Chapter 76 Those unfounded speculations, the Fu family listened…

Fu Ci sat down and naturally picked up the bowl and chopsticks that Tang Mingli had been using. He then filled a bowl with some soft instant noodles for himself and began to savor them.

The noodles had been soaked for a while and were a bit too soft, but the thought that my wife had cooked them herself made my taste buds automatically give in.

No one present thought there was anything wrong with Fu Ci using Tang Mingli's bowl and chopsticks; only she herself felt her face slightly flushed.

We've been married for several years and have engaged in more intimate acts, so there's nothing to be embarrassed about.

However, intimate behaviors such as drinking from someone else's cup, using someone else's bowl or chopsticks, or eating someone else's leftovers are different from other intimate behaviors.

Physical touch can be described as a physiological act that outweighs psychological one. But such intimate gestures must stem from genuine affection for the person to be able to act without reservation.

Therefore, Fu Ci's natural use of the bowls and chopsticks she had used was no less than a silent confession.

To conceal her slight emotional fluctuation, Tang Mingli deliberately started a conversation, asking Fu Ci, "Want to have a drink?"

Before Fu Ci could answer, his excited mother urged him, "Have a drink. A mouthful of piping hot instant noodles, a sip of ice-cold beer, it's so refreshing!"

"That was awesome!" was the phrase Tang Mingli kept repeating all night, and Fu's mother had already picked it up.

Madam Fu chimed in, "Grandma knows you don't usually drink, but you're not allowed to spoil the fun tonight."

Fu Ci looked at his two excited elders, feeling both helpless and amused.

Although he spends very little time with his family, he clearly notices that his family members, including himself, have changed a lot since he spent time with his wife.

Otherwise, in the past, he would never have noticed these subtle changes.

Not wanting to spoil the mood, he declined, saying, "Then let's have a drink."

Upon hearing this, Tang Mingli quickly filled his cup.

Naturally, they used the same cup they had used before.

The noodles had been soaking for a while and were a bit salty. Fu Ci picked up his glass and drank more than half of it in one gulp without changing his expression, clearly showing he had a good tolerance for alcohol.

Madam Fu chuckled twice, "It seems I was wrong."

It's not that I don't drink normally, it's that I drink quite a lot.

Thinking about this made me feel a little sorry for you, and I couldn't help but ask, "Do you often have to socialize?"

Fu Ci smiled and did not deny it.

Although he didn't particularly like this trend, once you enter the business world, you really can't avoid it.

Madam Fu hesitated for a moment, then could only sigh with heartache.

This was her grandson's choice, and she didn't want to interfere too much just because she was worried about him.

Fu's mother felt the same way; she looked at her son with heartache but couldn't bear to say anything.

Fortunately, Fu Ci could see the worry in his grandmother and mother, and said with a smile, "Actually, I didn't drink much. Don't worry, I have to do business, and I also take care of my health."

Hearing this, Madam Fu and her mother felt somewhat relieved.

Fu Ci, the unexpected intruder, finished off the remaining instant noodles and, quite unceremoniously, let out a burp.

He was indeed a little embarrassed by the teasing looks from the three people above him.

I've never been so full that I started burping before.

But thinking about it, since marrying his wife, there have been countless unintentional first times, so he should get used to it.

Tonight was just a case of overeating; who knows what might happen next?

Now that we've finished eating, we should ask the three of them why they're not sleeping.

Upon hearing this question, Tang Mingli looked at him with an expression that seemed to say, "Is this even a question?" and replied confidently, "The reason I'm not sleeping at this hour is because I can't sleep."

Fu Ci was taken aback at first, then pinched his brow and smiled.

His question was indeed vague, so he changed his answer: "What a coincidence that none of the three of us can sleep?"

Speaking of this, Tang Mingli wanted to sigh.

"They must have drunk the coffee I made this morning."

He drank the coffee, but fell into a deep sleep... Tang Mingli wondered and couldn't help but ask.

