North of Baizigou was a range of continuous mountains. The foothills were fine, but the middle was mostly hills covered in fruit trees and shrubs. Going past these hills and deeper into the mountains was incredibly dangerous.
Normally, aside from the old hunters within a ten-li radius, basically no one dared to venture into the deep mountains alone. Even for the annual group hunt, it was the old hunters who led the way.
To the west of Baizigou was a river. It was said that if a woman nearing childbirth prayed sincerely by the river, she would give birth to a son. The locals affectionately called it the Hundred Sons River.
Whether the legend was true was unsubstantiated. What was certain was that the river nourished the land and its people. In what seemed like a barren and desolate place, Baizigou had never seen anyone starve to death, even during famine years.
As her due date approached, Bai Xiulan had recently set her sights on this river. It wasn't that she believed in such legends. If they were true, she would have had a son long ago instead of being disappointed every time.
But… even though her mother-in-law never complained that she, her daughter-in-law, couldn't produce a grandson, an old woman was still an old woman—especially one whose only biological son she'd had in her entire life.
In the village, the old woman just watched as her two stepsons' families had one grandson after another. It was impossible for her not to have any feelings on the matter.
Never mind anyone else, what about herself? Even she, the daughter-in-law, had her own thoughts on the matter. Hadn't she also secretly hoped to give birth to a male heir who could support the family?
It wasn't that daughters were bad. But no matter how good a daughter was, she would eventually marry out. What decent man would be willing to marry into his wife's family as a live-in son-in-law? Besides, her eldest was already disobedient, and she couldn't bear to wrong her youngest.
Take her Changqing, for example. She was outstanding in every way. Even her teacher had said that after she graduated from high school, they should let her get a job. If they really found a live-in son-in-law for her, never mind the child's father feeling stifled, she herself wouldn't be able to stand it.
Fortunately, the heavens had been kind. After more than ten years, she was pregnant again, and with twins no less. Finally, she wouldn't have to wrong her daughter by forcing her into the role of supporting the family.
Of course, all of this was predicated on one of the babies in her belly being a boy… Bai Xiulan rubbed her high, swollen belly and glanced at her mother-in-law, who was working on the threshing ground with her great-granddaughter on her back.
She looked at the sky. The sun was high up, and it definitely wouldn't rain today. It would probably be justifiable for her to leave for a little while by herself. 'I'll just avoid people on the way,' she thought, 'and head to the river first.'
On the threshing ground, Old Mrs. Xu appeared to be working, holding a rake with both hands. From time to time, she even spared a moment to squat down and lend a hand to the old women next to her, but her mind was entirely on her daughter-in-law.
Seeing her daughter-in-law glance over again, how could she not know what she meant? Otherwise, why would she, at her advanced age, pull rank and insist on working right next to her daughter-in-law?
'Go on, just go if you want to,' she thought. 'It would have been too inappropriate earlier. Any later, and both ends of the river will be full of men and women soaking after a long day's work, not to mention those young troublemakers. She shouldn't have to get upset by a few of their words again.'
Because of all the people coming and going on the threshing ground, Old Mrs. Xu could only give her daughter-in-law a meaningful look, signaling for her to wait a bit so they could leave together. She really wasn't at ease with her daughter-in-law going near the river alone with that big belly.
Overjoyed, Bai Xiulan misunderstood her mother-in-law's intention. Seeing her mother-in-law blinking and nodding, she was so happy that she preemptively called out before leaving.
"Ma, I'm going to the latrine first. Can you watch my spot for a bit? I'll be right back. Don't come with me, I can go by myself. I'll be careful." As she spoke, she waved her right hand and turned to leave.
Old Mrs. Xu, who had been about to put down her rake and follow, froze. With her daughter-in-law saying all that, how could she follow now? Hadn't she noticed the other young, pregnant wives working nearby?
People were constantly moving about the ground, and it was the peak of the harvest season when one person was expected to do the work of two. She really couldn't just drop her work and leave. "...This child. Walk slowly, and watch your step."
"Old Sister, don't you worry. Bai has already had two; she knows to be careful. Besides, the fields are full of people along the way right now, nothing will happen."
'What do you know?' Old Mrs. Xu thought. 'Do you really think my daughter-in-law is like your daughter-in-law, popping out babies as easily as a hen lays eggs? Besides, she's not actually going straight home.'
"...Looking at her now, this pregnancy seems really different from her first two. It's definitely a boy... By the way, your Third Son's wife's belly looks like she's about to give birth, doesn't it?"
Watching her daughter-in-law's figure recede into the distance, Old Mrs. Xu nodded distractedly. "Yes. The doctor in the city said it could be as soon as the end of this month, or as late as next month."
The Old Xu Family had split up the household long ago. Back then, Old Mrs. Xu had chosen a plot of land for her biological son at the foot of Northeast Mountain, leaving the old family courtyard to the eldest Xu son, claiming it was the ancestral home and should go to the firstborn.
Compared to the old Xu family courtyard, which was conveniently next to the river for water access, this famously "good stepmother" really hadn't stuffed her biological son, Xu Laosan, with the best things when the family property was divided.
For this reason, after the family property was divided right after his marriage, Xu Lizhu, also known as Xu Laosan, who had just started working at the Linxian Coal Mine, spent his own money to dig a well for easy access to water.
Therefore, some in the village muttered about him not listening to his elders and insisting on drinking well water. After all these years, even a daughter from the Bai family, famous for bearing sons, hadn't produced a boy.
Bai Xiulan, however, held no resentment. Compared to hauling water, having a well at home was naturally more convenient. Besides, her mother-in-law had chosen the plot of land, so how could she possibly complain?
It wasn't as if she hadn't gone to the river to pray when she was about to give birth before. She remembered with her first pregnancy, she had been too embarrassed to go until her sister-in-law, who had five sons, dragged her there.
'This is just fate!' she thought. 'Otherwise, why is it that my husband's family, my own family, and even my younger sister's family all have no shortage of sons? Why is it so hard for me, Big Girl Bai, to have a son for my own man?'
In her man's words, "If it's in your destiny, it will happen eventually; if it's not, don't force it." But… 'Third Brother, I'm still going to pray for it before you come home, just to find some peace of mind.'
Bai Xiulan deliberately took a detour past the river, secretly comforting herself. 'If anyone dares to laugh at me, I'll just say I was worried about my two daughters and wanted to pass by the river to check on them.'
Her eldest… that child was simply not cut out for manual labor. She had probably snuck off somewhere again by now. And her son-in-law was the same, not even a shadow of him could be found.
Forget it!
Never mind those two good-for-nothings; even her Changqing was nowhere to be seen in the vast area, near or far. 'Where has that child gone?'
'That girl left before dawn today. I even told her she could just go help boil and deliver water, that it would be fine even if she waited for the adults to harvest a section of wheat. What was the rush?'
'But that child is just like her father. You say your piece, she does her own thing, and then just smiles and runs off. I just don't know if she has gone back to make lunch yet.'
Unable to find any of her children, Bai Xiulan looked around again. Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she quickly cupped her belly with both hands and chose an "auspicious spot" by the river.
And what a spot it was. This auspicious location was shielded by a crooked-necked green willow. If a person moved a few steps to the left, they could kneel on the ground and pray without anyone seeing them.
In her flustered state, Bai Xiulan had completely forgotten that she had come to this very "auspicious spot" on a certain day fifteen years ago to kneel, to bow, and to pray.
"Auntie! ...Eldest Aunt!..."