In this way, Song Jinbao counted on his fingers every day, hoping and hoping. Finally, when he counted on the fifth finger, his mother and sister Erya came to take him back.
"Meiyu, I really don't know how to thank you this time!" Wu Guifang watched her little son's face become whiter and fatter during the days he stayed at Liu Meiyu's house. She was so moved that she wished she could treat Liu Meiyu as her own sister.
"Sister-in-law, why are you being so polite to me? Is Daya okay? Is there anyone to take care of Jinbao after you take him back? Do you want me to help you look after him for another two days?"
"No, no, my eldest is here." Wu Guifang smiled, "My eldest can help me take care of it, and there is also Erya."
Erya and Daya are twins, but Erya is more introverted. She has basically listened to her mother and Daya in everything since she was little. That day Daya had a coccyx pain, and she was suddenly scared and panicked. She insisted on going to the hospital with Daya, otherwise she could have stayed at home to take care of her younger brother alone.
"Okay, when Daya is well again, come over to my house and I'll make her something delicious."
Liu Meiyun likes Wu Guifang's children very much. Jinbao is silly and the twins Da Ya and Er Ya are well-behaved and sensible.
"I see that you like children so much, so hurry up and have two yourself." Wu Guifang did not forget to urge the birth before leaving.
Liu Meiyun dealt with it vaguely.
When it comes to having a baby, she just lets nature take its course.
In her previous life, the original owner fell into the water in winter and became infertile, and was always bullied by her husband's family.
As for her current body, not only is there nothing wrong with it, but she has also kept her complexion very good.
So, if she had a child, she would take good care of it. If not, there was no need to rush, considering that she and Lu Changzheng had been married for less than half a year.
"Sister!" Liu Bowen's eyes suddenly turned red. He pulled her clothes and looked at her pitifully.
Liu Meiyun thought he was reluctant to leave Song Jinbao, so she picked him up and comforted him: "Jinbao lives so close to our home. If you miss him, just go and play with him tomorrow."
Liu Bowen said nothing, buried his head in her neck, and sobbed aggrievedly.
"Do you miss our parents?"
The young man nodded sullenly, tears streaming down his face and landing on Liu Meiyun's neck, making her feel hot and sad.
"I promise you, I'll take you back to Shanghai to see my parents next year, okay?"
Liu Bowen sniffed and turned his head, with tears still hanging on his eyelashes, and looked expectantly: "Really?"
"Of course." Liu Meiyun scratched the boy's nose, "When did I ever lie to you?"
The boy tilted his head and thought about it, it seemed that there really wasn't anything wrong, so he hooked his arms around his sister's neck and finally stopped feeling sad with hope.
But this time, Liu Meiyun might really disappoint Liu Bowen.
Because a few days later, she discovered that she might actually be pregnant.
Her menstruation, which had been very regular for the past few months, suddenly stopped coming, so she became cautious and slept in separate quilts from Lu Changzheng at night.
Lu Changzheng was slow to react. When his young wife suddenly refused to let him touch her, he thought he had done something to make her angry again.
On this day, Lu Changzheng was exceptionally active. He washed dishes, wiped the table, swept the floor, and poured water for washing his feet... He was very diligent.
He even prepared dog food for Xiao Hei and coaxed his brother-in-law to sleep.
"Daughter-in-law" Lu Changzheng lifted the quilt, and before Liu Meiyu could stop her, he swiftly slipped in, hugged the person in his arms, and refused to let go.
"It's time to sleep. Stop making noise." She didn't know if it was a psychological effect, but Liu Meiyu felt that she was getting more and more sleepy in the past few days. She basically fell asleep as soon as she touched the kang at night, and got up later and later in the morning.
"Meiyun, are you angry? Let's communicate properly and not resort to cold violence, okay?" Lu Changzheng whispered in her ear aggrievedly, his hands becoming restless.
He learned the term "cold violence" from Liu Meiyun.
After getting married, as they spent more and more time together, it can be said that Lu Changzheng's love for Liu Meiyun grew day by day.
