Chapter 46: Near Miscarriage
The next morning, at the breakfast table, Zhou Ma specially prepared a bowl of boiled eggs for Lin Yuanshu and Sister-in-law Xue.
Looking at the plain porridge and pickled vegetables in front of him, the older brother couldn't help but ask, "Mom, don't we have boiled eggs?"
"No, do you think we're rich? We can afford to give each of you a bowl of boiled eggs," Zhou's mother replied impatiently.
Big Brother: "..."
His mom is acting really strange today. Could she have spat into the boiled egg?
Lin Yuanshu was taken aback for a moment, but then accepted the bowl of boiled eggs without any qualms. She even shared half of it with Zhou Xiangyang, as she didn't really like boiled eggs.
Sister-in-law Xue originally wanted to share it with her husband, but he refused.
Watching Lin Yuanshu drink his boiled egg soup, Aunt Zhou asked gently, "How are you? Happy?"
Lin Yuanshu nodded and said with a smile, "It's alright, but I prefer steamed egg custard. It would be even better if you made steamed egg custard next time."
Just when everyone thought that Zhou Ma would lose her temper, she smiled and said, "Okay, I understand. I'll make steamed egg custard next time."
It's just a matter of putting up with it! It's a minor issue. She put up with her mother-in-law for several years back then.
Sister-in-law Xue took a deep breath. What was going on? Seeing Lin Yuanshu and her mother-in-law looking so happy together, she felt a chill run down her spine.
After Zhou Ma left the table, Sister-in-law Xue approached Lin Yuanshu and whispered, "What did you do? Did you and Mom cast a spell on each other?"
Lin Yuanshu said speechlessly, "I'm just an ordinary person. I don't have that kind of ability. Can't it be that Mom had a change of heart?"
Sister-in-law Xue pondered for a moment, but still felt that the possibility of using a curse was higher.
After arriving at the chemical plant, Lin Yuanshu first went to the workshop office to sign in, then went to the logistics department's warehouse to collect the raw materials. After that, he and Zhou Moli went to their workshop to begin the solvent sulfonation experiment.
Only after confirming that there were no problems could they conduct the solvent sulfonation experiment in front of the leaders.
Lin Yuanshu remained calm throughout, while Zhou Moli seemed somewhat uneasy, worried that the experiment would fail, as if she were the one who had proposed the plan.
After a day of hard work, the two finally managed to extract the naphthalene intermediate using solvent sulfonation before sunset.
The moment Zhou Moli saw the naphthalene-based intermediate, she exclaimed excitedly, "Great! It's really great! The experiment was a success! We've taken the first step!"
She didn't need to worry about returning to the workshop dejectedly and being criticized by Director Tang and her uncle because of the experiment's failure.
Although Lin Yuanshu was not surprised by the result, he couldn't help but smile when he saw Zhou Moli's excited expression.
This good news definitely needs to be shared with every leader, since they are also paying attention to the implementation of this plan.
The three workshop directors had originally planned to give Lin Yuanshu a severe scolding to make him realize his mistakes, but when they learned that the experiment was successful, they swallowed their scolding words and turned them into encouragement.
Before Wu Jianhua could even celebrate becoming the leader of the backup workshop group, he heard the good news from Lin Yuanshu. He hadn't expected Lin Yuanshu to be so quick.
He had a bad feeling. Could it be that Lin Yuanshu really could change the way chemical plants produce naphthalene intermediates?
"Team Leader Wu, should we deal with Lin Yuanshu now?" the subordinate asked seriously.
Wu Jianhua looked troubled. He knew that now was not the best time to make a move. After all, Lin Yuanshu's workshop was empty, without even any equipment. How could he make a move? He couldn't very well let someone beat up Lin Yuanshu!
Once the plan is implemented, he will have no chance to make a move, because the Minister of Technology and the Minister of Maintenance will not allow anyone to sabotage their achievements.
The only chance is to deliberately sabotage the workshop equipment after the plan succeeds, when Lin Yuanshu and the others relax, to create the illusion that the plan has not actually succeeded.
