Chapter 77 p2
At night, after the clouds and rain, Ye Qingzhi leaned on He Qiming’s shoulder. “Qiming, when Yangyang starts school, let’s have a daughter.”
He Qiming looked at Ye Qingzhi in surprise. “I thought you didn’t want to have one.”
“At first, but later…” Ye Qingzhi looked up at He Qiming’s eyes and said seriously, “I want a child with you.”
He Qiming hugged Ye Qingzhi excitedly. To be honest, when he had found out that Ye Qingzhi did not want to have children, he had been a little disappointed in his heart, because he had wanted a child with her. But since she did not want to, he would not force her.
Now, hearing these words, it meant that Ye Qingzhi liked him, which was why she wanted a child of their own blood.
He Qiming’s breathing became more and more rapid with excitement. He lowered his head and kissed Ye Qingzhi’s red lips, whispering between breaths, “Wife, I love you. Let’s do it again.”
“Oh, you…” Ye Qingzhi cried out in surprise.
Bai Xue’s pregnancy not only stunned the people in the family compound, but also her parents and in-laws.
Bai’s father and mother had not worried less about Bai Xue these few years, especially after her divorce. The two of them had gotten a lot of white hair at once. Now, learning that their daughter was pregnant, the two of them were so happy that their eyes filled with tears.
Their daughter was pregnant. She was not infertile. They did not have to feel sorry for the old Wu family. And that Su Liuli, every time they met, she would talk about her daughter-in-law’s pregnancy. Wasn’t she just trying to tell them that her son’s body was fine, and that it was their Bai Xue who could not have children?
But Zeng Huijun was pregnant, and Bai Xue had no news. They could only hold it in.
Now it was good. Their daughter was also pregnant, which meant that Bai Xue’s body was fine.
Since both Xu Kaisheng and Bai Xue were fine, it could only mean that they were not fated to be together.
Wu Kaixuan’s parents were also happy. At first, when they had known that their second son was going to marry Bai Xue, they had disagreed no matter what. But their second son had said that the reason he was not getting married was because he liked Bai Xue. If Bai Xue did not get a divorce, he would be a bachelor for the rest of his life. These words had almost angered them to death.
Wu’s father and mother knew Wu Kaixuan’s personality. Once he had set his mind on something, ten bulls could not pull him back. They could only agree with a pinch of their noses. They had not expected Bai Xue to give them such a big surprise.
The parents of both families all prepared various kinds of food and daily necessities to send to the army. Bai’s father and mother also often ran into Su Liuli and happily talked about Bai Xue’s pregnancy.
Besides the parents of both sides, Bai Xu, Wu Kaixuan’s older and younger brothers, also sent them many things.
When Ye Qingzhi went to get the mail, she was shocked by the packages in the communication room.
“Qingzhi, are you here to get the mail?” Bai Xue asked, seeing Ye Qingzhi and greeting her with a smile.
She was very gentle now, not at all like before, when she was all thorns.
“Yes. Are you here to get a package?” Ye Qingzhi asked, looking at the pile of packages again and couldn’t help but remind her, “You’ve just gotten pregnant. It’s better not to carry heavy things.”
The smile on Bai Xue’s face grew even wider. “I’m not carrying them. My mother sent me some fruit preserves. I’m here to get this. The rest I’ll have Kaixuan get when he gets off work.”
Ye Qingzhi nodded. She was just reminding her. She took the letter and turned to leave.
Back at home, Ye Qingzhi opened the letter. It was from Auntie Ye, telling her about some things back home.
She already knew about the Ye family’s situation. Although it was partly because the village cadres were giving He Qiming face, the main reason was that they wanted to shut her up, so these were considered compensation.
As for the He family, He Qiwang had already bought that temporary worker’s position and had already started work. She also knew about this, because the He family had sent a letter a few days earlier than Auntie Ye.
Auntie Ye had also mentioned He Yongyao at the end, saying that he had also gotten married. His partner was a young girl in her early twenties. They said she was a widow, but in fact, she had never been married and was still a virgin.
“What are you looking at?”
“Oh my!” Ye Qingzhi was startled. She turned and saw He Qiming and couldn’t help but hit him. “Why do you walk without a sound?”
