The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 404 - 393: Going to Have a Baby (Extra Update as a Reward for the Reader ’Deer Crying Softly’)

Chapter 404: Chapter 393: Going to Have a Baby (Extra Update as a Reward for the Reader ’Deer Crying Softly’)

Old Zhou had hardly reached the gate with his daughter when the door suddenly opened from the inside with a bang, startling both of them.

Zhou Erlang and Zhou Wulang rushed out and upon seeing their father, quickly said, "Dad, Silang’s wife is about to give birth, I’m going to call the doctor and the midwife."

Old Zhou came to his senses and waved his hand urgently, "Go quickly, go quickly."

Manbao had already wriggled free from her dad’s grip and ran inside, only to see the kitchen bustling with the fire blazing for cooking.

Manbao dashed to the small courtyard and saw the house lit with oil lamps, with Zhou Dalang and Zhou Sanlang taking the children over to the main courtyard. They were to sleep over there tonight and were not allowed to come back to the small courtyard.

Taking advantage of Zhou Dalang’s inattention, Manbao slipped into Silang’s room.

Zhou Silang was standing in front of the bed, sweating profusely as he watched, while Ms.Qian was holding onto Ms.Fang’s hand to comfort her.

Manbao squeezed in for a look and saw Ms.Fang sitting on the bed eating sugar, her expression still relatively calm.

Zhou Silang was bumped and upon returning to his senses, he saw Manbao standing right in front of him. His eyes widened, and he immediately grabbed her saying, "How did you get in here? Get out quickly, get out."

Ms.Qian also saw her little girl and frowned, "Silang, you shouldn’t stay here either, go out with your little sister."

Zhou Silang, sweating profusely, said, "Mom, let me stay here."

"What can you do if you stay? You’re just in the way," Ms.Qian shooed him out, then turned to Ms.Feng, "Go check the kitchen, and have your sister-in-law cook a bowl of noodles, add a couple more eggs to it. We’ll need a lot of strength if she gives birth."

Ms.Feng agreed.

"The water needs to be heated up too," Ms.Qian, having given birth to so many children and having helped out with so many births in the village, as well as her own daughters-in-law giving birth so many times, she was well-versed in the routine, and continued to instruct, "Scissors, red cloth, everything needs to be prepared."

Zhou Silang, listening in, was terrified. It was only recently that Third Sister-in-law had given birth, and he hadn’t felt nervous at all. Why was he so scared now that his own wife was having a baby?

Manbao looked at her sister-in-law and then at her brother, feeling that her brother needed her consolation more. So she held his ice-cold hand and comforted him, "Silang, don’t be scared. It’ll be over soon, don’t be so nervous."

Zhou Silang, with trembling lips, said, "I, I’m not nervous, not the slightest bit nervous..."

Ms.Fang, who was initially nervous and scared to the extreme, couldn’t help but laugh when she saw her husband drenched in a cold sweat. She didn’t know if it was because she moved too suddenly, but it made her stomach ache more.

Ms.Qian hurriedly checked and then once again ushered the two children out.

Manbao then led Zhou Silang out by the hand.

Zhou Silang clumsily sat down with Manbao on the stone steps, staring motionlessly at the window of his room.

Ms.Fang’s labor developed unexpectedly fast, leaving everyone so busy that they didn’t have time to pay attention to the two of them.

Daya and Erya were helping boil water in the kitchen, while Junior Ms.Qian was rolling out noodles at such a rapid speed that they were done in a flash. Ms.Feng was then asked to deliver a bowl to Ms.Fang.

Ms.Fang, after suffering for a while, tried to ignore the discomfort in her stomach and ate half a bowl of noodles, but then the pain became unbearable.

The sounds began to drift outside.

Zhou Silang, drenched in cold sweat and on the verge of tears, grabbed Manbao and asked, "What if, what if your sister-in-law ends up like Sister-in-law Hu?"

Manbao spat and said, "Mom said not to say inauspicious things."

"Right right right, we can’t say inauspicious things." Having said this, Zhou Silang suddenly looked towards Manbao.

Manbao blinked, "What’s wrong?"

"Manbao, aren’t you the reincarnation of an immortal? Would it help if I prayed to you?"

Of course, it would be useless, and Manbao shook her head with determination.

"Then how about you pray to Heaven Master?" Zhou Silang suggested, "You’re a fairy under the Heaven Master, so surely your prayers will be more effective."

Zhou Silang became convinced by his own words and, tugging Manbao, set off, "Let’s go, let’s go pray to Heaven Master."

The portrait of Heaven Master was in the room of Old Zhou and Ms.Qian. Old Zhou was sitting on the threshold of the hall, smoking, when his fourth son ran past him in a whiff into the room and nearly knocked him over. He immediately followed to see what was going on and found, in the dimly-lit room, Zhou Silang kneeling with Manbao in front of Heaven Master’s portrait, staring with wide eyes as they mumbled their prayers.

Old Zhou took a deep breath, wanting to strike someone with his smoking pipe but thinking better of it as he didn’t want to be disrespectful in front of Heaven Master, he held back.

Following Zhou Silang, Manbao prayed to Taishang Laojun, and thinking it might not be enough, knelt and recited all the names of the deities she knew, hoping they would all protect her sister-in-law and the baby, keeping them safe and healthy.

Zhou Silang, still feeling somewhat guilty, quietly asked, "Isn’t it bad to pray to other deities in front of Heaven Master?"

"It’s fine," Manbao said, "Those who become deities must at least be broad-minded, they won’t mind."

She added, "So many people in the world pray to the gods, so the deities must be very busy. What if we only ask one, and he happens to be busy and doesn’t hear us? So, it’s better to ask a few to make sure, and whoever hears can help, right?"

Zhou Silang thought that made sense, so he knelt down again and recited the names of all the deities he knew. Then he emphasized an introduction to his little sister, "My sister used to be a colleague of yours in her previous life under Heaven Master, so we’re actually acquaintances. You must help me."

Old Zhou couldn’t bear to listen anymore and simply turned to leave; he was afraid he would lose his temper and hit someone if he heard any more.

Zhou Erlang and Zhou Wulang soon brought the doctor and the midwife from Dali Village, along with Ms.Fang’s mother, brother, and sister-in-law.

There was no helping it; the village was only so big. The doctor’s house and the Fang family’s house were not far from each other, so when someone knocked on one door, the others across the street would hear about it.

Since they knew what was happening, Zhou Erlang naturally had to inform them, and giving birth was a big deal that warranted letting the family know.

This was Ms.Fang’s first childbirth, and it was particularly critical.

Mother Fang was anxious, and after discussing with her son, they decided to come over together.

Ms.Fang had started labor, and the midwife, after taking a look, said, "The cervix is dilated; we can begin, but don’t exert yourself randomly, follow my lead."

Not too many people could be in the delivery room, so when Ms.Feng saw Mother Fang had arrived, she washed her hands and stepped out to let her and Ms.Qian assist the midwife.

Junior Ms.Qian brought in hot water and handed it off before stepping out. Sister-in-law Fang, not seeing Zhou Silang around, couldn’t help but grab Junior Ms.Qian and ask, "Sister-in-law, where has my brother-in-law gone?"

Junior Ms.Qian had just overheard her father-in-law quietly scolding Zhou Silang, so she knew exactly where he had gone. Pointing towards the main courtyard, she replied, "He’s praying to the deities with his sister, saying that they’re going to pray to all the deities for his wife’s safe delivery."

Sister-in-law Fang: ...

Brother Fang, upon hearing this, felt quite pleased.