Accidentally-Born_C02

Chapter 2

Yidong City was a forest city, with the Red Pine Primitive Forest occupying most of its territory. The Li family lived in the Beicha District, located at the foot of the red pine-covered mountains.

Grandma Li had four sons. The eldest, Li Muwen, joined the army during the War of Resistance Against Japan and had been out of contact for many years. It wasn’t until after the liberation that he sent a letter back, saying he had followed the troops to Fujian Province after the war. He had not only become a leader but also settled down there with a wife and children.

The third son, Li Mulin, lived a few miles away and worked at a grain store like the second son, Li Muwu. The youngest son, Li Mulin, had moved to the provincial capital years ago and rarely returned home.

Despite having two sons living far away, Grandma Li, who had experienced the hardships of war, was content with her peaceful life. As long as her family remained safe, it didn’t matter whether her sons were by her side.

With sons and grandsons, life was manageable. If Grandma Li still had one wish, it was for the Li family to have a girl. In Beicha District, the Li family was known for its thriving lineage. Grandma Li’s mother-in-law had given birth to seven sons in her time. After marrying into the Li family, Grandma Li gave birth to six sons in succession, but only four survived. What she regretted most was never having a daughter.

Families without sons longed for boys, while families like the Li family, who hadn’t seen a girl in generations, hoped for a delicate, pink-cheeked daughter. However, no matter where her four sons were, they all had sons as well. Every time Grandma Li received a letter announcing the birth of yet another grandson, she couldn’t help but sigh.

Finally, this time, her second daughter-in-law, Wang Sufen, gave birth to a fair-skinned baby girl. While Grandma Li’s wish was fulfilled, she also began to worry. Wang Sufen was almost forty and had endured many hardships. Her health never fully recovered, and during the hard years, she gave birth to four sons in succession.

By the time her third son, Li Mingnan, was born, Wang Sufen had insufficient breast milk. When her fourth son, Li Mingbei, arrived, she had practically no milk left, so he was raised on goat’s milk. It didn’t matter much for rough-and-tumble boys, as long as they were fed, but whether a delicate baby girl could digest goat’s milk was uncertain. In an era when diarrhea could easily lead to child mortality, Grandma Li was worried they might not be able to raise this hard-won granddaughter.

Hearing a baby crying in the eastern room, Grandma Li put down her chopsticks and said, “The girl’s awake. I’ll go check on her.”

Liu Xiulan, who had stopped eating after half a meal, stood up as well. “I’ll come too. Maybe she needs changing?” She supported Grandma Li as they headed to the eastern room.

Inside, Wang Sufen picked up her crying daughter and patted her gently. Knowing the child was hungry, she sighed and unbuttoned her clothes despite doubting she had any milk. But to her surprise, she felt some swelling in her chest.

Tentatively bringing the baby closer, the little girl instinctively latched on and began sucking eagerly. At first, it was difficult, and the baby’s tiny forehead glistened with sweat from the effort. But before long, Wang Sufen heard the sound of swallowing.

When Grandma Li and Liu Xiulan lifted the curtain and entered, Wang Sufen grinned. Hearing them, she quickly looked up. “Mom, that fish soup worked! The little girl is nursing.”

“Really?” Grandma Li let go of Liu Xiulan and rushed to the bedside. Leaning close to Wang Sufen’s shoulder, she heard the baby gulping milk and saw her daughter-in-law’s full chest. It was clear she could feed the baby properly.

Overjoyed, Grandma Li stroked the baby’s thick hair and said regretfully, “We should’ve saved that fish to make more soup for you. I’ll send Mingnan and Mingbei to the river this afternoon to see if they can catch another fish. If not, we can always kill a chicken and make broth for you for ten days or so.”

True to her practical nature, Grandma Li promptly sent the three older boys out fishing after lunch. Li Mingdong, however, didn’t need to go. He was preparing for next year’s college entrance exam, so his only job was to study.

