Chapter 74: Full Moon
On the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, the heavens smiled down. The sun shone gently upon the land, and with no wind, it felt exceptionally warm. Today was the full-moon celebration for Li Xiu’s precious daughter, Li Ruolin.
First thing in the morning, Grandma Li, Aunt Li, and Aunt Li arrived early at Li Xiu’s house with the sisters Li Yun and Li Gui to help prepare. Before long, all three branches of the Li family were there—all except for Li Xiu’s own branch, that of his father.
Li Xiu’s small courtyard was soon bustling with activity. Zhou Lian, Li Miao, and Li Bo stayed on the heated bed, playing with Nuonuo. The women were all busy in the kitchen preparing the meal, while the men got ready to welcome the arriving relatives.
Around ten o’clock, Second Brother Li arrived with his family. Li Xiu didn’t even acknowledge them. Eldest Li immediately pulled Second Brother Li and his four nephews aside. He gave them a stern talking-to, telling them to keep their mouths shut and behave themselves. If they dared to cause any trouble, he would deal with them personally.
Grandma Li was much more direct. She called Ge Er Ya and Li Xin into the kitchen and, in front of all the women of the Li family, warned them to keep quiet and not cause a scene. If they dared to ruin the full-moon celebration, she would have Li Xiu sever all ties with them, and he would no longer recognize them as his mother and sister. Seeing the mother-daughter pair fuming but not daring to speak, Grandma Li paid them no mind. As long as they behaved, that was enough; she had completely given up on them.
Friends and relatives continued to arrive until everyone was there. Zhou Lian’s entire family had come, including her married sister, Zhou Lan, with her family; Brother Zhou, who had already established his own separate household, with his family; and Brother Zhou Mo, who had just married at the start of winter, with his family. Li Xiu’s paternal aunt’s family, his three maternal uncles’ families, his four maternal aunts’ families, the village chief, the production team leader, and the matchmaker all attended with their families. Even four other related households sent representatives. Li Xiu throwing such a grand banquet for his daughter’s full-moon celebration became the talk of the surrounding villages.
Grandma Li arranged for the women of the Zhou family—along with the wives of the village chief and team leader, and the matchmaker—to be seated at the table in the east wing bedroom, with she and Aunt Li acting as hostesses. The remaining female guests were seated in the main hall, attended to by Li Xiu’s paternal aunt and Aunt Li. The male guests were split between two tables, hosted by Uncle Li and Uncle Li respectively.
Li Xiu saw the seating arrangements Grandma Li had made and remained silent. He pretended not to notice the dark expressions on the faces of his maternal uncles’ wives, his maternal aunts, and his own mother and sister. When it came to Grandma Li, all of them combined didn’t hold a fraction of the importance she did in his heart.
Looking at her fair, chubby granddaughter lying on the heated bed, and then at her own daughter, who was propped up against the quilts looking fair-skinned and delicate from being so well cared for, Mrs. Zhou was filled with satisfaction. She turned to join Grandma Li in playing with Nuonuo, who had just woken up.
After lunch, Li Xiu brought out a book, a writing brush, an abacus, a scale, and a pair of scissors tied with a red cloth. Brother Zhou also produced the large green onion he had brought from home. On the heated bed, Zhou Lian picked up the baby, and Li Xiu placed the book and brush in her arms.
Brother Zhou took a red paper packet of money from his coat. He took the money out and tucked it into the book the baby was holding. Then, he picked up the scissors and snipped three locks of Nuonuo’s hair, chanting, "A snip on the forehead for a broad view, a snip by the ears to hear from afar, a snip by the toes for a bright future, a snip by the fingers to grasp great fortune." He wrapped the three locks of hair in the red paper that had held the money and placed the packet under his shoe insole. This symbolized the maternal uncle "stomping her sturdy," ensuring she would grow up strong and healthy.
Li Xiu personally planted the large green onion Brother Zhou had brought into a wooden bucket. He then set up a ladder and carried the bucket onto the roof. The uncle’s offering of a green onion, or *cong*, was a pun on the word for "clever," a wish for his niece to be intelligent and quick-witted.
After the hair-cutting ceremony, the relatives who lived far away began their journey home. The clan members and other villagers also departed in twos and threes, until only Zhou Lian’s family remained. Understanding the need for a private moment, Grandma Li and the other women went to help Li Xiu clean up, leaving Zhou Lian’s family to talk with her.
Mrs. Zhou gave Grandma Li a smiling nod. ’Her grandmother-in-law is a reasonable person,’ she thought. ’As for the rest of her in-laws... it’s a long and complicated story!’
