Chapter 21.2

The next morning, before dawn, the man on the first bed left. Before leaving, he left some money and half a roast chicken he had brought the night before, saying it was for the woman.

The woman held the child and lowered her head to feed the baby without saying a word.

She felt extremely uncomfortable. How could she eat these after giving birth?

If he was half as caring as Jiang Rou’s man, he wouldn’t take credit for it.

With that, he turned around and left without a second glance at the child.

The woman’s eyes reddened again, knowing he wanted her to recover and continue having more children.

But she felt unwilling in her heart. She looked down at her obedient baby and silently vowed that she would, even if it cost her life, make sure her daughter went to college and succeeded, unlike her, who had only suffered.

People left too early; Jiang Rou didn’t even know someone had come during the night until she woke up in the morning.

She just felt she hadn’t slept well last night, suspecting she might have been uncomfortable with the bed.

Li Xiao was yawning and feeding the child. After hearing this, he said unhappily, “You didn’t sleep well? You drooled all over me.”

He was the one who hadn’t slept well; damned if he wasn’t disturbed all night. After finally catching a bit of sleep in the morning, his little ancestor woke up again, fussing for milk.

Jiang Rou was not convinced. “Who is drooling?”

She was not satisfied with his slander, but her eyes subconsciously glanced at him and saw that his chest was indeed wet. She couldn’t help but blush.

Li Xiao looked at her with a smile and asked, “Do you want to smell it?”

“…”

Jiang Rou pretended not to hear, turned her head to the other side, and then inadvertently noticed the woman on the first bed with swollen, red eyes as if she had been crying.

She didn’t dare look any longer, fearing it might embarrass the woman.

Li Xiao sneered at her “sympathetic look.”

However, it wasn’t long before Li Xiao returned, accompanied by Aunt Wang.

Aunt Wang carried a basket and, upon entering, greeted them with a smile: “I brought you some food. You don’t have to go back this morning.”

“Aunt Wang.”

Jiang Rou looked at her in surprise, not expecting her to come so early.

Aunt Wang walked over familiarly and said, “First, have something to eat. After you finish, I’ll help you with the milk.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Rou responded with a smile.

Just like last night, Jiang Rou and Li Xiao’s meals were separate.

Aunt Wang asked Li Xiao to fetch some hot water, and Li Xiao went out with the food and hot water bottle, planning to eat while waiting in line.

Jiang Rou thought of something and said to Huang Ying on the first bed, “Sister Huang, this is the Aunt Wang I told you about, the one whose daughter went to college. She’s quite amazing.”

After that, she briefly told Aunt Wang about what happened last night.

Aunt Wang couldn’t stop smiling when she heard this. She thought it was no wonder that she liked Jiang Rou. It seemed like they just got along naturally.

She turned to the woman on the first bed and said, “Girls are not bad. My daughter has always had good grades since she was young. Boys can’t compare to her. She is now studying at a university in N city. She is also a member of the class committee and all the teachers like her.”

“Our family’s certificates cover a whole wall. She got a scholarship in college and brought back two hundred yuan last semester.”

As Aunt Wang talked about her daughter, she became increasingly excited and proud.

Not content with just talking, she carried An An and walked towards the first bed to chat more in detail.

Jiang Rou couldn’t help but smile.

The woman on the first bed, initially feeling upset, gradually felt better after hearing these words and started to imagine more positive things.

Aunt Wang, always observant, noticed the woman’s red eyes and knew she had been wronged. She quickly offered comfort.

After Jiang Rou finished eating, Aunt Wang seemed to have more to say and wasn’t quite finished yet.

Li Xiao also brought back the hot water, and Aunt Wang asked him to bring a basin and two clean towels.

Li Xiao did as he was told.

Aunt Wang asked Jiang Rou to lie flat on the bed. Older generations were less concerned about privacy, and she told Jiang Rou to lift her clothes. Jiang Rou felt a bit embarrassed and looked around.

Aunt Wang gave her a gentle pat and said, “You’re already a mother, so stop being shy.”

Jiang Rou had no choice but to lift up her clothes with a red face, but she asked Li Xiao to hold the child to the door and not let anyone else in.

The main reason was that she was afraid that the family in the second bed would suddenly come over. It’s okay if it’s a woman, but it would be terrible if a man came too.

Aunt Wang wet the two towels and wrung them out, giving one to Jiang Rou to bite down on and repeatedly dipping the other in hot water. “Bear with the pain. The milk isn’t coming out because it’s blocked inside. If we clear it up, it’ll be fine.”

Jiang Rou, hearing that it would be painful, braced herself, thinking it couldn’t be worse than giving birth.

But then she saw Aunt Wang placing the hot, wrung-out towel on her chest and starting to massage forcefully.

“……”
Jiang Rou only felt as if her skin had been scalded. When Aunt Wang pushed her with such force, the pain seemed to drive her to despair.

Her eyes were wide open, trying to scream, but she bit down hard on the towel in her mouth, only managing to emit muffled “mm-mm” sounds.

