Chapter Ten: Double Happiness! (Station Master Su)
Sun Yaozu was too young to understand these things and couldn't think that far ahead. But Shu Yao was worried and didn't sleep well all night. She only felt relieved after several days of silence.
But her pregnancy symptoms worsened; she had no appetite for anything, and even if she managed to eat something, she would vomit it up shortly after. At work, she ate very little to avoid showing it. She lost weight rapidly, driving Su Xiangdong to despair.
For dinner, I made noodles and rice, and stir-fried water chestnuts with tofu and pork. But she didn't want to eat anything and covered her mouth from afar.
"What would you like to eat?"
"I don't want to eat anything." She couldn't quite remember if she had experienced this kind of pregnancy nausea in her past life. The only thing she remembered was that no one had ever made so much for her just so she could eat one more bite.
"How can you not eat anything? Think about it carefully, anything is fine. Look how thin you've become these past few days."
"I...I want to eat a banana."
"banana?"
"They're very rare in the North. If you don't have any, that's fine. You can find an apple or something."
"Okay, I understand."
He went outside for a walk and came back with apples and peaches for her. "I've already arranged for the bananas to be brought back in about three or four days. Eat these first, and I'll make you some milk."
"oh."
He didn't know where he got the peaches; they weren't sour at all, just sweet and delicious. She hadn't eaten, but she ate a peach and drank a glass of milk. He was finally less worried; he needed to have something in his stomach. He couldn't keep going hungry.
"We've been married for twenty-four days. When do you think is a suitable time to announce this?" It needs to be done legitimately, otherwise she's been enduring not eating every day to avoid vomiting and to keep it a secret. It must be so painful for her; seeing her so thin breaks his heart.
"Just one more week." She smiled. "I'm fine, it's just normal morning sickness. How are you feeling lately?"
He clenched his fist and raised his arm, his biceps showing great strength. "Nothing's wrong. People at work say maybe it was a misdiagnosis, or maybe I'm just too energetic after a happy occasion."
"It's probably a misdiagnosis. When I go for my checkup, you should get checked too, then it will be clear."
"good."
He was switched from the morning shift to the afternoon shift, from 4 PM to midnight. That evening, after tidying up at home, he found a bowl of dough that had risen perfectly; he had originally planned to steam buns. But then he turned around and went inside.
"Um, I've prepared the dough. Would you like steamed buns, sugar triangles, or twisted rolls?"
"I...I want to eat red bean buns." She herself felt that she was being willful these days. Whether the red bean buns were made with kidney beans or red beans, they had to be soaked overnight and then cooked to make the filling. She suddenly said that this was making things difficult for him. She had never done this in decades when it came to Sun Yaozu. But with him, she had the audacity to do whatever she wanted.
"Steamed buns with red bean filling, sure. But I can't make them today, I'll have to wait until tomorrow. I'll steam a batch of sweet buns for you today, and then I'll steam the red bean buns tomorrow."
"Okay." Seeing him about to leave, she couldn't help but say, "Su Xiangdong, I'm sorry, I was too..."
He turned around and interrupted her. He could tell from her expression that she was embarrassed and felt she had troubled him. "Don't be so polite with me. I'm your man. I'm happy that you have something to eat."
She smiled, biting her lip; her red lips and white teeth, her eyes crinkling, were so pretty and adorable that he longed to reach out and touch her. But he didn't dare; instead, he seized the opportunity to make another request.
"Um, can I call you my wife from now on?" Knowing why they were getting married, he had never dared to call her that. But he really wanted to call her that, even if he died soon, he would die without regrets.
"Okay," she replied with a smile. She had always wanted to live a good life with him. She had even thought that if he didn't like her, she could leave after giving birth. Her primary goal was to mislead the Sun family and prevent them from taking the child. If he was willing, she was naturally willing to live with him.
"Okay. Then," he hesitated for a moment before calling out, "Wife, you rest first, I'll go boil some water for you to wash up."
"Um."
