Chapter 112 Make Coals by Ourselves
"Yes, you should get it prepared beforehand. Now that Xiyuan has got married, there will be one more grandchild in your family. Your current house will be not enough to live in, and it's too late to tidy it up by then."
"Exactly. There are not many farm works in the winter, so I ask them to help me,"
Liu Cuihua stopped to talk to her. She then went back to continue cleaning after the villager left.
They carried some old furniture out of the house and piled them in the yard. Windows were open to ventilate so that the musty smell faded away. The house became living again.
The house and the yard became clean and bright. Liu Cuihua looked at it and kneaded her waist.
"I'm exhausted. The house looks more pleasing after tidying up."
Su Jiuyue immediately helped her knead her waist, but she said, "I'm ok. Sit down and take a rest. You've also been working for a whole morning."
Tian Xiuniang curled her lips in disdain and muttered, "Flattery turns into disgrace."
Chen Zhaodi heard it. She looked at her but said nothing.
At noon, Dacheng and Xiyuan brought some soil. Ercheng took some wooden boxes there.
The following job was simple. Grow the seeds that had been soaked in water.
They had heated up the house by lighting the brick bed and stove so as to keep a proper temperature. Liu Cuihua was staring at these boxes as if they were a gold mine.
They could sell them and earn a lot after these seeds sprouted the next month. It would afford to have a prosperous new year.
However, good times didn't last long. They encountered a new problem after growing the seeds within ten days.
"Mum, what shall we do? The firewoods we prepared are far from enough. But the efforts we paid will be in vain if we give it up now since the seeds have been grown," Ercheng leaned against the door frame. His tall figure blocked the door and looked quite anxious.
Liu Cuihua was also anxious. They could afford to buy firewoods.
But she didn't realize they would use so many firewoods to support the vegetables grown in four rooms.
When she was considering if there was another way to work it out, Su Jiuyue suggested,
"Mum, how about making coals by ourselves?"
The kiln used for making coals was available, and they were good at it. Besides, making coals would help to save lots of money.
Liu Cuihua applauded, "So smart! What a great idea! Dacheng and Ercheng take turns making coals in the mountain beginning from tomorrow. The one who makes coals full of the kiln can rest at home."
She then looked at the three daughters-in-law, "One of you will have to cook meals at home, and the other two take care of vegetables in the old house."
Chen Zhaodi suddenly covered her mouth and started to retch just when Liu Cuihua finished.
She was astonished and went out with a handkerchief covering her mouth.
Su Jiuyue looked at her back worriedly. She then followed her to go out without noticing Liu Cuihua's satisfying surprise on her face.
"Sister-in-law, are you all right?"
Chen Zhaodi shook her head. She knew what the matter was because she had been pregnant before.
But Su Jiuyue didn't know it. She thought Chen Zhaodi was under the weather. She said, "Do you need me to feel the pulse for you?"
Chen Zhaodi intended to refuse, but she changed her mind quickly. She nodded and showed her wrist.
Su Jiuyue didn't learn with Huang Husheng for long. He just taught her how to identify some simple, common pulses including the pulse of pregnancy.
Huang Husheng said, "The pulse condition of pregnancy is moving smoothly."
Su Jiuyue put her fingers on her wrist softly. She felt the blood was moving smoothly as if some beads were rolling powerfully.
She opened her mouth to say something but shut it later.
However, her behavior made Chen Zhaodi worried.
"Jiuyue, anything wrong with my pulse?"
Su Jiuyue realized her sister-in-law seemed to be frightened. She then smiled and shook her head, "Nothing wrong. Do you have menstruation this month?"
Chen Zhaodi shook her head. It confirmed her guess and she blushed. She then put her hand on her abdomen, "No menstruation for two months."
Su Jiuyue was happy to hear it, "You may be pregnant."
Liu Cuihua went out of the room as they didn't return quickly, "What's wrong?"
Chen Zhaodi shook her head. She was too shy to tell her.
Su Jiuyue explained, "Mum, I felt the pulse for my sister-in-law. She is pregnant."
This was indeed good news. They've had two granddaughters, but they also wanted to have one more grandson.
Liu Cuihua blamed, "Don't you know you are pregnant? Stay at home and take a rest within the first three months."
She told them the good news when getting back to the room.
"Am I...going to be dad again?"
Wu Dacheng got stunned because of this good news. He wished to hold his wife back to their room directly but he didn't since all people were there.
Liu Cuihua thought him funny, "It's not your first time. Why are you still so shocked?"
"It's time to go to bed. Zhaodi, have a rest at home tomorrow. Don't go out as it's too cold now."
The good news cheered up all the people including Wu Xiyuan. He was going to be uncle again.
Except for Tian Xiuniang, she was in a sulk sitting on the brick bed since she got back.
"Are you angry?" Wu Ercheng asked.
"Why not?"
"Pregnancy is a good thing. Why are angry?" Wu Ercheng was confused. Sometimes, his wife got angry without reason.
"She wants to slack off. We are all busy now. Why doesn't she do any work?" the more she spoke, the angrier she was. Her voice even became louder.
Wu Ercheng hurriedly covered her mouth in case others heard it.
"Stop it! No one could decide when to be pregnant. She rests at home as she's pregnant now. But you'll also take a rest at home when you're pregnant."
Tian Xiuniang took off his hand, "When I'm pregnant? Don't lie to me, ok? It has been two years since I gave birth to Guo, but I haven't been pregnant till now. Your mum hates me because we don't have a son."
Wu Ercheng was annoyed, "Nonsense. My mum doesn't hate you. She always buys snacks for Guo when there's a market day."
"We'll have a son."