Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Zhou Kun’s Fury
By the time the autumn wind began to blow and the leaves turned yellow, the village’s fall harvest was complete. The wheat had been planted, the public grain tax had been paid, and there was basically no work left to do in the fields.
Zhou Lian was about eight months pregnant. One day, after getting everything ready, Li Xiu decided to take her to visit her parents. Her belly was so big that another trip to her family home would be too strenuous, and Li Xiu couldn’t bear to see her struggle. So, as soon as they had a break from work, he took her for a visit.
The next time they could visit would have to be next year. The baby was due at the end of November, and after that, she would have to go through the traditional postpartum confinement period. Zhou Lian wouldn’t even be able to visit for the New Year.
When they arrived at Zhou Family Village, only Mrs. Zhou was home. She was delighted to see her second daughter and son-in-law and quickly welcomed them into the house.
"You’re already eight months along, why did you come?" Mrs. Zhou knew her son-in-law doted on her daughter; how could he let her travel with such a big belly? She had thought her daughter wouldn’t be able to visit until next summer, after giving birth and finishing her confinement.
"Mom, Lian’er was missing you all. She’s due in two months, so it won’t be convenient for her to travel. The next time she can come will have to be next year when the weather warms up. I wanted to bring her to see you," Li Xiu quickly explained to his mother-in-law.
"Have a seat. Your father went to the production team office, and your brother took your sisters up the mountain. They won’t be back until it’s time to eat. This is perfect, you can tell me your plans." Mrs. Zhou sat down and studied Zhou Lian carefully as she spoke. ’She looks well. The fall harvest is over, yet her skin is still fair and smooth. She’s gained a little weight, but her belly isn’t too big. It seems my son-in-law has put a lot of effort into taking care of her.’
"Plans? What plans?" Zhou Lian asked, looking at her mother in confusion.
"Mom, it’ll be too cold when Lian’er gives birth, and the conditions at the county hospital aren’t great. It’s better for her to give birth at home. I’ve already found a midwife. I can take care of her during the postpartum confinement. There’s no work with the team then, it’s the slack season for farming. Besides, I wouldn’t trust anyone else to look after her!" Li Xiu explained his arrangements to his mother-in-law, thinking with an inward chuckle, ’So this is what they mean by pregnancy brain!’
"You’ll take care of her? Do you even know how? Do you know how to handle the postpartum confinement?" Mrs. Zhou asked, looking at him in disbelief.
"Mom, what’s so hard about it? It’s just washing the baby’s diapers, making nutritious food for Lian’er, and watching the baby when it’s awake!" Li Xiu said with a smile, facing his mother-in-law’s skepticism.
"Then tell me everything in detail!" Mrs. Zhou pressed, still not entirely convinced. If a woman doesn’t have a proper postpartum confinement, she can suffer from health problems later.
"Okay, I’ve already prepared the baby’s diapers. I’ve asked my grandma and the others to help make the baby’s blankets and clothes. As for what Lian’er will eat during her confinement, I’ve already asked the doctor. Eggs, hen soup, fish soup, bone broth, and things like that. They’re nutritious and help with milk production. And during her confinement, Lian’er can’t wash her hair or bathe, can’t get cold, and can’t touch cold water."
Seeing that his mother-in-law was listening intently, Li Xiu continued, "It’s best for the confinement period to last a month and a half so her body can recover properly. Lian’er is due around the end of November, so I’ll have her rest until the Lantern Festival..."
"Mom, please stop asking him. He’s completely obsessed. He spends all day asking people for advice and is planning to follow everything from the medical books. Who needs to be so dramatic? We can just do what everyone else does!" Zhou Lian interrupted him with a sigh, tired of his endless talk. She was sick of hearing it. ’He wasn’t this fussy in my past life!’
In fact, Zhou Lian was mistaken. In their past life, it was also Li Xiu’s first time being a father. The fact that he was able to care for both mother and daughter so well that they both gained weight by the end of the confinement period was already quite an achievement!
Mrs. Zhou looked between the two of them and smiled. ’Alright, my son-in-law is even more concerned than I am.’ The more she looked at Li Xiu, the more she liked him. She used to think her eldest son-in-law was wonderful—good-tempered and good to her eldest daughter. But now, looking at her second son-in-law, there was simply no comparison. He doted on her second daughter as if she were the most precious treasure in the world. Even she hadn’t been this attentive when raising her own daughter!
After a bit of idle chat, Mrs. Zhou saw that it was getting late and went to make dinner. Li Xiu offered to help, but she stopped him. It was unheard of for a visiting son-in-law to help with the cooking.
