Chapter 51 - 47: Hold Head High and Breathe Easily

Words : 2070 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 51: Chapter 47: Hold Head High and Breathe EasilyPeimin Village is the southernmost village of Lingbei Town, right next to Linghai Town where the county government is located. The Linghai people prefer to live along the river, and Ji Xiaohong’s family is no exception; they live by a small river in Peimin Sixth Team, about two hundred meters away from the main road and the team office. Rural people rarely go to the health clinic for childbirth, they used to ask for a midwife, now they ask a barefoot doctor from a neighboring team. Seeing Dr. Zhang arrive to help with the delivery, neighbors swarmed to watch the excitement, eager to find out if Ji Xiaohong would have a bouncing baby boy or a girl. But giving birth is not so easy; all they could hear was Ji Xiaohong crying out in pain from the west room, unaware of the situation inside. A group of gossip-loving women simply gathered at the Ji family’s doorway, busying themselves with needlework or knitting sweaters, listening to the movements inside the west room, and habitually criticising the Han Family People. "Why marry someone from a ship? Tell me what’s good about that Han Shen, not even coming back when Xiao Hong is giving birth." "Neither father-in-law nor mother-in-law are any good, it’s as if the childbirth has nothing to do with them!" "I told Han Zhengxian when he came to visit that this marriage shouldn’t happen. There are three hard jobs in the world: boating, iron working, and tofu grinding. Marrying his son is bound to be tough for Xiao Hong." "Probably because he’s associated with the shipping company and has a town residency." "What’s the big deal about a town residency from shipping company? It’s just boating, with no formal job arrangement, not even a house on shore." "Boating makes money." "Yes, boating makes money, but they’re more in debt. I heard their family borrowed tens of thousands to buy a boat from the credit union!" "They do have contacts ashore; as soon as Xiao Hong’s water broke, Old Ji rushed to the post and telecommunications office to call Han Shen’s sister." "The one in Binjiang?" "Mm-hm, Han Shen’s sister and her husband have good jobs." "A sister and brother-in-law having good jobs doesn’t mean Han Shen has a good job. What’s more, it’s so late; why haven’t we seen his sister and brother-in-law show up?" "If we knew it would end up like this, it would have been better if she had married my relative’s nephew. We told her, but she wouldn’t listen. This is what ’ignore the advice of elders and suffer right before your eyes’ means." ... Right when the daughter is in the midst of childbirth in the room, the most tense and painful time, these women are out here, one after another, making sarcastic remarks. Old Ji was so annoyed he itched to retaliate, but he couldn’t argue with the neighbors, so he just sat at the doorway, smoking gloomily. Mrs. Ji, being honest and sincere, didn’t know what to say, so she simply excused herself, claiming six bottles of boiling water might not be enough, and went back to the kitchen to boil more water. The women were really getting into their gossip when a child suddenly ran over shouting, "There’s a car, a car has arrived at the team office!" That side of the team office was along a big road, not a highway. Usually, even a motorcycle was a rare sight, let alone a car. A few women thought seeing a car was more interesting than waiting for Ji Xiaohong to give birth, so they stood up in unison, slinging their bags of wool and shoe soles over their shoulders, ready to see what was going on. They had barely stepped down the path when a teenager, laden with big and small packages, approached from the opposite direction, followed by a police officer in uniform, seemingly carrying a large plastic bucket. The kids, sharp-eyed and thrilled, said, "That car must be theirs; I saw them get out of it." "A Police Bureau’s car..." "What would the Police Bureau want here?" "Must be looking for Director Yang, Xiao Quan, go quick and call Director Yang!" "Okay." Director Yang lived in the sixth house behind; a few kids dashed to his house. Director Yang was just winnowing rice at home. Hearing the kids, he quickly washed his hands and ran over. Reaching the road, he was startled to see a familiar face coming towards him. "Director Xu, what brings you to our neck of the woods?" "Oh, Old Yang, you are here too?" "I live here." "Is that so? What a coincidence." Director Yang looked at the plastic bucket in his hand, then back at the boy who was walking towards the Ji family, and asked in confusion, "Director Xu, what are you doing here?" "Bringing postnatal gifts." To run into acquaintances all the way here pleased Xu Sanye, who, while walking towards Ji Family’s house, explained with a smile, "Our station’s civilian police, Xiao Han’s sister-in-law is giving birth; too many things for him to carry alone, I happen to be on my way to the Agricultural Bureau, so I gave him a lift." Director Yang glanced at Han Yu who had reached Ji Family’s doorstep, somewhat skeptical, "That young man is a policeman from your station?" "Yes, he graduated from secondary professional school and has just been assigned to our station this year." S~eaʀᴄh the NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "And Xiao Hong is his sister-in-law?" "You don’t know?" "Truly, I had no idea." "Old Yang, what kind of director are you? You’re neighbors with them and you don’t even know about these basic things." "I’ve been busy; I just finished urging the delivery of public grain and had to collect more. I was so busy that I haven’t even winnowed my own rice until today." Finally, someone from the Han family has come. Han San is now police, and even their station’s leader has arrived! Old Ji was just recently