Chapter 50
It wasn't until she woke up the next day, her mind still foggy from sleep, that Gu Xi finally understood what he meant.
She buried her face in the sheets, feeling a mix of emotions.
No wonder he had been using contraceptives since their wedding night, and meticulously disinfecting and storing them afterwards; it turned out he didn't want children.
At noon, Shen Mingzheng returned for lunch.
He hasn't been too busy lately, and he can come back for lunch and rest for half an hour. But once he gets busier, he might not have time to come back at noon and will only be able to come back in the evening.
He thought this was a good idea, as he would come back at noon to have lunch with her and help her adapt to life in the army as quickly as possible.
It's probably because the organization is considerate of him since he just got married, and they're taking special care of him.
During the meal, he noticed that Gu Xi was secretly watching him.
His peeping wasn't very discreet; he could easily catch it. Then, when she noticed his gaze, she quickly lowered her head and pretended to eat seriously.
Shen Mingzheng was a little puzzled. In the past, she had always looked at him openly and generously, and rarely did she act like this.
After lunch, Gu Xi sat for a while before going back to her room for a nap.
Shen Mingzheng followed her back to her room. Although he couldn't sleep much in half an hour, he could at least close his eyes and rest.
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her for a while, then asked, "Xixi, is there something you want to ask me?"
Gu Xi was a little dazed from his kiss. After thinking for a moment, she sat up and adopted a serious attitude.
She asked, "Brother, is it really not urgent about the child?"
Shen Mingzheng was taken aback by her question and said, "No rush, you're still young, focus on getting better first." Then he asked, "Did someone say something to you?"
He knew his mother's temperament; she definitely wouldn't rush her. Could someone have gone to her and said something out of turn?
Gu Xi said very simply, "No, only you."
Shen Mingzheng: "..."
During this time, Gu Xi has been busy with farewells and coming to the military base. There are too many things to do, so how could she have time to think about having children? And who would think about having children right after getting married?
If he hadn't brought it up last night, she probably wouldn't have thought about when to have a child for a long time.
The couple has only been married for a short time, less than half a month, and is still in the honeymoon phase, enjoying each other's company and being very affectionate.
It's normal for young men and women, especially those who have just broken their virginity and are still in their prime, to be enthusiastic about this.
Each time it ended, she would be so tired that she would fall asleep immediately, and she would never think about having children afterward.
Gu Xi had no interest in having children. From the moment the two decided to get married, her mother-in-law, Feng Min, never mentioned having children to her, nor did she nag them like other mothers-in-law would, urging them to have a child as soon as possible after marriage.
Feng Min is happier that her son will have someone to care for him and accompany him in the future. She hopes that the young couple will live a harmonious and happy life together, and she is very casual about when they should have children.
Her attitude naturally influenced Gu Xi, who realized that someone cared more about her health than when they would have children.
Perhaps Feng Min also hoped that the two of them would have a child in the future, but she felt that Gu Xi was more important than a child.
Before that, Gu Xi should take good care of her health and make sure she can have a safe and healthy baby before making any plans. If she can't, she won't force herself.
Feng Min's attitude shows that she truly treats her like her own daughter.
Shen Mingzheng was somewhat amused and exasperated. Seeing her accusing expression, he took the initiative to admit his mistake and then said, "I think you seem to really like Gu Wei..."
“Who wouldn’t like a cute and well-behaved child?” Gu Xi said confidently.
Suddenly, she remembered that she had casually mentioned something to him when she got home last night. Could he have overheard that and taken it to heart? Misunderstood that she wanted to have a baby?
After understanding the cause and effect, Gu Xi was both amused and exasperated.
She looked at him and said earnestly, "Brother, you're right. There's no rush about having a child. I'll take good care of myself."
She wants to live a good life and definitely won't bring up having children before her body is fully recovered.
The couple reached an agreement on the matter of having children.
