The hustle and bustle of New Year's Eve had not completely dissipated; a faint aroma of dumplings and the smell of gunpowder from firecrackers still lingered in the air.
The room was as warm as springtime.
Su Wantang was awakened by a slight abdominal pain. It wasn't the tightness in her stomach she had felt a few days ago, but a heavy, downward-sloping ache, like a rope gently tightening deep in her lower abdomen.
She opened her eyes, and the sunlight was already filtering through the bright red "Magpie on Plum Blossom" window decoration, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
The seat next to her was empty, but the warmth of Lu Linchuan still lingered in the blankets.
From the main room came the low voice of her mother-in-law, Wen Yuzhen, and the static of opera singing coming from the television.
"...Let her sleep a little longer, she must have been tired from staying up all night to welcome the New Year." It was Wen Yuzhen's voice.
"Mom, I'm going to the regiment. If anything happens, just have the guard call me." Lu Linchuan's voice was steady, with a hint of barely perceptible gentleness.
Su Wantang shifted her body, trying to sit up, but the aching, dragging pain returned, this time more pronounced than before.
She propped herself up on the edge of the bed, slowly sat up, and unconsciously placed her hand on her round belly.
The two little ones inside were unusually quiet today, unlike usual when they were kicking and punching.
She put on her shoes and had just stepped out of the bedroom when Wen Yuzhen came to greet her with a steaming bowl of steaming egg custard.
"You're awake? Sit down quickly. Mom steamed some egg custard for you with dried shrimp in it to help with calcium." Wen Yuzhen pressed her into a chair and then turned to get her a spoon.
Lu Linchuan was already dressed in a crisp military uniform. He walked over, bent down and kissed Su Wantang's forehead, then gently placed his large hand on her stomach.
"I'll be back soon." His palm was warm, carrying a reassuring strength.
"Mm." Su Wantang nodded.
Just then, another sharp pain struck, more intense than the previous two.
"Hiss..." She couldn't help but gasp, her body involuntarily arching forward.
"What's wrong?" Lu Linchuan's expression changed instantly. He squatted down and looked at her anxiously. "Does your stomach hurt?"
"It's nothing," Su Wantang shook her head, a layer of fine sweat already beading on her forehead. "I probably ate too much last night and have a bit of an upset stomach."
She didn't want him to worry.
Wen Yuzhen also came over, her face full of concern: "Did you catch a cold? Quick, have some hot water to warm you up."
The pain came on quickly and went away just as fast. A few seconds later, only a faint ache remained.
Su Wantang breathed a sigh of relief, took the steamed egg custard handed to her by Wen Yuzhen, and forced a smile: "It's really nothing, look, it doesn't hurt anymore."
Lu Linchuan stared at her for a long time, and only when he saw that her expression had softened did he feel a little relieved, but his brows were still furrowed.
"If you feel unwell at all, have Mom call me right away, understand?" he solemnly instructed.
"Okay, go quickly, don't be late."
After seeing Lu Linchuan off, Su Wantang sat at the table, eating her steamed egg custard in small bites. But that strange, dragging pain, like a game of hide-and-seek, came back every few minutes, each time clearer than the last.
A sense of unease gradually rose in her heart.
After finishing her meal, she wanted to go to the restroom.
As soon as I stood up from the chair, an uncontrollable surge of heat suddenly gushed out from under my body.
It wasn't much, but the feeling was so clear that it made her freeze.
Her mind went blank with a "buzz".
She lowered her head, stiffly looking down little by little.
On the light gray cotton trousers, a dark red stain was spreading rapidly.
The color, like a red-hot branding iron, burned fiercely onto her eyeballs.
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