Chapter 347 Pregnancy
Sui Liang rode away on a camel, and Sui Yu led the baby into the city. The mother and son walked slowly in the city, leading the camel.
The cub realized that this was not the way home. He asked in confusion, "Mom, where are you taking me? To my aunt's house? No, this is not the way to my aunt's house. Oh, are you going to find my cousin?"
"No, accompany me to the clinic." Sui Yu smiled at him.
The cub didn't feel her nervousness, and she didn't look sick, so he didn't ask any questions and followed her obediently.
"You watch the camels outside. I'll go in alone." When they reached the door of the clinic, Sui Yu handed over the reins. Before entering, she turned around and asked, "Little boy, do you want to come in?"
The little boy immediately followed in. He held Sui Yu's hand and comforted her, "Mom, don't be afraid. I'll go in with you."
Sui Yu smiled. Under the guidance of the medicine boy, she sat down at the desk and placed her wrist on the pulse pillow.
"Where do you feel uncomfortable?" asked the doctor.
"I've been getting tired easily lately and sleepy a lot, sleeping for long stretches. I'm starting to wonder if I'm pregnant." It wasn't until Sui Liang reminded her that Sui Yu realized something was amiss. She only slept for long stretches when she was returning home from a long journey with the caravan, but these days, she's been sleeping almost every day, only awake for two or three hours in the morning.
The boy's eyes widened. He looked at Sui Yu, then stared at the doctor's hand taking his pulse without blinking.
After a long time, the doctor released his hand and said, "Perhaps it is still too early and the pulse is not strong. Come back in a month."
Sui Yu lowered his sleeves and asked, "How am I feeling? Do I have any minor ailments?"
The doctor waved his hand. "Are you the shopkeeper Yu who grows cotton in the north of the city? I recognize you now. You live a smooth life, with no worries about food and drink. How could you have any minor ailments?"
There was really nothing worth Sui Yu's worry about now. The only thing she was worried about was having another child. Sui Yu thanked the doctor and walked out of the clinic with the baby in her hand.
"Mom, am I going to have a little sister?" The boy didn't understand what the doctor said. Was she pregnant or not?
"Not sure yet. Let's come back next month." Sui Yu felt that she was pregnant, but she looked down at her son and said, "Maybe my sister is already in my belly. Besides me, you are the first person in our family to know this news. Let's keep it secret for now. Come with me to the clinic again next month. Your uncle should be back by then, and we can give him and your father a surprise."
The kid nodded. He didn't have much real feeling towards this missing sister, but when it came to keeping secrets and creating surprises, he immediately became interested.
When the camels saw their owner coming out, they knelt down and lay down. Sui Yu and the cub sat on them, and the camels immediately stood up and walked back.
"Mom, does it have to be my younger sister?" the kid asked. "Oh, you like my younger sister?"
"It could be a younger brother," Sui Yu said. "There are four people in my family, and I'm the only girl. So I want to have a girl to keep me company. But a boy is fine too, preferably one who looks like you, a caring baby."
The cub was a little embarrassed. He was already ten years old and was no longer a baby.
However, he began to associate this with the idea that a baby would come out of his mother's belly next year, and there would be one more person in their family. The baby might look like him and his mother, or like his father and uncle... It was so magical. He looked at his mother's flat belly, and felt anticipation in his heart.
When they returned to the guesthouse, the kid landed first, and he hurried to help Sui Yu.
"Good boy." Sui Yu hugged him, "I really envy your younger brothers and sisters for being born with such a good brother."
"You are a good sister too." The kid praised her, "You have a good brother."
"I also have a good son and a good husband," Sui Yu added. "I'm so happy."
The boy was very happy. He ran into the house and brought out a chair for Sui Yu to sit on. He then swiftly took a basket and climbed up the mulberry tree to pick mulberry leaves. He sat on the branch and hummed a little song, showing no sadness at seeing off his uncle.
"Mom, the mulberries are red." The cub peeked out from between the mulberry leaves. "Do you want to eat some mulberries? I'll pick some for you. Just wait."
Sui Yu didn't need to answer at all, he fell into a mood of self-amusement.