Having put this matter aside, Gu Xi slept exceptionally soundly during her afternoon nap, and when she woke up, it was already afternoon again.
Not long after, she heard a noise coming from the house of Chief of Staff Gao next door, and knew that Chief of Staff Gao's wife and child had returned from the hospital.
Perhaps because she had saved someone, she still cared quite a bit about Chief of Staff Gao's wife and child. Plus, they were neighbors, so she was thinking about whether she should take some time in the next couple of days to visit them.
A little later, there was a knock on the door.
Gu Xi went to open the door and found Chief of Staff Gao standing there.
He was carrying a bag and said, "Comrade Gu, thank you so much for what happened the day before yesterday! My wife and child have returned from the hospital and asked me to come and thank you for your help that day..."
Gu Xi quickly replied, "No need to be so polite. We're neighbors, it's only right that we help each other! Besides, Director Chai has already expressed his gratitude."
Despite her words, Gao Wenbin insisted on thanking her, put his things down, and left, saying, "My wife and children are still at home, so I won't stay any longer."
Gu Xi had no choice but to carry the things he brought back to the main room and put them away.
Gao Wenbin gave a lot of gifts, including canned fruit, malted milk powder, various biscuits and candies, and some preserved meats... all presentable items.
Moreover, this gratitude is only superficial; there are probably other things involved.
Some favors cannot be repaid with gifts.
When Shen Mingzheng returned and saw the bag, he was somewhat surprised. Upon learning that it had been personally delivered by Chief of Staff Gao, he said nothing.
Gu Xi said, "Chief of Staff Gao and his wife are very polite. They just got back and rushed over to give us a thank-you gift."
This shows that they were genuinely grateful to her.
She thought to herself, "I should go and see Chief of Staff Gao's wife and children tomorrow. We're all neighbors, so it's only right that we visit each other more often."
**
The next morning, after having breakfast, Gu Xi went to the supply and marketing cooperative.
Because his sisters-in-law had recently sent him vegetables, fruits, ham, bacon, and other necessities, as well as leftover fresh pork that they were salting to make salted meat, his family had plenty of food on hand. They hadn't needed to buy groceries much these past few days, so Shen Mingzheng hadn't gone to the supply and marketing cooperative in the mornings for the past two days.
In addition, Ye Fenghua was a warm-hearted person. Knowing that the vegetables in their garden had not yet grown, she told them that if they wanted to eat fresh vegetables, they could just go to her house to pick them.
Gu Xi was naturally too embarrassed to pick vegetables from someone else's house; she decided to buy them from the supply and marketing cooperative if she wanted to eat vegetables.
Gu Xi arrived quite late, and by the time she got to the supply and marketing cooperative, there was no meat left to sell, but there were still some vegetables available.
To her surprise, there was also fish, but the fish were very small, just a few small crucian carp with many bones. Most people don't really like to eat this kind of fish, and it's not easy to prepare if you're not willing to use oil.
Gu Xi bought some green vegetables and eggs, and also bought all the crucian carp.
She first took the groceries home and left them there, then took a few crucian carp to the house of Chief of Staff Gao next door.
I knocked on the door, and it opened quickly.
The woman who opened the door was around forty years old. She was dressed very simply, and her clothes were patched, but very clean. You could tell at a glance that she came from a poor family. She was a little reserved when she saw Gu Xi.
Gu Xi smiled and said, "Hello, I am Gu Xi, the wife of Commander Shen who lives next door. I came to visit Comrade Qiao."
As the saying goes, you can't hit a smiling face.
Seeing Gu Xi's smiling face, the woman breathed a sigh of relief. Although she was exceptionally beautiful, she didn't seem like a difficult person to get along with. She invited her inside, saying, "Cousin Qiao is resting inside, and the child is also inside."
Gu Xi assumed Qiao Hui was sleeping and didn't want to disturb her, so she handed over the crucian carp she had brought and said, "I heard that crucian carp soup helps with lactation, so you can cook these crucian carp for Comrade Qiao."
