Chapter 135
That evening, Ji Ya and Gu Yuanyang came to pick up Gu Tuantuan and learned that Gu Xi was pregnant.
"Huh? Xixi has a child?" Gu Yuanyang stammered. This news was completely unexpected. He looked at Gu Xi in surprise, looking somewhat stunned.
Ji Ya was already mentally prepared and wasn't too surprised.
As her sister-in-law and someone who had been through it herself, she pulled Gu Xi aside and gave her some advice on pregnancy precautions, saying, "You're still in the early stages of pregnancy, and your symptoms aren't severe yet, so just be careful."
She looked closely at Gu Xi's face and wondered if it was because of the lighting, but she looked quite well.
Gu Xi gave an "oh," and asked somewhat nervously, "Sister-in-law, when do you usually expect a reaction?"
She recalled the pregnant women she had met before, some of whom had very severe pregnancy reactions. She heard that their severe morning sickness caused them to eat and sleep poorly, and they lost a lot of weight.
“These vary from person to person, so you don’t need to worry too much,” Ji Ya reassured gently. “If you feel unwell, you can tell me.”
Gu Yuanyang was still looking at Gu Xi, staring at her smiling face, then glared at Shen Mingzheng.
He asked in a low voice, "Isn't Xixi recuperating? How could you let her have children so soon..." He thought that his sister would need to recuperate for another two years before considering having children.
Anyway, in two years my sister will be twenty-four, which is not too late to have a child.
He recalled the first time he saw Gu Xi. She was pale and thin, her body extremely frail, like delicate and fragile glass that would shatter at any moment, which made him feel extremely distressed.
He felt sorry for his younger sister who had suffered so much in the past, and he regretted that he had not cared for her enough.
He was very supportive when he learned that they were not in a hurry to have children in the next few years and wanted her to rest and recover first.
Shen Mingzheng's jaw twitched slightly, but he remained silent.
Men understand men better. Seeing his reaction, Gu Yuanyang raised an eyebrow. "Was it an unplanned pregnancy?"
Shen Mingzheng nodded slightly.
Gu Yuanyang was at a loss for words. She was already pregnant; he couldn't just get rid of her, could he? That would be even more harmful to her health.
He patted his brother-in-law on the shoulder and said, "Take good care of her. If she needs anything, just let me know." He thought to himself that with the New Year approaching, he should get more meat for his sister to nourish her body before going to Beijing.
For people these days, meat is the best way to nourish the body; nothing beats the benefits of meat.
"I will." Shen Mingzheng nodded.
This is his wife, the person he'll spend his life with, so naturally he'll take care of her.
-
After chatting with Ji Ya for a while, Gu Xi's anxious heart gradually calmed down.
It must be said that as a doctor, Ji Ya has a calming power. Even if she does nothing, just sitting there, Dr. Ji's presence makes people feel exceptionally at ease.
Gu Xi asked, "Sister-in-law, have you bought your train tickets yet?"
My brother and sister-in-law are going back to Beijing for the Chinese New Year this year, and there's not much time left until then.
Ji Ya said, "We'll ask our relatives in the city to help us buy train tickets in a few days. We plan to buy them for the 27th of the lunar year."
Her family lives in the city, so it was easy for them to help her buy train tickets.
"So late?"
Gu Xi calculated that the train departs on the 27th of the lunar year, so they would probably arrive in Beijing on the 29th, which would be quite late.
Ji Ya smiled helplessly: "There's nothing I can do. I can't take much leave, and I can't take too long. Your brother wants to stay in Beijing for a few more days and take me and Tuantuan to visit our relatives there. Tuantuan is so old, but he's never met his great-uncle and the others."
Therefore, they try their best to stay in Beijing for as long as possible this year, and return to the army after the Lantern Festival.
Gu Xi nodded, "That's true."
Unlike her, who returned to the Gu family halfway through her journey, Gu Yuanyang, as the eldest son of Gu Maowen and Jiang Huijun, grew up in Beijing and had close relationships with relatives on both sides of his parents' side. Since it was a rare occasion for him to bring his wife and children back, he was sure to take them to meet his relatives and introduce them to everyone.
"I originally thought you would come back with us this year," Ji Ya said with some regret.
