There were many people today, so my aunt and Bai Hehua prepared two extra dishes. When it was time to eat, my aunt prepared a bowl, put some food on it, and prepared to eat alone in the kitchen, but Bai Hehua stopped her.
In the past, when I took care of my grandfather at home, we always ate with the family. There was no reason to let my distant aunt eat alone in the kitchen. After persuading her for a while, I finally managed to get her to come to the table.
After my aunt sat down, the large round table was just the right size for her.
Han Qiulin introduced Li Qiutang to his aunt and cousin. His aunt glanced at Li Qiutang, who was well-behaved at the table, and said with a smile, "This girl is obviously good. Qiulin is a lucky man."
Han Qiushi joked, "Only Qiulin is lucky, I'm not so lucky?"
Upon hearing Han Qiushi's words, Auntie immediately put down her chopsticks and waved her hand, "No, that's not what I meant. Look at me, I don't know how to speak. You are all blessed. Seeing your family so harmonious makes me feel comfortable working in this atmosphere."
Grandpa Han smiled and said, "Young lady, you said you weren't good at speaking, but you said it so eloquently. We're all family, so there's no need to be so reserved. They're just joking with you."
As she spoke, she invited her aunt and Li Qiutang to eat: "Our family doesn't have so many rules or formalities. We just do whatever makes us comfortable. I'm also from a humble background, no different from you. Don't limit yourselves."
Everyone at the table nodded in agreement. It was true. The family members were assertive when things got tough, but very easygoing with people they didn't have any disputes with. And it wasn't just them; most leaders these days are quite down-to-earth.
You might think that when people get together they're going to talk about national affairs or something, but actually they're just showing off their kids, or bragging about their new gadgets, how filial their children are, and what they've given them as a gift.
At home, the conversation at the dinner table revolves around trivial matters, and the atmosphere is just like that of any other small family.
Everyone at the table was chatting about everyday things. Li Qiutang, who worked at the hospital, was inevitably involved in some explosive gossip and strange things, and soon joined the conversation, attracting everyone's attention.
Even her aunt, who had been eating in silence, was captivated by what Li Qiutang was saying, and asked questions and sighed several times.
And so, everyone ate and chatted happily. As Lin Xiaoxiao was laughing, she suddenly felt a tightness in her stomach, and she could barely hold onto her chopsticks, dropping one onto the table.
The sound of chopsticks falling quickly drew everyone's attention. Han Qiushi saw Lin Xiaoxiao frowning and holding her stomach, and asked anxiously, "What's wrong? Is your stomach upset?"
Bai Hehua immediately stood beside Lin Xiaoxiao and said, "Hurry up, let Xiaoxiao sit comfortably on the sofa first."
Li Qiutang, being a nurse, knew a little about the basics, even though it was a different department. She quickly came over and asked, "Xiaoxiao, is your stomach hurting? What kind of pain is it?"
"I felt my stomach was very tight, like someone was squeezing my belly tightly. At first it was okay, and it slowly loosened, but then it came in waves, and my lower back started to ache and ache. I kept taking deep breaths but it didn't help."
Li Qiutang immediately knew what was going on: "This is Braxton Hicks contractions. Brother Qiushi, quickly put Xiaoxiao on the sofa to lie down. Some pregnant women experience this symptom, and lying down will help."
Upon hearing this, Bai Hehua quickly moved her chair aside to make way for Han Qiushi, who then picked up Lin Xiaoxiao and carefully placed her on the sofa.
"How are you? Are you still feeling unwell? Do you want me to massage your lower back, or should we go to the hospital?" Lin Xiaoxiao's words made Han Qiushi anxious.
Li Qiutang also went to the sofa and looked Lin Xiaoxiao up and down. Seeing that her belly had only moved and there was no fluid or anything, she quickly comforted her, "Let Xiaoxiao rest. I think it's just Braxton Hicks contractions. Mothers in late pregnancy will experience contractions if they stand or sit for too long."
"Xiaoxiao, now slowly adjust your breathing, inhale and exhale as the doctor said. This is normal, we don't need to panic."
Following Li Qiutang's advice, Lin Xiaoxiao began to slowly adjust her breathing. Sure enough, her stomach didn't hurt as much after a while. When she recovered, she opened her eyes and saw that everyone around her was looking at her with a tense expression. Han Qiushi's hand was tightly gripping hers.
Lin Xiaoxiao smiled, placed her right hand on Han Qiushi's hand, and forced a smile on her face: "Don't be nervous, I'm much better now."
Han Qiushi's brows furrowed into a deep frown. He reached out and touched Lin Xiaoxiao's forehead and then her stomach: "Are you really okay? Don't try to tough it out. If you're not feeling well, go to the hospital. Was the baby bothering you just now?"
“Yes, yes, don’t hold it in. You don’t look well. Why don’t you go to the hospital for a check-up?” I quickly said.
Lin Xiaoxiao was both amused and exasperated. "Really, there's no need. I'm feeling fine right now. Besides, Qiu Tang is here too, so she knows a bit about my situation."
“You all need to relax. You all look even more uncomfortable than I am. I know my own body very well. Someone as pleasure-loving as me won’t force myself to endure this.”
Seeing that Lin Xiaoxiao's pale face had gradually returned to normal, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then you should lie down and rest. You probably ate and chatted for too long. We'll all be more careful in the future." Mr. Han spoke up and stepped aside. There was a group of people gathered around, and the air felt thick with tension.
"Luckily you have a baby and are usually in good health, otherwise having two children would be really tough." Bai Hehua felt sorry for Lin Xiaoxiao kicking her big belly and said to the people around her, "From now on, Xiaoxiao needs someone by her side. If she forgets to rest or anything, remember to remind her."
Everyone nodded in agreement, without a single objection. Lin Xiaoxiao was the apple of their eye even before she was pregnant, and now that she was pregnant with twins and about to give birth, she was even more of a focus of attention.
Within minutes, Lin Xiaoxiao was completely healed, and everyone dispersed to do their own things. Aunt and Bai Hehua tidied up the dishes on the table together, while Han Qiushi sat next to Lin Xiaoxiao, massaging her waist and shoulders. Han Qiulin took Li Qiutang home.
After everything was tidied up, Bai Hehua took her aunt to her room to see if there was anything missing. Since it was hot, all she needed was a straw mat and a thin blanket. However, the room was located in a relatively far-inner part of the room, so the windows would be quite small.
The weather was hot and humid, and it was uncomfortable even in the middle of the night. Small spaces were even more difficult to cool down, so I guess I would have to keep the windows open to sleep. There were a lot of mosquitoes in the weather, so Baihehua brought her aunt some dried mugwort to repel them.
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