For a moment, Zhao Liang and Li Gui thought about the same thing, looked at each other and sighed deeply. Zhao Liang carried the shovel and said, “Don’t think about the past. Don’t worry, with Qiao Mei around, no one will bully you.”
“Aye!” Li Gui never dreamed that one day, she would be able to busk in her daughter’s glory and enjoy the blessings of having children.
Zhao Liang waved his hand and went off to help build the house. Li Gui looked at Qiao Mei, who was busy cooking, and quickly stopped her. “Go and take a seat. You’re still in the early stages of pregnancy, so go and rest at the side.”
Qiao Mei did not decline and went to the side to snack on seeds. These seeds were from the sunflowers that she had planted in the courtyard at home a few days ago. Through her careful cultivation and a little extra energy from her, they grew exceptionally well and produced tasty sunflower seeds too.
Throughout the day, there were many people who came around to help, all people who used to have a good relationship with Qiao Mei’s father, Qiao Yue, as well as his previous co-workers. Out of these people, there were probably more than 10 strong strappy men. It would be hard for Li Gui, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao to cope with the meal preparation, it would take them a long time to get food ready for so many people.
Qiao Mei sat under the shack, not feeling any sense of anxiety. Not long after, she heard shouting coming from outside the yard.
“Mei Mei! We’re here to help!” Those women who were on good terms with Qiao Mei had come around to help out. A few of them even brought their own pots and pans, while others even brought stools and tables.
It was not as if they came around to help out for no rhyme or reason. Usually, Qiao Mei would help them with growing bean sprouts and their farm work, so they had come over to help with building the house or whatever they could help with. This was the good thing about the countryside. The neighbors were friendly and got along with one another. Thinking back to her other life, she did not know many of her neighbors, to the extent that she did not even know what kind of people they were. The countryside was so much better in this aspect.
Not long after, a few of the older women set up the stove and began to help with the cooking. Qiao Mei had brought vegetables, fruits and meat from her house to thank everyone for their efforts. When it was time to eat, everyone’s eyes lit up. They could not imagine which family would be willing to serve meat from their own kitchen to people who came by to help. Only Qiao Mei’s family would be so generous and everyone felt even more willing to help Qiao Mei.
Although Qiao Mei did not help with the cooking, the vegetables that had gone through energy exchange with Qiao Mei tasted especially delicious and the food made by the womenfolk seemed much more delectable than usual.
Many people regretted not getting a matchmaker to go to Qiao Mei’s house in the past. They had only heard that Qiao Mei was a fierce woman who looked like a black bear spirit and that she ate too much and would squander the family fortune away, but did not know how to do work. At this moment, many people were filled with regret. They never imagined that Qiao Mei was not only fair-skinned and beautiful, but also good at cooking and making money. Anyone would find her to be an eligible partner but unfortunately, she was already married and pregnant.
The older women had also seen the changes in Qiao Mei in the past few months. They thought that Qiao Mei had worked so hard that she lost weight, but the weight loss improved her skin and made her look more beautiful. After mealtime, the women surrounded Qiao Mei and joined her to snack on seeds.
“Mei Mei, I think you must be having a girl!” Auntie Dong said laughingly.
“I think so too. Mei Mei, who knows it might really be a girl. People say that a mother bearing a son looks ugly while a mother bearing a daughter looks beautiful.” Auntie Wang grabbed a handful of seeds and agreed with what Auntie Dong said.
Qiao Mei smiled and kept quiet. She knew that she was having a pair of twins, and it was even a boy and a girl. However, she could not comment as her pregnancy was not stabilized yet, otherwise it would be terrible if people went around saying that her desire for children had made her talk crazily.
“Aye! If Mei Mei has a daughter, I’ll give her a pig trotter!”
“You only give one! How stingy! I’ll give four pig trotters!”
“I’ll give 10 pig trotters!”
“None of you can make it! I’ll give pork hock!”
“…”
The lively atmosphere was fueled by the discussion about whether Qiao Mei would give birth to a boy or a girl. Li Gui silently wiped her tears at the side. As a mother, she could not give her daughter anything and she could not even compare with this bunch of neighborly village folks. She was determined to earn more money and treat Qiao Mei well so that Qiao Mei would not be shortchanged anymore.
Of course, Qiao Mei did not lack these eight to ten pig trotters that they mentioned as she still had so many pigs at home. However, she knew that they were all expressing their concern for her and she was also happy to see the older women joking around.