The wind is gentle and the fun is endless

After hearing what his sister-in-law said, he retracted the step he was about to take, turned around and sat next to her. After he was seated firmly, he reached out his hand and tucked the thin quilt for her.

Seeing that she had slowly settled down, Pei finally started talking: "Little sister, do you know why I went back to my mother's house this time?"

Huanhuan also felt very strange: why did her sister-in-law run all the way back to her parents' home when she was about to give birth?

She and her sister-in-law always spoke freely, so she said, "I don't know. I wonder what important matter made sister-in-law walk such a long way when she was about to give birth? I heard that she started having labor pains halfway back. This is too dangerous. I am scared just thinking about it."

Sister-in-law Pei smiled gently, and did not comment on Huanhuan's words. She continued, "I went back this time to see someone. The other day my family asked someone to bring me a letter saying that a clan aunt had returned to her parents' home recently. This was a rare opportunity, so I went to see that clan aunt specially."

After she finished speaking, Pei looked at Huanhuan and saw that Huanhuan looked curious but did not interrupt her, so she continued, "I found this aunt after asking around, and wrote to her, asking her to help me find out something."

"What's the matter?" Huanhuan finally couldn't help but ask.

"This aunt has a younger sister, who is your mother-in-law's cousin." At this point, Pei paused and looked at Huanhuan. There was a calmness and stability in her eyes, as if she had finally accomplished a great thing and could settle down to be a good sister-in-law.

Huanhuan was not surprised by the complicated relationship between her sister-in-law, cousin and Madam Xie. She immediately understood a little: her sister-in-law was going to find out something for her!

The sister-in-law knew that she was about to give birth, but she still set out on the road back to her parents' home for her sister-in-law. If the child was born halfway, or if something happened to the sister-in-law, she would not be able to see her brother again. Thinking of this, a warm feeling and a trace of guilt surged in my heart.

Huanhuan was about to open her mouth to say something, but Pei waved her hand at her, indicating that she should continue listening.

"You also know that your mother-in-law comes from the famous Xie family. Everyone knows that the Xie family has produced high-ranking officials since the previous dynasty, and many of their descendants have served in the government. But what we young people don't know is that before your step-mother-in-law, Madam Xie, was born, the Xie family had not had a girl for three generations. As the first girl in the Xie family for three generations, she was infinitely doted on by her parents."

After all, Pei had just given birth and was still in confinement. She was still very weak and began to speak weakly: "She didn't have to go to a private school like other girls from big families. Instead, she went to a private school with the men in the family since she was a child. When she was a little older, she also participated in the family business. It is said that she is very intelligent and has a strong opinion. Not only is she good at studying, but she is also very skilled in business and manages her business in an orderly manner."

Hearing this, I slowly remembered that Nanny Quan had mentioned that Yongshengfang was run by Madam Xie alone.

Sister-in-law Pei continued, "When she reached marriageable age, many people came to ask for marriage. The elders of the Xie family went to great lengths to choose a suitable husband for this daughter who was doted on by everyone."

Pei paused, coughed twice, and continued, "Who would have thought that this precious daughter was so opinionated that she completely ignored the fact that other girls' marriages were arranged by their parents and matchmakers. She had to secretly review the proposals and choose her own husband. And her elders actually agreed."

When she said this, her mother, Mrs. Feng, came into the room holding the baby and said to Pei: "Xiushan, it's time for the baby to feed."

Slowly standing up to give her mother a seat, Mrs. Feng saw that her daughter-in-law looked tired, and said to her daughter: "Your sister-in-law has just given birth, and her body is still very weak. She needs to rest well. Mother knows that you two talk a lot, but you must not let your sister-in-law get tired. You should stay for a few more days. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to talk in the future."

Pei heard this and said, "Mother, I'm fine."

Seeing this, Huanhuan said hurriedly, "I feel very guilty for letting my pregnant sister-in-law run around for me. If I make her suffer any more, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold my head up in front of my brother. Sister-in-law, let's stop here for today. I'll come to see you and Yuzhu tomorrow, and we'll talk tomorrow if we have anything to say."

