Gu Mingyue's small house was packed with friends who came to offer their congratulations, and peanuts and melon seeds were laid out on the table.
There were also green plums that she had specially washed, with a small dish of chili oil placed next to them.
Yangyang curiously picked up a plum, dipped it in chili, frowned, and took a bite. Then his eyes lit up: "Wow, Mom, this is so delicious!"
Xia Xiaohe looked incredulous. "Is it really delicious?"
Chili powder mixed with green plums, the plums still glistening with water droplets, the sour aroma mingling with the spiciness of chili—it all looks like a strange, eclectic mix.
"It's really delicious, you'll know once you try it."
Gu Mingyue picked up a plum, rolled it lightly in chili powder, and handed it to Xia Xiaohe, her eyes full of sincerity.
Xia Xiaohe hesitated before taking the plum, then frowned as she looked at the red and green chili powder on it.
Having lived for over twenty years, I've only ever seen plums with sugar or salt, but I've never heard of plums dipped in chili sauce.
She tentatively took a small bite, and the tartness of the green plum exploded on her tongue.
Immediately afterwards, the mild spiciness and salty aroma of the chili powder surged up.
The two seemingly conflicting flavors, when mixed together, unexpectedly cut through the richness and whetted the appetite, even reducing the astringency of the plum itself.
"Huh? That's actually pretty good!"
Xia Xiaohe's eyes lit up, and she took another big bite, smacking her lips as she said, "It's sour, spicy, and a little salty, the more you eat, the more flavorful it becomes! You guys have this kind of way of eating? It's so unique!"
Gu Mingyue smiled and picked up one, then dipped it in her own food: "When you don't have an appetite in the summer, eating two of these will make you happier than anything else. If you like, I'll pack you a small bag of chili powder later so you can try it yourself when you get home."
Xia Xiaohe immediately nodded: "Okay, I'll just have a little to taste."
Gu Mingyue also picked up a piece, lightly dipped it in chili, and took a small bite.
The sourness spread first, followed by the mild spiciness of the chili. The two flavors mixed in her mouth, which was very refreshing, but she didn't dare to eat too many. She only tasted two before putting them down.
"Mingyue, you're eating both sour and spicy food!"
Qi Juanjuan, who was standing next to her, jokingly asked, "The old saying goes that sour foods mean a boy and spicy foods mean a girl. Do you want a boy or a girl?"
Gu Mingyue blushed slightly and waved her hand with a smile: "How could I be so accurate? I just think it tastes better this way."
She touched her still-not-so-obvious belly, her eyes full of tenderness, "Actually, it doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl, as long as they're healthy, that's the best."
Hearing this, Lu Lin, who was sitting next to her, reached out and gently put his arm around her shoulder, looking at her with eyes full of affection: "Yes, as long as you two are well, that's better than anything else."
Seeing this, his friends laughed and teased him, and laughter filled the room, filling the air with joy.
"Boy or girl, that's fine, but we need to think about names early!" Just after the teasing, Qin Hongmei came over, her eyes sparkling with gossip. "Before my son was born, my husband and I spent half a month thinking about names. You can start preparing now so you don't run out of time later."
Gu Mingyue was a little embarrassed by what was said, but Lu Lin took over the conversation, his tone serious: "I have thought of two names. If it's a boy, we'll name him Lu Zhixing. Zhi means to know, and Xing means to act, just like Mingyue, who is down-to-earth in doing things."
If it's a girl, we'll name her Lu Zhixia. She was born in summer, and like her mother, she'll be warm and energetic.
As soon as these words were spoken, someone clapped their hands and said, "What a great name! It's cultured and thoughtful."
Gu Mingyue turned to look at Lu Lin, her eyes filled with surprise. She had never talked to him about the child's name, but she didn't expect that he had already secretly thought about it.
As they were talking, Lu Lin suddenly got up and walked towards the kitchen: "You guys keep chatting, the sweet soup I made for Mingyue should be ready soon."
