Chapter 31
Jiang Yao thought hard. Her period had been almost ten days late. She had been so busy shipping tomatoes and going to the market that she had forgotten all about it.
If both she and Lu Che were healthy, based on the frequency of his "seeding", her chances of getting pregnant would be very high.
Seeing that she was still in a daze after she recovered, Lu Qing asked again, "Yaoyao, are you really pregnant?"
"Maybe... maybe." Jiang Yao didn't dare to give a definite answer: "But my period did not come this month."
"That's for sure!" Lu Qing excitedly grabbed her hand and said, "When I was pregnant with Yangyang and Xinxin, I was exactly like you. I couldn't stand the smell of fishy smells."
"Not necessarily. We need to get checked to be sure." Although Jiang Yao intuitively felt that there was a high possibility of "winning the prize", she was afraid that it was a mistake and it would be very embarrassing.
"I think it must be right. Yangyang's father returned to the army the day after our wedding. I was able to get pregnant in just one day. You and Lu Che are together every day, so how could it be wrong?" Lu Qing said, "It's better to go for a check-up. I'll go to the field and call Lu Che back now."
"No need, sister." Jiang Yao pulled Lu Qing back and said, "There's no rush. Let's talk to him when he gets home from work. It won't be too late to check tomorrow."
"That's fine." Lu Qing said, "Don't stay in the kitchen. If you're tired, go to your room and lie down for a while. If you're not tired, do some handicrafts. I'll cook."
"Okay, thank you sister." Jiang Yao's stomach was indeed uncomfortable, but she didn't insist.
Lu Qing smiled and said, "What's there to thank you for? I'm the one thanking you for giving our Lu family more branches and leaves."
"..." These days, married women are indeed shouldering the heavy responsibility of expanding their husband's family. Jiang Yao suddenly felt that the responsibility on her shoulders had become heavier.
Leaving the kitchen and away from the fishy smell, the feeling of nausea gradually disappeared. Jiang Yao didn't want to lie down, so she went to do handicrafts.
At noon, as soon as Lu Che came back, the family started eating.
Lu Qing's cooking skills have made a qualitative leap under Jiang Yao's guidance. The meat buns and bone and pork liver porridge tasted very good, as could be seen from the fact that the two little guys did not yell or complain.
The processed food would not make Jiang Yao feel sick, but her appetite was average. She drank half a bowl of porridge and half a meat bun and couldn't eat anymore. She stuffed the remaining half of the meat bun into Lu Che's hand and said, "Help me eat it."
"Why don't you eat it? Does it taste bad?" Lu Che asked in confusion.
Jiang Yao: "No, I'm full."
"How come you're full at such a small amount? Xinxin eats more than you..." Lu Che wanted to ask more, but Jiang Yao interrupted him, "I'm sleepy. I'm going to go back to sleep first." Things were not confirmed yet, so she didn't dare to say it in front of everyone, especially the old lady, for fear of making her happy for nothing.
Lu Che was still confused until Jiang Yao got up and went back to her room. Lu Qing found this silly brother funny and said, "Yaoyao has been at home all morning and she missed you. Go and accompany her."
"Why are you like a little kid?" Boss Lu said with disgust, but the smile on his brows showed that he liked the fact that his wife missed him.
He finished his lunch in no time and went back to his room happily.
When he opened the door, Jiang Yao was lying on the big bed. Lu Che looked at his wife's slender back and suddenly felt distracted. He walked over, lay down, hugged her from behind, and whispered, "Wife, you missed me, didn't you?"
Jiang Yao was so absorbed in thinking about her pregnancy that she didn't even notice him coming in. When she came to her senses, his hands were already restless.
She quickly stopped him, "It's broad daylight, what are you thinking about?"
"I miss you!" Lu Che responded slyly, "Come once before work, it should be fine."
"You are fine, but I am." Jiang Yao slapped his hand away. He refused to give up, so she had to say, "Please stop it. I might be pregnant."
"Pregnant?" Lu Che's eyes widened, and then he jumped up from the bed, put his head in front of Jiang Yao's face, and asked uncertainly: "Wife, are you really pregnant?"
"I'm not sure yet, but my period is ten days late. I smelled a fishy smell in the morning and felt like vomiting. I don't have much appetite either. I think it's probably true. Let's go to the county hospital for a checkup tomorrow morning."
