Chapter 188: Deng Changju
The next morning, Zhang Xiuping was fully bundled up and returned to the two-story building on the street.
Deng Shirong began preparing ginger wine and cooking chicken. The chickens had been bought in advance from his hometown. Every few days, he would purchase a chicken and store it in his system space. Now, he had over 20 chickens stored, all of them healthy, free-range birds raised in the countryside.
Of course, to avoid suspicion, Deng Shirong claimed he had bought the chickens from nearby rural areas.
The method of making ginger wine was simple. First, heat oil in a pan, add the chopped chicken pieces, and stir-fry until the chicken changes color. Then, add a generous amount of ginger and continue stir-frying until the aroma fills the air. Finally, pour in enough rice wine to cover the chicken and let it simmer for about half an hour.
This ginger wine became a favorite among many rural women in Bobai in later generations. Not only did they consume it during their postpartum confinement, but they would also cook a pot whenever they craved it.
In this era, however, life was generally harder for rural families. It was considered fortunate if a mother could have ginger wine once or twice during her confinement. But in later years, it became common for Bobai women to drink ginger wine daily throughout their month-long confinement.
Deng Shirong wasn't entirely sure of the specific benefits of ginger wine during confinement, but since it had been a tradition passed down through generations, he figured there must be a good reason for it. So, he prepared the ginger wine for his daughter-in-law without question.
Some mothers couldn't handle the strong alcohol content. In such cases, they would dilute the rice wine with water while cooking, making the taste milder.
After cooking the ginger wine and stir-frying a few dishes, the family sat down to eat.
Deng Shirong served Zhang Xiuping a large bowl of ginger wine and then filled another bowl, saying, "Mother-in-law, there's plenty of ginger wine in the pot. Ah Ping won't be able to finish it all. Here, have a bowl."
Mrs. Zhang waved her hands. "No, no, it's too precious to waste on me. Save it for Xiuping. If she can't finish it today, she can have it tomorrow."
Deng Shirong insisted, placing the bowl in front of her. "Don't be polite, Mother-in-law. It's meant to be eaten, not saved. As for Ah Ping, I'll cook fresh ginger wine for her every day. There's no need to save it."
Seeing the bowl in front of her, Mrs. Zhang stopped refusing. She looked at her daughter with emotion. "Xiuping, you're so lucky. When I gave birth to you and your siblings, having one or two chickens to make ginger wine during confinement was already a luxury. Now, you get to have it fresh every day. If the women in the village knew, they'd be so envious."
Zhang Xiuping smiled brightly, her happiness evident.
Deng Shirong added, "Times have changed. Life was much harder back then. When my wife gave birth to Yuntai and his siblings, we didn't have much to eat. Giving birth drains a woman's vitality, so it's crucial to eat well during confinement to recover.
We didn't have the means back then, but now our family can afford it. It's only right that Ah Ping has fresh ginger wine every day during her confinement."
Hearing this, both mother and daughter were deeply moved.
After the meal, the family discussed naming the newborn.
Deng Yuntai held his daughter, gently teasing her as he said, "Dad, why don't you give her a name?"
Deng Shirong smiled. "This is your first child. You and Ah Ping should name her."
Zhang Xiuping chimed in, "Dad, this is also your first granddaughter. It's only fitting that you name her."
Mrs. Zhang agreed. "Yes, in-laws, your children all have such good names. Why don't you pick a name for this little one too?"
Deng Shirong thought for a moment. "Alright, I'll give her a nickname. Since she was born at the start of winter, let's call her Dong'er. What do you think?"
In rural areas, it was common to give boys nicknames related to animals, often including the word "dog," such as Ergou, Sangou, or Sigou. For girls, nicknames typically followed the pattern of "XXmei," with "XX" representing their birth order. For example, Deng Yuntai's daughter would be called "Damei," and any subsequent daughters would be "Ermei," "Sanmei," and so on.
A nickname like Dong'er was quite unusual in the countryside.
Zhang Xiuping was the first to agree. "Dong'er is a lovely nickname."
Deng Yuntai smiled. "Yes, it's perfect. Little one, from now on, you'll be called Dong'er!"
Deng Yunzhen, in a playful tone, said, "Little Dong'er, your grandfather is so biased. I, your eldest aunt, don't even have a nickname. When I was little, everyone just called me 'eldest sister.'"
Deng Shirong chuckled. "What are you talking about? Not many people in the village are even qualified to call you 'eldest sister.' When you were still breastfeeding, 70% of the villagers called you 'Auntie Zhen,' and another 20% had to call you 'Auntie.'"
Deng Yunzhen sighed dramatically. "Sister-in-law, look how tragic my life is. I'm not even married yet, but I've been an 'old lady' for over a decade!"
Deng Shirong added calmly, "What do you mean 'old lady'? Those who call you 'great-aunt' are already getting married!"
Deng Yunzhen: "…"
Zhang Xiuping couldn't help but laugh. "Ah Zhen, what's so bad about that? Having a high seniority is a good thing!"
Deng Yunzhen replied gloomily, "What's good about it? You've already called me 'old.' It's like our little Dong'er, who'll instantly become an 'old lady' when she returns to the village."
Zhang Xiuping chuckled. This generational gap was indeed a bit absurd!
After the lighthearted banter, the conversation returned to naming little Dong'er.
This time, Deng Shirong stayed out of it, leaving the task to Deng Yuntai and his wife.
Mrs. Zhang, as the grandmother, naturally didn't interfere with naming her granddaughter. The same went for Deng Yunzhen, the aunt.
Deng Yuntai and Zhang Xiuping put their heads together and came up with several names for Deng Shirong to choose from.
After some consideration, Deng Shirong finally settled on the name Deng Changju. The chrysanthemum symbolizes resilience and perseverance, making it a fitting name for the newborn.
(End of this chapter)