Chapter 35
Ye Qingzhi glanced at Cao Liyan deeply, not believing a word she said about not knowing her.
With her attitude, did she look like she didn’t know her?
Ye Qingzhi smiled slightly, her tone normal. “Although I don’t know when I offended you to make you speak to me like this, I want to say that as a nurse, to lose your temper with a patient’s family for no reason is really unprofessional.”
“You…” Cao Liyan’s face turned pale with anger.
She wanted to argue with Ye Qingzhi, but when she thought about it, her attitude had indeed been wrong. Seeing that many people were looking at her, she could only suppress her anger.
Ye Qingzhi snorted lightly. She didn’t care who this person was. In any case, if she dared to bare her teeth at her, she shouldn’t blame her for not giving her face.
She took He Jingyan’s hand and sat down to the side. After ten minutes, Ye Qingzhi touched his forehead. His temperature had gone down again. Only then did she take him home.
“Get on. I’ll carry you back,” Ye Qingzhi said, squatting down.
“No need. I can walk by myself,” He Jingyan said, his face flushed.
“What do you mean you can walk? Hurry up and get on. It’s cold outside. Don’t catch a cold again,” Ye Qingzhi said. Seeing him standing still, she simply reached back and carried him on her back.
She weighed him. He Jingyan was really thin. An eight-year-old boy, not even 50 catties. He needed more nourishment, otherwise she was really afraid he wouldn’t grow tall.
Passing the corner of the hospital, Ye Qingzhi heard someone sobbing softly. She turned her head to look and saw that it was Bai Xue.
From their first meeting, Ye Qingzhi had known that Bai Xue was a very proud person. If she was discovered crying, she might become angry out of embarrassment.
Ye Qingzhi did not want to cause trouble for no reason. She turned her head and continued to walk, pretending not to have seen anything.
“Don’t pretend you didn’t see. You must be laughing at me in your heart, right? I haven’t been pregnant for five years of marriage. Do you also think I’m a hen that can’t lay eggs, just like those people?” Bai Xue had seen Ye Qingzhi carrying He Jingyan towards her from a distance. Seeing her lovingly care for He Jingyan, she felt an inexplicable anger, as if Ye Qingzhi was doing it for her to see.
Ye Qingzhi looked up at the sky, speechless. She took a deep breath and turned to look at Bai Xue. “I’ve never thought that. Jingyan is not feeling well. I’m going back now.”
“You clearly think so,” Bai Xue said, her expression a little agitated.
Ye Qingzhi rolled her eyes. She didn’t know what kind of bad luck she had today. One after another, people were coming to find fault with her.
She turned around and said with a helpless expression, “If you want to think that, I can’t help it.”
For some reason, although it was a very normal sentence, when it came from Ye Qingzhi’s mouth, it was inexplicably infuriating and made one want to hit her.
“You…” Bai Xue pointed at Ye Qingzhi, speechless.
“What about me? Comrade Bai Xue, since I arrived at the base, I’ve never said a bad word about you. On the contrary, you’ve been imagining that I’m a wicked stepmother behind my back, and now you’re saying for no reason that I’m laughing at you? What am I laughing at you for? How am I laughing at you? Where’s the evidence? Why don’t you show it?” Ye Qingzhi held out a hand, aggressively demanding that she produce evidence.
That’s right. Whoever suspects, provides the evidence. Why don’t you show the evidence?
Bai Xue was intimidated by Ye Qingzhi’s aura. She opened her mouth and finally said in a low voice, “I’m sorry.”
Ye Qingzhi couldn’t be bothered with her. It was as if she had seen a ghost. To run into such a mess just by walking on the road.
Back at home, Ye Anmin and the others saw that Ye Qingzhi’s face was not very good and thought that He Jingyan was very sick.
“Is big brother alright? Is it serious?” Ye Anmin asked, standing next to He Jingyan with concern.
“It’s fine. The fever has gone down. You take Jingyan back to the room to rest. I’ll go and make some beef porridge,” Ye Qingzhi said, touching He Jingyan’s back. This time, he wasn’t sweating.
Ye Anmin glanced at Ye Qingzhi’s face, then followed He Jingyan into the room and asked in a low voice, “Are you really alright?”
“I’m fine. We ran into Auntie Bai on the way back. She was hiding there and crying. Ma had already pretended not to see her, but she still called out to Ma and said that Ma was secretly laughing at her behind her back,” He Jingyan said with a frown, not very happy.
Ye Anmin looked at He Jingyan in shock, not because of what he had said, but because He Jingyan had called her “Ma” one after another, more smoothly than he did.
“You… why are you looking at me like that?” He Jingyan actually knew what Ye Anmin was shocked about, so he turned around in embarrassment, took off his clothes, and got into the quilt, burying his head in it.