"That's strange, you drank it too, how come you didn't have insomnia?"

Fu Ci thought about it and realized that it was probably because he drank coffee so often that he had become somewhat immune to it.

"You drink it often?" Tang Mingli really didn't expect that.

Although coffee was introduced to China quite early, it was not widespread at that time.

Fu Ci simply hummed in agreement.

He just hummed in response and didn't say anything more.

Over the past year, he has been traveling frequently, so how could he not be tired at times?

However, although he didn't say it, Tang Mingli had already thought of it.

So when they returned to their little haven on the second floor, she couldn't help but remind them, "Even though you're young, you still need to take care of your health."

She certainly hoped her husband could become a self-made millionaire, but she didn't want it to come at the cost of his health.

The sudden show of concern caught Fu Ci off guard.

After a long while, he finally understood why his wife had said that, and his heart immediately softened like cotton.

"Don't worry, I know." He put his arm around his wife and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "I still have a wife to take care of."

Tang Mingli snorted softly, but she believed what he said.

Putting everything else aside, when it comes to his wife, Fu Ci is indeed a responsible husband.

However, Fu Ci thought her soft hum meant she was dissatisfied, so he coaxed her, "When I'm not busy, I'll take you for a walk around, okay?"

When will you be free from being busy?

Tang Mingli's words were both a rhetorical question and a reflection.

That hit the nail on the head. After the New Year, Fu Ci started getting busy again, and he was busier than last year. He was often gone for ten days or half a month at a time.

Fortunately, his family knows what he's been busy with and understands. But the neighbors, who haven't seen him at home for so long, inevitably start to gossip.

Those who knew the situation remarked that it was better to work in a government agency, at least you wouldn't be so busy you were never home. Those who didn't know the situation started speculating about why he wasn't coming home.

The Fu family simply laughed off those unfounded speculations.

However, some of the rumors became increasingly outrageous, even claiming that Fu Ci's long absence from home was due to a poor relationship with his wife.

Hearing such outrageous rumors, Madam Fu and her mother were furious, but they couldn't figure out who had spread them, and they often sulked at home because of their anger.

Tang Mingli tried to comfort them countless times, and each time she thought she had convinced them, but the next time she heard it, she still couldn't help but get angry.

Forced into a corner, she decided that the next time Fu Ci was home, she would hold hands with him and take a few laps around the yard, showing off their affection.

However, Fu Ci was really too busy; even when he was at home, it was almost always late at night.

It was late at night, and there were mosquitoes and not a soul in sight outside, so her public displays of affection had to be postponed indefinitely.

Time flew by and it was May. As Tang Mingli tore off a page from the calendar, she saw the prominent word "May" and suddenly remembered that Tang Mingmei's due date was approaching.

The last time I saw Tang Mingmei was more than a month ago.

When her mother-in-law and grandmother prepared some things that the new mother and baby might need for Gu Lin, they also prepared a set for Tang Mingmei, which she took to the Li family.

When I saw her then, Tang Mingmei's belly was already very big, and she herself was swollen all over.

No, saying two laps wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Tang Mingli almost couldn't help but ask if Li Dazhu had taken advantage of his position to bring back a lot of fatty meat from the meat processing plant and fed it all to her.

Childbirth is a life-threatening ordeal, and Tang Mingli was genuinely worried that Tang Mingli's continued weight gain would lead to difficulties during delivery, so she kindly offered a reminder.

But she had never given birth herself, nor had she done any research on the subject. All she could tell me was what she had learned from others in her past life and from the internet.

After the first three or four months of pregnancy, once the fetus had stabilized, Tang Mingmei gradually recovered from her initial excitement and belatedly realized that she was afraid of the upcoming delivery.

Especially in the later stages of pregnancy, as the belly grows bigger, the more afraid I become.

She couldn't imagine how big the baby in her belly was, let alone how painful it would be to give birth to him.

I was so scared that I had several nightmares.