However, he felt uneasy doing this, not because he felt guilty for dealing with Lin Yuanshu, but because he knew the importance of this plan.
If Lin Yuanshu's plan succeeds, it will change the way chemical plants across the country produce naphthalene intermediates. How could he bear to sabotage it?
"Damn it, how come I'm the one in the dilemma now?" Wu Jianhua couldn't help but mutter to himself.
The subordinate looked at Wu Jianhua with a puzzled expression.
Wu Jianhua sighed and said in a low voice, "Let's not take action for now. I need to think this over carefully."
The subordinate nodded. Although he wasn't very quick-witted, he was obedient.
When Director Qian learned that Lin Yuanshu's experiment was successful, he breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the general direction was correct, it was only a matter of time before the workshop could be put into operation.
Originally, everyone avoided the workshop where Lin Yuanshu worked, but now it has become a hot commodity, and everyone wants to get a piece of it. After all, the success of the experiment means that the plan has no major problems and is highly feasible.
The members of Chow Tai Fook's team all urged Chow Tai Fook to speak well of their daughters-in-law so that their team could join them.
Zhou Dafu resolutely refused, saying, "We must have our own judgment and not change our minds because of the slightest rumor. You didn't want to join yesterday, but now you've heard some news, whether true or false, and you want to join again. What if you hear some bad news tomorrow and then you don't want to join anymore?"
The group members were all a little ashamed by what they were told. They lowered their heads and were too embarrassed to look up at Chow Tai Fook.
Zhou Dafu continued, "Even if you want to join Comrade Lin Yuanshu's group now, it's too late. The head of the maintenance department will select capable and experienced maintenance personnel to join. It's not something we can just do whenever we want. Even if my daughter-in-law puts in a good word for us, it still depends on whether the head of the maintenance department agrees!"
Although his abilities are average, he's not stupid. He knows that opportunities that everyone wants are not easy to come by.
The group members were filled with regret; yesterday they had looked down on them, but today they were no match for them.
The same thing happened with the head of the technology department. She selected the most outstanding and capable talents in the department, and out of respect for Lin Yuanshu, she also let Zhao Hong join.
Lin Yuanshu no longer needs to worry about anything in the workshop; the heads of the technical and maintenance departments seem to care even more than she does.
The head of the technology department said with a serious expression, "Tomorrow's experiment cannot go wrong."
The head of the maintenance department couldn't help but roll his eyes at the head of the technical department, then walked up to Lin Yuanshu and said softly, "Don't get nervous because of what someone said. Even if there are problems, it's okay. There's still plenty of time. If it doesn't work tomorrow, we can do it the day after. Don't worry, I'm here!"
The head of the technical department took a deep breath. That damned head of the maintenance department, he just kept undermining him. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "That's what I think too."
After saying that, he turned around and glared fiercely at the head of the maintenance department.
Watching the two of them vying to perform, Lin Yuanshu instantly felt that bringing in the maintenance department was a really good idea.
After get off work, Chow Tai Fook went to the bicycle management department to complete the relevant procedures.
Zhou Ma glanced at the time on the wall clock and patiently called Lin Yuanshu and the others to go out.
"It's almost time. You can go downstairs to greet your dad and see our bicycles right away."
Lin Yuanshu said, puzzled, "It's just one car, there's no need for the whole family to come and pick it up!"
Aunt Zhou said mysteriously, "Although you are very capable at work, you don't understand this point."
Lin Yuanshu looked at Zhou Ma with a puzzled expression. She hadn't planned to go, but after her mother-in-law said that, she felt she had to go down and see. Why didn't she understand?
Since Lin Yuanshu was already planning to go downstairs, the others had even less reason to object.
When Zhou's mother took her whole family out, Aunt Wei from next door saw them and asked curiously, "Why is your family going out again? Are you going to the park again?"
Mrs. Zhou gave a smug smile. "Oh dear! This time we're not going to the park. Old Zhou brought a bicycle back today, and the whole family is going to check it out. We have no experience buying bicycles, so we don't know if this old-fashioned bicycle is any good..."
