Jiang Ruyu looked at Zhao Sufeng's confused face and felt sorry for her. Zhao Sufeng used to be such a lively and optimistic person. She came from a well-off family. Her two older brothers were already married and had jobs, and they were several years older than her. She was the only girl in the family, and the whole family doted on her.

When she reached marriageable age, her parents and relatives introduced her to potential partners from well-off families, like this Wenchuan. He was a key technical worker in the factory, and his family were all employees. She had never suffered any hardship or injustice in her life, but unexpectedly, she encountered such a thing right after getting married.

She is an innocent and naive person with a good relationship with her boyfriend. His death was already enough to make her sad for a while, but now she knows that she is pregnant with his child. Her family is also advising her to have an abortion. What she can't accept is the condemnation from her conscience and morality.

She knew her parents meant well, but she couldn't bear to part with that person whenever she thought of him.

What could Jiang Ruyu say? "Su Fen, have you thought about how you'll raise him after you give birth to him? Will you rely on yourself, your parents, or your in-laws?"

Zhao Sufeng thought about Jiang Ruyi's question for a moment. Her parents loved her very much, but her two older brothers each had two children, and they were getting old and had no time to take care of her.

As for her in-laws, if she told them she was pregnant now, they would definitely beg her to keep the baby. However, they are not young anymore, and they have other sons and grandchildren. How much would they care about this grandchild in her belly whose gender she doesn't know?

The reason they let me leave so readily was because they were afraid I would fight them for the factory's compensation. Now that I'm pregnant, they're probably more worried than happy. People are pragmatic, after all. In the end, they'll definitely get the lion's share of the factory's compensation. They probably wish they hadn't gotten pregnant.

Seeing her so conflicted, Jiang Ruyu sighed and asked, "Have you thought about who will take care of this child after you give birth? How will you cover the living expenses? Our jobs are very good, but you'll have to work and raise a child at the same time. It's so hard. Can you really handle it? Also, will you get married in the future?"

When Jiang Ruyu bombarded Zhao Sufeng with these questions, it was as if her mind had been struck by lightning. Yes, she didn't have much savings, her salary wasn't high, and her parents couldn't take care of her child forever. As for the child's grandparents, they had other grandchildren to take care of. Could she really raise the child well on her own?

Most importantly, can she really raise her child alone without getting married again? If she can't stand it and remarries, then she'll have to have another child. What's the point of having that child in the first place?

Various complex questions filled her mind. Jiang Ruyu hugged her and said, "Sufeng, don't be too hard on yourself. We only have one life. Think about it carefully. What kind of life do you want? Don't be bound by invisible shackles. Your aunt and uncle are definitely no less sad than you. Everything they do is for you to have a better life in the future."

Under Jiang Ruyu's comforting words, Zhao Sufeng broke down in tears while hugging her. After a long while, her voice became hoarse: "I'm sorry, Ruyu, but I also want to thank you. You were willing to listen to what I had to say and to advise me. I know you don't like to meddle in other people's business, but you still spoke up. Maybe I already had a decision in my heart, but I just needed someone to give me a push. Thank you, and I'm sorry."

Jiang Ruyu sighed: "Don't say such things. Live well and take care of yourself. I still prefer the energetic Zhao Sufeng from before."

In the end, Jiang Ruyu was worried about her and sent her back. When Zhao's mother got home and didn't see her daughter, she was extremely anxious. As soon as she saw her, she couldn't help but yell, "Zhao Sufeng, can't you give your mother a break? You're such a grown woman, and you just left quietly. Do you know how worried your family will be?"

"Mom, I'm sorry for making you worry. I've thought it through. You and Dad are both doing this for my own good. It was my ignorance that caused you trouble."

Zhao Sufeng's words made Zhao's mother's eyes widen, and her eyes, which were filled with anger and worry, instantly filled with tears: "My son, you have broken your mother's heart. My good daughter, it's all my fault."

Jiang Ruyu felt bad seeing the mother and daughter like this. She silently withdrew and closed the courtyard gate behind her. Fortunately, her house was a detached house with a courtyard, so there weren't many busybodies coming to watch the commotion.

Zhao's mother held her daughter and cried. Zhao Sufeng's pregnancy was already not going well, and she had been emotionally agitated and somewhat depressed lately, which caused her to show signs of threatened miscarriage. This was why Zhao's mother insisted that her daughter have an abortion.

This baby came at such an inopportune time, and my daughter looks so unwell. Pregnant women are already sensitive, and I'm worried that the baby might not be healthy enough and that it will cause even more problems later.

Now that her daughter had finally agreed, Zhao's mother breathed a sigh of relief, but was also a little curious about who had convinced her daughter to agree: "Did you tell anyone about this? Can you tell others about something like this? Are you out of your mind?"

Zhao Sufeng said in a hoarse voice, "Mom, don't worry. Ruyu is very tight-lipped and doesn't like to talk about other people's faults. It was only after she asked me a few questions that I realized that this child and I really don't have a deep connection. I don't have the ability to raise her on my own, and I can't keep dragging you down like this. If I make my older brothers angry and upset, I will be a sinner in our family."

Looking at her daughter who had suddenly grown up and become sensible, Zhao's mother felt as if she had swallowed several pounds of bitter herbs. Her daughter had grown up so smoothly, but she never expected that she would suffer such a big setback in marriage.

The next day, Zhao's mother took her daughter to the hospital and found the same female doctor from the previous day. It was the most convenient and efficient way to get things done without bothering two doctors. She also got a note from the department store manager. Fortunately, her husband, Zhao, had some connections, otherwise, things would have been much more difficult to handle.

Zhao Sufeng's family arranged another month of leave for her. Everyone at her workplace knew about her situation, and most people sighed with pity, lamenting her bad luck. Some, however, couldn't stand seeing others do well and said she was unlucky and had a tough life.

After Jiang Ruyu overheard this a few times, she directly said, "These are old feudal ideas that need to be reformed."

Those who said these things naturally knew they couldn't say them openly. Jiang Ruyu, who was close to Zhao Sufang, overheard them and criticized them, so they felt guilty and dared not say anything.

Jiang Ruyu snorted, glanced at them, and turned to leave, leaving the two of them muttering awkwardly, "Trying to make yourself look good by catching a mouse like a dog."

"Stop talking, it's because they're good at it."

On the eighth day of the second lunar month, several people in military uniforms came to the Jiang family's courtyard. They specifically asked to see members of the Jiang family, and Jiang Ruyu, who was at work, was called back.

"Don't be nervous. We are from the armed forces department of our district, responsible for conscription. We are here for your family's conscription quota. Someone in your family should be old enough to enlist this year."