But Lu Changzheng was becoming more and more unsure about Liu Meiyun's attitude towards him.
It was as if he had never seen the twinkling little stars in the girl's eyes when she looked at him during the blind date again...
People say that passion will fade away slowly after a couple gets married, but his wife's passion faded too quickly. Lu Changzheng began to doubt his own personal charm. Was his performance after marriage really that bad?
"Who is mad at you? Don't overthink it. Come with me to the hospital during a few days' vacation. You should sleep by yourself these two days. Behave yourself and don't try to do anything." Liu Meiyu's tone was full of disdain.
"What's wrong with you? Why don't you tell me? We'll go to the hospital tomorrow."
Hearing Liu Meiyu saying that she was not feeling well, Lu Changzheng sat up from the bed with a start. All the messy thoughts in his head were thrown out of his mind and even his sleepiness was scared away. He put on his shoes and went to light the kerosene lamp, wanting to take a closer look at what was wrong with her.
Before Liu Meiyu could stop it, a bright light appeared before her eyes.
The man was holding a kerosene lamp with an anxious look on his face, his brows furrowed, and he looked at himself with worry in his eyes.
Sighing, she simply sat up and said, "Don't be startled. It's nothing serious."
Lu Changzheng frowned and looked carefully at his young wife's face, which was rosy and shiny. He then lifted the quilt and checked her arms and legs, but found nothing wrong.
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Where are you feeling uncomfortable? Is it your stomach? I noticed that you haven't had a good appetite these past few days. Let's go to the city hospital for a checkup tomorrow. Minor problems can't be ignored. You know that in our army..."
"I might be pregnant." Liu Meiyun interrupted him.
Lu Changzheng's hand shook and the kerosene lamp almost fell onto the kang.
"Meiyun, what did you just say..." Lu Changzheng put the kerosene lamp aside, his throat trembling.
"I didn't have my period this month, and I've had no appetite and been very sleepy lately. I guess I might be pregnant, so you'd better behave yourself during this period and don't sleep with me!" Liu Meiyu simply explained everything in one breath to prevent the man from having wild thoughts all day long.
"Really? I...we are having a baby!" Lu Changzheng put his hand on Liu Meiyu's belly and stroked it carefully. His knuckles trembled uncontrollably and even his legs felt a little weak.
In order to cover it up, he simply sat on the kang, happily pulled Liu Meiyu into his arms, and said excitedly: "Wife, I'm so happy! I'm going to be the father of your child! I..."
"What are you talking about!" Liu Meiyu pushed the man away and frowned, "What do you mean by the father of my child? You're making me look like my child's stepfather?"
"No, no, no, that's not what I meant." Lu Changzheng scratched his head and explained anxiously, "What I meant is that I'm very happy that you can give birth to a child for me. Not only am I happy because I have a child, but I'm also very happy because this child is born to me by you."
"Nonsense, we are married now. If I don't have a baby with you, who will I have one with?" Liu Meiyu glared at him.
"Let's go to the city hospital for a check-up tomorrow!" Lu Changzheng was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling. He rubbed Liu Meiyu's belly back and forth with his palm, as if the little person inside could already communicate with his mind.
"No," Liu Meiyu refused decisively, "Let's go to the market again when you have a day off in a few days, and buy some vegetables. You're going to invite your comrades to dinner, so let's do it all at once."
"You're pregnant now, why don't I take everyone to the army cafeteria to eat?" Lu Changzheng didn't want to stay at home all day, for fear of tiring his wife.
"We have room at home, why should we go to the canteen?" Liu Meiyu glanced at the man. "The money we saved after getting married is all for buying milk powder for our children in the future. Don't think that you can spend lavishly on me just because you have money at home. At least be low-key when you are outside!"
After the two got married, Liu Meiyun discovered that her husband had a problem that was not really a problem: he had no concept of money and spent it lavishly.
Even in the late 1960s when materials were scarce, this man had money in his pocket and spent it without any planning. He often took Liu Bowen to the supply and marketing cooperative, and if the person just hummed a few words, he would pay for it.
