Chapter 139: Pregnant with twins?
Xia Juanjuan recognized at a glance that the cloth used for these three pairs of boots was the same cloth she had given to Shen Wanxue and Yang Qiushi before to make spring clothes.
As for the cotton used in the boots, Xia Juanjuan subconsciously glanced at her bag. There was a cotton vest in it, which had been taken apart and had not been sewn up yet. The cotton must have been taken out from that vest.
Xia Juanjuan was moved.
If Shen Qingxue herself had money and ability, perhaps it would just be ordinary friendship.
But even when she was so short of supplies, she was still thinking about the baby in her belly. This kind of friendship is so precious!
She whispered:
"Auntie, isn't this cloth meant for you and the master to make spring clothes? Why did you make boots out of it? Besides, three pairs are too many. My mom and I have been making them these days. We have prepared two sets of cotton-padded jackets, cotton-padded pants, and boots. Add these three pairs, and it will be five pairs in total. Even if I have some extra shoes for replacement, I can't wear five pairs of shoes with the baby in my belly."
Shen Wanxue and Yang Qiushi were both stunned when they heard this.
Shen Wanxue thought about it for a moment, then looked at Yang Qiushi: "Old Yang, think about it, last time...did you forget to tell Juanjuan the most crucial thing?"
Xia Juanjuan was stunned and looked back and forth at the two of them: "What did you say?"
Yang Qiushi also recalled for a while, then shook his head and smiled guiltily: "I can't remember... maybe... I didn't mention it?"
Last time, he and Shen Wanxue were thinking about telling Xia Juanjuan the news of her pregnancy as soon as possible, and also giving her some prescriptions for maintaining the pregnancy, but in their haste, they forgot the most important thing!
He said to Xia Juanjuan somewhat awkwardly: "Juanjuan, five pairs of boots may not be enough for replacement, you should prepare more..."
Xia Juanjuan didn't react for a moment.
Shen Wanxue smiled and said, "Silly girl, your master means that you are not pregnant with a single baby, but multiple babies! Two or three are both possible, but triplets are more likely."
Xia Juanjuan opened her mouth, but was completely stunned.
No wonder her appetite suddenly became so big, she eats twice as much as before she was pregnant!
She was worried that she would become fat, but after a month, it seemed that she did not gain weight, but had a big belly.
Looking at her growing belly, she was worried that she was taking too much nutrition and the fetus was too big, so she wanted to control her diet and nutrition...
However, I just managed to control it for two meals, because I was so hungry that I gave up in less than half an hour.
This time she came here, she originally wanted the master to prescribe a prescription on how to prevent the fetus from having excessive nutrition...
It turns out that there is not just one fetus in the belly demanding nutrients, but two or three that are crying out for food?
Yang Qiushi blamed himself: "Alas! As we get older our memory gets worse and we tend to forget things. How could I have forgotten such an important thing?"
Xia Juanjuan smiled and said, "Master, don't blame yourself. I only found out a month late. Now I should start paying attention and not let them go hungry, right?"
In the future, she may eat as much as she wants without any psychological burden...
However, thinking of the swaddling clothes, quilts, cotton-padded clothes, trousers, boots, shoes, hats and other things that she had to prepare, Xia Juanjuan couldn't help but sigh.
She and Lin Yuru originally thought that children grow up quickly and change every day. If they prepared too many cotton coats, trousers and boots, they would become too small to wear them before they had time to wear them, so they made two sets.
Now... let alone changing clothes, I'm afraid there won't be enough for each kid...
Seeing her frown, Shen Wanxue smiled and said, "Bring some cloth and needle and thread here, and I'll make a few sets for you when I'm free at night. Now I'm not sure whether it will be two or three, so just go with the more. It's always better to be prepared."
Xia Juanjuan knew that what she said about having nothing to do was all lies.
She and other people in the cowshed came here to work, and the work they did was harder than that of the villagers. I'm afraid these three pairs of shoes were made by Shen Wanxue who stayed up late to make them.
Therefore, Xia Juanjuan shook her head and said with a smile: "Auntie, these three pairs of tiger-head boots are enough. There are still several months left, and my mother and my third sister-in-law are also taking time to help me, so they can be prepared."
Seeing this, Shen Wanxue didn't force it.
Yang Qiushi felt her pulse again, gave her some instructions, and wrote her a prescription, asking her to boil some medicine and take it.
The next day after she returned, she told Lin Yuru that she might be pregnant with twins or triplets. Lin Yuru was so surprised that she looked at her bulging belly and smiled.
"Hey, I was talking to your dad last night. Judging from the movements in your stomach and your recent appetite, I'm afraid you're not pregnant with just one. I thought it was two. I didn't expect it to be three?! This... this is really too rare! If I give birth to three big fat boys at once, won't my aunt praise me for my ability when she comes back?"
