CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 48: GAVE BIRTH TO A SON

"Oh... oh..."

The loud cries of a newborn baby echoed.

"It’s born, it’s born, Lingling, Chun Nuan, it’s a boy. The next generation of the Xiao family has hope." Mrs. Huang held the baby in her hands, tears streaming down her face as she excitedly shouted.

"Third Aunt, first cut the umbilical cord, wash the baby, and dress him well."

"Alright, alright." Mrs. Huang was both excited and nervous: "Keep an eye on Lingling."

"Don’t worry, I’m watching Sister-in-law. The current situation is stable..." Although there was some suffering, it was without danger. The baby was born successfully, the placenta was delivered, and the pulse is steady.

"Sister-in-law, you’ve worked hard, you’ve given birth to a boy." Chun Nuan saw how exhausted Zhu Lingling was and quickly said: "You rest for a while, and I’ll move you back to the other room when I’m done here."

"Alright!"

Born, it’s a boy!

Upon hearing these words, Zhu Lingling’s tears immediately flowed, thinking in her heart, "Husband, you have become a father, we have a son now, husband, you must take care, you must come back..."

"Boy, your mother endured a lot of hardships and suffering carrying you." Mrs. Huang washed the baby, dressed him, wrapped him in a blanket, and cradled him in her arms, looking again and again: "He’s a bit thin, no scale to know how much he weighs? So, Lingling, what’s the child’s name? Have you named him?"

"My husband was always checking, and later he said to have grandfather name him once he was born, but..."

Plans never keep up with changes. The Xiao family encountered a huge misfortune, leading to the child being born without a name.

"Then carefully think about it, what should the child be called?" Mrs. Huang looked lovingly at the little one in her arms: "He will be the Xiao family’s next eldest brother, bearing the weight of the family’s responsibilities. Look quickly, the child looks a bit more like you!"

Zhu Lingling looked at her child, her eyes moist. This was her son!

Chun Nuan planned to move Sister-in-law to the neighboring room after tidying up here.

However, Sister-in-law was weak after giving birth, unable to endure the wind, so she tried to lift her with Third Aunt and Chun Ning’s help.

"No need, I can manage." Zhu Lingling said: "It’s just a few steps, I can support myself to walk over."

"Cover your head with a headscarf, cannot be exposed to the wind, or it will cause headaches." Mrs. Huang, with experience, advised: "During confinement, rest well, don’t cry or tire yourself, and eat well..."

All of these were considered by Chun Nuan in place of Mrs. Huang, with over thirty eggs prepared in advance, to be replenished once consumed.

Zhu Lingling moved slowly back to the room and lay on the bed. Mrs. Huang placed the baby beside her. The little one hummed slightly before falling back asleep.

"Sister-in-law, have something to eat and sleep." Chun Nuan brought in a bowl of sugar eggs: "In the morning, let Chun Ning buy fish to make broth, also buy a chicken, get some lard to make oil, eat well to produce milk, so the child can be well nourished..."

Mrs. Huang, sitting beside and watching Chun Nuan’s organized arrangements, felt gratified. This is the reason the Xiao family cannot collapse.

Nuannuan, just like her name, warmed every member of the family.

"Third Aunt, have something to eat and rest in the room, it’s still drizzling outside. Once the rain stops, we’ll bring grandmother and the others here to live."

"And the house in the village..."

"We’ve rented that house for a year; it’s still useful. During grain harvest, we can dry grain in the courtyard, rest there while working in the field, drink cool water." Chun Nuan said: "Family being together aids in care."

"Alright..." As they were talking, they heard the street guards and the watchmen calling out: "Early to bed, early to rise, take care of your health."

"It’s the fifth watch." Chun Nuan urged Mrs. Huang to rest: "Chun Ning, there’s an empty bed in the study, rest there for a while..."

"No need, sister, I’ll return to the village to share the good news, lest they worry."

"Right, right, report the good news." Mrs. Huang regretted deeply: "See, I forgot about this."

By rights, as an elder, she should have considered this, but it turned out Chun Ning was the most thoughtful.

Chun Ning slipped back to the village as daylight fully broke. Passing the bamboo forest, he saw Aunt Luo, her head wrapped, holding a dead chicken.

"Aunt Luo?"

"Oh, Chun Ning, where are you off to so early?"

"Went to the town." Seeing the chicken in Aunt Luo’s hand, Chun Ning remembered the instructions to buy a chicken for sister-in-law’s soup. He had to hurry with these tasks: "This chicken?"

"It went missing before yesterday’s heavy rain. I thought about it all night and came today to find it. Look, it was stuck in the bamboo near that graveyard, dead. Luckily, I came early, or it would have ended up as someone’s soup, and I wouldn’t even see a feather."

Aunt Luo felt her injury finally brought some compensation.

"Aunt Luo, my sister said your head wound should not be wet; go change quickly."

Already injured, but she had forgotten the pain. The bandage was wet again.

"While I was in the bamboo forest, the wind shook the bamboo leaves, drenching me. I’m going back to change now." Aunt Luo had indeed forgotten about this, recalling Chun Nuan’s warning about infection costs, she hurried home.

Chun Ning rushed home and knocked on the door, opened by Aunt Xu.

"Chun Ning, you’re back. How’s your sister-in-law?"

"She gave birth, Aunt. Sister-in-law had a boy, both mother and child are well, I’m here to share the good news."

"That’s wonderful." Tears flowed from Mrs. Xu’s eyes as she hurried to the elderly lady’s room: "Mother, good news, Lingling gave birth, both mother and child are well, Lingling had a boy, you have a great-grandson, the Xiao family has new hope."

"Good, good, good..." The elderly lady uttered three good words, usually composed, she became a bit incoherent.

Thinking if in the Capital at Xiao Mansion, such a great joy would see masters and servants rejoicing together.

Those in attendance would one by one congratulate her, to which she would add: "A reward, two silver taels for the attendants, an extra month’s silver for everyone."

But now, in Shu City, they bore the suffering themselves, and joy, too, only they could savor.

"Mother, I’ll head to town and watch over Lingling."

"Good, go ahead, quickly." The elderly lady said: "Nuannuan suggested moving to town, tell her, Lingling just had a child, needs quiet during confinement, both mother and child need peace, after her confinement, we’ll move."

"Mother..."

"Go, it’s alright, although it leaked a bit last night, it’s livable, moving in a month is no issue."

"Yes, mother, I’ll head to town now."

As Mrs. Xu stepped out the door, she saw next door, children calling Aunt Luo’s name, a woman approached holding a bloody chicken leg.

"Sister-in-law Xiao, is Chun Nuan home? Thanks to her for bandaging me last night, I found my chicken, please have a drumstick."

"How can I..."

Mrs. Xu had never received a gift like this, straightforward and blunt, this warmth overwhelmed her, to take it or not to take it?