is finished now, isn’t it? Li Chen and I wanted to show our respect to you and Father.” Shen Yiyi explained.  

Mother Li’s face lit up with joy, but she hesitated and said: “This is too precious…”  

It was indeed valuable. In reality, such items could only be purchased with ration tickets.  

“These are gifts of respect for you and Father. It’s only right.” Shen Yiyi reassured her.  

The eldest and third households had jointly built the kitchen. Although each family had their own designated space, Father Li and Mother Li would still be using it as well. So, Shen Yiyi felt it was only proper to show some filial respect.  

Initially, she had planned to give just the iron pot, but then she remembered that she and Li Chen would be gone for half a month. During that time, the Three Baos would be under the care of Father Li and Mother Li. So, she decided to bring an extra hot water kettle as well.  

Hearing Shen Yiyi’s words, Mother Li finally accepted the gifts.