Aunt Wang, aware of her pain, calmly said, “Bear with it; it will be over soon.”

That “soon” made Jiang Rou feel as if she had endured a century.

After Aunt Wang finished, she lay limply on the bed. Aunt Wang said, “It should be about right now. You should massage it well today. If the milk still can’t come out at night, let Xiaoxiao help you suck it.”

Jiang Rou: “…”

The woman in the middle bed saw this scene and couldn’t help but interject, “Auntie, can you help me with a check too? I don’t have any milk.”

Aunt Wang kindly went over to help her. But when she lifted her clothes to check them, she shook her head. “You don’t have any milk. Xiao Rou’s milk is blocked, but you don’t have any milk at all. You need to nourish yourself properly.”

In her heart, Aunt Wang felt that even with nourishment, it might not help. The woman’s body seemed to be completely depleted, and she didn’t know how much suffering she had endured.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the woman’s face showed displeasure. She suspected that Aunt Wang was envious of her having a son and was deliberately saying this. She retorted, “How can I have no milk? I feel very swollen too.”

Seeing this, the woman had no choice but to say nothing more. She only had a dissatisfied look on her face and pouted.

After helping Jiang Rou with her milk, Aunt Wang didn’t stay long and left.

After sending Aunt Wang off, Li Xiao returned and discussed with Jiang Rou the possibility of being discharged early. She felt that being at home was more comfortable than being in the hospital.

The room was small and noisy; the bathroom was shared, but not everyone practiced good hygiene, and someone even urinated outside.

Li Xiao thought for a moment: “I’ll go back at noon, get a tricycle, and we’ll head home in the afternoon.”

Li Xiao pondered for a moment: “I will go back at noon to get a tricycle, and we will go back in the afternoon.”

He didn’t want to stay here either, as he couldn’t sleep well at night.

Jiang Rou nodded.

Her sister-in-law had had a cesarean section before, so she stayed in the hospital for a few more days. But Jiang Rou found that after a night’s rest, her body felt much better.

She thought it might be possible to leave the hospital a day earlier.

However, the woman in the middle bed left earlier than them. At around nine in the morning, the whole family came again. Jiang Rou was still wondering why she didn’t see the man yesterday. Today, she found that his face was bruised and swollen, and he walked with a limp.

Jiang Rou subconsciously glanced at Li Xiao next to her. Li Xiao was playing with the little one, who had just finished drinking milk. What could such a young child play with? Yet he was very engaged, using a rattle toy he had made earlier to amuse the baby. “Open your eyes and look at your dad.”

“Open your eyes, and I’ll let you play.”

“Open, yes, open your eyes.”

The little one seemed to understand, and he tried hard to blink and open his eyes.

Jiang Rou couldn’t help but laugh, suspecting that the baby hadn’t had the Meng Po soup. ^[1]Meng Po Soup (孟婆汤) is a concept from Chinese mythology. Meng Po is a deity who serves souls in the afterlife. Before reincarnation, she offers them a bowl of soup that erases their memories of … Continue reading

Li Xiao also smiled, his thin lips curving into a slight smile. When the baby finally managed to open her eyes a bit, Li Xiao asked, “Do you recognize your dad? ”

He then turned the baby to face another direction and said, “This is your mom.”

He raised the baby’s tiny hand and waved, “Say hello to your mom.”

Jiang Rou didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The family of three was in harmony. The youngest, who was standing in the middle bed to help pack up, secretly pulled the sleeves of her two sisters, motioning them to look, and whispered enviously, “It’s so good to be born into their family.”

There are new clothes to wear, delicious food to eat, and parents who love her so much, and they don’t dislike her even if they know she is a girl.

The second sister kept her head down and said nothing, while the eldest sister gently scolded, “Don’t look around.”

However, she couldn’t resist sneaking a glance herself, thinking to herself that it was indeed nice. The man from last night had even washed the baby’s diapers and kissed the baby’s little feet.

In their village, girls were seen as a burden, and she had never seen a father who cherished his daughter so much.

It was truly enviable.

Before the family left, the doctor came to offer some advice, but the old woman scolded him away, feeling that they were just trying to extort money. She dismissed the idea that the postpartum woman’s condition was special—every family with a newborn went through this.

The doctor said no more and left.

Once they were gone, the entire ward fell silent.

Li Xiao also started to pack up. He had brought a snakeskin bag home at noon and then came back with a tricycle to deliver food. He told Jiang Rou, “You eat first. I’ll go downstairs to handle the discharge paperwork.”

Jiang Rou nodded in response.

Li Xiao went to the lobby downstairs to handle the paperwork. He returned only after Jiang Rou had finished eating. Jiang Rou took her coat from the snakeskin bag and wrapped herself up. When Li Xiao came up, they quickly tidied up and prepared to leave.

The woman in the first bed looked at them with some reluctance. “Are you leaving too?”

Jiang Rou smiled at her. “I’m used to my bed. I want to go home early.”

