https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-187-The-Third-Generation-of-the-Deng-Family-Born-/12849327/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-189-Uncle-You-re-Giving-Me-a-Favor/12849329/
Chapter 188: Settling Down in Bengbu
Chapter 188: Settling Down in Bengbu
The next morning.
Zhang Xiuping was fully dressed, wrapped up tightly, and returned to the two-story house on the street.
Deng Shirong then started preparing the chicken and ginger wine. The chicken had been bought in advance from his hometown and placed in his system space, where he had stored over twenty free-range chickens.
Of course, to avoid suspicion, Deng Shirong made a quick trip outside and claimed he had bought the chicken from a nearby village.
The recipe for ginger wine was quite simple. First, he heated oil in a pot and added the chopped chicken pieces, frying them until the meat changed color. Then, he added a generous amount of fresh ginger and continued to fry until the aroma filled the air. Next, he poured in enough rice wine to cover the chicken and cooked it for about half an hour.
This ginger wine, in the future, was a favorite among rural women in Bobai. They would cook a pot of it whenever they felt like a treat, not just during their postpartum period.
In fact, if you invited your neighbors over for a meal, they might decline, but if you offered them ginger wine, they would rarely say no. This showed just how highly regarded ginger wine was among the women in Bobai.
In this era, life was tough for most rural families, so a woman in her postpartum period might be lucky to have ginger wine once or twice. But in the future, every woman in Bobai would enjoy a continuous month of ginger wine during their postpartum period, with no interruptions.
Deng Shirong couldn’t exactly explain the specific benefits of drinking ginger wine during the postpartum period, but he knew it was a tradition passed down through generations, and there must be a good reason for it. His job was to cook it and ensure his daughter-in-law had it.
Some women found the strong alcohol taste too much, so they would add a bit of water to the rice wine to dilute it.
After cooking the ginger wine and a few side dishes, the family gathered to eat.
Deng Shirong ladled a large bowl of ginger wine for his eldest daughter-in-law and held out another large bowl, saying, "Mother-in-law, there’s plenty of ginger wine in the pot. Aiping won’t finish it all, so I’ll ladle you a bowl to try."
Zhang’s mother waved her hands, "No, no, it would be wasteful for me to eat it. Save it for Xiuping. If we don’t finish it today, we can save it for tomorrow."
Deng Shirong quickly ladled a bowl and placed it in front of his mother-in-law, smiling, "Mother-in-law, don’t be so polite. It’s all going into your stomach anyway. As for Aiping, I’ll cook fresh ginger wine for her every day, so there’s no need to save it."
Seeing the bowl of ginger wine in front of her, Zhang’s mother stopped protesting and looked at her daughter with a sigh, "Xiuping, you are so fortunate. When I gave birth to your brothers and sisters, having one or two chickens for ginger wine during my postpartum period was already a luxury. Now, you get to enjoy it every day, and it’s always fresh. If the other women in the village knew, they would be so envious!"
Zhang Xiuping smiled, and the happiness in her eyes was evident even to a blind person.
Deng Shirong said, "Times have changed. In our day, life was much harder. When my old wife gave birth to Yuntao and his siblings, there wasn’t much to eat. For women, giving birth is the most draining on one’s vitality, so it’s crucial to eat well during the postpartum period to replenish that lost energy."
In the past, such conditions didn’t exist, but now, with no shortage of food and drink, it’s essential for Ah Ping to have fresh ginger wine every day while she’s sitting the month.”
This statement brought immense joy to the Zhang family.
After dinner, as the family chatted, the topic of naming the baby came up.
Deng Yuntao, cradling his daughter, teased, “Dad, why don’t you come up with a name for this little one?”
Deng Shirong smiled, “This is your first child, so it’s best if you and your wife choose the name!”
Zhang Xiuping chimed in, “Dad, she’s also your first granddaughter, so it’s fitting for you to name her.”
Zhang’s mother added, “Yes, father-in-law, you’ve given such good names to your children. Why don’t you help name this granddaughter too?”
Deng Shirong pondered for a moment, “Alright, I’ll give her a nickname. She was born on the Start of Winter, so let’s call her Dong’er. How does that sound?”
In those times, rural people often gave boys nicknames involving animals, especially dogs, to wish them a healthy life, like Er Gou, San Gou, or Si Gou.
For girls, nicknames were usually in the format of XX Mei, where XX represented their birth order. For example, Deng Yuntao’s daughter would be called Da Mei, and future daughters would be Er Mei, San Mei, and so on.
Giving a nickname like Dong’er was quite rare in the countryside.
Zhang Xiuping was the first to agree, “Dong’er is a great nickname.”
Deng Yuntao also chuckled, “Yes, it’s a lovely name. My little girl, you’ll be called Dong’er from now on!”
Deng Yunzhen, with a hint of jealousy, said, “Little Dong’er, your grandpa is really biased. I didn’t even have a nickname; everyone just called me Da Mei when I was little.”
Deng Shirong laughed, “What are you talking about? Not many people in the village had the right to call you Da Mei. When you were still a baby, most of the village was already calling you Ah Zhen. And about two out of ten people had to call you Auntie.”
Deng Yunzhen sighed, “Sister-in-law, look at how pitiful I am. I haven’t even gotten married, and I’ve been an Auntie for over a decade!”
Deng Shirong replied calmly, “Not just an Auntie, some are even preparing to call you Great-Auntie!”
Deng Yunzhen was speechless.
Zhang Xiuping couldn’t help but giggle, “Ah Zhen, what’s so pitiful about that? Being a senior is a good thing!”
Deng Yunzhen muttered, “Good? They’re making me sound old. Just like our little Dong’er, she’ll become an Auntie the moment she returns to the village.”
Zhang Xiuping burst out laughing, realizing how absurd the family hierarchy could be!
After a bit of laughter, they returned to the topic of naming little Dong’er.
This time, Deng Shirong didn’t interfere, leaving it to Deng Yuntao and his wife to decide.
Zhang’s mother, as the grandmother, and Deng Yunzhen, as the aunt, also respected their decision and didn’t intervene.
Deng Yuntao and his wife racked their brains and came up with several names for Deng Shirong to choose from.
After careful consideration, Deng Shirong finally selected the name Deng Changju. Chrysanthemums are known for their resilience and symbolize unwavering spirit, making it a fitting name.
(End of Chapter)
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