“I did make a sound. It’s just that you were too engrossed. Is it a letter from Auntie Ye?” He Qiming asked, taking the letter Ye Qingzhi handed him. He read it in a few lines and couldn’t help but frown at the end. “Why tell you about He Yongyao’s marriage?”
“It was just a casual mention,” Ye Qingzhi said with a laugh, pushing him. “Why are you jealous of everyone? Alright, Auntie Ye wants us to help Juzi find a partner. Have you seen anyone suitable?”
He had to be from the same province and also suitable. It was not that easy. Besides, Juzi was not old.
“You should tell Auntie Ye not to be anxious. In another two years, Juzi will only be nineteen. It won’t be too late to look then,” He Qiming said, putting away the letter and kissing Ye Qingzhi’s forehead.
In the countryside, people got married early. But in the army, seventeen was too young. Even at nineteen, she was not considered old.
The next day, Bai Xue came to thank Ye Qingzhi with things again, but this time, Ye Qingzhi refused no matter what.
“Why? Last time was to thank you for your reminder. This time is to thank you for your prescription. If it weren’t for your prescription, I definitely wouldn’t have gotten pregnant so soon,” she said. Old Hu had said that she had drunk medicine before and had still hurt her body a little.
“It’s different. I already got a benefit for giving you the prescription,” Ye Qingzhi said seriously.
It wasn’t for free back then. She had taken the opportunity to ask for a few of the harder-to-get herbs, so there was no favor for the prescription, only a transaction.
“What kind of benefit is that? And these are not for you, they’re for the children,” Bai Xue said, stuffing the things into Yangyang’s arms and turning to leave directly.
Because the things were too heavy, Yangyang swayed. If it weren’t for Ye Qingzhi supporting him from behind, he would have almost fallen.
“Hey…” Ye Qingzhi helped Yangyang up. When she looked up again, Bai Xue was already gone.
“Mama?” Yangyang looked at Ye Qingzhi in confusion.
“It’s fine,” Ye Qingzhi said, rubbing his head. She took the things into the house, preparing to ask Yang Xiaorou when she came what Bai Xue meant. In any case, she would not accept the things.
But she didn’t come today, and she didn’t see her the next day. Ye Qingzhi simply went to find her.
“Xiaorou, I haven’t seen you these two days. Did something happen?” Ye Qingzhi asked, looking Yang Xiaorou up and down. She didn’t see any problem.
“It’s fine. It’s just that Xiaoxue’s reaction is a bit big. I went to take care of her,” Yang Xiaorou said. After learning the reason for Ye Qingzhi’s visit, she immediately guessed Bai Xue’s intention and couldn’t help but laugh. “She feels that what she did before was a bit unfair to you, and she can’t bring herself to apologize, so she sent you things.”
“What happened before is already in the past. Besides, she has already apologized to me,” she said. Ye Qingzhi had even slapped her at that time. She had not suffered a loss.
“She was forced to apologize before. Now she’s sincerely apologizing. There’s a difference,” Yang Xiaorou said after thinking for a moment.
Under Yang Xiaorou’s persuasion, Ye Qingzhi accepted the things, but only this once. She had Yang Xiaorou pass the message not to send her anything else.
The weather slowly turned cold, and the vegetables in the yard gradually withered. Ye Qingzhi picked the vegetables, dug them up, and planted cabbage and radishes.
When the radish seedlings were three inches high, a telegram came from Lin Xiaohu. Zhang Xianjuan and that peddler had already divorced. She had taken most of his property and was planning to go to the border to find her younger brother-in-law.
“What? She’s going to find her younger brother-in-law? No, wait, it’s her former younger brother-in-law,” Ye Qingzhi said. She had not expected Zhang Xianjuan to be so lovesick.
“Maybe,” He Qiming said. He didn’t know now either. He rubbed his temples.
If it weren’t for He Jingyan, he wouldn’t have paid any attention to Zhang Xianjuan at all. But now, he had to know her movements, so that she wouldn’t suddenly do something that would implicate He Jingyan.
As the radishes grew bigger and bigger, the weather also became colder and colder. The military wives in the family compound started to prepare things for the winter.
