Chapter 43 Wang Juan is pregnant again
When Zhao Yidi got home from school, she put down her schoolbag and ran to the east wing to see her younger sister.
Yidi lay to the side, holding a colorful little rattle, gently shaking it, making their eyes follow hers, and occasionally letting out a "giggle".
Wen Xiaoxiao sat in front of the sewing machine in the main room, finishing the hem of the last suit.
The tenderness of the afternoon made her look radiant.
Zhao Fei was busy in the kitchen, and by the time he brought the last dish, stewed cabbage, vermicelli, and tofu, to the table, it was already completely dark.
"Yidi, Xiaoxiao, dinner's ready." He wiped his hands as he came out.
Several people sat around the eight-immortal table in the main room, where the light was dim yet warm.
Zhao Fei picked up a piece of tofu for Yi Di, and then naturally scooped a spoonful of stewed vegetables into Wen Xiaoxiao's bowl.
Wen Xiaoxiao was eating with her head down, the tips of her ears turning slightly red.
Yidi chattered on about the interesting things that happened at school, and the meal went quite peacefully.
We were only halfway through our meal when the courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open with a bang, and a cold wind carrying the smell of alcohol rushed in.
Zhao Qingda swaggered in, his face bearing his usual nonchalant expression.
"Hey, eating?" He casually pulled out an empty chair and sat down. Without even using a bowl, he reached into the dish, grabbed a piece of meat, and popped it into his mouth, smacking his lips. "It's stewed alright."
The previously harmonious atmosphere at the table instantly froze.
Zhao Yidi put down her chopsticks, glanced at him timidly, and then looked at her father and second aunt.
Wen Xiaoxiao put down her chopsticks and lowered her eyes.
Zhao Fei didn't say anything, but his expression darkened as he continued to serve food to his daughter.
Zhao Qingda didn't care and continued eating, his eyes scanning the table before settling on Wen Xiaoxiao.
After not seeing her for several months, she seems... a little different.
My face has gained some weight, my complexion is better, and I actually look much better than I remember.
He suddenly got up, walked to the door of the east wing, and peeked inside at his two daughters lying side by side on the kang (a heated brick bed).
Perhaps it was the alcohol, or perhaps it was his inexplicable mood tonight, but he unusually approached and poked Yi Bao's cheek with his finger.
"Tsk, you're growing pretty fast," he mumbled, not expecting a response, and turned back to the dining table.
Zhao Qingda didn't leave that night.
He entered the east wing with an air of nonchalance and said to Wen Xiaoxiao, who was holding and soothing the child to sleep, "I'll sleep here tonight."
As soon as Zhao Yidi saw her uncle return, she immediately grabbed her pillow and blanket and went silently to Zhao Fei's room.
The west wing had been uninhabited for a long time, and the stove hadn't been lit; it was as cold as an icebox.
It's late at night.
The two children get plenty of sleep during the day, so they are more energetic at night.
Yizhen woke up first, whimpering and wanting to drink milk.
Wen Xiaoxiao had just finished feeding her, patted her to help her burp, and put her down when Yi Bao woke up again, refusing to sleep with her eyes open and insisting on being carried around.
I finally managed to coax one of them to close their eyes, but then the other pooped, and I was busy changing diapers in a flurry.
The two children seemed to have made a pact, their cries rising and falling in turn, the sounds particularly clear in the quiet night.
Wen Xiaoxiao was so busy that her feet barely touched the ground, and her forehead was covered in sweat.
Zhao Qingda lay on the other end of the kang (a heated brick bed). At first, he tried to endure it, but later he became annoyed by the noise and started cursing, "Crying! All you do is cry! It's so annoying! Can't you let me get some peace and quiet?"
Wen Xiaoxiao pretended not to hear, her mind entirely focused on the child.
The two children finally fell into a deep sleep after being exhausted until late at night.
Wen Xiaoxiao was also exhausted and almost collapsed. She had just lay down fully clothed, preparing to take a nap.
A hand reeking of smoke and alcohol rudely reached out and began to tear at her clothes.
Wen Xiaoxiao froze, then suddenly opened her eyes.
Zhao Qingda leaned very close, his breath reeking of alcohol, and his eyes filled with undisguised desire.
"What are you pretending for? We're not divorced yet, and you think I can't touch you?" He was strong and tore open most of her thin nightgown in a few quick movements.
Those dark memories of the past surged up instantly: the brutal tearing, the biting reeking of alcohol, the burning sensation of cigarette butts...
"Let me go!" she struggled.
"Behave yourself!" Zhao Qingda impatiently pressed her down, his movements becoming even rougher.
Just as his hand was about to make another move, Wen Xiaoxiao suddenly burst out with strength from somewhere, broke free of one hand, and touched a cold, hard object—a pair of sewing scissors used for making clothes.
