Chapter 135 Support
The corridor became brighter, and Nan Zhiyi breathed a soft sigh of relief as Gu Xiao's arm steadily supported hers.
"I'm glad you're alright. Last time... I missed a prenatal checkup, it was my fault."
Nan Zhiyi turned her head to look at him and shook her head slightly: "You're working, how can you think so much? It's also my fault, I didn't expect it to come again so soon."
She didn't want him to blame himself, so she subconsciously took the blame upon herself.
The two walked slowly down the corridor.
Nan Zhiyi scratched his palm: "Do you prefer a boy or a girl?"
Gu Xiao didn't stop walking: "It's all the same. It's all good. If I really had to say... it would be best if it were a daughter."
"Hmm?" Nan Zhiyi was somewhat surprised.
“A daughter can be with you every day. But if it's a son... he will eventually have to leave his mother.”
He changed the subject and asked her in return, "And you?"
Nan Zhiyi looked down at her protruding belly: "It's all good. As long as I'm healthy."
As they spoke, they had already walked to the jeep.
Gu Xiao opened the car door and helped her inside. He walked around to the front of the car and got into the driver's seat, but didn't start the car immediately.
"Let's go to the department store to buy fabric first." He turned to the side and fastened her seatbelt.
"…All right."
She nodded in agreement, a smile spreading across her face. "Do you have enough cloth coupons?"
"That's enough." Gu Xiao started the car. "It's what I saved up before, plus some help from Dad, so there's a surplus."
He turned the steering wheel and drove out of the hospital gate. "Is there anything else you want? Let me take a look."
Nan Zhiyi placed her hand on her stomach and said, "We have everything we need at home."
The department store was packed with people.
The fabric counter was packed with people.
Under Gu Xiao's protection, Nan Zhiyi carefully selected the items.
She picked out some dark-colored cotton fabric, thinking that the color was neutral and could be used by both boys and girls, making it practical.
Gu Xiao stood behind her, glanced at the drab fabrics she had chosen, and immediately rejected them.
"These colors are too dull."
He pointed to several brightly colored fabrics in the display case: pale yellow floral cotton, light blue solid-color cotton, and a piece of light pink plaid.
"Take these. You look good in them."
Nan Zhiyi hesitated for a moment: "It's too bright. What if... what if it's a boy?"
"What's wrong with a boy?" Gu Xiao said indifferently. "What does a newborn know? Just dress him however you like. If it's a girl, that's perfect."
He insisted, "Besides, it's mainly for you to wear; comfort and good looks are the most important things."
Nan Zhiyi stopped arguing and nodded with a smile: "Okay, I'll listen to you."
In the end, they bought enough fabric of various colors to make several dresses.
Gu Xiao paid the cloth coupons and money, carrying large and small bags in his hands, and helped Nan Zhiyi squeeze out of the crowd.
Nan Zhiyi knew the place well and led Gu Xiao into a small street, where they found the tailor shop that Aunt Wu had taken her to before.
The kind-faced seamstress was working on her sewing machine when she saw Nan Zhiyi come in. She stopped working, stood up, and smiled.
"Oh, Comrade Xiao Nan, you're here again! How about the little clothes I made for the child last time?"
Nan Zhiyi: "I like it. The stitches are fine. I'll have a few dresses made for me this time."
"Alright, come in quickly and sit down to talk," the seamstress said, gesturing to her and Gu Xiao. "Is this your husband? Please, have a seat."
Gu Xiao helped her sit down on a chair in front of him, and then placed the fabric he was carrying on the counter.
The seamstress glanced at Gu Xiao and smiled warmly, "Your husband is a soldier! He's so handsome and dashing! You two are a perfect match!"
Gu Xiao nodded slightly, as if to say hello.
"Come on, let's take some measurements first."
Nan Zhiyi stood up and opened her arms to cooperate.
The seamstress took out a soft measuring tape and skillfully measured Nan Zhiyi's bust, waist, and hips while warmly saying, "Don't worry about it, leave it to me. I guarantee you'll be comfortable. Look, I've made the waistline a bit wider for you, enough room so you can wear it even if your belly gets bigger. And after you give birth and finish your postpartum confinement, once you've lost weight..."
