Chapter 70: Trifles of the Postpartum Month
Under Li Xiu’s meticulous care, both Zhou Lian and their daughter grew fair and plump. The baby girl’s little arms and legs, resembling sections of a lotus root, were especially adorable.
Even in the dead of winter, the sisters Li Yun and Li Gui braved the cold and came over to Li Xiu’s house every day, just to get another look at their chubby little niece, who seemed to change by the day.
This day marked the twentieth day since Li Xianglin’s birth. The weather was clear and fine. Early in the morning, Zhou Lian began urging Li Xiu, saying she wanted to wash up and shampoo her hair.
Seeing her frantic state, Li Xiu couldn’t help but laugh. "Alright, alright, alright," he readily agreed. "I’ll go boil some water for you to wash your hair and bathe. Don’t you worry!"
Having come from a future era of information overload, Li Xiu knew it was perfectly fine to wash one’s hair and bathe during the postpartum month. But given the current poor conditions, the lack of a hairdryer, and the fact that it was the middle of winter, he had insisted Zhou Lian refrain from washing.
Now, after twenty-odd days, Li Xiu knew his wife had reached her limit, so he finally relented. He had looked through some medical texts and learned that in the past, noblewomen would wash with water boiled with medicinal herbs.
After telling Zhou Lian to wait on the kang, Li Xiu went to the kitchen. He found some ginger, washed it, and sliced it, skin and all. He put the slices into a pot of cold water, brought it to a rolling boil over high heat, then let it simmer for about ten minutes. Finally, he removed the lid to let it cool down, waiting until the water was warm, but not scalding, to the touch.
He had Zhou Lian lie horizontally across the kang, her head hanging just off the edge. Li Xiu placed a stool beside the kang, setting out the plain warm water and the boiled ginger water. He put a basin on the stool, positioning it at the perfect height right under Zhou Lian’s head.
Li Xiu meticulously washed Zhou Lian’s hair, then soaked it in the ginger water. He scooped the water with his hands, pouring it over her scalp and massaging it in gently. Once he felt it was enough, he quickly began drying her hair with a towel. The room was kept very warm, with the door shut and windows sealed to prevent Zhou Lian from catching a draft.
Before long, Zhou Lian’s hair was dry. Li Xiu then gave her a sponge bath with the remaining ginger water. After changing into fresh clothes, Zhou Lian lay comfortably on the kang and let out a sigh. "I finally feel alive again!"
Li Xiu, who was sweating profusely while cleaning up the mess on the floor, looked up at her words and said huffily, "Don’t be so dramatic. You still need to be careful during your confinement, especially in the dead of winter."
Zhou Lian knew he’d been reluctant, so she didn’t mind his tone. She just smiled and said, "Why don’t you try it? Sweating from head to toe, unable to bathe or wash your hair, stuck with the smell of your own sweat for more than twenty days. You think you could stand it?"
Li Xiu thought about it and realized she had a point. ’But I never smelled anything on her... No, that’s not right. She does have a scent. It’s a milky fragrance, and it smells wonderful.’
"Bao’er, I made chicken soup with ginseng today. You have to drink it, no picky eating!" Having finished cleaning, Li Xiu climbed onto the kang, wrapped his arms around Zhou Lian, and said gently.
"I’m recovering just fine. I don’t need to eat ginseng, do I?" Zhou Lian wasn’t keen on the idea; it had a strong medicinal taste.
Stroking her hair, Li Xiu said softly, "Please, sweetheart. I made this specially for you. It’s good for you. Childbirth takes a huge toll on the body, and you need to recover properly. Don’t make me worry, alright?"
Zhou Lian fell silent. Li Xiu knew exactly how to get to her every time, confident that she would soften. She knew he was only doing it for her own good.
Li Xiu cuddled with her for a long time, only getting up when the baby woke. He changed her diaper, washed her little bottom, and wrapped her up snugly before handing her to Zhou Lian for a feeding. When their daughter was full, he picked her up and burped her, only placing her back on the kang once she had fallen asleep.
"Bao’er, you get some rest. I’m going to make dinner." Li Xiu gave Zhou Lian a kiss before climbing off the kang.
