The eldest daughter-in-law is about to give birth.
Old Lady Su's eyes were welled up with tears in anxiety.
"Goddess, we must have a granddaughter this time!"
"Our boys are too 'yang', this won't do!"
Her fellow disciples had told her that her family's poverty was due to an abundance of boys. If there were a daughter, the family's fortune would turn around.
Since then, she had been hoping every single day for a daughter to be born into the family, a wish she carried for thirteen years!
From the eldest to the fifth, all their children were boys. If it had been any other family, they would have been overjoyed.
But she couldn't muster any joy because life in the house became harder and harder until they were the poorest family in the entire village.
Not just poor, there were always people falling sick or getting injured at home. Her hair had turned white from worry.
Facing the idol of the goddess she worshipped at home, she sincerely kowtowed several times.
At this moment, her second daughter-in-law, Pan Mudan, called out from the door, "Mother, the midwife is here. Do you want to take a look?"
Old Lady Su glared at her coldly, "Get out! Who let you in? If you disturb the goddess, I won't spare you!"
Pan Mudan, terrified, ran off. Old Lady Su continued her incantations, "Oh, Goddess, if a granddaughter is born, I will have her recognize you as her godmother."
As soon as her words left her mouth, she saw that the three incenses had turned into one long stick in the middle and two short ones on both sides.
Old Lady Su hastily kowtowed several more times. Has the goddess agreed?
Approximately half an hour later, it got lively in the next room, "It's born! It's born!"
Old Mrs. Su rushed over in a hurry, startling the midwife.
The midwife was mumbling in her heart: Old Mrs. Su, who's famously stingy. All her eight sons were brought into the world by me, giving me just a trifle each time. Now, it's a girl. She probably won't even give me a nickel.
Old Mrs. Su’s eyes were stretched wide open, staring at the newborn baby. Her voice began to tremble, “Is the baby a boy or a girl?”
Pan Mudan was overjoyed in her heart. People in the village all prefer boys! Now, it’s going to be a good show.
Pan Mudan chuckled coldly, "Mother, it's a girl. Should we abandon her in the mountain? To save future troubles..."
"What are you talking about?" Old Mrs. Su's voice was frighteningly loud.
Pan Mudan became even more delighted, thinking that Old Mrs. Su was furious.
Just at that moment, the girl in the midwife’s arms suddenly burst into tears, the cry so loud that it could lift the roof off. Yao Zhi, Old Mrs. Su’s eldest daughter-in-law, looked up at the sky with tears brimming, feeling unbearable anguish.
In this family, Yao Zhi always had little status. Now with the addition of a girl, she thought that Old Mrs. Su would definitely rage, which made her feel utterly hopeless.
Yao Zhi quickly looked at Old Mrs Su, her voice verging on a sob, "Mother, can we not abandon her? She's a life too!"
Though Old Mrs. Su’s face was expressionless, her heart was actually brimming with joy. She carefully took the little girl from the midwife's arms. Then taking two dimes from her pocket, she handed them to the midwife, "Sister-in-law, accept this small token of gratitude and buy yourself some wine."
The midwife was a distant relative of the Su family. She was a bit puzzled at this moment and didn't know what to say. Accepting the money, she kindly reminded Old Mrs. Su, "Mrs. Su, this is a girl. It's going to cost a lot in the future."
Looking at the little girl, Old Mrs. Su’s gaze was exceptionally tender. She declared firmly, "What's wrong with a girl? If anyone calls her a loss, I'll be angry. She is our Su family's treasure."
Seeing Old Mrs. Su's resolute gaze, the midwife's heart pounded, and she hurriedly left.
The midwife jogged all the way, shouting loudly as she reached the field: "Su Long, your eldest daughter-in-law has given birth! It's a girl! Your family, oh my, you'd better go home and check..."
Upon hearing this, Su Long was so startled that he dropped his hoe. He looked at the midwife and anxiously asked, "Auntie, what's the matter? Are we going to give the girl away? Oh dear, my wife is so muddled!"
Su Long stomped his feet in anger. His wife always had the final say in the Su family, and he was also anxious in his heart, afraid that the old lady would impulsively discard the child.
His eldest son, Su Dalang, asked tearfully: "Dad, what should we do now? What should we do?"
Su Long kicked Su Dalang in the butt and roared, "Aren't you a man? Hurry home and kneel to your mother! If you're any later, I'm afraid we can't save the little girl...
The midwife wanted to say something, but who was paying attention to her now?
Su Long didn't even bother to work the land, and ran straight home.
Su Dalang sprinted all the way home, tripped over and fell, but unexpectedly found a shiny peanut on the ground. He quickly stowed the peanut in his pocket, then continued to dash home.
As soon as he stepped inside the house, he immediately knelt on the ground, followed by a few other sons of the Su family, all kneeling in a row, none daring to breathe aloud.
Su Dalang, with a sobbing tone, pleaded: "Mother, you can't give this child away!"
The old Su tightly held the newly born little girl. She had already made her quiet, but the noise the men were making made the little girl start crying again.
The old Su angrily scolded: "Nonsense! When did I say I was going to sell my child? I can't love her enough! If you continue this noise, I will kick you all out..."
Everyone froze, this was not what they had heard.
The old Su grumbled discontentedly: "A bunch of useless things! Go wash up, don't make my little Precious stink."
Little Precious opened her eyes in the arms of the old Su. Her vision was still blurry, and she could only faintly hear the surrounding voices.
Puzzled, she thought to herself, 'Where am I? Wasn't I terribly ill and on the brink of death?'
Suddenly, she heard Madam Su's voice say, "Ruibao is hungry. Feed her with your milk, be gentle and hold your hand like this..."
After a while, the woman feeding the baby began to sob, "Mother, I feel I don't have any milk left... The baby isn't feeding..."
Madam Su, growing increasingly impatient, scolded her sternly, "Useless! What's the point of having you around? Daughter-in-law of my second son, get in here now."
"Why are you calling me, Mom? Are you asking me to find Aunt Yao?"
Aunt Yao was famously known in their village as a "kidnapper," who sold children for her living.
Furious, Madam Su marched over and slapped her on the head, rebuking, "Nonsense! What on earth would I need Aunt Yao for? Listen to me all, from now on, Ruibao is the darling of our house. Anyone who dares neglect her, I'll make sure they pay for it..."
Everyone present was stunned and thought they heard wrong. Su Long, with disbelief written all over his face, stuttered at Madam Su, "Granny..what..what's gotten into you? Are you delirious from a fever?"
In those days, every household desired a son.
Despite the Su family's modest finances, they held their heads high in the village for having eight sons.
In front of everyone's astonished gazes, Madam Su calmly ordered, "Second son's family, go, slaughter the chicken in our yard and make some chicken soup..."
Pan Moudan, standing at the kitchen entrance, was slightly stunned as she replayed that order in her mind. Slaughter a chicken? It's not New Year or any festival, and that chicken lays eggs!
Madam Su had always considered those egg-laying chickens as her little treasures, personally collecting each egg every day. Yet, she was now unexpectedly ordering her to kill one.
In the Su residence, no one dared to defy Madam Su's orders.
Everyone paused in astonishment at Madam Su's words. Was she really going to raise this girl as a treasure?
