Old Man Lin had no idea what was going on, but Er Niu did. Since Hongyun took the baby back home, she hadn't visited her maternal home at all, and her mother must have been worried. Er Niu pondered for a moment and then said, "Dad, I'll go fetch her. This year, the child's mother is confined, so she won't be visiting her own mother's house today. I need to head over there myself shortly anyway. I’ll bring Hongyun back now, and we can make the visit to her parents' place later."

Hearing Er Niu say this, Old Man Lin was more than pleased and urged him to leave early to bring Hongyun back quickly, so as not to delay the trip to his in-laws. Er Niu nodded, went inside to say goodbye to Huang Shi, and then drove the ox cart away.

Er Niu had left early in the morning and didn't return until close to breakfast time. Zhao Shi and Hongxia were already waiting in the courtyard. Old Man Lin noticed how anxious not only Zhao Shi looked but Hongxia as well. He couldn't quite figure out what was troubling these women, but he supposed that's how women were—making a big fuss over trivial matters.

Er Niu stopped the ox cart at the entrance to Zhao Shi's courtyard and helped Hongyun down. Following behind were Da Yuan and Xiao Fang. Er Niu also helped carry the bundles off the cart. After staying in the yard for a while, he returned. Zhao Shi told Da Yuan and Xiao Fang to play in the yard and pulled Hongyun inside the house. Hongxia followed them in. As soon as they were inside, Zhao Shi pulled Hongyun onto the heated brick bed and asked, "Hongyun, how is it? Is the child easy to care for? Do you have milk to feed him?"

Hongyun glanced at Hongxia, who was standing nearby, her eyes fixed on the baby in Hongyun’s arms. Hongyun first handed the child to Hongxia, letting her hold him, while she smiled at Zhao Shi and said, "Mother, don't worry. Da Mao is very easygoing. Although I don't have milk, he has an aunt who also recently gave birth. His grandmother brought the aunt home so Da Mao can nurse from her."

Da Mao. Hongxia remembered the name—that was the name of her child. The baby was only about four months old and had slept the entire journey. When transferred to Hongxia’s arms, the child woke up, looked at Hongxia, didn't cry or fuss, but made soft sounds.

Hongxia looked at the baby in her hands. He was fair and plump, dressed warmly, and she felt certain he was highly treasured at his eldest aunt’s home. This conviction made Hongxia feel much better, and her previous worry for the child faded considerably. Hearing her elder sister and mother chatting, she handed the baby back to Zhao Shi.

Zhao Shi was overjoyed holding Da Mao in her hands, gently playing with him. Hongxia sat down next to her sister and asked, "Elder Sister, now that you have a son, is your mother-in-law treating you much better than before? Life should be easier for you now."

Hongyun smiled, holding Hongxia's hand, and said, "My being able to live well is all thanks to you. Don't worry, Da Mao will never lack anything in my home. His father and grandmother treat him like a jewel."

Hongxia also smiled and replied, "Elder Sister, what are you saying? He is your family's child, of course he’s a treasure."

"Yes, my days at home these past few months have been much better. My mother-in-law is pleasant to me, and my sisters-in-law have also been much kinder. Da Sheng is even more considerate," Hongyun said happily.

Zhao Shi watched the two sisters chatting with a wide smile and remarked, "Now that both your lives are better, I can rest assured. And Er Niu's wife gave birth to twins; she truly brought great honor to our Lin family."

"Yes, I haven't even seen the twins yet! I thought I'd leave Da Mao with you, Hongxia, Mother, and I will go with you to see Second Sister-in-law's home," Hongyun said, equally pleased.

With that, she asked Zhao Shi to hand Da Mao over to Hongxia, and she, Zhao Shi, took Da Yuan and Xiao Fang to Er Niu's house. When Hongyun arrived at Er Niu's, Lin He and the other younger ones were home. Since the relatives from the maternal side were expected for the Xisan (third-day ritual), they hadn't come to escort the bride home on the second day. Er Niu had gone alone on the ox cart to deliver some gifts.

Da Yuan and Xiao Fang ran into the courtyard upon seeing Lin He and the others, shouting excitedly. They had stayed with Hongyun these past few months and hadn't been here. After not seeing Lin He and the others for so long, they were extremely affectionate. Lin He greeted her grandmother and elder aunt, along with Chen'er and the others. When Hongyun mentioned wanting to see Huang Shi, Lin He led them inside.

Huang Shi had been confined for the past few days and was quite bored just sitting around. Seeing Hongyun and Zhao Shi arrive, she quickly sat up from the heated brick bed and invited them to sit. Hongyun held the two babies and observed, "Second Sister-in-law, these two children look exactly alike. How do you tell them apart usually?"

"Yes, I can't even tell them apart myself. Fortunately, He'er thought of a solution: she tied a string around each of their wrists, one red and one green. See, this red one is Da Xiong, and the green one is Xiao Xiong. And these strings don't even need to be removed for bathing," Huang Shi said, also smiling.

"Second Sister-in-law, you are so fortunate, giving birth to two sons at once. Second Brother must be ecstatic. Such blessings are not granted to just anyone," Hongyun commented with a hint of envy.

"What blessing? These two children are hard to manage. If one cries, the other immediately follows suit. When it comes to nursing, both need feeding, and if we are even slightly late, the sound of both crying could shake this house down. By the way, where is your son? Why didn't you bring Da Mao over for me to see?" Huang Shi complained with a touch of happiness.

Hearing her sister-in-law mention their Da Mao, Hongyun’s face softened with a smile. "His little aunt is watching Da Mao. I thought since you are confined, bringing him might disturb you, so I didn't bring him along. I'll bring him over this afternoon for you to see."

"Second daughter-in-law, the Xisan ceremony is the day after tomorrow. Are all the necessary items prepared? Don't let anything be missing. The Xisan is an important event; nothing can be lacking," Zhao Shi inquired of Huang Shi.

Huang Shi replied, "Mhm, they checked the items once; nothing should be missing. Why don't you go out to the yard, Mother, and check? The items are all piled up out there. See if anything is short?"

"Yes, Mother, please go take a look. We don't really understand these things," Hongyun added, echoing Huang Shi.

Hearing their words, Zhao Shi walked towards the yard herself.

Lin He had been standing by, listening to their conversation. Since her elder aunt had a son, she had indeed changed quite a bit—she was fuller, her complexion was better, and most importantly, the smile on her face seemed genuine, radiating from the heart. The arrival of this child had likely made her life significantly easier. Lin He had always found this situation somewhat unbelievable and hadn't entirely approved, but seeing her elder aunt's appearance today, Lin He felt that perhaps, in this era, this outcome was the right thing, at least bringing joy to the entire household. (To be continued)

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