Chapter 146 We mustn't disturb their private time.
Three poles in the sun.
Zhao Xiaohua was busily stuffing things into a burlap sack, chattering as she did so: "Late Autumn, this cured pork is homemade, the fat and lean meat are just right, take it back and stew it with cabbage, it'll be delicious. And these fried dough twists, have some if you get hungry on the road. And the roe deer meat, pheasant, ginseng, and these fish you brought back last time..."
The gifts given this time were even more than what Jiang Wanqiu and Zhao Wenchang took when they left last time.
Jiang Wanqiu stood to the side, a hint of embarrassment on her fair face: "Mom, that's enough, really enough, we can't take that many."
Zhao Wenchang walked up behind her with a smile on his face: "Your mother gave it to you, so just take it. Eat well when you get to the army. You suffered a lot during this New Year's holiday."
Just then, Liu Erxing, the wife of the eldest son Zhao Jiang, lifted the curtain and walked in, bringing with her a sour smell.
Her eyes swept over the sacks on the ground, and she said sarcastically with a smirk, "Oh dear, Mother, you're really biased. There are so many people in our family, big and small, and we've never seen you bring out so many good things for the New Year. But as soon as Wenchang's wife left, you emptied out the whole family's savings? Anyone who didn't know better would think that Wenchang was the only grandson you had."
Hearing this, Ma Jinhua, who was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), gave Liu Erxing a cold glance: "When we divided the family property, it was all written down clearly in black and white. You all thought this old woman was a waste of food and couldn't wait for me to get out of here. Didn't we agree that I would live with Zhao Shan and he would take care of me in my old age and see me off in my death? Since it's my youngest son who's supporting me, I can give my meager savings for my coffin and my meager food to whomever I want. Giving it to my youngest son's family is perfectly reasonable. What, are you jealous now?"
Liu Erxing was speechless.
That was indeed what she thought at the time. She felt that this old woman was a burden, eating and drinking, and that it would be better to separate her from her second son's family and let them take care of her.
Who would have thought that this old woman had secretly hidden so many good things! She's so short-sighted, she's lost out big time!
Liu Erxing could only manage an awkward smile after being scolded by Ma Jinhua.
Several car horns sounded outside the house. Zhao Xiaohua and Zhao Wenchang heard the noise, picked up their sacks and went out. Jiang Wanqiu quickly followed with her luggage.
Seeing that he wouldn't get anything out of him, Liu Erxing lifted the curtain and left.
Inside the house, Zhao Shan glanced at Jiang Wanqiu and the others in the courtyard, then lowered his voice and asked Ma Jinhua, "Mother, those few things Father left behind... should we give them to Wanqiu to take with her?"
Ma Jinhua frowned as she looked at Jiang Wanqiu chatting and laughing with someone outside the house.
After a long pause, she slowly spoke: "Those things can ensure a person has enough to eat and drink for a lifetime, and can be exchanged for mountains of gold and silver."
Zhao Shan nodded, and was about to speak when he heard his mother change the subject.
“But it could also cost her her life,” Ma Jinhua continued. “She’s too weak right now and doesn’t have a powerful family to back her up. Giving her the things would be like carrying a gold ingot through a bustling market—it would be a disaster, not a blessing. It’s not the right time yet. When the time is right, I will naturally take them out.”
Zhao Shan nodded: "Okay, I understand."
Outside the house, Jiang Wanqiu was helping to put things into the trunk when she looked up and saw many people in the village hurrying towards the village chief Zhao Weimin's house, making a lot of noise.
Her delicate, willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed slightly as she asked the person next to her curiously, "What happened at the village chief's house?"
Liu Erxing, who was about to leave, overheard this and, as if seizing an opportunity, turned back and said gloatingly, "What else could it be? Zhao Hui's father has betrothed her to Wang Laosan! When I came here, I heard that she was threatening to hang herself! But what else can she do if she doesn't marry him? After such a scandal, which respectable young man in the surrounding villages would dare to marry her?"
Jiang Wanqiu felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this, but couldn't say anything.
The driver this time was still that young soldier, with a sunny disposition.
He spotted Ping An following behind Zhao Wenchang at a glance and teased with a smile, "Hey, isn't this Comrade Ping An! You got quite a scolding last time you went back, didn't you? This time you're back at the military region for school, so don't cause any more trouble!"
Ping An's face flushed red instantly. He nodded vigorously, promising like a little adult, "Uncle PLA, don't worry, I will definitely study hard this time and make progress every day!"
After saying goodbye to the Zhao family, they got into the car and drove away from the village, experiencing a bumpy ride.
Ping An sat next to the young soldier, chattering incessantly with questions, filled with longing for everything in the military camp.
"Uncle, how can I join the army? If I join the army, can I take a gun and kill bad guys?"
The young soldier was amused by him, but then his face hardened and he lectured, "You little brat, how can you be so bloodthirsty at such a young age? Your task now is to study hard! Do you hear me?"
Seeing that Ping An seemed unwilling to listen to his lecture, the young soldier explained further: "Times have changed. The country is gradually becoming stronger, and what it needs are highly qualified soldiers who are cultured and knowledgeable. The country doesn't need soldiers who are just strong but can't read much! You should study hard first, so that you will have the opportunity to defend your country in the future, understand?"
