Chapter 71: Delivering New Year’s Gifts
On the twentieth of the twelfth lunar month, Li Xiu rose early to pack. He took Zhou Lian’s advice to heart, understanding that no one was particularly well-off. If his gifts were too extravagant, it would indeed put his eldest sister-in-law in an awkward position.
Six jin of wild boar meat, two bottles of baijiu, two packs of pastries, and eight white flour steamed buns—these were the New Year’s gifts for his wife’s family. He also set aside two jin of meat each for his eldest sister-in-law’s family and eldest brother-in-law’s family. These were extras, a treat to satisfy the children’s cravings, as he wasn’t traditionally obligated to give gifts to them.
After making sure his wife and daughter were settled, Li Xiu told Zhou Lian what gifts he was bringing. He also reminded her not to do any work and not to hold their daughter constantly. He told her to put the baby down after she finished her milk and was burped, so she wouldn’t tire herself out. Seeing that it was almost nine o’clock, he finally set off on his bicycle for Shanqian Village.
Since his wife wasn’t with him, Li Xiu rode at top speed. He somehow managed to complete the one-hour journey in just half an hour. When he arrived at his father-in-law’s house, his eldest sister-in-law’s family had just gotten there as well, and his eldest brother-in-law’s family was present too.
The moment they saw Li Xiu, the Zhou family members all began clamoring with questions about Zhou Lian and the baby. When Li Baolai had come to deliver the news on the third day after the birth, he had only said that Zhou Lian had a daughter, born on the twenty-sixth of the eleventh month, and that both mother and child were well. He hadn’t said much else, which had left the whole Zhou family feeling anxious.
Li Xiu sat down and took a sip of water. Seeing the concerned faces of his in-laws, he smiled and said, "She was born at 2:36 in the afternoon on the twenty-sixth of last month. She was six jin and six liang, and fifty-two centimeters long. Everything went very smoothly. Mother and child are both doing great."
"How is her postpartum confinement going?" Zhou Lan asked anxiously. ’It’s unlikely that my second sister’s mother-in-law is there to help, so can her husband, a grown man, really take proper care of her?’
Understanding the implication in her question, Li Xiu gently explained, "Her recovery is going very well. Eldest Sister, you don’t need to worry."
"You’re the one taking care of her?" Zhou Lan asked, still unconvinced. She hadn’t noticed Mrs. Zhou, who was smiling off to the side.
"Mhm, I’m the one. I wouldn’t be at ease with anyone else looking after her."
"Then who washes the diapers? Who does the cooking?" Zhou Lan pressed.
Li Xiu said with a smile, "I wash the diapers, and I do the cooking. Lian’er can’t touch cold water during her confinement. Besides, she’s not supposed to get tired at all."
"Alright now, stop making your eldest sister anxious. Just tell her everything properly. Why are you teasing her!" Mrs. Zhou said, giving Li Xiu a playful glare. ’This little rascal,’ she thought. ’He knows his sister-in-law is worried and is still teasing her on purpose.’
Zhou Xiang laughed too. Her second brother-in-law doted on her second sister as if she were the apple of his eye. ’How could he possibly let Second Sister do any work during her confinement?’
"Eldest Sister, Lian’er is doing great, so please don’t worry. I asked the doctor for instructions on postpartum care. It’s best to have a full 45 days of recovery. During these 45 days, she needs to eat and drink well, avoid getting angry or tired, and stay in bed as much as possible. She shouldn’t even hold the baby. Sitting for too long will strain her back and can lead to lasting health issues. Rest assured, I will take good care of her. On the 26th, it will be her one-month mark. You can come see for yourself then and set your mind at ease," Li Xiu explained patiently with a smile.
Zhou Lan nodded, saying nothing more. ’It’s true,’ she thought. ’My brother-in-law usually can’t bear to let Second Sister do any work; he dotes on her so much. Now that she’s in confinement after childbirth, how could he possibly not take good care of her? I was just letting my concern get the best of me.’
"Dad, Mom, I was in a hurry to get back and didn’t have time to stop by the supply co-op, so I didn’t bring much. I hope you don’t mind," Li Xiu said as he took the items out of his basket.
Staring at the meat, liquor, pastries, and white flour steamed buns on the table, the Zhou family members were left speechless. This was already an incredibly generous New Year’s gift.
"Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister, take these few jin of meat home. It’s a little something extra for the children. I hope you don’t think it’s too little!" As he spoke, he took out two identically sized portions of meat from the basket.
"Li Xiu, why did you bring so many things?" Zhou Kun said, looking at the gifts on the table. "Besides, there’s no custom of giving New Year’s gifts to your brother-in-law and sister-in-law."
"Dad, this is from a wild boar I hunted in the mountains a while back. It’s not really for Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister, just a bit of meat for the children," Li Xiu quickly explained, knowing his father-in-law was a man of principle who valued propriety.
