The Daily Life of a Down-on-Hard-Life Medicine Girl Supporting Her Family

Chapter 49 Drinking Rice Soup

Chun Ning brought her aunt back from the village. Her aunt brought a big chicken leg, which was given to her by Aunt Luo next door.

"Her head injury wasn't for nothing."

Aunt Luo finally found her laying hen. A big chicken leg was her way of thanking her, and it was just the right amount to make soup for her elder sister-in-law to nourish her body.

"Hey hey..."

The baby woke up and called out affectionately.

"Quick, let me hold her." Madam Xu was overjoyed to become a grandmother and wanted to hold her as soon as she arrived, but she couldn't disturb the baby while she was fast asleep. Finally, she was awake and could hold her.

"Mother, the child is probably hungry."

Zhu Lingling was embarrassed to say that the child had been hungry before, and Chunnuan asked her to breastfeed, but she didn't. The baby sucked a few times with dry, lifeless milk, which made the child cry and kick its arms and legs in frustration.

When spring arrived, I had no choice but to cook some porridge and feed the child the rice water spoonful by spoonful with a small spoon.

At first, the child wouldn't eat, but Chunnuan patiently fed and persuaded him, saying to be patient and that his food hadn't come yet. Perhaps he was really hungry, or perhaps he understood, because he smacked his lips and ate a little. He probably got tired of eating and fell asleep again.

When she woke up again, Zhu Lingling was able to guess her son's needs immediately.

"Then hurry up and feed him." Madam Xu reached out to hold her grandson but then pulled her hand back. "Lingling, you've really gone through a lot of trouble."

If this were still in the capital, still in the Xiao family mansion, one wet nurse wouldn't be enough; they would definitely have two.

The Xiao family currently lacks the means to hire a wet nurse, leaving Zhu Lingling to breastfeed herself, a practice that would be looked down upon in wealthy families in the capital.

"Mother, I haven't." Zhu Lingling's face turned red to the roots of her ears: "Mother, please help me find my second sister."

What's the point of calling for spring to arrive?

When Ms. Xu learned that her beloved grandson could only drink rice porridge, tears streamed down her face.

What a terrible thing, such a terrible thing!
"Lingling, when will you have breast milk?" We can't afford a wet nurse, we can't afford meat, and when will our grandson stop drinking rice water? Rice water doesn't nourish babies.

Zhu Lingling's eyes reddened as she watched her son drink rice porridge. She blamed herself for having grown two big breasts in vain, as she couldn't even produce enough breast milk.

“Aunt, my sister-in-law’s health is poor because she ate poorly before, and the baby was born half a month premature, so she doesn’t have enough milk for a while. Drinking more crucian carp and tofu soup, peanut stewed pig’s trotters, and soybean stewed pork hock will help her produce milk.”

So, it's really not the daughter-in-law's fault that she doesn't have enough breast milk. How could the Xiao family afford to drink so much of this soup now?

It's really tough on the daughter-in-law and grandson.

"Aunt, please stay here and look after my sister-in-law and the child. I'll go to Baicaotang first."

When Chunnuan went to return the silver needles to Doctor Chen, she specially prepared a red envelope, as is customary.

When Doctor Chen learned that Chunnuan's elder sister-in-law had given birth prematurely to a baby boy last night amidst strong winds and heavy rain, and that both mother and child were safe, he was secretly amazed. Doctor Xiao's granddaughter was indeed an extraordinary person.

So young yet so composed.

Not only can they prescribe medicine and process medicinal herbs, but they can also deliver babies!
We need to tell the employer about this.

"The Xiao family has a new addition to the family, what a joyous occasion!" Zhao Chengxun said. "Our family should also send a congratulatory gift."

He immediately went back to the courtyard to find his wife.

"The Xiao family has a new member? The Xiao clan is a powerful family? Didn't Minghua and Xiao Chunlan reconsider their marriage?" Even ordinary acquaintances don't have such a close relationship that they would send congratulatory gifts for the birth of a child.

“It’s not the Xiao family, it’s the Xiao family from Shuikou Village.” Zhao Chengxun remembered: “No, I heard they rented Master Zhang’s courtyard, right next to your dowry courtyard, the one with a banyan tree in front of the door. Prepare a gift to send as a congratulatory present.”

"Is that courtyard under the banyan tree the granddaughter-in-law of Physician Xiao?"

Mrs. Zhao asked in surprise, then slapped her forehead. See? She knew her son didn't have that ability. It was a huge misunderstanding.

No, it's like a huge pot has been thrown at the head of their own son.

He then told Zhao Chenghun about the rumors circulating outside.

"Where does this come from?"

"I think it most likely came from the Xiao family."

Ordinary families don't care if you keep a mistress or a concubine; it's only families who want to arrange a marriage that cause trouble.

"Look at the Xiao family, that's just how they are." Zhao Chengxun was somewhat annoyed: "Spreading such rumors doesn't really affect Minghua, but the Xiao family is all women and children. Are they trying to deny them a way to survive?"

Mrs. Zhao... what do you mean it won't affect Minghua? He has a mistress and a son born out of wedlock, what decent family's daughter would marry him? Master, are you out of your mind?
The fact that his elbow is bent outwards is too obvious.

"Go to the Xiao family to deliver congratulatory gifts, and while you're at it, spread the word that the Xiao family has had a new baby." Zhao Chengxun sneered, "What a Xiao family, they're really wicked. Luckily, they didn't arrange any further marriage proposals."

"No, sir." Madam Zhou came to her senses: "Sir, I have never had any dealings with the Xiao family before. What is the meaning of their sudden visit to offer congratulations?"

She was too embarrassed to give this gift.

“It wasn’t there before, but it will be in the future.” Zhao Chengxun felt that his wife was getting older and her mind was becoming less and less clear: “Do you know that even the old man praised the medicinal herbs that Miss Xiao prepared? She is preparing medicinal herbs for our Baicaotang.”

"what?"

Miss Xiao, a young girl, processing medicinal herbs?
Even the old man praised it, is it really that incredible?

Aren't these men's jobs? How did a little girl learn them?

"Don't tell anyone about Miss Xiao's preparation of the medicinal herbs." Zhao Chengxun regretted saying that as soon as he finished speaking, and he still had to give her a few more instructions.

Mrs. Zhao was completely bewildered, as if Baicaotang had stumbled upon a treasure.

"I've remembered, I'll deliver the gift tomorrow."

"I..." Mrs. Zhao still felt awkward: "How about we wait until Minghua comes back before we go?"

"What's wrong? Dad, Mom, where are you looking for me? Are you going on a blind date? I don't want to go on blind dates. A man should establish his career before starting a family."

"You big idiot!" Mrs. Zhao thought about how the rumors outside had made her climb the wooden ladder and the wall, and how she had been both surprised and delighted all day, only to find out that it was someone else's daughter-in-law, which made her very angry.

"So where do you want to go, or do you want to wait for me to come back before you go?"

"Go and deliver a congratulatory gift to the Xiao family. The Xiao family has a new baby. Our two families are business partners, so we should naturally show our appreciation."

"Sister-in-law Xiao gave birth! Is it a boy or a girl?" Zhao Minghua was clearly excited: "I want to see what the baby looks like... I was always too embarrassed to look at Sister-in-law Xiao's belly when I went there, and now there's a baby. It feels so magical!"

"Everyone comes out of a mother's belly, how is it magical?" Mrs. Zhao reaffirmed that her son's brain was full of tofu dregs: "You're simply immature!"

(End of this chapter)