Chapter 62: Chapter 62: It Should Have Been Born by Now

    Early this morning, Lin Chunju felt her right eyelid twitching non-stop, making her restless.

    After the meal, she stopped Yue Jiandong.

    “Let the second brother go to the field alone today, you come with me to Jinshan Village,” she said.

    Yue Jiandong had been observing his mother’s behavior for a while and immediately understood.

    “Alright, shall we set off now?” he asked.

    Lin Chunju nodded, “My chest feels tight, and I’m just not comfortable. I’m worried something has happened at Xiaofang’s.”

    ...

    In those days, childbirth was extremely dangerous for women, like passing through the Ghost Gate Pass.

    While many women in cities nowadays give birth in hospitals, village women still have to rely on midwives as they did in the past.

    If complications arise during childbirth, even the most experienced midwife is not a doctor, and many lives are lost that way.

    Wang Xiaoni tried to comfort her, “Mother, don’t worry, she probably just hasn’t given birth yet. Otherwise, someone from Jinshan Village would have surely brought us word.”

    Lin Chunju sighed, “I can’t help but worry...”

    Yet, spoken to like that, she again began to doubt whether she was overreacting.

    It was autumn now, the season of harvest.

    Everyone was busy getting the mature crops from the fields into the barns for drying, lest an unexpected rainstorm renders a half year’s hard work in vain.

    It was also known as the rush of autumn, almost the most important time of the year.

    On the other hand, the fish in the pond would take another month or two to grow big enough to catch, and it was hard to predict the actual yield.

    Yue Jiandong, also anxious about his sister, hurriedly followed her out the door.

    The two of them also took Yue Qingqing with them, which comforted Lin Chunju a bit.

    This time the journey to Jinshan Village was during autumn, and the road was free of ice and snow, which made the travel much smoother.

    Driven by their anxiety, practically wishing they had an extra pair of legs, they arrived at Jinshan Village in almost half the time it took before.

    Just as they reached the entrance to the village, they happened to run into an acquaintance.

    “Village Chief Ma!” Lin Chunju called out.

    Ma Shulin turned around, recognized them, and his face immediately lit up with a smile.

    “Aren’t you Yue Xiaofang’s family? Are you here to see your daughter?” he said.

    “Yes, Xiaofang is due to give birth soon, right? We waited a long time without any news, so we decided to come and see for ourselves,” Lin Chunju explained.

    Ma Shulin was aware of how much this family cared for their daughter, “That’s what I thought, coming over during the busy farming season. But she probably hasn’t given birth yet; I haven’t heard of any good news from Ma Jinbao’s family.”

    In those days, families with newborns, even if they couldn’t afford a feast, would at least give some red eggs to their close neighbors in the village as a token of good fortune.

    Hearing Ma Shulin say this, Lin Chunju relaxed, thinking she might have been overly anxious.

    However, while they were talking, a woman passing by with a basket overheard their conversation and butted in.

    “That’s impossible, is your daughter the one married to Ma Jinbao, the woman from outside the village?”

    Lin Chunju felt a tightening in her chest, “Yes, yes, my daughter’s name is Yue Xiaofang.”

    “The day before yesterday, Ma Jinbao’s family already called for the midwife. The child should have been born by now,” said the woman.

    Lin Chunju panicked, while Yue Jiandong, supporting his mother’s arm, asked in a grave voice, “Are you sure there’s no mistake?”

    The woman rolled her eyes, “Can’t be wrong. The midwife is my sister-in-law, been in the profession for many years. She told me it was strange how the Ma Family asked her to come over quietly at night without alerting anyone.”