Seeing this, her friends laughed and teased, "Wow, Lu Lin is such a model husband now! Mingyue, you're getting really good treatment during your pregnancy!"
As Gu Mingyue watched Lu Lin's busy figure in the kitchen, she forgot to eat the plum in her hand, feeling as warm as if she had a little sun inside her heart.
Whether it's her unborn child or the people around her, everything makes her feel that her life at this moment is both reassuring and fulfilling.
That day, Qi Juanjuan stopped Gu Mingyue and Lu Lin at the entrance of the family compound early in the morning, smiling and shaking the vegetable basket in her hand: "Come to my house for dinner tonight! The company distributed fresh mutton, let's grill it."
Afraid they might refuse, she added, "Don't come empty-handed, just bring your mouth, oh wait, bring some Mingyue pickled radishes, I had them last time and they were really appetizing."
Gu Mingyun often treated them to food, and now that she had something good at home, Qi Juanjuan wanted to invite them over to share.
Gu Mingyue smiled and agreed, then turned around and got busy with Lu Lin.
Lu Lin went to the cellar and found some pickled radishes, filling a glass jar to the brim.
Gu Mingyue then found the dried seafood from the island that Lu Wanwan had sent her last time and made two more boxes of sesame cakes.
In the evening, the two carried their things toward Qi Juanjuan's house, and ran into several friends who were also going there.
Xia Xiaohe was carrying a bag of freshly picked greens, saying they were to go with the roasted lamb to cut through the richness.
He Binglin carried a half-bag of charcoal, smiling as he said that the charcoal he brought burned longer and made the grilled meat more fragrant.
Upon entering Qi Juanjuan's courtyard, one sees a barbecue grill set up, with mutton already sliced and marinated, sizzling and emitting a fragrant aroma.
Xing Yi was squatting by the grill, starting a fire. Seeing that everyone had arrived, he immediately called out, "Sit down! The mutton will be ready soon. Mingyue is pregnant, so go inside and rest first. I'll bring it over to you when it's done."
Gu Mingyue was busy helping Qi Juanjuan set out the dishes, while Lu Lin took the fan from the grill and helped adjust the heat.
Before long, the aroma of roasted mutton filled the courtyard, and the sizzling sound of oil mingled with the laughter of the crowd.
Gu Mingyue picked up a piece of roasted mutton, dipped it in chili powder, and nodded as she ate: "This mutton is fresh and roasted perfectly."
After finishing the meal, Gu Mingyue felt that she had gained three pounds.
Days passed by, and soon it was the day of the Beginning of Winter.
Gu Mingyue was waiting under the old locust tree at the entrance early in the morning, her hands tucked into the thick cotton bag that Lu Lin had sewn for her, and she would occasionally tiptoe to look at the dock.
Lu Lin was worried that she would get cold, so he tried to pull her back to the car to wait, but she waved him away and said, "Wait a little longer. Wanwan said she would arrive today, and I reckon she'll be here soon."
As they were talking, the ship came into view.
Soon, Lu Wanwan, wrapped in a military green cotton coat and carrying a cloth bag, waved in this direction: "Sister-in-law, Big Brother."
He Xiao, dressed in a crisp military uniform, greeted them with a smile in his eyes as he carried his belongings.
Gu Mingyue immediately went to greet her. Lu Wanwan jumped off the boat and hugged her tightly, her voice full of joy: "I'm so glad to see you! Look at you, your belly is so big!"
Lu Lin took the luggage and patted He Xiao on the shoulder with a smile: "You must be tired from the journey. Come in and warm up. There's lamb stewing on the stove at home."
As the group walked into the house, Lu Wanwan held Gu Mingyue's hand and chattered about the journey: "We took a train and then a bus. He Xiao was worried that I would get tired, so he let me sleep on his shoulder the whole way."
Winters on the island can be quite cold, but luckily I prepared myself mentally. I even knitted you a scarf; I'll let you try it on later.
Gu Mingyue listened, nodding occasionally, her gaze falling on the clasped hands of He Xiao and her eyes full of smiles.
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