Aunt Wei didn't want to listen to Aunt Zhou's boasting, so she covered her ears and walked away. Aunt Zhou persisted in nagging in Aunt Wei's ear until Aunt Wei approached the room, at which point she finally gave up boasting.
"People these days are so strange. They ask me questions, but they don't want to hear what I have to say. They only want to hear what they want to hear. There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world!" Aunt Zhou said smugly.
Lin Yuanshu's expression was complicated. She seemed to understand why Zhou Ma had brought the whole family downstairs—to show off more.
Zhou Ma's subsequent actions confirmed Lin Yuanshu's suspicions. If a neighbor asked what her family was doing outside, Zhou Ma would explain and boast to the neighbor. If the neighbor didn't ask, it was fine, because Zhou Ma would take the initiative to explain and boast to others.
It should have only taken a few minutes to go downstairs, but Zhou Ma made it take half an hour.
Lin Yuanshu wanted to leave, but the neighbor aunties would pull her aside to talk about work, subtly probing her to get her husband to join her group.
Lin Yuanshu neither refused nor agreed, but said with a helpless expression, "Although I am the intern team leader, the production department manager is in charge of the workers' affairs, and I have no right to make any decisions."
Although the neighboring aunties were somewhat disappointed, they still flattered Lin Yuanshu. After all, Lin Yuanshu could tell at a glance that she was very promising. She had only been working for a few months and was already able to attend the commendation ceremony, which made her much more outstanding than their husbands.
Some people became group leaders, while others were still eagerly hoping to join that group.
After the whole family went downstairs, the old men and women under the big tree were chatting enthusiastically. When they saw Zhou Ma and the others, they immediately surrounded Zhou Ma and Lin Yuanshu and started chatting.
Sister-in-law Xue and the others were completely ignored.
One of the older men looked at Lin Yuanshu and said, "I never thought our tenement building would produce a celebrity. We shouldn't call you 'Little Second Wife' anymore, we should call you 'Team Leader Lin'."
Lin Yuanshu replied with a smile, "Call me whatever you want, I don't care. I am Xiao Er's wife, and I am Team Leader Lin."
Upon hearing this, the old men couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Meanwhile, Zhou's mother was still bragging to others that her family could afford to buy bicycles.
Not long after, Zhou Dafu returned on his brand-new bicycle, stopped in front of Sister Xue and the others, and said with a smile, "How about it? Pretty cool, huh!"
Upon hearing Zhou Dafu's voice, Zhou's mother immediately pushed through the crowd and squeezed out, reaching out to touch the cold steel frame of the bicycle, muttering, "Good heavens, it's really handsome!"
Most importantly, this car will belong to her family from now on, and the more she looks at it, the more precious it seems.
Lin Yuanshu asked Zhou Dafu to get off the bicycle. After checking the bicycle's braking system and confirming that there were no problems, she said, "This bicycle is quite good."
Zhou's mother excitedly said to Zhou Dafu, "Now take me for a drive."
Chow Tai Fook patted the back seat, "Come on up!"
Zhou Ma sat excitedly on the back of the bicycle and said to Lin Yuanshu and the others, "Go back and make dinner! Don't touch the meat in my room."
She turned to look at Lin Yuanshu, gritting her teeth as she said, "Especially you."
Lin Yuanshu nodded, replying absentmindedly, "I understand."
Seeing that Lin Yuanshu agreed, Aunt Zhou finally felt relieved and let Zhou Dafu drive away.
As the two figures receded into the distance, Lin Yuanshu solemnly said, "Let's have chive and egg dumplings for dinner tonight!"
"If you touch Mom's flour, she'll get angry," Sister-in-law Xue whispered, trying to dissuade her.
Lin Yuanshu waved his hand dismissively, "How could that be? Mom only said we can't touch the salted meat, not the white flour. If you think it's inappropriate, I can refuse to make your plate of dumplings."
Without hesitation, Sister-in-law Xue replied, "No, there's nothing wrong with it."
