Chapter 161 Why did I suddenly want to celebrate my birthday?
Use concrete efforts to combat vague anxieties.
When Tang Mingmei heard this, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
The clouds that had been obscuring my view seemed to have been cleaved apart by this bolt of lightning, and many things that I couldn't understand before suddenly stopped bothering me in that instant.
She was anxious; without a stable job, how could she live such a long life peacefully?
She was anxious because her parents would grow old, and if she didn't find someone to marry, she would be left all alone to live her life.
She was anxious because she couldn't get pregnant after getting married, and she worried about what people would say about her behind her back.
She was anxious because she hadn't been able to have a son; who would take care of her in her old age and see her off in her final days?
...
Anxiety keeps piling up, one thing after another, without end.
But Tang Mingli's words enlightened her, making her realize how ridiculous and self-inflicted her previous anxiety was.
She's anxious about this and that, but she hasn't taken any action to make any changes, so she can only remain anxious.
Once Tang Mingmei understood, she admired Tang Mingli immensely. How could someone so much younger than her be so much more mature?
Perhaps it was the teachings of my grandparents, or perhaps it was an inheritance.
When my uncle and aunt were still alive, they were different from everyone else.
Tang Mingmei tried to make her mother understand that regardless of whether she made a mistake or not, whether her life would be good or not ultimately depended on herself.
Although my mother still doesn't quite understand, she won't get stuck on things like before.
Her failed marriage truly blew her whole family away, but it also transformed them completely.
-
A few days later, Tang Mingmei specially closed her business for a day and took her daughter and mother to visit Tang Mingli, who was pregnant, at the Fu family home.
It had been a while since I'd seen Tang Mingli, and she didn't seem to have changed much.
If I had to say something, it would be that her face is a bit rounder.
But there are only a few, and you can't see them unless you look closely.
Thinking of the near-death experience she had when giving birth to her daughter, Tang Mingmei couldn't help but advise Tang Mingli to be careful during her pregnancy.
You should eat, but be mindful of portion sizes to avoid the fetus becoming too large and making childbirth difficult.
Although this was Tang Mingli's first pregnancy, she knew all of this that Tang Mingmei was talking about.
Not only her, but her grandmother and mother-in-law have also been very careful.
She smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will have regular prenatal checkups. When it comes time to give birth, I will listen to the doctor whether it's a natural birth or a C-section."
Madam Fu also said, "Yes, we will listen to the doctor and prioritize Mingli in everything."
That put Tang Mingmei at ease.
The Fu family is truly kind; they don't hold outdated beliefs that babies born via C-section are less healthy and intelligent than those born naturally, and they even prioritize the pregnant woman over the child.
Her prejudice against her family in her past life must have been incredibly deep.
Tang Mingli looked at Li Xin, who was eating fruit obediently, and asked a question that crossed the line: "Xin'er is five years old now, is she really not going to kindergarten?"
Although there are kindergartens now, children today do not attend kindergarten as they would in later generations when they reach the appropriate age.
Many families with childcare providers still choose to raise their children themselves until they are old enough to attend preschool when they start elementary school.
Tang Mingli knew this, so when Li Xin turned three and her cousins decided not to send her to kindergarten, she didn't say anything.
But now that she's five, they also have to take care of their clothing store, so it's possible to try to let her gradually adapt to school life earlier.
Unbeknownst to her, Tang Mingmei had also been considering this issue recently.
Opening a shop is more stressful and busier than setting up a street stall.
They leave home around 8 or 9 a.m. and don't close until after 9 p.m.
Tang Mingmei truthfully expressed her thoughts: "Actually, I'm also considering whether to send her to kindergarten in September. Before, I thought that it wouldn't be a problem for my mom and me to take care of one child. But now the shop is getting busier and busier, and Xin'er is getting older, so I'm thinking that maybe we can let her get used to school life in advance."
Madam Fu chimed in, "It's time to get used to it beforehand. When Fu Ci was little, almost all the other kids in his class cried for half a semester when he went to daycare. But he was calm and collected like a little adult on his first day."
"Really?" Tang Mingli imagined a miniature version of Fu Ci looking at a room full of crying children with a stern little face, and she found it extremely cute.
"That's right, even the teachers say they've never seen such a sensible child."
When talking about Fu Ci's childhood, Madam Fu got excited and started talking more and more.
From nursery school to elementary school to junior high school.
Tang Mingli listened with great interest, and Tang Mingmei also found it quite interesting.
Tang Mingmei, in particular, was amazed by Tang Mingli's ability to influence people subtly and effectively, like a gentle spring breeze.
How did she change Fu Ci, a person who has always been very meticulous since childhood?
I'm afraid that even if I asked her the question, Tang Mingli wouldn't be able to answer it.
After sitting there all morning, Tang Mingmei and Li Hong couldn't bear to close for even one day, so they left.
Tang Mingli sat and chatted all morning and felt more sleepy than usual. After watching them leave, she yawned and went upstairs.
Before falling asleep, she was thinking that she should find some time to go shopping at a department store and buy some things for Li Xin, who was preparing to go to school, as a small token of her appreciation as her aunt.
But, to be honest, it's all a bit strange.
From that day on, the feeling of pregnancy suddenly became much stronger than before, specifically manifested as excessive sleepiness.
Before she got pregnant, she slept a lot, but now she only wants to sleep and eat.
