Chapter 109: Can't Wait But Wait
Time flies, and autumn turns into winter in the blink of an eye.
On the day of the winter solstice, Fu Yucheng had just taken off his military belt when the copper buckle jingled against the corner of the wardrobe.
Yun Tangyin was spreading a dried cashmere blanket on the sofa when she looked up and saw that he was cold. She couldn't help but put a hot water bottle in his hand: "Just came back from the training ground? Your hands are frozen like ice."
"Yeah, we just finished the training. It's windy outside today." He moved closer to her, clutching the hot water bottle. "Today, Director Liu of the Political Department had twins. He brought the kids over to hand out wedding candy, the kind wrapped in red cloth."
Yun Tangyin paused as she was refilling the teacup with hot water. The steam made her eyelashes damp. "Oh? Congratulations then."
"His wife said that eating pine nuts from Changbai Mountain during pregnancy is good for the baby's brain." Fu Yucheng suddenly took out a paper bag from his pocket and opened it to reveal plump pine nuts. "I asked my guards to grab them from the specialty store. They say eating them every day will help you give birth to a smart child."
The thermos slammed down on the coffee table, and Yun Tangyin turned and walked towards the kitchen. "I'm going to make some Tremella fuciformis soup. I asked someone to bring some from the south the other day."
"I'll light the fire." Fu Yucheng stood up, but she pushed him down on the dining chair. "You sit down. I want to try that new electric stew pot."
He looked at her back as she tied an apron, and suddenly whispered, "Next month, I'll finish handing over Jiangbei's defense, and then I'll be able to return to the military compound to work. I won't have to travel far for at least six months."
Before he could finish his words, Yun Tangyin's hand trembled and the white fungus fell all over the floor.
"Why are you saying this suddenly?" She squatted down to pick up the white fungus, her voice muffled on the tiles.
She knew what Fu Yucheng meant, but was too embarrassed to answer.
"I'm just busy and never at home." Fu Yucheng also squatted down, his fingertips accidentally hooked on her apron string, and the two of them separated as if they had been electrocuted.
He pulled out a small notebook from his inner pocket and opened it to reveal a densely packed schedule. "Look."
Yun Tangyin snatched the notebook and slammed it on the table. "How can I blame you for doing your job properly?"
Lying on the newly changed cashmere blanket at night, the fragrance of wild chrysanthemum pillowcase mixed with the scent of cedar.
Fu Yucheng counted the plaster lines on the ceiling and suddenly said, "I asked my mother to dig out the crib from my hometown. It was the one I slept in when I was a child. It was made of solid wood and was very sturdy."
"Who wants to sleep in your old bed?" Yun Tangyin shrank into his arms.
"Then I'll learn." He placed his palm against her belly, his fingertips caressing the warmth beneath the fabric. "Team Leader Wang said postpartum meals should be low in oil and salt. I bought a 'Nutritional Recipe Book' and am practicing on the kitchen stove."
Yun Tangyin suddenly looked up at him. The moonlight filtered in through the blinds, illuminating the brightness in his eyes.
"Fu Yucheng," she traced her fingertips across the stubble on his jaw, "if a child is born in winter, do you think he'll need to wear three layers of cotton pants?"
"It has to be down." He pressed her hand against his chest. "I asked Mr. Zhang from the bedding factory to keep the best white duck down. The tiger-head shoes you embroidered with down pants will definitely keep you warm."
These words made Yun Tangyin laugh. She turned around and took out a brocade box from the camphorwood box. When she opened it, she found two silver longevity locks with tiny dragon and phoenix patterns engraved on the locks.
"I found this at the antique street with my mom the other day. They say it's an old item from the Republic of China era. Do you think the craftsmanship is okay?"
Fu Yucheng picked up the longevity lock and compared it. The palm-sized object looked delicate in his palm.
His eyes suddenly turned red. "It's just... I'm sorry for putting you through so much. We've been apart so little lately."
"Who's wronged?" She put away the longevity lock. "At the last military families' symposium, Sister Li was envious of me."
