Unexpectedly, as soon as she said this, Fan Guizhong's face darkened completely, and he flung her hand away.

"Mother, what you're saying is too much! Lin Hui doesn't care whether she has a son or a daughter. My daughter is also my precious child. The Fan family line will never end!"

His tone was firm and unwavering, "If you continue to bully Lin Hui with this mindset, even if you are her adoptive mother, I cannot let you stay here any longer."

Grandma Li was stunned by his shout. Seeing her son protecting his wife, she opened her mouth but ultimately didn't dare to curse anymore. She just squatted on the ground and wiped away her tears.

Fan Guizhong ignored her and turned to walk towards Gu Mingyue's house.

He needed to bring his wife and children back as soon as possible, and he also needed to let Lin Hui know that he would always stand by her side in this family.

Fan Guizhong made up his mind that day, and bought a boat ticket early the next morning. He prevented Li from seeing Lin Hui again and sent her directly back to her hometown in the countryside.

Before leaving, he made sure to speak frankly with Grandma Li: "Mom, go back and rest first. Once you've thought things through and stopped arguing with Lin Hui, I'll come back for you. I'll work hard in the army so that we can have a good life at home. Please don't pressure me into going back to farming."

Of course, this was just a temporary measure; he had no intention of going back.

Although Old Mrs. Li still had her grievances, she was deterred by her son's firmness and did not throw another tantrum the whole way.

After dropping off the elderly man, Fan Guizhong rushed home to his family compound immediately.

Seeing that Lin Hui's eyes were still red, he rubbed his hands awkwardly and apologized, "Lin Hui, I'm sorry you had to suffer like this. I will never let Mom bully you like this again."

Gu Mingyue watched from the side, feeling relieved.

Lin Hui knew it wasn't his fault, but the thought of her mother-in-law scolding her in front of so many people still made her feel sad.

If it weren't for his sake, the elders themselves would have been unable to resist taking action.

In all my years, I've never been verbally abused to my face.

A few days later, on a sunny afternoon, Fan Guizhong returned from the supply and marketing cooperative, clutching a piece of cloth with small floral prints in his hand. He handed it to Lin Hui as soon as he entered the door.

“You mentioned before that you wanted a new piece of fabric to make clothes. I think this one has a nice pattern. Why don’t you try it on and see if you like it?”

Lin Hui held the soft fabric, her eyes slightly warm, but she didn't say anything. She just got up and grabbed a quilt, saying, "The weather is nice, let's air the quilt out."

Upon seeing this, Fan Guizhong immediately stepped forward, took the quilt, and draped it over the clothesline in the yard. His movements were clumsy but extremely earnest.

The two stood side by side in the sunlight, watching the dust on the blanket slowly float in the light.

Fan Guizhong scratched his head and said softly, "I'll come home earlier after get off work from now on, and I'll help with the housework more so you can relax a bit."

Lin Hui looked up at him and saw the sincerity on his dark face. She couldn't help but smile and said, "The child always kicks off the blankets at night. If you come back early, come with me and tuck her in."

A gentle breeze rustled the blankets, carrying the scent of sunshine, as the two chatted about everyday things.

The previous grievances seemed to have melted away in the warm sunshine, leaving only the comfort and gentleness that life should have.

Lin Hui, carrying the pastries she had just bought, pulled Fan Guizhong toward Gu Mingyue's house, while Niannian skipped and hopped along behind her, clutching a wildflower she had just picked.

As soon as she entered, Lin Hui stuffed the things into Gu Mingyue's hands, her eyes full of gratitude: "Mingyue, this time it's really thanks to you and Lu Lin. If it weren't for your help in persuading me, I really wouldn't know what to do."

Fan Guizhong nodded repeatedly, his dark face full of sincerity: "Yes, we made you laugh before, and we've troubled you with your troubles. We will remember this kindness."

Gu Mingyue smiled and patted the child's head: "We're all neighbors, it's only right that we help each other out, don't be so formal. It's more important for you to live your lives well."

As they were talking, Lu Lin came out of the house with a bag of freshly roasted melon seeds in his hand and handed it to Fan Guizhong: "Don't keep any difficulties to yourself in the future. If neighbors lend a hand, life will be smoother."

------

The morning breeze was already cool, and the women in the residential compound had all put on long sleeves.

Even Qin Hongmei wore a light coat when she passed by, but Gu Mingyue was still wearing a light short skirt when she stood in the yard hanging clothes.

"Mingyue, why are you still wearing such thin clothes? Be careful not to catch a cold," Qin Hongmei called out from across the courtyard wall.

Gu Mingyue smiled and waved her hand: "I'm pregnant and I'm afraid of the heat. I always feel stuffy in long sleeves, but short skirts are more comfortable."

As she spoke, she subconsciously touched her lower abdomen, where her pregnancy was already quite obvious. The hem of her skirt was just right to cover it, neither cold nor constricting.

Lu Lin came out of the house with a thin cardigan in his hand and draped it over her shoulders without saying a word: "Even if you're afraid of the heat, it's windy in the morning and evening, so you still need to protect your shoulders."

Gu Mingyue did not refute, letting him help her straighten her clothes.

"Honey, I'm running out of time. I have to go to the barracks now. You can wash the dishes when I get back."

Lu Lin hurriedly gave a few instructions and left.

Gu Mingyue was sitting by the window cutting fabric, measuring with a soft ruler in her hand, preparing to make a little outfit for her unborn baby, when suddenly there was a knock on the gate.

When I opened the door, I saw Luo Haiping, carrying half a bag of freshly baked white flour pancakes.

"You didn't go to work today?" Gu Mingyue asked with a smile as she invited her inside.

Luo Haiping put the cake on the table, touched her hair, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm pregnant, and my mother-in-law told me to stay home and rest, so she went to the factory to cover my shift."

As soon as Luo Haiping finished telling her about her pregnancy, Gu Mingyue leaned forward with a smile, her tone full of joy: "You're pregnant! That's wonderful news! How many months along are you?"

Luo Haiping subconsciously touched her still-not-so-obvious lower abdomen and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm only three months pregnant. My mother-in-law said that the first three months are unstable and insisted that I stay at home to rest. She won't even let me go to the factory."

Luo Haiping touched her still flat stomach and sighed with a smile: "I'm only three months pregnant and I'm always sleepy. Yesterday afternoon, I was sitting and sewing socks and I fell asleep without realizing it. My mother-in-law had to call me to eat to wake me up."

Gu Mingyue laughed upon hearing this, and gently patted her pregnant belly: "My morning sickness was really bad in the first two months. I felt nauseous just from the smell of cooking oil."

Lu Lin cooked millet porridge for me every day during that time, and I finally got through it. Now I can eat and sleep well, but I still wake up frequently at night and don't sleep soundly.

“Me too!” Luo Haiping leaned over, her voice full of joy at finding a companion.

“My mother-in-law always tells me to eat more meat, saying it will nourish my body, but I just want to eat something sour. Yesterday I secretly bought a string of candied hawthorns, but I didn’t dare let her see it.”

Gu Mingyue couldn't help but chuckle: "I also crave sour foods during this pregnancy. Lu Lin specially asked someone to bring some dried sour apricots from the countryside. I'll pack some for you later."

The two chatted back and forth, talking about everything from morning sickness to fetal movement, from what clothes to wear to what little items to prepare for the baby.