Fang Qiao touched her nose and explained awkwardly, "The Laba porridge was cooked by Bai Dong. I woke up late today, and it was almost nine o'clock when I opened my eyes."
"Oh." Wang Yun raised an eyebrow, a smile spreading across her face. "Bai Dongxing is a good man who knows how to take care of people. My dear sister, you'll be living the good life from now on."
Fang Qiao was already embarrassed because she woke up late, but then Wang Yun teased her, making her face turn bright red with embarrassment.
"Stop talking about me, let's talk about you," Fang Qiao said coquettishly, quickly changing the subject: "Is Lin Youcai still bothering you?"
Even after the last book-borrowing incident, Lin Youcai was still not giving up. Coincidentally, some people from the county came to the neighboring village to show a movie, and he invited Wang Yun to go see the movie together late at night.
The film screenings in the countryside were a rare event, happening only a few times a year. Many of the educated youth went, but Wang Yun didn't want to talk to Lin Youcai and declined his invitation, citing feeling unwell.
Later, when Wang Yun went to town to buy things, he ran into Lin Youcai again. Lin was sitting on a donkey cart, and Wang Yun was polite to him but also distant.
After several rejections, Lin Youcai realized Wang Yun's indifference and knew that his pursuit was hopeless. From then on, he never contacted Wang Yun again.
Wang Yun told Fang Qiao, then changed the subject: "However, it seems Lin Youcai has a girlfriend."
Fang Qiao's eyes widened in surprise: "So fast?"
Wang Yun nodded.
"Who is he dating? I haven't heard anything about it," Fang Qiao asked curiously.
Is this speed at which someone falls for another really love?
“I don’t know exactly who it is. Lin Youcai kept it a secret and didn’t say a word. Everyone at the educated youth center is guessing.” Wang Yun shrugged.
"You've never met him?" Fang Qiao asked in surprise. "Really? Why are you being so secretive about dating?"
"Yes, I've never seen her before, but she must be a very skillful girl."
"What do you mean by that?"
Wang Yun explained, "Lin Youcai was cutting wood in the forest when a large piece of his cotton-padded coat was torn by a tree branch. He gave it to a young woman, and she repaired it overnight. Not only did she wash it and dry it with firewood, but she also embroidered a small flower of the same color as the coat. It looked brand new, and you couldn't even tell that it had been torn."
"Wow, you're quite skillful with your hands."
Fang Qiao is good at cooking, but her needlework is terrible. She sews clothes crookedly, which her mother often finds distasteful. So, she has always envied girls who are good at needlework.
It's such a pity that such a good girl was paired with a scumbag like Lin Youcai whose character is questionable.
However, having been reborn, Fang Qiao wasn't sure if Lin Youcai would do the same thing as in her previous life, so it would be a bit of meddling if she rashly intervened.
Oh well, let nature take its course. After all, she's heavily pregnant and doesn't even know who that girl is, so there's no point in trying to control her.
At noon, Fang Qiao invited Wang Yun to have lunch at his home. In the afternoon, Wang Yun went to town with some friends.
The afternoon sun was strong. The old lady was holding Tian Tian and sitting in front of the main room playing cat's cradle. Fang Qiao directed Cheng Baidong to take out all the little clothes he had prepared for his daughter, scald them with hot water, and hang them up to dry.
When you're nine months pregnant, labor could start at any time, so you need to prepare the baby's clothes, blankets, diapers, and other necessities in advance and pack them in a bundle so you can easily take them to the hospital.
The hospital was a county hospital that Cheng Baidong had arranged through his comrades. He had already spoken with the head of the department in charge of delivery, so he could just go directly to the hospital for admission.
The only thing that bothered Fang Qiao was the baby formula.
These days, baby formula is so rare. Having money and ration coupons isn't enough; you also need connections.
Cheng Baidong asked someone to buy it a month ago, but he still hasn't gotten his hands on it.
Fang Qiao planned to have Cheng Baidong visit his comrade-in-arms' home with gifts when he went to the county to buy New Year's goods in a few days, even if it was a little more expensive, money was not a problem.
Cheng Baidong boiled the water and poured the scalding hot water into a large basin piled with children's clothes. He seemed oblivious to the heat, stirring the boiling water with his ruthless iron hand.
My third aunt arrived around this time.
She frowned, looking worried, and spoke politely, but her eyes were full of sorrow.
"Bai Dong is washing clothes for the child."
Cheng Baidong responded, "Yes, Third Aunt."
"You go ahead and wash, I want to talk to your wife and your grandma." Auntie San hadn't come to see Cheng Baidong in the first place. After exchanging pleasantries, she stood in front of the old lady and Fang Qiao, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
"Oh dear, Mother, I don't know what sins I committed in my past life, why am I living such a miserable life in this one?"
The old lady quickly comforted her: "Third daughter-in-law, what's wrong? Tell your mother what's wrong, and I'll take care of it for you. Don't cry."
Fang Qiao handed her aunt a small stool and a clean handkerchief to wipe her tears.
After Auntie sat down, tears streamed down her face.
"I'm so angry with Xiaojing. If I hadn't brought up the blind date with her today, I wouldn't have known. She's usually so quiet, but she can be so stubborn!"
"She's introverted and shy, doesn't like going out or talking to people. Even if I were her own mother, I'd have to say, with a personality like that, which family would she be able to get along with? What mother-in-law would like a daughter-in-law who's so dull and lifeless that she wouldn't utter a sound even after being hit three times with a stick?"
“I was afraid she would be bullied and that she wouldn’t have a good life, so I carefully selected her nephew from her great-aunt’s side. It’s not far away, in Tangzhuang, Daba. I thought that if she married him, her great-aunt would be her aunt and could at least take care of her. But what happened to her?”
"She doesn't want to, she doesn't even want to go on a blind date. When you ask her why, she just lowers her head and won't say anything, she just doesn't want to, and she cries if you ask her one more question."
"Mother, I am her own mother, how could I possibly harm her?"
“I’m a widow, raising her and Xiaoqiang single-handedly. What did I gain from this? All I wanted was for her and Xiaoqiang to have a good life. Everyone knows how hard it is to be a widow. If it weren’t for my two children and my fear of them being mistreated, I would have remarried long ago. I’m not old and can’t get married. Why am I suffering here? In the end, I still hope that my two children will be well.”
“But this child, she’s grown up, and she won’t say a single heartfelt word to me anymore. It really breaks my heart.”
The old lady finally understood; the child had caused all this trouble.
But what mother would truly be angry with her own child?
After you've calmed down and cried, you still have to worry about what's going on.
The old lady held her third aunt's hand and comforted her, saying, "The child is grown up and has her own ideas. Marriage is a big deal and you can't force it. If she doesn't want to, then she doesn't want to. If this one doesn't work out, we'll find her another one. After all, she's a young girl and there's no need to worry about her getting married."
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