"Of course you said the wrong thing." Wu Xiufang looked at Zhou Chunyan incredulously. "How could you say that someone was pregnant?"
"Don't they all know?" Zhou Chunyan stuck out her tongue. "But back in the countryside, it was Tang Wenya herself who said she was pregnant."
She just mentioned it casually to Wang Yaqiang and the others; it wasn't intentional.
To everyone's surprise, they all heard it.
“Even if she said it herself, you shouldn’t bring up her pregnancy in this setting. She’s getting married today!” Wu Xiufang glanced at the others present and whispered, “Words spoken are like water spilled; they can’t be taken back.”
"What should we do then?" Zhou Chunyan finally felt embarrassed.
"What else can we do? Let's go!" Wu Xiufang also felt quite embarrassed. Now, she couldn't get the wedding candy either.
"Okay, let's hurry over to Lao San's house." Zhou Chunyan couldn't sit still any longer, mainly because she had already eaten her fill.
The two children quickly became familiar with Wang Yaqiang and Liu Dawei, and were sitting in their laps, happily eating candy.
The two sisters-in-law called the children over, said goodbye to Wang Yaqiang and the others, and quietly left the table to go to Xu Qingning's house.
Yang Yuelan and Xu Qingning had just finished lunch, and Xu Qingning was taking a nap in the bedroom.
Yang Yuelan was doing needlework on the kang (a heated brick bed) when she saw her two sisters-in-law return with their children. She invited them to rest on the kang and asked them, "Are you going back this afternoon?"
"We'll stay one night and go back tomorrow." Wu Xiufang touched the new kang and clicked her tongue, saying, "This kang is really well made; it can easily sleep five or six people."
“Yes, when we came, we were worried that we wouldn’t have anywhere to stay!” Zhou Chunyan sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), looking around the room. It was more spacious and brighter than when they last came.
Even the bedding on the kang (heated brick bed) has been replaced with new ones, a yellow-green color that looks quite nice.
Neither of them mentioned the banquet.
Yang Yuelan and Xu Qingning originally disagreed with them going, and Wu Xiufang didn't feel ashamed at all that Zhou Chunyan had caused such a big mess.
"Grandma, I want to eat dumplings." Wu Xiufang's son, Xiao Chengjun, climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed) and begged Yang Yuelan. Xiao Chengjun is seven years old and will start primary school in the fall.
"Grandma, I want to eat dumplings too, and I want to eat meat too." Zhou Chunyan's son, Xiao Qiyuan, also climbed up. He was a year younger than Xiao Chengjun, but he was half a head taller and chubby.
Yang Yuelan raised both of her grandsons, and they were especially affectionate towards their grandmother.
Yang Yuelan felt even closer to her two grandsons. She put down her needlework, put one arm around each of them, and readily agreed, "Okay, Grandma will go out to buy meat later, and we'll have dumplings for dinner."
In the village, the production team would only slaughter pigs and distribute some to the members during festivals; there was no meat to eat on ordinary days.
"Mom, your sister-in-law won't object if you go out to buy meat, will she?" Zhou Chunyan asked Yang Yuelan in a low voice, hoping that they wouldn't start arguing again over a meal of dumplings.
Xu Qingning is not an easy person to get along with.
It's already good enough that they can stay at home.
“The third son’s wife is reasonable and not petty at all.” Yang Yuelan smiled when she heard Zhou Chunyan say this. “As long as you treat her well, she will treat you well in return. It’s a two-way street between people.”
Zhou Chunyan gave an awkward laugh.
She thought it was unlikely.
Xu Qingning is from the city, so it's true that she looks down on them.
"Mom, when are you going back?" Wu Xiufang asked Yang Yuelan. "When you're not here, Chengjun and Qiyuan are like two wild children, running all over the streets. Especially in the summer, when it rains, there are puddles everywhere. When we have to go to work in the fields, we have to look for them everywhere."
“My third son isn’t home, and his wife is getting more and more pregnant. I’m worried about leaving her alone at home, so I have to stay and take care of her.” Yang Yuelan knows that her family needs her, but right now, her third son’s side needs her more.