Lu Che's expression became more complicated as Jiang Yao spoke. She asked, "What? Are you unhappy?"
"No." Lu Che denied immediately, "It's just that it was too sudden. Is it so easy to get pregnant?"
"It's not easy." Jiang Yao said quietly, "After all, your 'sowing' frequency is very high."
“…”
Lu Che quickly accepted the news that he was going to be a father. Then his brows relaxed and he grinned happily, like a little fool.
He lay back on the big bed, put his hand on Jiang Yao's belly, and said expectantly: "It would be great if the baby was a girl."
Jiang Yao was a little surprised and asked, "Why? Don't you want a son? You are the only male in your Lu family. Don't you want to have a son to expand the family?"
It's not that she favors boys over girls, but that's the mainstream thinking of this era. She can't ask Lu Che to treat boys and girls the same in the future.
"Give birth to a daughter who is as pretty and cute as you want. She will call me 'Dad' softly every day when I get home from work. It feels so good." Lu Che's mouth was almost cracked. "Besides, we are not just having one child. It would be fine if we give birth to a son in the future so that we can report to the grandmother."
So having a daughter is to be pampered, and having a son is to be used for errands? Jiang Yao really admires Boss Lu's thinking. Of course, she also grasped another key point and asked, "How many children do you plan to have?"
"I haven't thought about this specifically." Lu Che said, "Anyway, you can have as many babies as you want. I will work hard to earn money to support you and the children. Don't worry, wife."
Jiang Yao: "..." Who can be at ease like this? She can give birth to as many babies as she wants. Is she a sow?
The country began to implement family planning in 1971. Now it is almost 1973, but the policy has not been promoted very vigorously. It was not until 1982 that it was established as a basic national policy and its implementation was vigorously implemented.
In the past ten years, at the rate of having two children every three years, she would have to have six. Just thinking about it made her scalp tingle. It seemed that it would be a long and arduous task to reform Boss Lu's thinking.
The next day, Lu Che took half a day off and took Jiang Yao to the county hospital for a check-up early in the morning.
The examination these days is very simple, just a urine test is enough, and the test results show that Jiang Yao is undoubtedly pregnant.
When they heard the result, the couple still smiled happily.
In the 1970s, the infertility rate was not high, and doctors were used to it. They just gave a few routine instructions, "You are still in the early stages of pregnancy, so you should pay attention to the balance between work and rest. Try not to do heavy work, and men can help if they can."
Hearing this, Lu Che immediately nodded and agreed, "Doctor, don't worry, my wife doesn't usually have to do heavy work. Now that she's pregnant, she doesn't even have to do light work."
The doctor was just talking casually. After all, rural women these days can't even get enough food if they work, and if they don't work, they don't want to live. Even if you're pregnant, you still have to do whatever you want. Lu Che's answer obviously surprised her. She was stunned for a moment and then said, "The fetus is still unstable in the first three months, so sex is prohibited. Men should do more heavy work to burn off their energy."
“…” Lu Che’s face suddenly cracked.
After they left the county hospital, Lu Che pulled Jiang Yao aside and asked in a low voice, "Wife, is what the doctor just said true?"
He didn't say anything, but Jiang Yao knew what he was referring to, and immediately said, "Of course, you have to bear with it. If anything goes wrong..."
"Pah, pah, pah... hurry up and spit. There is no mistake or no mistake. There will definitely not be any mistake."
Before Jiang Yao could finish her words, she was ruthlessly interrupted by Lu Che.
“……”It is said that the bigger the business a person does, the more superstitious he becomes. Boss Lu really has the potential to become a big boss.
It was still early, so Lu Che wanted to buy some meat for Jiang Yao to nourish her body.
"He is probably just a small bean sprout now. There is no need to rush to replenish his body." Jiang Yao said.
Although she was short of material things now, as Lu Che's income was increasing, her living standard was also rising. She was not worried about not getting enough nutrition, but she was afraid of being fed like a pig by him.
"It's because they are small bean sprouts that we need to supplement them. Otherwise, how can they thrive?" Lu Che insisted, "The supply and marketing cooperative must be out of meat at this point. Let's go to the alley."
"Okay." Jiang Yao has been here for so long, but has never seen the underground market. She might as well take this opportunity today to go and see it.
