A Couple's Rebirth to 1977 Before Marriage

Chapter 185: Chapter 182: Postpartum Confinement

The female doctor stayed until dawn, carefully examining Zhou Lian. Seeing that everything was fine, she finally prepared to leave. Before she went, Sister Fang pressed a large red envelope into her hand and asked her to come back in a couple of days to check on Zhou Lian again. The doctor saw how much Li Xiu doted on his wife and understood his concern for her postpartum recovery, so she readily agreed. She didn’t live far, and besides, a young couple like them was so pleasant and heartwarming to see that a few extra visits were no trouble at all.

After that, Li Xiu began meticulously caring for Zhou Lian, following the same routine he had used during Nuonuo’s postpartum confinement. This allowed Sister Fang to focus solely on taking care of Nuonuo. Ping’an also helped look after Nuonuo during his breaks. Li Xiu had started Nuonuo’s education right after her second birthday, and now, less than a month later, she had already memorized a third of the Three Character Classic. This led Ping’an to exclaim that she was a "genius," but he stopped after a stern talking-to from Li Xiu, promising not to boast about it to outsiders.

Their son was born on the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month. His pet name was Yanyan, and his given name was Li Xiangrui. When Zhou Lian heard Li Xiu say their son’s pet name would be Yanyan, she opened her mouth but said nothing. ’As long as he’s happy with it,’ she thought. ’In my past life, our son’s pet name wasn’t this; it was chosen to pair with his sister’s, creating a name that meant "safe and sound." But Yanyan is nice, too. It probably goes with his sister Nuonuo’s name. It’s rare for Li Xiu to be so insistent... and Yanyan is a lovely name!’

In between caring for Zhou Lian, Li Xiu also prepared for the New Year, gathering items to be taken back to their hometown. Li Bao planned to leave just before the Little New Year. Li Xiu always let Li Bao decide such minor matters for himself, only telling him to come back after the fifteenth day of the new year so he could spend quality time with his family. After all, Li Bao wouldn’t be able to bring his wife and daughter to the Capital City until the second half of the year.

On the third day after the birth, Elder Ping and Mrs. Ping paid a quiet visit to Li Xiu’s home to see the newborn. Mrs. Ping took in the room where Zhou Lian was observing her postpartum confinement, her thoughts drifting to what Ping’an had told her about Li Xiu’s attentiveness. ’This Li Xiu is a truly devoted man.’ Zhou Lian and her son were resting at the foot of the heated kang bed, near a side cabinet. A small table sat at the head of the kang, piled high with apples, oranges, and bananas. No wonder a faint, sweet fragrance filled the air as soon as one stepped inside. For a room housing a new mother and a newborn, there wasn’t the slightest unpleasant odor. ’It must be the fruit,’ she mused.

Zhou Lian had naturally fair skin. Mrs. Ping had assumed she would be weak for at least a few days after childbirth, but the woman propped up against the pillows was rosy-cheeked and radiant. Her hair was gathered in a loose braid, and she wore a light, padded jacket with traditional frog buttons, which made her look all the more elegant, dignified, and as gentle as still water.

Looking from the fair, delicate newborn to the well-behaved, sensible Nuonuo at his side, Mrs. Ping felt a pang of envy for Zhou Lian. Then, seeing how Li Xiu was constantly checking in on his wife, she gave an almost imperceptible smile. ’This Zhou Lian is truly living the kind of life every woman dreams of,’ she thought. ’A doting, faithful husband, an adorable, well-behaved daughter, and now a little dumpling of a son. She’s a university student, and her man is capable and earns good money.’ Mrs. Ping shook her head. ’I’m getting carried away. Envying the young folks at my age... people would laugh if they heard. Still, seeing such a loving young couple really is a joy to behold.’

Elder Ping was a very busy man. After looking at the baby, offering a few words of concern for Zhou Lian, and playing with Nuonuo for a moment, he and Mrs. Ping departed in a hurry. Li Xiu and Zhou Lian understood that for the couple to take time out of their packed schedules to visit them was the greatest sign of their patronage.

