The usual fifteen-minute journey took over twenty minutes this time, but Shen Yiguang deliberately slowed the car down to consider his little niece’s comfort on the ride to the He family.

"Ah Guang, come in with me." With such a trump card at her disposal, Shen Yidong naturally wanted to use it. Shen Yiguang followed her, curious to see what other grievances the He family might air. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Shen Yiguang had also planned to go in with her. "I’ll come in for a sit and say a few words to your in-laws. If nothing else comes up, you should move back here. Don’t sulk or struggle to speak gently. At the very least, try to look more approachable. Xiao Fen and the others are still He family children, after all. They can’t be so blatantly favored, whether they’re boys or not. I’ll mention this to them. As for splitting the family, don’t bring it up yet. Discuss it with your husband first. You should also look at what you may have done wrong in the past and try to make amends. When I come back next time, if things are still the same, we’ll consider other options."

Shen Yidong nodded her head continuously. With her brother’s support, she felt much more at ease, and her spine straightened considerably.

On the other side, Yang PeiMin had just finished peeling the radishes and went into the room to rest her eyes. Hearing the voices in the courtyard, she got up and went outside, only to find Pan Shuiqin.

It had been a long time since the sisters had seen each other, and by now, her child must have been born.

"Cousin Qin,"

"Oh, Minmin, you’re awake. I was going to come over later." Pan Shuiqin greeted her warmly, grabbing Yang PeiMin’s hand and looking her over. "You look thinner. Are you ’eating for two’ now?"

Yang PeiMin shook her head with a smile and pulled her into the house. "I was planning to visit you tomorrow. What brings you here? Who’s watching Xiao Bao?" Last month, she had had a daughter, as mentioned in a letter from Zhang Minghua.

Pan Shuiqin, probably because she had just finished her postnatal month, seemed a bit plumper in the face, and dressed warmly from head to toe, making it hard to tell if she had gained weight. Yet her face shone with the glow of motherhood, making her especially endearing.

"I just came to see you. His dad’s with her. She just had her milk and fell asleep, so I stepped out for a bit."

"How can that work? Can your husband really take care of her? You just finished the ’sitting month’ and shouldn’t be out in the wind. Don’t stay; you should go back. I’ll come talk to you later and see Xiao Bao. Wait a moment; I’ve prepared a gift for Xiao Bao."

She had been knitting sweaters for the baby in her belly whenever she found time, although she hadn’t finished yet. She did complete two sets of shoes, socks, and little hats, which she could bring as gifts to Cousin Qin’s daughter, along with a small blanket and a piece of cotton cloth so her cousin could make clothes for the child. She also planned to take some brown sugar and twenty eggs from home.

After telling Chen Guizhi, she left for the Zhao family’s home with Pan Shuiqin.

"Look at this, why bring so much stuff?" Pan Shuiqin started to unpack the gifts. "Oh, these shoes are so cute, Minmin. You really have a talent for this."

Yang PeiMin shook her head with a smile; a past hobby had unexpectedly come in handy now.

"As long as you like them," she said.

"I love them!"

Zhao ManCang was also in the house, having been asked to watch the baby, but he too had fallen asleep, lying on the kang with the baby beside him, snoring loudly with alternating snores.

Pan Shuiqin walked over and not too happily slapped his arm to wake him up. "What’s the matter, couldn’t sleep? I asked you to watch the baby and you fell asleep. What if you had rolled onto her?"

While talking, she picked up her daughter who was already asleep. She also kicked Zhao ManCang, still dazed, "Wake up, the cousin is here. It’s rude to keep sleeping."

The room wasn’t very big; the kang took up almost half of it. Yang PeiMin felt a bit awkward—she didn’t really want to watch either.

Zhao ManCang clambered up and also saw Yang PeiMin sitting by the table. He scratched his head and felt a bit embarrassed, "Cousin’s here? Did Ah Guang come with you?" he said, glancing twice at the doorway.

"Not yet, he’s taking my fourth sister back home today."

Since Shen Yiguang hadn’t come over, Zhao ManCang didn’t feel it right to linger in the room either. After exchanging a few words, suggesting that the sisters have a good catch-up, he left.

Pan Shuiqin invited Yang PeiMin to sit on the kang. "Don’t mind him. He’s become as lazy as a snake since winter’s arrival. Come over here and look at my girl."

Yang PeiMin leaned over to look; the child also had her eyes open, a little steamed bun-like face that looked a lot like Yue ManCang—quite adorable. "She’s really cute, looks like her dad. Have you named her yet? Was it easy when you gave birth to her? Did you do it at home or did you go to the town’s clinic?"

With a smile spreading across her face, Pan Shuiqin held her baby and rocked her. "She does look like her dad; everyone says that. I wish she’d look more like me—her dad’s clunky manner, it’ll make it hard for her to find a husband later." She laughed.

Yang PeiMin gave her a light push, "What are you talking about? Who speaks like that as a mother?"

Pan Shuiqin laughed, "You’re not like us. No matter who you two resemble, you both look good... We haven’t picked a name yet, just calling her ’Niu Niu’ for now. My husband says since she’s our first child, we should really think about the name, not just pick any old one because she’s a girl. Maybe you could help me come up with one? You’re well-educated; any name you choose will surely sound nice."

Yang PeiMin hurriedly waved her hands, "I’ve got enough trouble thinking of my own, let alone helping others. You don’t know, Shen Yiguang’s the one who does this. He’s much more enthusiastic about it than I am; just leave it to him."

"So what names has he thought of?"

Yang PeiMin started to laugh as she recalled, shaking her head. "Nothing but heroes from the Warring States period and the like!"

"Oh wow, is he hoping for a son to follow in his footsteps and join the army?" Pan Shuiqin couldn’t stop laughing either.

"Cousin, tell me about your childbirth experience. Give me some tips."

"What’s there to say? Just eat well, sleep well, move around a lot, and when the time comes, just push."

Yang PeiMin glared.

"It wasn’t like that for me, you know. This little girl is truly sensible; she came out without giving me too much trouble. She really is like a daughter, knowing how to spare her mother." Pan Shuiqin said, chuckling, and then looked at her with a playful glance. "What are you worried about? If there’s no one around when your time comes, go straight to the hospital. If it’s like in my case, having many people at home isn’t scary; it’s only a problem if you’re alone at home. How about you now? How do you feel? Having much morning sickness? Can you eat? "

Yang PeiMin seized upon a key point, "How do you manage at home? The local midwives, uh... you were okay afterward, weren’t you?" The very thought terrified her.

Pan Shuiqin laughed again, "In our rural areas, isn’t this how everyone does it? Generally, if there’s no complication, there’s no need for the hospital."

Leaving Pan Shuiqin’s house, Yang PeiMin felt completely overwhelmed.

Giving birth to a child is just too frightening.

Back home, Shen Yiguang hadn’t returned yet. There were no chores to do at the house, and with Chen Guizhi and other neighbors visiting, she didn’t feel like joining in on the fuss. So she returned to her own room and lay down again.