Chapter 86
As soon as the house in town was ready, Ye Qinglan moved in and also held a housewarming party.
She didn’t invite many people, just the few families Ye Qingzhi was on good terms with, and also Jin Junjie’s closer comrades.
Although it was just a few families, Ye Qingzhi’s family alone had six people. With Gu Yao’s family and Li Jinfeng’s family, one table was not enough. They simply split into two tables, the men at one table, and the women and children at another.
Jin Junjie was quite capable. He had gotten half a sheep, not the mountain goats from their hometown, but a sheep, very fat. He had cooked a full pot, with radishes and potatoes. It was completely enough for their group.
“Little Lan, thank you for your hard work, making so many dishes,” Yang Xiaorou said, looking at the full table of food and first expressing gratitude to today’s chef.
“It was no trouble. My sister and Sister Gu Yao helped,” Ye Qinglan said, waving her hand. Seeing Jin Junjie come over, she looked at him in confusion. “What’s wrong?”
“Little Lan, we didn’t have a banquet when we got married. The people who came today are all our closest friends. Let’s give them a toast,” Jin Junjie said in a consultative tone.
“Alright,” Ye Qinglan nodded, drank the warm boiled water in her cup, and was about to pour some white wine.
Jin Junjie quickly stopped her. White wine was too strong. Someone who had never drunk it would definitely feel uncomfortable.
He changed it to yellow wine for Ye Qinglan. He had brought this wine from his hometown during the New Year and would occasionally have a sip to satisfy his craving.
Ye Qingzhi had been watching their every move. Jin Junjie was a little short, but his features were pretty, his skin was gentle, and he would take care of Ye Qinglan. Little Lan had not chosen the wrong person.
“I think he’s better than Li Wang. I heard he’s preparing to take the military academy exam? He’s also ambitious. Not bad,” Yang Xiaorou said, leaning over to Ye Qingzhi’s ear.
“He is preparing. I also think he’s not bad,” Ye Qingzhi said. She was becoming more and more fond of this very sensible younger sister.
After the housewarming party, Ye Qinglan officially moved to the town. With one less person at home, Ye Qingzhi was a little unaccustomed.
“Qingzhi, do you know that Bai Xue has given birth?” Li Jinfeng asked, coming to find Ye Qingzhi early in the morning, her expression excited.
“Who? Bai Xue? She was pregnant in August last year. She should be due in May or June, right?” Ye Qingzhi asked, counting on her fingers.
“She gave birth early. She was just five catties, a daughter,” Li Jinfeng said, grabbing a handful of pumpkin seeds. She cracked them and told Ye Qingzhi about Bai Xue’s childbirth, as if she had been there at the time.
“You don’t know, Regiment Commander Wu was crying at that time. Not because of the child, but because he was worried that something would happen to Bai Xue. When the nurse came out with the child, he didn’t even look at it. His mind was all on Bai Xue. Tsk, tsk, I’ve never seen a man who loves his wife so much,” Li Jinfeng said with a look of envy.
“Doesn’t Battalion Commander Li also love you very much?” Ye Qingzhi was not envious. She looked at Li Jinfeng’s belly. “Why do you look a little thinner?”
Hearing this, Li Jinfeng’s face was full of smiles. She pinched the flesh on her waist, then said unhappily, “Right? Old Li just said I haven’t lost any weight and that I’m even a little fatter than before.”
After Bai Xue had come home from the hospital, many people in the family compound had gone to see her and the child. Ye Qingzhi had not gone, but Li Jinfeng had. When she had had her child, Bai Xue had asked Yang Xiaorou to send a confinement gift. She had to return the favor.
As soon as she came back, she came to find Ye Qingzhi, her face full of a complicated expression.
“What’s wrong?” Ye Qingzhi asked, looking at her in confusion.
“I suspect Bai Xue’s daughter is not five catties. She’s too small, so thin, and her cries are also small,” Li Jinfeng said, looking at the door. After confirming that no one was coming, she whispered in Ye Qingzhi’s ear, “She looks like she won’t be easy to raise.”