On the twentieth of the twelfth lunar month, Li Bao, having bought his train ticket, was preparing to return to his hometown. He looked at the mountain of goods in front of him, and the corner of his mouth twitched, but he kept silent. He tucked the stack of letters from Li Xiu into his backpack and called over Wang Dongfang and the two other men to help him get everything to the station. With such a huge pile, plus the things he had bought himself, Li Bao started to worry. ’Getting it all on the train is one thing, but how am I supposed to haul all this stuff home from the station?’

After the Little New Year, Li Xiu told Ping’an to stay home and help Mrs. Ping prepare for the holiday, only returning after the festivities were over. He also assigned him a large pile of homework. However, he added that if Ping’an ever craved fresh vegetables, he could come over and get some anytime. Ping’an was thrilled. In the dead of winter, aside from staples like cabbage, radishes, and potatoes, Li Xiu’s home was the only place to find anything green and fresh.

On the day of the Little New Year, the shops formally closed for the holiday. The three of them—Wang Dongfang, Wei Guo, and Liu Qiang—came to settle the accounts with Li Xiu and ended up celebrating the Little New Year at his house that evening. They had initially planned to spend the actual New Year’s Eve together as well, but Sister Fang shot that idea down. Wang Dongfang was an exception, as both his parents had passed away. But while Wei Guo and Liu Qiang had moved out on their own, neither was married yet. Not going home to their parents for the New Year would cause gossip. So, it was settled: this year, Wang Dongfang and Sister Fang would celebrate New Year’s with Li Xiu and his family.

Looking at his daughter and son sleeping soundly, Li Xiu gently held Zhou Lian and said, "Bao’er, we settled the accounts today. The two shops netted a profit of 790,000 this year. Is there anything you want?"

Zhou Lian paused. She knew the two shops were profitable, but she hadn’t expected them to make quite this much. After a moment of thought, she asked, "Don’t you need this money for next year?"

Li Xiu shook his head. "I won’t. After one more year, I’ll hand this business over to Li Baolai to manage. Dongfang and the others and I are going to start a new venture. As for this money, you can do whatever you want with it. Don’t worry about a thing!"

Hearing Li Xiu’s words, Zhou Lian said without hesitation, "Let’s buy courtyard houses. We have two children now, so when they’re older, they can each have one."

Looking at Zhou Lian, Li Xiu smiled gently. ’So be it.’ In his past life, the three of them—she and the children—had all adored courtyard houses. But back then, he hadn’t had the means or the money to buy one. A small, single-courtyard home in the Capital City cost tens of millions. ’How could I possibly have afforded one back then!’

"Alright. Dongfang and the others are free right now, so I’ll have them start making inquiries tomorrow. If they find any suitable properties, we’ll buy them," Li Xiu said softly. ’Courtyard houses are still cheap, and in good locations,’ he thought. ’Buying a few to hold onto would be a great idea. The only prerequisite is not to buy any that are slated for future demolition!’

Li Xiu always granted Zhou Lian’s requests, and he acted with swift decisiveness. The very next day, he sent Wang Dongfang and the other two out to make inquiries with a specific list of requirements: near the Imperial City, with at least two courtyards, and with a clear, independent title. The three men took their leave as soon as they heard the instructions. It wasn’t that they were in a rush; they were simply afraid they’d burst out laughing in front of Li Xiu. ’This house-buying idea must have come from our sister-in-law,’ they thought. ’Li Xiu is insisting on spending the entire year’s profits on courtyard houses. When it comes to doting on and spoiling a wife, he’s in a league of his own. Seven or eight hundred thousand yuan, spent just like that, without a hint of regret. All we can feel is a capital ’A’ for ’Awe’!’

Unaware of what Wang Dongfang and the others were muttering behind his back, Li Xiu was focused on the promise he had made to wash Zhou Lian’s hair today. Now that they had a hairdryer, an occasional hair wash was fine; otherwise, her bad mood might affect her recovery. He had Sister Fang prepare the ginger water and then personally washed Zhou Lian’s hair. He had done it for her many times before, so he was already an expert.

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