Chapter 382: Chapter 382: Postpartum Recovery Period

Luo Dahua, seeing that Yang Peimin had enough people to help, also left, after all, she was worried about her husband and son at home. She said she would come back to see the baby in a couple of days.

Colleagues, classmates, and neighbors came to visit her. During this time, Yang Peimin always met with people while lying in bed because Zhang Minghua wouldn’t let her get out of bed. She had repeatedly told her to lie down if possible, and even the baby was held closely by Zhang Minghua, who cherished him immensely. Those who came to see the baby could only take a brief look; often Zhang Minghua held him without wanting to let go.

Yang Peimin couldn’t help but say, “Mom, you might spoil him that way. What if he only sleeps when someone’s holding him?”

Zhang Minghua laughed, “How would that spoil him? I’m just not letting outsiders hold him too much. You don’t know whether those people have washed their hands or if they have a cold or something that might be contagious to the baby. At such a young age, you have to be careful about that.”

Her reasoning made sense.

Yang Peimin told her to put the baby down, “Mom, take a rest. Put him here with me, I’ll play with him for a while.”

“Okay, we’ll go to mommy.” Zhang Minghua placed the baby on the kang bed next to Yang Peimin, and she sat down at the edge of it, too. “This child is so well-behaved, he hardly ever cries. Just hums a little when he’s wet or hungry. He seems easy to care for.”

The child seemed to have grown a bit over the past few days, especially his eyes, which were no longer squinty but had become expressive. By this time, he should also be able to see people; his eyes moved nimbly, his chubby cheeks no longer squeezed together. When tickled, it was unclear whether he could see clearly, but sometimes he would even respond with a wide, charming smile.

Watching him, Yang Peimin couldn’t help but laugh, “Mom, who do you think he looks like?”

“Hehe, he looks like his dad.”

Yang Peimin turned to her side, “Didn’t you say he looks like me?”

“I thought so at first, but not anymore.”

Yang Peimin: “…”

However, the child’s skin was just like hers, fair and lovely. In this regard, she was quite pleased.

In her free time, Yang Peimin asked Zhang Minghua why it was Yang Peihua who accompanied her, knowing that whenever such opportunities to travel arose, Yang Peijun, that guy, would fight to go, and Yang Dahai and his wife would usually consent since he was the youngest son.

Zhang Minghua was irritable as she spoke about Bai Hehua’s scheming ways.

It turned out that it was Yang Peijun who had come with Zhang Minghua, but Bai Hehua, quick with her thinking, knew that coming at this time only had advantages. This younger sister-in-law was generous; even if she didn’t bring any money, she would be well fed and taken care of while visiting, and would surely bring back gifts upon returning. Thus, Bai Hehua would not let Yang Peijun come at any cost.

Bai Hehua argued that such opportunities were usually given to Yang Peijun, and now it should be Yang Peihua’s turn.

Zhang Minghua didn’t know what to do with her but, since both were her sons, it didn’t matter, so she let Yang Peihua come with her.

Having her son accompany her was because she’d never traveled far away, had no experience with trains, purchasing tickets, getting off at stations, and such; how could she have come without her son leading the way?

Yang Peimin was speechless after hearing this.

Zhang Minghua planned to take care of her through the month-long postpartum confinement before returning home.

Yang Peimin’s postpartum meals were all prepared by her. Zhang Minghua now regretted, “If it weren’t for such a long train ride, I really would’ve liked to bring some chickens for you. You have no idea how plump my hens have gotten.”

Though she said this, she still went to the countryside to buy chickens and kept them in the yard, serving one chicken a day to Yang PeiMin, who was so full at the very scent of it that she became weary.

“Mother, can’t I have something else to eat?”

Then Zhang Minghua occasionally made her pig’s trotters and also boiled soups, “Drink a lot, only then will there be enough breast milk.”

The nourishment for the son wasn’t there at first; after sucking a few times and realizing there was none, the little fellow didn’t even want to suck anymore. Yang PeiMin knew the importance of colostrum and always encouraged him to suckle, but the little fellow was not cooperative at all. Zhang Minghua was anxious too, worried that her grandson would grow fond of formula, which was expensive. When there was milk at home, of course, one would prefer home supply.

Then she sent Shen Yiguang into action, asking him to help first to get the milk flowing.

Yang PeiMin never expected Zhang Minghua to think of this; her cheeks turned red in an instant.

Even Shen Yiguang felt somewhat embarrassed. Such things were one thing in private, but it was somewhat uncomfortable to be raised by the mother-in-law.

Zhang Minghua quickly reassured her, “What’s the big deal? I went through the same routine back then.”

Alright then.

After that, Shen Yiguang, like a man who received an imperial edict, acted as if he were on a dose of chicken blood.

Yang PeiMin warned him several times before he reluctantly stopped, this man who was hard to rein in.

After they learned of the pregnancy, they hadn’t been intimate. Shen Yiguang prided himself on having just started eating meat again recently, so these impulses were very normal.

Yang PeiMin paid him no heed.

After giving birth, Zhang Minghua also spoke to her about this issue, advising her to wait three months before engaging in such activities, “Your body isn’t like anyone else’s, a longer recovery is better for you.”

Yang PeiMin strongly agreed.

But this month of confinement wasn’t easy for her, being in the scorching July heat. There was no air conditioning to speak of, and even fans were not allowed. Windows were only half-open, and bathing or washing hair was forbidden. Convincing others might have been feasible to get a bath for herself, but now it was Zhang Minghua taking care of her confinement.

Her own mother was immovable, neither soft nor hard on the subject, infinitely patient with her, “Minmin, just endure it, it will be over soon.”

But she couldn’t bear it. She could feel her hair getting greasy. Though others couldn’t detect it while talking to her, it was something she found difficult to tolerate herself.

When Shen Yiguang came back, she complained to him, “I might not wash the rest, but down there I should wash, otherwise I might get an infection.”

Shen Yiguang agreed with this. After discussing it with Zhang Minghua, they finally agreed that she could wash but only with the herbal water that she boiled. Her head, however, could not be washed. He told Yang PeiMin, “If you wash your head now, you might easily suffer from headaches later. You have to be obedient, okay?”

This she could reluctantly agree to, but after half a month she was determined to wash.

At night, Zhang Minghua wanted to sleep with her to take care of the baby.

Yang PeiMin disagreed, “Mother, you’re getting on in years, and staying up all night is not suitable for you. Let your son-in-law do it.”

“I’m in good health, it’s no trouble. The son-in-law has to go back to the army, and he’s already tired enough from traveling back and forth. We can’t let him suffer from lack of sleep. My good grandson needs to feed four or five times a night; there’s no time for sleep. I don’t have to do any chores, and I can catch up on sleep during the day.”