Chapter 2: Financial Hardship

Once the main room was tidied up, the six men from the household eagerly surged toward the kitchen.

Old Su, along with Su Jiang from the first branch and his son Su An, and from the second branch, Su He with his two boys, Su Wen and Su Wu, all stood neatly outside the doorway, peering in through the curtain.

“Old woman, how is it? Are both mother and child well?” Old Su called out loudly from behind the curtain.

Immediately, the old matriarch’s voice came from inside, sharp and scolding, “The youngest has been born safely, mother and daughter are both fine. What else is there to say?”

Having been quickly rebuffed, Old Su cleared his throat and quietly stepped back, his heart finally at ease.

Mother and daughter were safe, and this time the eldest daughter-in-law had given the family a baby girl.

Knowing he had gained a daughter, Su Da’s face lit up with a simple, joyous smile. “Mother, may I lift the curtain and have a look?”

He reached out eagerly, trying to lift a corner of the curtain to glimpse his wife and daughter inside.

But just as his hand touched the edge of the curtain, a swift strike from within caught his hand precisely.

A sharp sting burst across the back of his hand.

Su Da was left speechless—the old woman showed no mercy at all.

“What are you looking at? It’s so cold even dogs won’t move, and you want to lift the curtain and let the cold wind in? The newborn can’t catch a draft now. You’re not a first-time father, so why act clueless?” The old woman’s reprimand was full of authority. “Go to the kitchen and scoop some rice from the bin to make rice water for the baby’s first meal.”

After a pause, she added, “Second son, slaughter the old hen in the house and make a pot of chicken soup!”

The old woman’s orders were firm; the others said nothing. Liu Yuelan, however, was anxious and struggled to sit up. “Mother, just some rice water for the baby is enough. Let’s keep the old hen—when the weather warms, it can still lay eggs—”

Before she finished, the old woman shot her a fierce glare. “Who’s in charge here, you or me? That old hen hasn’t laid an egg for half a month; keeping it is just a waste of grain!”

Seeing the matriarch’s stern expression, the second daughter-in-law quietly nudged Liu Yuelan’s arm, signaling her to be silent.

The two sisters-in-law usually cooked and knew the family’s situation well.

The rice bin was nearly empty, with less than a full measure left.

The old hen was the only valuable livestock in the household.

The matriarch’s harsh words were merely an excuse to make sure the eldest daughter-in-law could recuperate properly.

Having just given birth, without proper nourishment, the mother’s milk wouldn’t come in, and the baby would go hungry.

Liu Yuelan’s eyes reddened slightly but she said no more, understanding her mother-in-law’s kindness.

Outside, Su Da’s eyes were also red-rimmed. After the joy of becoming a father, reality’s harshness followed swiftly.

Seeing this, Su Er patted his shoulder firmly. “Don’t be sentimental now! I’ll catch the chicken.”

Su Da wiped his eyes and, with three of the younger boys, headed toward the kitchen. “Alright, I’ll boil the water.”

A child born safely was a blessing, and no time for weakness now; the birth was only the first hurdle. The second was to see the entire family through the harsh winter.

Old Su stood by the door with his hands behind his back, waiting until the children had left before sighing deeply. He turned to glance at the swirling snow outside, his brow furrowed.

“What are you still standing there for?” The curtain lifted slightly, revealing the old woman’s face and the faint pink profile of the newborn cradled in her arms.

Old Su’s eyes crinkled with a smile, knowing his wife had deliberately brought the baby out for him to see.

His gaze fixed on his granddaughter’s delicate face, joy mingled with reluctance. “It’s cold. Put the curtain down quickly—don’t let the baby catch a draft. This snow doesn’t look like it’s going to stop. Later, I’ll go out and sweep the snow off the roof, reinforce the doors and windows… By the way, wife, where did you put my quiver?”

The old woman’s face instantly darkened. The curtain snapped shut, and her loud voice came from behind it. “What quiver? There’s no quiver!”

At her age, thinking of hunting with a quiver? Not to mention the weather—young, strong men wouldn’t dare venture into the mountains now!

Old Su dared not argue. Sheepishly, he rubbed his nose and went inside to fetch a bamboo broom, heading out to sweep the snow.

The baby, “Youngest Treasure,” heard everything but simply smacked her lips and drifted off to sleep.

When she awoke, a faint aroma of rice filled her nostrils.

“Little sister’s awake! Grandma! Mother! Little sister’s awake!” A childish voice called out excitedly, and a crowd quickly gathered.

Still dazed, Youngest Treasure felt gentle hands lift her up. Close to her, the warmth was comforting and strangely familiar.

She was momentarily stunned; this sensation was unfamiliar. As far as she could remember, no one had ever treated her this way.

Looking up, she saw a young woman’s face, full of love and tenderness in her eyes.

“You’re awake, Youngest Treasure. Hungry, aren’t you? Mother will feed you some rice water.”

Even the tone of the woman’s voice was softer than anything Youngest Treasure had ever heard.

Unfamiliar with affection or tenderness, she only knew that being held and spoken to like this made her want to cry.

But she didn’t understand why she wanted to cry and fought back the tears.

Back in the laboratory, people in white coats had poked her with needles and tubes daily, causing pain that felt as if her body would tear apart. At first, she cried, but later, she stopped.

There, she learned one truth: crying was useless.

“Mother, rice water! Rice water! Feed little sister quickly, she’s hungry! She’s smacking her lips!” The little boy at the front of the crowd shouted again in urgency.

This drew the other two smaller boys to rush forward to bring the rice water. “Little sister’s hungry! I’ll bring the rice water!” “Me too!” “Me too!”

The rice water was soon placed on the old, worn four-legged wooden table by the bedside, still steaming gently.

Worried the boys might spill it, a large hand snatched the bowl first. “Go, go, all of you! Stop fooling around! If you spill it, the baby won’t have anything to eat!”

He carefully carried the rice water, shoving the two boys aside with a foot to keep them out of the way.

The last of the family’s rice had been used to make this single bowl of rice broth.

The eldest daughter-in-law’s milk hadn’t yet come in. If the rice water was spilled, Youngest Treasure would truly go hungry.

A newborn could not go without nourishment, especially in such cold weather.

Su Da stood by the bedside, finally able to see his daughter. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, grinning foolishly. Though slow to react, he finally said, “Sister-in-law, let me, let me!”

“What, you? Clumsy old men! Don’t spill the rice water in the baby’s face, get out!” The gray fabric curtain was lifted, cold wind sneaking inside. The old woman entered carrying a coarse porcelain bowl, quickly dropping the curtain again. She shouted at the men, “I’ll feed Youngest Treasure!”

Then she turned to Liu Yuelan. “The chicken soup is ready. Drink it while it’s hot. Soon, the baby will be able to have milk.”