The decision to make dumplings was made happily. Lin Yuanshu and Sister-in-law Xue were in charge of making the filling, while the eldest brother and Zhou Xiangyang were in charge of making the dough.
The eldest brother was not surprised at all by Lin Yuanshu's decision. If Lin Yuanshu hadn't asked him for help, he would have been suspicious and thought that Lin Yuanshu was planning to deal with him.
Sitting on her bicycle, Zhou Ma felt particularly pleased with the envious glances from passersby. She lowered her voice and said, "Let's go for a drive near the chemical plant. Drive slowly, or people won't be able to see our faces."
The envy of strangers is not as comforting as the envy of acquaintances.
“No problem,” Zhou Dafu said with a smile.
He felt that the happiest things in his life were becoming a team leader and buying a bicycle.
The bicycle had barely reached the main road not far from the chemical plant when some workers recognized Chow Tai Fook.
"Team Leader Zhou, your bicycle is really cool. I wonder if I'll ever be able to buy one in my lifetime? I'm so envious of you," one of the workers said dejectedly.
Chow Tai Fook encouraged him, saying, "As long as you work hard, you'll be able to buy a bicycle someday."
Another worker touched the bicycle and said with a grin, "Team Leader Zhou, can I ride this bicycle? Even if I can never buy a bicycle in my life, at least I'll have the experience, and that will make my life worthwhile."
Zhou Dafu refused without hesitation: "No way, this is a new bike. What if you break it?"
“I will be careful,” the worker said confidently.
Chow Tai Fook was still very worried and unwilling to lend his bicycle to others.
"Absolutely not!"
The worker said unhappily, "You're so stingy! It's just a bicycle!"
Zhou Dafu didn't care what others said; this was his lifeline, how could he lend it out! To avoid others asking to borrow his bicycle, he stopped showing it off and prepared to ride it home directly.
Aunt Zhou kept muttering, "These people are so shameless. This is a brand new bike, how can they have the nerve to ask to borrow it? What if they break it? They won't be able to afford to pay for it..."
Zhou Dafu agreed with his mother's words. It wasn't that he was stingy, but that he was afraid of the bicycle he had just bought being damaged.
When Zhou's mother returned home and saw the plump, white dumplings, she felt her heart bleed. But considering it was a special day, she couldn't make a fuss and could only accept it with a smile.
Meanwhile, while eating, Aunt Wei couldn't help but bring up the matter of her neighbor buying a bicycle. She said indignantly, "It's just a bicycle! What's so great about it? They keep showing it off in front of me."
Grandpa Wei reassured him, "We'll definitely be able to buy bicycles in the future."
Aunt Wei said unhappily, "How can we buy it! Getting a reward from the chemical plant isn't that easy. You're not even a team leader yet. If it weren't for Lin Yuanshu next door, who has a strong work ethic, how could his family have ever bought a bicycle?"
Grandpa Wei lowered his voice and said, "There's another place where you can get bicycle tickets."
Aunt Wei stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "You mean that place!"
Grandpa Wei nodded solemnly.
Aunt Wei said excitedly, "How could I forget about that! This is wonderful! We can buy a bicycle soon! By the way, have you joined the workshop group next door? I see everyone seems interested in joining. Why is that?"
Grandpa Wei forced a smile and explained, "Because by joining, you might be able to participate in the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau. Once you can participate, it means that Comrade Lin Yuanshu's plan has been successful. Putting aside everything else, at least the top three are guaranteed."
Aunt Wei nodded thoughtfully and urged, "I agree to let you join. Although it's embarrassing to say, the benefits are real."
Grandpa Wei smiled wryly and said, "It's not something we can just join if we want to. Does Old Zhou not want to join? It's just that he's not strong enough. Even Old Zhou couldn't join successfully, let alone me, his neighbor next door."
Aunt Wei turned her gaze to Wei Yong and couldn't help but sigh. Why wasn't her own son as outstanding?
Wei Yong had no idea what his mother was thinking.
After finishing her meal, Sun Yiyi asked Wei Yong in confusion, "What kind of place is that?"
Wei Yong explained, "The black market."
