After finishing her phone call with her mother-in-law, Xia Liang went straight home. Perhaps due to her pregnancy, she felt incredibly tired and fell asleep immediately upon arriving home. Meanwhile, Han Yulan, on the other end of the phone, was overjoyed, pushing open Gu Weiguo's study door and exclaiming, "Old Gu, fantastic news! We're about to have a grandson!" Gu Weiguo was initially stunned, then exclaimed excitedly, "Really? So soon!" He was clearly overjoyed as well. The couple discussed what to send to Xia Liang. They considered what they had at home; most of their saved food and meat coupons had been used up during their wedding, leaving them with very few. They decided to try and exchange some.
Remembering her daughter-in-law's instructions, Han Yulan rode her bicycle to Xia Liang's house. Zhao Danxiang wasn't surprised to see her mother-in-law. Although Xia Liang's parents-in-law were busy with work, they would often come to her house for a while. But today was different; her mother-in-law's face was beaming with undisguised joy. Zhao Danxiang was curious but didn't ask. She welcomed Han Yulan into the main room and poured her some water. Han Yulan took a big gulp of water before saying, "Good news! Mother-in-law, A-Liang is pregnant." Zhao Danxiang was also surprised and asked in disbelief, "Pregnant?" Han Yulan nodded, "Yes, she just called me and asked me to come and tell you." After delivering the news, Han Yulan prepared to go back. She still needed to prepare tickets for her daughter-in-law. Zhao Danxiang wanted to invite her mother-in-law to stay for dinner, but Han Yulan had no appetite. Knowing the news was like taking a super tonic; she wasn't hungry at all.
After her mother-in-law left, Zhao Danxiang started thinking about how many small clothes and diapers to prepare for her grandson. Having recently made some for her granddaughter, Zhao Danxiang was quite experienced. Seeing her granddaughter still fast asleep, she went to the workroom to begin. Xia Rong had brought out a lot of fabric earlier, more than enough to make several outfits and diapers for the child. She listened to her granddaughter's movements as she worked. After Zhou Xiaohui went to work, Zhao Danxiang stayed home to take care of the child. Fortunately, the baby was formula-fed, so she could manage. Just as Zhao Danxiang finished making a few diapers, she heard her granddaughter crying. She quickly put down what she was doing and ran into the room to see if she had wet herself. Usually, this happens; she urinates after waking up, and cries because she's uncomfortable afterward. Zhao Danxiang skillfully removed the wet diaper, cleaned her granddaughter's bottom, and changed her into a clean one. The little girl is now a little over two months old and loves to smile. Without the damp diaper covering her bottom, she flashed her grandmother a toothless smile, which almost melted Zhao Danxiang's heart.
After Xia Liang found out she was pregnant, she took an afternoon off to go to the hospital and then went to work as usual, just being more careful when cycling to and from get off work. She also prepared some soft fabric to make clothes for the baby. Since the baby was born around the Lunar New Year and the weather was cold, Xia Liang also prepared some cotton to make a small quilt for the baby. She calculated her reserves and realized that she had kept a lot of ration coupons from frequenting the black market before. She dared not go to the black market again. In the past, if she was chased by the police, she could escape, but now that she was pregnant, she dared not do strenuous exercise. With the ration coupons that Gu Yanxiao had provided after their marriage, Xia Liang felt that she could live off them until the late stages of her pregnancy. As for the later stages, she would let Gu Yanxiao figure it out, since he was the baby's father.
As she expected, after receiving Xia Liang's letter, Gu Yanxiao was initially overjoyed and excited, a mix of emotions that brought tears to his eyes. He then worried about his wife, alone in the provincial capital, wondering what would happen to her, whether she had enough meat, and whether she was getting proper nutrition. The more he thought about it, the more restless he became. He got up to borrow tickets from a comrade-in-arms, returning shortly with a thick stack of tickets. He specifically sought out unmarried, single men; even married couples didn't have many tickets. He put the tickets in an envelope and wrote back to his wife, instructing her not to take sick leave if she felt unwell, and saying that his parents would find someone to take care of her later. After mailing the letter, Gu Yanxiao sat on a stool for a long time to calm himself before going out. Such good news couldn't be left unsaid; getting pregnant so soon after marriage—who could be more impressive than him? Sure enough, he went around telling everyone he met that he was going to be a father, that his wife was pregnant, and that he would be holding his baby by the end of the year. Married people with children are fine, but married people without children are envious. After all, their profession is special, and it's not easy for them to go home, let alone have children. Unmarried people without partners are just jealous. Who won't have a wife and children in the future? Humph! It's only a matter of time.
Before receiving the letter and coupons from Gu Yanxiao, Xia Liang received meat and coupons from Xia Rong. She couldn't easily go to the black market, but Xia Rong had connections. Considering her sister's situation, he guessed she was having trouble and sent her the meat and food coupons he'd found. Not only Xia Rong, but Han Yulan also sent her a lot. Seeing the coupons from her mother-in-law, brother, and Gu Yanxiao, Xia Liang felt relieved. This was enough to last until her child was a year old. Her mother-in-law even suggested sending Wu Ma to take care of her, but Xia Liang figured she was still mobile enough and would have Wu Ma come later in her pregnancy. Han Yulan agreed. Xia Liang didn't try to be brave; after all, it was her first time being a mother, and she had no experience. She didn't know how to handle certain things, and as her belly grew bigger, she wouldn't even be able to cook. Besides, if she went into labor at home, there wouldn't be anyone to help her. She couldn't just give birth at home.
And so, with a large sum of money in hand, Xia Liang went to get off work and left work on time every day. Except for the smell of braised pork, she could eat anything, but she especially loved pickled fish. She didn't know why, and when she asked the doctor, the doctor said it was hard to say, it depended on individual constitution. In short, there were no major problems. Xia Liang knew that pregnant women in later generations went to the hospital for regular checkups. While the conditions weren't as good now, regular checkups were still fine. Knowing the baby was healthy and developing well, Xia Liang felt at ease. Otherwise, she would worry about the baby's health at the slightest sign of trouble. However, she always craved sour foods. According to the old saying, sour for a boy, spicy for a girl, she suspected she was carrying a son. She kept talking about her son, making Zhao Weiting wonder if she was sexist.
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