Chapter 27 Wang Juan is pregnant
To outsiders, Wen Xiaoxiao's life seemed to have suddenly become precious because of her pregnancy.
She couldn't stay in the tailor shop anymore; the smell of machine oil and fabric dust made her dizzy and nauseous.
But she refused to completely rest; this was her only rare outlet for mental respite.
Seeing how hard she was working, Sister Hu felt bad for her.
That day, Sister Hu stopped her and gave her a few not-so-urgent tasks: "Xiaoxiao, take these home and do them. You can do them lying down or leaning back. Take your time. Just bring them to me every other day. The shop smells bad, so don't push yourself. Your health is important."
Seeing the heartache and unyielding resolve in Sister Hu's eyes, Wen Xiaoxiao silently nodded.
Back home, the brief peace brought by the "pregnancy" lasted for less than half a month.
Zhao Qingda's initial enthusiasm quickly faded after the initial excitement subsided.
More importantly, Wang Juan sent more definite news: she was also pregnant.
Wang Juan and Wen Xiaoxiao had completely different pregnancy reactions.
She had an unusually good appetite; not only did she not vomit, but she also thought about eating and drinking delicious food all day long and was full of energy.
But the baby in her belly is real; she got pregnant before marriage, and in this small town, gossip can be overwhelming.
Wang Juan was very shrewd; she used a combination of crying and tantrums, employing both soft and hard tactics.
They forced Zhao Qingda to rent a secluded courtyard house in a more remote suburb and settled her there, euphemistically calling it "a place for her to rest and recuperate."
Now that things were settled, Wang Juan's plans became even more ambitious.
She understood that Zhao Qingda's biggest desire right now was to stabilize both sides.
Relying on her pregnancy, she demanded nutrition fees one day and money for pregnancy support the next, using every trick in the book to gradually take all of Zhao Qingda's spare cash, along with his secret savings, and keep it all in her own hands.
She was thinking further ahead: cash alone wouldn't do; she needed to acquire property.
If Zhao Qingda doesn't divorce his wife and marry her, she'll have to make him buy her a house, or at least a spacious apartment.
Living in an apartment building, using gas, and having a toilet—that's what a wonderful life is like.
She, Wang Juan, couldn't let him go to waste, especially since she had lost a child with him.
So Zhao Qingda started appearing and disappearing mysteriously again, returning home less and less often, and when he did come back, he would only grab a few things in a hurry.
When Li Yugu asked, he only vaguely said that long-distance driving was tiring, or that something had happened to the team.
The old lady was completely focused on Wen Xiaoxiao's pregnancy and was also well aware of Zhao Qingda's affair with another woman.
Just tell Zhao Qingda to break it off immediately.
Thinking that her son might really be trying to earn more money for baby formula, she didn't investigate further.
The focus of the family has completely shifted to Wen Xiaoxiao.
Li Yugu would cook different kinds of food for her every day, such as stewed chicken soup, fish soup, and steamed egg custard, as if he wanted to give her the best of everything.
However, Wen Xiaoxiao's pregnancy reaction was particularly severe. She vomited almost everything she ate, and she visibly lost weight, with only her lower abdomen slightly protruding.
That day, Zhao Fei returned home carrying two rare, exquisite boxes printed with foreign languages.
One was dried abalone, and the other was a beautifully packaged tin of chocolate.
In the early 1990s, this was an absolute luxury item for ordinary families, and it was quite expensive.
"Auntie, I asked someone to bring this back from the south. Xiaoxiao doesn't have a good appetite, and I heard this is good for her health. This... can help suppress her nausea."
Zhao Fei placed the items on the table in the main room, speaking calmly as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary.
Li Yugu picked up the box of abalone and clicked his tongue, "Wow, how much did this cost? Fei Zi, you..."
“Money is meant to be spent.” Zhao Fei interrupted her, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable force. “Xiaoxiao’s health is the priority right now.”
"Besides," he changed the subject, glancing at Wen Xiaoxiao, who was quietly watching from the doorway of the inner room, before returning his gaze to Li Yugu's face, raising the "banner" he had prepared long ago.
"Yidi has troubled you and Xiaoxiao a lot over the years. As her father, I remember it. Now that Xiaoxiao needs nourishment, I'm happy to spend some money; it's just a small token of my appreciation."
These words were reasonable and appropriate, both highlighting the contributions of Li Yugu and Wen Xiaoxiao and expressing his responsibility and gratitude as Yidi's father and as a member of the family.
Li Yugu was pleased to hear this, and didn't say anything more. He carefully soaked the abalone and stewed it into a very light soup.
Miraculously, after drinking half a bowl of abalone soup and eating a small piece of dark chocolate, Wen Xiaoxiao's churning stomach actually calmed down a lot, and she didn't vomit.
Zhao Fei saw this and whispered to Wen Xiaoxiao, who was clearing away the dishes, "I'll buy you more in the future."
These words were spoken so softly that only the two of them could hear them.
Wen Xiaoxiao's fingers trembled, and she only gave a soft "hmm," but her heart felt like a jumble of emotions.
She knew that behind this was not just money, but also his unspeakable emotions.
He brought Zhao Yidi and Li Yugu along as a front, raising the banner of "repayment" and "affection," all so that he could legitimately treat her a little better in front of everyone.
Seeing that Wen Xiaoxiao had finally eaten something and didn't vomit, Li Yugu's face lit up with a smile. He praised Zhao Fei highly, saying, "Feizi is so thoughtful! Xiaoxiao, you must eat well and raise the baby to be strong and healthy!"
Wen Xiaoxiao lowered her head, hiding the bitterness in her eyes.
The child in her womb grew day by day, like a time bomb, binding the three of them together, and also binding her and Zhao Fei's estranged relationship.
Zhao Qingda was busy making plans and schemes for Wang Juan and the child in her womb.
Zhao Fei silently devoted himself to her and the child in her womb.
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