Ye Qingzhi frowned. “Sister Jinfeng, you can’t just say that. The medical skills are advanced now. Since the doctor let them be discharged, the child must be fine.”
Li Jinfeng smiled awkwardly and sat up straight. “I don’t know what’s going on. Since last year, except for Zeng Huijun who had a son, everyone else has had a daughter.”
Speaking of this, Li Jinfeng couldn’t help but feel regretful. She had already started to take medicine to condition her body, and then she would drink the secret recipe her mother-in-law had found for a while. She hoped the next one would be a son.
Ye Qingzhi wanted to say that she liked daughters, but in her situation, if she really said that, Li Jinfeng would definitely think she was showing off.
“I seem to have heard some old lady say that if you have a son, you’ll have a nest of sons, and if you have a daughter, you’ll have a nest of daughters. This time, they’re all daughters. Next time, they might all be sons,” Ye Qingzhi said, pausing for a moment. Then she couldn’t be with Li Jinfeng. She would wait for the next litter. She wanted a little daughter.
When He Qiming came back and saw Ye Qingzhi in a daze, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Seeing them have a little daughter, I also want one,” Ye Qingzhi said, linking her arm with He Qiming’s and tilting her chin, signaling him to look at He Jingyang, who was playing in the yard like a little mud monkey. “Look, our family is full of rascals.”
“Alright, then we’ll have a daughter,” He Qiming said. Seeing Yangyang playing happily by himself, he picked up Ye Qingzhi and went directly into the house.
“Wait, it’s broad daylight, and Yangyang is still outside. You… ah…”
But Ye Qingzhi was still taking medicine. Old Hu had said that she needed to recuperate for three to five years, at least two years. It hadn’t even been two years yet. Neither Ye Qingzhi nor He Qiming was in a hurry to have a child now.
The outside world was spreading that Bai Xue must be very sad about having a daughter. Only she herself knew how happy she was now.
She had thought that she would never have her own child in this lifetime. Now that she finally had her own flesh and blood, she didn’t care if it was a son or a daughter. As long as she had given birth to it, it was her precious baby.
And the child just looked small. The doctor and Old Hu had both checked. There was nothing wrong. She could just raise her normally.
She looked at the child beside her with a loving gaze. Suddenly, she felt as if she had stopped breathing. She quickly reached out to test the temperature under her nose. Feeling the slight warmth, she was finally relieved.
“Is the baby awake?” Wu Kaixuan asked in a whisper, seeing Bai Xue gently patting the child.
“No. Why are you back?” Bai Xue also whispered.
“My mom called and said she’s already in town. She wants me to pick her up,” Wu Kaixuan said, referring to Bai Xue’s mother. His mother had to work, and mainly because he had insisted on marrying Bai Xue, their relationship had become a little strained.
But Bai Xue had had a child, and such a cute one. When they took the child back for the New Year, their relationship would naturally ease.
“My mom is finally here? Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and go and pick her up,” Bai Xue said, very happy.
Meanwhile, He Qiming had asked someone to inquire about the family Ye Qingsong wanted to marry into.
“Du Xiaoxiao’s father is the deputy director of a food factory, and her mother is the director of the food factory’s trade union. The two of them have a very good reputation outside. Du Xiaoxiao is their only daughter. She’s a bit spoiled, but she’s not an unreasonable person. If your younger brother marries into her family, a job is guaranteed,” He Qiming said, telling Ye Qingzhi the news he had gathered.
“Her qualifications are so good? But it’s not easy to be a live-in son-in-law,” Ye Qingzhi said, pondering for a moment. She decided to go and find Ye Qinglan tomorrow, and then give Ye Qingsong a call.
“Mama, brother pinched my little willy…” Yangyang said, running in, clutching his xx.
Ye Qingzhi was taken aback for a moment. She helped him onto the heated brick bed and pinched his fleshy little cheek. “Then why did your brother pinch you?”
“Mama, we were just playing with our younger brother,” Ye Anjie said, peeking his head in.
“Playing is playing, but there are some places you can’t play. You’re not allowed to pinch your younger brother’s little willy, understand?” Ye Qingzhi said, stroking Yangyang’s small head. “Mama has already taught your brother a lesson. He won’t pinch you again. Go back to sleep with your brother.”