"You should have saved it for Second Sister to help her regain her strength. Why bring it here?" said the Eldest Sister-in-law. Although she was happy he thought of her children, she also felt, ’My sister-in-law just gave birth and this is the time she needs to recover. How can we take food from her plate?’
"Eldest Sister-in-law, we have plenty for Lian’er to eat at home!" With that, Li Xiu stood up and began heading for the door, saying, "Dad, Mom, I’m worried about Lian’er being home by herself, so I’m going to head back. We can talk in detail when you visit for the one-month celebration on the twenty-sixth!"
The Zhou family members watched as he hurriedly pedaled away on his bicycle. They all returned inside, sat down, and stared at the gifts on the table. ’This Li Xiu... he’s really far too generous!’
"Mom, aren’t you worried about Second Sister? How come you haven’t asked a single question?" the Eldest Sister-in-law asked, looking at her mother-in-law with curiosity. ’When a daughter gives birth and goes through postpartum confinement, what kind of mother doesn’t worry? What’s gotten into my mother-in-law?’
"What would I need to ask?" Mrs. Zhou said with a laugh. "That brother-in-law of yours dotes on Second Sister so much he’d probably carry her in his mouth if he could. Now that she’s given birth and is in confinement, do you really think he’d let her be wronged in any way?" As long as she knew her daughter had delivered the baby safely, she hadn’t worried one bit.
"That’s true," the Eldest Sister-in-law conceded, "but does a grown man really know how to manage postpartum care?"
"Eldest Sister-in-law, you might not realize," Zhou Xiang said with a smile, "but even if Second Brother-in-law doesn’t know the specifics, as long as he keeps treating Second Sister the way he always has, her confinement will be more than fine."
It took Li Xiu just over half an hour to get back home. He quietly unlocked the door, snuck inside, and tiptoed into the room. He saw the mother and child, one large and one small, sleeping soundly on the kang bed. Not having the heart to wake Zhou Lian, and seeing it was already past eleven, he went to the kitchen to wash his hands and make lunch.
He made stewed pork ribs with ginseng and stir-fried baby bok choy. His wife had been craving cucumber, so he also made scrambled eggs with cucumber. The bok choy and cucumbers were freshly picked from their own kitchen garden. He also heated up a steamed bun. Li Xiu himself wasn’t a fan of steamed buns—he always felt they weren’t filling enough. He much preferred his usual savory pancakes rolled with green onions.
"Li Xiu, you’re back?"
He had just finished cooking when he heard Zhou Lian’s voice from the kang bed in the inner room. Li Xiu smiled, went over to his wife, who was now awake, and said, "Mhm, Bao’er, you’re awake. Perfect timing, let’s eat."
Looking at the meal on the table, Zhou Lian asked in astonishment, "When did you get back?" ’These pork ribs alone must have taken an hour to cook!’ she thought.
"I was back by eleven. Dad and Mom are doing very well, so don’t worry. I also saw Eldest Sister and her family. Our little Nuonuo will be a month old soon, and they’ll all come to visit then," Li Xiu said, smiling comfortingly, knowing his wife was thinking about her family.
"When Nuonuo is a month old, my confinement period should be over, right? I don’t really need another half a month, do I?" Zhou Lian said in a wheedling tone, looking at Li Xiu with an expectant smile.
Li Xiu shot her a look that was half-amused, half-serious. He shook his head and said, "Nope. You’re resting for another half a month. The doctor said it takes at least 42 days for the body to truly recover. So, my dear, you are going to obediently complete the full 45 days of confinement. And no, pouting won’t help."
The smile vanished from Zhou Lian’s face. "Got it," she said stiffly.
Knowing his wife was getting stir-crazy from being cooped up, Li Xiu tried to placate her. "Darling, look, our Nuonuo is still tiny. Even if your confinement were officially over, what would you even be able to do? Could you really leave her side for a moment?"
Zhou Lian thought for a moment, then said, "I just really want to wash my hair and take a bath."
Li Xiu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he looked at his precious wife. ’All this fuss just to wash her hair and take a bath.’ He gazed at her dotingly and said, "Darling, you just be patient. On the day of Nuonuo’s one-month celebration, I’ll wash your hair and help you bathe."
"And I mean a proper bath, not just a sponge bath with a towel. When you just wipe me down, I always feel like I’m not really clean," Zhou Lian said, pouting.
"That won’t work. You can’t soak in a tub yet. Just be patient a little longer, alright? When the time is right, I’ll heat up plenty of hot water and let you have a nice long soak. Bao’er, just hold on a little longer."
Hearing her husband coaxing her as if she were a child, Zhou Lian felt too embarrassed to press the issue. ’He’s only looking out for me,’ she thought. ’I should just listen to him.’