Every time I wake up from a dream, I'm drenched in a cold sweat.

However, Li Dazhu and his family ignored her fear.

Especially Li Dazhu, who said that no woman could not have children, and no one seemed afraid of it.

But she was just afraid.

Now, hearing Tang Mingli say that if she eats too much, the baby in her belly will be too big, and childbirth will be very difficult, she is even more afraid, and her hands have even started to tremble.

Tang Mingli saw it too, and worried that her words had frightened her, so she quickly reassured her, "Don't think too seriously, there are doctors here."

When the topic of doctors came up, she asked, "Which hospital did you have your prenatal checkups at?"

The term "prenatal checkup" was completely foreign to Tang Mingmei. She only went to the hospital once when she first found out she was pregnant, fearing a miscarriage like last time. After the fetus stabilized, she didn't go again.

Seeing Tang Mingmei's reaction, Tang Mingli knew something was wrong.

That's true. Prenatal checkups weren't common back then, and for ordinary people, having a baby was like opening a blind box.

But she couldn't bear it, so she asked again, "Which hospital do you plan to give birth in?"

"Which other hospital could it be? Of course, it's the nearest First People's Hospital."

Upon hearing that it was a reputable hospital, Tang Mingli said it was alright, but reminded her, "Since you've decided to give birth at the First People's Hospital, it's best to have a check-up with a doctor there beforehand, so the doctor can understand your situation."

"Isn't that unnecessary? Wouldn't that be a waste of money?"

These were said by Li's mother.

After Tang Mingli arrived, she didn't say much until she heard that her daughter-in-law needed to go to the hospital for a check-up before giving birth.

It's been so many months already, the baby is kicking in the womb, why do you need any more tests?

Another mother-in-law who doesn't take her daughter-in-law's childbirth seriously, Tang Mingli couldn't help but put on a stern face.

"I think it's quite necessary; it's always good to be prepared."

Li's mother noticed that Tang Mingli was unhappy, and she was also quite unhappy, feeling that Tang Mingli, who had never had a child, was being nosy.

But considering the Fu family behind her, she ultimately didn't completely break off relations.

My son once said that the Fu family is very wealthy, and perhaps when his daughter-in-law gives birth, his cousin will give her a sum of money.

If the money offered is reasonable, then go ahead and get it checked out for a little extra.

Unfortunately, Li's mother was disappointed.

Tang Mingli didn't give Tang Mingmei a single penny until she left.

After the person had walked away, a disappointed Li's mother couldn't help but spit at the doorway.

"They won't pay but they still boss people around. I've never seen anyone so tactless."

Tang Mingmei was very unhappy to hear this. Pointing to the two bags of things that Tang Mingli had brought, she said, "Don't these things cost money? They went out of their way to send things over from so far away. But your daughter, who lives under the same roof, has she bought anything for her sister-in-law who is about to give birth?"

It wasn't that I wanted to seek justice for Tang Mingli, but I simply couldn't stand my mother-in-law's behavior.

Li's mother spat again: "You gave birth, why should my daughter buy you things?"

"Then why do you expect my cousin to pay for my check-up? I'm carrying your Li family's grandson."

...

The argument between the two reached the ears of Tang Mingli, who had turned back.

She had already gone downstairs, but her conscience wouldn't allow it, so she turned back to tell Tang Mingmei that she could pay for the hospital check-up. But as soon as she reached the top of the stairs, she heard them arguing.

But in the end, she heard Tang Mingmei angrily say, "I'm going to get this checkup done, and your son has to pay for it."

Tang Mingli knew Tang Mingmei's personality to some extent; since she said that, she would definitely go for a checkup.

More than a month passed in the blink of an eye after that day.

For more than a month, neither her uncle and aunt nor her cousin had contacted her.

No news is good news. The results of the check-up on behalf of her cousin were good, so she stopped thinking about it.

It wasn't until I saw the calendar change today that I remembered Tang Mingmei's due date is approaching.