If Gu Xi isn't pregnant, they can go back to Beijing together and keep each other company.
Gu Xi touched her belly and laughed, "Even if I'm not pregnant, I guess we still won't be able to go back. Mingzheng doesn't have any long holidays this year."
Ji Ya looked regretful and then asked her if there was anything they could help bring to Beijing.
They can bring back some things for their relatives and friends while they are traveling back to Beijing.
“Yes, there really is.” Gu Xi said, “I prepared some things for my parents, Mingrong, and also for Jiang’s uncle and aunt, cousin Shuwang, and cousin Shuyin…”
Ji Ya nodded, "Okay, then you can prepare it and we'll bring it back for you."
"Thank you, sister-in-law."
**
The news of Gu Xi's pregnancy spread quickly among the residents of the family compound.
The main reason was that when I went to the communications room to make a phone call, quite a few people overheard it.
Many people came to see her, congratulate her, inquire about her health, and kindly tell her about things to pay attention to during pregnancy, making Gu Xi fully appreciate the atmosphere of the military as a big family.
When Ye Fenghua found out, she specially bought a large chunk of meat from the city and also got some chicken and duck from her parents' home to help her recover.
She said to Gu Xi, "Now you're eating for two, so take good care of yourself. Just tell me what you want to eat. It's easy for me to buy things in the county town, and I'll bring them back for you on the weekend."
"Thank you so much, sister-in-law," Gu Xi said happily. "I won't stand on ceremony with you, sister-in-law. I'll need your help in the future."
Ye Fenghua liked her open and honest attitude; they were both very generous and easygoing, which made it comfortable for them to be together.
With the meat, chicken, and duck that Ye Fenghua sent, they didn't need to buy meat for the New Year, as their food reserves were plentiful.
Xu Yuansheng chopped some green vegetables and mixed them with rice bran to feed the chickens and ducks in the coop. Standing with his hands on his hips, watching the chickens and ducks happily eating, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction when he thought of the grain stored in the cellar.
Only food can soothe the hearts of ordinary people. Seeing so much food stored at home, she felt extremely at ease.
Xu Huaisheng glanced at it, then turned to Gu Xi and whispered, "Big sister, look at second sister, she's smiling strangely at the chickens and ducks."
Gu Xi looked over and smiled, "Yuan Sheng is happy."
"What's there to be happy about?"
"I'm glad we have plenty of food stored up, so we won't go hungry."
Gu Xi could understand Xu Yuansheng's feelings when she saw those chickens and ducks. Both of them had a serious hoarding desire and wished they could fill their cellars, granaries, cabinets and other places with grain.
Only those who have truly experienced hunger can understand that morbid obsession with food.
They had experienced hunger, even to the point of stomach cramps, and were instinctively afraid of hunger and food shortages. They would panic if their family's food reserves were insufficient.
Besides Ye Fenghua, Gu Yuanyang also brought them a large sack full of raw meat, including pork, beef, and mutton, all cut up, as well as pork chops, lamb chops, and pig's trotters.
Gu Xi and Xu Yuansheng were both stunned.
Where did he get so much meat?
"I asked a friend in the city to buy it for me at the meat processing plant," Gu Yuanyang said gently to Gu Xi. "You're pregnant now, so you need to nourish your body. If you want to eat anything in the future, just tell me."
Gu Xi looked at the meat in the snakeskin bag, then at him, and for the first time, she sincerely called out, "Big Brother!"
"Yes!" Gu Yuanyang replied happily.
Shen Mingzheng stood to the side, arms crossed, staring at Gu Yuanyang with an unfriendly expression.
Gu Yuanyang pretended not to see it.
This is his own sister, what's wrong with calling him "big brother"?
Not only did Gu Yuanyang bring them meat, but Qiao Hui also brought them meat.
Qiao Hui said, "Chief of Staff Gao has a holiday this year. We plan to go back to celebrate the New Year with our parents-in-law. We've already bought our train tickets and will be back in a couple of days. We'll come back after the Lantern Festival. The meat at home doesn't keep well, so why don't we give it to you?"
"Are you going back home for the New Year too?" Gu Xi looked disappointed. "I was thinking that we could celebrate the New Year together again this year, and have a lively celebration."
The two families are neighbors and have a good relationship; they always spend holidays together.