Sun Yiyi was taken aback. She had heard of the black market, but had never been there. She had heard that you could buy anything there, including jobs. She deliberately backed down and said, "I'm really useless. I can't find a job and I'm dragging you down. I wish I could be as capable as Comrade Lin Yuanshu."
Wei Yong waved his hand dismissively, “Everyone has their own life to live. Don’t compare yourself to Comrade Lin Yuanshu. I have to admit, she is indeed better than most women. At least her work ability is beyond question. Most people can’t do what she does. You should compare yourself to other women, as a filial and outstanding daughter-in-law.”
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu is not as good a daughter-in-law as you. Everyone says that Comrade Lin Yuanshu is capable at work, but no one has ever said that she is a filial daughter-in-law."
Upon hearing this, Sun Yiyi felt both happy and inexplicably heartbroken.
She really has no money left for her parents. She just hopes they won't come looking for her in Beijing. She's given up looking for a job and thinks it's better to get pregnant first.
When Lin Yuanshu successfully produced the naphthalene intermediate using solvent sulfonation in front of the leaders, it signified the official commencement of the project.
All departments in the factory cooperated with her. The technical department and maintenance department got the basic equipment in the workshop working in one day, and the logistics department personally delivered the raw materials to the workshop.
Although they were not optimistic about the plan before, deep down they still hoped that it would succeed.
Lin Yuanshu then discussed with the technical staff of the technical department how to modify the data of the distillation column to make the existing distillation column more in line with the requirements of solvent sulfonation.
After half a month of hard work, the equipment has been almost completely modified. Now, naphthalene intermediates can be extracted in the workshop using solvent sulfonation. However, Lin Yuanshu is not satisfied with the product's pass rate.
Zhou Moli said helplessly, "We've done our best. The purity of the raw materials remains unchanged, but there are too many impurities. There's nothing we can do about it."
Lin Yuanshu couldn't help but sigh, "I want to do better. Although the current product qualification rate is higher than that of products produced by sulfonation with excessive sulfuric acid, it's still not enough."
Zhou Moli whispered a reminder: "It's good as it is now. Time is running out, and the workers need training. It's impossible for them to be 100% ready to operate the equipment as soon as you finish this."
Lin Yuanshu pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something. She was thrilled and said, "I know how to improve the product qualification rate. Give me five more days. If I can't improve it, then forget it. I won't put any more effort into it. Just submit this task. You can now notify the production manager to train the workers. In five days, no matter what the result is, the workers will be able to start working."
“Okay,” Zhou Moli readily agreed.
Lin Yuanshu patted Zhou Moli on the shoulder, "Thank you for your hard work in training the workers with the team leader."
Zhou Moli said confidently, "Leave it to me!"
Lin Yuanshu jogged all the way to the technical department and called a meeting with the technical staff.
The technicians were somewhat surprised, as they thought their work was almost finished.
At the meeting, Lin Yuanshu got straight to the point: "I have a small idea about the distillation column. We could replace it with stainless steel corrugated packing, which might significantly improve the distillation efficiency!"
The technicians looked troubled. "The idea is good, but if we change it now, we don't know if we can make it in time for the labor production competition organized by the Chemical Industry Bureau!"
Lin Yuanshu frowned and said, "We only have five days."
Upon hearing this, the technicians immediately shook their heads, "There's too little time; there simply isn't enough time."
Lin Yuanshu looked regretful. She had finally remembered that the distillation towers in the 1980s used stainless steel corrugated packing, but now she was being told that there wasn't enough time. It really was "born at the wrong time".
Seeing Lin Yuanshu's predicament, Zhao Hong stepped forward and confidently declared, "It won't take five days; it can be completed in three."
Lin Yuanshu looked at Zhao Hong with a shocked expression and said earnestly, "I'm leaving this task to you. It's okay if you can't complete it. After all, time is really tight, and I understand."
Zhao Hong said softly, "I will definitely be able to do it."
Her tone was soft, but her voice was incredibly firm.
