...
Perhaps because her son had finally returned safely, and the pot of seafood was particularly savory, ng Lao Niang was in high spirits that evening. She talked a lot at the dinner table and even had a couple of drinks with ng Yuhuai. Although she had been full of complaints before, now looking at Hua Xiaomai, she found her more pleasing to the eyes.
After a few drinks, a hint of red appeared on her face, and suddenly she rembered sothing. She tapped Hua Xiaomai with her chopsticks, seemingly impatient, and said, "Oh right, your second sister had her baby."
"Pff!" At that mont, Hua Xiaomai was about to put a scallop into her mouth, and hearing this news, her hand skewed, and the hot shell of the scallop grazed the corner of her mouth, scalding her. She cried out softly and hastily covered her mouth.
"Mother, what are you... saying?" Didn’t the old immortal Doctor Xing in the County say we had to wait until the end of the month? There are still several days to go, how could she..."
"Are you deaf?" ng Lao Niang glared sternly at her. "I said your second sister had her baby, it was the day before yesterday. A big, fat boy, over seven pounds."
Hua Xiaomai opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. A wave of anger surged in her heart, but she had to desperately suppress it, clenching her fists tightly.
ng Yuhuai glanced at her, furrowing his brows deeply, displeased, "Mother, how can you only ntion such a big event now?"
"Tch, what’s it got to do with ? It’s not my family’s affair!" ng Lao Niang rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, "I did well to rember at all!"
Upon saying this, she gave Hua Xiaomai another look, a cold puff of air shooting from her nostrils, "Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking; you’re probably cursing in your heart, aren’t you? If you’re so capable, then say it out loud! You’ve been married into our family for half a year, and there’s not a peep from that belly of yours. Are you trying to anger ? You’re not even qualified!"
Hua Xiaomai thought to herself, "Or else what do you want? Tolerating you is wrong, so should I wrestle with you in the mud, would that make you happy?"
She bit her teeth, yet remained silent, putting down her chopsticks and trying to stand up, but ng Yuhuai’s hand reached under the table and pressed her down.
"It’s too late today. Going over there now would only be a disturbance. There’s no rush for the small restaurant tomorrow morning, and you should visit early, bringing so of the things we bought from the Provincial City. We can’t delay the Yuan Family’s matter; I have to go to the Escort Agency early tomorrow to arrange for manpower, and by the way, inquire if the results of the scholars’ banquet are out. I’ll try to co back early in the evening to visit."
His voice was naturally low and steady, comforting to hear, and after a pause, he added, "Don’t worry."
Hua Xiaomai, considering this, saw the reason in it, so she could only let it be for the mont. She lost the appetite to eat and had no mood to indulge ng Lao Niang’s conversation, sitting silently by the table, responding with a perfunctory "Hmm" and "Ah" without further engagent. After ng Lao Niang had eaten her fill, Hua Xiaomai cleaned up the dishes and returned to her room without delay.
Anxious about her second sister-in-law and the newborn baby, Hua Xiaomai naturally couldn’t expect to sleep well that night. She tossed and turned for most of the night and, as soon as dawn broke, estimating that the old Jing Family house must have finished breakfast, she couldn’t wait to take the items and go.
Old Lady Jing rely greeted her and then left, and as for Jing Family’s old master and the grandmother, they didn’t show up at all. Jing Taihe, however, was still at ho, crouching in a corner, busying himself with sothing.
Hua Xiaomai called out "Brother-in-law," and he imdiately turned his head, smiling in his honest way, "Little sister-in-law, did I hear right that you and Brother Yuhuai went to the Provincial City and have just returned?"
"Yes," Hua Xiaomai nodded, and apologetically added, "I’m sorry, brother-in-law, I really didn’t expect it. Otherwise, I should’ve co back earlier to help you all. How are my second sister and the baby? Are they awake now?"
Now a father for the first ti, Jing Taihe bead with joy when soone ntioned his son, nodding vigorously: "They’re fine, mother and son both safe and sound. The little guy is lazy; he took a whole day after birth to open his eyes, chubby as a little pig, does nothing but eat and sleep, and doesn’t bother anyone. It’s your second sister who has suffered, though..."
"Didn’t Doctor Xing say my second sister was due at the end of the month? He is highly skilled in his dical practice; there shouldn’t have been any complications, so how..."
At the ntion of this, Jing Taihe’s smile stiffened as he scratched his head.
"That... I’m not sure, we should find ti to ask Doctor Xing." After pausing, he continued, "There’s sothing...you need to know, little sister. It’s about... Big Brother. He’s gone."
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