Qin Lifen looked at her silly boy, who was already a father but still so rash.
Although Qin Lifen didn't really believe in ghosts or gods, she still heeded the elders' words, being cautious. This concerned her future grandson or granddaughter, and she dared not be careless.
Seeing her in-law lecturing, Liu Chunmei felt much relieved.
Normally, she would have chided them, saying that one shouldn't spread the news before three months of pregnancy.
After all, they treated their elder daughter's husband like their own son, so they didn't care about such niceties. They said whatever came to mind.
But today was different. Their son's parents were here, and if she spoke carelessly about their son, his own parents might feel uncomfortable.
Qin Lifen had already lectured Chen Yang, saving her the trouble of speaking.
"Mom, I know, I won't say it."
"I just said it to share the happy news with you. I definitely won't tell anyone else."
Chen Yang nodded obediently like a pecking chick. This matter was not to be taken lightly. It was better to believe than not to believe.
The saying that one shouldn't spread the news before three months of pregnancy was likely common in many places. Some said that all children in a family were bought from the King of Hell by the ancestors using money burned by the living.
If you don't believe it, look at newborns; their butt cracks are often blue. This is because the ancestors weighed them on the scale when buying them.
This heavenly secret could not be revealed. If the gods in heaven found out, they would take the child away. Only after three months, when the fetal light was no longer visible and the divine eyes could no longer see it, could it be spoken of. Su Dan Novel Network
Various rumors were told with great detail.
Medically, there was also an explanation: in the first three months of pregnancy, the fetus was very unstable and prone to miscarriage.
In ancient times, people had no scientific research and could only attribute miscarriages caused by various factors to gods and spirits.
This is why the saying arose that one should not spread the news of pregnancy before three months.
However, even though Qin Lifen lectured Chen Yang, everyone was happy in their hearts.
Their family was welcoming a new life again, how could they not be happy!
Chen Liming and Qin Lifen, of course, were overjoyed. Shen Xue was adding to the Chen family, and the elderly couple were planning how to take good care of their daughter-in-law during their time in Anhui Province.
Shen Futang and Liu Chunmei felt the same. Looking at the baby, Chen Hao, they treated the two children with all their hearts.
That night, Chen Liming and Shen Futang got very drunk, and Chen Yang couldn't stop them.
It was the first time the two fathers-in-law met, and with the happy news of Shen Xue's pregnancy, how could they not be joyful.
The two old men, past fifty, played finger-guessing games in the courtyard for a long time. If they hadn't been overcome by alcohol and fallen asleep, they probably would have continued playing until late into the night.
The two fathers were happy drinking, but Chen Yang dared not drink. He was afraid that if he got drunk and caused a disturbance, scaring Shen Xue, he would regret it immensely.
Fortunately, his mother-in-law had already prepared new mats and blankets. Qin Lifen tidied up and asked Chen Yang to carry Chen Liming to bed and wash up, and that was that.
Chen Yang carried his father-in-law back to their own courtyard. Only then did he realize that the house was too small, with only three rooms in total.
The middle one was the dining room, leaving only two bedrooms. It was fine for his in-laws to stay when his parents weren't there, but with his parents arriving, there wasn't enough space.
It was fortunate that his in-laws lived in the same village, and the two courtyards were only about a hundred meters apart. If they were farther, it would be inconvenient.
Seeing his mother-in-law put his father-in-law to sleep, Chen Yang told her to close the courtyard gate before returning.
There was no choice. It was difficult for a woman to move a drunk man.
Chen Yang was also thinking about building another room next door, so they wouldn't have to worry about guests having nowhere to stay. Anyway, there weren't many restrictions on residential land these days, and he wasn't short of money to build an extra room.
Not to mention, when his younger sister-in-law came back, there wasn't enough space at home. His father-in-law and mother-in-law would have to stay in the old house with her.
His father-in-law and mother-in-law only had two daughters, Shen Xue and Shen Rong. Shen Rong was still young and would definitely have stayed with them all these years.
With the daily chores and childcare, they couldn't be without the elderly couple.
Especially with Shen Xue pregnant again, for her daily care, they couldn't do without her mother. As a man, many things were inconvenient for him, and he didn't have the same experience as his mother-in-law.
After the baby was born, there would be at least three children at home, and it would be impossible for the couple to manage them all.
As for his parents, if they were willing to stay in Anhui Province, Chen Yang would have no objections.
However, not to mention his elder sister was also pregnant, and that girl Chen Yu hadn't even taken her college entrance exam yet. It was fine for his parents to visit for a while, but they would have to go back to manage her.
After his elder sister gave birth, his brother-in-law's parents would likely not come from Shanghai to Jinling. It was highly probable that his own parents would have to help take care of the child, so Chen Yang never considered asking his parents to stay in Anhui Province to help with childcare.
"Is your father-in-law alright? Has he gone to sleep?"
When Chen Yang returned home, Qin Lifen had already helped the two little ones wash up. She was also about to wash up and rest. Traveling by train, bus, and donkey cart all day had exhausted her.
If it weren't for her longing for her grandchildren, she wouldn't have endured such hardship to travel so far.
"He's asleep. How about my dad? Did he throw up?"
Chen Yang massaged his mother's shoulders. His mother's health had never been very good, and this long journey had been quite taxing.
"He's sleeping like a pig."
"He's an adult. Doesn't he know his own alcohol tolerance? I think your father-in-law was letting him off easy, otherwise he would have been drunk long ago."
His mother's eyesight was very sharp. Chen Yang's father-in-law grew up drinking. A pound of white wine and he was steady.
"My father-in-law's ancestors were brewers. He started drinking as soon as he could eat. There's nothing to compare, I can't outdrink him either."
"Mom, you should also get some rest. You've been traveling all day and must be exhausted. Tomorrow I'll take you and Dad to the mountains and riverbanks near the village. The air here is really good."
After chatting with his mother for a while, Chen Yang also returned to his room.
Shen Xue was coaxing the two little ones to sleep. However, as soon as Chen Yang returned, the two little ones, who were almost asleep, became energetic again. They scrambled up and wanted to be held.
"I smell like alcohol and sweat from carrying your grandpa and grandpa. My two little ancestors, you should sleep quickly, be good."
Chen Yang kissed each of them, tapped their little butts, and put them back down.
"Mom has boiled hot water. I'll fill the bathtub for you. You take a hot bath first, and I'll put these two little ones to sleep."
Chen Yang said to Shen Xue while coaxing the children.