Daily life of farming and supporting a family on the ancient Loess Plateau

On the day of Laba Festival, apart from a minor incident that turned out to be dangerous, Ji Yongling also unexpectedly received a festival gift from Zhao the Rich.

This surprised her and left her somewhat bewildered.

She didn't know why this rich man Zhao was becoming more and more generous, giving her gifts from time to time, which made her feel quite embarrassed.

However, it is impolite not to reciprocate.

Having accepted the gift, she wanted to reciprocate, and also to reiterate her point, asking Zhao the rich man not to send any more gifts in the future.

But Zhao the richer than her family, so what could she possibly give him?

It seems like nothing I give them would be presentable, since they also have a farm and all sorts of farm-made goods.

After much deliberation, she finally decided to donate the corn from her experimental field.

This isn't ordinary corn; it's selenium-enriched corn, the first of its kind in Ningping County. Moreover, because selenium can antagonize the toxicity of almost all heavy metals, it is an ideal "effective detoxifier" for heavy metals and heavy metal-like substances.

Since both Zhao Yuanbao and Zhao the Rich Man's granddaughter have suffered from lead poisoning, eating more selenium-rich foods is the best way to promote lead excretion. This is the perfect gift for Zhao the Rich Man, who dotes on his sons.

In the dead of winter, the cold wind seeps into your skin. When there is no sun, it is bitterly cold, utterly cold.

It snowed twice recently, and although it wasn't very thick, it did alleviate the drought this winter, preventing the wheat seedlings in the fields from drying out.

That day, the Ji Manchuan and Ji Manqing families came to the old courtyard to help select sweet potatoes to send to Ji Mancang's shop.

Although at this time of year, every household still has some sweet potatoes that have been harvested recently, the yield of sweet potatoes in many households is still low, and the taste is not as good as that of Lao Ji's family.

Grandpa Ji repeatedly instructed Ji Mancang not to sell the sweet potatoes at too high a price, and that it would be best to sell as many as possible.

The family was talking and picking through the sweet potatoes when suddenly Tian Xiaokun's voice came from the courtyard gate.

Grandma, are you there?

Yang straightened up and saw that it was Tian Xiaokun. She frowned and asked, "Xiaokun, what's wrong? Why did you come over in such cold weather?"

Because he was in mourning, Tian Xiaokun was not allowed to enter other people's homes freely according to custom; he could only stand at the door. So he could only anxiously plead at the door: "Grandma, I beg you, please help me! My wife Caixia just can't give birth!"

Upon hearing this, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked towards the main entrance.

Ji Yongling, who was closest to the main entrance, was particularly sensitive to the words "cannot give birth." Her body immediately stiffened as if by reflex, and her throat tightened.

Seeing this, Yang frowned and walked over, saying, "Didn't I say before that I'm just Chunxiang's maternal grandmother, and have nothing to do with your city wife? If your city wife can't give birth, go ask a city midwife, why are you asking me for help! What do I, a simple village woman, know!"

Tian Xiaokun knelt down with a thud and said, "Grandma, I beg you! Caixia's due date has been several days ago, and she's taken the labor-inducing medicine the doctor prescribed, but there's still no sign of labor. The midwife in the city said that if this continues, she'll have to ride Caixia on the back of an ox and bounce her around to throw the baby out! But Caixia's body is already weak, and if she's bounced around, I'm afraid... I'm afraid..."

It's probably a double tragedy... Ji Yongling silently lowered her head, unaware that her thoughts had already wandered off somewhere else.

"Post-term pregnancy...The incidence of perinatal complications and related mortality increases after 41 weeks of gestation. Therefore, once a pregnancy is post-term, it should be terminated..."

It was as if she had returned to the laboratory on campus.

Through the window, she watched a group of students in white lab coats sitting around the lab, listening to their teacher's explanation...

But she also felt as if she were in a hospital, in the maternity ward... surrounded by the painful groans of mothers in labor and the cries of newborns...

"This is utterly absurd! Does riding on the cow's back guarantee the baby will fall off? What if the baby bleeds badly and neither the mother nor the baby survives?" Madam Yang stomped her feet in anger.

Tian Xiaokun crawled two steps towards Madam Yang on his knees and said, "Grandma, we really have no other remedy! Please, please... please!"

Yang clutched her clothes, feeling conflicted.

She was angry with Tian Xiaokun and the Tian family, and she had already made a firm statement that she wouldn't help. Now... she really didn't know what to do.

Yang turned to look at Old Master Ji, who lowered his head in avoidance and did not respond to her.

Madam Yang knew that Old Master Ji was letting her make the decision herself.

Mrs. Yang stamped her foot anxiously and said, "My dear child, it's not that your maternal grandmother doesn't want to help you, it's just that I've never seen anything like this before! Premature births do happen in the village, but I really have no solution for this situation where the due date has passed and the woman still hasn't given birth! You should find someone else!"

"Grandma, Grandma, go and try. If you have a recipe, then give birth; if you don't, I won't make things difficult for you. Oh, it's just the fate of the baby and his mother!" Tian Xiaokun continued to plead.

"Oh!" Upon hearing this, Madam Yang was somewhat moved, and she looked at Tian Xiaokun for a long time.

She knew that since they had come to her door seeking help, she had to go and see them even if she had never met them before. Otherwise, if something happened to the woman and the baby in her belly, the Tian family would blame her, saying that she, as the maternal grandmother, knew how to deliver babies but didn't help.

When that happens, even if you slip into mud and it's not poop, it'll still look like poop!

With a determined look and gritted teeth, Yang said, "Fine, I'll go! But let me make this clear: I'm just going to check on the baby. Whether it will survive or not is up to fate!"

Seeing that Yang had agreed, Tian Xiaokun quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude, then got up and led the oxcart over, preparing to help Yang onto the cart.

But Madam Yang didn't move. She turned around and looked into the courtyard, saying, "Yongzhou's mother, Yongling's mother, and Ling'er, you all come with me!"

"Mother, why did you call so many people to do this?" Ji Manqing asked, somewhat puzzled.

Yang glared at Ji Manqing and said, "Do you think I'm scared by myself? You eat a lot and meddle in a lot of things!"

Actually, Yang thought that if she brought her two daughters-in-law along, she would have someone to help her in case of any problems. Besides, it would also allow her two daughters-in-law to broaden their horizons.