Chapter Nine: Pregnancy Revealed
"Have they been here before?" she asked softly.
"Hmm." He was quite frank, not taking it to heart at all. Or perhaps he was taking the opportunity to tell her about his situation, so she would know how to handle it if they came again.
“My parents only have one son, me. My eldest uncle and third uncle have many children. Originally, it was my eldest uncle's son who was supposed to join the army, but my cousin mistakenly filled in my name, so I went to join the army instead.”
In the second or third year after I left, my parents passed away one after the other. I was on the battlefield at the time, and my eldest cousin arranged the funerals. When I returned from military service, my eldest cousin was living in the house; he only moved out later.
Shu Yao nodded. She knew some of these things, since they were all neighbors. However, she wasn't entirely clear on the details, as her mother had always forbade her from having close relationships with the neighbors. But she had met them and heard about them. His father had passed away first, and his mother died a little over six months later.
"Does he think that it was because he misspelled a word that you were registered, which is why you made a contribution and became a leader after being transferred back from the military?"
How did you know?
"Shameless people are just shameless like this."
He sighed, “Don’t worry, this is a new society. Legally you are my spouse and the first heir. And there are children, so no one can take your house away. I wish I could live a little longer, even if it’s just to see my child born.”
“I think your illness is most likely a misdiagnosis.” Meeting his surprised gaze, she continued, “Think about it. If it really were that disease, how come you wouldn’t feel anything at all? Have you had any pain or other discomfort recently?”
"No. However," he thought it was probably because he was in high spirits after such a happy occasion; he had married the woman he loved, and he was excited and happy. His body, under such circumstances, was probably also enveloped in happiness, which was why he didn't feel pain.
"Okay, when I have morning sickness, you'll come with me to the hospital for another checkup. For now, relax and don't think about anything. No matter what happens, just live happily and joyfully."
He nodded with a smile; he was indeed living a happy life. This wonderful life felt like a dream. She finally discovered the treacherous heart beneath the Sun family's smiles and finally understood how to resist.
"Don't worry, even if I really get sick or die, I will ask my comrades to take care of you."
For two weeks, he delivered her every night during her night shifts and returned by bus in the morning. It wasn't until she started working the early shifts that her colleagues noticed she was riding a brand new Phoenix bicycle.
"Wow, Shuyao, you've upgraded your equipment! You used to walk everywhere, but now you not only have a bus pass, you also have a brand new bicycle."
Another female colleague, who really wanted to buy a car, reached out and touched it, saying, "This... did your husband buy it for you?"
She nodded: "Yes. This way it will be convenient for me to commute to and from get off work, and I can ride my bike anywhere."
"I'm so envious. I thought I only bought you two new outfits, but it turns out there was such a big purchase."
She smiled, pursing her lips, and locked her bike in the shed. She wasn't so sleepy during the day, and her energy was high. After a busy morning, she went to the canteen for lunch, eating with her coworkers in the workshop as usual.
Today's meal consisted of steamed buns and a large stew. There were only a few slices of pork; getting even one slice in a serving was considered lucky. Shuyao was one of those lucky ones; she got a large slice of fatty pork in her dish.
For people who lack oil in their diet, fatty meat tastes incredibly delicious. Shu Yao used to love it too; she's over 1 meter tall but weighs less than 90 pounds. Su Xiangdong always told her she was too thin and urged her to eat more.
She picked up a piece of meat and put it in her mouth. The food, which had previously tasted delicious, now felt nauseous. After only a couple of chews, she felt nauseous and quickly and secretly spat the meat out. She put down her food, went to the side to pour herself a glass of warm water, and drank it slowly to suppress the nausea.
"Why isn't Shu Yao eating?"
"It's okay, we'll eat later."
She knew perfectly well that this was morning sickness. Afraid of being noticed, she ate very carefully, stopping immediately if she sensed anything was wrong. Fortunately, the symptoms weren't too severe, and no one noticed.
She'd only been married to Su Xiangdong for half a month; it wouldn't be right for her to announce her pregnancy now. The dates didn't match, and Sun Yaozu would have to pounce on her immediately.
Feeling unwell on her way home from work, she leisurely drank some water outside, not in a hurry to go home. She touched her belly, silently discussing things with her two babies.
Be good, stay in Mommy's tummy and don't let anyone else find out. Otherwise, the Sun family will take you away, and you won't be able to stay with Mommy anymore.
Whether it was the discussion that worked or not, she felt better after drinking half a glass of water. She rode her bike home and bought some vegetables at the supply and marketing cooperative on the way.
She got home a little after 5 p.m., just as she was about to cook dinner, but after washing her hands, she felt completely drained. Her body felt weak and listless, and she didn't want to move at all.
If she were at the Sun family's house, she would be more alert and get things done. At home, she would not only cook, but also clean and do laundry. But now that she wasn't at the Sun family's house, she went back to her room and lay down on the kang (heated brick bed).
Soon, the door creaked open. Su Xiangdong, seeing she wasn't in the yard or the kitchen, went inside to look for her. Seeing her lying on the kang (heated brick bed), he asked with concern, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"No." She turned to face him. "I just feel tired and don't want to move."
"Oh, then you lie down for a while, I'll go cook. Is there anything you want to eat?"
"Hmm, I want to eat noodles, soup noodles."
"Okay, you wait, it'll be ready soon."
Knead the dough and let it rest. Peel and dice the tomatoes, wash and chop the spinach. Heat oil in a pan, add the tomatoes and sauté until they release their juices, then add hot water. While waiting for the water to boil, crack in two poached eggs.
He was good at rolling out dough; the man's arms were strong, and he quickly rolled out the dough and cut it into triangles. He boiled the noodles in a pot, then added spinach. After taking it out of the pot, he drizzled two drops of sesame oil into her bowl.
