Chapter 229 – You Focus on Giving Birth, I’ll Handle the Rest
On this evening, in the middle of the night, Kang Kang started crying again. As soon as he made a sound, Jiang Junmo promptly got up to change his diaper.
Lu Xia watched as he lit a candle, his movements gentle and quick. He softly cooed to Kang Kang, who gradually fell back asleep under his care.
Since Kang Kang’s birth, Jiang Junmo had been taking care of these tasks every night.
When he finished tidying up and returned to the bed, Lu Xia embraced him from the side.
“What’s wrong? Did I wake you up?” Jiang Junmo asked as he turned around.
Lu Xia sniffled and softly said, “Momo, you’ve been working hard.”
Hearing her words, Jiang Junmo’s lips curved into a smile, and he turned to hug her. “What are you saying? I’m not working hard.”
“How is it possible that you’re not working hard? You’ve gotten so thin from all this!” Lu Xia’s voice choked with emotion.
Jiang Junmo sighed with compassion. “Isn’t Xia Xia working even harder than me? The process of carrying a child for ten months is much tougher than this. After enduring all that, it’s only right that I take care of the child for you.”
“Don’t worry, Xia Xia, I’m not struggling. We have clear responsibilities: you focus on giving birth, and I’ll handle the rest!”
Hearing these words, Lu Xia couldn’t hold back her emotions any longer and burst into tears while hugging him.
Feeling the dampness on his neck, Jiang Junmo sighed softly. He felt tender inside, yet also a bit heartbroken. “Don’t cry. Listen, crying during the postpartum period can easily lead to health issues.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Xia’s crying momentarily ceased. She playfully punched him and said, “Got it, nanny!”
Jiang Junmo teased her intentionally and immediately adopted a serious tone. “What nanny? I’m the chamberlain!”
Finally, Lu Xia chuckled. “Alright, I know, ‘male mom’!”
Seeing her smile, Jiang Junmo didn’t mind what she said.
He held her gently and said, “Okay, go to sleep now. Don’t worry about me. Life is so happy now, with a wife and a child, I’m enjoying it to the fullest.”
“Okay.” Hearing him say this, Lu Xia finally felt at ease and nestled in his arms, falling asleep.
…
After her heart-to-heart talk with Jiang Junmo, Lu Xia no longer felt guilty toward him. However, she began to gradually learn how to take care of the baby herself, not leaving everything to him.
Jiang Junmo rejected her several times, worried that she might exhaust herself and not recover properly during the postpartum period. But seeing Lu Xia’s determination, he eventually agreed.
However, he still handled tasks like changing diapers and washing them, while Lu Xia took charge of feeding the baby and helping him fall asleep.
Even so, Jiang Junmo found himself busy all day long.
Before Lu Xia completed her postpartum recovery, the Jiang family sent more things over. Jiang Junmo asked Sun Shengnan to help look after her for a while, then rode his bicycle into town.
Seeing that Jiang Junmo had left for just a short while and already brought Sun Shengnan over, Lu Xia felt a bit embarrassed.
“It’s kind of you to make a special trip here. My husband is worried that I’ll feel lonely.”
Sun Shengnan laughed in response and teased, “Your husband, Educated Youth Jiang, has become quite the talk of the village. He’s been chosen as the best husband for miles around. People say that a young lad like him has been taking such good care of you during your postpartum period…”
Lu Xia was surprised. “How do they know?”
Sun Shengnan chuckled and said, “Isn’t it obvious? Educated Youth Jiang goes to the river every day to wash diapers. The villagers always see him. Moreover, he frequently buys meat and exchanges eggs in the village. It’s clear he’s been preparing special meals for you during your postpartum period.
Of course, the most obvious change is in you. Look at how well you’re being cared for during your postpartum period. You’re plump and healthy. You’ve become the envy of the village’s young women and new daughters-in-law!”
*
Chapter 230 – Fetching Water with a Bamboo Basket
.
Upon hearing these words, Lu Xia felt a bit shy at first.
Jiang Junmo had his own methods for washing diapers. He would first rinse them in cold water from the river, then return to soak them in hot water, believing that this approach would reduce bacteria. Even Lu Xia couldn’t comprehend how he knew so much about this.
Anyway, now that the baby’s diapers needed changing every day, he had to wash them daily.
