"I later heard from my mother that I fell into a coma for three days after giving birth to Ke'er. My mother and sister-in-law beat up that old hag and her eldest daughter-in-law, intending to take me home."
"Then what happened?" Mother Fang was indignant. If anyone dared to treat her daughter like that, she would have fought them to the death.
"That old hag wouldn't let me take Ke'er away. The doctor at the time also said that I had delayed for too long and would likely be unable to have more children in the future."
Thinking of how Meng Qicheng's mother and elder brother's family had continued to oppress their family of three after they arrived in Liaodong, Madam Fang was also extremely indignant.
"I can't believe Ke'er is twelve years old, and I... I actually..." Madam Tian touched her stomach, choking back her sobs.
"Oh dear, you mustn't cry." Madam Fang personally helped Madam Tian back to their room to lie down.
Meng Qicheng had just returned from a stroll in the fields outside. Seeing Sister-in-law Yu bringing Madam Tian back, he anxiously asked, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong with Ke'er's mother?"
Madam Fang was quite reliable. Instead of immediately telling Meng Qicheng about Madam Tian's pregnancy, she urged him to quickly fetch a doctor.
Meng Qicheng, not understanding what was happening, only had one thought: to get a doctor quickly.
After he rushed back with the donkey cart to bring the old physician, he stood by, staring intently at the old doctor's face.
When the old doctor said, "Switch to the other hand," Meng Qicheng almost fell to the ground. He was terrified that if anything happened to Ke'er's mother, what would he do!
It wasn't until the old doctor stroked his sparse beard and smiled, saying, "Congratulations, this lady is pregnant, about two months along."
"Oh, that's wonderful! We knew she was pregnant," Madam Fang joyfully congratulated Madam Tian, knowing how much the couple cherished children.
Meng Qicheng was stunned, thinking he had misheard. He didn't move for a long time.
It was Ke'er who rushed in from outside, beaming and tugging at his sleeve, reminding him, "Dad, I'm going to have a younger brother!"
"Yes, our Ke'er is going to have a younger brother." After saying this, Meng Qicheng remembered the old doctor was still there. He took out a hundred large coins from the cabinet and gave them to the doctor, then offered to drive the doctor back with the donkey cart.
Grandma Han, seeing Meng Qicheng walking with his feet out of sync, quickly called out to Han Zhi to take the doctor back.
In the room where Meng Qicheng's family of three lived, Ke'er looked tearfully at her parents, wiped her tears, and quietly slipped out.
Once only the couple remained in the room, Meng Qicheng held Madam Tian and wept. This child was what they had longed for for ten years.
Fortunately, his reason remained. Fearing that a distraught Madam Tian would affect the child in her womb, he cried for only a few moments before stopping.
"Ke'er's mother."
"Ke'er's father."
The couple exchanged a knowing smile. Meng Qicheng wiped the tears from Madam Tian's face with his sleeve, then held her hand and said, "Ke'er's mother, even when we are old, we will have our second child to keep Ke'er company. Our Ke'er will not be alone."
"Yes, when we reach old age, we can close our eyes in peace."
As Ke'er grew older, she had been well-fed and clothed at her second uncle's house in recent years. After she turned ten, suitors began to propose marriage.
Especially this year, with Ke'er being twelve, the number of suitors increased even more.
While the couple was choosing a suitable match for Ke'er, such good news arrived, making them overjoyed.
Grandpa Meng was also happy for the couple and gave Meng Qicheng two taels of silver, telling Madam Tian to buy herself something she liked.
The couple was moved to tears again.
For all these years at their second uncle's house, their food and clothing had been the same as the second uncle's family. They even received new clothes with the changing seasons. Every year, their second uncle gave them ten taels of silver, and there were red envelopes during the New Year.
Who else could be like their family of three, having saved dozens of taels of silver?
One should be content. The couple discussed and decided that they must work even harder for their second uncle in the future.
After dinner, Fu Yu accompanied his elderly father in his room, chatting for a while until he saw that the old man was tired. He then helped his father wash up and go to bed before returning to his own room.
Madam Fang was waiting for him. Seeing him return, she hurried to the washroom to prepare bathwater for him.
After they lay down on the warm kang, Madam Fang told him about her plans.
"Husband, we've had too many things happening in our family recently. I was thinking of hiring two more maids."
Fu Yu readily agreed with a smile, "You make the decisions regarding household affairs. Just be sure to choose people of good character. Everything else is negotiable."
"Mm."
After speaking, Fu Yu felt something was amiss. He held Madam Fang's hand and offered a small suggestion, "Wife, why don't we buy two maids?"
"Mm?"
"Our family is considered a prominent one in Qingxi Town. Father is getting older, and Ci'er is almost married. Yu'er and Ning'er are still young. I fear that any hired help might have ulterior motives, making it difficult to handle later."
He considered that if they hired acquaintances as helpers, they would have to be constantly cautious when any issues arose, which would be truly troublesome.
Her husband's words also reminded Madam Fang.
"What my husband says makes sense. Let's buy two strong maids."
"Let's buy a couple more," Fu Yu considered for a moment before voicing his thoughts.
"Hanxue is about to get married, and Ci'er will have fewer attendants. After she gets married, she will encounter more situations. She doesn't have a mother-in-law, so some matters might be inconvenient for her to handle herself. We need to find a reputable servant to assist her. Wife, please help choose a reliable maid, so we can be more at ease even after Ci'er is married."
Madam Fang thought about it and realized he was right. She needed to find a knowledgeable maid and a young attendant for her daughter as soon as possible.
As for their own courtyard, they would need at least two more people to work.
Grandma Han was old. Although she was always finding tasks for herself, Madam Fang felt distressed seeing her.
Madam Tian was pregnant, so she couldn't do strenuous work either.
After careful consideration, Madam Fang shared her plans with her husband.
Fu Yu immediately made the decision, "We will add four more people to the household."
"Husband, why so many people?"
"Wife, it's not too many at all. Listen to me." Fu Yu then gently touched Madam Fang's increasingly rough hands, saying with deep guilt, "Xiao Yun, you've suffered all these years."
"Husband, what are you saying?"
"Xiao Yun, from now on, you must have someone to serve you. You can decide their age yourself."
"Husband, it's not necessary."
"Just listen to me, and you won't go wrong. Then we'll add a cook to the kitchen. This is a necessary addition for our family."