mesbooks Chapter 190 Did Granny Liu Get a New Soul?
Chapter 190 Did Granny Liu Get a New Soul?
When Xia Yu and Shijiu arrived at the kitchen, Qinghe was sitting in front of the stove boiling water. Although Xia Yu didn't like this old aunt, she still politely called her "Auntie."
"Hmm, why are you the only one here? Where's Chunyu?"
Qinghe's question nearly scared Xia Yu to death. This was illogical! Her aunt's normal reaction should have been to roll her eyes at her and then snort coldly. Why was she speaking so eloquently now? Had she, like her, had her soul switched?
Seeing Xia Yu's horrified expression, Qing He's face instantly darkened.
"Why are you making that face? I'm asking you a question, why aren't you answering? Don't you know how to respect your elders?"
Hearing her words, Xia Yu breathed a sigh of relief. This was more like it!
"My older sister's cotton pants got wet, so she went back to her room to change."
"Hmph, asking someone to help you get your clothes wet, how stupid."
Xia Yu didn't want to argue with her, so she said, "Auntie, go inside and rest. I'll boil some water."
"..." Hearing Xia Yu's suggestion, Qinghe was very tempted. Her second sister-in-law had woken her up in the middle of the night to boil water as soon as she was called by her mother, and she was really sleepy now.
"Are you sure you can manage? This hot water needs to be kept boiling until the baby is born." Actually, anyone can boil water, but Xia Yu just stood up and left as soon as she mentioned it, which didn't feel right.
"Don't worry, I can still boil water. Aunt, you have some dark circles under your eyes, you should go and rest!" Xia Yu looked at her aunt's face carefully and said with some concern.
"Alright then, make sure you boil the water properly and don't dawdle. I'm going to take a nap and I'll come back to relieve you." After saying that, he stood up, dusted himself off, and left.
After she left, Xia Yu said to Nineteen, who had been standing quietly to the side...
"Nineteen, go outside and wait for me."
"Miss, let me boil water for you. It's not right for a maid like me to stand around doing nothing while the master does all the work." With that, she sat down on the small stool that Qinghe had just been sitting on.
Xia Yu actually intended to send out the nineteen branches, then retrieve some well water from her spatial storage, boil it, and give it to Liu Shi. This well water had a slow effect on a person's appearance, but long-term consumption could treat some hidden ailments. If applied directly to wounds, it would significantly aid in healing.
However, seeing that Nineteen insisted on helping her with the work, she didn't say anything more and decided to find another opportunity.
Just then, Madam Liu entered from outside. She saw the nineteenth man sitting in front of the stove and asked...
"Nineteen, is this water boiled?" Liu asked.
"It's boiled, so it's ready to use."
After hearing what Shijiu said, Liu took a ladle and scooped a few ladles of hot water from the pot into a basin. Before leaving, she glanced at Xia Yu again, but didn't say a word, and then carried the basin out.
Seeing Liu's gaze, Xia Yu gave Shijiu a few instructions, then made an excuse to go check on Li, and followed her out of the kitchen.
Walking alongside Liu, Xia Yu cautiously asked, "Mother, well water can help wounds heal faster. Can I put some in a basin for my second aunt to use?"
“No need now, the baby hasn’t been born yet. I was just worried you might put something in the water, that’s why I called you out to tell you,” Liu said softly.
"Then why did you specifically ask my older sister to notify me and tell me to come over quickly?" Xia Yu asked, somewhat puzzled.
“Your eldest sister didn’t explain clearly just now. I thought your second aunt was bleeding, so I thought I’d ask you to come and see if you could help. When I arrived, I found that your second aunt was mainly weak and had fainted. She’s been given ginseng slices and is feeling better now.”
Upon reaching Li's door, Liu told Xia Yu to wait in the kitchen, as she couldn't help at the moment. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief thanks to the ginseng Liu had brought. Old Master Zhang and Doctor Liu had already carried the unconscious Zhang Youyin to the main room.
Looking at his son, who was limp and lifeless like a lump of mud, Old Master Zhang could no longer hold back and spoke up while Doctor Liu went to the kitchen to cook ginseng soup.
"Second brother, you're supposed to be a man, yet you're so irresponsible. It's only because we have a large family that your eldest and third brothers can help you out. But if it were just your family, and you fainted in this situation, what would happen to Li Shi and her unborn child?"
"Dad, I don't know what happened. I was scared when I saw my sister-in-law carrying that basin of bloody water." Zhang Youyin was also puzzled. This wasn't Li's first time giving birth. She had also had a difficult time when she gave birth to Dongyu. Although she was sad and worried then, she hadn't fainted like she did today. Zhang Youyin defended himself, feeling somewhat aggrieved. He was awake now, but he still felt weak and powerless.
"Hmph," Old Master Zhang snorted, annoyed by his appearance. He turned away to smoke his pipe, not wanting to look at the coward on the kang anymore.
Xia Yu and Chun Yu were kneading dough in the kitchen to make noodles when Li Shi's screams could be heard from her room, making them tremble with fear. The ginseng soup that Doctor Liu had prepared had already been taken in, so it seemed to be having some effect.
Just now, Liu brought over some eggs and a few pounds of flour, asking Xia Yu to make three bowls of noodles, all with poached eggs. One bowl is for Li, one for Granny Liu, and the last one is for Doctor Liu. She also told Xia Yu to roll out extra noodles, as the doctor and the other midwife from town will also need some when they arrive.
Throughout her pregnancy, Li vomited everything she ate. For the sake of her unborn child, she forced herself to eat constantly, vomiting and then eating again, but in the end, all she had was a large belly; she herself became as thin as a stick. Hearing that she was hungry, Liu simply tossed the keys she was carrying to Liu, telling her to go to the cupboard and get some herself. It wasn't that she was particularly generous; she just knew her daughters-in-law well. They wouldn't have stolen food when they were poor, let alone now that they had plenty. Remembering some customs associated with childbirth, Liu simply took extra, including the midwife's and doctor's portions.
As the two were kneading dough, Liu Po's sister, who lived in Lijiazhuang, arrived. She brought a basin of hot water and carefully washed her hands several times with soap. Finally, she asked Xia Yu to hold up the wine jar so she could wash her hands. After doing all this, she carried the jar into Li's room.
Looking at her with her hands raised, not touching the curtain or anything else, Xia Yu suddenly felt that she resembled a doctor in a modern operating room.
Soon, the sound of Granny Liu scolding Granny Liu could be heard coming from Li's room.
"I've told you so many times, you must wash your hands with soap and then rinse them with strong liquor before picking up someone's child. If the host doesn't have these things, bring your own. Look at your fingernails, take some scissors and trim them straight, then wash them with soap and liquor several times, and then come over. Hurry up!"
Soon, Granny Liu, who was in her fifties, came out of the house, looking somewhat dejected. She went to the kitchen, scooped up a basin of hot water, and following Granny Liu's instructions, first trimmed her nails, then washed her hands with soap. While washing, she muttered, "My mother never taught us to do it this way. Our ancestors have always done it this way. Now that we're old, why are there so many rules all of a sudden?"
Hearing Granny Liu's mutterings, Xia Yu suddenly felt a chill. Her aunt's soul hadn't been changed, so could Granny Liu have had her soul changed like hers?