Mingxi, in his third year of middle school, resembled Mingdong in many ways—calm and methodical. Although he helped with farm work and fishing during breaks, he approached tasks with a sense of order.

Mingnan, ten, and Mingbei, seven, were mischievous and restless. After school, they usually dropped their bags and ran into the mountains. Grandma Li didn’t mind, as they often brought back firewood, mushrooms, or even rabbits to improve their meals.

With the boys gone, the house quieted down. Li Muwu, squatting at the door and smoking, called over Li Mingdong. “You’ve been in school for years—give your sister a nice name.”

Li Mingdong thought for a moment and smiled. “How about Li Mingzhen? It means lush and thriving, like grass and trees.”

Li Muwu stared blankly at him. “Speak human language!”

Snapped out of his poetic thoughts, Li Mingdong reluctantly explained, “It means dense growth, symbolizing prosperity.”

Satisfied, Li Muwu nodded. “Good. Trees and grass never die out. It’s a strong name. I’ll register it now.”

Throwing on his coat and hat, Li Muwu left. However, he quickly returned and shouted, “Mingdong, what was the name again? Li Mingcao or Li Mingshu?”

Hearing this, the baby girl burst into tears, while Li Mingdong, flipping through his Russian textbook, almost cried himself. “Not grass or tree—Li Mingzhen! I’ll write it down for you!”

Taking the paper, Li Muwu squinted at it and muttered, “This character is hard to write. How will she manage in school? Won’t she cry?”

“Well, she can’t be called grass!” Li Mingdong argued. “If you don’t like it, pick one yourself.”

After some thought, Li Muwu pocketed the note and left. “This name’s fine. We’ll use it.”

Inside, Wang Sufen chuckled. “Mingdong’s dad is just stubborn.”

Grandma Li laughed too but defended her son. “He’s not dumb—just uneducated. He’s even learned to write his own name now, which is impressive enough.”

As the women chatted, baby Zhenzhen stirred awake. She stretched her arms and legs, accidentally kicking off her blanket.

Grandma Li chuckled, tucking her back in. “Look at her strong arms and legs—she’ll grow up to kick over a pig!”

Startled by the remark, Zhenzhen tried to keep still, hoping to change her grandmother’s impression.

Patting the baby, Grandma Li said, “She was born on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month—a blessed day when Buddha achieved enlightenment.”

Wang Sufen agreed. “My grandmother said it was a day for offerings, but later, we stopped during hard times.”

Grandma Li added, “Even when we were poor, we always cooked bean porridge for the occasion. Let’s make some today.”

As Grandma Li bustled out, Wang Sufen dozed off beside Zhenzhen, who soon drifted to sleep as well.

Waking later, Zhenzhen recalled her past life as Li Zhenzhen, an independent woman who died unexpectedly and was reborn here.

Suddenly, a loud voice rang out. “Grandma! We’re back!”

The noise startled Zhenzhen awake. Hearing her grandmother scold the boys, she thought, Grandma, you’re louder than them!

Relationships

• Grandma Li/Li Laotai : FL’s grandmother
• Li Muwu: FL’s father / Grandma Li’s second son
• Wang Sufen: FL’s mother
• Li Mingdong: FL’s eldest brother
• Wu Guihua: Li Mingdong’s fiancée
• Li Mingxi: FL’s second brother
• Li Mingnan: FL’s third brother
• Li Mingbei: FL’s fourth brother
• Li Mingzhen: FL

Notes:

Li Muwu was confused with the name Li Mingzhen because he was unfamiliar with the character 蓁 (Zhen) in the name.When his son, Li Mingdong, suggested the name based on classical poetry, he explained that 蓁 symbolizes lush and thriving plants, implying prosperity and vitality. However, Li Muwu, having little formal education, misunderstood the explanation and thought the name referred to something simple like grass (草) or trees (树) instead.His lack of familiarity with the written character and its meaning led to his initial hesitation and humorous attempt to simplify the name. Eventually, after some back-and-forth, he decided to stick with Li Mingzhen, acknowledging it as a good name despite his earlier doubts.