The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 280 - 269: Not Good

Chapter 280: Chapter 269: Not Good

The vast majority of the residents of Qili Village bear the last name Zhou, with a small minority having different surnames. Yet, over the course of a hundred plus years, as daughters from one family married into another, essentially every household has become interconnected through marriage and kinship.

And nearly all the Zhous share one common ancestor.

Although Zhou Hu didn’t have blood brothers, he had paternal cousins. His father’s situation was slightly better than that of Zhou Jin’s, so naturally, it was up to close relatives to lend a hand in such matters.

Unfortunately, the relations among the three families were not very good. The elders had a rather disagreeable separation, which is why the neighbors who got along relatively well with Zhou Hu’s family, Junior Ms. Qian and the wife of Dazhu, the village head’s son, followed them last night.

Of course, they had also summoned the midwife from Dali Village.

However, the midwife had stayed in Dali Village in the early morning and did not accompany them to the county town, while Junior Ms. Qian and the others were tired after a long night’s work, and someone had to stick close to Zhou Hu’s wife, causing them to stay in the county town.

Zhou ErLang and others came back not only to rest but also to find a substitute woman to go help out.

Upon hearing this, Ms. Qian understood immediately and thought for a moment before saying, "I’ll go talk to Zhou Hu’s aunt. Relationships aside, the bone’s connected to the sinew; they should take the lead in this matter. If they express reluctance to help, those who have a good relationship with Zhou Hu’s wife should be willing to assist."

It wasn’t a big deal; typically, if a family in the village encountered such an emergency, everyone would step in to help.

After Zhou ErLang mentioned it, he quietly added, "Dad gave two hundred wen yesterday, which has all been spent. Zhou Hu said he’d pay it back when he returns."

Ms. Qian uttered a sound of acknowledgment, not particularly concerned.

Zhou Hu’s aunt was reluctant, but she still sent her daughter-in-law to the county town to help.

Zhou Hu’s wife gave birth at the house of an old doctor. It took a lot of effort to barely correct the fetus’s position and deliver the child, only for the newborn to come out feeble as a mouse with a somewhat blue complexion, obviously having endured too long a struggle to breathe. The old doctor was uncertain whether there would be any impact on the child’s brain, even doubting if the child could survive.

At that moment, Zhou Hu could no longer focus on the child because his wife’s condition was also very bad. She hemorrhaged immediately after childbirth, which is why the old doctor had them sent to the county town.

The child was sent along as well.

He thought, survival would be good, and if not, at least they tried.

But such a young child couldn’t take medicine, and with his mother in that condition, it was obviously not possible for her to nurse him after taking medicine herself; his fate hung entirely on destiny.

Manbao had been considering whether to visit the county town to see Zhou Hu’s wife, especially since she and Zhou Hu’s second son, Erlang, were very close friends.

They were of a similar age, and although their familial seniority differed, Manbao was one of the few friends she had in the village.

As a friend, when a friend’s mother and brother were ill, she ought to visit them, shouldn’t she?

However, before she could bring it up, the next day Zhou Hu’s family, mother and son, were wrapped up and carried back on a board cart.

Ms. Qian immediately packed some eggs to visit the sick, with Manbao trailing behind her. Because Manbao was small and following at quite a distance, Ms. Qian didn’t even notice her.

There was quite a crowd at the Zhou Family’s home, though the birthing room was relatively quiet, the courtyard was bustling. Zhou Hu’s mother-in-law was busy greeting visitors.

About the same age as Second Son, Dafu acted more maturely, standing to one side holding his brother Erlang by the hand, silently watching everyone move in and out.

Manbao could tell they were upset and softly asked, "What’s the matter with you guys?"

When Dafu saw Manbao, he pursed his lips, on the verge of tears.

He knew Manbao and also knew that she was outstanding. After all, she could read, and his older brother Datou and Second Son often bragged about how amazing their little aunt was. At that moment, when Manbao asked, it made him feel quite distressed, a sense of grievance welling up inside him.

Since the evening before last, when his mother went into labor, their family had been too preoccupied to care for him and his brother.

They were sent to stay with a neighbor for care, and yesterday their parents didn’t come home at all.

Some people told them their mother was dying and that they would soon be motherless.

Therefore, Dafu and Erlang had cried for a day and a night, only calming down a bit when they saw their parents return today.

But he could tell his mother was not doing well; she appeared to be suffering. Moreover, he was nearly eight years old and could understand what was being said around him.

Just now, someone had suggested to his father to prepare a coffin for his mother, and then his grandmother actually agreed.

Dafu wiped his tears and asked Manbao, "Manbao, since you are educated, do you think my mother’s illness can be cured?"

Manbao hesitated before asking, "Hasn’t she already gotten better?"

Why else would she have been sent back home?

Dafu shook his head sadly, "No, she hasn’t gotten better; it still hurts a lot. And my brother, they say he’s going to die too."

Manbao’s mouth fell open in shock, at a loss for words.

The three children stood there silently for a while. Then, Bai Shanbao peeked around the gate and upon seeing the three of them with red-rimmed eyes standing face to face, he couldn’t help but slip in and ask, "Why are you crying? Who’s been bullying you?"

None of the children spoke, continuing to wipe their tears.

Bai Shanbao scratched his head and said, "Didn’t they say a baby was born? I’ve never seen a newborn before; can I take a look?"

Manbao also had no recollection of seeing one; as far as she could remember, when she was young enough to form memories, the youngest, Dazhu, could already try to sit up with his behind in the air.

She too looked towards Dafu.

Wiping away his tears, Dafu choked up and said, "Come with me."

The brothers led the two into the legitimate wife’s room.

It was somewhat quiet in the legitimate wife’s room, with only five older women inside, and Ms. Qian was among them.

Truthfully, there wasn’t much they could do; it was mostly comforting Zhou Hu’s wife, encouraging her to relax and recover.

Zhou Hu’s mother-in-law walked in and said to everyone with a forced smile, "We’ve made sweet wine in the kitchen. Everyone can have a bowl later. We’ve started cooking, and everyone will eat here for lunch. My daughter has gotten through this thanks to everyone’s help."

Zhou Hu’s wife’s family bore the surname Chen, and they lived in a small village on the other side of White Horse Pass Town, far from Qili Village, so they were the last to receive news.

Ms. Qian knew the Zhou Family was short-handed, and with one of the couple bedridden, the remaining spouse must be overwhelmed; they certainly wouldn’t be staying to eat. She then said, "We just came to visit. We will drink a bowl of sweet wine and then leave. Please, don’t bother cooking for us, or it might go to waste."

Since Ms. Qian spoke up, the others naturally agreed, saying, "When his wife gets better, let them invite us over to return the favor."

It was a well-wishing phrase, though everyone knew the likelihood was slim.

Ms. Chen lay on the bed with eyes barely open, lacking even the strength to speak because of the intense pain.

The four children hugged the wall as they walked, avoiding the six adults in conversation, and quietly approached the bed.

Next to Ms. Chen was a swaddle, and inside it, the red, wrinkled baby was her newly born son.

Bai Shan felt disdain because he thought the baby was too ugly, while Manbao, full of pity, found him very cute. She carefully pressed down the edge of the swaddle so she could see more clearly.

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