Second Fu rubbed his hands clean and looked at his rough hands. He didn't want to hurt his daughter's soft and tender face. "Forget it, I won't touch her. I will just watch her."
It wasn't as if she was made of snow, who would melt at his touch.
If he continued being like this, how could he take care of her in the future?
Mdm Fu took his hand and gently placed her daughter's small hand on his.
The small hand moved slightly in his palm. Second Fu was so nervous that he did not dare to move. His face was tense.
The little girl smacked her lips a few times and fell asleep again.
Father and daughter were connected by heart and blood. That connection was almost palpable.
"Old woman, I have a daughter now! Our Fu family really has a little girl now." Second Fu's voice was tinged with tears.
The excitement was unconcealable.
Tears were even streaming down his face.
Mdm Fu didn't know how to comfort him.
It was indeed not easy for the Fu family to have a daughter. There had been purely sons for several generations.
As many boys as the rotten cabbages on sale in the market.
It was just like what the villagers said, others wanted it but couldn't have it, whereas their Fu family couldn't not have it.
Every single birth was a son.
It was almost like some sort of destiny that couldn't be defied.
They had been desiring a daughter for so many years.
After giving birth to Daxing and Erxing, they did not dare to try for another one.
In the blink of an eye, their two sons had grown up and married. The couple could only pin their hopes on them.
Both their daughters-in-law got pregnant quickly. However, all the grandchildren were little boys too.
Erxing's wife had merely given birth to the first one, and already bought into the belief of destiny. She refused to try for another child.
The more boys the family had, the more disappointed that felt.
Yet Mdm Fu refused to buy into this talk about destiny.
With a fierce determination to defy this destiny, she worked hard with Second Fu for a few nights in a row.
Who knew that they really overcame their destiny.
Second Fu held Mdm Fu's hands tightly and cried like a child. "Old woman, I thank you on behalf of my great-grandfather, both my grandfathers and father. I thank you on behalf of my whole family. You have made a great contribution to our Fu family."
Take his own father for example. Before his death, he was still talking about wanting to see a daughter in the family. He wasn't able to rest in peace.
Now, this unlucky destiny has finally been broken by him.
A hundred years later, he would be able to meet his old ancestors and bring them this good news.
Mdm Fu was flattered by his thanks.
In other families, giving birth to a daughter would be usually scorned upon. Yet, giving birth to a daughter here brought such glory and honor.
Mdm Fu suddenly thought of something important, "By the way, have you gone to the backyard to tell Daxing's grandma about this good news?"
Second Fu smacked his head, "My memory is truly failing me. I forgot about my own mother. I will go now."
This was such a great piece of good news. He had to bring his mother this good news as soon as possible.
If his mother knew that his wife had given birth to a daughter, her health might just improve quickly.
Second Fu smiled smugly as he took big strides.
When he walked out, Jiang Xinghua had just returned. "Daxing's wife, you take care of your mother's food first. I will bring the good news to Daxing's grandmother."
"Yes, Father. I will go now."
Though the Fu family was poor, it was fortunate that their house was big with many rooms. There was also a large piece of empty land beside them. With no money to develop the land, they used it for planting vegetables and raising livestock.
Otherwise, with the entire family being made up of males whose wives would move in after marriage, they would not have enough space for everyone.
To the Fu family, they didn't have to worry about not having a house to live in. They only had to worry about not having money to spend.
The room in the backyard was where Second Fu's mother, Old Mrs Fu, lived. She was old and in poor health, staying indoors most of the time. She liked peace and quiet.
Ever since Old Mrs Fu suffered a fall a few months ago, she had been increasingly dispirited. Recently, she has been eating less and less each day. It was as if she was counting down the days to her death.
Everyone in the village said that Old Mrs Fu was hanging on to her last breath to wait for Mdm Fu to give birth.
"Mother, Mother, my wife has given birth!." Second Fu ran over hurriedly.
In front of his mother, Second Fu, who was in his forties, still acted like a child.
