Chapter 122: Let Me Go One More Time, Alright?
When she went to see Dahong, she had brought two old laying hens!
They were incredibly nourishing, absolutely perfect for a postpartum mother who had just given birth!
As it turned out, she had been bewitched by the willow tree demon halfway through her journey and ended up at the manor in a complete daze. When she came out, she had been so focused on being terrified that she ran for her life, entirely failing to notice where the chickens had gone!
The plump auntie was filled with deep regret. “There were simply too many things happening today; it truly muddled my head. Ah, my two chickens…”
A child hiding by the bedroom door to eavesdrop heard these words, scrambled up, and ran to tell his grandfather and grandmother.
Dahong’s mother-in-law was instantly furious. If she hadn’t been held back by her sons and daughters, she would have broken into a stream of harsh curses.
—Bringing chickens out of the house only to lose them halfway?
How shameless! Who was she fooling? She probably hadn’t brought any at all!
Inside the room, Dahong held the baby. She had no idea what the auntie had gone through, assuming that what her mother spoke of was just the matter of the family split.
Freeing up one hand, she stroked the auntie’s broad, sturdy back comfortingly. “Mother, it’s fine, it’s fine. If the family is split, then it’s split. Anyway, our family didn’t live all that well under Grandfather and Grandmother’s roof.”
Recalling the conversation between the auntie and her mother-in-law just now, Dahong whispered, “Mother, why don’t you come stay with me? Just say you’re helping me look after the baby. I’ll have Liang Er squeeze into a room with his nephews.”
“As for Father’s side…” Dahong hesitated. “Father is a man; sleeping out in the wild for a couple of days won’t hurt. Tomorrow I’ll have Liang Er head to our village and somehow help Father build a shed.”
The auntie patted Dahong’s hand, her heart feeling incredibly comforted. “Silly girl, your parents are in their decades already; how could we possibly have nowhere to live?”
The auntie said, “We rented a dilapidated hut and are having your father tidy it up right now.”
With that, the auntie looked around left and right, casting a couple of glances toward the door. “Is it convenient to speak inside the room?”
Dahong looked at the auntie, then raised her voice to call Liang Er over. “Ershun, the baby wet herself. Bring a clean diaper inside.”
Liang Ershun answered from the outside.
His mother was faint with anger. “Useless wretch! The moment she calls, you answer! Are you her dog?”
Liang Ershun frowned and said, “The baby wet herself; could I possibly ignore it?” With that, he urged his mother again, “Mother, it’s fine if you say those things in front of me normally. I’ve told you, Dahong just gave birth, so don’t go grumbling and muttering in front of her. Especially now that Dahong’s mother is here, restrain yourself even more!”
Liang Ershun’s mother grew so angry her head snapped back. “You absolute scoundrel! Am I your mother or is she your mother?!”
Liang Ershun didn’t care about any of that. He quickly went to the courtyard to grab a few dried diapers and brought them inside.
Dahong took them, looking at Liang Ershun. “Ershun, Mother and I wish to speak of some intimate matters.”
A blush crept onto Liang Ershun’s face, knowing that Dahong was telling him to make sure his mother and nephews didn’t eavesdrop. “I’ll guard the door; I won’t let them come over.”
The auntie’s intention was that it would be best if even Liang Ershun didn’t hear it. But her daughter was still confined for the month, and seeing the way her daughter called out to her son-in-law, the relationship between the two seemed reasonably good, so the auntie didn’t say much else.
After Liang Ershun stepped out and pulled the door shut, he found a basin right where he stood and began washing the diapers the baby had changed out of.
Seeing this, his mother was naturally unwilling, shouting loudly, “Oh, my poor son! Giving birth to a worthless daughter, yet here you are with your rear in the air washing diapers. What a pitiable sight!”
Liang Ershun shouted right back, creating quite a racket in the main hall.
With such a din, the voices of the auntie and Dahong speaking inside the bedroom could no longer be heard at all from the outside.
The auntie raised her eyebrows. “At least he has a bit of a backbone, unlike that mother of his.”
“Mother!” Dahong chided gently.
When the elders didn’t get along, it made things incredibly difficult for the younger generation caught in the middle.
With Liang Ershun acting as a shield outside, the auntie told Dahong to shift further onto the bed while she herself kicked off her shoes and climbed up as well.
“Look at what your mother brought for you!”
A moment later, staring at the unfurled bundle the auntie presented, Dahong’s mouth fell open in pure shock.
“Mother! Where did you get so many… so many excellent things?!”
The auntie chuckled. “Four pairs of shoes—one pair each for me, your father, you, and Liang Er. I’ve felt them; these shoes are incredibly sturdy!”
“And take all of these fabric pieces. Use them to make a couple of outfits for the baby; consider it a token of affection from me as her grandmother.”
