“Here you go again!” Lu Zhong sighed, “Cui Lan, if you simply give this child away, can you be at ease in the future when you think about it? “
Miao Cui Lan gave a glimpse at him, “I can!”
“…” Lu Zhong was made speechless and said in defeat, “Nevermind. It’s late now. Let’s talk about this again tomorrow!”
“Now you’re speaking my language!” Miao Cui Lan grunted, “But we are not going to talk about this again. You will give her away tomorrow!”
Not long after, Miao Cui Lan put her daughter, who had fallen asleep after having her milk, on the brick bed and got up to prepare dinner.
Lu Zhong waved at his son, Lu Qi, to come over before he asked, “Is there any honey water left?”
Before the couple went to the market, they instructed their son to feed their daughter honey water. Earlier on, Lu Zhong wanted to ask his wife to feed the little baby but his wife rolled her eyes. Hence, he asked his son about it.
“There is no more left.” Lu Qi replied honestly.
Lu Zhong then said to his son, “Later, you go to the kitchen and take a look. See if you can get half a bowl of rice soup over.”
“Why do you want the rice soup?”
“To feed your new sister!”
Lu Qi took a look at the little baby and jumped off the brick bed before he said, “I will go to the kitchen to help Mother watch over the fire.”
“Go on!”
Lu Qi agreed and dashed out with his pair of short legs.
After a while, Lu Qi brought a bowl of thick rice soup into the house and exclaimed, “Father, Mother went to the garden to pick some vegetables. See, I managed to bring over the rice soup!”
He had also sensed that his mother did not like his new sister. Having secretly brought the rice soup behind her back, he felt proud and excited.
Lu Zhong received the bowl with a smile. He took a small spoon and went to feed Lu Zheng.
The baby in his arm was only more than two-months old. Could a man like him feed her properly? He ended up making a mess instead!
As for Lu Zheng, she was hungry. She felt even hungrier when she smelled the fragrant rice soup. She stared at the spoon that her new father was holding. and when it somehow reached her mouth, she could not drink it at all. Unable to help herself, she burst into cries. Lu Zhong was at loss of what to do.
When Miao Cui Lan entered, she saw her clumsy husband feeding the baby awkwardly and her son’s dazzling eyes which were filled with curiosity. She could not help but to feel angry and funny at the same time.
As a compassionate mother, she really could not be cruel towards a little baby.
She was just angry because a little baby was placed in her cart mysteriously which made her feel sullen.
After feeding her daughter, she did not see the little baby cry, so she thought that the baby was not hungry. As such, she ignored her husband’s concerns.
At this moment, when she saw the baby crying, she knew that the baby was really hungry. She stepped forward and said, “This is not something a grown man like you should do! Go wash and cook the vegetables that I’ve just picked. I’m tired for the day, so let me take a rest!”
Lu Zhong smiled embarrassingly and put down the spoon. He got up and passed the crying baby to his wife before he said gently, “Cui Lan, we can’t just let this child go hungry for the whole night. Please help!”
Cui Lan glared at him angrily, “If you don’t know how to, then don’t!” She took the little baby and turned to sit down.
Lu Zhong felt relieved in his heart and he left with a smile.
Miao Cui Lan scooped a spoon of rice soup and blewed on it gently. Then, she carefully fed the little baby in her arms.
Lu Zheng was famished. She quickly opened her little mouth and slurped with relish. When the fragrant and warm rice soup went down her throat, her stomach felt comfortable. After having a few spoonfuls, she finally ate slowly.
It seemed like her new mother was not that bad afterall. She did not even try to pinch her butt!
While Lu Zheng ate, she suddenly became fond of Miao Cui Lan.
She thought about it and started waving her small hands. She then tightly clasped on to Miao Cui Lan’s chest and refused to let go. She blinked her big eyes and smiled at her with attachment and intimacy.
Miao Cui Lan was startled. Her heart immediately softened and she could not help but let out a gentle sigh.
The night went by quietly.
The next morning, Miao Cui Lan was wearing an apron to feed the chickens and ducks in the yard. She saw Aunt Li, someone who loves to visit other houses, carrying her two-year-old daughter, Xiao Yu. She came in from the outside with a smile and exclaimed, “Seems like you’re busy”.
“Oh? Good morning Sister Li!” Miao Cui Lan lifted her head and greeted her.
Aunt Li looked at the chickens and ducks in the yard, which rounded up to about thirty to forty of them. She could not help but to be secretly envious of her. She then laughed and praised, “Your chickens are growing up well. Look at how bright and vibrant their feathers are! Oh? Some of these hens are singing. Seems like they are about to lay eggs, right? Also, those ducks seem like they weigh at least one catty and are ready to be sold soon!”
“Those aren’t worth much if sold. I’d rather keep them for my family to eat!” Miao Cui Lan said, “These animals eat a lot. I don’t know how much I have spent on their grains. I’m afraid I won’t be able to get my capital back by selling them!”
“Haha, that is also true!” Aunt Li grinned and said, “This is why my family is so lazy to raise so many livestocks. They are a waste of grains. I do raise a few of them to eat on festive seasons like the new year, but on normal days, when my hens lay eggs, I will always sell for some small money! Unlike your family that’s so rich!”
