Chapter 341: Wishing We’d Known in Advance

Most of the vegetables had already been harvested from the fields.

Every family’s courtyard was a sea of green.

The Yan Family was getting ready to pickle vegetables, and the village women came over to join in the bustle. Really, they were coming to help, knowing that the second Yan wife was heavily pregnant and couldn’t do any labor. There were so many vegetables that needed to be washed, packed into jars, and moved back and forth. If the family had to do it all alone, who knew how long it would take.

Everyone brought their own kitchen knives, helping to wash and chop. With so many hands working and chatting at the same time, things moved fast.

Daya could handle chopping vegetables, but Yan Yu was still too young. The aunts weren’t comfortable letting her work. No matter what she said, they wouldn’t let her help, so she could only stay nearby and play assistant.

She couldn’t carry too many vegetables at once. It was exhausting.

By midday, the Yan Family’s big vats were already filled with layered cabbage. Granny Rong pressed stones on top to weigh them down.

The sauerkraut barrels were done.

Li Xuemei stood nearby, salivating at the mouth.

She had specifically asked Granny Rong to set some aside for making spicy pickled cabbage.

Chili powder was precious, but she couldn’t resist. She just craved it.

Granny Rong nodded with a smile and gestured with her hands that there was still plenty in the cellar.

Then she led her into the kitchen to show her a bowl of spicy pickled cabbage already made.

The bowl was a swirl of white, red, and green – incredibly appetizing.

She couldn’t resist reaching out with her hand. The moment the spicy pickled cabbage hit her tongue, the salty, spicy, slightly sweet flavor mingled with a barely perceptible fruity tang. It was so delicious it almost brought her to tears.

With the excuse of “just one more bite, the last one, really,” Li Xuemei managed to eat until she was full…

She still wanted more, but Granny Rong stopped her, covered the bowl again, and carried it away.

Then she poured her a cup of warm water.

Reluctantly leaving the kitchen, Li Xuemei’s tummy was full, but she still craved more. She just wanted another bite.

Yan Yu returned to the room, her little nose twitching as she caught a familiar scent.

“Mom, what did you eat? Spicy pickled cabbage?”

Li Xuemei was washing her hands. She’d just grabbed the food with her bare hands, and now she felt embarrassed—couldn’t she have just used chopsticks?

But in the moment, with a bowl of spicy cabbage in front of her, there was just no waiting, not even a second.

She brought her hand to her nose and sniffed. The smell was already faint, and yet her daughter still caught it? That nose of hers was something else.

“Granny Rong made some spicy pickled cabbage,” she added. “Not much, just one bowl.”

Yan Yu wasn’t really a child. How could she not tell that her mother was being possessive?

“Mom, do you think it’ll be a boy or a girl? That whole ‘sour for boys, spicy for girls^[1]‘ thing isn’t reliable. You crave both sour and spicy—you’re covering all the bases.”

Yan Yu suddenly remembered something and said regretfully, “Too bad Uncle doesn’t have the equipment to do a checkup right now. Otherwise, how great would it be to know in advance? Skilled doctors can tell by taking the pulse, right? But we don’t know any others, just Young Doctor An. When he comes back, you should let him check.”

Li Xuemei didn’t seem bothered. “Granny Rong can tell too. But I held back. I didn’t ask.”

Yan Yu was shocked.

Granny Rong could tell?

Wait, then why hadn’t her mother asked?!

“Mom, it’s not like we care about the baby’s gender or anything, and it’s not like we’d change anything either. But wouldn’t it help with getting ready? Like picking baby clothes or that little wrap blanket—stuff’s not the same for boys and girls.”

Li Xuemei looked at her and laughed. “What difference does it make? Can you really whip up fabric in a different color? Given our situation right now, we use whatever we can. Madam Qi helped me prepare quite a bit, you see. All new cloth, hand-rubbed and washed several times so it’s nice and soft.”

Yan Yu took a look and was surprised to see there was quite a lot.