Zhou Lian sipped her red date tea, watching Li Xiu with a sly smile. ’Let him be happy for a little while longer. When Dad gets back, he’s in for it.’ Her sworn sister had told her that Ge Dayu had already tattled to their father about Li Xiu spending the night in the mountains. Apparently, their dad had been furious. If it hadn’t been for the busy harvest season, he would have gone to their house to teach Li Xiu a lesson.
A knot formed in his stomach. Li Xiu had a feeling his wife’s smile was a little mischievous. ’She’s not thinking of how to mess with me again, is she? I’ve never met a wife who enjoys setting up her own husband so much.’
Looking at Zhou Lian’s playful and charming expression, Li Xiu felt a pang of bitterness. ’In our past life, my wife rarely had moments where she was this relaxed. In the end, it was my fault. I made my woman live such a tiring and repressed life.’
Blinking, Li Xiu suppressed the turmoil in his heart. ’My wife has finally moved on from that. I have to work hard to keep her just as she is now. I’ll give it my all to protect her for a lifetime.’
Just as they were each lost in their own thoughts, sitting in silence, Zhou Kun returned. The moment he saw Li Xiu in the room, the anger he had suppressed for days instantly flared up. ’The children aren’t here. This is the perfect chance to teach him a good lesson. The nerve of this kid, risking his life for money! Why doesn’t he just go ascend to the heavens while he’s at it!’
"Dad, you’re back," Zhou Lian said with a smile as she watched her father walk in from the courtyard. She thought with a touch of glee, ’Look at Dad’s anger, it hasn’t faded one bit after all this time. Someone’s about to have a bad day. Serves him right for being so reckless.’
"Dad." Li Xiu quickly stood up to greet his father-in-law. He felt a chill run down his spine; his wife’s smile was just too unnatural.
"What brings you here? Aren’t you busy going into the mountains?" Zhou Kun said, his face dark, to his audacious son-in-law.
’It’s over.’ ’Who has such a big mouth, telling my father-in-law about this?’ Seeing his father-in-law’s dark expression, Li Xiu put on a placating smile and said, "Now, Dad, what are you saying? We just came because we were missing you and Mom."
"Hmph, don’t give me that shameless grin. Aren’t you so capable? Spending the night in Daqing Mountain! Why don’t you go become sworn brothers with a bear while you’re at it!" The more Zhou Kun spoke, the angrier he got. ’This kid is truly reckless. What if something had happened? He’s only in his twenties, and my daughter is pregnant with his child!’
"Dad, don’t be angry. I’ll never go into the deep mountains again, I swear. I already promised Lian’er." Li Xiu, a little intimidated by his furious father-in-law, quickly shot a look at his wife and said softly, "Bao’er, hurry and talk to Dad. Don’t let him stay angry."
Zhou Lian said nonchalantly, "Oh, yes, that’s right. Dad, Li Xiu promised me he would never go into the ’deep mountains’ again." She enunciated the words "deep mountains" with particular emphasis.
Li Xiu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he looked at his wife, who was setting him up without even blinking. ’I knew it! I had a bad feeling all day. So this is what she had in store for me!’
"Why don’t you just ascend to the heavens, kid! Risking your life for money!" Zhou Kun was genuinely angry. He was satisfied with his son-in-law in every other way—he was generous, reasonable, and doted on his daughter. But he never expected him to be so audacious. Daqing Mountain was notorious as a place you could enter but never leave. In all the surrounding villages, people would rather starve to death than go in there. But this one? He dared to spend the night in the mountains.
"Dad, please don’t be angry yet. Just hear me out, okay?" ’I can’t let my father-in-law get sick with anger.’ Li Xiu quickly began to speak.
"Fine. Talk."
"Dad, this time was really an accident. You know Lian’er is about to give birth, and I heard from the doctor that ginseng is the best thing for replenishing qi and blood, so I thought I’d go into the mountains to look for some."
Casting a careful glance at Zhou Kun, Li Xiu continued, "I lost track of time in the mountains. It’s dangerous to walk there after dark, so I found a cave to spend the night. I scattered a lot of knockout powder around the entrance. Dad, please don’t be angry with me. I value my life. I still have a wife and child to provide for!"
"Not into the deep mountains?" Hearing his explanation, Zhou Kun’s anger slowly subsided. ’As long as he wasn’t risking his life for money, that’s what matters. I was just afraid he’d do anything for money.’
"Dad, if I go into the deep mountains, Lian’er would worry. I didn’t plan on going in the first place, but there’s nowhere to buy ginseng. That’s why I thought of looking in the mountains," Li Xiu said, slowly relaxing now that he saw his father-in-law had calmed down.
Zhou Lian just watched him hoodwink her father, unable to expose his lies. It was so frustrating. ’This damn man just opens his mouth and spouts nonsense. Whoever said he was an honest man must be blind!’
Sensing his wife’s mood, Li Xiu understood immediately. ’She’s peeved because she didn’t get to see her father teach me a lesson!’
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