Looking into her daughter’s guileless eyes, Li Baoying felt a pang of heartache and said, "Don't go today. Come with Mom to the vegetable patch instead to pull weeds and plant more peppers. Both you and your brother love them, so let’s grow some more."
Zhang Hua agreed immediately. The child was diligent and simple-minded—an obedient, soft-hearted girl. Whenever Li Baoying thought of her youngest son’s temperament, she wondered if he had been swapped at birth. But she had given birth to him at home, alone in the bathroom, in the dead of night. She had simply gone to use the restroom, and Zhang Jinlin had arrived so unexpectedly that he had landed headfirst into the chamber pot! Out of all four of her children, he was the only one born in a chamber pot. Thinking back on it, he was certainly a lucky one.
Over at the Zhang Jiang household, Zhang Xinxin sat in the courtyard, her eyes fixed on the gate, filled with anxiety. Zhang Jiang's wife was just about to head out for chores when she noticed her daughter’s expression. She walked over and asked, "Xinxin, are you waiting for Zhang Hua?"
Chapter 19