The alleys near the underground market were very narrow, and it was inconvenient to ride a bicycle there. However, it was not far from the county hospital, so Lu Che took Jiang Yao to walk there.
After walking for about ten minutes, they entered an alley.
This place is indeed "underground". Compared with the fair held once every two weeks, this place is so cold that it can't be seen as a market. There are a few people standing in the alley, and occasionally someone will come up to you and ask in a low voice if you want to buy something.
Lu Che had probably been here more often recently, so he turned into a more secluded alley as if he was familiar with the place, and then knocked on the door of a house.
Soon, someone came out to open the door.
The visitor was very alert at first, but when he saw it was Lu Che, his expression relaxed, but he still pointed at Jiang Yao and asked, "Who is this?"
Lu Che: "My wife."
"Then come in."
Only after entering the house, crossing the patio, entering the main hall and turning into the innermost room did Jiang Yao see the store.
This is really a small supply and marketing cooperative. It basically has everything that a supply and marketing cooperative has, and even has some things that a supply and marketing cooperative does not have.
"What would you like to order today?" asked the underground boss.
Lu Che: "Give me half a pound of meat. Do you have malted milk?"
"No problem." The boss below cut half a pound of meat quickly, then took out a can of malted milk from the wooden box and asked, "Is one can enough? They are all freshly arrived."
"Two cans." Lu Che said readily.
"OK."
The transaction was completed quickly. Just when Lu Che wanted to take Jiang Yao away, the underground boss stopped him and said, "I almost forgot to ask you, do you still have the cloth you supplied me last time?"
The cloth that Lu Che offered? Jiang Yao was stunned, but she remained calm. Then she heard Lu Che ask, "How much do you want?"
Underground boss: "We have as many as you want. There are many people looking for that stuff now. I sold it to three people, and recently at least ten people came to ask me."
Lu Che: "It should be available in a few days. I'll give it to you then."
After saying that, Lu Che took Jiang Yao away.
After walking out of the alley and entering the street, Jiang Yao asked, "What does the cloth that person just mentioned mean?"
"Do you remember the big bag I tied to the front of my car when we transported sewing machines from the provincial capital last time?" Lu Che asked.
"I remember." Jiang Yao suddenly realized, "That's the cloth?"
"That's right."
In fact, Lu Che had taken a fancy to those cloths when he went to the underground market in the provincial capital to buy vegetables the day before. The quality was much better than those sold in the supply and marketing cooperatives in the county.
He adhered to the principle of "it's a rare trip" and bought several large pieces the next morning. He had no experience in the underground market, so he sold the cloth to the underground boss and made a good profit.
He originally thought it was a one-time transaction, but he didn't expect the underground boss to still want it.
"You just told the boss that it should be available in a few days. Where are you going to get the goods?" Jiang Yao realized what he was going to do as soon as he asked, "You... want to go to the provincial capital... to get the goods?"
"Well, last time I just tried it out. This time I'll get more." Lu Che was afraid that she would worry, so he comforted her, "I can go back and forth in a day by riding a bicycle. I can directly supply the goods without having to sell them bit by bit myself. It's very safe."
"I know." Jiang Yao said, "I'm just worried that you'll be too tired. It takes twelve or thirteen hours just to go back and forth."
"What's the harm in being a little bit tired? As long as I think of you and the children, I don't feel tired at all."
Seeing Lu Che's happy appearance with a wife, children and a warm bed, Jiang Yao just let him do what he wanted.
When he got home at noon, Lu Che told Mrs. Lu the good news that Jiang Yao was pregnant. The old lady smiled from ear to ear and held Jiang Yao's hand and kept saying, "Yaoyao, you are really a great contributor to our family. From now on, all the housework will be left to Lu Che, and you don't have to do anything."
"Grandma, I'm just pregnant, not unable to move. I don't have to do heavy work, but I have to do some work within my ability, otherwise it will be too boring." Jiang Yao said with a smile.
"Yaoyao, you're right." Lu Qing said, "Don't listen to your grandma. You should move around more often so that it will be easier to give birth."
"You little girl, you're already contradicting your grandma before you even go to join the army." The old lady pouted like a child.
Although Jiang Yao repeatedly stressed that she should exercise more, Lu Che now treated her like a fragile glass doll. As long as he was at home, he would protect her 360 degrees. He even wanted to hold her in his arms whenever she walked.