After hearing this, Pei said nothing more and agreed.

So she slowly walked out of the door and asked the kitchen to prepare some simple food. After eating, she returned to her former boudoir to rest.

The nights in Heyang were slightly cooler than those in Shanghuai, but the croaking of frogs and chirping of cicadas outside the house continued unabated. She slowly looked around the house and found that everything was still the same as before. This familiar feeling calmed her heart, which had been restless for the past few days.

I lay slowly and quietly on the bed, feeling deeply moved when I thought about what my sister-in-law had done for me.

At the beginning, the whole family put all their efforts into marrying my sister-in-law, and did not bother to leave a dowry for Huanhuan, which resulted in her always being in a passive position when it came to marriage proposals. She was twenty years old and still hadn't gotten engaged. Some of her sisters also spoke up for her in private.

But Huanhuan didn't care much about it. When she proposed marriage, she took out the pair of Hetian jade bracelets left to her by her maternal grandparents and gave them away as a betrothal gift.

All this was just because she felt that her brother was appreciated and taken as a son-in-law by the noble Pei family, which was a rare good thing for both her brother and the Feng family. As a sister and a daughter, she was willing to make some sacrifices.

Facts have proved that Huanhuan was lucky and her efforts were not in vain.

The sister-in-law, who came from a prominent family, was gentle and virtuous, and never looked down on the small family of the Feng family. She was filial to her parents-in-law and managed the household well, which made her mother feel relieved to hand over the power of housekeeper to her. She also always loved and cared for her sister-in-law, Huanhuan, like a real sister. Now she was running around for Huanhuan during her pregnancy, and the birth of the child almost went wrong. How could Huanhuan not be moved?

Neighbors all envy the Feng family's harmonious family life, but only the Feng family members know that this harmony comes from their dedication. It is not only Huanhuan who is giving, but also her sister-in-law, parents and brothers who are also giving inadvertently in their daily lives. This harmony is gained through selfless dedication.

With such a family as her support, Huanhuan felt warm in her heart. This warmth swept away the boredom of the past few days, and she fell into a rare peaceful sleep.

The next morning, Huanhuan got up early, washed up, and saw her brother in the yard as soon as she walked out of the house. She greeted her brother good morning and asked about her sister-in-law and little niece.

Brother Feng Shunqing raised his sleepy eyelids and said, "Last night, I was sleeping on my side and was disturbed by the baby's crying twice. Although your sister-in-law is in confinement and doesn't have to take care of the baby, it is very hard to feed the baby. Fortunately, the baby slept well after feeding. Alas, being a parent is not easy!"

After sighing, Feng Shunqing said, "Your sister-in-law specifically told me to go find her after breakfast."

So she slowly went to her sister-in-law's room after breakfast. Xiao Yuzhu happened to be awake, so she played with the baby for a while. Soon, Mrs. Feng came in and took her niece out, leaving the two of them to talk.

Huanhuan said first: "I heard from my brother that little Yuzhu cried several times last night. It seems that being a parent is very hard."

My sister-in-law also said, "Oh, that's true. I always heard people say that before, but now I know it's true after experiencing it myself. There's also the saying that 'one pregnancy lasts three years', I didn't believe it before, but now that I'm confused by the child, I know it's true. So while I still remember what my aunt said, I have to tell you everything."

My sister-in-law sat up straight, put a pillow under her waist, and said, "Yesterday I mentioned that your mother-in-law chooses her own son-in-law, right?"

Seeing him slowly lower his head and respond with "yes", Pei continued talking while recalling and thinking.

"There were many people who came to ask for marriage, all of them were sons of noble families, but Madam Xie always shook her head and refused to accept any of them. When others asked her, she never said what her criteria were for choosing a son-in-law. After three or four years, everyone said that the eldest daughter of the Xie family relied on her rich dowry and was so arrogant that she didn't like any young man from any family."