country bumpkin

The sixteenth day of the first lunar month is an auspicious day. In the farmhouse courtyard, everyone is busy at work.

There were engagement banquets, moving into new homes, and temple fairs on this day, making it a very lively occasion.

After dropping her youngest daughter off at home, Mu Shuyun started doing housework, feeding the pigs, washing clothes, and cooking. She was exhausted after all that.

After Zhou Caiyun brought her sister-in-law back, she went to the market with the other young wives in the village.

She went to check out pots, pans, household items, and so on today.

My husband's younger sister brought back money before the Lunar New Year, which she gave to my mother-in-law. My mother-in-law paid off the debts when her three daughters returned home on the second day of the Lunar New Year. She gave some to her eldest daughter and some to her second daughter to buy furniture.

Now we have a bed, wardrobe, table, and chairs; we just need some household items before we can move in.

We were originally planning to move into the new house today, but we were busy seeing my sister-in-law off. Kong Xiangdong went to sell tofu, so we can only wait until the afternoon when all the family members come back, check that everything is ready, and then move in tonight.

There's a custom of moving house without the rooster crowing or the dog barking. So, once the date was chosen, the move was done at night.

There are also people who don't believe in these things. They move whenever they have free time, regardless of day or night, or whether the day is auspicious or inauspicious.

Zhou Caiyun spent half a day shopping and bought everything she needed. Because there were so many things, the other young wives who came with her helped carry them.

A large group of young married women hurried from the market to the village, carrying woven bags and cloth bags, their hands bulging with contents. The sight was both spectacular and unusual, attracting the attention of passersby.

The women chatted and joked all the way home.

Zhou Caiyun had to rest three times along the way. She was so exhausted when she got home that she sat down on the bed and immediately lay down. Her heart was pounding, and she was gasping for breath due to chest tightness.

After seeing off the young and old wives, Mu Shuyun returned to her room and saw Zhou Caiyun lying on the bed looking unwell. She asked worriedly, "Caiyun, what's wrong? Are you tired?"

Zhou Caiyun slowly got up. "Mother, I feel tightness in my chest, shortness of breath, and palpitations."

Mu Shuyun was startled. "What happened? Could it be that you've gotten sick from overwork? Let's go to the clinic."

She pulled Zhou Caiyun up, supporting her shoulder with one hand and her waist with the other, and walked towards the clinic.

Yunya followed behind, raising her hand to support her aunt's bottom. She wanted to help her aunt too, but her small size prevented her from reaching her waist, so she could only support her bottom.

Zhou Caiyun paused slightly, her face flushed as she slowly walked away.

When she arrived at the clinic, the doctor took her pulse and said, "It's nothing serious, just weak qi and blood and overworked. But you're already a month pregnant. Be sure to rest more and don't overexert yourself."

Upon hearing this, Mu Shuyun was overjoyed. "Doctor, is it true?"

The doctor looked at Mu Shuyun and said, "Of course it's true. In the future, pay attention to keeping warm. Also, she has qi and blood deficiency, so give her some traditional Chinese medicine to drink to replenish her qi and blood."

She continued, "You've been married for a long time, haven't you? Getting pregnant wasn't easy, so please take care to rest more in the future."

Mu Shuyun nodded repeatedly, "I'll do whatever the doctor says."

Zhou Caiyun was still in shock. She was pregnant! She really was pregnant! It was wonderful! She was overjoyed. "Doctor, thank you!"

The doctor smiled and went to get the medicine.

She's been married for a year, but there's still no sign of pregnancy. The other women who got married around the same time all conceived within months, some even getting pregnant in their wedding month.

Therefore, she secretly drank Chinese medicine to regulate her body. Knowing that she was weak and had blood deficiency, she didn't dare tell her mother-in-law, fearing that her mother-in-law would dislike her for having difficulty getting pregnant.

I can finally relax now. As long as I take good care of my health and pay attention to my health, I should be able to give birth to my child safely.

Zhou Caiyun was overjoyed. Moving to a new house today and now being pregnant were truly double happiness.

She thought to herself that this house seemed to bring good fortune to the family; it was no wonder that her father-in-law had chosen the address and the moving date.

After paying for the medicine, Mu Shuyun helped Zhou Caiyun, and Yunya followed happily behind her home.

It was already afternoon when he got home, and Kong Xiangdong had also returned from the market. He was puzzled to find no one home; where had everyone gone?

Just then, Yunya came bouncing back. When she saw her second uncle, she happily shared the surprise she had learned.

"Second Uncle, Second Uncle, there's a little brother now..." Yunya chattered happily.

Kong Xiangdong stood there dumbfounded. He wondered what little brother he meant, "Could it be that my second or third sister has given birth again?"

Mu Shuyun helped Zhou Caiyun back and saw Kong Xiangdong standing in the courtyard, lost in thought. She asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Kong Xiangdong then realized, "Mother, Caiyun, what's going on with Yunya saying she has a little brother? Could it be that my second and third sisters have given birth to another boy?"

Mu Shuyun and Zhou Caiyun both beamed with joy. "It's Caiyun, Caiyun is pregnant," Mu Shuyun said.

"Dong-ge, I'm pregnant," Zhou Caiyun said happily.

Mu Shuyun happily added, "Yes, you're going to be a father."

Kong Xiangdong was overjoyed and excitedly hugged Zhou Caiyun tightly. Mu Shuyun was startled, "Oh dear, slow down! She's still early in her pregnancy, be careful!"

Kong Xiangdong released Zhou Caiyun and gently said to her belly, "Son, I am your father. You must grow up quickly so that you can come out and see your father."

Zhou Caiyun looked at Kong Xiangdong with a happy expression, and the two smiled at each other.

From then on, Kong Xiangdong got up early every day to prepare a nutritious breakfast for Zhou Caiyun. He also took the initiative to do housework so that Zhou Caiyun could focus on her pregnancy.

When Kong Tongming returned home from work that evening, he was just as happy to hear that his second daughter-in-law was pregnant. The prospect of another member joining the family was naturally a cause for celebration.

Around 10 p.m., when the roosters had crowed and the dogs had barked, Kong Tongming and Mu Shuyun carried pots, pans, and other household items to their new home. Kong Xiangdong pushed his bicycle, carrying the heavier items towards the new house.

Zhou Caiyun stayed home to look after the house, while Yunya was already asleep.

The most important thing the person taking during the move was to bring a pair of Kong Xiangdong's shoes, and also to put a large flatbread in the pot. It's customary that the pot shouldn't be empty during a move.

Once you've moved all your belongings there, you've considered moving. You can buy any other small items you need as needed.

After putting their things away and locking the door in their new house, they went back to their old house to rest.

The next day, we went to the new house when it was light, and from then on, we officially lived and ate at the new house.

Mu Shuyun was worried about Zhou Caiyun's health and said she wanted to go to the new house to take care of her. Or she could move there after Zhou Caiyun gave birth, so she could take better care of her.

Zhou Caiyun said she would still eat here during the day and go back to her new home to sleep at night. Mu Shuyun couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she gave in.

Kong Xiangdong also thought this arrangement was good. He felt at ease during the day, as his mother was taking care of Caiyun. At night, with him by her side, everyone felt at ease.

As the days went by, Zhou Caiyun's belly gradually grew larger. Kong Xiangdong eagerly awaited the arrival of the little one, often imagining the happy life of the family of three in the future.

Old Mrs. Zhang from across the street came over for a visit and learned about Zhou Caiyun's pregnancy. She smiled and said, "That's double happiness!"

Later, the whole village knew about this "double happiness".