CHAPTER 333: CHAPTER 325: THE BIG FETUS, REVERSE BIRTH (9)

"Why can’t I cry? I’m feeling wronged, can’t I cry? When I married you, your family lived in a thatched hut that leaked rainwater inside whenever it rained. I never complained about you. My mother-in-law passed away early, you couldn’t do any household chores, and when I was in confinement after childbirth, no one took care of me; it was all my natal family who came to help."

"..."

"Your family had no land, my family gifted it. Why did Old Master Chai help find people to build this house for free? Wasn’t it because my brother helped Old Master Chai, and he’s grateful for that? Do you think it’s your own capability? Clearly, it was my family who put in the effort."

"..."

"My brother and my eldest nephew got into trouble, yet you, as a son-in-law, didn’t care about anything, and even scolded me. You’re such an ungrateful person!" Lady Tian retorted as she spoke, scolding Tian Dawang in turn.

Tian Dawang was scolded till his face turned embarrassed, unable to refute a single word.

Because what Lady Tian said was indeed true.

Her family had indeed helped his family a lot, but Lady Tian had borrowed so much money behind his back, which upset him whenever he thought about it, still making him angry at Lady Tian.

Not knowing how to respond, feeling uncomfortable, Tian Dawang turned his head away in anger.

Li Yuzhu looked at them and said, "You both dislike each other so much. Are you really planning to end this?"

Lady Tian and Tian Dawang simultaneously stopped their complaints, stared blankly together, and looked up at her.

Li Xing’an also looked at them.

"What’s the point of bickering back and forth? Might as well just end it." Li Xing’an echoed.

Li Yuzhu said, "I know Lord County Magistrate, how about I write a letter to him to ask for justice for both of you and judge a separation, so you don’t have to look at each other with disgust, alright? You can’t live like this, constantly quarreling; separating will be better."

Lady Tian was shocked, "Li... Miss Li, you... you’re so young, how can you advise others on separation?"

Tian Dawang mumbled angrily, "If it weren’t for the kids looking for their mother, I really would divorce her."

Lady Tian glared at Tian Dawang in anger.

Tian Dawang defiantly glared back at her.

Although they still showed mutual annoyance, their expression of hatred that flared up before had significantly improved.

Evidently, there was still affection between them.

Li Yuzhu glanced at them and continued, "So, Brother Tian, you’re saying you won’t divorce Sister-in-law Tian?"

Tian Dawang looked at Lady Tian and said nothing.

"Not saying anything means you agree." Li Yuzhu clapped her hands, "I mean, you two are in your thirties, arguing in front of us teenagers, are you not embarrassed?"

The two looked at each other awkwardly.

"Alright, both of you say no more, stop arguing!" Li Yuzhu said, "I can be a big mouth, and I’ll tell others about your arguments. Let’s see if you’ll be embarrassed."

Lady Tian quickly waved her hands, sheepishly saying, "Miss Li, we won’t argue anymore, please don’t tell anyone."

Tian Dawang glared at Lady Tian, "If she doesn’t start, who’s going to quarrel with her?"

Lady Tian was furious, "It was you who started the quarrel!"

Li Yuzhu laughed and said, "So it’s settled, no more quarreling. Once I’ve stabilized Madam Chen’s health condition, you both should sit down and discuss with the Chen Family how to repay the debt. The kids are already this big; what’s the point of arguing? Working hard to earn money to support the children is what’s important. In another two or three years, the kids will be grown enough to help out, you won’t be so tired then."

The children are only around ten years old, able to eat but unable to work.

For a poor family, this is the hardest time.

Once they get through it, things will be better.

Some couples can’t handle the hardship and end up separating.

The couple exchanged a glance and nodded together.

Lady Tian secretly sighed, the family chosen by Miss Chai is indeed good. This Miss Li, although young, has such wisdom, seeing even further than a woman like her.

She really was too anxious; when faced with debt collectors, she panicked and couldn’t help but lose her temper.

Thinking back, losing her temper was useless, the debt wouldn’t lessen by a single coin, realizing this, she sighed deeply.

Tian Dawang also admired what Li Yuzhu said because not a single word was wrong.

Seeing them reconcile, Li Yuzhu let out a silent breath.

To learn more about the situation, Li Yuzhu asked Lady Tian about Madam Chen.

Since she was from her natal village, Lady Tian knew everything well and told her truthfully.

It turned out that although the Chen Family had money, the younger generation wasn’t thriving.

This was why when they heard Madam Chen had fallen, the whole family was terrified.

