After Wang Shouren's identity was revealed, his life improved.
It's not that we couldn't afford it before, it's just that now we can eat it openly. What's wrong with a section chief occasionally having a meat meal?
Moreover, he ate in the backyard, where there were only a few families: an old deaf woman, an uncle, and Xu Damao.
Xu Damao rarely goes home. To be precise, ever since his infertility was exposed, he has rarely returned to the courtyard house. Even when he does come back, it's late at night. He seems to have let himself go.
As for the second uncle, he and Wang Shouren had never gotten along. Even knowing that Wang Shouren had been promoted to section chief, he had no intention of currying favor with him.
The only remaining deaf old woman didn't dare to go begging for food. She could only silently swallow her saliva.
Qin Jingru, on the other hand, ate with great relish.
At the dinner table, Qin Jingru happily picked up a large piece of fatty meat and put it in her mouth.
In those days, lean meat and offal were all fake; only fatty meat was what people truly loved. Wang Shouren didn't like to eat that, so it mostly ended up in Qin Jingru's stomach.
The usual fragrance didn't satisfy her. Instead, she vomited with a "whoosh".
"Did you eat too fast?" Wang Shouren glanced at it but didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
This girl has a fiery temper. She got up and handed her a glass of water. Who knew that as soon as she turned around, she vomited.
Wang Shouren then realized that something seemed amiss.
He grabbed her wrist and touched it.
He, who had remained calm throughout, swallowed hard.
"Wh...what's wrong?" Qin Jingru asked weakly, looking at the large piece of fatty meat with regret in her eyes.
"You are pregnant."
"Oh... it's... um?" Qin Jingru didn't react for a moment and asked blankly, "What?"
"You're pregnant," Wang Shouren said with a smile. This time, she heard him clearly.
She jolted awake, jumping to her feet. Then, as if realizing something, she forced herself to land gently, her voice trembling slightly: "Really?"
Actually, to say she has no worries is an understatement; she does have some.
According to her mother, the most important thing for a woman after marriage is to get pregnant. Only by getting pregnant can her position in the family be secure. Normally, she should conceive within the first month or two. If she doesn't conceive, there's probably a problem.
It's not that Qin's mother was feudalistic; it's just that in those days, if you were married and hadn't gotten pregnant after a few months, rumors would start circulating. In rural areas, it was even more exaggerated; all sorts of gossip would start circulating within a month or two. Wang Shouren and she had been married for over five months, and winter was approaching, yet she still hadn't conceived.
This made her somewhat unhappy.
"Really?" she asked again.
"Let's go to the hospital." Without further ado, Wang Shouren put on his clothes, got on his bicycle, and took Qin Jingru with him as they went out.
He rode the bike at a fast and steady speed, even using Tai Chi techniques to avoid jolting Qin Jingru.
Upon arriving at the hospital, after examination, the doctor congratulated them as expected: "Congratulations! You are indeed pregnant, and you are already two months along."
Wang Shouren's mind was in a bit of a mess.
As for excitement, yes, but not much; I felt more confused.
He'd become a father just like that? To be honest, it felt a little strange. In his previous life, he'd struggled with his career alone, working tirelessly until his forties without having a son or daughter. Therefore, he didn't have much experience in this area. Now, hearing that his wife was pregnant, he was happy, but this happiness stemmed from Qin Jingru's happiness.
Instead of genuine joy.
It was as if Lou Xiao'e had told him that she was pregnant, and it was his pregnancy.
His first thought was how to bring her back, to fulfill his duty. When he heard she was gone, he wasn't disappointed, but rather relieved. Because he truly didn't know what his future held if he left Lou Xiao'e behind.
"Brother Shouren, Brother Shouren... I'm pregnant!" Qin Jingru's face flushed with excitement.
Seeing the two excited young people, the doctor understood and said with a smile, "You'll have to take good care of your wife. She might experience nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and drowsiness frequently afterwards. Her mood might also be unstable. You'll need to keep a close eye on that..."
The doctor explained some issues related to pregnant women to Wang Shouren and told him to pay close attention.
Wang Shouren took out his notebook and wrote it down bit by bit.
This attitude softened the doctor's tone somewhat; these days, it's rare to see such a conscientious man.
Back in the courtyard, I immediately told my third uncle and first uncle the good news.
The two elderly men were happy for Wang Shouren when they heard the news.
"By the way, this is a joyous occasion, so we'll deliver some to each household. It doesn't have to be much, just a small token of our appreciation," an old man said from the side.
This is an old tradition in the courtyard houses. When someone has a happy occasion, they go door-to-door delivering some wedding candy as a small token of their appreciation. This also gives everyone an excuse to help if something happens in the future. For example, if something happens and the homeowner is too embarrassed to say anything, the neighbors will come over and say something like, "I ate your wedding candy the other day, how can I not help?"
That made perfect sense.
Wang Shouren is now a cadre, and in this respect, he must be even less frugal. Otherwise, it would be seen as an unwillingness to integrate with the people.
"Isn't this about destroying the Four Olds?" The third uncle hesitated.
“That doesn’t count, Uncle,” Wang Shouren said cheerfully. “I won’t give anything too valuable, just some White Rabbit candy. A little for each family, and I happen to have some rolls on hand that I can use.”
"Wow, this is no small gift." The third uncle exclaimed in surprise.
These days, White Rabbit candy is a top-tier candy, and it's safe to say it's a collective childhood memory for this generation. Back then, having one during Chinese New Year was something to brag about for a long time.
"Let's do it this way, a little from each family, it won't cost much," the old man agreed.
Wang Shouren's salary is now higher than his. Aside from the difficulty in obtaining tickets, the price is really a minor issue. Now, even the old man feels the pinch when he sees the candy Wang Shouren gives to Yi Xiaochuan every month. It's better to let him give it away; it saves him the trouble.
"Well then, I should thank you both." The old man said cheerfully with a witty remark, "Congratulations!"
When Wang Shouren's wife became pregnant, most people offered their congratulations.
In the entire courtyard, there was only one person who was most annoyed, and that was Sha Zhu.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
