Chapter 203 Rest and Recuperation
"What on earth happened?"
Fu Li'an frowned, his eyes filled with anxiety and confusion. "Wasn't she always in good health? How could she suddenly be hospitalized?"
"What else could it be? Your wife is too stubborn!"
As Song Yazhi spoke, she wiped the corner of her eye, her tone filled with heartache and helplessness. "I advised her that since she was pregnant, she should stay at home and rest, as taking care of the pregnancy is the most important thing. But she wouldn't listen. She went to that mutual aid center every day, saying she wanted to help others, but she ended up exhausting herself."
I specially prepared a prenatal soup for her, adding angelica, astragalus, and red dates to nourish her qi and blood, but she wouldn't drink a drop, saying things like, "I don't need this condescending concern..." How heartbreaking those words were!
At this moment, Fang Wanyu walked over, her steps light and quick, carrying a thermos in her hand, with a gentle smile on her face.
She wore a light-colored dress, her hair neatly pulled back behind her ears, and she looked refreshing and considerate.
She smiled and said, "Brother Maidong, you're back! Auntie has been busy these past few days, running to the hospital every day and bringing meals and soup to Sister Wanyin. I'm exhausted, but as long as I can help, I feel at ease."
Fu Lian nodded, his gaze calmly falling on her, his tone still calm and unreadable: "Wanyu, thank you for making this trip. Please take care of Wanyin during this time."
"It's not hard work, it's all what I should do."
Fang Wanyu lowered her head slightly, a gentle and restrained smile appearing on her lips. She said softly, "It's just that Sister Wanyin is too strong-willed. We all advised her not to push herself too hard, that no matter how important work is, she has to take care of her health. But she always says that the event can't be delayed, that a lecture is about the psychological counseling of many families, and that it can't be canceled at the last minute. She has others in her heart, but she forgets about herself."
Fu Li'an's face grew increasingly grim, his brows furrowed, and his eyes gradually became heavy.
His fingers tightened unconsciously, and his fingertips turned slightly white.
He recalled that before leaving, Qiao Wanyin had indeed mentioned that there was an important lecture at the mutual aid center. Her tone was calm, but it conveyed a sense of determination.
He nodded in support of her going, only reminding her to take care of her health, not to overwork herself, not to stay up late, and to eat on time.
At the time, he thought she was always rational and wouldn't joke about herself and the child.
Unexpectedly, she insisted on going to work despite her health condition, and even defied her mother Song Yazhi's arrangements by refusing to drink the pregnancy-stabilizing soup—this was not just willful, but also a silent form of resistance.
"Mom, this isn't your fault."
Fu Li'an raised his hand and gently patted the back of his mother's hand, his tone both comforting and weary, "You're doing this for Qingqing's sake, for the child's sake. When Qingqing wakes up, I'll talk to her personally, make things clear, and let her understand your good intentions."
Qiao Wanyin was awakened by the hushed yet still clear voices outside.
The sound seemed to come from a distant place, yet it also seemed to echo right next to my ear.
She slowly opened her eyes, her vision still a little blurry. Light streamed in through the curtains, soft yet dazzling.
She blinked, and after a moment of adjustment, she finally saw clearly—Fu Lian was standing by the window, his back straight and his shoulders upright, so familiar that it made her heart tremble.
In that instant, my tense nerves suddenly relaxed, like a ship that had been adrift for many days finally reaching the shore, and a long-lost sense of peace welled up in my heart.
"Ophiopogon japonicus".
She called his name softly, her voice weak, like a fallen leaf landing on the water, creating ripples.
Fu Lian immediately turned around, his steps quickened, and he walked to the bedside in a few steps, bent down, and reached out to hold her hand.
His palms were slightly warm, but she felt a slight chill.
"Qingqing, how are you now? Is anything in pain? Is your breathing easy? Are you feeling better?"
He asked a series of questions, his eyes full of concern, yet also concealing a hint of reproach.
She was about to answer when her gaze inadvertently fell on Song Yazhi and Fang Wanyu behind him.
The mother-in-law stood in the corner, her hands clasped in front of her, her expression seemingly worried, but her eyes were cold and sharp; Fang Wanyu stood to the side with her head down, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, her face full of unspoken words.
In that instant, Qiao Wanyin's heart felt as if it had been squeezed tightly by something.
"Much better."
She forced a smile, the curve of her lips so stiff it was almost impossible to move. "Is your mission going smoothly? Did it interfere with your work?"
Fu Li'an's face darkened, his brows furrowed, and his voice was low but filled with obvious dissatisfaction: "How can you not take care of yourself at all? Mom said you've been going to the mutual aid center every day these past few days, and you haven't gone back to the hospital for your check-up for three days in a row. You haven't even drunk the pregnancy-preserving soup she specially made? Do you know how dangerous the situation is right now?"
Qiao Wanyin felt a jolt in her heart, as if she had been punched in the face, and her chest tightened so much that she could hardly breathe.
Her gaze involuntarily fell on Song Yazhi.
The mother-in-law stood behind Fu Li'an, her eyes lowered, a hint of grievance on her face, but deep in her eyes was an undisguised triumph, like the composure and victory of a hunter when he finally sees his prey step into the trap.
“That’s not how it is…” She opened her mouth, her voice trembling slightly, wanting to explain that she had been urgently asked for help by her family members who were experiencing a sudden emotional crisis that day, and that she had stayed up until the early hours of the morning the night before the lecture to organize materials. She was not deliberately not drinking soup, nor was she disregarding the doctor’s advice.
But before he could finish speaking, Fu Li'an interrupted him.
"Qingqing, I know you care about your job."
Fu Li'an's voice carried a hint of weariness and helplessness, yet it was even more resolute. "But the most important thing right now is the child. Mom has experience; she went through postpartum care, pregnancy support, and restorative care all back then. Everything she says is for your own good; how can you not understand that? You have to learn to listen to advice and not always do things your own way."
Qiao Wanyin felt a tightness in her chest, as if she had been hit hard with a hammer, and the dull pain spread from her heart to her limbs.
She couldn't believe that Fu Li'an had so easily believed her mother's words, without even asking a single question about what had happened.
Didn't he also say that during pregnancy, you should follow the doctor's advice and not blindly trust folk remedies?
Didn't she also say that her work is important for the psychological reconstruction of the community and cannot be stopped arbitrarily?
How come now that something has happened, all the blame is being placed on her?
Her persistence became stubbornness, and her sense of responsibility became willfulness.
“Mai Dong, you don’t understand the situation…” She tried to keep her voice steady, but her eyes were already glistening with tears.
"Alright, that's enough."
Fu Lian patted the back of her hand gently, but with an undeniable determination. "The doctor said you need to rest well and avoid emotional fluctuations. Put your work aside for now. Mom will stay with you and take care of your daily needs. Everything will be alright."
Fang Wanyu immediately responded, her tone gentle yet perfectly considerate: "Brother Maidong, don't worry, I'll come and take care of Sister Wanyin often. Last time she vomited so badly, it was only after I made her some ginger and brown sugar water that she recovered. While you're on your mission outside, we'll take care of things at home."
Qiao Wanyin looked at the three people in front of her: one was standing by the bed pretending to care, one was hiding behind her with a smug sneer, and one was busy professing loyalty.
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