After Lin Yuanshu left the technical department, the other technicians accused him, "Are you crazy? Why did you agree to something like this? You're doing something that will destroy our own foundation!"
Zhao Hong sneered and said confidently, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You don't want to upgrade the equipment to its best right away. Instead, you want to leave yourself some room to maneuver so you can continue to make progress in the distillation tower upgrade later. I didn't say anything to save face for you. Whether you upgrade it or not, I'm going to upgrade this distillation tower."
The technicians looked at each other, realizing they had no choice but to change it now, even if they didn't want to. They were all incredibly nervous and dared not openly contradict Zhao Hong, lest their words reach the ears of the minister and Comrade Lin Yuanshu, and they would be finished.
One of the technicians muttered under his breath, "Even if you want to make changes, you don't have to promise results in three days!"
Zhao Hong smiled slightly and said, "If we don't do this, how can we let you reap what you sow!"
The technicians: "..."
Because of Zhao Hong's boastful promises, the technical department had to work overtime to modify the distillation tower.
When the production department started training the workers, the others guessed that Lin Yuanshu's plan was almost complete and was now in its final stages.
Director Qian was overjoyed. Lin Yuanshu had lived up to his trust and completed such a great task. Now the chemical plant would make a name for itself in the labor production competition held by the Chemical Industry Bureau.
He instructed the head of the security department to arrange for security guards to patrol Lin Yuanshu's workshop group 24 hours a day to prevent any sabotage by bad actors.
At the same time, Wu Jianhua also learned that Lin Yuanshu's plan was about to succeed. He really didn't expect Lin Yuanshu to act so quickly. Only half the time had passed, and the task was almost completed. If he had known this would happen, he would have been better off not being the team leader. He was no different from a decoration.
He stroked his chin thoughtfully and asked his subordinate, "What do you think are the chances of us succeeding?"
The subordinate bluntly stated, "It's very low. Right now, everyone in the factory is focused on the workshop where Lin Yuanshu is. I heard that Director Qian even specially arranged for security guards to watch over that workshop. Lin Yuanshu stays in the workshop the whole time, so even if any problems arise, she can solve them immediately."
Wu Jianhua couldn't help but sigh, "It's all about timing and fate."
The subordinate came up with a bold idea: "Since we can't deal with our rivals in the workshop, we can take action against Lin Yuanshu! If she's gone, wouldn't you be able to reap the benefits?"
Wu Jianhua refused without hesitation, saying, "Although I am not a good person, I would never do something that disregards human life."
The subordinate argued confidently, "Then why don't we break her legs or arms?"
“What’s the use of that?” Wu Jianhua objected.
The subordinate replied timidly, "It can make you feel a little better."
Wu Jianhua waved his hand, "Forget it, let's leave it at that! I guess I'm just unlucky to have met such an opponent."
If he really broke Lin Yuanshu's arms and legs, he would have to worry about whether the matter would be exposed. It would be better to do nothing. Although it would be frustrating, at least he wouldn't have to live in fear.
Moreover, the development of the chemical plant is more important than his personal development.
On the other side, on her way home from get off work, Sister Xue saw two elderly people wearing patched clothes near the tenement building. They kept pulling people aside and asking, "Do you know Sun Yiyi? She is my daughter. She married and moved to Beijing. I remember she lived around here."
Sister-in-law Xue gave a mischievous look, walked over, and said loudly, "I know Sun Yiyi. She lives next door to me. Are you Sun Yiyi's parents?"
Mr. and Mrs. Sun nodded repeatedly. Mrs. Sun looked troubled and said, "Raising a child is a constant worry, even at ninety-nine. I haven't been able to visit my daughter since she married into the city. I don't know how she's doing."
The city streets are too complicated, and the houses all look pretty much the same. They had only been here once, for their daughter's wedding, and had long forgotten where it was.
Sister-in-law Xue raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected Sun Yiyi's parents to be so kind to her. It didn't seem like it! If they were really that kind, they wouldn't have asked Sun Yiyi for her son's dowry. However, these things were none of her business. All she needed to do was take Sun Yiyi's parents back so she could watch the show.
