Chapter 244 - 244 Son

244 Son

Zhou Jia and the others discussed the details of the support policy and asked Mr. Qian to bring a team to West Street to find Wang Ji. They explained the two plans in detail to him. When Wang Ji heard this, he excitedly gathered the dozen or so poor families and explained the support method formulated by the county government.

After everyone figured it out, they were all willing to accept the government office’s arrangements to develop the fields. After all, with the help of the county office, they would have their own fields after suffering for two years. It was better than running around the city.

Mr. Wen spent two days making the pills. After Zhou Jia got someone to feed them to the three spies, he indeed obtained the confession he wanted. These people wanted to detain Li Yu to control Zhou Jia. They also found out that a large cart shop in Qingzhou was where these spies stayed. Zhou Jia sent the information to Qingzhou.

At the beginning of December, the farmstead began to slaughter pigs, chickens, and ducks. Xiaoyu brought people to follow the formula given by Li Yu. There were sausages, smoked cured meat, cured ham, and pickled meat. Some of them were sold in the inn, and some were brought to Qingzhou by Shopkeeper Chu’s people to be sent as gifts.

After entering December, the entire back residence of the county office was extremely nervous because of Zhou Jia. The only ones who were calm were Li Yu and Mr. Wen. Mr. Wen was confident that Li Yu would definitely be fine.

Li Yu had never given birth before. In her previous life, she was either busy with special training or carrying out missions. She had never paid attention to giving birth. Although she had seen Xiaoyu give birth, Xiaoyu had also told her that it was just a little painful.

Li Yu was not afraid of pain. To her, ignorance of birth pains was bliss. In addition, she felt that since the heavens had let her come to this alternate world, they might not let her die from childbirth. It was useless to think too much. She might as well face it calmly.

On the morning of the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, Li Yu sat on the brick bed and knitted a sweater for Zhou Jia. Suddenly, her stomach ached. At the end of the winter month, Li Yu instructed Auntie Zhang and Old Madam Liu to smoke the delivery room with wormwood and vinegar and scald the bedding and delivery tools. Zhou Jia invited the midwife who delivered Xiaoyu to stay in the front yard.

Li Yu felt that her abdominal pain was a little similar to when Xiaoyu had Seven Pounds. It made her unable to straighten her back. She also felt that she had eaten something bad and kept wanting to remove her bowels. Li Yu put down the yarn and pulled her shoes off the bed. When Auntie Zhang, who was doing needlework outside, heard the sound, she quickly turned over and got off the bed. She asked anxiously, “Madam, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“I don’t know. It looks like I’m about to give birth, but it also seems like I ate something bad.”

“Don’t move. I’ll call someone immediately.” Aunt Zhang quickly ran out and called for the midwife who lived in the front courtyard. It also alarmed Mr. Wen. The bailiffs guarding the back office hurriedly ran to report to Zhou Jia. Zhou Jia put down the official document and ran towards the backyard.

After taking Li Yu’s pulse, Mr. Wen comforted her. “Xiaoyu, don’t be anxious. It’s not that you ate something bad. You’re about to give birth. Go to the delivery room and lie down. Let the midwife check carefully.”

Li Yu nodded in pain. Auntie Zhang and the midwife hurriedly helped her to the delivery room and lay on the bed that had been smoked with mugwort leaves and vinegar.

As soon as she lay down, Zhou Jia ran in. “Yu’er, how are you? Does it hurt?”

Seeing that Zhou Jia’s expression had changed, Li Yu comforted him. “I can still tolerate it now. Go out first.” Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu’s forehead and said, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll wait for you and the baby outside.”

Zhou Jia could not take his eyes off her as he retreated from the room.

After Zhou Jia went out, the midwife washed her hands a few times and checked them carefully. She comforted Li Yu, “Madam is about to give birth. Don’t worry, the fetal position can’t be any more correct. Bear with it later and don’t shout. Save your strength. It won’t be so difficult to give birth.”

Li Yu nodded. Smelling the faint fragrance of wormwood on the pillow, she felt that the pain was still bearable. It didn’t seem to be that difficult to endure. Auntie Zhang brought over a bowl of sugar eggs and fed them to Li Yu. After another hour, a tearing pain assaulted her, making her unable to breathe. She couldn’t help but moan. The midwife hurriedly handed her the handkerchief so she could bite it. Li Yu bit the handkerchief tightly as tears kept falling. It turned out that as a mother, she had to endure such a piercing pain first. No wonder her mother in her previous life often said that only daughters would know how hard a mother’s life was. A daughter would know her parents’ kindness.

In the courtyard, Zhou Jia heard Li Yu’s painful groans and cried in heartache. Mr. Wen patted Zhou Jia and said, “Every woman has to go through this to become a real woman.”

Zhou Jia looked at the door of the delivery room. “Yu’er wouldn’t even cry when she’s injured. It must be very painful. Sir, it’s been so long. How long more will it take?” The more Zhou Jia thought about it, the more afraid he became.

Seeing Zhou Jia’s pale face, Mr. Wen comforted him. “The midwife said that the fetus is in the right position. This is her first fetus, so it will take longer.”

At the end of the day, at noon, the loud cry of a baby came from the delivery room. Auntie Zhang placed the child beside Li Yu and smiled. “Congratulations, Madam. It’s a big fat boy.”

When Zhou Jia heard Aunt Zhang’s voice, he almost fell to the ground. Mr. Wen hurriedly supported him. As soon as he stabilized his body, he rushed into the delivery room like a gust of wind. Looking at Li Yu, who was lying weakly on the bed, and the child lying beside Li Yu, his beating heart finally calmed down.

When Scribe Tu, Mr. Qian, and the others received the news, they also waited in the front office to hear the news. When Zhou Jia came out of the back office, Scribe Tu and Yu Wei went forward to congratulate him. Scribe Tu smiled and asked, “Sir, is it a boy?”

Zhou Jia cupped his hands and returned the greeting. When he heard Scribe Tu’s question, he replied with a smile, “He’s a naughty kid.”

When they heard this, they cupped their hands and said, “Congratulations, congratulations.” Zhou Jia laughed and cupped his hands repeatedly. “Congratulations!” They pointed at Zhou Jia and laughed.

After everyone received the confirmation, they went home and sent the four-colored gifts that they had prepared to the county office.

When the Zhong family and the shopkeepers in the city saw the Scribe Tu and the others sending gifts to the county office, they also prepared four-colored gifts and sent them to the county office.

The villagers of the Back Mountain Village, the students who went to school in the county school, and the vendors also learned that Lord Zhou, who loved the people as his children, had welcomed a boy. They also bought four-colored gifts and sent them to the county office. Old Madam Liu felt a headache coming on as she looked at all the four-colored gifts in the courtyard.

Li Yu’s body was in good condition. Coupled with the fact that she had been training, she could sit up at night.

Zhou Jia looked at his son lying on the bed and smiled. “You’re flushing like a little monkey.”

Li Yu glanced at him and said, “Children are all like this. Have you forgotten that when Seven Pounds was born, he was also like this!”

Zhou Jia touched the child’s face. The baby pouted in discomfort. Zhou Jia’s gentle eyes were filled with smugness. “My son, like Ruyi’s son, is good-looking.”

Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia’s smug expression and smiled. “Alright, your son is good-looking. Have you thought about a name after so long?”

Zhou Jia thought for a while and said with a smile, “Let’s give our son a nickname first. He was born in the cold winter. Let’s call him Yangyang!”

Li Yu looked at her sleeping son and muttered, “Yangyang. Warm sun in winter. Alright, I’ll call you Yangyang.”