Li Rongguo and his daughter were sent out of the Li family gate by Li Min. If someone observed carefully, they would notice subtle changes happening to the father and daughter.
In the evening, Li Zhengguo actively prepared a large bucket of bathwater for his wife in the bathroom, then offered to help her bathe.
After she was clean, he wrapped her in a sheet and carried her into the room.
Li mother held her pouting daughter’s hand.
She understood now. Her son used to be reserved around them, but now he was completely indulging his wife. Indulgence was fitting, as his daughter-in-law was pregnant.
...
Li Zhengguo quickly took a shower and then entered the room with a washboard, closing the door.
"Tiantian, do you want to use this tool?"
Tian Jing, who was drowsy, found herself amused and exasperated. "What for? To punish me by kneeling?"
"Yes. I originally prepared for Fang Qiuhong, but who knew there would be another... From now on, our home will not host female guests. No, male guests are even less welcome. They hinder our sweetness and cause trouble. It's not good."
"We might as well close the door and live in seclusion."
"That's a great idea. We'll close the door and live our lives, not receiving anyone. Or perhaps, we should retreat to Qing Song Yan?"
"The more I talk, the more you get into it. Hurry up and sleep, I'm tired."
"Okay."
Li Zhengguo nimbly got into bed and coaxed his Tiantian to sleep.
"Tiantian, what I said to my mother is true. If you feel unhappy with our life, we will leave."
"My mother's health has recovered, Minmin's matters are arranged, and the house is built well. If I leave them some money, I feel I've done my part. If they are unappreciative, I truly don't want to be burdened by them. I only want to carry you."
Tian Jing raised her hand and pinched his nose. "Hmph! Still so heartless."
Li Zhengguo held his breath. "Whose wife is it who dotes on them? My father was a deserter. Why should I take care of his wife for him?"
Tian Jing released his nose. "Unreasonable scoundrel."
"All my reason lies with Tiantian."
"Your words are getting smoother and smoother."
"One shouldn't hold back their words, especially when speaking to their wife. One should say it when it needs to be said, and find something to say when there's nothing."
"Finding something to say when there's nothing is just talking nonsense, isn't it?"
"I enjoy listening. Talk nonsense to me."
"I'll tell you when I'm old and gray. Don't call me long-winded then."
"I won't."
"I'm sleepy."
"Mmm, sleep!"
...
Three days later, on the second day of the fifth lunar month, Li Rongguo's house had its beam-raising ceremony, presided over by Secretary Yang as before.
The beam lifters were the same people who helped lift the beam for the Li family last time, and Chen Suozhu was among them again.
There were three main rooms, and only one side room was built. Li Rongguo stated that he could build the remaining rooms himself over time.
Li mother, with her daughter, brought the large iron pot they had ground at home to help with the celebratory feast for the beam-raising. This large iron pot was a gift from her son.
Li Min treated Zhao Xiaofang with disdain.
Li mother's words were of no use, so she stopped interfering.
Zhao Xiaofang's days had not been easy. Although she was no longer physically tired, her husband and elder daughter were not close to her. Even her younger daughter was pulled away by her elder sister. She was isolated in this home.
She didn't know what Tian Jing had said to Damai when her husband and Damai went into their cousin's house that day. Damai wouldn't tell her. In fact, Damai even ignored her, acting as if she didn't exist.
At the beam-raising feast, Li Rongguo emotionally raised his bowl to toast everyone. Everyone only drank the small amount of wine in their bowls before busying themselves with eating and drinking, as they had work to do after the meal.
Li Zhengguo patted his older cousin on the shoulder. "Work is important. We can't get drunk at the beam-raising feast."
"Yes, yes, I know. I'm just a bit excited."
"We'll drink properly during the housewarming."
"Okay."
In the afternoon, the roof tiles were successfully laid.
After the guests left, Li Zhengguo, with the help of Chen Suozhu, began to build the courtyard wall.
Brother Wang also brought his two sons to help. The courtyard wall was completed before dark.
Because his side room was smaller, the courtyard wall needed to be longer.
