National Day was also in a hurry, riding his bicycle towards Zhou Family Village. It's estimated to be around seven now, and everyone in the village has gone to work. There wasn't anyone in sight along the way, except a few elderly men and women, and some little kids.
The gate to the Zhou Family Courtyard was open, and National Day pushed his bicycle inside, shouting loudly, "Grandpa, Grandma, it's Xiao Wu, are you there?"
Grandma Zhou came out to greet him. "I heard Jiao Jiao gave birth to a big healthy boy last night, is that true? Is she in good health? Your mother will have to take care of her during her postpartum period."
National Day followed Grandma Zhou into the main room where Old Sir Zhou was smoking a pipe. Seeing National Day, he nodded and motioned for him to sit down beside him.
"Grandpa, I'm here today to share the good news. Sorry for the late arrival, I just came back from the city, wanted to buy some pig trotters early to nourish her.
I bought them and came straight here, haven't been back home yet. My mother asked you and grandma to join in the celebration," National Day explained to Old Sir Zhou.
Old Sir Zhou nodded, "Okay, when you go back, take two hens and some eggs back with you. Your grandma specially raised them for Jiao Jiao's postpartum care. We'll help find other things too. Make sure the postpartum care is done well, and it's hard work for your mother this month. In the future, I will make sure Jiao Jiao is dutiful to your mother."
Grandma Zhou continued, "How much did the baby weigh at birth? Did the milk come in last night? Was the baby good at night? Jiao Jiao was very good as a child, never caused trouble at night."
Seeing the two elders' expectant faces, National Day explained to them in detail, "Jiao Jiao went into labor yesterday afternoon and gave birth after four hours, she passed out immediately. She didn't wake up until after 8 p.m., and after waking, she had a big bowl of chicken soup noodles and two eggs. The baby weighed over six pounds at birth. At first, we gave him some warm water to drink and he fell asleep, and around eight or nine when Jiao Jiao's milk came in, the baby ate and went back to sleep. He only woke up once at 2 a.m. for another feed. When I left at around 5 a.m. this morning, the two of them were still sleeping, and my mother took over to care for them."
Grandpa Zhou and Grandma Zhou were all smiles upon hearing this, and Grandma Zhou fondly recalled how good Jiao Jiao was as a child.
The elders asked in detail what had been prepared for the postpartum care, whether the baby had enough winter clothes, which were usually prepared by the maternal grandmother, Mrs. Zhou.
Now, Grandma Zhou seemed a bit embarrassed. National Day understood that it wasn't Mrs. Zhou who hadn't prepared but rather that others had intercepted them, and the two elders seemed to be kept in the dark.
However, he had no intention of bringing this to light. After all, it was the last time, and if they expected more things for his son in the future, they were dreaming. Only then did he remember he'd yet to bring up the main subject.
National Day looked at Grandpa Zhou, scratched his head, and said, "Grandpa, I want to share the good news with my maternal grandparents, mother-in-law, second uncle, and aunt. But I don't have their addresses. I want to send some things to show my appreciation.
Besides, Jiao Jiao's household registration isn't with us; without it, she won't have a ration account, and we haven't received our marriage certificate either. I want to know what Grandpa thinks?"
Before Grandpa Zhou could respond, Grandma Zhou quickly told National Day to wait while she retrieved the addresses. National Day subtly watched Grandpa Zhou's reaction from the corner of his eye.
Sure enough, Grandpa Zhou seemed to want to stop Grandma Zhou but was hesitant, likely unable to refuse in front of National Day. His face turned purplish with suppressed emotion, and he sighed before continuing to smoke his pipe.
Fortunately, Grandma Zhou was quick and soon returned with several envelopes, which she stuffed into National Day's hands. National Day chuckled to himself, thinking Grandma Zhou understood Grandpa Zhou's intentions and left him no way out.
Following Grandma Zhou's lead, he tucked the envelopes into his inner pocket. Curiously, they were empty envelopes. What did that mean? Was it something they didn't want others to see, or was it deliberate on Grandpa Zhou's part, as Jiao Jiao might have realized the truth?