The woman nodded. “Yes, it’s still comfortable at home.”

Jiang Rou waved to her, then took Li Xiao’s clothes and walked out.

Next to her, Li Xiao held the baby steadily in one arm and carried the snakeskin bag in the other.

Watching the family leave, the woman in the first bed felt a twinge of envy. Although her husband earned more money from driving, he didn’t show the same level of care and attentiveness as Li Xiao did.

Downstairs, Li Xiao drove the tricycle to the door. He had laid a thick layer of straw on the tricycle’s floor and then spread an old blanket over it.

Li Xiao put the snakeskin bag in his hand, then turned around and helped Jiang Rou sit on it, pointing at the snakeskin bag and saying, “Lean on this.”

Jiang Rou obeyed obediently, and after sitting on it, she leaned her back on the snakeskin bag.

Li Xiao handed her the baby. Once Jiang Rou had the baby in her arms, he took out three small blankets for the baby and wrapped them both tightly. “We’ll be home soon.”

“Mm.”

-o-o-o-o-

Once they got home, Jiang Rou immediately took the baby to their room. The house had already been tidied up by Li Xiao and was clean and orderly.

Even though it had only been two days since she had been away, Jiang Rou felt like it had been a long time.

The baby fell asleep and was placed in the rocking cradle Li Xiao had made for himself. It was larger than the hospital crib and had rollers underneath, making it very convenient.

Jiang Rou also took a nap since she hadn’t slept well the night before.

Not long after she fell asleep, someone else lay down beside her.

She slept until seven o’clock in the evening.

Jiang Rou asked Li Xiao to stop working and that it was time for dinner.

Li Xiao went to the kitchen. He hadn’t finished the fish Zhou Jian had sent the day before and had kept it in a basin. He made noodle soup with the carp broth. After the noodles were cooked, he scooped out Jiang Rou’s portion first, then added a spoonful of salt to his own and two spoons of chili sauce when eating.

He didn’t dare eat in front of Jiang Rou, fearing she might be tempted, so he ate in the kitchen.

But when he returned to the room, Jiang Rou still smelled the food and didn’t bother to comment.

-o-o-o-

In the evening, Jiang Rou tried to feed the child after washing up. She listened to Aunt Wang’s words and rubbed them whenever she had time today. She could feel that the blockage was no longer as uncomfortable as before.

However, when Li Xiao came back after his shower, the little one still hadn’t been fed properly, and her face was flushed red from the effort.

No one knew how much strength she had used.

Jiang Rou was still encouraging: “An’an, keep going; you’ll be able to drink soon.”

Li Xiao glanced over while drying his hair. The little one had her fists clenched tightly, her whole body tensed, and she was still trying her best.

Jiang Rou saw him come in and turned sideways to prevent him from seeing him.

Li Xiao couldn’t bear to watch any longer, feeling a bit heartbroken for his daughter. “Why not just switch to formula?”

Jiang Rou replied irritably, “You’re such a doting father.”

Wasn’t she concerned too? It was for the sake of the child.

In the end, it seemed the little one couldn’t be fed properly, and she cried out.

This was the second time the baby cried. The first time was on the day she was born. For the past few days, even when she was hungry, she only made a few small noises, being very well-behaved.

Jiang Rou looked embarrassed, turning to look at Li Xiao and asking, “How about switching to formula?”

Li Xiao was amused by her and turned to making milk powder.

After feeding the baby and coaxing her to sleep, it was already past ten o’clock in the evening.

After feeding and soothing the little one to sleep, it was already past ten at night. Jiang Rou and Li Xiao had both gone to bed. After a nap in the afternoon, Jiang Rou found it hard to fall asleep. After tossing and turning for a while, she suddenly turned to Li Xiao, who was sleeping on the edge of the bed.

As if she had made up her mind, she pushed him hard and whispered, “You come and suck.”

“…”

Li Xiao was almost asleep when a sudden push startled him. It took him a while to understand what she meant.

He looked at her with an awkward expression, cleared his throat, and pretended to ask, “What?”

Jiang Rou’s face felt a little hot, and she regretted the words that came out of her mouth.

Although the two of them slept in the same bed, they had never done anything more intimate. “Forget it.”

She turned over embarrassedly.

Li Xiao stretched out his hand to stop her and suddenly said, “Let me do it; otherwise, we’ll have to use formula again tomorrow.”

Jiang Rou: “…”

Did she not hear me?

Li Xiao didn’t hear a response, turned on the light, turned sideways, and stretched out a hand to undress Jiang Rou.

He lowered his eyes and looked at her with a serious expression, his handsome face showing no extra emotion, but his hand that reached out was slightly trembling.

Jiang Rou felt a bit nervous and reached up to grasp the collar of her clothes. “Turn off the light.”

Li Xiao hesitated for a moment before turning off the light.

The room was instantly plunged into darkness, and in the darkness, the man moved closer.

Jiang Rou found that turning off the light was not a good idea—it just made her more nervous.

…