Third Son had been away in the military for many years. The honest, quiet young man who rarely spoke at home had long transformed into someone they no longer recognized.
Every time he returned, with that stern expression on his face, they dared not ask too many questions.
They say the army is a place that can completely remake a man, and this couldn’t be more true.
When arranging the marriage, although it was the elderly couple who made the arrangements, they had sent Jiang Yue’s photo to Third Son for his approval. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have dared to make such an important decision on their own.
Of course, with Third Son away from home, they could still manage his wife.
Since the child was already here, Old Man Lu didn’t want to ruin the relationship. What if Third Son actually preferred having a daughter? What if that stubborn girl spilled everything to Third Son? That would be truly disastrous.
Mother Lu didn’t want to back down. She was the mother-in-law, the mistress of this household, the highest authority. It should be the daughter-in-law who knelt and apologized to her, not the other way around. If word got out that she, the mother-in-law, had taken the initiative to reconcile, she would become the laughingstock of the entire village.
So after everyone else had left, she put on an act and asked a couple of questions. Receiving no response, she picked up her shoe sole and went to gossip with others under the big tree at the village entrance.
Jiang Yue slept until almost noon, waking up from hunger. Not only was she hungry, but Little Bean Sprout was hungry too, crying loudly.
The cries were vigorous, with tiny arms and legs kicking energetically.
Without even opening her eyes, Jiang Yue skillfully pulled the baby into her arms, lifted her shirt, and began feeding.
The little girl was so upset that she clutched Jiang Yue’s clothes with her small hands, pausing between feeds to sob.
Jiang Yue poked her soft, tender cheek. “Are you feeling wronged already? Such an impatient little thing, can’t wait even a moment.”
“Jiang Yue, is the baby crying? Do you need help?” Lu Er Sao had just put down her shovel.
“Second Sister-in-law? Why are you back at this time?”
“It’s not the busy farming season now. There isn’t much work in the fields, so we don’t need so many people. I won’t be going back this afternoon.”
Although working in the fields was similar to having a job, farm work had its cycles – there were busy seasons and slack seasons, roughly split evenly throughout the year.
Seeing that her daughter had eaten her fill, Jiang Yue fastened her clothes, placed her on the bed, and went to open the door. The room needed some fresh air too.
Lu Er Sao said, “I came back to cook. Your eldest and second brothers are going to clean the commune toilets this afternoon. Let me take a look at the little one!”
She slowed her steps slightly as she entered the room before walking to the bed and picking up Little Bean Sprout.
“Oh my! Look at this little face, so pink and tender, absolutely adorable. Quite different from when my Xiao Cao was born. His face was all wrinkled back then – his father said he looked like a monkey, which made me so angry.” Lu Er Sao’s laughter gradually turned sorrowful. “My second child looked quite similar to yours when born, with a chubby little chest like a pink dumpling, except…”
This wasn’t a good topic to continue, and Jiang Yue didn’t want to pursue it either. “By the way, Second Sister-in-law, I’ve got some fish. Could you help me clean them? Same as before – I’ll give you two.”
Jiang Yue pulled out a bathtub filled with fish from under the bed.
Lu Er Sao stared at the listless fish in the tub, her jaw nearly dropping in astonishment. “So many fish… Where did you get them? And they’re still alive! Oh my heavens, you’re absolutely amazing.”
Jiang Yue didn’t want to explain. “I had someone exchange it. As for what I used to exchange it, Second Sister-in-law, don’t ask. In any case, it’s not easy to get good food these days. I’m sure you won’t go around spreading the word. Let’s just consider it as a way to nourish Xiao Cao. Look how yellow her hair is. Second Sister-in-law, I’m not in a condition to move around easily, and I’ll likely need your help again in the future. So, we’re in a cooperative relationship—what’s mine is yours too, alright?”
She spoke vaguely, but Lu Er Sao was clever enough to guess that Jiang Yue had probably used the money left by Lu Jingzhou to have someone exchange it on the black market. As for who did the exchange, she didn’t care, as long as she could benefit from it.
“I understand what you mean. But since we live in the same courtyard, it’s not practical for me to improve Xiao Cao’s diet alone. It’s the same for you. If you trust me, here’s an idea: my family home isn’t far, and it’s a remote place with hardly anyone around, which makes it convenient. I’ll take Xiao Cao back to my maternal home for a day. When we return in the evening, I’ll quietly bring you the fish soup. But are you sure you want to cook all of this?”
Jiang Yue’s eyes lit up. Her family home was indeed a good place. “Cook it all! Better to avoid complications. Second Sister-in-law, take Xiao Cao and leave now. I’ll pass the fish to you through that window.”
Lu Er Sao understood everything when she saw the direction Jiang Yue pointed. She nodded with a smile. “Alright, thanks to you, my Xiao Cao can also have a better meal.”Leave some for your maternal family too.” We shouldn’t take advantage of them.” Jiang Yue believed in not exploiting others when asking for favors—reciprocity was key to maintaining long-term relationships.
When Mother Lu heard that Lu Er Sao was returning to her maternal home, she was visibly displeased, her face sour with irritation.
“You just can’t stay idle at home, always thinking of running off. We won’t cook dinner for you tonight.”Since she was going back to her family home, it was only natural to save the in-laws some food.”
Lu Er Sao couldn’t be bothered to argue. She agreed verbally, then packed a simple bundle and left with her daughter.
After making a detour, she knocked on Jiang Yue’s window and placed the fish in a basket.
Lu Xiaocao watched eagerly. Jiang Yue gave her two milk candies. “Take these for the road.”
Lu Xiaocao didn’t reach for them immediately but looked up at her mother. Only after her mother nodded did she dare to take them. “Thank you, Third Aunt.”
“Sorry to make you spend.”
“Let’s not stand on ceremony between us.” Jiang Yue waited until the mother and daughter had walked away before closing the window. Just then, she heard Little Bean Sprout crying.
“Oh! Don’t cry, don’t cry. Mama’s here.”
The little one had wet herself again—diaper, cotton pad, and bedsheet were all soaked.
“You sure made a big puddle. How are we going to sleep tonight? Don’t cry, Mama will change you. You’ll feel better once you’re clean.”
Mother Lu, still uneasy, hurried back from the village entrance and pressed her ear against the door to listen. “Third Son’s wife, is the little girl crying? Open the door. I’ll give you a hand.”
Jiang Yue quickly changed her daughter’s diaper, wrapped her snugly in the Xiǎo bào bèi, and tied the strings. She gathered the dirty diapers piled by the bed, opened the door, and tossed them right into Mother Lu’s face. “Then I’ll trouble you with these, Mother.”
Mother Lu swatted the diapers away from her face and swiftly squeezed past Jiang Yue into the room. “Just leave them there. I’ll wash them later. Ugh! Your room smells awful. You need to open the windows and air it out. What’s stuffed under the bed? Hey! Why is the cabinet open…”
She was like a bandit on a rampage, her eyes and hands moving everywhere, searching every nook and cranny, not even sparing mouse holes. As long as it was a place where something could be hidden, she looked through it all.
Naturally, she found nothing.
Mother Lu was very disappointed, yet felt something was off.
Jiang Yue held her daughter in her arms, sitting on a chair and watching her put on a big show. “I’ve heard that during confinement, one must avoid drafts and keep the doors and windows tightly shut. Why are you urging me to open the window instead? Are you just hoping I’ll end up with Yuèzi bìng?”