In the kitchen, Li Chu hummed a little tune as he placed the freshly kneaded dough into the steamer, preparing to steam the buns. He heard the sound of a bicycle coming from the yard. Ah, his wife was back.
After dinner, Ding Qiunan sewed the dried quilt at home, while Li Chu took Xiao Hei out for a walk.
When Li Chu returned, Qin Huairu from the Intermediate People's Court came to their house to borrow a sewing machine.
Little Ding was still sitting there doing needlework. Li Chu glanced at her and said, "Hmm, she's started sewing a small cushion. The girl is quite self-disciplined."
Li Chu greeted Qin Huairu and went to the study to read. He only came out after Qin Huairu left.
Sewing small cushions was no challenge for Ding Qiunan, and she finished it in no time. The girl held up the cushions and asked, "Li Chu, are two cushions enough?"
"I think you should sew a few more, just in case you don't have enough."
These words made the girl blush deeply. She spat at him but didn't say anything. Instead, she lowered her head and continued working.
Li Chu didn't tease her any further. His wife was sometimes quite shy, and if he angered her, he would be the one who suffered.
He ran to the bathroom to boil water. Although taking a bath was a bit of a hassle now that the bathtub was in the house, Li Chu still felt that he could tolerate the inconvenience compared to taking a bath outside.
After the water was boiled, Li Chu went over and picked up the girl.
"Oh, what's the rush? I'll put my things down." He had just run to the bathroom to boil water, and the girl knew what was going to happen. After he picked her up, she threw the things she was holding onto the sofa, then hugged his neck, her eyes almost brimming with tears.
Ding Qiunan is now starting to enjoy the experience and is looking forward to their nightly ritual.
Time flies, and it's already the nineteenth day of the first lunar month. The weather is gradually getting warmer. Today is Sunday, a day off. After getting up in the morning, Ding Qiunan followed Li Chu to the newly purchased courtyard.
Today is the day chosen by the wealthy eldest son; it's auspicious to start construction.
When Li Chu and Ding Qiunan arrived, Boss Fu and his men were already there. After entering the courtyard, Ding Qiunan curiously examined the boiler in the front yard.
This boiler was purchased by Li Chu from a boiler factory through one of his patients.
She then asked her brother-in-law for help, and he bought cast iron pipes, radiators, and cement from the materials bureau.
Underfloor heating is supposed to be the best option, but Li Chu was worried about the cast iron pipes. These pipes are prone to developing pinholes over time, and if they leak, the entire floor of the house would have to be torn up.
The specific construction of the house was left to Boss Fu. Li Chu's requirements were that the east and west wing rooms and the main house must each have their own independent toilets and shower rooms, and the house must be sturdy.
Li Chu knew about the massive earthquake that was coming, but he couldn't remember the exact date, only that it would be in the summer. Therefore, the second floor where he currently lived would absolutely be uninhabitable.
After watching Fu Laoda and his team get everything arranged and start working, Li Chu gave Fu Laoda five hundred yuan, three hundred of which was an advance payment for labor, and the other two hundred was for buying sand, bricks, and timber.
Then Li Chu and Ding Qiunan left. Oh, and Xiao Hei too. The two of them strolled around, even going so far as to buy a roast duck to take home for lunch.
They lived their lives leisurely like this, and the weather got hotter and hotter.
After work that day, Li Chu went to a restaurant and bought two meat dishes. He hadn't eaten meat for two days and couldn't take it anymore.
When Ding Qiunan got off work, the rice was already steamed, and Li Chu was heating up the dishes. The girl walked over and hugged him from behind, saying with a smile, "I'm so happy that I can have a ready-made meal every day when I come home."
Li Chu put the food into a plate and handed it to Ding Qiunan: "You think you're happy just by eating a meal? That's too simple for you."
The girl nodded: "This is already very happy, isn't it? Sister Wang from the office next door said that she has to cook every day after get off work, and after eating, she has to wash the dishes and do laundry. She's exhausted every day. She said her husband is very lazy; he won't even pick up a soy sauce bottle if it falls over."
She paused for a moment and then said, "I didn't dare tell her that I can have dinner as soon as I get home every day."
Li Chu found it a bit funny: "Alright, take the dishes over and get ready to eat."
At the dinner table, while they were eating, Ding Qiunan suddenly stopped and asked, "Li Chu, why haven't I gotten pregnant after all this time?"
When Li Chu heard the girl ask this question, he stopped picking up food. He was also a little puzzled. Both of them were healthy, and it had been five months since the Lunar New Year, but there was still no sign of pregnancy.
He comforted Xiao Ding, saying, "These things can't be rushed. We're both healthy, and getting pregnant is just a matter of time. Don't put so much pressure on yourself."
"Will I be unable to have children?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Impossible, it's just that the time hasn't come yet." Li Chu put down his chopsticks and walked to the girl's side, putting his arm around her and letting her lean against him.
Ding Qiunan looked up at Li Chu and asked, "If I really can't have children, do you think you'll leave me?"
Li Chu cupped the girl's face in his hands, lowered his head, and gazed at her seriously: "Comrade Ding Qiunan, I'm marrying you because I like you, I love you, and I want to spend my whole life with you. It's not because I want to have children that I'm with you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
The girl nodded, but was interrupted by Li Chu before she could speak.
"Let me finish what I have to say before you speak. We are both in good health, so don't overthink it. We will definitely have our own child."
The girl looked at Li Chu's serious face and said timidly, "Li Chu, you really won't leave me?"
"No, I can do without children, but I can't do without you."
Ding Qiunan sat there and stretched out her arms to hug his waist tightly: "I'm still a little worried."
Li Chu reached out and ruffled the girl's hair: "You're a medical student, and even if you really can't get pregnant, it doesn't necessarily mean it's your problem. Maybe it's my problem too. If it's really because of me that you can't get pregnant, shouldn't I be the one worrying? What if you don't want me anymore?"
Before the girl could say anything, he continued, "If you don't want me anymore by then, I'll go to your factory and give you a good beating, see if you're scared."
This made the girl laugh, and she slapped Li Chu, saying, "You're so annoying, how can you be like that?"
"Okay, honey, we'll definitely have our own baby someday, so don't overthink it, okay?"
The girl nodded: "Okay, I understand."
Li Chu thought for a moment and decided that he still needed to completely resolve the girl's inner conflict once and for all, otherwise it wouldn't be good for her to keep overthinking. So he squatted down and looked at Ding Qiunan and said, "Wife, do you believe me?"
"Of course I believe you. You're my man, who else would I believe if not you?" Ding Qiunan said matter-of-factly.
"Trust me and listen to me. Relax and don't keep thinking about getting pregnant. When you stop thinking about it, the baby might just come."
"Don't worry, Li Chu, I don't want to think about it anymore. Anyway, you said you wouldn't abandon me."
"Yes, I can guarantee that."
Finally, the two started eating again, and the problem caused by their inability to conceive was temporarily over.
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