From Lin Yuru's tone, Xia Juanjuan knew that she still held the mindset of rural women of that era. Women gave birth to children to carry on the man's family line. Giving birth to three boys in one pregnancy would bring honor to the family!
She smiled and had no intention of correcting Lin Yuru's thoughts - she estimated that it would be impossible to correct them even if she wanted to. After all, Lin Yuru had been living in poverty in the Xia family for more than 20 years because her son was washed away by the flood and she was unable to give birth to a son.
Rural women of this era are all obsessed with having sons.
"Mom, why do you only want to hold your grandson? There are three of you, you should at least give one spot to your granddaughter, right?" Xia Juanjuan joked.
Lin Yuru laughed and said, "Oh, look! I'm too happy. Yes! If there are two children, then we'll have a son and a daughter. If there are three, then we'll have two sons and a daughter. It would be even better if we have both sons and daughters!"
While joking, Lin Yuru became restless again: "Oh my! If I'm pregnant with three kids, then the two sets of clothes we prepared won't be enough. I'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative in town to buy some cloth. We have to start making them quickly since the farm work is not busy these two days..."
Xia Juanjuan would be lying if she didn't feel touched when she saw Lin Yuru busying around for her.
To be honest, if it weren't for Lin Yuru, Xia Shuangshan, Zhou Qiuhe, and Shen Wanxue and Yang Qiushi from the cowshed to help, she would have been alone, taking care of three little ones, with three more in her belly, and preparing all those little clothes and shoes. Even if she had the space and supplies, I'm afraid she wouldn't be able to take care of it all.
She held onto Lin Yuru who was about to go out, and said with a smile: "Mom, I have already prepared the cloth and cotton and other things. I just need your help to make a few more sets today..."
When Lin Yuru heard this, she laughed and said, "If you hadn't told me earlier, I would have been delayed for quite a while!"
Having said that, he immediately picked up the cloth and began to make a sample. He used scissors to cut along the marks made on the cloth with lime, and then threaded the needle and started to make it.
Xia Juanjuan also picked up a half-finished set and continued sewing.
In a few days, it will be Xiaowen's sixth birthday.
Xia Juanjuan planned to prepare a table of delicious food to celebrate.
Most of the vegetables in the small vegetable garden have grown up and are ready to eat. For cowpeas, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc., Xia Shuangshan broke off a lot of thin branches from the mountains and built a rack. Now the cowpeas and green beans are hanging long, and there are a lot of cucumbers. The tomatoes are also crowded together like lumps, and many of them are already red.
Other vegetables such as celery, leeks, lettuce, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, green peppers, etc. can also be picked and eaten at any time.
The pumpkins, winter melons and watermelons planted next to them have also shed their flowers and started to sprout. Under the dense green leaves, small melons are secretly growing.
Xia Juanjuan has been pregnant for more than three months. Her belly is bulging a lot, so it is not convenient for her to go to the vegetable garden to pick vegetables. So she ordered her three children to carry a small bamboo basket each, pick a few green peppers, a few cucumbers, a handful of cowpeas, and two cauliflowers...
After a while, the three kids went home, carrying the bamboo baskets. Xia Juanjuan followed them leisurely, thinking that this kind of country life was pretty good.
Except... well, although my belly isn't particularly big yet, I've already started to feel back pain... How hard will it be to get pregnant when I'm seven or eight months pregnant?
She couldn't even imagine it.
After returning home, Xia Juanjuan started to wash and pick vegetables, and the three little boys also rolled up their sleeves to help.
She secretly replaced the water in the kitchen with spiritual spring water in the space, and used this water to wash vegetables and cook. In addition, the pregnancy-maintaining and nourishing prescriptions prescribed by Yang Qiushi reduced a lot of her hardships during pregnancy.
After washing and picking the vegetables, Lin Yuru just came into the yard.
These days, Xia Shuangshan and Lin Yuru still go to work in the fields, fetching water for the crops, or weeding, and they are never idle. When there is masonry work, Xia Shuangshan will go out to work, but other than that, the two of them are always around Xia Juanjuan.
At noon, Lin Yuru came early to help Xia Juanjuan prepare a meal.
Xia Juanjuan did not refuse anymore, so she was asked to make the portion for Xia Shuangshan as well and send it to the field for Xia Shuangshan to eat.
If not for this, the two of them might have just taken a few shovels and water to the field in the morning, and the lunch would have been taken care of.
Seeing that Xia Juanjuan had already washed and picked the vegetables, Lin Yuru still couldn't help but nag her.
Xia Juanjuan didn't say anything back, but she would still do it to the best of her ability next time.
She is pregnant, not disabled. Even though someone is helping her, she can't just enjoy it with a clear conscience.