Ye Anmin pulled back the quilt and leaned over to ask, “Did you just call her ‘Ma’?”
“So what if I did? Isn’t she my ma?” He Jingyan’s tone was tinged with anger and embarrassment.
“Yes, she is your ma,” Ye Anmin said with a grin. “She’s our mama.”
He Jingyan looked at Ye Anmin, feeling as if he had stolen his mother. He looked away guiltily. I’m sorry, but Auntie Ye is really nice. I want her to be my mama.
“You should rest well. I’ll go and watch Anjie and Yangyang. If I’m not here, those two can turn the house upside down,” Ye Anmin said, tucking He Jingyan in and turning to leave.
Ye Anmin didn’t feel that He Jingyan and Yangyang had stolen his mother. Because Ye Qingzhi had told him and Ye Anjie more than once that they were her biological children and that she would always love them the most. After forming a new family, she might have to devote some of her energy to taking care of He Jingyan and Yangyang, but they also had He Qiming’s fatherly love.
Facts had proven that their mother was right. Although she had to take care of two more children, her concern for him and Anjie had not decreased, but had actually increased.
After all, their mother used to have to work in the fields, busy from morning to night, with no time or energy to care for them.
On the contrary, after their mother remarried, she no longer had to work desperately for work points to support the family, so she had the time and energy to care for them.
Most importantly, their new papa was very good, and he and his brother finally knew what it was like to have a father.
Ye Qingzhi made a pot of beef porridge and served a bowl. “The porridge is ready. You can serve yourselves. Be careful not to get scalded.”
“Wow, meat porridge! I like meat porridge!” Yangyang cheered.
Ye Qingzhi looked at the energetic Yangyang, her lips curving into a slight smile. She brought the porridge to He Jingyan. “Are you still uncomfortable? Have some porridge first. You can only get better quickly if you’re full.”
“Thank you,” He Jingyan said, taking the porridge and eating it slowly.
“It’s a bit hot. Be careful not to get scalded. You eat slowly. Call me when you’re done,” Ye Qingzhi said. Seeing that his complexion was not bad, she turned and went out.
She was also a little hungry. She would have some porridge. She had to take He Jingyan for an IV drip later.
“Mama, it’s delicious,” Yangyang said loudly when he saw Ye Qingzhi.
“Is it delicious? Then you should eat more,” Ye Qingzhi said, rubbing Yangyang’s head.
With Ye Anmin and his brother watching Yangyang, Ye Qingzhi went back to her room to lie down for a while. Around five o’clock, she got up to take He Jingyan to the hospital.
This time, it was a different nurse. She looked to be in her forties, with a very gentle temperament. You could tell at a glance that she was a good-tempered person.
“You’re Regiment Commander He’s wife? You’re as beautiful as they say,” Ye Qiao said with a smile as she skillfully gave He Jingyan a shot. “Speaking of which, we have the same surname. My surname is also Ye. If you don’t mind, you can call me ‘Sister Ye’.”
“That’s really a coincidence. Hello, Sister Ye. My name is Ye Qingzhi. You can just call me Qingzhi,” Ye Qingzhi said, putting a piece of clothing on the stool to make it more comfortable for He Jingyan to sit on.
Seeing how meticulous Ye Qingzhi was, and that the love in her expression was not fake, Ye Qiao thought that Cao Liyan was much worse in comparison. No wonder Regiment Commander He had chosen a country widow instead of a young, unmarried nurse.
Then again, Ye Qingzhi looked even younger and more beautiful than Cao Liyan. Her temperament was gentle and moving, with a hint of a scholarly air. She didn’t look like a country person at all.
“It is a great coincidence. The brazier here is a bit cold. I’ll go get some charcoal,” Ye Qiao said and went to get the charcoal.
Ye Qingzhi looked at Ye Qiao’s back. These few nurses were really interesting. There was Cao Liya, who had a good impression of her for no reason. There was Cao Liyan, who was hostile to her for no reason. And now there was an approachable Sister Ye who was trying to get close to her.
Whatever. As long as they don’t bother her, Ye Qingzhi doesn’t care why they are like this.
“Jingyan, do you want to lie on my lap?” Ye Qingzhi asked, seeing that he was still quite energetic and not as listless as last night.
He Jingyan shook his head as expected. Last night, he really had no strength. Now that he was comfortable, how could he be so embarrassed as to lie on Ye Qingzhi’s lap?
“Alright. If you can’t sit still, let me know. If you’re uncomfortable anywhere, you have to tell me. You can’t just endure it, understand?” Ye Qingzhi said, worried that He Jingyan would endure everything.
“I know.” Mama.