When the rooster crowed for the first time, Yun Tangyin was awakened by the sound of the wind outside the window and saw Fu Yucheng reading a thick book under the desk lamp.
"What is this?" She leaned over to take a look. The cover read "Three Hundred Questions About Pregnancy."
"Doctor Zhang recommended it. He said we should start learning it during pregnancy." He pointed to a page. "Look, in the second trimester, you should listen to piano music, and in the third trimester, you should feel for fetal movement..."
"Isn't it too early to read it now?" Yun Tangyin snatched the book and put it on the bedside table.
"I'm not even pregnant!"
He suddenly turned over and held her in his arms, his chin resting on the top of her head: "Isn't it just a matter of time? It's just that I can't wait any longer."
Yun Tangyin was almost unable to breathe because of his embrace. With her fingertips pressed against his strong chest, she could clearly feel his steady and powerful heartbeat.
"Even if you can't wait, you have to wait," she said, deliberately keeping a straight face, but a smile flickered in her eyes. "Do you think having a child is like planting crops? You can just plant the seeds and you'll get a harvest?"
Fu Yucheng laughed softly, and the vibration of his chest came through the thin pajamas, like the wind rolling through the wheat fields in spring.
"Then I'll fertilize and water the plants properly." He suddenly lowered his head, brushing his nose against the top of her head. "Squad Leader Wang from the kitchen squad said that pregnant women like to eat sour food. I asked the guards to bring home two boxes of hawthorns, the kind so sour enough to make your teeth fall out."
"Who wants to eat that?" Yun Tangyin objected, but felt warm in her heart.
She remembered seeing Mrs. Li eating a sour orange with relish a while ago. She laughed at her for being greedy at that time. Now she thought that maybe that was the sweet taste of being a mother.
The snow outside the window had stopped at some point, and the moonlight filtered through the gaps in the blinds, casting mottled shadows on the carpet.
Fu Yucheng suddenly stood up and took out a bulging cloth bag from the closet. When he opened it, it turned out to be a small army green cotton jacket with an exquisite wild chrysanthemum embroidered on the collar.
"This is..." Yun Tangyin opened her eyes wide in surprise.
"I asked Mr. Zhang from the bedding factory to make it. He cut it to the smallest size." Fu Yucheng picked up the cotton coat and compared it to her arms. "Look, when the child is one year old, it will fit him perfectly. He'll look like a little soldier."
Yun Tangyin stroked the soft cotton, and her fingertips touched the fine stitches. Her eyes suddenly felt warm. She sniffed, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but rise.
"Then I'll ask Lao Zhang to be more careful next time." Fu Yucheng scratched his head, and suddenly seemed to remember something, and took out a small toy from the cloth bag, "And this, for the child to play with."
It was a small wooden fish tied with a red string. It wasn't carved very delicately, but it looked very cute.
Yun Tangyin took it in her hand and shook it, and the "dong dong" sound was crisp and pleasant. "When did you learn wood carving?" she asked curiously.
"During the training, I had nothing to do at night so I thought about carving it." Fu Yucheng said a little embarrassedly, "At first, the carving was not very good. I broke several wooden lumps. This one is the most decent one."
Yun Tangyin carefully placed the small wooden fish into the brocade box and placed it together with the two longevity locks.
"When the child is born, let him learn to speak with this. He will definitely learn quickly."
"Of course, our child will be smart." Fu Yucheng said proudly. Suddenly, he moved closer to her and lowered his voice, "Yinyin, what do you think we should name our child?"
"Isn't it too early to think about this now?" Yun Tangyin gave him a reproachful look, but she began to think seriously in her heart.
"If it's a girl, I'll name her Fu Yutong. The "Tong" in Chinese sycamore symbolizes purity and beauty. If it's a boy, I'll name him Fu Chengyu. The "Cheng" in Chinese sycamore symbolizes the past and the future, and the "Yu" in Chinese sycamore symbolizes the universe. I hope he's responsible and broad-minded."
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