Zhou Kun gestured for Zhou Lian on the heated bed to extend her hand. Understanding his intention, Zhou Lian smiled and held out her wrist for her father to take her pulse.
After a moment, Zhou Kun withdrew his hand. "You’re recovering very well," he said with a smile. "You’re almost fully healed, and your qi and blood deficiency has improved a great deal."
"Dad, does that mean I can end my postpartum confinement?" Zhou Lian couldn’t help but ask. She was desperate to take a bath, and Li Xiu was unlikely to let her until her confinement was officially over.
"What’s wrong?" Zhou Kun asked, puzzled. "Didn’t your husband say you should observe a 45-day confinement?"
"I want to wash my hair and take a bath!" Zhou Lian said in frustration. "This room is so hot, and the heated bed is warm all day and night. I’m sweating constantly. I feel like I’m starting to stink!"
"Don’t be so ungrateful," Mrs. Zhou said with a look of disdain. "Your husband is only doing what’s best for you. Why are you making such a fuss? Every woman goes through this. You’re being so dramatic. What about women who give birth in the middle of summer? Do you think they just skip their confinement? Now, you settle down, stop looking for trouble, and listen to what your husband says." ’This daughter of mine was never like this before,’ she thought. ’How did she become so fussy after getting married? Her husband has spoiled her rotten.’
Zhou Kun watched his wife with a smile. ’She’s right,’ he thought. ’When she was still living with us, our daughter’s only fault was being a picky eater. Now, she’s a married woman and a mother, yet she’s become even more pampered.’
"Are you really my mother?" Zhou Lian mumbled. ’What did I even say? Why is she always so hard on me? She criticizes me after just a few sentences.’
"It’s because I’m your mother that I talk to you like this!" Mrs. Zhou snapped back. "A stranger wouldn’t waste their breath on you!"
"Sister, you’ve put on weight," Third Brother Zhou said curiously. "Did you finally kick your picky eating habit?" Zhou Lian had indeed filled out. She probably weighed over a hundred pounds now. Compared to the stick-thin figure she had before getting married, she looked much more beautiful.
Glaring at her brother, Zhou Lian retorted, "I’m eating five meals a day and doing nothing but eating and sleeping. I’m on this heated bed all day, every day, except for when I go to the latrine. How could I possibly not gain weight?"
"What have you been eating during your confinement? How many chickens have they cooked for you?" asked Zhou Lan. Although she knew her brother-in-law wouldn’t mistreat her sister, Zhou Lan couldn’t rest easy until she heard it from Zhou Lian herself.
"I’ve had more than ten already. Every day it’s millet congee, egg noodles, bone broth, fish soup, dumplings, steamed buns... all sorts of things."
"You’ve been taking ginseng," Zhou Kun stated confidently. This daughter of his had always been difficult to raise, an extremely picky eater. He had carefully looked after her health for over twenty years, yet she still suffered from qi and blood deficiency. Now, after childbirth, she had been nursed back to health during her confinement. ’Such results would be impossible without a ginseng root at least a hundred years old,’ he thought.
"Yes, I have. For over half a month now," Zhou Lian answered honestly. "Li Xiu asked an old, experienced doctor in the provincial capital who said you can’t take tonics right after giving birth. You have to wait about ten days before starting them."
"He must have asked around for detailed advice on postpartum care," Zhou Kun said with a smile, looking at his now-submissive daughter.
"Oh, and he also read some books. He’s been following the doctor’s instructions and what’s written in the books exactly."
"The last time he stayed overnight in the mountains, it was to find that ginseng for you. You need to appreciate that and just focus on living a good life together. You’ve recovered so well during your confinement that it’s even fixed some of your old health problems. Keep taking the ginseng for another half a month, and your qi and blood deficiency should be mostly resolved. You’re also taking excellent care of the baby, so everything is very good. In the future, your mother and I won’t have time to visit often unless it’s for something important. You two take care of each other. Your husband is a good man!"
It was rare for Zhou Kun to speak so patiently with his daughter, but his words carried a subtle warning. No matter how well her husband treated her, his efforts would be wasted if she didn’t appreciate them. His daughter had developed quite a temper from being spoiled by her husband. Now that she was a mother, she needed to understand what it truly meant to live a good life. She couldn’t always rely on her husband’s indulgence and remain blind to his devotion.
Understanding the unspoken meaning in her father’s words, Zhou Lian replied softly, "I know, Dad. Don’t worry. I understand everything."