It is November now, and even in the south, the smell of autumn is already very strong. As soon as it gets dark at night, the temperature drops immediately.
Originally, two buckets of water were enough for Jiang Yao to take a bath, but Lu Che was afraid that she would be cold, so he got her three buckets. He was also worried that she would accidentally fall while taking a bath, so he said he would help her wash.
Jiang Yao couldn't accept it, so of course she refused, "You help me wash, I don't mind, I'm just afraid you can't stand it, don't forget what the doctor said today."
"..." After listening to this, Lu Che could only open the door and walk out, "I'm right outside the door, call me if you need anything."
Although it was possible to go to the provincial capital and back in one day, taking a day off rashly would still easily attract attention, so Lu Che waited until the day off to set off.
In order to get back before dark, he had to set out at four in the morning.
Jiang Yao was worried that he would just make do with a few sweet potatoes along the way, so she made a pot of sweet potato buns last night. When he got up in the morning, she told him to boil a few eggs and take them with him while heating the buns.
Although she believed that with Boss Lu's strength, ordinary people could not hurt him, but this was his first time traveling far away, so she couldn't help but feel a little worried.
In order to divert her attention, Jiang Yao could not just wait at home. After breakfast, she went to the paper mill with Lu Qing to get the raw materials.
Ever since Jiang Yao became a Qingyuan daughter-in-law, she is no longer the high-and-mighty educated youth from the provincial capital in her mother's eyes. Now, when she is queuing, some people like to chat with her.
"Jiang Yao, I saw your Lu Che riding a bicycle out early in the morning. Where did he go?" a woman asked.
When Jiang Yao heard this, her heart skipped a beat. Lu Che had left early enough, but she didn't expect that he was still seen by others.
Lu Qing also knew what his brother was going to do on this trip, and when he heard this, his heart was in suspense.
Ever since Lu Che became the production team's free tractor repairman, the villagers of Qingyuan have softened their attitude towards the Lu family. She was worried that if this matter were discovered, they would have to go back to the "pre-liberation" era, so she went to see Jiang Yao quietly.
Jiang Yao gave her a reassuring look, then raised her hand to cover her belly, lowered her head, and said shyly, "Actually, I was just being willful... I just got pregnant and didn't have much of an appetite. I woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to eat the steamed buns and snacks from the state-owned restaurant near my mother's house. Lu Che felt sorry for me, so he got up without saying a word and rode his bike to buy them for me."
"Ride a bike to the provincial capital to buy snacks?" Jiang Yao's voice was loud enough that the women around heard it and stared at her in amazement.
Jiang Yao continued to pretend, "Oh, aunts, please don't look at me like that. I feel embarrassed."
"No..." The woman who was the first to react said, "Jiang Yao, is it that serious? It's just a steamed bun. You can't make it yourself. Why don't you just bite your teeth and ask Lu Che to buy it from the state-owned restaurant in the county? The taste is almost the same."
"It's quite different, okay?" Jiang Yao immediately switched to the image of a shrewd provincial educated youth and said, "The barbecued pork buns in the provincial capital have sauce, while the ones in the county town are dry and not tasty at all."
"...Even if the taste is not so good, you wouldn't ask Lu Che to go to the provincial capital to buy it for you. Even if you have a bicycle, how long would it take to go back and forth?" The women still expressed their incomprehension.
"He should be back before dark. In fact, he also wants to bring the quilt from my house. He didn't bring it when he joined the team. Now that the weather is cold, let him bring it." Jiang Yao was worried that Lu Che would be discovered if he came back tonight with a large bag of things, so she made up an excuse in advance.
"Forget it, it's a matter of will, why are you worrying so much?" Auntie Tian interrupted, "I think Jiang Yao is really lucky, she got pregnant right after getting married."
When the big issue of pregnancy was brought up, the topic was immediately changed.
"It's quite impressive, but this is normal. Although Jiang Yao has a thin waist, her breasts are big, her buttocks are round, and she is good at giving birth."
"Yes, yes, yes, the looks and figure are all there, Lu Che must have worked hard at night..."
As they spoke, the women laughed maliciously.
Jiang Yao: “…” It’s better if we don’t change the subject.
