I Became the Mother of His Child

Xu Xiuxiu had not yet completed her postpartum confinement when she ventured outside. Indeed, in this troublesome autumn, it seemed difficult even to have a peaceful confinement. Thinking this, she looked at Song Yuanhuan, who was sulking and dark-faced as he forcefully helped her into her coat. This man was truly tolerant of her!

"Mr. Song, thank you." Xu Xiuxiu, after Song Yuanhuan had put a cotton hat on her, managed a pleasing smile, her face lifted, despite her clumsiness.

"Humph." Song Yuanhuan was angry and had no intention of appeasing Xu Xiuxiu. He just darkly dressed her warmly, fearing she might catch cold or be chilled by the wind. His serious demeanor remained as he checked Xu Xiuxiu from head to toe, ensuring she was well-covered, which finally eased his expression somewhat.

However, as Xu Xiuxiu, well-bundled, reached the main house, Mrs. Song frowned and voiced her disapproval, "Xiuxiu, in this freezing weather, what are you up to? Are you going out?" Mrs. Song was grinding tofu in the main house. Due to the cold weather, the stone mill had been moved from the courtyard's shade to the main house. Almost every rural household made tofu. Mrs. Song planned to make extra for use during the traditional festival on the eighth, a village custom.

"Mom, I need to make a trip back to my maternal home." Xu Xiuxiu answered Mrs. Song honestly.

"Xiuxiu! I know you young people rely on robust health to be willful. You don't listen to the words of us who have been through it. But during a woman's postpartum period, if you don't take good care, it's easy to develop health issues later. Listen to me, let Yuanhuan make the trip, or make several if necessary. You shouldn't go out!" Mrs. Song said as she reached out to pull Xu Xiuxiu back into the room.

"Mom, I really must go back myself." Xu Xiuxiu gently refused Mrs. Song's coaxing, firm on visiting her maternal home.

"Is there something so urgent that you need to go back for? Xiuxiu, don't be willful. The kids are still young. What if they get hungry and restless? If you don't think about your own health, at least think about the children!" Mrs. Song's expression became much more serious. She was truly upset with her daughter-in-law's recklessness—staying outside in the bitter winter wind during her confinement.

Mrs. Song had always been kind to Xu Xiuxiu, and this was the first time she had looked sternly at her. Xu Xiuxiu was somewhat shocked, but she had already decided to visit her maternal home, and wasn't planning on being dissuaded by Mrs. Song.

"Mom, I've just fed Little Moon and Little Baby, so they probably won't be hungry for an hour or two," Xu Xiuxiu explained calmly.

"But you still shouldn't go out! Don't you care about your health!" Mrs. Song growled, glaring.

"Mom, I appreciate your concern, but I must go back to my maternal home today," otherwise, I would feel guilty day and night, Xu Xiuxiu didn't say the last part out loud.

"Yuanhuan, are you just going to watch your wife be willful? Say something to her!" Mrs. Song knew Xu Xiuxiu was resolute and understood that she couldn't stop her. So, she turned her hopeful eyes towards her son.

Her son, who doted on his wife as if she were a treasure, surely wouldn't want to see her mistreating herself.

"Mom, let her go! I will protect her on the road."

"Fine, fine, fine, I can't persuade you two, do whatever you like." Mrs. Song said annoyed, huffing and turning around to grind tofu by the stone mill.

Xiuxiu helplessly turned her eyes towards Song Yuanhuan.

Song Yuanhuan coldly glared at Xiuxiu, "Let's go!" his tone was sullen, clearly, he was also quite angry, but he was helpless when it came to Xiuxiu.

Mrs. Song, grinding the beans angrily, watched the couple support each other as they walked out of the house and shook her head helplessly with a sigh, "Isn't this daughter-in-law being too willful? Yuanhuan really lets her do as she pleases."

Unsatisfied with the situation, she turned to Father Song, who was nonchalantly smoking in the main room, seemingly unconcerned about everything, and said, "Children have their own blessings. I think this daughter-in-law knows her limits—she definitely needed something to leave the house. You, don't worry unnecessarily and focus on grinding your beans! You! Also think about it, it's only because times are better now that she has to do a sitting period of thirty or forty days after giving birth. Back when we had kids, didn't many women go back to work the day after giving birth?"

In a man's nature, Father Song, not thinking it was a big deal, responded, "Can this time even be compared to ours? Back then I didn't have such comforts. If I had them, you'd see me lying comfortably in the house for six months, waited on hand and foot. Besides, I'm worried that after this, they'll criticize me for not taking good care of her during her postpartum period!" Mrs. Song muttered back, then scooped a spoonful of soaked beans into the mill.

Father Song took a couple of loud puffs of his pipe, wisely keeping silent, knowing well the grievances in Mrs. Song's heart from the many years they had spent together, about not being cared for by a mother-in-law herself.

...

Unaware of the conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Song, the couple walked from Song Family Village to Xu Village, arriving around two in the afternoon.

"Son-in-law Song! You're here!" Mrs. Xu was surprised to see Song Yuanhuan visiting again after just being there the day before but still greeted him politely, all the while staring intently at the person beside him, wrapped up like a rice dumpling with only her eyes showing.

Is this her third daughter? The eyes look quite similar.

"Mom." Xiuxiu, feeling her mother's gaze as if she hadn't recognized her, called out softly.

"Oh! It really is Xiuxiu!" Mrs. Xu exclaimed, "Why are you here? Aren't you still in your postpartum period? Why did you go out? This cold weather, if you don't take care of yourself now, you'll suffer later. Come on, quickly inside to warm up. It's very cold outside." As she spoke, she pulled Xiuxiu towards the main house, her tone carrying a hint of elderly helpless reproach.

"I came back because I wanted to talk to Jingjing about something," Xiuxiu candidly explained her purpose to Mrs. Xu as she was led by the hand into the main house.

"What could be so urgent between you two sisters that you couldn't wait a few more days? Why must you come home in this freezing weather, having just started your postpartum period? Do you no longer care for your life? Being a mother to several children, how can you still be so thoughtless!" Mrs. Xu expressed her disapproval and, feeling it inauspicious to speak of death during the New Year, she spat twice on the floor towards the end.