inspire-indiana Chapter 172 A Son is Born
Chapter 172 A Son is Born
In front of the tranquil and picturesque Xinghua Village, a flock of magpies hopped merrily on an ancient and lush tree, chirping as if conveying some good news to the entire village. Passersby, hearing the melodious magpie calls, couldn't help but stop to watch and exchange jokes with each other.
“Oh my, listen to how cheerfully the magpies are chirping! Good fortune must be on their way! I wonder which family is about to have a happy occasion?” one of them asked curiously.
Just as everyone was discussing the news, a message spread like wildfire throughout the village—it turned out that the young woman living in the village, Leng, had just given birth to a healthy baby boy! This was her fourth child; after marrying into the Su family and becoming the eldest son's wife, she had given birth to two clever, lively, and adorable little boys. The arrival of this new life undoubtedly filled the family with even more joy and hope.
Upon hearing the news, the village women all looked on with envy. They hurried towards Miss Leng's house, hoping to share in the joy and see the newborn baby. When they entered Miss Leng's home, they found it filled with a warm and cozy atmosphere. Miss Leng lay quietly on the warm earthen bed, her already beautiful face now radiating a happy smile. Beside her, the little one slept peacefully, his rosy cheeks as lovely as ripe apples, making one want to gently stroke them.
At this moment, the eldest son of the Su family was busy greeting the villagers who had come to offer their congratulations. Although he was a little flustered, his eyes shone with an undisguised joy of becoming a father for the first time. Just as everyone was laughing and chatting, Granny Zhang, the most respected and oldest woman in the village, slowly walked into the house. She walked unsteadily to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and bent down to carefully examine the sleeping baby. After a moment, Granny Zhang raised her head and said to everyone with a kind face, "Look at this child! His eyes and brows clearly reveal a cleverness. In my opinion, this child will definitely achieve great things in the future!" Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, and for a moment, another round of enthusiastic praise filled the room.
The young woman said softly, "Whether he achieves great things or not, it's good that he's safe and sound." Although she said that, she couldn't help but hope that her child would bring honor to the family when he grew up.
Just as everyone was laughing and chatting, they suddenly heard the sound of gongs and drums outside. It turned out that the village chief had led some villagers over with gifts to celebrate. The village chief smiled and said, "The eldest daughter-in-law of the Su family is a hero of our Xinghua Village. Many children bring many blessings." The Su family quickly expressed their gratitude. The house and the surrounding area were filled with a joyous and lively atmosphere, and this new life brought more vitality and hope to the entire Xinghua Village.
Not long after, the village chief's wife hurried over, carrying a steaming earthenware pot. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she called out warmly, "Niece-in-law, I'm here! Look what delicious food I brought you!" With that, she gently placed the pot on the table, opened the lid, and a rich aroma immediately filled the air. It turned out that the village chief's wife had specially prepared a pot of nutritious and delicious chicken soup for Leng Gu Niang.
“My dear niece-in-law, this is an old hen I bought at the market early this morning. I simmered it over a wood fire for a full hour after I got back. This chicken soup is very nourishing. You should try it while it's hot. Giving birth is hard work, so you need to take good care of yourself!” the village chief’s wife said with concern.
Hearing this, Miss Leng felt a surge of emotion and quickly stood up, smiling as she thanked her, "Thank you, Auntie, you're so kind!" She then carefully picked up the bowl of warm chicken soup, gently blew on it, and slowly took a small sip. Instantly, the delicious flavor spread in her mouth, leaving a lingering, unforgettable taste.
Seeing the satisfied expression on the young woman's face, the village chief's wife smiled with relief and quickly asked, "How was it? Nephew's wife, was it delicious?"
Miss Leng put down her bowl, smiled, and nodded, "Yes, Auntie, this soup is absolutely delicious! The chicken is also stewed until it's incredibly tender and flavorful, melting in your mouth. This tastes amazing, much better than any chicken soup I've ever had before!"
Seeing this, a woman standing nearby also stepped forward curiously and asked, "Auntie, do you have any secrets to making this soup? Can you teach us how to make such delicious soup?"
The village chief's wife smiled slightly and generously explained the detailed steps of making the soup: "This chicken soup is actually very easy to make; even a kitchen novice can easily master it. First, we need to prepare all the ingredients. Remember, you'll need half a well-raised hen, a small handful of pre-soaked dried shiitake mushrooms, about ten fresh and sweet chestnuts, four or five bright red dates, a small handful of nourishing goji berries, and some sliced ginger. Now it's time to get started! First, chop the half hen into even small pieces and set them aside. Wait until the oil in the pot is heated..." After heating the pot, add ginger slices and sauté until fragrant. Then quickly add the chopped chicken pieces and stir-fry briefly to ensure even heating. Next, add the shiitake mushrooms, chestnuts, and other ingredients all at once, along with enough water to cover them. Remember, don't add too little water, or the soup won't be rich and flavorful enough. Cover the pot and simmer over medium heat for about half an hour. After half an hour, uncover the pot and add goji berries, red dates, and salt to taste. Finally, continue simmering for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. And there you have it, a fragrant, nutritious, and delicious chicken soup!
