Chapter 239: Chapter 231: Confinement Gift
Tian Aiguo and his family left on the ninth day of the first lunar month, and his vacation lasted until after the Lantern Festival. However, due to the slow speed of the trains and the need to change trains several times from Shanghai to Inner Mongolia, it took almost a week just to travel, which meant that every New Year, Tian Aiguo couldn’t spend the Lantern Festival with his family.
Before leaving, Tian Aiguo suggested that the children visit Inner Mongolia during the summer vacation. This idea deeply moved Tian Sisi, who was genuinely eager to see the rugged and beautiful grassland scenery and to ride horses across the plains.
However, thinking of Xu Qianwen and her daughter made her hesitate. These two caused quite a fuss on their own turf; she couldn’t imagine what it would be like on their territory!
Seeing the expression on Tian Sisi’s face, Tian Xinhua knew what she was thinking and whispered in her ear, "I’ll go with you and make sure they won’t dare to bully you."
Tian Sisi looked delightedly at Tian Xinhua, "How do you have time? Didn’t Mr. Yun ask you to do an internship during the summer vacation?"
Every summer vacation, Mr. Yun would send He Chengsi for military training, and then let Tian Xinhua go out to mess around, ostensibly as an internship, but in reality, it was to make money. If he didn’t earn the amount Mr. Yun specified, he wasn’t allowed to return. Thus, Tian Xinhua had made quite a lot of money over these three years, having several bankbooks, one of which Tian Sisi had seen, containing many zeros in the balance.
"I can also do my internship in Inner Mongolia!" Tian Xinhua said with a mischievous grin.
He had actually reached Mr. Yun’s specified earnings early this year. During the New Year period, when there was high demand for scalper tickets and foreign remittance tickets and others needed foreign currency, he had already hoarded quite a bit, all collected by Ma Xiaoming from the hutongs, and sold everything before the New Year, not including Ma Xiaoming’s salary, earning him thousands, well over Mr. Yun’s quota.
Tian Xinhua went to Beijing after the Lantern Festival. The night before he left, he sneaked into Tian Sisi’s room and spent the whole night kissing her, causing her lips to swell, fortunately, He Xuewen had no martial arts skills, otherwise Tian Xinhua, the notorious thief of beauty, would have been chopped by He Xuewen long ago.
Time passed day by day, Yuequan Mountain turned red then green again, and soon it was summer. During this time, there was a happy event; soon after Qingming, Niu Guiyuan gave birth to a big, chubby son who looked especially like Niu Guiyuan.
Wang Qiuyang took Tian Sisi to deliver the confinement gift; as a man, He Xuewen found it inappropriate to show up, so he let Wang Qiuyang take Tian Sisi with her. Since Wang Qiuyang’s husband was Niu Guiyuan’s husband’s superior, she naturally went to give the gift. Tian Mantong had been promoted the year before and was now the transport team leader.
In Sui City, the locals call the postnatal confinement as "doing confinement" or "mother-in-law," and visiting the mother and newborn to give "confinement gift," usually nutritious items like eggs and old hens are delivered.
Niu Guiyuan was married at Wangjiazhen and also had her confinement in her mother-in-law’s house. Her mother-in-law was a straightforward and kind housewife; her father-in-law, on the other hand, was very sharp and capable, serving as the deputy mayor of Wangjiazhen, often sporting a slicked-back hairstyle, carrying a black briefcase, exuding authority. He happened to return home to pick up some items and warmly greeted them.
The "confinement gift" Tian Sisi brought was particularly significant: a hundred eggs, five kilograms of brown sugar, and two old hens. Wang Qiuyang also brought a significant amount: fifty eggs, two kilograms of brown sugar, and one old hen. The high-standard "confinement gifts" made Niu Guiyuan’s father even more enthusiastic, repeatedly telling his wife to quickly prepare the wine and egg broth to serve the guests.
According to local customs, if a boy is born, the grandmother will brew sweet rice wine on the day of the birth, and the next day it will be carried and distributed to the in-laws’ relatives, usually important ones like uncles and aunts.
Of course, if there is a surplus of brewed sweet wine paste, some will be shared with close friends, like He Xuewen who also got a cup. Tian Sisi really enjoyed eating it, often asking Granny Zhao to cook the sweet wine paste with eggs for her in the morning. It didn’t take long to finish all of it.
Of course, receiving this wine paste wasn’t for free, one had to send a mother-in-law gift in return. It’s a give-and-take; this year I send a gift for your daughter, next year you return the favor for my daughter-in-law. That’s just how social interactions work in China.
Later on, the custom changed; it wasn’t just for the birth of grandsons, but granddaughters as well, to show that the in-laws valued both male and female newborns equally. Of course, what they truly thought inside, no one knew, but saving face still had to be maintained thoroughly.
Additionally, sweet wine paste is a major food for mothers during their confinement period. They need to drink several bowls of wine paste with eggs every day, not only to replenish nutrients but more importantly to help nursing mothers produce milk. This centuries-old rule has always been effective—back then, mothers who used wine paste with eggs generally had ample breast milk, unlike now where three or four out of ten mothers may not have any.
Looking at Niu Guiyuan now, with a chest as impressive as a dairy cow, it’s clear her son’s nourishment is plentiful. The little guy can really eat, guzzling noisily until beads of sweat cover his little forehead—a thick layer—while Niu Guiyuan tenderly wipes his forehead with a handkerchief from time to time.
"Sister Guiyuan, your son can really eat, just like a little pig," Tian Sisi jokingly pokes the chubby cheeks of the little one, playing with the plump tot.
"Yes, he needs to eat seven or eight meals a day. When he’s hungry, he cries so loud the whole town can hear, sounds just like an old man, making me eat five or six meals a day just to keep up with him."
Niu Guiyuan expressed her woes helplessly, but anyone could see the happiness on her face. After having a child, Niu Guiyuan radiated a maternal glow, became much gentler, and appeared even more beautiful than when she was unmarried, with an indescribable charm that probably comes with being a mature woman.
"A child that eats well is a blessing—it means he is healthy. You, as a mother, have so much less to worry about!" Wang Qiuyang also adored the chubby little guy. After he finished feeding, she held him and kept playing with him non-stop.
The well-fed little one wasn’t shy either. He didn’t cry no matter who held him, frequently flashing a toothless smile, making Wang Qiuyang laugh heartily, holding him as if she never wanted to let go.
"Guiyuan, your son is really adorable, I feel like taking him home to raise," said Wang Qiuyang, after holding the little chubby one for quite a while before handing him back to Niu Guiyuan.
"Sister-in-law Qiuyang, if you like children that much, why not have another chubby boy with Man Tong," teased Niu Guiyuan, causing Wang Qiuyang to blush and glare playfully at Niu Guiyuan.
"Sure, little aunt, have a little sister next time, too many little brothers at home," Tian Sisi chimed in, knowing Tian Mantong had always wanted another daughter. She didn’t know why he hadn’t had another in the past life, but this time they needed to hurry before family planning becomes compulsory and they lose the chance to have more children.
Wang Qiuyang was indeed tempted. She was 33 this year, not too old yet. Having another daughter sounded really nice, hopefully as beautiful and lovely as Ah Nan. Resolved, Wang Qiuyang decided to discuss having a daughter with Man Tong once she got home.