If any comrade-in-arms needed to borrow money because of family difficulties, he would lend him twenty without hesitation.
Lu Changzheng was unexpectedly scolded by his young wife, but he was not unhappy at all. Instead, he felt sweet in his heart.
Sweeping away his previous random thoughts, he held his wife's rosy face and kissed her hard, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise, "Meiyun, I'm really so happy, what should I do?"
He will definitely not be able to sleep tonight.
I can't wait to take Liu Meiyu to the hospital for a check-up early tomorrow morning. Even if we don't go to a big hospital in the city, I want to go to the military medical station for a check-up first.
Liu Meiyun knew what he was thinking, so she said lazily, "We have to go to the hospital for examination anyway, so one or two days won't make a difference. Don't bother yourself. I'm too lazy to move."
"Okay, let's go to the hospital for a checkup in a few days!" Lu Changzheng fondly touched his wife's still flat belly, thought about it and said with concern: "As for the dinner party, let Sister-in-law Wu ask two more people to come to our house to help. If you are pregnant and you have to work around the stove all day, your body will definitely not be able to bear it."
At this moment, Lu Changzheng felt a little regretful about inviting his comrades to his home for dinner, but there was a custom on the island to eat "warm home meals", and they had just moved here and were newly married, so this meal was a must.
"Don't worry about these things. I've already made it clear with Mrs. Wu. When the time comes to buy groceries, you just need to do the hard work."
Liu Meiyu is okay at talking, but with her limited cooking skills, it is still a bit difficult for her to cook a table full of dishes for a dinner party. She can't just make a few pancakes and a pot of stew on the table to entertain guests.
"Okay, you just command and leave the heavy work to me!" Lu Changzheng was already eager to perform well and show his importance as the head of the family, but Liu Meiyu immediately poured a basin of cold water on his head.
"Go to sleep quickly. Cover yourself with a quilt and don't squeeze in with me."
In winter, Liu Meiyu still liked Lu Changzheng to hug her when she slept at night, but now the weather is not so cold anymore and the kang is still hot, so it seems redundant to hug a stove at night.
Moreover, she might be pregnant now, and Lu Changzheng is full of energy. If they don't keep some distance between them, everyone will suffer in the end.
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Lu Changzheng agreed readily.
He didn't think much about it. He just thought that his wife was being more careful because she was pregnant and was afraid that he would put pressure on her belly at night, so he happily agreed.
But in the second half of the night, when Lu Changzheng tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep, he shamelessly secretly lifted Liu Meiyu's quilt, and out of habit hugged her in his arms, then he took a nap with contentment.
I have waited so long for this holiday at the beginning of the month.
Lu Changzheng made breakfast, and he even borrowed a backpack from a fellow villager.
Liu Meiyu was packing in the house. In addition to money and tickets, she also sent out a few letters, some to the original owner's parents, and some to Grandpa Lu Changzheng and her aunt.
"Oh, Captain Lu, you guys haven't left yet, that's just right." Wu Guifang had heard that Liu Meiyu and her husband were going to the vegetable market to buy vegetables today, so she brought her eldest son who had just come from the country over early in the morning.
Hearing Wu Guifang's voice, Liu Meiyu packed the bills and walked out of the house.
"Mrs. Wu, why are you here?" Liu Meiyu saw the young man next to Wu Guifang. He was tall and thin, with dark skin, but his eyes were full of energy.
"Sister Meiyun, I'm so sorry. We originally agreed to take you to the market to buy things, but unfortunately I'm too busy at home to come. I'll let you use my Lei Zi. He's very strong, and you can just let him carry the things back to you! He eats a lot in the morning, so he has plenty of energy!"
Song Tianlei, who was following his mother, couldn't help but twitch his lips. He had only eaten two steamed buns and a bowl of corn porridge in the morning, which were almost digested. Yet his mother still complained that he ate too much... She was really a bad mother.
"What's the big deal? He's the same as me on the Changzheng expedition. He can handle the things. Sister-in-law, you just take care of the house and come back to help me."
Liu Meiyu knew that Wu Guifang was an honest person. She asked her newly adopted son to work as a laborer for her, and even told him in advance that he had already eaten and did not need to supplement his food.
