country bumpkin

The man didn't leave immediately. He silently took out an old cigarette box from his pocket, opened it, and handed over three two-yuan notes, five fifty-cent notes, and two five-yuan notes to his mother-in-law.

"Mom, I'll leave this to you. Use this money to buy milk powder. I'll come back after this storm passes."

He then hurriedly went out.

Once inside the courtyard, the man turned the cart around, pulled the donkey cart, and drove off.

The woman turned her head, gently opened the small blanket, and looked at the baby nestled inside.

Her tiny, wrinkled face was all blue. Her little mouth was trembling; she was freezing.

The woman quickly ran to the stove, picked up a hot water bottle, opened the lid, filled it with hot water, tightened the lid, turned it upside down to test it—it didn't leak—and wiped the surface dry with a towel. She then found a clean cotton jacket, wrapped the bottle in it, gently placed it inside the small quilt, and covered it with a large quilt.

Then he turned around and filled the stove with charcoal. In no time, the room was warm and cozy.

The baby didn't cry; he just lay there quietly. However, his little face had become rosy, and his little mouth had stopped trembling, so it seemed he had warmed up.

The woman breathed a sigh of relief.

Step outside and close the door. Lock the door with the bolt, but leave the threshold open for ventilation.

In rural areas, houses typically have old-fashioned wooden doors, consisting of two parts. The upper part is a single, double-leaf door panel. The lower part is a rectangular threshold, also called a door latch. When someone is home, the door latch doesn't need to be put on, and vehicles can easily enter. When leaving, the door latch is put on, the door is bolted, and a lock is used to secure it.

The woman went to the general store, which was well-stocked with daily necessities, including baby formula. However, it lacked large items like clothes and shoes.

There aren't any large stores in the village yet; each village only has one or two small shops. And only people with connections to the village committee can open these shops.

Mu Shuyun bought two bags of milk powder. Milk powder is still quite expensive these days. One bag costs 3 yuan, and she bought two for 6 yuan. Keep in mind that a pound of meat only costs 60 cents these days, and a box of matches only costs 2 cents.

Looking at the money in my hand, I bought a plastic baby bottle and a silicone nipple, which cost me another 5 cents. I still have 12 yuan left to buy formula next time.

The baby bottle I bought is the best quality available at the reseller store. This type of plastic is odorless and won't deform after being scalded with boiling water. It's heat-resistant and can be boiled for sterilization.

After buying these items, the woman hurried home.

When I got home, I opened the door, but heard no sound. The baby hadn't opened its eyes yet. Maybe it was still sleeping…

The woman went to the stove, put a pot of water in it, and once the water boiled, she put in the washed baby bottles and nipples to boil. After boiling for about fifteen minutes, she took them out, put them on the table, and waited for them to cool before preparing formula.

Even though the little one hasn't woken up, we still need to feed him a little something, since the weather is so cold and he hasn't had a single bite to eat or drink since he was born.

During this break, I poured a large bowl of hot water and let it cool.

After the bottle has cooled down, use a small spoon to scoop out three spoonfuls of milk powder, pour them into the bottle, add a small half bowl of hot water, screw on the cap, and shake well.

After the milk powder had fully dissolved, I waited a while and then tested the temperature on the back of my hand; it was a little hot.

After a while, I tested the temperature again. It was still a little hot, so I added a little cooled boiled water until it was just lukewarm.

The woman picked up the child and gently pinched the baby's little face. At this moment, the baby seemed to be disturbed from his sleep, frowned, twitched his little nose, and hummed, but did not cry.

"Could he be mute?" the woman muttered.

I sighed several times, wondering if I could raise it. It's so small and so weak. Oh dear!

But her hands didn't stop moving. She sat on the edge of the bed, cradling the baby's head in her arms with one hand, and putting the bottle into the baby's mouth with the other.

The little one felt the warm, moist, sweet-smelling milk flow into their mouth. They sucked on it and slowly swallowed it.

Like ice and snow melting and all things reviving, like spring warmth and flowers blooming, like a long drought meeting with sweet rain.

The baby tasted warmth in the world for the first time.

She drank almost half of the milk powder before stopping.

The woman watched the baby finish the formula before feeling relieved. She gently wiped the baby's mouth and chin, then carefully placed her on the bed, covered her with the blanket, and tucked the corners in.

I used another blanket to block the edge of the bed. Even though the child is too young to roll over, it's still better to be careful.

He thought to himself, "If I can eat, I should be fine. As long as I eat more, I can grow stronger and I won't have to worry about not surviving."

Perhaps because she was full or perhaps because she was sleepy, the baby fell asleep again without making a sound.

The woman looked at the peacefully sleeping baby, her heart filled with love. She tiptoed out of the room to do some housework.

However, as she reached the door, she suddenly heard a faint sound.

She stopped to listen carefully and discovered the sound was coming from the baby. Was she dreaming? Curious, the woman returned to the bedside and quietly observed the infant.

A smile appeared on the baby's face, and his mouth was slightly open, as if he were murmuring something.

The woman leaned closer to listen and was surprised to hear the baby laughing. Although it was very soft, the baby was definitely laughing.

The woman's eyes immediately welled up with tears; she hadn't expected the little one to be so clever and adorable.

She gently stroked the baby's head and whispered, "Little baby, grow up quickly, Grandma will always be with you." After saying that, she tucked the baby in again and quietly left the room.

In the evening, my neighbor across the hall, Granny Zhang, came over for a visit. She saw the baby's diapers, asked about them, and learned that they had brought in a newborn baby.

The news that Mu Shuyun's family had an extra child spread throughout the village the next day.

Granny Zhang is a straightforward person; she has no bad intentions, but she just can't keep her mouth shut. If she finds out something, it's as if the whole village knows.

Mu Shuyun's eldest daughter-in-law, Wang Cuihua, also heard about this and came to their door to scold them.

"You won't even let me see my own grandson, but you feed your daughter's money-losing brat. What can that brat do to you? Can she break a basin or burn paper money for you? When you die and your funeral is held, I'll make that brat break a mourning basin for you. If you won't let me see my own grandson, then I can forget about ever seeing my eldest grandson again." He sat on the ground cursing as he dug at the dirt, actually making a hole in the ground.

The villagers who were watching were shocked. This is incredible! It can even dig a hole in flat ground. Is it that fierce?

Wang Cuihua cursed and dug at the ditch, her mouth covered in white foam; she looked disgusting.

Mu Shuyun didn't argue back or pay her any attention. After all, being insulted wouldn't hurt her, and it would only make things difficult for her eldest son.

She also advised her eldest daughter-in-law, "Go home. The child is still young. Don't do this. It will frighten the child. Besides, it's the middle of winter. The ground is cold and wet."

Seeing that her punch had hit a brick wall, Wang Cuihua lost interest and took the child from her neighbor, Granny Wang, who had come with her, and went home.