Chapter 157: Mother-in-law Delivers Daughter-in-law
In later generations, women would go to the hospital for prenatal checkups after becoming pregnant. The doctor would provide a relatively accurate due date and predict when the child would be born. There was basically no need to rush before the due date.
Although some babies are born early or late, generally speaking, the due date is still very reliable.
But in rural areas today, not only is there no awareness of going to the hospital for prenatal checkups, even if there were, there are no conditions to support it.
Take Deng Shirong, for example. He certainly knew that women in later generations had to go to the hospital for regular prenatal checkups after becoming pregnant. The benefits of prenatal checkups were unquestionable, as they could help avoid many problems in advance. So, after his eldest daughter-in-law became pregnant, he also considered having her go to the hospital for regular prenatal checkups.
But in the end, Deng Shirong chose to let nature take its course. This was the way of the era, and he didn't see any major issues with it.
It wasn't that Deng Shirong was afraid of spending money, but considering the traffic conditions of that time, prenatal checkups had to be done at the county hospital. It was 76 kilometers from Thatchfield Village to the county seat, and not only did it take two or three hours to drive there, but the road conditions were also terrible. Riding a bus would be extremely bumpy.
For normal people, this might not be a big deal, but for pregnant women who might experience motion sickness, it could be dangerous.
So, after much thought, Deng Shirong decided to let things proceed naturally. Other women in the village didn't eat anything particularly nutritious during their pregnancies, yet their babies were still healthy. His daughter-in-law, on the other hand, was served delicious meals every day, and to ensure balanced nutrition, she was given a variety of foods.
Deng Shirong believed that the children born under such care would be outstanding in terms of health and intelligence compared to others in the village.
Of course, she could go to the hospital for prenatal checkups occasionally, but when it came time for his daughter-in-law to give birth, Deng Shirong would definitely not let her deliver at home like other women in the village. That was too dangerous. She had to go to the hospital to give birth for everyone's peace of mind.
Just as Deng Shirong was silently worrying about his daughter-in-law's delivery, Guan Yongying, whose belly was already full-term, finally went into labor.
In the hall.
Deng Changfu kept pacing back and forth, his eyes fixed on the door, listening to the noises coming from inside the house, his face full of worry.
Deng Yunqiang sat nearby, puffing on his water pipe. Seeing his eldest son pacing incessantly, he said, "Ah Fu, aren't you tired from walking back and forth? Sit down and wait. Babies don't come out that quickly."
Deng Changfu couldn't help but ask, "Dad, it's been over an hour. Why hasn't the baby been born yet? I remember when Zhang Qi gave birth not long ago, Aunt Ba, who delivered her, said it only took a little over ten minutes."
Deng Yunqiang replied, "How can they be the same? Before giving birth to this daughter, Zhang Qi had already delivered four children. Besides, she has an easier time giving birth than other women, so it's not surprising that she delivered in just over ten minutes.
But this is Yongying's first time giving birth, so it's impossible for her to deliver that quickly. When many women in the village give birth to their first child, it takes at least two or three hours from the onset of labor pains to the birth of the baby. Some even take more than ten to twenty hours.
So don't worry. It's normal for the baby not to be born so soon."
Hearing his father's reassurance, Deng Changfu felt a bit more at ease and sat down to continue waiting.
However, even though he knew the baby wouldn't be born so quickly, he still kept his eyes fixed on the door.
In the hall, besides the father and son, Deng Changfu's two sisters were also present.
As for Changfu's mother, she was personally delivering her daughter-in-law inside the house!
In later generations, the likelihood of a mother-in-law delivering her daughter-in-law is extremely low.
But in this era, such things are quite common.
Changfu's mother had given birth to five children and had also helped deliver several babies for others over the years. It can be said that as long as there are no complications, her experience is sufficient to handle general deliveries. It's only natural for her to deliver her own daughter-in-law's baby.
At this time, Guan Yongying was lying on the bed with her legs spread wide open, facing her mother-in-law. It was impossible for her not to feel shy.
But now, the abdominal cramps were becoming more frequent and intense. She no longer cared about being shy. It was already impressive that she managed to hold back from moaning in pain.
After enduring the latest wave of pain, when her stomach wasn't hurting as much, Guan Yongying, drenched in cold sweat, said to her mother-in-law, "Mom, I really want to give birth to a grandson for you, but don't be disappointed if it's a granddaughter."
Changfu's mother smiled and comforted her, "Yongying, don't think too much. I'll be happy whether it's a grandson or a granddaughter. You're not going to have just one child anyway. In a few years, you'll definitely have both a son and a daughter, so don't worry about whether the first one is a boy or a girl."
Guan Yongying nodded slightly and said, "Well, Mom is right. I want to follow in your footsteps and have at least five children."
Changfu's mother was genuinely pleased to hear this.
When a woman is about to give birth and the pain is unbearable, many cry and swear they'll never give birth again. But her daughter-in-law, despite being in great pain, said she wanted to have at least five children. Which mother-in-law wouldn't be happy to hear that?
"Okay, I'm just glad you have this intention."
"Hiss… here it comes again!"
"Relax, it's not time to push yet. When you're ready to give birth, listen to my instructions. When I tell you to push, push hard, understand?"
"I…I know!"
As the pain in her stomach grew more intense, more than half an hour later, Guan Yongying finally gave birth to her first child under the guidance of her mother-in-law!
As the baby cried, the mother-in-law's joyful voice reached Guan Yongying's ears: "Yongying, you've done wonderfully. You've added a new member to our family!"
Hearing her mother-in-law's words, the weight in Guan Yongying's heart finally lifted.
In Bobai County, the most auspicious phrase is "adding a son and gaining wealth." There's no need to explain what "gaining wealth" means, and "adding a son" refers to giving birth to a boy, which Guan Yongying naturally understood.
Even before giving birth, Guan Yongying knew that whether the child was a boy or a girl wasn't her decision—it was determined by her husband's seed. Moreover, both her husband and mother-in-law had said they didn't care whether the first child was a boy or a girl and told her not to overthink it.
But no matter what, living in an environment where boys were favored over girls, Guan Yongying still hoped her first child would be a son, bringing honor to her husband's family.
Now that her wish had come true, Guan Yongying was naturally overjoyed.
Just as she was about to respond to her mother-in-law, a familiar sensation washed over her again. Guan Yongying's face changed, and she exclaimed, "Mom, there seems to be another one in my belly..."
(End of this chapter)