In the fifth year of Jingyuan, winter.
The eldest wife of Shen Junshan, a wealthy man in Huaicheng, had a difficult childbirth and cried for two days and one night, but the child was not born.
"Keep the child alive." Shen Junshan's ordinary wife, Mrs. Ru, made a decisive choice.
Bowls of birth-inducing drugs were poured down, and the madam’s shrill screams pierced the snowy night. Despair and fear filled the delivery bed, eventually turning into a pool of blood.
Suddenly, a clear baby cry penetrated the delivery room.
"Congratulations, Madam. Congratulations, Madam Ru. It's a young master." Auntie wrapped the bloody baby in swaddling clothes and showed it to Madam Ru with a smile on her face.
Since the eldest lady became pregnant, the power of managing the household has been temporarily given to Madam Ru. From the time the eldest lady started giving birth, she had been standing guard outside the delivery room.
At this time, she glanced at the baby with her grandma's hand, and then let go of the hanging breath. She almost collapsed after holding on for two days, but was firmly supported by the maid next to her.
"Hold it to them."
After receiving Mrs. Ru's order, Mammy carried the newborn baby down the steps, came to the head of the Shen family, and opened the baby's blanket.
Dense snowflakes fell between the baby's legs. The cold wind blew and the baby cried louder.
"As you can see clearly, Shen Junshan's lineage has a legacy of inheritance."
Mrs. Ru stood in the corridor and spoke coldly, her sharp eyes glancing over the clan members one by one.
The clan members lowered their voices and whispered, with unwillingness on their faces.
"If anyone has the wrong thoughts again, bullies the orphans and widowers left by Shen Junshan, and attempts to deprive Shen Junshan of his family wealth, our Shen family will never tolerate it."
Snowflakes were swirling at Mrs. Ru's feet in the wind, and the dim candlelight from the paper lanterns hung on the eaves danced on her face, making her look like a ghost devouring the dark night.
In the end, the overwhelming Shen family members evacuated the Shen Mansion under the leadership of the patriarch.
The candles on the corridor eaves gradually blew out, and the entire Shen Mansion fell into darkness.
At midnight, a dark figure carrying a bamboo basket ran towards the outside of the city from the side gate of Shen's mansion, facing the wind and snow.
…
Winter in Huaicheng has always been very cold.
As in previous years, not long after winter began, there were several heavy snowfalls one after another.
Nanguan Mountain, seventy miles away from Huaicheng, is covered with snow and stretches for dozens of miles. If it weren't for the rising dust and smoke, the scattered villages at the foot of the mountain would not be visible.
Shenshu Village is located in the lower reaches of the valley at the foot of the mountain.
In order to save wood, the Bai family on the east slope of the village did not light the stove at night. The whole house was like a hole in the ice. Mrs. Bai woke up from the cold at night and could not sleep again.
After finally staying up until dawn, Mrs. Bai lifted up the quilt and got out of bed. In order to keep out the cold, she slept wrapped in a cotton-padded jacket, which saved her from wearing clothes.
There is a thin layer of ice on the ground beside the bed, and the snowy light reflected through the paper window lattice fills the dilapidated rural mud house with a bright and clear light.
Old Mrs. Bai wrapped an old handkerchief around her head, opened the door and looked out.
The snow has stopped.
The entire yard was covered with thick snow, and the cold wind blew through. The snowballs pressed on the trees in the yard fell, hitting the fence and throwing snow foam.
The path at the entrance of Bai's yard leads to the entrance of the village. Old Mrs. Bai stood on tiptoes and looked at the road again and again. There was no one in the heavy snow.
"It's time to go home long ago. This couple is probably wandering around Huaicheng..."
Old Mrs. Bai put her hands in her sleeves and looked at the sight of no one for a long time, feeling very disappointed.
Her son and his daughter-in-law went to work for a wealthy family in Huaicheng a year ago. During the autumn harvest, someone sent a message saying that they would resign and go home in the winter. It had snowed several times, and the couple had not come back.
After being disappointed, Mrs. Bai became anxious again, fearing that her son and daughter-in-law might encounter something unexpected on the road.
The cold wind continued to blow, and the snowballs on the treetops continued to fall on the fence.
There was a "pop" sound, and the fence in the southeast corner of the yard collapsed under the weight of snow.
"Nai, you got up so early again." Xie Chuntao, the eldest daughter-in-law, came to Old Mrs. Bai and asked with concern, "Were you cold last night? I'll make you a bowl of ginger tea to go away the cold."
"I'm not cold, you go and cook for the big guy first." Old Mrs. Bai withdrew her gaze and waved her hand to Xie Chuntao, then shouted to the east and west side rooms, "Big Zhuang, recruit girls, big man, Sanlang, you little bastards, are still asleep Come on, get up and clear the snow."
Xie Chuntao responded and got into the kitchen to light a fire neatly.
The eldest grandson Bai Dazhuang has already dressed and stepped into the heavy snow with a broom. The youngest grandson Bai Zhaomei followed Bai Dazhuang with his big brother Sanlang and waved a shovel to shovel the snow.
The second grandson's daughter-in-law, Eugene Gui, who was huddled in bed, shouted through the window: "Sister-in-law, make me a bowl of egg tea and add more sesame oil."
It was both eggs and sesame oil. Old Mrs. Bai felt very distressed. She couldn't open the pot at home. There were two eggs and half a bottle of sesame oil in total.
According to her past temper, she would have stabbed Yu Jingui with words, but Yu Jingui was pregnant now and could not stab him.