In the evening, Zhao Xiaofang announced she wanted to move into the new house. Li Rongguo and Damai glanced at her and ignored her.
Zhao Xiaofang asked her younger daughter to coax her elder sister, saying it was cold outside.
Damai pulled her younger sister to stand before her mother. "Mom, are you really ignorant or pretending to be? Even if the house isn't warmed up, even if the date isn't chosen, did you not see the wet cement and tiles on the house completed today?"
"Isn't the house damp? Doesn't it need to air out? If you want to live here, you can. We won't. We don't have your good health."
"Damai, are you talking to me like this? Who taught you?"
"Hmph!" Damai snorted at her mother's insinuations.
"Who taught me? Didn't my grandmother scold me for being born to a mother but not taught by her? For ten years, I've never heard you teach me a single principle of how to be a person. I only saw you wiping away tears pitifully."
"I protected you, I cared for you, I don't even know who is the mother between us. Since you've taken on the demeanor of a mother, then be a mother in this home and show me. From now on, I will only tend the fire and not cook. I will wait for my mother to cook for me."
Damai pulled her younger sister away, teaching her as they walked, "A child who lies will be taken by the wolf."
"Is it like the wolf cub at our cousin's house?"
"Yes, the big wolf is very fierce. It can bite you in half and swallow you in one bite."
"Ah? I'm so scared. I won't lie anymore."
"Mmm, if you don't lie, the wolf won't take you."
...
Tian Jing's morning sickness symptoms appeared, so the Dragon Boat Festival was not prepared meticulously. They only sprinkled realgar wine in the corners of the house.
Li Min kept a close eye on her sister-in-law. Where was the true form? The realgar wine had appeared, so why hadn't it revealed its true form yet?
She prayed, praying that her nephew would be human or a snake, anything but a half-human, half-snake that couldn't hide.
Hearing his sister murmur, Li Zhengguo swatted the back of her head. What was she thinking about?
After this, Li Zhengguo neglected all other matters and stayed by Tiantian's side, serving her tea and water.
He even tenderly warned his baby, telling her that disobedient children would get their bottoms spanked.
The vegetable shed was handed over to Chen Suozhu and Li Rongguo to manage. The weeds in the fields were for his mother to hoe, and the housework was for his sister to do. He was a full-time husband.
When Ouyang Lei came to collect vegetables again, he saw Li Zhengguo's nervous demeanor and sighed, "Fortunately, I plan to remain single until old age."
"Oh, stop it. No woman wants you. You're only well-behaved in front of us. In front of others, you're a cunning wolf. Which woman would want to marry you?"
Ouyang Lei looked at him in surprise. "Li Zhengguo, I find you've become very naggy. When your baby is born, you might become even more verbose."
"It's just that you don't have anyone to nag."
"Can you stop constantly bragging about your happiness?"
"Happiness should be visible and audible to others."
Ouyang Lei couldn't stand it. He asked Tian Jing, "Sister, how do you tolerate him?"
"You get used to it."
"Why should you get used to him?"
"Because he's my baby's father."
Li Zhengguo grinned, and then added, "Tiantian, didn't we agree not to call him 'Dad and Mom' but 'Baba and Mama'?"
"That's for after the baby is born."
Ouyang Lei quickly changed the subject. He handed Tian Jing the money from last time.
Tian Jing took it and counted. "You didn't deduct the money for cement and tiles?"
"Deduct what? Before, I pretended to deduct it for others to see. Would I really take your money for the plastic sheeting? I earned much more than this from selling the vegetables. I also gave them to you at the supply and marketing cooperative price, so you're getting a good deal."
Since Ouyang Lei said that, Tian Jing accepted it all.
"This time, harvest and take away the eggplants and cucumbers from the southern vegetable sheds. It's time to change the seedlings. Come back in a month. Li uncle's vegetables are none of our business. Do as you please."
"What happened? Didn't your older cousin use your vegetable seedlings? I was thinking of giving the money for the last batch of vegetables to your older cousin when I go to collect the vegetables."
"We've separated from the family."