LGSLAW : Chapter 60 – New Beginning

Miao He stayed at Dr. Lin’s house for two nights. Once he could get up without too much pain, he and Yang Dalang returned home with their two babies. Unlike women who needed to follow a strict postpartum confinement, ge’ers only had to deal with the pain from the large wound on their stomach. Miao He was grateful he didn’t have to endure a month of not bathing or washing his hair. However, the bandages on his stomach couldn’t be removed, serving both as a protection and to hold the medicinal herbs in place.

Upon returning home, Miao He was carefully placed on a cushioned chair in the main room. The chair was covered with thick quilts, the underfloor heating was turned on, and the babies’ crib was set nearby so he could always see them. The crib was a custom design with railings, large enough for both babies to sleep in comfortably.

The animals soon made their appearance. Led by Dabai, they approached Miao He, nuzzling his legs. It seemed like the little king wanted to eat tomatoes again. The four puppies followed suit, bouncing around and nuzzling up to Miao He, who patted each of their heads.

Then the little black cat curiously approached the crib to sniff at its new occupants.

“Meow, what are these? They smell like the big and little owners. So small. Hmm, they’re future subordinates. Meow.” The cat extended its paw through the railing, gently tapping each baby on the head as if to certify them, then led the puppies away. It had already smelled the big owner cooking outside.

After feeding the furry crew, Yang Dalang came out with a bowl of hot tomato egg porridge that Aunt Yang had prepared earlier. He began feeding Miao He spoonful by spoonful.

Miao He couldn’t help but touch the dark circles under Yang Dalang’s eyes. “You should eat too. Look at you, you’ve lost weight.”

“Okay.”

“Eat now, I’ll watch to make sure you don’t forget.” Miao He insisted.

Yang Dalang chuckled softly and started feeding himself with the spoon. 

Seeing that smile, Miao He felt a pang in his heart. How had he never noticed that Yang Dalang’s smiles were so rare before? He had assumed it was just his personality, but now he realized it was the weight of the worries he carried.

Fortunately, he had finally opened up.

Since the day Miao He revealed his true origins and explained the prophecy about Yang Dalang’s supposed fate, the man’s expressions had softened considerably, and he smiled more often. 

Things would only get better from now on!

Thinking this, Miao He happily opened his mouth for another spoonful of porridge and smiled at Yang Dalang.

Yang Dalang couldn’t help but smile back. The way Miao He opened his mouth for food was just like their babies.

***

Regardless of what happened, their new life had begun. With two new babies in the house, it was naturally a bit chaotic. Even with Aunt Yang’s help, it was sometimes overwhelming. Whenever one baby cried, the other would follow. Feeding them simultaneously and changing diapers at almost the same time meant everyone had to learn to be quick.

Dabai proved to be a natural nanny, always alert to the babies’ needs, nudging their little fists or letting them tug on its ears without a fuss.

The puppies initially tried to help by licking, but after Dabai swatted them, they learned to just wag their tails and circle around the crib.

Back at home, Miao He recovered quickly, much like Yang Dalang had before. Within ten days, the pain from his wound had almost disappeared. The two little red monkeys, fed alternately with goat milk and rice soup, soon turned into white, chubby buns, their skin pink and their eyes bright.

For simplicity’s sake, Miao He decided to give them common names. The older one was called Mantou (Steamed Bun), and the younger one was Wotou (Cornbread).

By now, news of Miao He having twins had spread throughout the village. Everyone they met expressed envy, saying how wonderful it was to have two sons at once—a sign of prosperity and fortune. Yang Dalang was praised for his luck in marrying He ge’er, as everything seemed to be going their way.

Their full moon celebration was even overshadowing the upcoming wedding of Miao Yuan and Min Chun. The wedding was set for shortly after the full moon celebration and was rumored to be a grand affair with thirty tables, inviting classmates and teachers from the town’s private school.

Aunt Yang chatted about it while helping out. “I hear Miao Jue’s family is planning to build a new house too. They’ve been asking around in town.”

Miao He, busy burping the younger twin, was behind on the news. “Didn’t I hear the Dahe Restaurant was still causing trouble for them? How are they affording a new house?”

“They must have settled it somehow. Although people think they parted ways with the restaurant. The workshop stopped for a few days. If it weren’t for all the tofu flowers being sold in town, the soybean market would have been a mess. This whole leak of the recipe could have been a big issue.”

Miao He listened without much interest. It had little to do with him. He and Aunt Yang discussed who to invite to the full moon celebration. In the village, when the first son is born, a full moon banquet is held, and guests leave with red eggs. With two sons, it was doubly important.