Ye Qingzhi had started to prepare a long time ago. All kinds of dried vegetables, pickled vegetables, and kimchi. Besides the two apple trees at home, she had also ordered a lot from the old villagers.
When the radishes were ready to eat, the sky was already snowing lightly. Ye Qingzhi quickly called Yang Xiaorou and Gu Yao to help her harvest the radishes.
“Qingzhi, how are you so amazing at planting vegetables? I’m also a woman who earns ten work points. How come I’m not as good as you?” Li Jinfeng doubted her life.
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m just lucky with planting,” Ye Qingzhi said. She suspected it had something to do with her transmigration, but she certainly couldn’t tell anyone this.
They first harvested her radishes and cabbage, and then helped Li Jinfeng. After they were done, the two of them took a basket of radishes to Gu Yao and Yang Xiaorou and the others.
It wasn’t worth much, it was just a token of their appreciation.
“Mama, what’s for lunch?” Ye Anjie’s voice arrived before he did.
“We’re having dumplings for lunch,” Ye Qingzhi said, seeing Ye Anjie reach out to grab a dumpling. She slapped the back of his hand. “Have you washed your hands?”
Ye Anjie chuckled and quickly went to wash his hands. When he came back to grab one, he was slapped again by Ye Qingzhi.
“Who told you to grab it with your hands? Use chopsticks,” Ye Qingzhi said, glaring at him. So clumsy, she didn’t know who he took after.
Radish dumplings, cabbage dumplings, and also leek and egg dumplings. They were all vegetables she had grown herself, and the eggs were also from the chickens she had raised herself.
But as the weather turned cold, the chickens didn’t lay many eggs. When it got colder, the chickens might freeze to death.
The locals would move the chicken coop to the side of the stove. Ye Qingzhi found it too smelly and didn’t want to move it into the house. Then she could only kill them for meat.
On the day the chickens were killed, Yangyang cried a lot. Because he often caught insects to feed the little chickens and had watched them grow up day by day. Now, seeing the little chickens being killed, he was very sad.
But when it was time to eat the meat, he ate a large bowl with tears in his eyes and also gnawed on a large chicken leg.
“Mama, it’s so delicious. Are we eating little chickens again tomorrow?” Yangyang asked with a burp.
Ye Qingzhi looked at him with a laugh. “You’re not sad anymore?”
“I’m still a little sad, but the little chicken is very delicious,” Yangyang said with some conflict.
He Qiming smiled and gently patted his little bottom. This silly boy.
After New Year’s Day, the three children were on their winter break, and the house was suddenly lively again.
News also came from Dong Province. Zhang Xianjuan had already sold all the things she couldn’t take with her and was on her way to the border.
Ye Qingzhi was taken aback for a moment. She was really lovesick!
Then came news from home. He Qiwang’s job was in trouble. Or rather, his job had a problem from the beginning. It was just that they hadn’t figured out his background before, especially knowing that he had a regiment commander as an older brother. They were worried that if they targeted him, they would make an enemy of He Qiming.
Perhaps because they had found out that He Qiming didn’t care much for this younger brother, the other party had started to target He Qiwang. Finding that no one cared, they had become more and more bold. By now, He Qiwang was almost unable to continue.
“Did Mom and Dad send you a telegram because they want you to help Fifth Brother?” Ye Qingzhi asked in confusion.
He Qiming sneered. Why else? In their eyes, there was only the eldest and the fifth.
“What did you say?” Ye Qingzhi asked, pouring him a glass of hot water. “Don’t be angry.”
“I said I’m just a soldier. I don’t have that much ability,” He Qiming sighed softly. If He Qiwang had been a little more reliable, he wouldn’t have done this.
Near the end of the year, the He family sent two letters. One was written in He Dali’s tone, and the other was from He Qiwang. He Dali’s was about the same as usual, just some old clichés. As for He Qiwang, he accused He Qiming in the letter of not helping, saying that He Qiming did not care about their brotherly affection at all, and that they would not be brothers in the future.
Seeing this letter, He Qiming still sneered. He knew He Qiwang best. It was absolutely impossible for him to really cut off ties with him.
Sure enough, the next day, he received another letter from He Qiwang, in which he said that he was in a bad mood because he had lost his job and had drunk a few glasses of wine. What he had written in the previous letter were all drunken words, and he should not take them seriously.
