The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 493 - 464 One Pregnancy After Another_1

Chapter 493: Chapter 464 One Pregnancy After Another_1

Wang Shuping had heard her husband say more than once that soaking in the hot spring was very comfortable.

"Agreed!" said Wang Shuping. Every time her husband returned from a soak, he slept exceptionally well, so she believed it was beneficial for people.

He Jingyu’s sleep was very light, and he often suffered from insomnia, barely sleeping four hours a night, which made him feel tired during the day.

After soaking in the hot spring, her husband’s sleep quality had improved, and he was more energetic during the day.

"Alright, if you all agree, I’ll go and apply with the village committee," Zhao Dajiao said with a smile. With this matter sorted, everyone would be able to wash off the dirt on their bodies sooner.

So, thanks to Zhao Dajiao’s efforts, a big pool was dug on the other side of the graves.

But women, being more particular than men, had everything enclosed to maintain privacy.

Even though the east and west sides were several hundred meters apart, it wouldn’t be good if some hooligan secretly watched from nearby.

With these two large hot spring pools, people came every day carrying wooden tubs with clothes inside to bathe.

Those who had relatives in Qijia Village came especially to soak in the hot springs.

A cold winter, moistened by the hot springs, didn’t feel as chilly as usual.

Thanks to the hot springs, the peach trees in Peach Orchard had blossomed a month earlier than the previous years, and there were more flowers than before.

He Jingyu predicted a bumper harvest this year!

The peach trees on the barren hill were also growing well. Some of the healthier trees even bloomed, with bees buzzing and flying among them. This year they could collect even more peach blossom honey.

Apart from the crops in the fields, the thriving peach trees on the hills were another cause for celebration in Qijia Village.

Nearly every newlywed young wife in the village was pregnant, as were several older women who had already had quite a few children.

Yet, there were also those who were older, in their forties, even with grandchildren, who found themselves unexpectedly pregnant, and there were quite a few of them.

Zhao Dajiao, the Women’s Director of Qijia Village, was one of them. What made Zhao Dajiao particularly embarrassed was that her daughter-in-law, Yang Xiuxiu, was also pregnant.

Now, with a grandchild just over a year old, it was somewhat awkward for the grandmother and mother to be pregnant simultaneously—it wouldn’t sound good if word got out.

However, Zhao Dajiao’s husband, Qi Shumu, was very pleased; it proved he was still full of vigor.

Moreover, having lost two children when they were young and only managing to save Qi Ergou, the fact that he now not only had a grandson but was also about to gain a son or daughter was a dream come true.

With enough food in the house and the prospect of many children bringing good fortune, times were indeed good.

Liang Hongyu, having nothing to do, treated it as a joke.

Wang Shuping found it amusing on the surface, but deep down, she was a little disappointed—she had soaked in the hot springs many times with Old He and they had tried to conceive, but why hadn’t she gotten pregnant?

Having only one child, Tiantian was too lonely.

Tiantian was still young and couldn’t feel it now, but once she reached the age of He Jingyu, being an only child, she would not only be lonely but also have no one to consult in times of trouble.

The old and young masters of Qijia Village were elated, but Village Chief Qi was at his wit’s end.

Village Chief Qi looked at the list of registrations, and on closer inspection, there were a whopping fifty-one women pregnant. Nearly all of them were women labor force who did full workshares.

Being pregnant, they could no longer work as before.

"Take a look, how should we allocate this year’s farm work?" Village Chief Qi asked. With so many laborers absent, the village had tight workloads!

Qi Shuming chuckled, "Big Brother Dazhu, there are so many pregnant women in the village. Let’s assign them lighter tasks and have the men do more. We can’t expect pregnant women to do the same work as men, can we?"

Mentioning pregnancy, Zhao Dajiao’s face showed a hint of embarrassment.

Seeing the opportunity to tease Zhao Dajiao, Qi Shuli certainly wouldn’t pass up the chance and said with a chuckle, "Big Foot, what’s there to be embarrassed about, when the time comes, it’ll be easier to take care of grandsons and sons together."

