Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

She busied herself with implementing the three things Di Yelei had once promised to do!

Repairing bridges and roads, distributing porridge and treating the sick, and setting up an academy – all of these gradually made it onto her agenda.

The matter of treating the sick and saving the dying was simply delegated to Heji Clinic, a rather easy solution. As for the repairing of bridges and roads, Di Yelei had already arranged everything before leaving, employing skilled workers with experience in bridge repair. However, there were clearly not enough people for the side tasks!

Liu Sisi thought about it and came up with a good idea!

Every time she distributed porridge and treated the sick, she would heavily publicize the bridge and road repairs! Naturally, this attracted some idle laborers and tramps to help — of course, a large number of people were attracted by the three meals per day.

For those who helped with the bridge and road repairs, Liu Sisi was naturally generous.

“Madam, just by helping with the bridge and road repairs and doing some odd jobs, these people can get three full meals a day. It’s simply a waste! It would be better to change it to two meals a day! This is a situation that many people cannot ask for, so there’s no fear that they won’t do the work,” said Granny Hu, who couldn’t help but remark as she watched the rice and grain disappearing like flowing water.

Recently, Ms. Gao had given birth to a boy, and Liu Sisi named him Le’an, following his elder brother Le Ping’s name, which is easy to remember and sounds good.

Liu Sisi thought for a moment and casually asked Shopkeeper Gu who was nearby, “How much grain do we have left? How long can we hold out with the supplies in our cellar at the current rate of consumption?”

Shopkeeper Gu from Silver Pavilion was originally from Li Sect and had been specially transferred by Liu Sisi to keep the accounts for the bridge and road repairs.

Shopkeeper Gu hesitated for a moment before clattering his abacus, “Madam, at the current rate of consumption, the supplies in our cellar can only last at most three to four months. After four months, there won’t be a single grain of rice left in the cellar.”

“Really?” Liu Sisi casually replied.

She did not tell them that there were two other cellars hidden away! The supplies in this cellar were only one-third of their total!

“Immediately purchase some more rice and grain, and buy enough for a year at the current rate of consumption. In addition, don’t just buy rice but also some coarse cereals. From now on, we will limit the supply; breakfast and dinner will be a bowl of vegetable porridge and five steamed cornbread per person, and lunch will remain unchanged. I believe everyone can still have enough to eat.”

The people who didn’t have enough to eat probably had a lot of energy, so their work efficiency might be astonishing! And if their appetite was small, they might even save quite a bit.

Granny Hu did not approve, “Madam, you haven’t seen it yet, these people not only eat themselves, but also secretly stash away food like steamed buns, buns, and cornbread to take home. This is simply taking advantage of your kindness!”

Actually, Liu Sisi had known about this for a long time.

She shook her head with a smile and instructed Shopkeeper Gu, “Just do as I said, and give the order as soon as possible.”

“Yes, Madam!”

Shopkeeper Gu hurriedly complied, turned to leave but turned back, “Madam, the price of grain on the market is much higher than before. Are we really going to buy it now? Should we wait until the fall…?”

“No need, you can go and contact people right now to see which big households have such a large supply of goods. Purchase it as soon as possible.”

If her guess was right, this year’s grain prices would not only not fall but would rise even higher.

“Yes, Madam!”

Shopkeeper Gu exited hastily.

Granny Hu still had a pained expression on her face, and couldn’t help but look at the piles of empty buckets. These buckets were originally used to hold rice, porridge, steamed buns, buns, and cornbread.

“Nanny Hu, don’t worry about the food. You should know that clear water has no fish! Some people’s husbands are working here but their wives and children are still at home, struggling to survive.” Liu Sisi knew she shouldn’t indulge them, but she couldn’t help herself.

“Alright! Since Madam is so kindhearted, I, as an old woman, will continue to work.”

Granny Hu could understand. She thought back to the days when her own family had sold themselves into servitude just for a few mouthfuls of food.

Liu Sisi’s thoughts raced, she had both expanded and repaired the bridge, so why not just expand the small wharf as well, and raise the dam below slightly? At least it could accommodate small boats, and it would be helpful to nearby families, which is what a true good deed should be.

But she couldn’t do it alone! Because if the dam was raised, the flooded area would be larger, and that would involve a lot more!

These two matters could be resolved more easily, but the most difficult was the matter of the academy!

The academy needed land and planning for its architecture. It took Liu Sisi days to finish the topographic map of the academy.

After weighing her options, Liu Sisi finally chose a piece of land near the hot spring villa. In order to obtain the land contract for this piece of land, she had gone to great lengths.

She was busy with all these things, and it seemed like she hadn’t made much progress, but in the blink of an eye, it was early June!

The drought continued!

There hadn’t been any rain since the Spring Equinox, and although the peanuts, soybeans, cotton, and sesame planted in April were in the ground, the rice that was supposed to be planted at the end of May and early June was suffering from a lack of rain. The fertile fields near the river had water for planting, but the terraced fields in higher areas could only look up and sigh.

At the moment, Liu Sisi had no interest in these matters, and her belly was as big as a ball. Her round, protruding belly was so startling that it made people feel uneasy at first glance!

She was originally busy sorting out various drawings, but her belly began to feel waves of pain one after another. At first, it was just a faint pain that she ignored. But slowly, the faint pain turned into a tearing, intense pain that almost made her unable to stand straight, holding her belly and unable to take a single step, while sweat rolled down her forehead.

“Nanny Hu, Ms. Gao…”

Liu Sisi called out, but the pain made her cry out in a groan, which was drowned out by Le’an’s loud cries.

She held her big belly and, when the wave of pain passed, walked to the doorway and called out a few more times, “Nanny Hu, Ms. Gao…”

“Oh dear! Madam, what’s the matter with you?”

Granny Hu finally heard Liu Sisi’s call and came out. As soon as she saw her appearance, Granny Hu, who had experienced childbirth, immediately understood that Sisi was starting labor! She hurriedly went forward to assist Liu Sisi to turn around.

“Madam, quickly go back to your room, lie down, and I will go call the midwife for you!”

“Someone come quick! The Madam is giving birth!”

With Granny Hu’s loud cry, the entire official residence instantly turned into chaos!