"Comrade Sun Yiyi is doing very well. Her mother-in-law treats her very well. I'll take you to see Comrade Sun Yiyi now!" Sister-in-law Xue said with a smile.
"Thank you so much. You're such a good comrade. Good people get good rewards," said Aunt Sun, offering kind words.
When Sister-in-law Xue brought Aunt Sun and her mother to Sun Yiyi, Sun Yiyi was washing vegetables. Upon seeing the two women, her expression changed immediately, and she demanded, "Why are you here? Didn't you promise me you wouldn't come here without my permission?"
Sun's mother said with great difficulty, "Well... your younger brother twisted his back while he was working... and we don't have any money at home, so I wanted to ask you to lend me some money."
Sister-in-law Xue wore a look of anticipation, and said sarcastically, "You've twisted your back at such a young age, that's a big deal! As the older sister, you can't just ignore your younger brother. Without him to support you, if you're bullied by the Wei family in the future, no one will stand up for you."
Sun Ma readily agreed, saying, "That's right, that's right, this woman is absolutely right."
Sun Yiyi was furious when she saw Sister-in-law Xue. She said coldly, "This is my family matter. What right do you have to interfere? Instead of worrying about my affairs, you should think about what you should do. Be careful not to not get pregnant and get kicked out of the house."
Sister-in-law Xue had always been sensitive about her inability to conceive, and Sun Yiyi's words instantly ignited her anger.
She retorted sarcastically without hesitation, "It's really hard to say who will be kicked out first! With such bloodsucking parents, do you think the Wei family will genuinely care about you? You want to find a job like the second wife? With your looks, you're utterly hopeless."
When Sun's mother heard this, she was displeased. How could she allow others to scold her daughter in front of her? Her daughter could only scold herself.
"How dare you talk like that, woman? I thought you were a good person, but I never expected you to be so vicious. You're the one who's hopeless, while my daughter is outstanding! You're like an old hen that can't get pregnant!" Sun Ma cursed.
"A bunch of beggars!" Sister-in-law Xue said with disdain.
This expression completely angered Aunt Sun, who gave Sister-in-law Xue a hard shove.
Caught off guard, Sister-in-law Xue was pushed to the ground. She wanted to get up and settle accounts with the old woman, but a sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen, and her face turned deathly pale. She weakly cried out, "Help..."
Looking at Sister-in-law Xue's appearance, Sun Yiyi sneered, "As expected of you, you're quite the actress. Let me tell you, there's no one around now, so your acting won't help."
Sister-in-law Xue wanted to say that she hadn't been acting, but her stomach hurt so badly that she couldn't speak. She felt something leaking out of her vagina, and suddenly an unbelievable thought popped into her head: Could she be pregnant?
Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She regretted it; she shouldn't have paid any attention to Sun Yiyi's parents in the first place. She felt a chill run through her body; she didn't want to lose her child.
"Please...save...the child..." Sister-in-law Xue said with difficulty.
Feeling a little guilty, Sun's mother looked at Sun Yiyi and asked, "Could something have happened? Should we call someone to take her to the hospital?"
“She’s faking it,” Sun Yiyi said definitively.
She knew that Sister-in-law Xue was in good health and could climb five flights of stairs without any problems. How could she be on the verge of death from a light push? She must be acting to scam money for medical expenses.
Seeing this, Aunt Sun said no more.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuanshu chatted enthusiastically with his neighboring aunties as he strolled leisurely toward home.
When she saw Sister-in-law Xue lying on the ground, she ran over without saying a word and helped her up.
The older women started discussing it amongst themselves.
"What happened? Why is Zhou's eldest daughter-in-law lying on the ground?"
"You don't look too well!"
"We need to get him to the hospital right away."
Sun Yiyi looked at Lin Yuanshu and explained, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu, I have always admired you. I know you are one of the few reasonable people in the Zhou family. Your sister-in-law is just pretending and trying to cheat me out of my medical expenses."
Lin Yuanshu looked at Sister-in-law Xue, whose hands gripped his arm tightly as she managed to squeeze out a single word, "Child..."