There was even a small patchwork jacket with stitches so fine it was impossible to tell what kind of thread had been used. It felt smooth to the touch.

Seeing her daughter interested, Li Xuemei happily brought out all her collected items to show her.

“Look at this, a little tiger-head hat. Look how neatly it’s sewn. Sister Hu made this. Judging by the dates, this little one will be born in winter, so that tiny forehead will fit in it just right.”

“This one’s mine, for wrapping my head during confinement^[2].”

“Your Grandma Qi made a full set – cloak, swaddling cloth, bellyband^[3]…”

“Your aunt said there’s an old saying, ‘Shoes from the aunt, socks from the maternal aunt^[4].’ She made two pairs of little shoes, one pair small, one a bit bigger.”

“And this one, what do you think?” Li Xuemei held up a piece of cloth, looking at her expectantly.

Yan Yu flipped it around, then tied the straps around her own neck. “Is this a bib? It’s so tiny, Mom!”

“Haha!” Li Xuemei laughed cheerfully. “I made that one. It’s tiny on you, of course, but it’ll be just right for the baby.”

Yan Yu started thinking that maybe, as the older sister, she should also make something. She asked her mother, “Mom, is there something simple I can make?”

“Diapers. We’re short on those, and no matter how many we have, it’s never enough.” Li Xuemei teased with a smile.

Though said in jest, Yan Yu took it seriously.

“That’s easy! I’ll cut up a bunch, wash them till they’re soft, and get them ready.”

She said it as she headed off to look for fabric.

Just as she reached the door, something occurred to her.

“Mom, Dad said I should go visit him every other day. Today… even if it’s not the day, I still want to go check on him, see how he’s doing and whether he’s adjusting.”

Li Xuemei didn’t think too much of it. “Go ahead. Your father is probably worrying himself sick right now. Say some nice things, comfort him a bit.”

Yan Yu nodded and agreed.

As soon as she stepped outside, she turned immediately toward the kitchen to find Granny Rong.

Worried her mother might overhear, she lowered her voice and asked excitedly, “Granny Rong, is the baby in my mom’s belly a boy or a girl?!”

Before Granny Rong could answer, she thrust out both hands and said anxiously, “No gestures, no writing. If it’s a boy, hold my left hand. If it’s a girl, hold my right.”

Her mom might want the surprise of a blind reveal. But not her!

She wanted to know in advance!

Ahhh!

So excited! So thrilled! So hyped!

Granny Rong reached out and gently gripped her…

Yan Yu was over the moon!

She double-checked and confirmed the result hadn’t changed. Overjoyed, she started bouncing in place with glee.

“Granny Rong, this is our little secret! Don’t let my mom know I found out, okay?” Yan Yu warned.

Then she thought better of it. Of course Granny Rong would be on her mother’s side. After all, she was just the Twelfth Prince^[5], and her mother… her mother was the Empress…

“If my mom doesn’t ask, don’t tell her I asked you.”

Seeing Granny Rong nod, Yan Yu beamed with satisfaction.

She skipped out of the courtyard and headed straight for the back garden to find her beloved little bald donkey.

She had to hurry and share the good news with Crouching Tiger and her father!

A pregnant woman’s thoughts were hard to decipher, but her father was sure to think the same way—if there was something good to know, he’d definitely want to hear it as soon as possible!

Before leaving, Yan Yu made a round through the training grounds.

Ever since the Bamboo Crossbows had been distributed, the children had been training even more diligently. There weren’t many Bamboo Arrows made from leftover materials, but that was fine. Farm children were good with their hands—whittling a simple wooden arrow was nothing to them.

Ten arrows per person, then they swapped out.

The hands stopped, but the crossbows didn’t; the targets were riddled with holes.

Eventually, they had to stop and make a bunch of new ones.

Yan Yu thought for a moment, then took one of the Bamboo Crossbows with her. She wanted her father and brother to see the final product too.

(End of this chapter)