There were a lot of mosquitoes outside at this time of day, so he brought the food inside. Besides the noodle soup, there was also a side of cucumber salad to go with the meal.
He gently pushed open the door and saw that she was awake. He stood by the kang (a heated brick bed) and reached out to touch her forehead to make sure she didn't have a fever. "Are you sick?"
"no."
She smiled, but the overwhelming emotions made her want to cry. Sun Yaozu would ask about her condition time and time again, but he wouldn't do anything. He would complain about how hard she was working, but he was oblivious to her exhaustion. He didn't ask many questions, but he did all the work so she could lie down and rest comfortably without worry.
"Then get up and eat, then go back to sleep."
She stirred the food with her chopsticks and found two poached eggs, but before she could eat them, she felt nauseous, covered her mouth, and ran outside. He quickly followed, patting her back as she squatted down to vomit. He then rushed back into the house to get a bowl of warm water for her to rinse her mouth.
"What's wrong? Doesn't it suit your taste?"
She waved her hand: "No. It's just that I suddenly got morning sickness, and I feel nauseous whenever I smell oil. It was the same at noon; a piece of fatty meat made me feel uncomfortable for a long time."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know. I even added sesame oil for you. You can eat from my bowl, mine doesn't have any sesame oil."
"good."
They switched places, and he picked up the egg with his chopsticks, intending to put it down for her. He then took the bowl to the kitchen and brought it to her in a clean bowl.
"I rinsed it twice with water, so there's definitely no sesame oil smell anymore."
"Why are you giving it all to me? You should eat some too."
"There's meat in the lunch. You eat quickly, don't worry about me. The food in our company cafeteria is very good."
People were actually very cautious during that period. Even the canteens at grain and oil stations were much the same as most other places, except they might have had a little more braised meat and offal. He did this to take care of his wife; seeing her in pain broke his heart.
"Everything was fine before, so how did it suddenly turn out like this?"
"It's a normal physiological reaction, and it usually goes away after three months."
"Besides being disgusting, what else is there, and what else should we be careful about?"
"It's nothing." She was really about to lose control of her tears. How could he be so thoughtful? Even though it wasn't his child, he seemed like the child's father. No, he was even more considerate than the child's father.
"I'm just a little lazy and don't want to move."
"Then I'll ask for leave for you?"
"No need," she smiled, though she hadn't intended to speak. She was already grateful he didn't mind her pregnancy and the baby when she married him. But he was so wonderful that she felt an urge to voice her needs. She loved his considerate words; they were incredibly touching.
"I can handle the work, I'm just too lazy to go home and lie down today. It's okay, this period will pass. Actually, I can do it."
"Don't worry about things at home. I'll cook and do the laundry when I get home. Pregnancy is already hard enough for you, and you're tired from work. Just rest when you get home."
"Aren't you afraid of spoiling me?" Her former mother-in-law said women shouldn't be spoiled, and young new brides should be diligent. Serving her parents-in-law and taking care of her husband is a woman's duty. So even when she was very tired, she still did all the housework. Today, she suddenly had a thought: she wanted to know what he thought about this.
"What's wrong with that? I'm a man, so my physical strength is naturally better than yours. You're pregnant and still have to go to work, so it's only right that I do the housework."
The heartache on his face was radiant, brightening her heart. She realized that when a man truly cares for you and cherishes you, he'll do everything he can to help you. It's not just talk; it's real action.
He cooked, washed the dishes, and even boiled water for her to wash up. The next day, when he went to work, he offered to take her. "You can take the bus back. Cycling is tiring too. Taking the bus will allow you to sit and rest."
"It's too much trouble for you, since your workplace and our factory aren't even in the same location."
“What’s the trouble? I can just kick it a couple of times.”
He rode his bike to take her to work, and she sat lazily on the back seat. A gentle breeze was intoxicating, and she felt slightly tipsy, as if she had drunk some wine. Suddenly, the bike lurched, and she instinctively reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist.
A warm touch swept over his waist, a woman's soft breasts pressed tightly against his back. The man's heart suddenly raced, and the car veered to one side. He steadied the handlebars abruptly, taking a deep breath to calm himself. His wife was in the back, pregnant with their baby.
Su Xiangdong, how old are you? How can you be so distracted? He scolded himself inwardly, then quickly composed himself and steadily rode his bicycle to the workshop entrance.
"Then I'll be going now." Last time they hugged, and this time they were so intimate again. His heart was racing, and he didn't say much to her.
"Okay, goodbye."
Watching him ride away on his bike, she turned and went into the workshop. Head down, she pursed her lips and chuckled silently. Last time he hugged her so decisively; she'd thought he was incredibly bold. Turns out, just a hug could leave her so flustered.
"Shu Yao, what's the good news that makes you so happy?"
"nothing."
Because of his shy and innocent reaction, she was in a great mood at work. She ate the food she brought herself for lunch today; he made it very light, and she experienced no morning sickness at all.
She was enjoying her lunch when, as she was leaving get off work in the afternoon, she smelled a greasy odor not far from the gate. The smell hit her head immediately, and she felt nauseous and started vomiting while leaning against the wall.
"Yaoyao, what's wrong? Shall I take you to the hospital?"
It was Sun Yaozu's voice! Startled, she quickly covered her mouth and hid to the side. She didn't reply, suppressing her nausea, and hurried past him to go home.
"Slender and graceful..."
"Shut up." She turned around. "We're divorced, don't call me that."
She avoided him like the plague, even locking herself in her apartment when she got home. Her heart pounded, and she counted the days on her fingers. It had been about twenty days since her divorce from Sun Yaozu. Even if he saw her feeling nauseous, it shouldn't be related to her pregnancy, right?
A note from the author:
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