"Then why don't you leave Bowen on the island and I'll look after him for you for a while. It won't be convenient for you two to go shopping without a kid." The more Wu Guifang felt bad, the more she wanted to do something to help Liu Meiyu.
Liu Bowen, who had just put on clean new clothes and was about to go out to the city with his sister and brother-in-law, heard Wu Guifang's words. His face suddenly fell and he hugged Liu Meiyu's thigh stubbornly and refused to let go.
"Sister-in-law, there's really no need. Changzheng has a rare day off today, so let's take Bowen to the city for a walk." Liu Meiyu put her hand on her brother's head and refused with a smile.
I could clearly feel the boy's shoulders relax a bit, and his pouting mouth finally closed.
"That's true. I'm just worried that you two are unfamiliar with the place, and you have to buy groceries and take care of the children, and you may not be able to cope..." Wu Guifang always felt bad because she couldn't help anyone.
Unexpectedly, Liu Meiyu's next few words made her eyebrows brighten with joy.
"By the way, sister-in-law, I was just about to ask, can you come to my house and help cook when Changzheng invites his comrades to dinner?"
"I'm the chef?" Wu Guifang was shocked. "This is not good."
Liu Meiyun asked him for help before. She thought it was just to help him, adding two dishes at most to help. When she heard this, she actually asked him to cook. It was not that she was not happy, but she knew that Liu Meiyun and his wife grew up together. Coming from the city, he must be very particular. What if he messes up?
"What's wrong with that? Handing it over to your sister-in-law is really a big favor to me."
Lu Changzheng also echoed: "Sister-in-law, Meiyun is right. We two don't know anything, and we are just a few comrades having a meal together. Sister-in-law can just cook some home-cooked dishes."
"I'll help my sister-in-law and learn some skills. Next time I'll do it myself." Liu Meiyu was actually quite embarrassed. Cooking was not an easy job, but supplies were not so abundant at that time, and most people valued the small space in the kitchen.
If she were the chef, she would have to decide what dish to cook, how much oil to use, and how many seasonings to add. Wu Guifang was afraid of messing up, but Liu Meiyu felt that she had saved herself a lot of trouble, after all, she didn't lack that little salt and oil.
Moreover, Liu Meiyu had another consideration. If she were allowed to come, what if she didn't know how to handle the situation properly and ended up being criticized? It would be too shabby and Lu Changzheng would definitely lose face.
The couple invited her so sincerely, and Wu Guifang was not the kind of person who would shy away. She saw that they really wanted her to do them a favor, and she owed Liu Meiyun too many favors, and was worried about how to repay them, so she readily agreed: "Okay! Sister-in-law will definitely help you with this matter!"
"I may not be good at other things, but I can cook some home-cooked dishes. My wife once praised my cooking skills! And my son Lei loves the dishes I cook the most!"
Song Tianlei, who had been standing beside for a long time, no longer had his mouth twitching.
His mother is a good cook, but ever since the family became increasingly poor, every meal has been either steamed buns or cornmeal cakes, and he hasn't had any meaty food for a long time.
"Then it's settled. Changzheng and I will go buy some groceries. Sister-in-law, think about what you need first and I'll write it down."
As soon as Liu Meiyu finished speaking, Lu Changzheng went upstairs to get Liu Meiyu some paper and pen.
"Your Battalion Commander Lu really loves his wife!" Wu Guifang couldn't help but praise him.
She had seen many young couples on the island, but none of them was as diligent in front of their wives as Captain Lu, let alone her husband. He had nothing to do, so don't expect him to run errands for her.
"Of course not. I have a good taste." Liu Meiyu replied with a smile, not feeling embarrassed at all.
This made Lu Changzheng, who was standing next to him, blush and feel very happy. He decided to work harder in the future so that he would be liked by his wife.
"You have to buy more chili peppers. People on the island like them. You can also make scrambled eggs with chili peppers and braised eggplants. Pork ribs are cheap, so buy more to make bone soup. There are also green onions..." Wu Guifang is always around the stove. In a short while, she has come up with several home-cooked dishes and can even tell the price of the dishes.