Ping An muttered, "What's the point of studying? It's the same old stuff every day."
The young soldier was amused by his precocious manner and laughed, scolding him, "What do you know, you little brat! You think studying is boring now, but wait until the end of the year when they select the model soldiers. Those comrades who are high school graduates can talk about military theory and tactical analysis fluently, and their names will be written on the promotion list. And you? Just because you can't read many words, you'll stand there staring blankly. Then you'll know what 'interesting' really means!"
These words seemed to hit Ping An where it hurt. He grunted twice and didn't argue back. It was unclear what he was thinking about in his little head.
The road back to the military region was a bit easier than the way there, and the group returned to the familiar military compound by the evening of the following day.
Once inside, Jiang Wanqiu instinctively wanted to pull Ping An, who was just as exhausted as she was, to rest on a kang (a heated brick bed).
Zhao Wenchang would never agree to that.
He would absolutely not let that brat ruin his and Jiang Wanqiu's time together.
Zhao Wenchang quickly tidied up the storage room in the house and let Ping An sleep in that room.
Ping An was happy to have her own little room, and without saying a word, she took her bedding and went inside to rest.
That evening, Zhao Wenchang hadn't returned from his trip, so Jiang Wanqiu decided to stir-fry the cured meat she had brought from home for dinner.
She sliced the meat, and as soon as it hit the pan, a rich, greasy smell sizzled and rose with the steam, rushing into her nostrils.
"vomit--"
An overwhelming feeling of nausea surged from her stomach, and Jiang Wanqiu's face turned deathly pale. She covered her mouth, rushed to the washbasin in the corner, and bent over, retching violently.
She didn't vomit anything, only some acidic fluid, but the churning sensation made her weak all over, and a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.
Ping An rushed out from the inner room upon hearing the noise. Seeing her like this, he became extremely worried and quickly poured her a glass of warm water, handing it to her while awkwardly patting her back with his hand: "Mom, what happened to you? Did you get jostled on the way here, or did you eat something bad?"
Jiang Wanqiu rinsed her mouth, took the water glass, and sipped it.
She shook her head weakly: "I don't know... I just suddenly feel nauseous from the smell of oil. I'll go to the hospital tomorrow to get it checked out."
The next day, Zhao Wenchang was about to participate in the field training after returning to the team. When he heard Ping An say that Jiang Wanqiu was not feeling well, he said that he wanted to ask for leave to accompany Jiang Wanqiu, but she persuaded him not to.
Ping An's school hasn't started yet, and he's bored being alone. He originally wanted to accompany Jiang Wanqiu to see a doctor, but Jiang Wanqiu refused: "It's just a minor ailment, you don't need to go to such lengths to protect me."
Upon hearing that Zhao Wenchang was going to the training ground, Ping An's eyes, as black as grapes, immediately lit up, and he clamored to go along: "I want to go too! I've never seen what soldiers train for!"
Zhao Wenchang couldn't dissuade him, so he had no choice but to bring him along.
Jiang Wanqiu went to the military hospital alone. As soon as she entered, she saw a brightly dressed woman sitting on a bench, clutching her stomach with a pale face. It was He Xiaoman.
After exchanging a glance, He Xiaoman immediately looked away.
Soon, a young doctor in a white coat called out Jiang Wanqiu's name.
The doctor looked to be in his early twenties, with a somewhat green and nervous expression on his face, as if he had just started working.
He inquired carefully about Jiang Wanqiu's symptoms, and after listening, he frowned and scratched his head in a somewhat troubled manner.
"Comrade, in your case... in principle, we need to do some tests to make a judgment. But... I'm really sorry, Old Zhang from the lab, his home is in the mountains, and the heavy snow a couple of days ago blocked the road. He's still stuck on the way and probably won't be back for another two days."
Looking at Jiang Wanqiu's worried face, he became even more nervous and quickly took out a prescription from the drawer: "I... I'll prescribe some medicine for you to relieve your nausea. My mentor, Dr. Liu, will be back the day after tomorrow. He's very experienced. If you're still worried, you can come see him again the day after tomorrow, okay?"
"Then I'll have to trouble you."
Just as Jiang Wanqiu finished speaking, a sharp, angry curse suddenly came from the next consultation room.
"What nonsense are you spouting! Do you even know how to diagnose a patient? If you don't, then don't spout nonsense here!"
The young doctor was startled and quickly told Jiang Wanqiu, "Please wait a moment," before rushing into the next room.
Jiang Wanqiu looked over there curiously and saw He Xiaoman pointing angrily at a female doctor who looked like a student.
The younger female doctor, her eyes reddened from the scolding, clutched her medical record with tears in her eyes, and protested tearfully, "Comrade He... I'm not lying. Based on your examination results last month and your current pulse, you... you are already one month pregnant."
She really didn't understand why this woman was reacting so strongly, as if she wanted to devour her, when this was clearly a wonderful thing.
He Xiaoman's heart pounded wildly at the mention of the word "pregnant".
I wasn't happy, I was scared.
Pregnant? No way!
She and her husband Zhou Jianjun haven't had sex for months, how could she possibly be pregnant!
Unless... unless that child is...
A name came to mind—Du Wenxiu!
If she is really pregnant, then the child must be Du Wenxiu's!
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