Sometimes, even when I've just woken up and am sitting on the sofa wanting to watch some TV, I'll unconsciously fall asleep.
Tang Mingli and the Fu family were frightened by this level of drowsiness and quickly found time to go to the hospital to see a doctor.
Fortunately, apart from excessive sleepiness, there were no other abnormal symptoms, and the doctor said it was normal.
Hormone levels change during pregnancy, and some pregnant women do experience drowsiness.
There is no need to worry too much, and no special treatment is required.
Tang Mingli and the Fu family were finally relieved.
Tang Mingli even felt that compared to other pregnancy reactions such as vomiting and loss of appetite, excessive sleepiness was simply wonderful.
However, because of her excessive sleepiness, I had to postpone buying gifts for Li Xin until the end of August. I managed to buy her a few sets of clothes, a few pairs of shoes, and some other things she might need for kindergarten before the start of the school year.
-
September may well be a magical month that marks the beginning of a new chapter in life.
After a long period of peace, the Fu family received another call from Fu Caiping.
Upon receiving Fu Caiping's call, Madam Fu suddenly realized that she had indeed not contacted her sister-in-law for a very long time.
Distance makes the heart grow fonder. Because they hadn't been in contact for a long time, Madam Fu felt a bit more affectionate towards her annoying sister-in-law.
Surprisingly, when Fu Caiping called today, she didn't mention Gu Lin again, but instead talked about her birthday in a few days.
"I can say that I have hardly ever celebrated my birthday in my life. Thinking about how old I am, I don't know how many more birthdays I can have. Maybe this year's birthday will be the last one I celebrate. Suddenly I want to celebrate it."
Upon hearing Fu Caiping mention her last birthday, Old Madam Fu was immediately overcome with grief and hurriedly said, "What nonsense are you talking about? I'm older than you and I've never said anything like that."
Fu Caiping smiled, this time going along with Madam Fu.
"Okay, okay, I won't say anything discouraging. But I really want to have my birthday, so you guys have to come over."
Madam Fu couldn't bring herself to refuse, but there was one thing she couldn't guarantee: Fu Ci was busy and not in Guangcheng.
And then there's Mingli, whose pregnancy is becoming increasingly obvious, and she might not be able to handle all this traveling.
And then there's my son, who's in the military and has no choice in what he does.
As Madam Fu called out names one by one, Fu Caiping on the other end of the phone was not very happy.
"Sister-in-law, this is the only birthday I'll ever have in my life, can you please not be such a spoilsport?"
After a pause, considering the actual situation, Fu Caiping agreed to compromise, saying, "Cheng An is in the army, so he really has no choice. Fu Ci is in Shenzhen, so it's really troublesome for him to come back. If these two don't want to come, then they don't have to, but everyone else must come."
Before Madam Fu could say anything more, Tang Mingli shook her head and said softly, "It's alright, Grandma, I can manage."
For some reason, she had a bad feeling, vaguely sensing that Aunt Caiping's birthday was not so simple.
However, Madam Fu still felt sorry for her granddaughter-in-law and told her sister-in-law the truth over the phone.
“Mingli is pregnant and she’s not feeling well right now. I’m not sure if she’ll have the energy to go out on your birthday.”
"Mingli is pregnant?" Fu Caiping's voice was excited on the other end of the phone. "They've been married for so many years, and they're finally having a child."
So many years have passed.
Tang Mingli couldn't help but smile when she heard this.
Fu Caiping pressed further, "How many months pregnant are you? Are you feeling unwell?"
Madam Fu didn't want to go into too much detail, and simply said, "Anyway, you'll be a lady-in-law next year."
Fu Caiping chuckled, clearly amused.
"Aunt... I don't know if I'll live to see that day."
Madam Fu was truly angry and scolded, "Fu Caiping, what's wrong with you today? Why do you keep saying you're going to die?"
Fu Caiping quickly said, "Okay, okay, I was wrong. I really deserve to be hit for my mouth. I'm so old and I still speak so recklessly."
"Since Mingli's situation is special, I won't force her. But if she's in good spirits that day, she should come. I really want to see her, and her belly."
Madam Fu laughed, "What's so interesting about a belly?"
But seeing Tang Mingli nod at her, she agreed, "Alright, we'll see how Mingli is that day. If she's in good spirits and can handle the journey, we'll go together."
"Okay, then I'll be waiting for you."
After chatting for a few more minutes, the call finally ended.
As soon as she hung up the phone, Madam Fu couldn't help but say, "Why does this little sister-in-law suddenly want to celebrate her birthday?"
I can't figure it out; maybe it's because of the influence of young people.
She was also influenced by Mingli, and her clothes and appearance became much younger.
Despite not understanding, Madam Fu still planned to prepare a nice birthday gift for her sister-in-law.
She asked Tang Mingli, "If it were you, what kind of birthday gift would you like?"
Tang Mingli smiled and said without thinking, "Gold, this is substantial enough."
Madam Fu smiled too.
Giving gold as a gift is certainly a generous gesture.
Then she'll give her sister-in-law a pair of solid gold bracelets.
However, since we're going to buy them anyway, it wouldn't hurt to buy an extra pair and give Mingli a free gift.
Well, when my daughter-in-law has her day off the day after tomorrow, I'll take her to the jewelry store to pick out some jewelry.
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