Seeing her remain silent, Li Chunhua felt even angrier and was about to scold her further when someone outside shouted, “Chunhua! You have a letter!”
Her expression instantly transformed into excitement: “It’s here! It’s here!”
Who else could possibly send a letter home besides her son?
He Xuezhu also heard this and looked up, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and anticipation, wondering whether her husband had mentioned her in the letter.
But then she recalled that in previous letters, he had never mentioned her at all, and her expression fell once more.
Li Chunhua, on the other hand, was staring at the letter with wide eyes.
“Xuezhu, come here quickly!!”
He Xuezhu’s heart raced as she thought something might have happened to her husband. She hurried over, “Mom, what happened?”
“Hurry up, go pick some herbs from the mountain, the ones that can replenish blood. And on your way back, visit your second aunt and buy an old hen, one that’s over two years old.”
As she spoke, she trembled and handed her daughter-in-law some money. He Xuezhu, holding the money, felt a wave of panic wash over her, “What’s going on? Is it Shi Heng?”
In the brief conversation, tears welled up in Li Chunhua’s eyes. “Shi Heng said he was injured at the army and was unconscious in the hospital for several days before he woke up. He plans to ask for leave to come home and recuperate.”
As she spoke, Li Chunhua began crying again. “If I had known, I would have never let him enlist. How can anyone sustain such serious injuries to be unconscious for so long?”
“My Shi Heng, what would I do if something happened to you…?”
The village chief’s wife, who had delivered the letter, was a bit dumbfounded. Seeing Li Chunhua crying while clutching her thighs and He Xuezhu anxiously looking red-eyed, she quickly offered comfort. “Chunhua, don’t be too sad; Shi Heng is coming back, right? He will be fine. Isn’t Xuezhu’s father a doctor? My husband twisted his ankle last time, and Xuezhu’s medicinal wine cured it; she can surely take care of Shi Heng.”
“He’s been unconscious for several days; it must be a serious injury. Xuezhu only knows how to prepare medicinal wine and identify herbs. What should I do? Shi Heng’s father left early, and I’ve raised him with great difficulty, just to see him marry; we haven’t even held our grandchild yet before something happened to him. Oh, my heart is aching…”
“I can’t do this anymore. I need to go in and take a breather. Thank you for today, Xuezhu. Please see your sixth aunt off…”
The village chief’s wife had been feeling uneasy. Seeing He Xuezhu with red eyes wanting to see her off, along with Li Chunhua clutching her chest and struggling to breathe, she quickly waved her hand, “No need, no need, I can go back myself. Xuezhu, quickly help your mom inside. Chunhua, take care and rest; I’ll leave now.”
Once she left, Li Chunhua wiped her tears. “Xuezhu, go close the door.”
“Okay!”
He Xuezhu hurriedly obeyed and closed the door, turning to comfort her mother-in-law. “Mom, don’t worry. Rest in the house; I will go up the mountain for herbs right away. When Shi Heng comes back, we will care for him well. He is still young; he will get better.”
Watching her daughter-in-law, who was trembling with worry yet trying to be reassuring, Li Chunhua took a closer look. She could see that Xuezhu only cared about Shi Heng and herself, which made her feel a bit more at ease.
Previously, she had complained that her daughter-in-law was too easy to handle, that her family was not supportive, and didn’t even produce an egg; but now it seemed that if something serious did happen, Xuezhu would not turn her back on them.
Thinking back, although she often complained about He Xuezhu, she never let her miss out on any food or drink in their home. Xuezhu might work hard, but wasn’t that also what this mother-in-law did?
“Alright, don’t support me anymore. I’m telling you this time, Shi Heng’s injury isn’t serious; he has almost recovered. He’s asking for leave to come home to build a house.”
Seeing that her mother-in-law’s tears stopped just like that, He Xuezhu froze for a moment. “But you just said…”
“That was just for your sixth aunt to hear. She’s quite a gossiper. If I don’t say it a bit more seriously, they would know that the money for building the house was exchanged for Shi Heng’s life. His grandparents would definitely cause trouble.”
Li Chunhua pulled her daughter-in-law toward the room, continuing to instruct her, “Listen, Xuezhu, Shi Heng mentioned in the letter that the money came from his merits. How did he earn that merit? Wasn’t it because he got injured? This money didn’t come easily; we can’t let his grandparents plan to take it for their other families. What I said earlier to your sixth aunt was to let her spread the news that Shi Heng was severely injured. This way, even when he brings the money back, his grandfather will be embarrassed to cause a scene.”
After saying this, Li Chunhua still felt a bit unsettled. Her daughter-in-law was indeed quite good; it was just that she was too soft-hearted. Being soft isn’t a problem, as her mother-in-law can stand firm; no one would dare bully them. But if she accidentally let something slip this time, it could turn out badly.
When she first saw the letter, she hadn’t intended to tell He Xuezhu the truth. It was only because she saw her daughter-in-law’s face go pale with fear that she worried Xuezhu might get sick out of worry and decided to tell her everything.
“Mom only told you the truth out of worry. You mustn’t let anything slip. When you go out to gather herbs and buy the chicken from your second aunt later, just act like you’re crying. If you can’t cry, just lower your head and stay silent. Shi Heng said he will stay longer this time. Buy a few more chickens from your second aunt. We can stew one to help you regain your health. Let’s hope you can conceive this time.”
He Xuezhu was momentarily stunned by her mother-in-law’s words. After her worries were set aside, the last sentence made her feel shy, and she couldn’t help but blush slightly.
Li Chunhua noticed her daughter-in-law’s shy expression, feeling a mix of emotions. Such a good daughter-in-law; why hadn’t she become pregnant yet?