Mother Qi didnât dare to use the grandsonâs name to talk to Cheng Su, but couldnât resist, and called Qi Taiguo secretly to say that the Five Elements belong to Metal for the child, so a name with metal would be best.
She also talked about the bad aspects of menâs names, like frequent illnesses and lifeâs misfortunes, trying to persuade her son.
Qi Taiguo said thereâs no such fuss; the birth certificate is already taken, and the household registration will be done in a few days, so itâs decided.
Mother Qi felt uncomfortable, but didnât dare to say much, only complained for a while, and reminded him not to tell his wife, lest it affect her mood during post-partum care.
Qi Taiguo was somewhat surprised, but he was glad his mother said this, so he naturally agreed.
After talking to Mother Qi, he received a call from his father, and after a brief conversation, he understood why his mother said such things: she was afraid of not seeing the grandson.
Qi Taiguo found it amusing and felt emotional; truly itâs the saying of one thing overcoming another.
After twelve days, according to local customs, the child has firmly established their presence. Cheng Suâs family didnât set up deity urns, but Mother Cheng did arrange for chicken and meat, offered incense at home, and performed a roadside ritual, given itâs still July, the Ghost Festival month, itâs necessary to make sacrifices to keep the spirits away from their treasure.
When the mother is working, Cheng Su has no reason to speak up; she just listens. Upon hearing her mother say she can finally bathe and wash her hair, she feels immensely grateful.
Though still using water boiled with ginger peel herbs, letting it cool naturally without adding cold water, and with little water, not washing joyfully, Cheng Su cherishes the moment, bathing and washing her hair made her feel alive again.
After these twelve days, Cheng Su spent her time consuming various supplements, be it Ejiao stewed chicken or birdâs nest and collagen. After a few days, her complexion began to look healthier, and she seemed fuller.
The best part is her son is easy to care for, not prone to crying; especially at night, she doesnât need to get up to handle disturbances, so she rests well, making her all the more robust.
Thus, within twenty days, Cheng Suâs complexion improved significantly; seeing this, Hualing and Chunhua couldnât help but praise and envy her.
"Itâs still better to be taken care of by our own mom. A mother-in-law canât compete with a real mom," Hualing, who spent her post-partum period at her own motherâs home, deeply understood this.
"It also depends on the person; isnât Chunhua and Guiying both cared for by their mother-in-laws? And they were fine after post-partum too!" Cheng Su said with a smile.
"True, it depends on oneâs fortune. Landing a good mother-in-law is great; a bad one..." Hualing didnât finish.
Cheng Su said, "Youâre not bad either; your mother-in-law isnât particularly selfish."
"She needs to become selfish now. Especially after the incident with Chen Shouwang, does she dare act up in front of me?" Hualing smirked, "Doesnât want to live peacefully, doesnât want her grandson, just waiting to act up!"
Revisiting old topics.
Cheng Su said, "Stop dwelling on it; since you havenât gotten divorced, life must go on. Keep bringing it up, and feelings will fade. Weâre all mothers now, so control your temper."
Hualing curled her lips, "Iâm just talking to you here!"
"Now is the time you can still talk about it, but in days youâll leave, and there wonât be anyone like me to give advice, take care of yourself!" Cheng Su raised her eyebrows.
Hualing felt uneasy; her bad temper left her with few friends. Itâs rare that Cheng is magnanimous and doesnât mind, which is precious. Soon sheâll leave, unsure if she can meet some willing to chat and tolerate her friends.