His eyes were filled with a longing for life.
Lin Yuanshu gasped and immediately said to Aunt Wen beside him, "Go and see if Sister Huilan is home. Tell her that my sister-in-law may have miscarried and ask her to come and help."
She asked Ah Chun to find out about Zhu Huilan's background and learned that Zhu Huilan used to work at a hospital, so she would definitely be able to help.
"Okay," Aunt Wen said somewhat flusteredly, then hurriedly ran towards Zhu Huilan's house.
Lin Yuanshu then turned to Aunt Hua and instructed her, "Could you please find me a stretcher and four strong young men?"
Aunt Hua patted her chest and assured her, "No problem."
Sun Yiyi subconsciously took several steps back, muttering to herself, "How could she be pregnant! How could she be pregnant? She must be faking it."
In her past life, Sister-in-law Xue never got pregnant until she died. How could she possibly get pregnant in this life? There must be something wrong with her body that prevents her from conceiving!
Lin Yuanshu said with a sigh, "My sister-in-law doesn't have such good acting skills."
When Sun's father saw that his wife had gotten into trouble, he quickly grabbed her and slipped away quietly when no one was paying attention to them.
On the way, Mr. Sun couldn't help but complain, "Now look what's happened! Not only did you not get the money, but you've also caused a huge mess."
Grandma Sun couldn't help but retort, "Who knew city people were so weak, miscarrying so easily? When I was pregnant, I still went to work in the fields without any problems. And her, even though she was pregnant, she didn't know to be careful and even argued with us..."
Mr. Sun sighed, "Forget it, let's not go into the city for now! We'll talk about it after this is over."
Sun Ma said indignantly, "It's all Yiyi's fault. If I hadn't stood up for her, I wouldn't have gotten into this mess. She's a jinx."
Sun's father said with a serious face, "Just say less! I won't take you into the city next time, you'll only cause me trouble."
Grandma Sun muttered under her breath, "It's that jinx's fault..."
Not long after, Zhu Huilan hurriedly came over with a medical kit, checked Xue Dasao's pulse, and said softly, "Fortunately, the child can still be saved."
Upon hearing this, Sister-in-law Xue wept with joy. It was wonderful; her child would not leave her.
Zhu Huilan took out silver needles and inserted them into Xue Dasao's body to control the bleeding. Then she said to Lin Yuanshu, "I only did a simple treatment. You still need to go to the hospital for a check-up. Don't try to save money. You can't save money on this."
Lin Yuanshu nodded, relieved that nothing bad had happened. "Okay."
Thank goodness it's this era. If it were modern times, no one would be willing to step forward to help, since no one wants to get into trouble.
Gradually, Sister-in-law Xue regained some strength, and her lower abdomen didn't hurt as much. She looked at Sun Yiyi with hatred in her eyes. This was the person who almost made her lose her child.
Lin Yuanshu lowered his voice and said, "Don't get too emotional, it's not good for the child."
Sister-in-law Xue nodded weakly, then turned away from Sun Yiyi; she felt less angry if she didn't look at her.
Sun Yiyi said apologetically, "My mom didn't mean it. I didn't expect her to be really pregnant. I thought she was acting. After all, she hasn't been pregnant for five years. How could she suddenly get pregnant?"
Sun Yiyi originally wanted to call her parents to apologize with her, but when she turned around, her parents were nowhere to be seen. They had caused trouble and all they knew was to run away, leaving her, their daughter, to take all the blame. She really hated her parents.
At the same time, she also felt that Sister-in-law Xue had brought this upon herself by bringing her parents over and arguing with them. She felt that her parents couldn't be entirely blamed for what happened.
Lin Yuanshu kindly reminded her, "It's better if you don't say anything now, so as not to anger my sister-in-law. If the child is still intact, we can still talk. But if the child is gone, the problem will be much bigger."
Sun Yiyi looked at Lin Yuanshu with a very aggrieved expression. She stood there helplessly, while the middle-aged women around her pointed and whispered about her, and no one stood behind her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com