uncomfortable because people made snide remarks and laughed at his family for having a son-in-law who worked on a ship, but now he genuinely felt a sense of relief and pride. He didn’t know how to greet Director Xu, having only a half-pack of the cheapest cigarettes in his pocket, which he felt too embarrassed to offer, leaving him at a loss for what to do. Mrs. Ji felt honored and shouted excitedly from the cement window on the west side of the house: "Xiao Hong, San’er is here, San’er brought a lot of stuff, and came in a Police Bureau’s car!" "Big sister, I live closer so I arrived first. Brother-in-law and sister live further away; they might take a while longer to get here." "Oh..." "Don’t talk, you... your husband, I won’t leave, I’ll be right at the door." Han Yu really wanted to tell his sister-in-law to "hang in there," but thinking it might be inappropriate, he could only scratch his neck and return to Director Xu’s side. Ji Xiaohong had been not only sweating profusely from pain but also felt incredibly uncomfortable in her heart due to the gossiping aunties outside, feeling incredibly aggrieved, with tears mingling with sweat rolling down. Hearing her brother-in-law’s voice, she instantly felt much better. She really wanted to talk to him, but she was totally exhausted and couldn’t speak. Xu Sanye glanced at the Ji family’s house and knew they were just an ordinary family. Having already delivered Little Salted Fish to the doorstep, he wasn’t in a hurry to leave. He pulled out a cigarette, offered one to Mr. Ji with a smile, and asked, "Old Ji, how many kids do you have?" "Two, and another son." "How old is your son this year, and is he married?" "My son is nineteen, not married yet. Xiao Hong looks after the child on land, he works on the boat assisting Han Shen." "Not easy, it’s not easy being a father like you." "It’s nothing difficult, Director Xu, please have a seat, I’ll go fetch some water." "Don’t bother, I’ll be on my way after a short chat." Xu Sanye lit his cigarette and inquired further: "Who’s delivering the baby?" Seeing Old Ji a little tense, Secretary Yang quickly said, "Dr. Zhang from East Guang Clinic." Lingbei Town was right next to the county, and Xu Sanye was quite familiar with the situation in all the villages of Lingbei Town. Knowing that the delivery was being handled by an old acquaintance, he called out, "Dr. Zhang, it’s Xu Sanye here, are you inside?" "Captain Xu, I heard you talking outside earlier, but I can’t be bothered right now." "I haven’t been the Criminal Investigation Captain for quite a while, now I’m the Director. Xiao Ji is our police’s relative, I entrust everything to you, make sure both mother and child are safe." "There’s no need to talk about trust, I’m here, and you can rest assured." Director Xu sure knew his way around; not only did he know the village secretary, but he also knew the doctor assisting with the birth. Han Yu was both surprised and grateful, quickly saying, "Director Xu, you still have business at the Agricultural Bureau to attend to, why don’t you go ahead with your work?" "Alright, I’ll head out first, call the station if anything comes up." Xu Sanye patted his arm, then turned back with a smile to say, "Old Ji, congratulations, you’re about to be a grandfather. Secretary Yang, I have to go now, I’ll come find you for a drink when I’m not so busy." So that’s Xu Sanye! Old Ji finally regathered his wits, staring at Xu Sanye, dumbfounded and too frightened to speak. A man’s reputation precedes him. In the county and its surrounding towns, who hasn’t heard of Xu Sanye; who wouldn’t fear him, his name itself enough to scare disobedient children. Secretary Yang understood how shocking Xu Sanye’s visit was for Comrade Old Ji, and quickly said with a smile, "Director Xu, let me see you out." "No need to send me off, aren’t you busy with the rice? We’ll catch up another day." "Director Xu, I’m free, let me accompany you." "Salted Fish, you don’t need to come either, just sit at the door and chat with your sister-in-law, she needs encouragement the most right now." "Yes." "I’m off then." Xu Sanye waved his hand, and as he walked a few steps away, he noticed a group of women gossiping near the Ji family’s home and glanced back at the mixed expressions of the elderly Ji couple. Thinking of Salted Fish’s sister-in-law giving birth, and both his parents and brother nowhere to be seen, he was almost certain that these women who loved to talk weren’t just here for the excitement. His eyebrows furrowed, and his tone stern: "Inside they’re tending to the child; right now, silence is needed most. You’ve all given birth before, what’s there to gawk at?" Other police might be afraid to deal with the troublesome gossiping women, but not Xu Sanye. No matter how difficult the person, he had a way to deal with them. Secretary Yang didn’t want his arrival to put the village on edge, so he quickly said: "Everyone disperse, you all have your own homes to be at, don’t disturb Xiao Hong’s childbirth here." "Did you hear that, or do I need to say it again?" "Oh, I’m leaving." "I’m off, I’m off, I need to go collect the laundry." ... Anyone of age here would have heard of Xu Sanye. Now that they saw him in person, who would dare to confront him, who would dare to disobey his words. Seeing those women who always spoke ill scuttling away, Old Ji felt a surge of relief, as though the whole world had quieted down, and he felt a great sense of pride. Mrs. Ji also smiled, following Han Yu to see Xu Sanye off all the way to the crossroads. ... PS: Back then, the system had just changed from communes. The locals were used to calling a group of villagers a "team" and the village a "big team," and in our hometown, it’s still the case to this day.

Chapter 51 - 47: Hold Head High and Breathe Easily

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