At noon, the first thing Zhao Xiping did when he got home was to look for his son. Seeing him happily feeding mulberry leaves to the white silkworms, he felt a little puzzled.
"So happy? I thought he would be sad for several days." Zhao Xiping found Sui Yu.
Sui Yu smiled cunningly and said, "Come back early in the evening, I have a good news to tell you."
"Is it related to the cub?"
"I guess so."
"Can't tell now?"
"I can't say." Sui Yu shook his head.
Zhao Xiping stared at her suspiciously, looking her up and down several times, his mind racing, but he couldn't imagine any good thing happening to Zhao Xiaozai.
"Sir, someone's looking for you." Xiao Chunhong peeked out from outside the courtyard. "Supervisor Hu's son is here. He wants to see you. He looks unwell, so I'm afraid something bad might be going on."
Zhao Xiping stood up and walked out, and Sui Yu followed him out. When the little boy next door heard this, he hurriedly closed the silkworm box and ran out.
"Sir, two things have happened. One is that cotton farmer Qu Zhu found a job herding sheep. She negotiated with the shepherd that the sheep's excrement would belong to her while she was herding, and she didn't want to be paid. The shepherd agreed, but today he changed his mind and denied saying it. He also lied and slandered Qu Zhu, saying that she injured his lamb and wanted Qu Zhu to compensate him with a quilt or sleep with him. I encountered him while I was patrolling today." Hu Ansui spoke quickly. "There is another matter, which is more serious and has been reported to the authorities. Cotton farmer Du Xinlan married an old local soldier. She said that the old soldier often tortured her. He drank last night and went back..."
Hu Ansui was a virgin, and his face turned red, and he was unable to speak. Seeing the boy staring at him with sharp eyes, he felt even more embarrassed to repeat Du Xinlan's words.
"...I heard from the county magistrate that the old soldier died in his bed from a stroke, but his brother refused to believe it and insisted that Du Xinlan had caused his death, and then reported it to the authorities."
"What is a stroke?" the kid was curious.
"Stroke." Sui Yu fooled him.
"Leave it to the magistrate. We won't interfere. Du Xinlan and Qu Zhu are in the right in this matter," Zhao Xiping said. "Has Qu Zhu reported it to the authorities?"
"No."
"Take her to the authorities," Zhao Xiping said. "Is Du Xinlan in the government jail or at the old soldier's house?"
"The coroner went to perform an autopsy. It was a stroke. Du Xinlan was not detained." Hu Ansui came here mainly for this matter. He was worried that the old soldier's brothers would secretly harm Du Xinlan.
Zhao Xiping immediately called Luotuo over and said, "I'm going over there. An Ge'er, don't run away with me. Stay and have dinner."
Hu Ansui breathed a sigh of relief. With his uncle going there, Du Xinlan would definitely be safe.
"Did similar things happen often in the past?" Sui Yu asked. "Your uncle didn't tell me much when he came back."
"Not many. After all, cotton farmers have only been in Dunhuang for two months. They're not familiar with their neighbors, so conflicts are rare," Hu Ansui said. "There will be more incidents like Quzhu's in the future... Oh, I need to go into the city to find Quzhu and take her to the police. Aunt, I won't stay for dinner. I'm leaving now."
As he said this, he was about to ride on the donkey and run away.
Sui Yu grabbed him and said, "The meal is ready. Go in and have a bowl. Don't leave your stomach empty. You're already weak, so don't strain yourself. If you get sick, your mother will be worried sick. After dinner, ride your camel back to the city. It's faster than your donkey and won't delay much."
In the kitchen yard, the builders were already eating. They did heavy work and eating thin food was not enough to satisfy their hunger. The cooks steamed millet rice and made vegetable pancakes for them, and even made sauerkraut and egg soup for them to drink.
There were many chickens in the guesthouse, and there were no caravans staying there at the time, so the eggs picked up every day could not be sold. Apart from being pickled as salted eggs, they were fried, stir-fried, or stewed into soup to feed the craftsmen.
Hu Ansui took a bowl of pickled cabbage and egg soup, took a vegetable pancake and sat down to eat. He ate quickly but his movements were not rude.
Sui Yu brought out a bowl of stewed pork ribs from the kitchen and said, "Try it and see if the ribs are cooked through."