However, the river hadn’t frozen over yet, so villagers were smashing holes near the banks to wash clothes. Consequently, they would encounter people there. What they hadn’t anticipated was that the whole village had found out about it.
Lu Xia felt a bit embarrassed, but she quickly rationalized that Jiang Junmo had always been like this. Besides, their reputation, good or bad, probably didn’t matter to them.
Sun Shengnan only mentioned it casually and then proceeded to share a piece of fresh village gossip.
“Did you know? A few days ago, Zhou Lai’er went to the Hu family again. This time she said she wants to reconcile and remarry!”
“What? Didn’t she cry and demand a divorce before the new year?”
Intrigued by the gossip, Lu Xia became curious and urged Sun Shengnan to tell her what had happened.
Sun Shengnan sighed with mixed emotions. “That was before the new year. At that time, Hu Jianjun was still a disabled man, unable to work due to injuries sustained after his discharge from the military.”
“Oh? So what happened to change Zhou Lai’er’s mind?”
Sun Shengnan nodded. “Something did happen. After more than two months of recuperation, Hu Jianjun’s injuries had mostly healed. However, he was left with a disability in his leg and walked with a limp. He couldn’t perform heavy labor anymore.”
“And then?”
“And then, unexpectedly, he didn’t stay idle after being discharged. He found a new job through career transition, working at the county’s machinery factory.
You might not know this since you haven’t been here for long, but Wangxi City, where our county is located, has several large iron mines. The steel mills here are renowned throughout the country. There are many factories around the city that are connected to the steel industry. The machinery factory is one of them.
It’s considered one of the best-paying factories in the county, and it’s not easy to get in. Who could have anticipated that the government would arrange a job for Hu Jianjun at the machinery factory? Although it’s not in the workshop but in the security team, it’s still a stable job.”
At this point, Sun Shengnan’s tone revealed a touch of envy.
Lu Xia was surprised by this information. She wasn’t surprised by Hu Jianjun’s job, but she was surprised that he had known about this job opportunity when he was discharged. Yet, he hadn’t said anything at the time and had even let Zhou Lai’er cause a scene and demand a divorce.
Lu Xia found it hard to believe that this wasn’t deliberate.
Sun Shengnan seemed to have realized this as well.
“Right after the new year, Mother Hu was busy arranging marriage prospects for Hu Jianjun. Given his age and injuries, he didn’t have many promising options. But Mother Hu had high standards and insisted on finding a well-educated young lady.
Naturally, the potential brides’ families were unwilling. Later, Mother Hu couldn’t keep it to herself any longer and revealed her son’s job situation.
This news caused quite a stir in the village. Even though Hu Jianjun later explained that the county’s military affairs department had granted him the job opportunity due to his remarkable recovery, many people in the village began to speculate.
However, many were also glad that he had managed to escape Zhou Lai’er. Of course, some understood the situation better and had no sympathy for Zhou Lai’er. In any case, she reaped what she sowed.”
“That makes sense,” Lu Xia nodded. “So, I guess Zhou Lai’er isn’t likely to accept this quietly, right?”
Sun Shengnan nodded. “Of course not. How could her stubborn personality allow her to lose out? After learning about the job, she’s been causing trouble at the Hu family’s house every day. I heard that Zhou Lai’er has even managed to ruin a few of Hu Jianjun’s arranged meetings with potential partners.
Mother Hu is frustrated and has given up on trying to find a partner for her son for now. She plans to look for a city girl once her son has a stable job.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Xia shook her head. “I wonder if she’ll be able to find a city girl. It seems that Zhou Lai’er’s efforts are in vain once again.”
Sun Shengnan clearly shared this sentiment. The Hu family obviously had no regard for Zhou Lai’er. After working so hard to get rid of her, they wouldn’t let her back in so easily.
However, Zhou Lai’er hadn’t seen through this yet. Of course, the educated youths weren’t inclined to explain it to her. Even if they did, she probably wouldn’t listen and might even think they were intentionally sabotaging her chances.
Fetching Water with a Bamboo Basket – this idiom is used to describe efforts that are in vain or futile, similar to the English saying “beating a dead horse” or “going on a wild goose chase.” It signifies that no matter how much effort is put in, the result is ultimately unproductive or unsuccessful.
Thank you for the chapter (♡˙︶˙♡)