After collecting all the materials, Lu Qing said, "Yaoyao, why did you announce your pregnancy so early? It would take three months before you can announce it."
Jiang Yao had heard of the term three months before. She said, "Sister, it's okay. Now that everyone knows about it, Lu Che won't attract too much attention when he rides his bike out in the future. They won't think I've come up with some cruel trick to torture him again."
Lu Qing was amused by her, "This is really difficult for you."
"It's not difficult, as long as Lu Che is okay."
After a day of handicrafts at home, Jiang Yao waited until five in the afternoon and finally waited for Lu Che to come home.
Jiang Yao saw that he had tied a few things to the back seat of his car, so she asked, "Why is there only so little? Can't you get the goods?"
"No." Lu Che untied the things in the back seat and motioned for her to go back to the room.
Jiang Yao immediately understood what he meant. Firstly, he was afraid that there might be eavesdroppers on the other side of the wall, and secondly, he was afraid that the old lady would find out.
The family's living standard has risen sharply recently. The old lady has always believed that Lu Che used the money sent back by Lu Yuan to improve the family's food, but she didn't know that he was secretly doing various side jobs.
When they got back to the room, Lu Che opened the package. Inside was a piece of military green cloth, which was the most popular color of the era. In addition to the cloth, there was also a small bag of cotton. He said, "You can keep these to make your own clothes. I wanted to buy more cotton, but unfortunately it's out of stock. As for the goods I got today, I have sent them directly to the alley. If I bring them back, I will definitely be suspected."
"You're really smart." Jiang Yao told him what happened at the paper mill this morning. "You should be more careful when you go out next time. But I've already established my stubborn and willful personality in people's minds. I can still use this trick a few more times."
"Okay." Lu Che agreed, then took out a stack of money from his trouser pocket and handed it to Jiang Yao, "The money for the goods and the profit are all here, count them."
This stack of money was obviously much thicker than when he went out today. Jiang Yao smiled and asked, "How much did you earn this time?"
Lu Che: "I make about 80 cents per foot. I got a little over 20 feet, so about 16 dollars."
"Sixteen pieces!!! That's amazing!" Jiang Yao hugged Lu Che excitedly.
Having not hugged his wife for a day, Lu Che put his arm around her waist and kissed her lips.
Once the kiss happened, it was out of control, especially for Lu Che who had been "cultivating his mind and temper" for a few days.
When Zhou Yang called them outside to eat, he let go of Jiang Yao and said in a hoarse voice: "You go eat first, I'm going to take a shower."
Jiang Yao: “…”
Lu Che had been taking a shower for a long time and hadn't come out yet. Old Mrs. Lu couldn't help but mutter, "Does this guy have shit on him? He hasn't finished showering for a long time." Then she said to Jiang Yao, "Yaoyao, you should pack his food out separately. In this weather, the food will get cold quickly."
Jiang Yao didn't dare to tell someone why it took so long to take a shower. She agreed obediently and took Lu Che's food back to her room after she finished eating.
At around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the neighbor brought back a big fish from somewhere and said that she could not finish it and gave half to Jiang Yao. Jiang Yao bought half from her for 10 cents. So, tonight's meal was pretty good, but Lu Che lost his appetite for this bowl of rice.
"What's wrong with you? You're tired after a day and you don't want to eat?" Jiang Yao asked in confusion.
"Wife." Lu Che suddenly sighed and said, "I want to take back what I said before."
"...You said so many things before, which one exactly are you referring to?" Jiang Yao was really confused by him.
Lu Che: "It's the one about how many children you can have if you are pregnant."
"Why... now you feel that raising children is stressful and you don't want to have so many children?" There was no need to do any ideological work, as Boss Lu automatically had this thought. Jiang Yao was secretly delighted, but she was still very curious about the reason why his attitude changed 180 degrees within a few days.
"No, you and the child are my motivation to make money. I don't feel any pressure." Lu Che said, looking at her dimly, "It's just that this 'monk' life is too hard. It's only been a few days, and I feel like I can't hold on any longer. Wife, you must understand me. This kind of extreme happiness cannot be without."
Jiang Yao listened, trying not to laugh, patted Lu Che on the shoulder, and said, "In fact, making money is also an extreme happiness. Keep working hard."
“…”
The author has something to say:
Mr. Lu: You can have fewer children, but you can’t lack ultimate happiness…
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