She deftly gestured at her waist, "I just took a needle and thread, untied the stitches on this side, and pulled them in a bit, and it fits perfectly again! Not a single stitch is wasted!"
Nan Zhiyi felt a warm glow in her heart as she listened to her thoughtful arrangements: "That's wonderful, thank you for your trouble."
The seamstress took the final measurements and wrote the numbers down in her notebook.
She glanced at the several bright pieces of fabric spread out on the cutting board. "Wow, so much fabric! Enough to make several outfits. Comrade Xiao Nan, how many dresses are you planning to make?"
Nan Zhiyi subconsciously looked up at Gu Xiao beside her.
Gu Xiao caught her gaze and said to the seamstress, "Master, please make it as you see fit. Use as much material as possible and don't waste any."
The seamstress's smile deepened, and she nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, don't worry, I guarantee it will fit perfectly and save on materials! Comrade Xiao Nan, your husband really dotes on you!"
She turned to Nan Zhiyi and enthusiastically introduced the trendy maternity dress styles, explaining how to open the neckline, how to adjust the waistline, and whether an A-line or pleated skirt was more convenient.
Nan Zhiyi listened and chose a few items that she liked and that were easy to wear.
Gu Xiao listened quietly from the side, occasionally offering a few suggestions when Nan Zhiyi looked over, unsure of what to do.
After finalizing the design, Gu Xiao took out money and cloth coupons to pay the workers.
The seamstress took out her receipt book, wrote a collection slip, tore it off, and handed it to Nan Zhiyi: "Little Nan, keep this safe. Come back to pick it up in two weeks. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
The two left the shop amidst the seamstress's repeated farewells.
When we returned to the Gu family's courtyard in the Jian'an City Military Region compound, it was already lunchtime.
Hearing the noise, Aunt Wu poked her head out of the kitchen and greeted her with a smile, "You're back? Perfect timing, dinner's ready!"
Gu Xiao nodded to Wu Ma and led Nan Zhiyi to wash her hands.
At the lunch table.
Commander Gu asked, "Are all the inspections alright?"
Gu Xiao picked up a piece of stir-fried vegetables with his chopsticks and put it into Nan Zhiyi's bowl, answering on her behalf: "Yes, Director Zhang said everything is fine and that we should go on time next month."
Commander Gu nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
After dinner, Gu Xiao accompanied Nan Zhiyi back to her bedroom on the second floor to rest.
Before Gu Xiao could even enter the room, Nan Zhiyi stopped him: "Change into clean clothes before you lie down."
He pinched Nan Zhiyi's cheek and said, "Okay." He readily went to the closet and took out their loungewear.
After they had both washed up, they lay down on the bed side by side and fell into a deep sleep in each other's arms.
Mid-afternoon.
Nan Zhiyi rubbed her eyes and sat up, seeing Gu Xiao sitting at the desk by the window, holding several sheets of paper and reading intently.
That was the draft of her novel that she had been writing on and off for the past few days.
Nan Zhiyi's face suddenly flushed: "...How's it written?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Xiao walked to the bedside and half-embraced her, praising her incessantly: "It's very well written, the characters are vivid, and the story is captivating. It's better than many articles in the newspapers I've read."
Nan Zhiyi felt a sweet warmth in her heart, but scolded playfully, "You just know how to exaggerate..."
Gu Xiao's expression turned serious: "I'm not just praising it. It really is good."
With such solemn affirmation from him, the seed of dream in Nan Zhiyi's heart was watered.
She pursed her lips, leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Actually... I secretly submitted a short story to People's Literature... They accepted one of my manuscripts and sent me twenty yuan as payment. I'm only telling you this, so please keep it a secret."
Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, and she seemed to be glowing. "I want to keep writing and try to write even better."
Gu Xiao loved her like this; she was like a little sun breaking free from the gloom, becoming warm and dazzling again, making his heart tremble with excitement.
He squeezed her hand: "Okay. Write if you want, I support you."
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