Watching Li Xiu head to the kitchen, Zhou Lian lay quietly on the kang. She turned her head to look at her sleeping daughter and smiled to herself. ’Life is so good.’ They say you only find out if you’ve married a man or a monster after you have a child.
’In farming families, the postpartum confinement is supposed to last a month, but very few women actually manage to rest for the full period, even during the off-season. After all, not many farm men know how to cook or do laundry.’
’But Li Xiu had long ago declared she must rest for a full 45 days. She knew that doctors in the future recommended 42 days, so she had no idea which book Li Xiu had gotten his number from. For these past twenty-odd days, he’d plied her with good food and drink, not even letting her get down to go to the outhouse, complaining that it was too cold outside.’
’At most, she could pace around the room a few times a day to stretch her legs; otherwise, she worried her body would grow stiff from lying down all the time. After all, other than breastfeeding, Li Xiu didn’t even let her hold the baby, afraid it would give her aching arms and a sore back later in life.’
Thinking of this, Zhou Lian couldn’t help but feel a flicker of happiness. Every woman wanted her husband to cherish her. In truth, she wasn’t sure what to make of her feelings for Li Xiu. It didn’t quite feel like she ’liked’ him, yet she couldn’t say she ’disliked’ him either. Her heart ached for him sometimes, and she couldn’t bear to make things difficult. She knew what he wanted from her, but she didn’t know if she could give it to him.
Li Xiu finished making their meal. It was still early, and he knew his wife wouldn’t be hungry yet. He went into the room to find Zhou Lian fast asleep with a smile on her face. He gently tucked the blanket around her, stole a soft kiss, then took the dirty diapers from the basket to wash and hang them out to dry.
After coaxing his wife to finish her meal, Li Xiu brought something up with Zhou Lian. "Bao’er, the Little New Year is almost here. What day is your older sister going to your father’s house? I’ll bring our New Year gifts for him over on the same day."
"My sister goes every year on the twentieth of the twelfth lunar month. You’re going to go then, too?"
"Yes, the twentieth it is. Bao’er, I’ll be quick, just two or three hours. Don’t worry," Li Xiu said after a moment’s thought. His plan was to go to her father’s house after breakfast, drop off the gifts, exchange a few words, and head straight back so he wouldn’t be late making lunch for her.
"I’m not that fragile!" Zhou Lian said, giving Li Xiu a playful glare. ’It’s been more than twenty days, I’m almost fully recovered. There’s no need to be this cautious!’
"Who said you were fragile? Bao’er, just listen to me, I’ll be back before you know it. Please don’t overexert yourself. I’ll be worried sick. Let’s just focus on a good recovery, okay? Things can go back to normal after your confinement is over!" Li Xiu coaxed her softly. He had worked so hard to nurse his wife back to health; he couldn’t let all that effort go to waste now.
’In his previous life, his wife had passed away before him. He had always suspected it was because she never properly recovered from childbirth, her health further ruined by the constant hard work and worry of their daily lives.’
Knowing her husband was only thinking of her health, Zhou Lian didn’t argue back. She wasn’t some naive young woman in her twenties; she had, after all, lived a whole other life. She understood that some things couldn’t be judged by their surface. She was aware of all of Li Xiu’s care for her, both overt and subtle. She wasn’t going to be like some ignorant girl and throw a tantrum just to oppose him.
"Alright," Zhou Lian said after a moment’s thought. "I won’t do a thing. I’ll just change the baby’s diapers and feed her. I won’t do anything else but wait for you to come back." ’Why make him worry?’ she thought. ’I’ll just give him a calming pill.’
"My darling, you’re the best. Thank you for not making me worry," Li Xiu said happily, his eyes on Zhou Lian so full of tenderness they seemed to melt.
"Oh, right. Don’t bring too many gifts for my dad," Zhou Lian quickly added, remembering Li Xiu’s tendencies. "It’s not that I’m not being filial, but I don’t want to make things awkward for my sister. If you bring too much, it’ll put her in a difficult position."
"Okay, I’ll do whatever my Bao’er says!"