"Mmm!" Zhang Hongmei responded softly and nodded.
"How long has it been?" Hu Aifen asked, frowning.
"It's been more than a month, or about thirty-five days."
"Hongmei, when is your period?"
Zhang Hongmei was stunned for a moment; her period had only ended after she arrived in the capital. She stared at Liu Changhe's house in disbelief.
“Madam, my period ended when I returned to the capital, which means it's now ten days late. Today is November 23rd. I had completely forgotten.”
The two looked at Zhang Hongmei with complicated expressions. Their great-grandson and grandson were still nowhere to be found.
“Madam, a couple of days ago, someone took my pulse and didn’t mention this problem.” Zhang Hongmei touched her belly with one hand and clenched her other hand tightly.
"The time was too short."
Zhang Hongmei relaxed. "That's not necessarily true. Although my period has never started late, it might be due to jet lag or flying, which might have some physiological effects."
"Don't take it lightly. Both of you are healthy, and it's perfectly normal for you to have a child." Liu Changhe's wife held Zhang Hongmei's hand and gently massaged it until Zhang Hongmei stopped clenching her fist.
"That's too fast!"
"Be careful for now, you'll know next month."
Zhang Hongmei was completely dazed and couldn't fathom how she could be pregnant. Although she longed to have a child and hadn't used contraception, and Zhang Shouyi was relentless in his advances, Zhang Hongmei still hadn't considered that possibility.
Hu Aifen sat to one side, her face filled with sorrow. Zhang Hongmei, lost in thought, didn't notice her. However, Liu Changhe's wife saw her and patted her on the shoulder.
Hu Aifen then realized what was happening and composed herself, though she remained very downcast.
"Hongmei, although it's not certain yet, you must be careful. Hawthorn is absolutely not to be eaten."
"Hmm, Big Breasts, is there anything else we should be careful about?"
"You can't eat the persimmons on the tree, you can't have sex, you can't make any big movements, and you can't experience extreme joy or sorrow. Also, you have to bend over slowly."
"Okay, I understand. I'll be careful whether it happens or not."
“That’s right. You’re young and healthy, and you don’t have any symptoms right now. That’s why it’s easy to overlook things.” Liu Changhe’s wife likes Zhang Hongmei because she’s obedient and sensible and can listen to your advice.
“Hongmei, you don’t have any female elders around you, you have to figure everything out on your own.” Hu Aifen put her arm around Zhang Hongmei’s shoulder. She had already come to terms with it; even if she wasn’t her daughter-in-law, she was still her daughter.
"Hongmei, are you especially tired and want to sleep?"
"I wasn't exhausted, but I just wanted to sleep. I slept the whole way. Brother Zhang was worried that something was wrong with my health, so he had someone take my pulse. But they couldn't find anything."
"You must be careful and make sure nothing goes wrong. A woman's first pregnancy is extremely important, understand?"
"Yes, I'll be good and behave myself during this time."
Zhang Hongmei's face fell. "I had made plans with Er Lengzi to go up the mountain. Now we can't go anywhere."
"You carefree girl, why are you still going up the mountain? It's a miracle you haven't run into any problems along the way. Go back to your room and lie down."
"Auntie, I'm not tired! I'm fine! Grandpa took Great-Grandma away, and I haven't even spoken to her yet!"
"Then you should lie down in your great-grandmother's room and wait for her. Your great-grandmother will be tired soon. We can't let her sit for too long, or she won't feel comfortable at night."
After Hu Aifen finished speaking, she pulled Zhang Hongmei up and led her into the old lady's house.
The window covers half of the room, making it feel exceptionally bright.
"Get on the kang (heated brick bed), I heated it at noon. It's still warm."
"Mmm. I'm waiting for my great-grandmother." Zhang Hongmei lay on the pillow, and Hu Aifen pulled a thin blanket over her. In just a short while, Zhang Hongmei felt her eyelids drooping.
"Okay, I understand. You lie down, your great-grandmother will be coming in soon." Hu Aifen said, then closed the door and left.
As Zhang Hongmei closed the door, she channeled a glass of water from her spatial dimension and drank it all in one gulp. Then she lay down on the bed, snuggled against the pillows, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep. Perhaps she really really was pregnant. That was the thought that lingered in Zhang Hongmei's mind before she fell asleep.
The mother and daughter sat on the sofa. Liu Changhe's wife took Hu Aifen's hand and said, "Didn't you already come to terms with it? Don't be sad. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Just treat Hongmei as your own daughter."
"Mom, I feel terrible, like someone is holding me down, and it's hard to even breathe."
"Alright, stop overthinking it. This is a joyous occasion. Your expression might make Hongmei overthink things; that girl is very calculating."
"Mom, I know, I need to rest for a while."
"Come with me to the kitchen to cook; we need to have them stay for dinner tonight."
"Hmm, you don't need to. I can feed myself, enough for just a few people."
"You still have to cook in the cafeteria, so it's faster for the two of us."
"Mom, I'm taking the day off. I don't want to do any work today."
"Fine! If you don't want to do it, then don't go. Let's go out, mother and daughter."
When the two came out, Zhang Shouyi didn't see Zhang Hongmei, so he immediately stood up and asked, "Grandma, Auntie, where's Hongmei?"
Hu Aifen didn't care who he was; she just knew this man had stolen her daughter-in-law. Of course, she wasn't going to give him a friendly look.
Liu Changhe's wife was all smiles. She was quite satisfied with Zhang Shouyi. It was a pity, but it was also a fact.
"That girl is sleeping. Don't worry, she's fine."
How could Zhang Shouyi be at ease? He grabbed Liu Changhe's wife, asking, "Madam, is Hongmei really alright?"
"It's nothing, she might be pregnant, but it's too early to be sure."
Zhang Shouyi was wondering what he was unsure about. After a moment of reflection, he realized that the old man had mentioned she was pregnant.
After a moment of stunned silence, the one holding onto Liu Changhe's wife became even more determined not to let go.
"Big Sister, when you say you're pregnant? Do you mean you're pregnant?"
"Hmph! You don't know what you've done?"
Zhang Shouyi didn't care about Hu Aifen's attitude at all; he just held onto the old woman's hand tightly, determined to get an answer.
"Yes, that's right. But we can't be sure yet, so let's not announce it. Even if we are pregnant, the child is still too young."
Don't be afraid, it's okay, pregnancy is normal for women.
The three of them were talking at the door, and the old lady, Gu Chuanming, and Zhang Xingguo all heard them.
Gu Chuanming laughed heartily, and Zhang Xingguo stood up excitedly after a moment of stunned silence.
The old lady also stood up, leaning on her cane, and walked into the house.
"You all go back. Hongmei is sleeping. We don't need too many people here."
"No, I'm not leaving. I'm waiting for my granddaughter to wake up!"
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