It was just a title, yet it brought him a real sense of happiness. He really was a married man now. Oh, and not only that, he also had a child. Soon, a little one would be born here and call him Dad.
If only he had really misdiagnosed me.
He had spent years on the battlefield amidst the flames of war, and was not actually afraid of death. But now, fear had arisen within him. God, please let me live a few more years.
Shu Yao ate a sugar triangle and a bowl of egg and seaweed soup for dinner. It tasted good while she was eating, but less than half an hour later, she experienced morning sickness and rushed outside. She vomited everything up.
The man poured her some water to rinse her mouth and gently patted her back to help her vomit, telling her not to keep gagging, as it was too uncomfortable.
"Go to the hospital, you can't stay like this."
She waved her hand and said, "It's okay, morning sickness is normal. It'll get better after this period."
"Then take a few days off and rest. Don't go to work anymore."
"But……"
“Just listen to me this once. You’re reacting so strongly, are you afraid to eat at work? How can I feel at ease with you like this? I’m on edge at work.”
"Okay. But you need to have a suitable excuse, preferably something like 'there's something wrong.'"
"Okay, don't worry about that, I'll handle it."
The man immediately asked her for a week off, telling her boss that a friend's wife needed someone to take care of her. Since her parents and relatives weren't around, she went to help.
Taking a week off means losing her entire bonus for the month. This is absolutely unacceptable in the Sun family; even with her terribly large twin pregnancy, she still has to go to work every day. But now, she can rest peacefully at home, and they've even brought her the southern bananas she'd been craving.
"There are three whole handfuls, want to try some and see if it's good?"
When she was little, her mother loved bananas. She was from the South, and her father would always try to get her lots of southern fruits. Since they were separated, she hadn't eaten them again, but the taste of bananas and lychees remained in her memory. The slightly firm banana, the familiar taste, brought tears to her eyes instantly.
"Honey, what's wrong?" He was startled and quickly handed her a handkerchief. "Doesn't it taste good?" He took a bite. "It's not bad."
"No." She wiped away her tears and sniffed. "I miss my mom. She used to make banana pudding for me, and she would laugh and pinch my nose, calling me a little glutton."
He sat down next to her: "Where were your parents planning to go? I have a lot of comrades-in-arms who are using connections all over the country. I can help you find them."
“Not in China. Dad sold the factory. The original plan was for the whole family to go to Hong Kong Island first, and then go abroad.”
"Well," they are basically cut off from the outside world now. If they have gone abroad, that would be difficult.
"It's nothing, I just suddenly thought of my mother. It's alright, we'll definitely have a chance to get in touch with her later. As long as everyone is safe and sound, it doesn't matter where we are."
Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she looked even more delicate and pitiful when she missed her mother. How could her family have been lost when they were fleeing? From the age of twelve until now, she has lived alone, dependent on others. The old woman of the Sun family bullies her, forbidding her from getting too close to her neighbors and colleagues; she has no one to talk to.
Every time I saw her before, she would walk silently with her head down, at most giving a polite smile to others. She kept her grievances and loneliness to herself.
The more he thought about it, the more heartbroken he felt for her, and he couldn't help but reach out and hug her. Just like when his mother comforted him when he was a child, he gently patted her back.
"It's okay, don't be sad. You have me now, and I'll treat you well."
"Um."
She said she wanted to eat bananas, so he found a way to get them for her. She knew that the future would definitely not be like her previous life.
She rested at home for a week, and when she went back to work, her morning sickness wasn't as severe. She waited another week before finally revealing it to others. Immediately, experienced women said she might be pregnant.
"Your gait and reactions suggest it, you should get checked out. You're probably pregnant."
"Did you get your period this month?"
"No." She shook her head and answered with great experience, "It's been more than a week, I didn't even notice until you mentioned it."
The woman clapped her hands: "So she's pregnant! Wow, she's pregnant right after getting married, you two are such a perfect match."
"Could it just be an upset stomach?"