Liu Meiyu took careful notes, and when the time came she only had to buy according to the list, which was very convenient.
"By the way, would you like some cold preserved eggs? I saw Political Commissar Zhou's family make this last year. It's very popular, but a little expensive. I haven't had it, so I don't know what it tastes like, but it's definitely decent."
"Forget it," Liu Meiyu thought for a moment and shook her head to refuse: "The Long March is just to invite a few comrades, home-cooked dishes are enough, it's not good to be too eye-catching."
If Liu Meiyu wanted to stand out, she would not let Wu Guifang be the chef. Although she doesn't know how to cook many dishes, she has a lot of knowledge. People at this time are not hungry, and although her cooking skills are not good, she can still cook in some fancy ways.
"Yeah, look at my brain!" Wu Guifang slapped her forehead, thinking that her brain was not as thoughtful as that of a little girl.
Strangely enough, Wu Guifang always felt that although Liu Meiyu was young, she was very versatile and worldly-wise, and was several times better than her, who had been married for decades.
After finally seeing off Wu Guifang and her son, Liu Meiyun settled Xiao Hei down, and then the family headed towards the island's pier.
The pier is neither far nor close. It takes about 30 minutes to walk there, but it would be much faster if you have a bicycle.
When Lu Changzheng first moved to the island, he wanted to buy a bicycle for his family, but his wife stopped him, saying that the ground was covered with snow in the winter and few people would go out, and the bicycle would not be used many times. He thought it made sense, so he exchanged his bicycle ticket for someone else.
"Wife, shall we buy a bicycle next time?" Lu Changzheng discussed with Liu Meiyu.
"Why next time?" asked Liu Meiyu.
"Didn't I exchange my bicycle ticket with someone else? When the army issues tickets next time, I'll see if I can exchange it with someone else for another one." Lu Changzheng and his troops received subsidy tickets every month, but large industrial tickets like these were very scarce. After all, there were so many people on the island.
"Okay, we'll buy it when you get the tickets." Liu Meiyu touched the tickets in her pocket. There must be a bicycle ticket in it, but she didn't give in for the time being.
When they arrived at the pier and got on the boat, Liu Meiyu felt fine, except for the occasional nausea in her stomach, which was not serious. However, Liu Bowen surprised her. Not only was the boy not seasick, but he was very excited. He leaned against the window glass and didn't dare to blink.
"Sister! After we take the ship, can we take a plane?" The little guy's round eyes twinkled and his little face was full of anticipation.
"You are quite greedy!" Lu Changzheng tapped Liu Bowen on the head. "I, your brother, have never been on a plane, and you want to experience flying by land, sea and air."
"What is land, sea and air?" Liu Bowen asked with his head tilted.
He was no longer afraid of Lu Changzheng, could speak fluently, and often asked Lu Changzheng questions.
"They are trains, ships and airplanes." Lu Changzheng explained to him patiently.
"Then can I take a plane?" The young guy leaned back in his chair and asked again with his head tilted.
"Not now, but see what you can do when you grow up."
Lu Changzheng's answer obviously did not satisfy the young man. He blinked and turned his gaze back to Liu Meiyu.
Liu Meiyu scratched his nose and said, "Your brother-in-law is right. If you have the ability when you grow up, you can not only ride a plane, but also fly a plane."
She finally discovered that this kid had a special liking for airplanes. He could play with a paper airplane for so long without getting tired of it, and even had to hold it before going to bed at night. If he cultivates his interest in it, maybe he can really fly an airplane in the future.
"Then I must be able to do it!" The little guy waved his fist, his baby voice firm and powerful.
After hugging the child and giving him a kiss, Liu Meiyu couldn't help showing the satisfaction of an old mother on her face, "Of course not, we must study hard and read more books, so that we can be capable when we grow up."
When it comes to raising a child, nothing is more worry-free than seeing the child work hard and make progress on his own.
I hope her future children can be like Bowen, then she can save a lot of worries.
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