In the house
Old Mrs Fu was lying on her bed. Her hair was white and her face was thin and sallow. She stared at the ceiling in a sickly manner.
Her breathing was weak.
As soon as he entered the room, an unpleasant smell attacked his nose.
Second Fu quickly opened the window to let the wind in for air circulation. He walked to the bed and rubbed his mother's hands. "Mother, my wife has given birth."
A tinge of light appeared in Old Mrs Fu's listless eyes.
She opened her mouth with some difficulty and asked, "Boy… or girl?"
It was an unnecessary question.
Her eyes dimmed again.
Needless to ask.
It was definitely a boy again.
There was nothing special about the Fu family, aside from their specialty in giving birth to only boys.
Forget it.
Such a life was too boring.
There was nothing to look forward to at all.
She should just join Second Fu's father in the underworld.
The air was getting thinner.
She slowly closed her eyes, as if she could see the Black and White Impermanences who were going to escort her spirit to the underworld. She prepared to follow them.
At this moment, Second Fu exclaimed excitedly, "It's a daughter, Mother. My wife has given birth to a daughter. You have a granddaughter now. Get well quickly and watch your granddaughter grow up."
Old Mrs Fu's pupils dilated.
Granddaughter?
A granddaughter?!
Did she hear wrongly?
Second Fu has finally brought glory to the entire family!
"Mother, my wife has given birth to a daughter. The Fu family has a little girl now. I can face my ancestors proudly now," Second Fu repeated.
It was true.
Oh my God!
She really has a granddaughter now.
No, she hasn't seen her granddaughter yet.
How could she die now?
Old Mrs Fu didn't feel like dying anymore.
She wanted to meet her granddaughter and play with her… She wanted to continue living.
This piece of good news was undoubtedly an effective heart-strengthening shot of medicine that sparked Old Mrs Fu's will to live.
With all her might, she struggled to break out of the darkness surrounding her.
She jumped off the bed in excitement.
She shouted, "I want to see my granddaughter. Nobody can escort me away."
The light which had almost dissipated from her pupils returned to their original state. Her spirit which had almost left her also came back to where it was supposed to be.
Old Mrs Fu, who seemed close to death just a second ago, was now excited and energized. Not only could she get up from her bed, but she also had the strength to get out of it.
The series of abnormalities shocked Second Fu so much that he fell off from his chair.
"Mother, don't scare me!"
Was his mother experiencing terminal lucidity?
Why was she suddenly able to sit up?
And even get out of bed?
At his age, he had seen many who have passed.
In his experience, those who suddenly acted abnormally usually meant that they had not much time left until their death.
Old Mrs Fu suddenly stood up. She hadn't stood for a long time, and her feet were limp. The world spun before her eyes, and she took a step back.
Thank goodness, thank goodness.
Her life was not over yet!
"Where are my shoes?" Old Mrs Fu was dizzy and couldn't squat down to look for them. .
"Hurry and bring my shoes."
Old Mrs Fu called out weakly. She was really thirsty.
She wanted to see her precious granddaughter.
This useless body was such a burden.
"Okay, okay, okay." Second Fu looked around and finally found the pair of shoes under the bed. He quickly helped to put them on Old Mrs Fu.
Old Mrs Fu was now sitting on a chair and gulping down a bowl of porridge.
She's starving!
She was so hungry that she felt like eating any food she laid her eyes on.
Second Fu looked at this scene with shock.
On normal days, his mother would eat at most half a bowl of porridge. She also drank very little water.
But now, in the blink of an eye, she had finished a bowl of porridge and drunk several cups of water.
It will probably happen in the next two days.
With this thought, Second Fu burst into tears.
He was about to lose his mother.
After she had gulped down the food, Old Mrs Fu could feel energy rising in her.
Yet her body still felt weak.
"Why are you crying?"
Overjoyed?
Indeed. She was, too, so happy that she wanted to cry.
She finally had a precious granddaughter.
There was finally a flower among thorns in the Fu family.
"Mother, is there anything else that you want to tell me? Is there anything you want to eat?"