Li Lijuan touched her belly as she helped tend the fire. Her appetite was good now, and her family had never mistreated her. Some people were already secretly advising her to eat less in the future, otherwise she would suffer during childbirth.

Looking at all the food at home, her mouth watered, but she was afraid she would eat too much later.

"Grandma, my colleague was reminding me to eat less today, saying my belly is too big."

Tian Guihua glanced at her belly with concern, "After you finish eating, let Zhiping take you for a walk around the neighborhood. It's good to get more exercise."

My due date is approaching, and I had arranged with the midwife at the backyard to come and help when I give birth.

It seems like it's best to go to the hospital beforehand and wait. It's safer there. After all, if you can't have a natural birth, you can have a C-section. At worst, it's surgery, which is better than losing your life.

Last month, a family in the next yard tried to save a little money, but ended up losing both their baby and their unborn child.

The granddaughter-in-law must have heard about this, so she has been consciously reducing her food intake these days. But with such a big belly, she can't not eat, which is really worrying.

"Let's take a look first. If you feel your stomach is sagging, we'll go straight to the hospital," Tian Guihua said, giving Li Lijuan a heads-up. "I think it's safer to stay in the hospital, even if it costs more money, it's worth it."

Seeing how much Tian Guihua cared for her, Li Lijuan was deeply moved. Other families wished that their daughters-in-law wouldn't spend a penny, but the Hua family was different. The daughters-in-law didn't have to hand over their wages, and instead, they took care of her in every way. She had truly fallen into a lucky nest.

Looking at Xie Lanqiao, who was quietly listening to them, I wondered if she was fortunate enough to have such a good life.

After the family finished eating, Tian Guihua took Xie Lanqiao and let her stay in Hua Xiangyun's room for the time being. She was tired from the journey, and they could talk after she had rested. He also wanted to take this time to clean up the house.

Hua Zhian felt even more uneasy when he saw that even his pregnant sister-in-law was sitting in the main room this time.

"Tell me, which one have you chosen?" Hua Guangzong felt that playing games with this kid wouldn't work, so he went straight to the point.

"I'll send her back tomorrow," Hua Zhian said, feeling completely unprepared. Besides, Xie Lanqiao hadn't consulted him before coming over, which had caught him off guard.

With his family pressuring him so much, he just wanted to get this matter over with as soon as possible.

Tian Guihua slammed her hand on the table. "Now tell me, why don't you like that young girl?"

Hua Guangzong tugged at her hand, "Take it easy. We're getting on in years. If we get hurt, no one will care."

Besides, your voice is too loud; it wouldn't be good if Comrade Xie heard it.

Tian Guihua said, "What's good or bad about it? If we don't say it now, she'll find out later."

I just can't stand this kid. How did he grow up like this? I think he's just like his mother.

"If he wasn't interested before, he shouldn't have tried to provoke others. With his character, I don't think he's good enough for Comrade Xie."

Your grandfather and I taught you to be responsible from a young age, but what about yours? Did the dogs eat it all?

Hua Zhian lowered his head, "The two families are too far apart and too different. I'm afraid there will be a lot of conflicts, just like my dad and my mom..."

“This is not an excuse,” Hua Guangzong said, even more disappointed. His parents’ affairs were none of his business. Even if they weren’t his parents, it was not his place to speak on them.

"Back then, you made a tacit agreement with someone in the village, so you should have managed it well. Even if you went back to the city, you should have made a proper break with them. But what did you do?"

"Have I wasted all these years teaching him about manly responsibility?" Hua Guangzong's tone was tinged with disappointment. "You've ruined someone's life, don't you know that?"

Hua Zhian opened his mouth but didn't say anything. He knew he had really made a mistake this time, but he really just wanted to care about Xie Lanqiao because he had really wanted to start a family with her and live a good life in the village.

But hasn't the situation changed now? Putting aside the gap between the two companies, the distance along the way will be a troublesome matter in the future.

"Grandma, let it go," Li Lijuan advised. "Zhi'an's heart isn't with Comrade Xie, so why should we force it? Wouldn't that ruin Comrade Xie's life?"

She's a good girl. Didn't you say you wanted to adopt her as your goddaughter? From now on, we'll treat each other like godparents, and no one can gossip.

Li Lijuan used to think her brother-in-law was alright, but now she has to reassess him.

This shouldn't have been the one to bring it up, but she's a woman and understands women; there's no need for her to sacrifice her entire life for some superficial glamour.

Tian Guihua said, "...Then let's have a big celebration and invite all our relatives and friends."

Hua Guangzong agreed, "Zhiping, go and send a telegram to your father later. He should get off the train in the next couple of days. Tell him not to delay and to come back immediately."

Seeing his family make the decision so readily, Hua Zhian felt a pang of unease. "I haven't even said anything yet..."

But who in his family cares about him? Instead, they get together and talk about who to invite and what gifts to prepare.

Xie Lanqiao leaned against the door, listening to all the commotion outside, and silently wept, clutching her chest.

She came here with high hopes, but also prepared for the worst.

Knowing how kind the Hua family was, she was even more determined not to make things difficult for them.

After putting the clothes I had just cleaned back into the bag, I took a deep breath before opening the door. "I suddenly remembered that I'm only here to visit relatives. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to stay here; it would cause gossip at home. Luckily, I have a letter of introduction here. I'll stay at the guesthouse for one night and go back early tomorrow morning. My family is waiting for me to start planting rice seedlings."

Everyone knows that this means they've heard our entire conversation, which is good, as it saves us from having to go back and forth and the meaning might change later.

Tian Guihua held her hand and said, "I know you are a good girl, it's just that our silly boy is not lucky enough to be with you."

Besides, there's no reason for you to move out. You're a distinguished guest I invited, so naturally you should stay here."

Then, she turned to Hua Zhian and said, "We have a guest at home, so it's not appropriate for you to stay here. Go find someone to stay with for the night."

Anyway, sometimes guests come to the compound, and some people come over and try to squeeze in with Hua Zhian, so letting this kid go out is the most appropriate thing to do.

Hua Zhian didn't dare to look at Xie Lanqiao after she came out. He felt guilty and ashamed, and he didn't have the face to face her.

He gave a silent reply and prepared to go back to his room to tidy up.

Hua Shunping, disapproving of the situation, followed behind, saying, "Since you've wronged others, you should make amends properly. In life, not every mistake you make will necessarily be corrected by someone."

Does the family lack granddaughters? Not at all. The grandparents accepted this marriage because of Hua Zhian.