Yangyang shook his head, quickly got into their quilt and lay down, and said with his eyes closed, “I want to sleep with Papa and Mama tonight. I’m already asleep!”
“Oh, you can still talk when you’re asleep?” Ye Qingzhi teased him.
“Yangyang is talking in his sleep,” Yangyang retorted loudly.
Ye Qingzhi chuckled lightly and turned to Ye Anjie. “Anjie, your younger brother is sleeping with us tonight. You should go back to sleep.”
Ye Anjie said “oh,” a hint of envy in his eyes. He also wanted to sleep with his father and mother, but he was a big boy now and couldn’t sleep with them anymore. Hey, he suddenly didn’t want to grow up.
Seeing Anjie leave, Ye Qingzhi patted Yangyang’s head. “Go to sleep. You can only grow tall if you sleep.”
“As tall as big brother and second brother?” Yangyang asked, opening his eyes, his expression excited.
“Yes, as tall as your big brother and second brother,” Ye Qingzhi said, turning off the light. “Go to sleep. It’s very late.”
The next day, when He Qiming and Ye Qingzhi got up, Yangyang was still fast asleep. To be honest, they were used to sleeping as a couple. To suddenly have a little rascal in the middle, especially one who didn’t sleep well, made them not sleep well either.
“Are you going to the town today?” After He Qiming had washed up, he was worried that Ye Qingzhi would feel uncomfortable on an empty stomach. “I’ll go to the canteen to see if I can get you something to eat first.”
“No need. I’ll make some gnocchi soup. The children happen to want to eat it,” she said. This was simple and fast.
He Qiming drank a glass of warm boiled water and went out for drills. Ye Qingzhi also quickly made the gnocchi soup, with green vegetables and eggs, plus some green onions and a little yellow wine. It was incredibly fragrant.
“Mama, it smells so good!” Ye Anjie said, getting up to go to the toilet and following the smell.
“You’re awake?” Ye Qingzhi asked, looking at the time. “It’s still early. You should sleep a little longer. I’m going to the town after I’ve eaten. You can eat later.”
The craving in his stomach had been hooked. How could he sleep now? Ye Anjie went back to get dressed and also woke up He Jingyan and Ye Anmin.
“Mama is making gnocchi soup. You should hurry up and get up to eat,” Ye Anjie said. Seeing the two of them get up, he also mischievously woke up Yangyang.
Ye Qingzhi turned her head. Good heavens, all the few children were up.
“Why are you up so early? Go and brush your teeth and wash your faces. The hot water is in the thermos,” Ye Qingzhi said, picking up the clearly not-yet-awake Yangyang and patting his little bottom. “Which of your older brothers woke you up?”
As she said this, Ye Qingzhi shot a look at Ye Anjie, because only he would do such a thing.
Sure enough, Yangyang said in a milky voice, “Third brother.”
But if Yangyang didn’t get up now, she would have to wake him up in a bit anyway, so that he wouldn’t be scared when he woke up and found that he was the only one at home.
After eating, Ye Qingzhi sent Yangyang to Gu Yao’s house, then went to the town to find Ye Qinglan.
“Fourth Sister, why are you in town today?” Ye Qinglan was washing clothes. Seeing Ye Qingzhi, she quickly rinsed the soap suds from her hands and was about to serve her tea and pastries.
“Don’t be busy. We’re all family. Why are you being so polite with me? I came today to talk to you about Qingsong’s partner. Your fourth brother-in-law asked someone to inquire. I’m not sure if it’s true,” Ye Qingzhi said, telling Ye Qinglan what He Qiming had said, word for word. “His qualifications are not bad.”
“His qualifications are very good, but… a live-in? Fourth Sister, it’s not easy for a man to be a live-in son-in-law. He’ll be laughed at to death,” Ye Qinglan said. She did not want Ye Qingsong to be a live-in son-in-law.
“Let Qingsong decide this for himself. After all, it’s his life,” Ye Qingzhi said solemnly.