Hu Ansui waved his hand, took the last sip of the pickled cabbage and egg soup from the bowl, and said, "Madam, I'm full. I'll leave first."
After saying this, he saluted, turned around and walked away, his steps almost flying.
Sui Yu smiled knowingly, so childish and enthusiastic, how nice.
The kid couldn't sit still any longer. He said angrily, "Why am I only ten? If only I were a few years older, I could work with my dad and leave Dunhuang with my uncle."
"That won't do. Mother still needs you." Sui Yu handed him the pork rib soup and said, "Your life will be long when you grow up, but your childhood is short. Don't rush to grow up."
The kid picked up a rib with his hands and ate it. It tasted delicious. He bit the rib and picked up another one to feed Sui Yu.
"It's delicious and stewed till tender. Brother An didn't enjoy it." Sui Yu squatted down.
The kid held the bowl and chewed the ribs with relish, and his worries from the previous moment disappeared in an instant.
"Let me have some soup." Sui Yu said.
The boy handed her the bowl to feed her and said, "Dad and uncle are busy, I'll stay home with mom."
After saying this, he found it particularly smooth and couldn't help humming it again.
"Master, are we still going out to sell goods this year?" Zhang Shun came over and asked.
Sui Yu nodded. "In two months, the desert will be extremely hot. Wait until late summer or early autumn, and then you can lead the team out of the border. Spend the winter outside the border, and come back next spring."
Zhang Shun smiled and said, "In two months, the cotton will start to fluff up. By then, we can take more quilts and cotton-padded jackets with us. We can probably go further and come back in late autumn next year."
"Quilts and cotton-padded jackets are in short supply outside the Great Wall. If you bring too many and get targeted, you'll be in big trouble," Sui Yu reminded him.
Zhang Shun hadn't thought of this. He hesitated for a moment and said, "I'll go discuss it with Mr. Song."
"Is there anyone among you who wants to get married and stay home?" Sui Yu asked, "Call Xiao Chunhong over so I can find out."
Zhang Shun refused. "Master, let's talk about it in two years. We can't reduce the number of people in the caravan anymore. While cotton is in short supply, we are going to go to the border areas to make a fortune. It's worth delaying the start of a family for two or three years."
Sui Yu certainly had no objection.
After the craftsmen had eaten and drunk their fill, they left. The servants cleared away the dishes and chopsticks in the dining hall, and it was time for them to eat.
Sui Yu asked Cui Sao to leave a meal for Zhao Xiping, and then asked Qingshan to deliver the meal. She guessed that even if Zhao Xiping finished dealing with Du Xinlan's affairs, he probably would not come back for a meal.
Zhao Xiping came back at sunset. He saw the little cub touching Sui Yu's belly from afar. Almost in an instant, he realized what the good news Sui Yu was talking about. He was stunned as if struck by lightning, and was overwhelmed by the huge surprise.
After ten years, he is going to be a father again.
"How is Du Xinlan?" Sui Yu asked.
"Oh, her, she has moved into the military settlement, and the old soldier's brothers won't cause trouble for her anymore." Zhao Xiping said absentmindedly.
"Where are the houses and lands under the old soldier's name?" Sui Yu asked.
"It was taken over by the government and later distributed to the cotton farmers. Du Xinlan was weak-willed and didn't even dare to speak loudly. She couldn't get ahead of the old soldier's brothers, and she couldn't keep the land and house even if she was given to her," Zhao Xiping explained. "But the old soldier's belongings and rice were all given to her. She was smart enough to dig out the money he had saved and hide it after he died, preventing his brothers from taking it."
Sui Yu was quite satisfied with the result. At least his suffering was not in vain. He had money and food, and his life would be much more comfortable in the future.
"Are you..." Zhao Xiping pointed at her belly, and the joy in his eyes could not be concealed.
Before Sui Yu could speak, the little boy couldn't hold back his secret any longer and nodded excitedly: "Dad, I'm going to be a big brother. I knew it before you did."
"My pulse is weak, and the doctor told me to go back to the clinic next month." Sui Yu said, "But my period hasn't come yet, so I think it's almost there."
"It must be there." Zhao Xiping thought that if he worked hard every night, a seed would eventually take root.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com