Upon hearing this, the woman smiled and said, "That's true, crucian carp soup does help with lactation."
Just as Gu Xi was about to say goodbye and leave, Qiao Hui's voice rang out from inside the house.
"Sister-in-law, who's here?"
The woman whom Qiao Hui called her "cousin-in-law" quickly replied, "She's the wife of Commander Shen from next door."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Hui inside quickly said, "Let her in."
Qiao Hui is currently in her postpartum period. This area is at the foot of the mountain, where the wind is usually strong. Because she can't be exposed to the wind, she stays indoors after returning home.
When Gu Xi entered, she saw that the windows were closed and the room was dimly lit.
Qiao Hui was sitting on the bed, looking this way.
Qiao Hui was wearing loose pajamas, her hair was tied up, and she looked a little tired, but she was in good spirits.
She was extremely beautiful. Although her skin was a little sallow, she was still very pretty and a great beauty.
When Gu Xi took her to the clinic that day, she noticed that Gu Xi was quite good-looking, but she was worried at the time and didn't look at her closely. Now she realized that Gu Xi was indeed very beautiful.
Gu Xi was a little shy. "I'm sorry to bother you."
Qiao Hui stared at her for a long while, then smiled and said, "Gu Xi, come and sit down. Don't say you're bothering me. I'm only happy that you came to see me."
Gu Xi sat down on a chair in front of the bed.
As soon as he sat down, Qiao Hui grabbed his hand tightly.
Qiao Hui held her hand, looking into Gu Xi's eyes, and said, "Thank you so much back then. If it weren't for you, my child and I might have..." Her eyes suddenly reddened, her nose tingled, and her voice choked with emotion, "Gu Xi, thank you..."
She repeatedly expressed her gratitude, tears streaming down her face.
Gu Xi panicked a little: "Hey, don't cry..."
Qiao Hui's cousin-in-law brought in water and saw her crying. She quickly said, "Oh dear, Comrade Qiao, you can't cry now! You're in your postpartum period. If you cry too much, it'll be bad for your eyes, and you'll suffer later. Quickly wipe your tears!"
As he spoke, he took a handkerchief and came over to wipe her eyes.
When Gu Xi heard Qiao Hui's cousin-in-law call her "Comrade Qiao," she knew that this "cousin-in-law" must be a nanny specially hired to take care of Qiao Hui and her child.
This is not surprising. Chief of Staff Gao has a job and can't always revolve around his wife and child. Qiao Hui is now in postpartum confinement, so someone definitely needs to take care of the mother and daughter. It makes sense to pay someone nominally a "relative" to come and take care of the mother and child.
Qiao Hui wiped her face, suppressed her emotions, smiled shyly at Gu Xi, and introduced her: "This is my cousin-in-law, her surname is Zhu... uh, you can just call her Sister Zhu."
Gu Xi addressed the other person as "Sister Zhu," understanding the meaning behind Qiao Hui's introduction.
Seeing that Gu Xi showed no unusual expression, Qiao Hui was certain that Gu Xi was someone worth befriending.
Sister Zhu smiled awkwardly and said, "Comrade Gu sent over a few crucian carp. I'll cook crucian carp soup for you later. It helps with milk production, and babies are healthier and grow faster when they drink breast milk."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Hui felt another wave of gratitude towards Gu Xi.
After she returned yesterday, people came to visit her one after another, bringing gifts, but no one actually gave her crucian carp to help with lactation like Gu Xi did.
It must be said that the gift delivered was quite appropriate.
Gu Xi said shyly, "When I went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy vegetables today, I happened to see crucian carp. I've often heard elders say that crucian carp soup helps with lactation and is suitable for pregnant women."
Sister Zhu agreed, "That's exactly right. It would be even better if we had papaya. The crucian carp and papaya soup would be even more effective." Then she added, "Although the baby was premature, it's only by two weeks. Don't worry, just feed him well, and he'll grow up safely."