Ye Qingzhi shook the letter. “You were right. Your younger brother is a person who can bend and stretch.”
They had already been back to their hometown this year, so they would not be going back for the New Year. Just like last year, they had a simple and warm New Year. The time was now 1970.
This day, Ye Qingzhi found that Yangyang’s pants were a little short. He had grown taller again. Thinking that he could go to preschool in the second half of the year, she couldn’t help but sigh at how fast time passed.
“Qingzhi, quick! Cao Liya is about to give birth! Her husband is on a mission, and her sister-in-law seems to have gone to the town. Let’s hurry up and take her to the hospital,” Li Jinfeng said, out of breath.
“Alright, I’m coming right away,” Ye Qingzhi said, immediately putting down what she was doing. She gave the children a few instructions and followed Li Jinfeng to Cao Liya’s house. Seeing her pale face from the pain, she and Li Jinfeng helped her to the hospital from both sides.
“Can you walk? If not, I’ll find someone to carry you,” Li Jinfeng said, seeing her sweating profusely from the pain.
“No need. I can hold on,” she said. As a nurse, Cao Liya of course knew that she had to walk more before giving birth. This would help with the delivery.
After stopping and starting, it took more than half an hour to finally reach the hospital. Cao Liya was only three centimeters dilated and was not ready to give birth. She could only wait in the ward.
After about two more hours, Jin Xiuli hurried over. Seeing the softly moaning Cao Liya, she wiped her sweat with a heartache. “Isn’t it still a few more days? Why are you giving birth now?”
“The first child is usually early,” she said. The contractions had passed, and Cao Liya could also speak. She had Jin Xiuli give her a water cup. “Sister-in-law, I’m so hungry now. I’ll have to trouble you to cook me a bowl of noodles. Otherwise, I won’t have the strength to have the baby later.”
Jin Xiuli quickly nodded, asked Ye Qingzhi and the others to look after Cao Liya, and ran back to cook the noodles.
As for Cao Liyan, she was nowhere to be seen.
Li Jinfeng looked at Cao Liya, who was having contractions again, and whispered in Ye Qingzhi’s ear, “Cao Liyan is really interesting. Her younger sister is giving birth here, and she’s working here. How can she not know? She didn’t even come to see her. Is it because her younger sister married a man she had been on a blind date with? But she didn’t even like him. I really don’t understand what she’s angry about.”
Ye Qingzhi shook her head, looked at Cao Liya, and signaled her not to speak.
Li Jinfeng snorted lightly. She just couldn’t help but say it. She would even say it in front of Cao Liyan later.
After a day and a night of contractions, and another day in the delivery room, Cao Liya finally gave birth to a wrinkled little girl.
Learning that she had finally given birth, Ye Qingzhi, who was already at home, breathed a sigh of relief. It was really not easy.
She had just mustered up the courage to have a child, and it had faded a little again.
When it was Zeng Huijun’s turn to have a child, she was the exact opposite of Cao Liya. From contractions to childbirth, it only took half a day. After she had given birth, she was also very energetic and did not look like she had just given birth at all.
“This might have something to do with her physical condition. Zeng Huijun is a dancer. She used to exercise all day. Even when she was pregnant, I heard she didn’t just sit around. She would practice some exercises that could be done during pregnancy, so it was easier for her to have a child. Qingzhi, what, are you planning to have a child?” Li Jinfeng asked, seeing her asking about having a child all the time, and teased her. “It’s not like you haven’t given birth before. Were your first two births smooth? You’ve had two. The third should be very easy.”
It was because the original host’s first two births were not easy that she was afraid.
But when the original host had her second child, it was indeed a little easier than with Ye Anmin. But relatively speaking, it was still very painful.
“My first two were not easy, so I’m afraid of having a child. But Qiming and I can’t not have one. I was thinking that when Yangyang starts preschool, I’ll have one, preferably a daughter,” Ye Qingzhi said with a faint smile.
Li Jinfeng slapped her thigh and said excitedly, “That’s right! You and He Qiming are married. You must have a child of your own. Only with a child can you last a long time. It’s also good when Yangyang starts school. That way, you can have a peaceful pregnancy and childbirth.”