“Hey, look at what you are saying. Even I am embarrassed just by listening!” Miao Cui Lan sprinkled a handful of mixed feed, which included chopped green vegetables, millets, and leftover rice, and smiled half-heartedly at Aunt Li’s sour words.
“(Sigh),” Aunt Li approached her and nudged her with her elbow before grinning, “I heard that your family has one more child? Is it a baby girl?”
“How do you know!” Miao Cui Lan was surprised and her eyes widened.
“Haha! It seems like it’s true!” Aunt Li’s eyes were filled with interest. She could not help but to grab Miao Cui Lan’s arm and said, “Let’s go! Let me see her!”
“No. Tell me who told you?” Miao Cui Lan quickly asked. She felt angry in her heart. It seemed like good news never spread far but bad news always did.
Aunt Li laughed, “Who else? It’s your son! He came to me and said that he has a new sister. He said that you and your husband brought back a baby from town yesterday! Haha, I was shocked so I came over to take a look.”
“…” Miao Cui Lan was helplessly dragged into the house by Aunt Li. She cursed secretly to herself: That rascal. When did he become so gossipy? I’m going to give him an earful later! How can he simply go around spreading such a matter!
At this moment, Lu Zhong was chopping firewood and arranging his agricultural tools before going to the field. On the brick bed, there was a little girl in a red dress combing the braids of a doll. Beside her was a baby in a pine-colored swaddle. It was Lu Zheng. Lu Qi was also sitting on the brick bed and playing with a small wooden sword that Lu Zhong made while watching over the two sisters.
When Lu Qi saw Miao Cui Lan and Aunt Li come in, he jumped off the brick bed and grinned, “Mother! Aunt Li!”
Aunt Li placed her daughter, Xiao Yu, on the brick bed and patted Lu Qi’s head. She smiled, “Ah Qi is becoming more and more capable! Now he can look after his two sisters! Oh? This must be the new baby from yesterday. Let me have a good look at her!”
Aunt Li lifted the baby in the swaddle.
Miao Cui Lan saw that Aunt Li did not even take off her daughter’s shoes before putting her on the brick bed. She could not help but frowned and said nothing.
Aunt Li subconsciously reached out and pinched Lu Zheng’s pink and tender cheeks. She then said with a smile, “This baby girl is really beautiful and clean. She doesn’t seem like a child from any ordinary family. Could she be some wealthy family’s illegitimate daughter? You two are too kind. How can you bring a baby home and not be afraid about bad luck or trouble? Still, what is the use of having a baby girl? If it is a baby boy, he can help the household. In any case, raising a baby girl is a waste of food, and you’ll still have to find a family for her to marry and pay the dowry when she grows up. Tsk, tsk, what a bad deal! It is not worth it! It is really not worth it! You two are usually smart, so how can you two make such a bad decision!”
Aunt Li casually carried the swaddled baby. Lu Zheng felt very uncomfortable and she started kicking her short legs and waving her short arms to indicate her annoyance. Unfortunately, she was too small and her strength was too little, so there was no use.
The way the lady looked at Lu Zheng and her tone made her feel very disgusted. The lady even pinched her cheeks without stop!
When she heard the lady accusing her as an illegitimate daughter, and a waste of food and money, Lu Zheng was enraged. She exclaimed in her heart that the lady was the illegitimate child instead and her entire family were all illegitimate! What did you just say about me? You and your daughter are also a waste of food and money! What a bully! How dare you accuse me and devalue my new parents! I will remember you!
At this moment, Lu Qi ran over and pulled Aunt Li’s arm before looking up at her, “Aunt Li, Aunt Li, my father says not to poke my new sister’s face. It would be bad if her face spoils after poking!”
Aunt Li suddenly felt embarrassed and withdrew her hand. She looked at Miao Cui Lan and smiled, “Look at Ah Qi, he really dotes his new sister! Aye, you two are not really planning to adopt this girl, right?”
Miao Cui Lan was reluctant at first. However, after hearing Aunt Li’s words of sarcasm and ridicule, she purposely wanted to agitate her and nodded her head without hesitation, “Of course we are! This child shares an affinity with my husband and I. In any case, we already have a daughter, so what’s one more. We will raise her just the same!”
“You two are really kind! You two are rich and must have nowhere better to spend the money!” After hearing those words, Aunt Li suddenly felt dispirited and asked, “So, do you know where this child came from?”
“We picked her up yesterday when we were on our way back!”
“Oh? Both of you are so daring to adopt this girl so simply!”
Miao Cui Lan replied righteously, “That wasn’t it! It was late yesterday and the baby was crying in the bushes by the roadside. If we didn’t bring her home last night, she would’ve been eaten by some wild animal or frozen to death! A baby is vulnerable. Maybe I wouldn’t have cared if I didn’t see her, but if I did and didn’t save her, am I still human? Would I be struck by lightning then and go to hell when I die?”
Miao Cui Lan words were powerful. Aunt Li initially wanted to gloat at their misfortune and laugh at them, but those words annoyed her. She refused to lose, and forcely nodded her head with a smile, “What you say is also right since you do not lack the ability to raise her!”
