After a lively lunch at the Ying family’s, Cheng Su hurried back home, first stopping by the farmers’ market to buy fresh meat and vegetables. She made a point of asking an older aunt what new mothers could eat, and brought a loaded bag back home.
Qi Taiguo had just woken up when he saw her return and asked a few questions.
"Like a little monkey, his skin is still all wrinkly. It doesn’t look too good, but Aunt Ying also said that newborns are all like this, and that he’ll fill out in a few days. I think so too; his skin is very white, quite precious. I saw that Old Liang was very happy, Chunhua is truly blessed," Cheng Su sincerely felt happy for Chunhua.
"How come?" Qi Taiguo raised an eyebrow at her.
"These men who favor sons over daughters, you think there are few of them? Her husband doesn’t despise her for giving birth to a girl, loves her dearly, if that’s not fortune, then what is?" Cheng Su shot him a look and said.
Qi Taiguo’s forehead twitched, and he squinted his eyes, "Why do I feel like you’re insinuating something about me?"
Cheng Su let out a dry laugh.
"I don’t favor sons over daughters. Having a son is naturally good, a son, after all, could be guided more by me, easing your worries, you would be protected by two men later on, excellent. Having a daughter isn’t bad either, it’s just you’ll need to do more of the teaching. I’m just afraid I’ll spoil her," Qi Taiguo said.
Cheng Su replied, "Well, I’ll take your word for it for now."
"Then we’ll see," Qi Taiguo said, crossing his arms.
That evening, Cheng Su as usual brought hot soup and dinner to Chunhua, not just for her, but also a portion for Liang Shurong, leaving them both deeply touched and at a loss for words.
On the sixth day, Cheng Su’s household door was knocked, and when she opened it, she saw Liang Shurong standing at her doorstep with an elderly lady, her face creased with wrinkles but looking very hale.
"Sister-in-law, this is my mother, she’s here to bring you red eggs!" Liang Shurong explained with a smile.
"Old Madam Liang, hello," Cheng Su hurried to welcome her inside.
"So you’re Sister-in-law Qi, my son Rong’s said all about it, grateful to you for making soup for my daughter-in-law, thank you," Old Madam Liang spoke with a rural accent, beginning with her gratitude, "Where we come from, giving birth means handing out red eggs, Sister-in-law Qi, don’t look down on them, have a couple yourself for some good fortune."
With that, she handed over several dyed red eggs.
"Thank you, Old Madam, you’re too kind. I didn’t help much, neighbors should help each other, that’s how it should be," Cheng Su said with a smile as she received them: "But you’ve come such a long way, you must be tired. Have you been to see your granddaughter? She’s born quite lovely."
"No matter how lovely, she’s still a girl," Old Madam Liang said, somewhat disappointed.
Cheng Su’s heart skipped a beat, hastily saying, "Girls are good too, having a boy or a girl is the same, in the future she’ll be there to cherish you as her grandmother, don’t worry!"
Do all the older generations inevitably think with the same preference for boys over girls?
"I hope your auspicious words come true," Old Madam Liang said with a reluctant smile.
"I won’t keep you any longer, hurry over to see your granddaughter, Chunhua probably can’t do without someone by her side right now," Cheng Su urged.
"My mother just arrived, I was just picking her up, planning on dropping off our luggage before heading to the hospital, but she insisted on bringing you the eggs first," Liang Shurong said.
"There’s no rush this moment, hurry over now, those two are more important."
Cheng Su saw them out the door, and hearing Old Madam Liang asking for the kitchen to make some soup before going so as not to leave them hungry, felt a tinge of envy in her heart—that’s someone else’s mother-in-law.