After talking for a while, Qiao Hui thought of something, picked up the baby from the bed and handed it to Gu Xi: "Look, this is my daughter. Thanks to you, she was able to be born safely."
Gu Xi leaned closer to look at the baby in her arms. The baby's skin was still a little pink and tender. The baby was tiny and looked very fragile. The baby's features had not yet developed, and it was not clear who the baby resembled.
The child is sleeping, occasionally smacking his little mouth – so adorable!
Perhaps startled by being picked up by her mother, she pouted and began to whine like a kitten.
Qiao Hui was at a loss and hurriedly asked, "Sister Zhu, what's wrong with her?"
These days, she has been resting in bed, and Chief of Staff Gao and Sister Zhu are taking care of the baby. She is only responsible for breastfeeding. She is not familiar with taking care of the baby, and she is a little scared when she sees the baby making noises.
The baby is so small, and also premature, I'm always worried that he won't survive.
Sister Zhu skillfully took it, checked it, and found that the person had pooped.
She poured a basin of warm water, gently washed the baby's bottom with a wrung-out damp towel, changed the swaddle blanket, and placed the baby back next to the mother.
Gu Xi and Qiao Hui chatted while watching Sister Zhu take care of the child, both of them finding it quite novel.
Neither of them had any experience taking care of a child. Gu Xi had never given birth before and rarely saw such a small baby, while Qiao Hui was having her first child and did nothing but breastfeed.
After sitting for a while, Gu Xi got up and left.
Qiao Hui pulled her aside and said, "Gu Xi, come over when you have time. I hope you can keep me company and talk to me. For some reason, I feel at ease when I see you."
These past few days, whenever she falls asleep, she keeps having a nightmare where she falls at home and no one notices. Especially that day, her husband, Gao Wenbin, came home late because of something at the regiment headquarters, and by the time he got home, she was already…
Whenever she wakes up, her heart races and she's covered in sweat.
This is why she hasn't been sleeping well these past few days and hasn't been able to take care of her child.
Seeing Gu Xi appear before him now, he thought of how Gu Xi had rushed in when he was in despair and taken him to the clinic, and he felt at ease.
Gu Xi saved me and my daughter!
Qiao Hui was very clear about this.
Upon hearing this, Gu Xi assumed that she was still frightened by what happened that day, and smiled, "Sure, I'll come and visit you whenever I have time! Comrade Qiao, you should get some rest."
Qiao Hui smiled and said, "Gu Xi, you can just call me Qiao Hui."
**
Gu Xi was in a good mood when she got home.
Seeing Qiao Hui and her daughter today made her realize that she had done something very meaningful that day, saving two precious lives.
When Shen Mingzheng returned that evening, he brought back another package.
The package contained Gu Xi's winter clothes.
The two of them tidied up together, hanging up cotton-padded coats and overcoats to air them in the sun tomorrow, and washing the rest before putting them in the closet.
As the two tidied up, Gu Xi talked about visiting Qiao Hui and her daughter next door that day.
"I heard the due date was in about two weeks, but I was born two weeks premature. The baby looks very small, weighing less than five pounds. I need to take good care of him..."
Shen Mingzheng listened with a smile, and after she finished speaking, he said, "This weekend, Brigade Commander Zhang invited us to his home for dinner."
"Commander Zhang?"
“It’s my superior,” Shen Mingzheng explained. “Brigade Commander Zhang and his wife knew you were here and invited us over for dinner.”
Commander Zhang is the leader of the First Brigade and takes good care of his subordinates.
Shen Mingzheng took leave to go home to get married and brought his wife to accompany him to the military base. Naturally, his superiors would show concern for him; this kind of thing is quite common.
Gu Xi said "Oh," and then asked, "Sure, what gift should I bring?"
"No need to bring anything special, just buy some fruit from the supply and marketing cooperative and bring it with you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