The two words were on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn’t say them.
After almost an hour, Ye Qingzhi called Sister Ye to change the IV drip, then continued to wait.
There was no mobile phone, not even a book. Just sitting there like this, the atmosphere was inexplicably awkward.
Seeing He Jingyan’s lowered eyes, Ye Qingzhi said in a low voice, “Jingyan, you’ve never said what you want to be when you grow up.”
“When I grow up?” He Jingyan pondered for a moment, then said hesitantly, “I want to be a scientist.”
“A scientist? That’s a high ambition! But you’re so smart. As long as you’re willing to work hard, you can definitely become a scientist when you grow up,” Ye Qingzhi said sincerely.
He Jingyan turned to look at Ye Qingzhi. “My biological father was a martyr. Everyone says I should become a soldier like him.”
“Why? Your father is your father, and you are you. There’s no rule that a son must be like his father. Everyone is an independent individual. You, Anmin, Anjie, and Yangyang, as long as you don’t go down the wrong path, Papa and I will support you,” Ye Qingzhi said seriously.
She and He Qiming had also talked a little about the children’s future. They had decided to wait until the children were a little older and then plan their future based on their talents and interests.
He Jingyan pursed his lips. “I will work hard.”
Looking at his solemn expression, Ye Qingzhi smiled and pinched his cheek. “I believe you can definitely become a scientist.”
He Jingyan was really not a talkative child. Ye Qingzhi had tried to start a few topics, but he had ended them all in a few words.
Alright, she wouldn’t make things difficult for him. Let him rest well.
After a while, Ye Qingzhi saw him shifting around and asked, “Do you need to go to the toilet? I’ll take you.”
He Jingyan nodded in embarrassment and followed Ye Qingzhi to the restroom.
Ye Qingzhi hung up the IV drip and came out to wait. Just as she was about to ask if He Jingyan was done, she saw Bai Xue come in, clutching her stomach.
She glanced at Ye Qingzhi, her face pale. She nodded at her, then turned and went into the restroom. She hadn’t come out by the time Ye Qingzhi left with He Jingyan.
“Did the needle move?” Ye Qingzhi asked, taking He Jingyan’s hand to check. She was relieved to see that it was fine.
There was still half a bottle of fluid left. Ye Qingzhi took a wooden stick and stirred the brazier to make the charcoal burn more vigorously.
“Xiaoxue, where are you sitting?”
Ye Qingzhi looked up at the sound of the voice and saw Ye Qiao holding an IV drip and asking Bai Xue.
“Just here,” Bai Xue said, pointing to the spot next to Ye Qingzhi.
Ye Qingzhi: …
Why bother? They had just argued at noon. Wouldn’t it be awkward to sit together?
“Alright. It’ll save the hospital some charcoal,” Ye Qiao said with a smile, giving Bai Xue a shot. “Alright, call me if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Sister Ye,” Bai Xue said, her head lowered. After a while, she turned to look at Ye Qingzhi. “Your hometown… do you have any folk remedies for having children?”
Ye Qingzhi frowned. “Medicine is three parts poison, and folk remedies are not to be trusted.”
Unexpectedly, Bai Xue’s eyes lit up. “Are you saying there are folk remedies?”
“I don’t know. Instead of believing in such folk remedies, you should go and see Dr. Hu. Isn’t his medical skill very good?” In any case, Ye Qingzhi did not really believe in those folk remedies for having children.
Bai Xue’s eyes dimmed. “How do you know I haven’t seen him? But whether it’s Western medicine or Chinese medicine, they all say that Old Xu and I are fine. But why can’t I get pregnant? It’s clearly no problem!”
Looking at the sobbing Bai Xue, Ye Qingzhi guessed that they might be genetically incompatible.
She seemed to have come across a news article before. Both the man and the woman were fine, but they just couldn’t get pregnant when they were together. Even artificial insemination didn’t work. In the end, they did a genetic test, and it was said that their genes could not be combined, so of course, they couldn’t get pregnant and have children.
But this kind of statement, people of this era had never heard of it. Of course, Ye Qingzhi could not say it. Otherwise, she would be breaking up a military marriage.
“Then it’s just that the time is not right. You’re still young. You can wait a little longer,” Ye Qingzhi could only comfort her like this.
Obviously, Bai Xue had heard such words many times. She shook her head with a bitter smile. “I’m afraid I can’t wait anymore.”
She did not continue, and Ye Qingzhi did not ask. Their relationship was not that good.
After He Jingyan had finished his IV drip and the needle had been removed, Ye Qingzhi said she was leaving and left directly with the child.
Just as they left the hospital, Ye Qingzhi squatted down to carry He Jingyan on her back when she heard someone shout, “Wife, I’m back.”