Hearing this, the woman's face immediately lit up with joy. Her previously tense expression relaxed instantly, becoming as radiant and beautiful as a blooming flower. She nodded repeatedly, saying, "Good, good, good! Now we finally understand completely! Oh, thank you so much, Auntie! Tomorrow, I'll definitely get up early and go to the market to carefully select a few plump, juicy old hens. Then, following the wonderful method you just taught me, I'll stew a big pot of this fragrant and delicious soup for my family, so everyone can taste this fresh and tasty treat!"
“Oh dear, there’s no need for all that trouble! Tiger’s wife in our village raises quite a few hens, why don’t you just go over and catch a few? We’re all from the same village, so they definitely won’t ask for a high price!” The village chief’s wife suggested cheerfully. The woman nodded eagerly, muttering, “Yes, yes, yes, that’s a great idea! Okay, I’ll go with you to catch a few later.”
Just then, the eldest son of the Su family, who had been standing silently to the side, suddenly bent down, carefully lifted the child in his arms, and then looked up at everyone present with a smile, saying, "Uncles, aunts, and uncles, look at this little guy, he still doesn't even have a proper name! How about this, since everyone is gathered here today, I'd like to ask you all to help me think of a good and auspicious name for our child, how about that?" Upon hearing this, everyone immediately erupted into a frenzy of activity. Some people shouted at the top of their lungs, "In my opinion, we should just name him Su Fu! What an auspicious name! It's guaranteed to bring this child a lifetime of good fortune!" Others couldn't wait to offer their own ideas: "I think Su Wang would be more suitable. It sounds so grand and also implies that the Su family will have many descendants and a prosperous future!" For a while, all sorts of suggestions came one after another, creating quite a lively atmosphere.
Miss Leng gently swayed her silky hair, shook her head slightly, and said softly, "This name... seems a bit too ordinary." Grandma Zhang, standing nearby, pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "In my opinion, how about Su Qiancheng? It implies a bright future and a promising career." Upon hearing this name, everyone's eyes lit up, and they clapped and cheered loudly.
At this moment, Miss Leng turned her gaze to her husband—the eldest son of the Su family. He scratched the back of his head, smiled憨厚ly, and said, "Hmm, this name is indeed good. It sounds pleasant and is easy to remember." Thus, after some discussion, the child's name was finally decided: Su Qiancheng.
Immediately afterwards, the woman followed the village chief's wife towards the back of the village. Before long, they arrived at Tiger's house. The yard was incredibly spacious, seemingly stretching as far as the eye could see. Upon entering the courtyard, the first thing that catches the eye is the black and white chickens, leisurely strolling and foraging for food. Not far away, a flock of colorful guinea fowl roams freely, chirping incessantly. Further in, several plump yellow-feathered chickens strut back and forth with their heads held high, while the rooster next to them occasionally raises its proud head and crows loudly. In addition, there are several large white geese in the yard. As soon as these creatures see strangers approaching, they immediately stretch their necks and start honking loudly and shrilly. Even more interestingly, a majestic yellow dog rushes over and barks incessantly at the woman and the village chief's wife, as if warning them not to trespass on its territory.
Just then, light footsteps were heard from inside the house. It turned out that Tiger's wife had heard the commotion outside and hurried out of the room. When she saw that the visitors were two women from the same village, her face immediately lit up with a bright smile, and she greeted them warmly, "Oh my, what brings you two ladies to our house? Come in, come in and sit for a while!" With that, she gestured for them to come in and led them into the house.
"No, no, we came here today to buy a few chickens. Someone in our family is currently in postpartum confinement, so we wanted to ask which type of chicken is more suitable for postpartum women?" the woman asked with a smile.
"Both black-boned chicken and yellow-feathered chicken are excellent choices! Actually, pigeon meat is also a very good tonic, but I don't raise pigeons here anymore," Tiger's wife replied to the woman's question with a smile.
Upon hearing this, the woman thought for a moment and then said, "Then let's start with a pair of three-yellow chickens."
"No problem at all. You can go to the yard and catch the chickens yourself. Catch whichever one you like," Tiger's wife replied warmly, gesturing for him to enter.
Before the words were even finished, the woman and the village chief's wife rushed into the yard, launching into a tense and exciting chicken-catching frenzy. In an instant, the entire yard erupted in chaos, chickens scattering in all directions, flapping their wings and clucking incessantly. Some flew onto the walls, some cowered in corners, and others simply burrowed into the bushes to hide. The woman and the village chief's wife, like two agile hunters, darted left and right through the yard, engaging in a fierce chase with the cunning chickens.
After some effort, the woman finally managed to catch two plump yellow-feathered chickens. She was panting heavily, but her face beamed with the joy of victory. After paying, the woman and the village chief's wife happily carried the chickens home.
On their way back, they encountered a group of mischievous children. One of the sharp-eyed children immediately spotted the plump chicken the woman was carrying, licked his lips, swallowed hard, and exclaimed, "Wow, this chicken looks so fat! It must be delicious!"
Hearing this, the woman couldn't help but laugh and scold, "You little gluttons! All you know is eating! This is for Leng, the girl who just gave birth, to help her recover, not for you to satisfy your cravings!" She then gently tapped the child who had spoken on the head. The children scattered, laughing and joking, leaving the woman and the village chief's wife chatting and laughing as they walked home.