I bring bad luck to my husband, you bring bad luck to your wife.

Yang Tongshan knew Ming Le's temper; he had spoiled her and there was no way he would agree to her having a child outside the home.

The so-called loosening of restrictions is merely a test.

The issue of having children had always been a source of anxiety for the couple.

In recent years, as Mingle's peers have been having second or third children, she has become even more anxious.

The fact that his father-in-law bought a maid became the last straw that broke the camel's back. Now, Mingle treats sex as a daily task.

Afterwards, they propped it up and then did a handstand.

She wouldn't even let him help with the cleaning, insisting on staying a little longer.

When he came back yesterday, he found that Mingle had secretly kept a pot of live scorpions in the house, saying that it was a folk remedy given to her by a miracle doctor.

After each sexual encounter, swallowing a live scorpion will allow you to conceive a son.

Enraged, Yang Tongshan nearly smashed the scorpion bowl over the old charlatan's head.

"Instead of torturing yourself, why don't you torturing your brother-in-law instead? Feed him all those tonics you don't like, fatten him up, and have him have as many children as possible. Then we can steal one of his favorites and raise it, okay?" Yang Tongshan held Mingle in his arms, letting his wife's tears soak his inner clothes.

"Ming Le, forget it, let it go."

Yang Tongshan planned to talk to his father-in-law tomorrow and hurry up and sell that girl from the countryside so that she wouldn't be like a thorn in Mingle's side every day.

-------------

When Yang's mother woke up early in the morning, she noticed that neither of her two daughters-in-law looked well.

One had bloodshot eyes, clearly having cried all night; the other looked like it had been drained of its life force by a demon, and seemed about to collapse in the wind.

Yang's mother felt so upset that she couldn't even eat breakfast.

Xiangxi was taking a nap in his room in the morning when Yanzi came to wake him, saying that someone was looking for him at the door.

Who would seek out Xiangxi? Even Xiangxi herself didn't know.

When I went outside, I saw that it was my old neighbor from the alley.

Someone helped pass on a message, saying that your sister-in-law is about to give birth, and your brother wants you to go back and check on her.

After hearing this, Xiangxi wanted to rush back to her parents' home, but was stopped by Yang's mother who heard the commotion.

"Slow down, slow down first, don't go back empty-handed." After saying that, he arranged for Yanzi to pack some nourishing items such as brown sugar and dates, and secretly slipped two taels of silver to Xiangxi.

"If things don't go smoothly during the birth, use this money to see a doctor." Yang's mother herself had a very dangerous time giving birth to Yang Tongchuan, and it even damaged her health.

She never conceived again after that, knowing that giving birth was like walking through the gates of hell, and that money was the price to buy her life.

Xiangxi hurried home with her things. When she arrived, she saw Bao'er playing in the mud in the yard while her brother boiled water in the kitchen.

The woman inside the house was already screaming in pain.

"Brother, how is it?"

"The midwife said the baby looks okay. It's just that the baby is premature, almost due, and she's worried it might be difficult to raise."

"How could it be premature?"

"He said he was tired." Xiang Qiang squatted on the ground in pain.

Xiangxi held Bao'er and coaxed him to stop fussing.

The two brothers sat in the courtyard from morning until afternoon, and Xiangxi even went to boil two pots of water in between.

Finally, the midwife brought good news: It's a boy!

However, the two brothers outside did not hear the baby crying.

The midwife slapped the baby's bottom hard, urging him to cry, and the sound carried outside.

Xiang Qiang waited anxiously, and finally a faint sob could be heard.

We've made it through this hurdle.

After the midwife bathed the baby and cleaned up her sister-in-law, Xiangqiang went in to see his son for the first time.

The baby was less than a month old, wrinkled like a little old man, about the same size as Bao'er's cloth tiger.

"It's a bit small, but judging from the crying, it should be fine. Just take good care of it." The midwife has seen babies even smaller than this, so this is already considered quite good.

The child has bruises all over his body; he must have suffered a lot in his mother's womb.

After handing the red envelope he had prepared to the midwife, Xiang Qiang sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) with his son in his arms, grinning happily.

Xiangxi carried Bao'er and saw the midwife off. Then she returned to the kitchen, took out some of the red dates, goji berries, and brown sugar that her mother-in-law had given her, brewed a pot of warm tea, and took it inside for her sister-in-law.

"Sister-in-law, have some water."

"Thank you, Brother Xi." Although the sister-in-law was very tired, she felt relieved that the baby had been born safely.

After putting Bao'er inside, Xiangxi went to the kitchen to bring a pot of noodle soup to the group.

Seeing that it was getting late, Xiangxi knew she couldn't stay out overnight, so she said goodbye to her elder brother and sister-in-law.

Before leaving, Xiangxi took out the two taels of silver that her mother-in-law had given her and gave it to her brother.

"Xi-ge'er, I appreciate your mother-in-law's kindness, but I can't accept this money. If I do, I won't be able to hold my head up high in the Yang family."

"Brother, it's okay, I'll return it to Grandma when I get back."

"That's not how it is. Listen to me. I'm relieved to know you're doing well. Go back now." Xiang Qiang looked at Xiang Xi's clothes when she returned today and knew that Xiang Xi was doing well in the Yang family. He couldn't let himself become a burden to Xiang Xi.

Xiangxi returned to the Yang family before sunset.

The first thing I did upon entering the house was to go to my mother-in-law's room to return the two taels of silver and convey my brother's gratitude.

"Is it a boy, a girl, or a son?" Yang's mother asked with concern.

"It's a boy, but unfortunately he's premature and a bit small. But the midwife said it's okay, he can be raised." Xiangxi hopes this child will be blessed.

"Amitabha Buddha, don't worry. In the past, when we had children, we often encountered premature babies. As long as they were born, could cry and eat, they could be raised. Don't worry. Also, before you came back, Erlang sent someone to tell you that he had to go to the next county tonight to take care of some business and wouldn't be back for a few days. Don't worry."

"Didn't they say what it was for?"

"That wasn't mentioned. Erlang used to go out for days without returning when investigating cases, it's nothing to worry about."

Yang's mother was comforting Xiangxi, and also comforting herself.

Xiangxi felt a little uneasy without Yang Tongchuan on the night.

I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the image of Yang Tongchuan possibly getting into trouble outside.

"Pah, pah, pah, pah, the bad ones don't work, the good ones do."

Xiangxi took out the sandalwood beads that Yang Tongchuan had bought for her, held them in her hand, and chanted Amitabha Buddha's name all night, imitating Yang's mother.

Yang Tongchuan still did not return the next day.

The same applies to the third day.

On the fourth day, Xiangxi couldn't sit still any longer and wanted to go to the yamen (government office) to ask someone for advice.

Yang's father disagreed.

"Let Dalang go and find out, you don't need to go."

Xiangxi stood anxiously waiting at the door.

After finally waiting for Yang Tongshan to return, Xiangxi hurriedly asked...

"Big brother, how is it?"

"The government only said that he went to another place to handle a case and hasn't returned yet, but they won't say anything else."

Xiangxi's heart was in turmoil.

I've lost a lot of weight in the last few days.

When night fell and the family had all gone to bed, there was a loud knocking at the door.

"Father, Mother, Xige'er, I'm back."

Xiangxi was the first to rush out, open the door, and saw Yang Tongchuan standing in front of her, who was a little dirty but had all four limbs intact. Xiangxi immediately pounced on him and hugged him.

Yang Tongchuan was overjoyed to see his husband as soon as he got home.