The guest list included relatives and friends, as well as some men who had worked well with them during the clearing of the mountain. Though Dr. Ji and Elder Qu were out of town, they sent thoughtful gifts—two jars of new wine from Dr. Ji and a heap of fabric and two soft cotton quilts from Elder Qu.

Aunt Yang’s eyes lit up at the sight of the fabric. They were short on clothes for the babies, and this would be perfect. Miao He used his usual trick, exchanging a heap of fabric for Aunt Yang’s help with sewing, which pleased both parties.

Busy days passed quickly, and soon it was the day of the full moon celebration.

The banquet was hosted by the Yangshui Tea House team. Though the ingredients weren’t as special as those grown with Miao He’s magical soil, the professional chefs prepared an elaborate and exquisite meal that delighted the guests. Some villagers had never seen such fancy dishes in their lives.

The village head, despite being somewhat unwelcome, was determined to attend. Though Miao He and Yang Dalang didn’t particularly like him, they treated it as inviting the “position” rather than the person. Seeing the whole Liang family at another table, the village head’s attitude became more cautious and respectful towards Yang Dalang and Miao He, realizing the significance of the occasion.

The stars of the day, the two chubby babies, were dressed in new clothes, hats with tiger motifs, and cute mittens, held by Miao He and Yang Dalang. Before the feast began, they had to show off the babies. Both had just had some rice soup and were quietly observing their surroundings with wide, clear eyes, full of curiosity and spirit.

Chen Rong came over, gently holding the babies’ hands, her face full of affection. “I hope by the end of the year, we’ll have a little one too.”

Miao He was surprised and delighted. “So, you have news?”

Miao Ping, beaming with pride, chimed in. “Yes, thanks to the ginseng Dalang collected! Sorry, He ge’er, today you’ll have to let Chen ge’er touch the babies for some good luck. Next year, you’ll get it back tenfold!”

Miao He laughed. “Of course. Mantou and Wotou aren’t ones to miss out on anything!”

At that moment, Mantou, in Miao He’s arms, blew a bubble and it popped, almost as if in agreement. Everyone laughed.

Nearby, Mrs. Liang, watching and listening while holding Hu Tou, took note. She knew that for a ge’er to conceive, proper nourishment was essential. Having only one son, she wished to have more children, but her cold constitution had always been a problem. Hearing about the ginseng, she looked over at her husband, who caught her eye and nodded. They both understood without words—this was something they needed to pursue.

Meanwhile, Miao He and Yang Dalang were busy receiving gifts for the babies. Full moon celebrations required guests to bring useful items for the babies—food, toys, or clothes.

The last guest was Li Zhaodi, holding the hand of Miao He’s younger brother, Miao Yang. She awkwardly presented a small basket.

“He ge’er, this is a small set of clothes I made. They’re perfect for spring. Please accept them.”

Only Li Zhaodi and Miao Yang had come from Miao He’s family. The rest, still bitter from the earlier disputes and feeling humiliated after being scolded by the village head, had not attended. 

Li Zhaodi, hoping to mend the relationship for Miao Yang’s sake, had dismantled a new garment meant for Miao Jian to make two small outfits for the twins. This was her utmost sincerity.

Miao He paused before accepting. He could tell from the stitching that the clothes were new, even if the fabric was a bit old. Li Zhaodi had put genuine effort into making them.

Seeing Miao He’s hesitation, Li Zhaodi added, “The fabric is a bit rough, but with a cotton underlayer, it’ll be good for blocking the wind.”

Recalling Li Zhaodi’s earlier attempt to mend their relationship during the pig slaughter and her sincerity now, Miao He decided to give her a chance. Whether her intentions were genuine or not, time would reveal the truth.

Before Miao He could respond, Yang Dalang spoke first. “Thank you, Aunt.”

Miao He, understanding Yang Dalang’s support, smiled and added, “After the banquet, I’ll give some dried fruits for Xiao Bao to take home.”

Li Zhaodi’s eyes brightened, filled with joy. It wasn’t about the fruits but the fact that He ge’er still recognized Xiao Bao. As long as that connection remained, everything else could be worked on. 

As the day wound down, Miao He and Yang Dalang had one more announcement.

“We’ve also bought the neighboring mountain. This year, we plan to plant more peanuts to sell to the tea house. If anyone is interested in joining us, let us know.”

Rain : Guys.. less than 5 days left !!!!!! I can’t even count well (???? )?????

I’ll update more today ! ?