Hearing Qi Shuli’s teasing words, Zhao Dajiao cursed with a laugh, "Getting pregnant is a good thing; it proves your Wood Brother is impressive. You’re capable, then get your wife pregnant too!"

Zhao Dajiao’s words were harsh and vicious!

However, Qi Shuli’s tone sounded like he was joking, and so did Zhao Dajiao, tit for tat!

Not having a son was a lifelong pain for Qi Shuli!

Qi Shumu was the same age as Qi Shuli. While others could get their wives pregnant, he couldn’t. It was clear he was all bark and no bite!

"Big Foot, you’re pregnant now, and you still don’t watch your mouth!" Qi Shuli said irritably, "That year I got frozen, I wasn’t in good health, you all know that! Luckily, my eldest daughter is living up to expectations and got pregnant too. I, Qi Shuli, am also going to have a grandson."

Village Chief Qi chuckled on the side and said, "I wish you the joy of holding two grandchildren in three years!"

"Thanks a lot." Qi Shuli bowed with his hands together, though there were private squabbles, Qi Shuli, Secretary Qi didn’t truly come to blows, so they could still crack a few jokes in everyday interactions.

The village arranged work for the pregnant women; they didn’t go to the fields but did some odd jobs above and received half the work points. Although the work points were less, the grain and money they received were not insignificant.

Because for pregnant women, the village had additional rewards.

Many hands make light work; the village gave some awards to the pregnant women to boost their nutrition.

Although at that time nutrition wasn’t much to speak of, it still allowed the pregnant women to eat their fill.

By summer, the hot springs in the hills behind had all turned icy cold.

Warm in winter and cool in summer!

In the hottest days of summer, He Jingyu, who was watching over the peaches inside the wooden house, also felt very cool.

In fall, this year’s peach trees yielded twenty-six thousand jin. The peach orchard in the barren hills also bore some fruit, but because the trees were young, their appearance and taste were not as good as the peaches from Peach Orchard. Unable to fetch a good price, they were distributed to the villagers to eat, with each household getting a dozen or so.

After winter arrived, the busiest person was Wang Shuilian.

Today, this family gives birth, they have to call Wang Shuilian; tomorrow, that family gives birth, they also have to call Wang Shuilian...

Because there were more families giving birth in Qijia Village this year than in previous years, and the villagers of Qijia Village had money in hand, Wang Shuilian quickly became the wealthiest person in Hujia Village.

And that wasn’t the most surprising thing. Even stranger events occurred.

"Secretary Qi, my daughter-in-law gave birth to two chubby boys."

"Secretary Qi, my son’s wife gave birth to two little girls."

"Oh my, my daughter-in-law gave birth to twins of mixed sex!"

Out of ten pregnant women, seven or eight had twins, and most of the young daughters-in-law gave birth to twins; older women gave birth to one.

For example, Zhao Dajiao had a daughter, Zhao Dajiao’s daughter-in-law had twin boys, and adding the eldest son who was in college, Qi Ergou was already the dad of three boys.

Zhao Dajiao was in confinement, so was Yang Xiuxiu. Qi Shumu could take care of his daughter-in-law but it wasn’t convenient to look after his son’s wife Yang Xiuxiu, and his son hadn’t graduated and had no time to come back. So, Zhao Dajiao and her husband discussed it and sent Qi Shumu with generous gifts to bring Yang Xiuxiu’s mother over to help her daughter-in-law with the confinement.

This situation was not uncommon in Qijia Village.

Village Chief Qi was initially delighted to hear about the twins and twins of mixed sex, but by the end of the year, when he did the math, he was stunned.

Before spring plowing, of the fifty-one pregnant women surveyed, eighty-six children were born: forty-two boys and forty-four girls.

When Village Chief Qi took the household registration book to Niu Peng to register the newborns, it caused a sensation!