"You're definitely pregnant. I've never been wrong before. I knew something was off the moment you came in today. If you don't believe me, go to the hospital for a checkup, you can't be wrong."
Sister Xu laughed and said, "Oh dear, your man would be overjoyed if he knew."
"Yes." Everyone knew about Su Xiangdong's situation, and they all felt that God still had eyes and finally left him a descendant.
The next day, Shu Yao and her husband went to the hospital. She had her blood drawn and tested, and while waiting for the results, Su Xiangdong also went to have his tests done again.
"The results won't be out until the afternoon. Shall we go grab something to eat?"
"good."
Su Xiangdong was very generous to her, and she, having her own money, didn't mistreat herself either. Instead of going home, the two went to a nearby canteen.
A meal consisting of two kinds of rice, braised chicken with mushrooms, a platter of braised meat, and a cold cucumber and spinach salad. It wasn't until more than a month after they started dating that Shu Yao realized she actually really liked rice and stir-fried dishes. Previously, the Sun family preferred noodles, and noodles were cheaper than rice in the north, so she rarely got to eat them.
Su Xiangdong quickly discovered that she really loved rice, and there was always rice at home so she could eat it whenever she wanted. He also made sure she got rice and her favorite dishes when they were out.
Give her a chicken leg and a chicken wing, giving her the firmest and tastiest parts. What woman wouldn't be happy to be pampered like a child? She ate half the meal and packed the rest to take home.
The two sat in the hospital corridor waiting, feeling drowsy around noon. He sat next to her and patted his shoulder.
"Lean against me and let yourself drift off for a while."
"I'm not sleepy."
"It's alright. This is a hospital, and patients won't be criticized for resting here. Besides, you're my wife, not just anyone."
She smiled, tilting her head to lean on his shoulder. His shoulders were so broad and strong, giving her a great sense of security. She drifted off to sleep, and as her body slumped, he caught her, supporting her steadily.
The doctor arrived at 3 PM and went to the lab to get the results. He first looked at his T-cell antibody test, examining it carefully several times.
"Judging from the results, you're perfectly fine. Which doctor examined you last time?"
Upon hearing that everything was alright, Su Xiangdong was both surprised and delighted. "The examination was conducted at the Third Hospital by Dr. Liu in the internal medicine department."
"The equipment at the Third Hospital might not be up to par. Anyway, judging from the results of this examination, your liver is perfectly normal. There's no cancer, not even a cyst."
"So, the previous diagnosis might have been a misdiagnosis?"
"That's very likely. If you're worried, come back for a check-up in three months. Or, you know your own body best. If it's late-stage liver cancer, you can't possibly not be in pain."
"Yes, I really didn't feel any pain."
"Then it's alright. Just be careful, and come back for a checkup if anything seems wrong."
Once Su Xiangdong confirmed that he was alright, he excitedly came out and took his wife's hand. "Honey, I can stay with you and take care of you forever."
"Yes. I don't need to worry about postpartum care anymore."
"Great, I can see my child again."
The two retrieved Shu Yao's test results, and unsurprisingly, she was indeed pregnant. "Based on the test results, it seems to be twins. Go home and take care of yourself; avoid heavy physical labor."
"Twins?" Su Xiangdong asked in surprise.
"Yes. You need to take good care of your partner; carrying twins is very hard work."
"Yes, yes, I understand, thank you, doctor."
The two rode their bikes home and ran into Director Hao not far from the gate. Hearing that they had gone to the hospital, he immediately inquired about the situation. Upon learning that Su Xiangdong's diagnosis had been misdiagnosed and that Shu Yao was pregnant, he happily offered his congratulations repeatedly.
"Double happiness! Station Master Su, you have to treat me to a meal. It's not me, you're still single, no kids, no wife in sight."
"Haha," Su Xiangdong laughed. "Please, please."
A group of close neighbors congratulated him, and even Old Mrs. Sun, who was out getting water, heard the news. That evening, she angrily told her son that Shu Yao was pregnant.
"You got pregnant so quickly after marrying someone else?"
A note from the author:
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