The mother and daughter were laughing and playing when the mother-in-law strode in, followed by a pretty girl of fourteen or fifteen. The girl wore a blue slanted-collar short shirt and a black long skirt, with two braids, the characteristic attire of female students from forty to fifty years ago.
As soon as the girl entered, she called out to Chen Lan, "Sister-in-law, I heard from Mother that your health has greatly improved and you're no longer running a fever. Is it true? Oh! My two little nephews and nieces are asleep again! Why is it that every time I see them, they're sleeping?"
The mother-in-law chided her, "Child, would I lie to you? Shush! Speak softly, don't wake them! If children don't sleep well, they won't grow, and they'll be fussy!"
Chen Lan smiled at the girl and said, "Yes, I'm much better and no longer have a fever. I asked casually, 'Did you go out early this morning?'"
"Yes! I went to the school to ask the teacher when classes would resume!"
"Did you find out?"
"Yes! I found out. The teacher said the school needs to repair the damaged desks and chairs first, then they'll notify us to clean up before school reopens."
The mother-in-law quickly chimed in, "Xiao Lan, I've steamed the milk bottles. I was afraid of overcooking them, so I steamed them for fifteen minutes. Is that okay?"
"It's fine, steaming or boiling is acceptable! By the way, Mother, do we have a small charcoal stove at home?"
"Yes! Didn't you forget? We used it during the Lunar New Year. For hot pot, don't you remember?"
"Oh! I forgot!" Chen Lan immediately put on an expression of sudden realization.
"Xiao Lan, teach me and your mother how to prepare the formula!"
"Okay! Mother, it's very simple. You'll learn it after one demonstration. The children are still young, so don't prepare too much. If you prepare too much, they won't digest it well, leading to indigestion and tummy aches. Like this..."
As the two mothers were learning to prepare a bottle of milk, perhaps smelling the aroma, or perhaps not having eaten enough earlier, one woke up and started crying, which in turn woke the other, who also began to cry.
Chen Lan quickly took the milk bottle from her mother-in-law's hand and dripped a drop of milk onto her wrist to test the temperature. While doing so, she said, "Mother, you must test the milk temperature before feeding. If the milk dripping onto your wrist doesn't feel hot, you can feed it." Feeling it was not hot, she quickly gave it to the impatient baby girl. The girl was greedy and quickly latched onto the nipple, taking a big gulp. She choked, spat out the nipple, and started crying again.
The gentle mother quickly took the baby, wiped her mouth, and soothed her, "Oh! Oh! Don't cry, don't cry! Let's have some delicious goat milk! If you don't eat, your brother will snatch it. Come, have another sip." She placed the bottle near the baby's mouth and dripped two more drops into the little girl's mouth. After repeating this several times, the child got used to the nipple and began to drink with gurgles, without choking again.
Chen Lan turned to look at the baby boy. He was calmly gurgling away.
After coaxing the two babies back to sleep, Chen Lan got out of bed and joined the two mothers and her sister-in-law on the adjacent couch for a chat.
"Mother, where are my little uncle and my two brothers? I don't see them."
The mother-in-law smiled and said, "Just a few days ago, we heard that a teacher from a Western-style school in the provincial capital had returned to the village to start a primary school, so we sent those little rascals there. If they weren't at school, they would have been bothering you earlier!"
"Sister-in-law, is the county town still peaceful?"
"Peaceful! Now the people have risen up and become their own masters! The county town is filled with laughter and joy, and the red flags are flying, it's so lively! Oh! Right, Mother, many people in the city are donating money and goods to the new government. Should we also donate something?"
The mother-in-law sighed, "Not long after your father and your father-in-law sold their properties to join the revolutionary army, your eldest brother also went to join the revolution with your sister-in-law's elder brother. The entire country is liberated now, but your father, father-in-law, and your sister-in-law's brother all sacrificed their lives on the battlefield, and didn't live to see the country liberated."