.

After a three-mile journey, Li Yuzhu’s carriage and the mule cart carrying the Chen Family quickly arrived at the Chen residence.

The Chen Family was wealthy, and their house was built large.

There was a high blue brick wall, tall enough for a man, with gates wide enough for two cattle carts to pass through.

The courtyard layout was similar to the city style, structured like a north-south-east-west quadrangle.

From the row of houses on the eastern side, a woman’s loud and soft cries of pain could be heard.

At the doorway, many people were standing, looking anxious.

Everyone saw Old Chen and Eldest Chen arrive and came over.

A plump woman in her fifties hurriedly said to Old Chen, "Why are you just coming home now? The eldest daughter-in-law fell and seems to be giving premature birth, but we can’t find any midwife now, the younger daughter-in-law went to find someone and hasn’t returned yet. I’m so anxious I could die, what should we do?"

"We brought someone for the delivery, no need to panic, wife." Old Chen said.

"For delivery, where are they?" Old Mrs. Chen looked next to Old Chen and saw five people had come.

There was a young girl and two teenagers, and then there were the couple from the Tian Family.

She was a bit uncertain, is it this young girl?

The other two were teenagers, even less likely.

The Tian couple were obviously not capable of delivering babies.

"Isn’t it them?" Old Chen pointed to Li Yuzhu.

Old Mrs. Chen widened her eyes in surprise, sizing up Li Yuzhu, "You? Deliver a baby?"

"The woman is in this room, right? I’ll go in and take a look." Li Yuzhu rolled up her sleeves, ready to enter the room.

Old Mrs. Chen blocked Li Yuzhu, looking down on her, sizing her up, "You deliver babies? How old are you? Have you given birth yourself? You’re just still a kid yourself, don’t interfere with my family’s affairs, go play elsewhere."

She stood with one hand on her hip, arrogantly waving her right hand at Li Yuzhu.

Li Xing’an and Mu Yuanxiu were worried she might hit someone, so they quickly positioned themselves, standing on Li Yuzhu’s left and right.

Old Chen said, "Wife, it was she who treated Miss Chai’s illness, and I’ve brought her to deliver for our eldest daughter-in-law."

Old Mrs. Chen sneered, "Miss Chai’s illness is not the same as our eldest daughter-in-law’s situation, is it? That was a congenital illness, treatable with some nourishing medicine, but our eldest daughter-in-law is giving birth! They’re not the same thing at all."

Eldest Chen also said, "Mom, that’s what I think too, but dad insisted on bringing her."

Old Chen sighed, "There’s no one else we could find at the moment."

Li Yuzhu glanced around, "You don’t want me to deliver, that’s fine; you can just wait for the village midwife to arrive. But as far as I know, childbirth is not something you can wait for, if it’s delayed too long, it might turn into a..."

She looked at the Chen family women, intentionally leaving her sentence half said.

Several women in the Chen Family, who had all given birth, changed their expressions hearing Li Yuzhu’s words.

Indeed, in a smooth delivery, the midwife merely needs to cut the newborn’s umbilical cord, and the mother doesn’t suffer much.

In case of breech birth or a large baby, without a midwife, it might lead to life-threatening difficulties, possibly a mother and child fatality.

In the local villages, incidents of women dying during childbirth occur every few years.

These women feared nothing more than encountering such birth difficulties.

Someone started urging Old Mrs. Chen, "Aunt, the midwife isn’t here yet, let her have a look first; it wouldn’t be late to replace her with an experienced midwife once they arrive. Listening to sister-in-law’s constant cries is unsettling."

"Yes, Auntie, this girl dared to take on this task, maybe she can really deliver babies? It’s taken sister-in-law until her thirties to have this child to eight and a half months..." another person advised.

Eldest Chen spoke again, "Mom, if it’s not done well, we can have the Tian Family girl repay the debt, right? What’s there to be afraid of? That’s what the Tian Family said."

Lady Tian’s face suddenly changed in fright.

Tian Dawang’s expression turned grim.

Old Mrs. Chen had heard long ago that the Tian Family girl looked nice, in case of any mishap, taking the Tian girl as debt payment wouldn’t be a loss.

A ten-year-old pretty maiden as compensation for her thirty-year-old son, she’d gain!

With everyone urging, Old Mrs. Chen said to Li Yuzhu, "Alright, you may go in first. Once the midwife arrives, you’ll step aside."

A middle-aged woman beckoned to Li Yuzhu, "Follow me in."