“And this, this is brown sugar. Keep it safely tucked away yourself; don’t let your mother-in-law or sisters-in-law see it. Have Ershun quietly mix it with hot water for you to drink. It’s no easy feat for a woman to give birth; nurse your health slowly and nourish yourself well.”
“And take some of these needles and assorted threads. I’ll take the rest back; your father and I will have a use for them.”
“And this bag of millet. How is your milk supply? If it’s good, have Ershun simmer it into a thick gruel for you to drink so it’s easy to feed the baby. If the milk supply isn’t great and the baby has nothing to eat, simmer the millet a bit thinner; it can be used to feed the baby too…”
Cradling the items that were almost too numerous to hold, Dahong was utterly rooted to the spot.
“Mother! Where on earth did you get these treasures?!”
The auntie patted her chest proudly. “Your mother landed a major job today, heading to a manor to cook for someone. These were bestowed by the young lady owner.”
Dahong looked at the auntie, then at the items. Feeling a trace of worry, she wanted to ask further.
But the auntie shut her down directly. “Alright, it’s not convenient to speak too much here. I only came to deliver these things to you today. Silly girl, wisen up a bit; keep the good items tucked away and use them slowly yourself.”
“Your mother-in-law is definitely not a good sort. If any of your sisters-in-law or nieces and nephews are decent, see about winning them over to your side, lest you don’t even have someone to talk to in this house or someone to back you up in an argument.”
Dahong had a thousand questions in her heart, but the auntie had already gotten up and climbed down from the bed.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to speak; she didn’t dare to. Dahong had only just given birth and was at a delicate stage where she needed to avoid sudden shocks—whether physical or mental, she couldn’t afford to be angered, frightened, or anxious.
The auntie comforted her daughter, “In the past, when the family hadn’t split, I didn’t want to bring out my culinary skills for the old Xue family to exploit for free. But things are different now. Since the family has split, your mother no longer needs to hide her talents.”
The auntie stated proudly, “They used to view us as a burden. Just you wait; our days ahead are going to be far better!”
With that, after exchanging a few more words of casual chat, the auntie prepared to leave. “Alright, the sky has grown dark. I won’t say more; I still have to head back.”
Dahong wanted the auntie to stay the night, but the auntie shook her head. “Your father and I only split from the family today, so there’s still sorting out to do at home. If you miss your mother, have Ershun send word, and I’ll come see you again.”
Thinking of this, the auntie said, “Next time I will definitely bring you an old laying hen to stew into soup!”
Dahong sniffled, snuggling against the auntie for a good long while. The auntie was likewise loath to part; she embraced her daughter, then embraced her daughter’s daughter, and only stepped out after a good while.
Outside the door, Liang Ershun had argued until smoke was practically billowing from the top of his head. Seeing the auntie emerge, he could finally take a breather. He quickly said to his mother, “Mother, I won’t bicker with you anymore. I’m going to see Dahong’s mother out!”
After stepping out and walking for a couple of hundred meters, the auntie finally spoke to Liang Ershun, “Dahong isn’t familiar with anyone in your household besides you. Don’t let others bully her.”
Liang Ershun flushed. “Mother, it’s all because I am useless.”
The auntie shook her head. “You ought to say, ‘Mother, rest assured. I will protect Dahong no matter what.'”
Liang Ershun’s face turned even redder. “I understand, Mother. I will definitely protect Dahong as well.”
“Alright, head back home. Don’t keep seeing me off.”
Liang Ershun timely handed over a lantern—this was the only windproof oiled-paper lantern in his house, and he had stubbornly grabbed it despite his mother’s curses before stepping out just now.
The auntie took it, muttering, “This thing certainly doesn’t look as good as the ones used at the manor.”
The window in the old house’s kitchen wasn’t large, offering average natural light. During the previous electrical renovation, Jian Xingxia had the electrician install two lights. Today, while the auntie was cooking, Jian Xingxia feared the lighting would affect her performance, so she had turned both lights on.
She had no idea that even with a fire blazing, the kitchen in the auntie’s home wasn’t nearly as bright as the manor’s kitchen with the lights turned off. After all, the two massive glass windows in the manor’s kitchen weren’t something an ordinary household could afford.
Even though the auntie had been busy cooking all afternoon, she had certainly taken note of the numerous differences in the kitchen!
Bidding farewell to her son-in-law, the auntie held the lantern and jogged forward with quick steps.
However, she wasn’t rushing home; rather, she was rushing to find the willow tree from the afternoon.
She ran and ran. After running for about the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the auntie finally found the massive willow tree.
She dropped down to her knees with a loud plop!
“Mother! Help your fat girl one more time! That divine place from today, let me go one more time, alright?”