After a long silence, Grandpa Zhou finally said, "Xiao Wu, when you send the package, come to my place and let me see what you're sending. If you don't have time, let your uncle go; he knows someone at the post office."
National Day secretly found it amusing—Grandpa Zhou was truly getting old. That claim about knowing someone at the post office seemed more like making sure his letters weren't intercepted.
As for Uncle Zhou, being a junior, it's not good for him to make judgments. Who knows if he's truly smart or pretending to be naive? National Day never experienced any ill will. Grandpa Zhou and Grandma Zhou came from a well-educated family; it would be unlikely for them to raise a fool. If they really were, they wouldn't favor anyone to such an extent.
National Day nodded quickly, smiled, and said, "Okay, I'll go up the mountain in a few days to see what game I can find. It'll be a nice touch to send along." Agreeing to one thing is one thing, doing it is another.
"Grandpa, you shouldn't smoke the pipe; it's bad for your health. If you want to smoke, try substituting it with sugar. Jiao Jiao is worried about your and Grandma's health. By the way, how's Grandma's health now? Has she fully recovered from the last cold? Jiao Jiao said you get rheumatism in winter, causing discomfort throughout the night. If there's anything you need, let me know, and I'll see if I can find it in the mountains."
Grandma Zhou took National Day's hands, patted them, and said, "It's no use; these are old age issues. As people get older, their bodies become weak, but I can check my own pulse. The wolf pelts you brought last time are helpful in winter. Good child, tell Jiao Jiao not to worry; her grandma isn't so easily defeated."
"Alright, I'll reassure her. When the weather's better, if you want to visit Jiao Jiao this month, send word and I'll ride my bike to pick you up. You can chat with her, and once her postpartum period is over, I'll bring her to see you."
"Haha, you child, it's just a few steps away; I can walk over at my own pace. Now that the baby is young, if you're free, help take care of him. Ensure Jiao Jiao's postpartum care is done well, as she's quite young, giving birth so early takes a toll on her body. If it were before, we could use bird's nest and Ah Jiao to nourish her," Grandma Zhou said regretfully.
National Day was elated upon hearing this. Others might not have such supplements, but he did. He happened to know experts; he wondered how skilled Jiao Jiao's medical knowledge was and if she knew how to use them.
National Day thought for a moment about how he should find an excuse to take out these things without arousing suspicion. With curiosity written on his face, he asked, "Grandma, can you tell me, where can I buy Ah Jiao and bird's nest now? Can they typically be found in the Black Market?"
Grandma Zhou shook her head, "As for bird's nest, it's so precious now that it's not available for purchase, and even if you find it, it's unaffordable. Bird's nest is mainly found in wealthy households with roots; ordinary people haven't seen it. After Jiefang's audit of landlords, even if they have it, it's not sold.
As for Ah Jiao, perhaps it can be found on the Black Market, but it's not convenient for us to buy it here. If someone goes to Shandong, they can buy good Ah Jiao there; that's where the Ah Jiao manufacturers are. If Ah Jiao is available, Jiao Jiao knows how to prepare it."
The more National Day listened, the brighter his eyes became. Even Grandpa Zhou looked at him with curiosity, surprised at how capable this young man was. He had long suspected this guy was cunning, but luckily he was genuinely caring towards Jiao Jiao.
"Grandma, you forgot that my sister-in-law's second brother works as a driver for a textile factory. I'll find him and see if there's a way. He often travels and surely knows someone who does, and perhaps we can have someone bring some from Shandong," suggested National Day.
Grandma Zhou nodded, this was a good plan. She was also happy for Jiao Jiao. "That's good. As long as she has something good to eat regularly, it's fine. Let Jiao Jiao not be picky. Her mother sends enough money every month to afford it."
"No need. I sold some wild game and have private savings. My mother told me to keep it. Taking care of Jiao Jiao is no problem. I also plan to tell my mother-in-law to stop sending money, as we've established our family. If she keeps sending money, I would feel too ashamed. Anyway, I'll go to the city in the afternoon to buy Ah Jiao," National Day revealed this intentionally, to avoid them blaming his mother-in-law later.
"Alright, you all have grown up. Talk to your mother well; she's had a tough time too."