Without a second thought, she gripped the scissors and thrust the sharp tips toward Zhao Qingda's groin.
"Zhao Qingda! You dare touch me again! I'll cut it off today! I'll make you a eunuch for life!"
The cold tip of the scissors pressed against my most vulnerable spot through my pants.
Zhao Qingda's drunkenness and lust vanished instantly.
He yelled and jumped up as if his backside had been burned, frantically pulling up his pants, his face pale.
She's serious! This woman is insane!
"You...you're fucking crazy!" Zhao Qingda was so frightened that he scrambled off the kang (a heated brick bed), opened the door, and rushed into the dark courtyard. He ran away without looking back, his back view showing a disheveled state.
Wen Xiaoxiao pulled the blanket over herself, her grievances, anger, and lingering fear turning into silent trembling, tears streaming down her face: "Beast...bastard...why don't you just die..."
Zhao Fei remained awake in the main room.
He could hear everything clearly from the east wing: the child's crying, Zhao Qingda's cursing, Wen Xiaoxiao's struggles, and the loud crash of Zhao Qingda fleeing in panic.
Just as he could no longer hold back and was about to rush over, he saw Zhao Qingda's disheveled figure fleeing.
He strode to the door of the east wing and pushed it open.
The scissors lay to the side, gleaming coldly.
Zhao Fei felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart.
He walked over and sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). "...Xiaoxiao." His voice was terribly hoarse.
Upon hearing his voice, Wen Xiaoxiao buried her face in his chest and threw herself into his arms, hugging his waist tightly. She finally burst into tears.
Two months later.
The north wind howled, whipping up the remaining snow on the ground and banging against the windows.
The small house in the suburbs, however, was warm and cozy.
Wang Juan leaned against the scorching hot kang (heated brick bed), her face beaming with undisguised pride, her fingers gently stroking her still-flat stomach.
"Qingda, I'm pregnant again." Her voice was tinged with pride. "Just over a month ago."
Zhao Qingda was squatting on the ground changing his eldest son's diaper when he heard this. He suddenly looked up, his eyes lighting up: "Really? That's great!" He leaned closer, wanting to touch it but not daring to press too hard. "This time it's definitely another son!"
Li Yugu was cooking millet porridge in the outer room. Hearing the noise, he lifted the curtain and peeked out. He didn't say anything, and his face didn't show much joy. He just silently turned around and continued stirring the porridge in the pot.
But in his heart, the old idea of valuing sons over daughters began to take hold again. Another grandson, the Zhao family is thriving, which is always a good thing.
After Wang Juan became pregnant, her mind immediately became active.
Looking at Li Yugu, who was busy running around, and then at Zhao Qingda, who was beaming with joy, she felt that the time was ripe.
That night, after putting her eldest son to sleep, she leaned against Zhao Qingda, tracing circles on his chest with her finger. Her voice was soft and seductive, but her words were sharp: "Qingda, look, I'm pregnant again. Our son needs a proper status. As for Wen Xiaoxiao... when are you going to divorce her?"
"What's the rush..." he mumbled. "She has two kids now. Where will she go after the divorce? Besides, I'll still have to support those two girls after the divorce. It'll just add two more burdens."
“A burden?” Wang Juan sneered, sitting up straight from his lap. “What have you been supporting? Have you given them a single penny? Isn’t it all your mother and that fake-kind Zhao Fei who are making up the difference? Even if you get divorced, the court will award the child to you. She’s the mother of the child, do you really think she’ll just ignore it? Tell her to take the child and go back to her parents’ home! Can’t we, a family of four—no, soon five—live peacefully?”
Seeing Zhao Qingda's hesitant expression, she added fuel to the fire, her tone becoming aggrieved: "I've followed you without any status, given birth to your son, and now I'm pregnant again. Can you bear to let me and the child continue living outside like this, without any official recognition? Qingda, it hurts me..."
He scratched his head in frustration: "Alright, alright, I know, let me think about it."
He didn't tell Wen Xiaoxiao that he agreed to the divorce. If he had told Wang Juan, she wouldn't have been able to wait a year.
That would just lead to chaos and turmoil, making it even more impossible for her to give Wen Xiaoxiao money to leave.
Wang Juan knew she couldn't rush things. She touched her belly and thought: This child has come at just the right time.
In any case, we must get rid of Wen Xiaoxiao, that stumbling block, completely this time.
Once she's firmly established herself as the mistress of the Zhao family, she'll slowly deal with those two brats, and that eyesore Zhao Fei too.
Everything the Zhao family owns will ultimately belong to her and her son.
(This is the first time in my writing history that I've been watched by so many people, I'm so nervous! Dear brothers and sisters, could you please leave me a few comments? A little bit to encourage me to update! I'll use that as motivation to keep updating! Thank you all so much!)
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