"Something happened in the Fourth Branch?" Xie Xinlian blinked in surprise. "We are separate households now. If they have trouble, Uncle should handle it himself. It has nothing to do with us. Besides, what happened to Xiangyao?"
"It’s a big problem," Zheng Xiangju said seriously.
Zheng Xiangju explained the situation. Xie Xinlian understood immediately. If Zhu Yanyi knew about this, she would just say, "Dad got herself into trouble." In modern times, this wouldn’t be a big deal. But right now, it was very serious. Zhang Qiaolian was pregnant.
After Xie Xinlian gave birth to Zhu Zhibin, Zhang Qiaolian had always wanted another child. But they were busy building houses and other things, so they delayed. By the time they had free time, the strict family planning policy had started. In rural areas today, having no sons meant your family line would end. When Zhu Shunyao was still living in the Fourth Branch and didn’t know her true identity, Gan Juhua often scolded Xie Xinlian for having only two daughters. She even called Zhu Shunyao a "dead end" with no male heir. But now, just a few years later, Zhu Shunyao wasn’t the "dead end." Instead, Zhu Xiangyao had become the one without a son.
Zhu Xiangyao had tried many ways to have another child. For ordinary families, they could just hide the pregnancy, give birth, and pay a fine. But Zhu Xiangyao was different. He was a Party member. He had to follow national policies strictly and lead by example.
However, Zhu Guifu, the ancestor of the Fourth Branch, wanted to keep this baby. Zhu Xiangyao only had one daughter and no son. Deep down, Zhu Xiangyao also wanted to keep the child, hoping it would be a boy so he would have a male heir. Even though he had served in the army, his family still valued boys over girls. He was no exception.
But this put Zhu Xiangyao’s job at risk. After retiring from the army, he worked in the patrol team and then at the local police station. After five years, he was now a small team leader. He ate from the public bowl, which was a rare and stable job in the village. If he insisted on having this child, even if Zhang Qiaolian avoided forced abortion and gave birth successfully, Zhu Xiangyao would definitely lose his job.
"Just wait and see. Once you return, they will definitely ask your family for help," Zheng Xiangju predicted.
Xie Xinlian frowned slightly. "Our family can’t help with this. We have no power or influence. Besides, family planning is a national policy. I was lucky when I gave birth to Doumiao. If it were today, I couldn’t do it either. Ordinary people like me wouldn’t dare do this. If officials do it, I’m actually impressed by their family."
Zheng Xiangju laughed. "You’re being silly. Throughout history, there has never been something ordinary people can do that officials can’t."
Xie Xinlian had learned a lot recently. Hearing Zheng Xiangju’s words, she smiled too. "Sister Xiangju, you’re right. I was silly." Then she said, "I won’t talk more. I need to go to Aunt Qiao’s house. I’ll go back now. As for this matter, even if they ask our family to come back, it won’t help."
Although Xie Xinlian had seen more of the world, her nature remained unchanged. She never wanted to get involved in messy affairs and had no greedy thoughts. That was her characteristic.