Mother Qi brought over some soup, came and then left, while Cheng Su took it upon herself to stay at the hospital for one night, keeping company with Qi Fenglian. As a member of her parental family, she gave Fenglian moral support, earning endless gratitude from her.
She truly had not expected such kindness from her sister-in-law.
The next day, Cheng Su was persuaded to leave by Qi Fenglian. Seeing that Zhang Jisheng was also there to nurse and care for her, she returned home.
It wasn’t that she was unwilling to attend to Qi Fenglian, but rather she did not want to give Zhang Jisheng the impression that it was the duty of the woman’s family to serve, and as a husband, serving was his natural responsibility. This should also let him know how difficult it had been for Qi Fenglian to bear his child at the risk of her life.
Husbands and wives are one entity. If a man shows no care or tenderness towards his wife during pregnancy and childbirth, he is nothing but scum.
The journey from the county town to Huangtian Village on the minibus takes an hour. The road is not very smooth, but the scenery is beautiful. Unfortunately, Cheng Su, having been tired out from a day and night, dozed off on the way and did not wake until nearing the village, which was almost noon by then.
The village houses were nicely arranged, with indigenous dogs running around, children playing with stones outside, and the elderly sitting in front of their homes, sewing and mending or weaving baskets, creating a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.
Yawning, she headed home and saw someone washing something by the well.
It was none other than her mother-in-law, Mother Qi.
"I’m back," Cheng Su called out, barely able to keep her eyes open, dead tired.
Hearing her voice, Mother Qi lifted her head from the tub of clothes, and seeing her, couldn’t help but frown: "Didn’t I tell you to stay with Sister Feng at the hospital?"
"Big brother is there with her, and they sent me back home," Cheng Su yawned again.
She had stayed up all night and hadn’t really slept well; she was indeed tired and sleepy now.
"Relying on a man, what good does that do? Besides, he needs to earn work points too. I think you’re just lazy; can’t even keep watch for a while!" Mother Qi huffed.
"That’s Big Sister’s husband, and since Big Sister gave birth to his treasured son, it’s right that he takes care of her. You shouldn’t indulge him, Mom; otherwise, he’ll become the kind who shirks his duties, always depending on Big Sister’s family!" Heading into the yard, Cheng Su added, "Mom, I stayed up with Big Sister all night and didn’t sleep. I’m going to my room to catch up on sleep, okay?"
Hearing this, Mother Qi smashed the clothes back into the basin with force and scolded, "You won’t admit you’re lazy, but you are, you lazy woman. It’s already noon; what sleep do you need to catch up on? Your dad is still out working in the fields, so hurry up and cook. And after that, feed the chickens, ducks, and pigs."
Cheng Su inwardly groaned but, seeing Mother Qi’s fierce look that said you better do it or else no entry to the house, she complied.
Only after she had finished all the chores as instructed by her mother-in-law did Cheng Su finally wash her face and enter her own room. She flopped down onto her bed and promptly fell fast asleep.
"Lazing around inside, aren’t you? Aren’t you going to start a fire and cook?" Mother Qi shouted from outside. She waited for a moment but heard no response from Cheng Su.
Furious, she threw the clothes aside and went to her daughter-in-law’s room, pushed open the door, and saw Cheng Su fast asleep, hugging the quilt. She put her hands on her hips, ready to scold her loudly.
But upon seeing the dark circles under Cheng Su’s eyes, the angry words died in her mouth. She thought of Cheng Su’s decisive signature the day before, the lifesaver of her daughter and grandson.
Without her resolve, Mother Qi might have been mourning the loss of a family member at this moment.
Let it go; for the sake of her daughter and grandson, let this slide just this once.
Thinking this way, Mother Qi walked back outside, pondering on bringing another nutritious soup for Fenglian to strengthen her.