Over the past two years, their relationship has grown stronger, and they have become very good friends.
Qiao Hui said, "It's okay. If it doesn't work this year, it can be done next year. It'll probably be even more exciting next year."
After all, it will be quite lively next year with more people at the Shenzhou Regiment Chief's house.
After seeing Qiao Hui off, Gu Xi was very disappointed and sighed deeply.
She's not used to separations.
Last year, the three families celebrated the Lunar New Year in a lively atmosphere, but this year they are all leaving, and the place feels deserted.
Xu Yuansheng glanced at her and said, "Big sister, have you forgotten? There's also Battalion Commander Xiang and the others. We can invite Battalion Commander Xiang, Xiao Zhao, and Xiao Yun over for dinner this year."
Given the relationship between my brother-in-law and Battalion Commander Xiang, they will definitely be invited to have dinner together.
There are actually quite a few people.
Gu Xi suddenly realized, and tapped her head, "I forgot, it really is true that pregnancy makes you stupid for three years."
Xu Huaisheng covered her mouth and laughed. When her second sister glared at her, she quickly said, "It's okay. If your eldest sister forgot, we'll help you remember. Anyway, you just need to endure three years."
**
As the year draws to a close, the family compound becomes lively.
Although many people bring their wives and children home for the Spring Festival, many others stay behind to celebrate, making it quite lively.
Xu Yuansheng and Xu Huaisheng are also making preparations for the Chinese New Year.
As for Gu Xi, she only needed to sit and watch them work. If she felt bored, she could read a book, draw for a while, or go back to her room to sleep...
In short, she was not allowed to do any work, and they even fed her food and water.
Since the pregnancy was confirmed, no one has allowed Gu Xi to do any work.
In the past, she would be asked to pick vegetables in the garden or cook some dishes, but now she is not even allowed to pick vegetables. All the housework is now done by Xu Yuansheng, Xu Huaisheng and Shen Mingzheng.
If Gu Xi hadn't insisted, Shen Mingzheng might have even taken care of things like bathing.
On New Year's Eve, Xiang Changchuan came over with his nephew and niece.
After many years, the three uncles and nephews reunited to celebrate the New Year. However, with only the three of them at home, it was quite lonely. So when Shen Mingzheng invited them to celebrate the New Year together, Xiang Changchuan did not refuse and brought his two nephews and nieces, carrying a large basket of food.
When they arrived, Shen Mingzheng and Gu Xi were putting up couplets at the door, while Xu Yuansheng and Xu Huaisheng were frying meatballs and making braised pork in the kitchen, filling the air with the aroma of food.
"You're here." Gu Xi greeted them. "Xiao Zhao, Xiao Yun, are you hungry? Yuan Sheng is frying meatballs inside. You can come in and try some. We'll have meatball soup for lunch."
The brother and sister greeted them politely.
Upon hearing that there was meatball soup, Xiang Yun cheered and ran inside, followed by Xiang Zhao, who went in to help with the work.
The brother and sister often come here to play and eat; it's like another home for them, where they feel very relaxed.
Xiang Changchuan smiled as he watched the lively figures of the brother and sister. He took the paste from Gu Xi's hand and said, "Sister-in-law, let me do it. You go and rest, don't tire yourself out."
Gu Xi was speechless. Yet another person who treated her like a porcelain doll.
She wasn't in a hurry to leave. She tucked her hands into her sleeves to warm them and asked, "Changchuan, have you put up couplets over at your house yet?"
"They put them up. Xiao Zhao and Xiao Yun did it together. They got up especially early today and finished all the housework." Xiang Changchuan sighed. "I feel pretty useless as their uncle. There's nothing I can do."
Shen Mingzheng glanced at him and called him out: "Laugh if you want to, don't hold it in."
"Hehe." Xiang Changchuan scratched his head and grinned. "I'm just happy. Although it makes me, an adult, feel a little ashamed to be taken care of by the children, they are just so sensible."
You really don't need to worry about it at all.
Shen Mingzheng said, "Indeed, both children are very good. If Uncle Xiang and the others see this, they will be very happy."
Upon hearing this, Xiang Changchuan's smile faded.
"Things will get better." Shen Mingzheng patted his shoulder, his words carrying a deeper meaning.
"I hope so."
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