"It's not me who wants to eat the milk, it's your great-granddaughter who wants to eat it in my belly."
Sure enough, every time Eugene Gui made a request, he would use the child in his belly as a shield.
Old Mrs. Bai curled her lips, "As for you, if you still want to give birth to a daughter for the Bai family, I'm afraid you won't be so lucky."
"Is that dad and mom?" Bai Zhaomei piled snow outside the fence. When she looked up, she saw two people getting off the carriage at the entrance of the village.
Old Mrs. Bai opened her eyes wide and tried hard to see. Her eyesight was not good and she couldn't see clearly.
"Yes, yes, it's the master and the grandma." Dalang Sanlang saw it clearly. He jumped up excitedly, dropped his broom and rushed out to meet them with Bai Zhaomei.
"Why are you standing there in a daze? Go and help your parents carry their things. It's such a cold day." Xie Chuntao put down the cutting knife in his hand and walked out of the kitchen and said to Bai Dazhuang, who was still dazed.
Bai Dazhuang grinned and pulled Xie Chuntao toward the entrance of the village.
After a cup of tea, people crowded around the white wooden boards and Zhen walked into the courtyard in a lively manner.
"Mother." Bai Banban and Zhen called in unison.
"How long has it been? Why did you..." Mrs. Bai had a straight face, her eyes fell on her daughter-in-law Zhen, who was swaddled in her arms, and the rest of her words were cut off in shock.
"Hey, Mom has given birth to a younger sister." Bai Zhaomei announced the good news happily.
Mrs. Bai couldn't see the ups and downs of her emotions. She glanced at Bai Banban and Zhen. The couple felt quite uncomfortable.
"Come inside."
Bai Banban and Mrs. Zhen followed Mrs. Bai into the upper room. It was as cold as an ice cellar. Zhen shivered from the cold and pressed the swaddling clothes in her arms closer to her chest.
"I have a sister, I have a sister."
"I have a sister-in-law, I have a sister-in-law."
Bai Zhaomei and Dalang Sanlang shouted excitedly around Zhen.
Bai Dazhuang wanted to shout too. The old Bai family finally had a girl. She took it upon herself to light the stove without waiting for instructions. Her sister was so young and couldn't stay cold.
Xie Chuntao brought hot ginger soup to her parents-in-law from the kitchen. She was careful and found that Mrs. Bai, who had been longing for a girl, was not as happy as she imagined, so she did not dare to show too much happiness.
"What, mother, this child..." Bai Banban said after considering it.
Old Mrs. Bai interrupted: "Okay, I know our family has been looking forward to a daughter."
"Big strong mother, put the child on the bed, and hold it in your arms like a golden egg. Chuntao, go to the village and borrow some rice and noodles to replenish your mother's health."
As soon as the old lady gave the order, everyone in the Bai family was immediately beaming with joy, and there was joy from inside to outside.
"Hey, okay, milk!" Xie Chuntao agreed, and walked out in Fengfenghuohuo.
"Da Zhuang, what are you doing standing there? Why don't you take Zhaomei and Dalang Sanlang to the river to catch some fish and make fish soup for your mother?"
Bai Dazhuang promised, but didn't move. He twisted his neck and stretched toward the bed. It was freezing outside just now, and his sister was wrapped tightly by her mother. He hadn't seen what his sister looked like.
Following Bai Dazhuang, several straight heads looked towards the bed with silly smiles on their faces.
"Hurry up!" The white wooden board glared at the children and grandchildren, blocking the baby like a guardian angel, but not letting the brats collide with the baby girl.
The baby girl was very well-behaved, and the infant child behind him didn't cry or fuss all the way, and was still asleep when they got home.
After being yelled by his father, Bai Dazhuang took Bai Zhaomei Dalang Sanlang and ran out to get the fish catching tools.
"Oh, my parents are finally back." When Eugene Gui, who was wrapped in a ball, heard the commotion, he opened the curtain and came in. He held his waist as if to show off and went to dig through the white wooden baggage on the bed. "What delicious food can I bring to your granddaughter?" Yes? By the way, my parents are pregnant again. They say that sour children make hot girls. I have been very cute and spicy recently, and I will definitely be able to bring the first girl to our Lao Bai family."
"Your mother-in-law has already taken the lead. Your mother-in-law gave birth to a sister-in-law for you." Old Mrs. Bai said expressionlessly.
"What? Sister-in-law?" Eugene Gui saw a bright red quilt with flowers next to Mrs. Zhen. She was about to reach out and pull it away, but the hen next to Mrs. Zhen blocked it back as if protecting her chicks.
Actually, her mother-in-law got the better of her. Eugene Gui felt dissatisfied as he touched his belly.
Old Mrs. Bai told Eugene Gui, "Go to your parents' house to borrow a bag of brown sugar and some eggs."
"My natal family is not a golden cave." Eugene Gui muttered,
Brown sugar is such a precious thing, so just borrow it. What can I give back to this poor Dingdangxiang family?
From the patches all over my parents-in-law’s bodies, we can guess that they didn’t make much money working out.
Lao Bai's house is a bottomless pit. Why did she get on this poor thief ship because she was so confused in the first place?
Eugene Gui's face was full of reluctance, but he couldn't bear the knife-like look in the old lady Bai's eyes, so he went to his parents' house in the west of the village, holding his stomach.
After driving away her grandchildren and daughter-in-law, Old Mrs. Bai took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. She couldn't help but turn her head to look at the baby in the swaddling clothes. Her pink and jade face looked really painful.
"Tell me, where did this child come from?"