“Mom, it’s not that we, as her sisters-in-law, are being picky. She’s fine right now and could easily come back to our hometown with us.” Zhou Chunyan pouted, thinking Xu Qingning was being too dramatic. “She hasn’t been back to her hometown since she got married!”
“Qingning grew up in the city, and I’m afraid she won’t be used to life in the village.” Yang Yuelan didn’t want to take Xu Qingning back to her hometown. If something went wrong, no one could bear the consequences.
Not to mention her, even Zhao Jingyu wouldn't agree.
“I also grew up in the city. If I can settle down in the countryside, so can she.” Wu Xiufang meant the same thing and took the opportunity to say, “It’s not that we don’t want you to take care of her, but it’s the same if we take her back to our hometown to take care of her.”
It's just being pregnant!
They had all been pregnant before, but they weren't pampered like Xu Qingning, who even had to have her mother-in-law come and take care of her.
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. I'm going to buy meat." Yang Yuelan put on her shoes and got off the kang (heated brick bed), instructing them, "You guys help me out by kneading the dough and washing the radishes. Let's wrap them up early and wrap a lot."
The two sisters-in-law agreed and went to the kitchen to work.
Yang Yuelan took her two grandsons to the grocery store and bought a pound of meat for 1.05 yuan. She used the 5 fen change to buy two candy sticks for the two boys, 3 fen each and 5 fen for two.
Sugar sticks are made of cornmeal and sugar. They are crispy and crunchy, and about a meter long. They are a favorite among children.
Yang Yuelan knew that Xu Qingning wouldn't be angry because she spent money to buy meat, and she wouldn't care that she spent five cents to buy candy sticks for her grandson.
The two boys jumped for joy after receiving the candy sticks.
Wu Xiufang and Zhou Chunyan were very happy to see that their mother-in-law had bought candy sticks for the two children and also bought a pound of meat.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted and laughed as they rolled out dough and made dumplings in the yard. The two little boys held sugar sticks, reluctant to eat them, and waved them around playfully as sticks.
Xu Qingning was woken up by the two children after sleeping for a while. She rubbed her eyes, looked out the window, and saw her mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law making dumplings. She then lay back down and went back to sleep.
She can get up after they've cooked the dumplings.
After the wedding banquet ended, the courtyard quieted down. Xiao Yaodong and Liu Yuzhen had been busy for several days preparing for their son's wedding, and they were both exhausted. They sat on the sofa for a long time, not wanting to move.
Liu Yuzhen's older sister, Liu Suzhen, volunteered to stay and help, and cooked six dishes for the bride and groom, symbolizing good fortune.
Chen Meili was a bridesmaid and was also by her side.
Because of morning sickness in the afternoon, Tang Wenya was in a low mood and had a poor appetite, so she put down her chopsticks after only a few bites.
The wedding was going smoothly until she was ready to go back to her room after toasting the last table. But then, this awkward situation happened at their table.
Now everyone knows she's pregnant.
"Don't dwell on the past." Xiao Tingshen, being a man, patiently comforted her. "Anyway, we're already married. If they know, so be it. It's not a big deal."
Zhao Jingyu never hid Xu Qingning's pregnancy from the beginning. After discussing it for a few days, everyone stopped talking about it.
You have to get past your own conscience about this kind of thing.
“That’s right, Wenya, try to think more positively,” Chen Meili chimed in, “Today is a joyous occasion, cheer up.”
"I'm fine." Tang Wenya forced a smile, picked up her chopsticks, ate a few more bites, and took out a red envelope from her bag and gave it to Chen Meili. "This is for you. You've worked hard today. I've already talked to my mom, and you can stay at my house tonight. When you go back, tell my mom that I'm fine."
"Let's not be so polite!" Chen Meili declined.
She preferred to return to the city as soon as possible rather than accept the red envelope.
It all depends on whether Tang Wenya can keep her promise to her.
"This is our local custom, please take it." Tang Wenya insisted on stuffing the red envelope into her hand, "It's just a small token of my appreciation."
She remembered her promise and would ask her father-in-law to help Chen Meili return to the city as soon as possible.
One thing at a time, she's not short of money.
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