RYEY -Chapter 519 Approaching Labor

“This kid, go help Grandma with Brother Li Ming. When Second Aunt finishes work, she’ll make something delicious for you.”

“Mm, thank you, Second Aunt.”

Hearing that Cheng Qiao would make him something delicious, Li Chen knew he wouldn’t be taken home by his father. Mother Li looked at him, her heart aching.

“Bingzai, after this one, maybe… don’t have any more, okay?”

“Mm, I’ll listen to Mom.”

“When will Meili give birth?”

“Next week. Mom, I really want my sister-in-law to help, but I… can’t bring myself to ask.”

“Even if you can’t bring yourself to ask, you have to. What if…”

“Mom… don’t scare me.”

Mother Li fell silent. If even the adults were nervous, imagine how a child like Li Chen must feel.

As night fell, Zheng Qing closed the shop and, together with Zheng Ning, counted the day’s earnings. Looking at the pile of cash, both were overjoyed.

“Sis, make sure you count carefully. Not a penny can be wrong.”

“Mm, don’t worry, little sister. The boss and his wife treat me so well—if I can’t even handle this, I might as well eat pesticides.”

Cheng Qiao entrusted the work to the Zheng sisters with confidence and went to the kitchen to cook. Li Bing stayed behind to help clean the store.

Business had been booming today; many items were displaced, and the clerks didn’t have time to tidy up. Li Bing took care of this task.

Li Chen and Li Ming followed Li Bing’s example, checking the shelves row by row, returning displaced items, and tossing trash into the bin.

“Time to eat…”

A table full of dishes made Zheng Qing and Zheng Ning’s stomachs rumble. Their faces flushed as they grabbed bowls and chopsticks, and after finishing, they quickly went back to work.

“Don’t stay out too late. If not, you can continue tomorrow.”

“Mm, we won’t go back tonight. We’ve told our families.”

Cheng Qiao nodded. The Zheng sisters’ families now fully supported them because their work improved the household’s financial situation.

Mother Li insisted on washing the dishes. Cheng Qiao hugged Li Chen and cautiously said:

“Big brother, Sister Meili will give birth soon, right?”

Li Bing nodded. Cheng Qiao felt Li Chen’s muscles tense and quickly added:

“You go back first tomorrow. Next week I’ll come and see if I can help.”

“Sister-in-law… thank you.”

Li Bing was overjoyed. With Cheng Qiao around, even if a little monster were born, he wouldn’t be afraid. (Not that he would ever have a monster—he didn’t have the genes.)

“Second Aunt, should I go?”

Li Chen knew Second Aunt could handle the little monster. Grandma’s little monster was scary, but when Second Aunt poked him with a long needle, he behaved much better.

“Of course you should go! You’re Second Aunt’s little helper—she can’t do it without you.”

Li Chen straightened his small chest. Being able to help Second Aunt made him feel useful.

Late spring, early summer in May was warm and bright. Xiangyang Village was full of life.

Aunt Wang spotted the group from afar and, upon closer look, got excited: “Cheng Qiao is back! Everyone, Cheng Qiao is back!”

Hearing Cheng Qiao had returned, villagers ran to the entrance. They hadn’t seen Cheng Qiao and Huanzai for years and wondered how they were doing now.

Wang Xiangyang strode toward Cheng Qiao but still couldn’t see Li Huan and grew anxious:

“Second Sister-in-law, where’s Huan?”

“Your brother-in-law Huan has important matters and couldn’t come. I’m here to help Meili with the birth.”

Hearing she came to deliver for Jiang Meili, their expressions turned strange. Yuan Qin’s incident was already well known, and Li Bing had even been forced to resign his military post because of it.

If Meili weren’t Li Huan’s sister-in-law, she would’ve been buried under the villagers’ gossip. In their eyes, Li Huan and Cheng Qiao were like the village’s gods of wealth, guiding them to prosperity.

Jiang Meili, of course, knew her position and mostly stayed indoors. As the birth approached, she grew anxious.

Later, Mother Li arrived, learning that Cheng Qiao was renovating the grocery store. She was truly envious—she also wanted a small shop to earn money easily.

They now raised twenty pigs and had fieldwork to manage. Li Bing woke at dawn and worked until dark. Being heavily pregnant, Meili couldn’t help much.

Mother Li, seeing her son work so hard, wanted to help, which nearly scared both Meili and Li Bing. Cheng Qiao only sent her home to avoid overworking her.

With nothing else to do, Mother Li fed the chickens, tidied the yard, and ran errands. She had money and got clothes made for the children and shoes and socks as well.

In just three months, she had prepared three years’ worth of clothes, blankets, and shoes for Meili’s unborn child, even planning postpartum meals for Meili.

Seeing the bed full of children’s things, Jiang Meili was moved to tears. Mother Li comforted her, warning that pregnant women shouldn’t cry, or the baby might cry too.

“Mom, marrying Li Bing is my great fortune, but Li Bing marrying me… that’s eighteen generations of bad luck.”

“Silly girl, you can’t say that. You’re giving us Li family children. Even if it’s no merit, it’s hard work. Live well with Bingzai.”

“Mom, I’m really scared. If I had known it would be like this, I might as well have agreed with Xiao Cheng back then and not had this child.”

“Sigh, Meili, I’ve lived most of my life and learned one truth: everything is fate. Since heaven has allowed you to be pregnant, you should give birth properly. Overthinking it won’t help.”

“But…”

“Stop ‘buts.’ When the time comes, I’ll have Qiao come and check on you. You’re her elder sister-in-law, and I’m sure she’ll be willing to help.”

Mother Li felt guilty about troubling Cheng Qiao again, but there was no one else in the family capable of helping—what choice did she have?

“Meili, Meili, open the door quickly! Your younger sister-in-law is here, I’m here, and Chengcheng has come back too!”

Li Bing pushed the courtyard door but couldn’t open it, realizing that Jiang Meili had shut herself in again. He quickly shouted louder.

Jiang Meili felt a flicker of joy and ran to the door, but her steps were unsteady, and she tripped over her own feet.

“Ah…”

“Oi…”

A sharp scream, followed by her low, painful groan. Li Bing’s heart skipped—Meili had fallen.

“Quick, climb over the wall!”

Cheng Qiao immediately pointed at the high courtyard wall. Although tall, it was no problem for Li Bing, who had been a soldier.

Li Chen’s face went pale. He remembered that his grandmother had fallen like this, which led to the birth of the little monster. He turned to run, but Cheng Qiao grabbed him tightly.

Whether Li Chen could recover depended on today. If Jiang Meili gave birth to a normal child, the shadow over Li Chen’s heart would dissipate; otherwise, this child would grow up alone and helpless.