"Husband, then let’s find a place to bury the body."
Xiaoxiao understood. Since the child had enemies, living a quiet life with them would be best. Moreover, they had checked and found nothing that could prove the child’s identity.
If in the end someone still claimed the child, then it would all be considered fate; let things take their course. After all, they couldn’t just leave such a small child here to die without helping.
After deciding what to do, Yang Ming carried the body to the foot of a nearby hill, with Xiaoxiao following, holding the child. Without a shovel, Yang Ming found something else to use, digging for quite a while with great effort before finally burying the person.
The two of them, holding the child, returned to the carriage and hurried home at a gallop. The child seemed to sense that he had been saved and slept the whole way without troubling Xiaoxiao. If the child had started crying, was hungry, or needed a diaper change, Xiaoxiao really wouldn’t have known what to do.
Because they had been delayed on the road, Xiaoxiao and Yang Ming didn’t get home until after dark.
Everyone at home was startled by their return, especially at the sight of Xiaoxiao holding a child.
"Youngest brother, what is this...?" Yang Dad asked on behalf of everyone.
"Dad, this is a child that Xiaoxiao and I found on the road. We want to adopt him. But let’s not tell outsiders we found him; say he’s a relative’s child, whose parents are no more, and given in adoption to us."
"Eh, alright, did you all hear that? No spreading rumors," Yang Dad quickly instructed everyone. He knew about Xiaoxiao and Yang Ming’s inability to have children and could understand their actions. Maybe this was also for the best for the two kids.
"Waa waa." At that moment, the child began to cry.
Cradling the child, Xiaoxiao said, "Mom, the child hasn’t eaten all day; he must be hungry."
"Eh, I’ll go make some rice soup right now; just wait," said Yang Ming’s mom as she hurried out the door.
"Little sister-in-law, quickly check to see if he’s wet himself."
After the reminder, Xiaoxiao placed the child on the Kang bed and opened the swaddling clothes. Opening them, she cried out, "Ah!"
"What’s wrong?" Hearing Xiaoxiao’s cry, several people hurried over to look at the child in the swaddling clothes.
Xiaoxiao then laughed, "Nothing’s wrong, it’s a boy."
Yang Ming was somewhat speechless at his wife’s reaction; she had clearly checked on the road and yet hadn’t realized it was a boy.
"I thought it was something serious, little sister-in-law, why are you so jumpy?" said Boss’s wife to Xiaoxiao.
Xiaoxiao laughed awkwardly and then went on soothing the child gently, "Dabao, don’t cry, let mommy see if you’ve wet yourself."
Xiaoxiao lifted the child’s legs and pulled at the diaper underneath, "Ah."
Showing her hand to everyone, Xiaoxiao grinned, "He did."
"Haha." The family laughed heartily at Xiaoxiao’s reaction; she obviously had never cared for a child before, managing to get herself messy while checking if the child had soiled himself.
"Little sister-in-law, you better go wash your hands. I’ll take care of the child," said Boss’s wife.
The addition of a new member to the family had everyone bustling; some heated up the Kang, others cooked, while Boss’s wife went to find some old baby clothes to make do for now, and Yang Qiu brought out some cotton to cut diapers for the child.