Witty Wife, Better Life

Chapter 238: Chapter 228 Preparing for Childbirth

Because she had no plans to raise pigs for the time being and given her current physical condition, Shen Yunfang had sold the sow she had raised for over half a year to Dashuan’s family. She didn’t ask for a high price, selling it basically at cost.

Dashuan’s wife was very fond of the old sow. A well-raised sow could be bred upon purchasing and would be able to have piglets by the next spring. Plus, the price Yunfang offered her was quite low, so she always felt she had gotten the better end of the deal. _{𝖓𝔬𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪}

Upon reflection at home, knowing that Yunfang would definitely refuse extra money, Dashuan’s wife decided to give five laying hens to Yunfang instead.

"Sister-in-law, what are you doing?" Yunfang was puzzled to see her holding the chickens.

"Nothing much, I just saw that your house doesn’t have a single chicken left, so I brought over a few. You can collect some eggs every day to add a dish to your meals. Your belly is big now, you really need to pay attention to your nutrition," Dashuan’s wife said with empathy.

Shen Yunfang was touched by the thoughtfulness of Dashuan’s wife. However, it wouldn’t be right to accept the chickens for nothing, as Dashuan’s family, despite having many chickens, hadn’t gotten them for free. Besides, the chickens were prime laying hens; she couldn’t possibly accept them.

"Sister-in-law, I really can’t accept them. I’ve just started enjoying some peace and quiet. If I want eggs, we still have quails at home. I can’t even finish their eggs by myself, so I really can’t accept these," Shen Yunfang quickly waved her hands, refusing the offer.

"How can that be the same? Quail eggs are quail eggs, chicken eggs are chicken eggs. Who have you seen eat quail eggs during their month of confinement? It must be chicken eggs. These are traditions passed down from our elders. If we have the means, why wouldn’t we eat them? Besides, you don’t know what will happen when you give birth. If you can’t produce milk right away, you might need to drink some chicken soup to stimulate lactation. Even if you do have milk, drinking chicken soup can help you recover your strength. I’m telling you, the month of confinement for a woman is the most critical time. Listen to your sister-in-law; I’ll take care of you, and make sure you are well-nourished," Brother Dashuan’s wife imparted her experienced wisdom.

When she had Xiaojuan, their family was poor, and she didn’t get to eat even ten eggs during her entire month of confinement, let alone drink any chicken soup. Xiaojuan was raised mostly on rice soup and was always weak. But when she had Xiaohu, they had more chickens. She ate plenty of chicken eggs that month and even consumed several chickens. As a result, she had plenty of milk, and Xiaohu, who was a robust child, could hardly finish it. She remembered how rich the milk had been.

Yunfang, listening to the talk about the month of confinement, suddenly remembered she also had to go through that, a thought that hadn’t really crossed her mind before. Given her current state, having Dashuan’s wife help her for a month would be ideal.

Moreover, the two families were so close that it would be awkward to quibble over a few chickens; it would only serve to make their relationship seem distant.

"Sister-in-law, I really hadn’t thought of that. When the time comes, I’ll indeed need your help."

"What trouble? At home, I’m just taking care of the kids. Coming over means cooking and washing diapers for you; it doesn’t even count as real work. Don’t be so formal with your sister-in-law." Dashuan’s wife looked at Yunfang’s belly and calculated, "You must also be about seven months along now. It will be December soon, so you’re likely due in mid-February. Can Li Hongjun come back by then?"

"I don’t know. He went on a military exercise, and it’s been several months since he last wrote to me." Shen Yunfang felt quite helpless, given Li Hongjun’s profession’s secrecy; she didn’t see why such secrecy was necessary. And she didn’t even know exactly what kind of soldier Hongjun was; he was always out, either on exercises or missions, and it was difficult to contact him in an emergency. So she had no expectations that Hongjun would be able to come back to accompany her during childbirth.

"Hehe, that must mean he’s getting promoted again. It’s good for men to be busy; it shows they are getting somewhere," said the woman, reflecting a common sentiment among the populace.

Shen Yunfang didn’t think promotions in the military came so easily. In the three years since she had arrived in this time, Li Hongjun had been promoted twice, which was incredible enough. The military wasn’t run by their family, and there were many capable people in it; it wasn’t as if all good things should happen to Hongjun. So she believed that for Hongjun to get promoted again, he would likely have to wait a few more years and gain more experience.

"I dare not even think about that. I’m quite satisfied with how things are right now," Shen Yunfang said modestly. "Besides, even if he, a grown man, did come back, I couldn’t count on him."

"That’s true. Men are so careless. They’re good for manual labor, but when it comes to taking care of people, they could drive you mad. During confinement, the last thing you want is to get angry, so let’s not rely on them. When the time comes, I’ll come over and help you through your confinement," offered Dashuan’s wife, taking on the responsibility. This was also why she was on good terms with Yunfang. She knew that taking care of someone wasn’t easy. "By the way, who are you going to have to deliver your baby? You should let them know in advance so that Brother Dashuan can go and fetch them when it’s time."

At that time, rural women usually gave birth on their own kang bed at home. If there were any midwives in the village, they would be called upon, which was somewhat safer.

Gaijiatun might be small, but it did have two midwives. One was Old Madame Wang from the east end of the village, and the other was Old Madame Shen, a neighbor of Elder Shen. They weren’t professional midwives; they were just older and had seen a lot, having delivered a few children themselves, and were considered quite experienced. So, for each childbirth in Gaijiatun, one of them would be asked to help with the delivery.

Dashuan’s wife had her child delivered by Old Madame Shen.

"I don’t want to give birth at home; I want to go to a city or county hospital," said Shen Yunfang, who was still quite fearful of childbirth. She felt insecure about giving birth on her kang bed at home, even with the presence of a midwife. She had planned to ask Elder Shen to write her a referral letter a week in advance so that she could go to the hospital for her delivery. After all, she wasn’t short on money.

When Dashuan’s wife heard this, her eyes widened in surprise, "Why go all that way and trouble yourself? Not to mention, giving birth at a hospital will cost a fortune." Although more open-minded than other villagers, her thinking was still limited in certain aspects. Regarding childbirth, she still held traditional views.

"Isn’t money meant to be spent? I’ve saved some money these past two years from raising pigs and chickens, and then there’s Hongjun’s salary. We should have enough for the hospital. I heard that giving birth for a woman is like walking through the gates of hell, and I’m scared," confessed Shen Yunfang, her fear was genuine.

"What’s there to be scared of? Every woman goes through it one way or another, and they all survive it," retorted Dashuan’s wife, dismissing her concerns.

"But there are those who don’t make it. If I didn’t make it, what use would all that money be to me? Would I leave it for others?" Shen Yunfang rolled her eyes.

She didn’t believe she was the protagonist just because she had traveled through time. The sun didn’t revolve around her, so anything could happen.

"You’re talking nonsense."

"This is no nonsense. Let me tell you, sister-in-law, life is so fleeting. You close your eyes in the evening, and the day is over. You close them and don’t open them again, then your life is over."

"Hahaha..."

"Don’t laugh. Do you know what the most painful thing in life is? Dying without having spent your money!"