Chapter 41 p2
Ye Qingzhi had the original host’s memories. When the original host was pregnant with her first child, she had also craved something so much that her mouth watered.
“You’re not pregnant, are you?” Ye Qingzhi asked, looking at Li Jinfeng’s belly.
Li Jinfeng was taken aback for a moment and touched her belly. “I don’t think so.”
“Have you had your period this month?” Seeing her face suddenly change, Ye Qingzhi knew she probably hadn’t. “Come on, I’ll go with you to the hospital for a check-up.”
She didn’t know how long she had been pregnant. If it was before the surgery, with the anesthesia and antibiotics, this child probably couldn’t be kept.
Li Jinfeng obviously also thought of this. She didn’t know anything about anesthesia and antibiotics, but she knew that you couldn’t take medicine randomly when you were pregnant. Since she had been injured, she had been taking a lot of medicine. It would definitely have an effect.
Ye Qingzhi gave the few children a few instructions and went to the hospital with Li Jinfeng.
Just as they left the house, they ran into Yang Xiaorou, who had come to visit with Shen Jiahao.
“Where are you going?” Yang Xiaorou asked curiously.
Ye Qingzhi looked around and whispered in her ear, “Sister Jinfeng might be pregnant. We’re going to the hospital for a check-up.”
“Pregnant?” Yang Xiaorou’s eyes widened. She looked at Li Jinfeng’s arm, which was still in a cast. Battalion Commander Li was too inconsiderate. “Then you should hurry up and go. Haohao is bored at home alone and insists on coming to your house to play.”
“Jingyan and the others are in the room. You can go in. We’ll be back soon,” Ye Qingzhi said, waving her hand and helping Li Jinfeng to the hospital.
When they arrived at the hospital, after the doctor had checked her and also taken her pulse, he couldn’t be sure because the month was too early. He told Li Jinfeng to come back in half a month.
Although the doctor said he was not sure, both Ye Qingzhi and Li Jinfeng knew that she was definitely pregnant.
Li Jinfeng asked with concern, “I had surgery last month and also took a lot of medicine. Will it affect the child?”
“You got pregnant after the surgery, so the effect is not big. It’s just that you can’t take medicine from now on, and the wound will heal a little slower,” the doctor said, glancing at her. He didn’t even prescribe any medicine and just told her to go home and rest well.
Li Jinfeng was still not at ease. She pulled Ye Qingzhi to the side to find Old Hu and asked him to take her pulse. After confirming that she was one month pregnant and that besides being a little anemic, there were no other major problems with her body, she finally went home to rest with peace of mind.
She first sent Li Jinfeng home, then went back to her own house.
“Is she really pregnant?” Yang Xiaorou asked curiously.
“One month,” Ye Qingzhi nodded.
Counting the days, it was not long after Li Jinfeng was discharged from the hospital. Yang Xiaorou pouted. “I thought Li Hanxing was so good. He couldn’t hold it in for just a few days.”
“That also requires Sister Jinfeng’s consent. It’s a matter between a husband and wife. We shouldn’t meddle,” Ye Qingzhi said, grabbing the misbehaving Yangyang. “Sister Jinfeng is planning to make rice cakes. I’m also going to make some.”
“Rice cakes? Are they made of rice? Can I make some too?” Yang Xiaorou asked, thinking that rice cakes with sugar were quite delicious. She planned to make a few catties.
“Of course you can. You bring the rice, and I’ll soak it together,” Ye Qingzhi nodded.
Soak it for a day or two, then steam it, pound it into a paste in a stone mortar, roll it into strips, and after it cools, it’s rice cake.
Pounding rice cakes was a laborious task. This had to be done by Li Hanxing and He Qiming. Shen Qingyuan couldn’t get away either.
“Why do you suddenly want to make rice cakes?” He Qiming asked, seeing the rice in the bucket with confusion.
“Sister Jinfeng wants to eat them and said she’s going to make rice cakes, so I’m making some too,” Ye Qingzhi said, leaning over to whisper in He Qiming’s ear, “Sister Jinfeng is one month pregnant.”
He Qiming raised an eyebrow but said nothing. “Tomorrow, Old Li and I will go and move the stone mortar. How much rice is here?”
“We have fifteen catties, Xiaorou has five, and Sister Jinfeng also has fifteen,” Ye Qingzhi said, bringing out the food and washing her hands. “Let’s eat. Jingyan, bring your younger brothers to eat.”
“Ma, Yangyang wet his pants,” Ye Anmin said, peeking his head out.
“Yangyang wet his pants? He must have been so focused on playing that he forgot to say he had to pee,” Ye Qingzhi said, untying her apron. She had He Qiming pour some hot water while she went to get some clean pants.
It was a good thing she had made two extra pairs of long johns for Yangyang. Otherwise, he would have had to go bare-bottomed now.
She had him stand in a basin, and Ye Qingzhi scooped water to wash his bottom, educating him at the same time, “You can play, but you can’t hold your pee just because you’re playing. It’s very bad for your body. You might get a stomachache. Do you want a stomachache?”
It was fine if he wet his pants. They could be washed and worn again. Ye Qingzhi was just afraid that if he held his pee so often, his kidneys would be damaged.
Yangyang lowered his head, one hand clutching the hem of Ye Qingzhi’s clothes, and said in a small, milky voice, “I know I was wrong, Mama. Mama, don’t be angry.”
“You’re the fastest to admit your mistakes, but you just don’t change. If you do this again next time, Mama will spank your little bottom,” Ye Qingzhi said, gently patting his little bottom.
Although the stove was lit on the side, it was still very cold without heating. Ye Qingzhi quickly dried him, put on his long johns, and then tucked him into the heated brick bed.
“You lie on the heated brick bed. Don’t come down, understand?” Ye Qingzhi said, rubbing his head.
The pants she had washed yesterday were not dry yet. She had to dry them at night. Otherwise, he would have nothing to wear tomorrow.
“Do you want to dry the pants? I’ll do it. You go and wash up first,” He Qiming said, taking the pants.
“No need. You go and add some fire to the heated brick bed. I’ll just roast them for a bit, then put them on the heated brick bed. They should be dry by tomorrow morning,” Ye Qingzhi said, holding onto the pants.
The next day, the pants were indeed dry. Ye Qingzhi put the clean pants on Yangyang, looked at the soaked rice, and pinched it. It broke easily. She could steam it in the afternoon and have He Qiming and Li Hanxing pound it at night.
She was about to knit a sweater when Zhang Dama, who had probably learned from Li Jinfeng that they were making rice cakes, also wanted to make some.
“This… I started soaking my rice yesterday morning and will steam it in the afternoon. It might not work if you join in now,” Ye Qingzhi said with a difficult expression.
“Is that so? Then can you spare me a few catties? I’ll pay for it,” Zhang Dama said, looking as if she wouldn’t let them suffer a loss.
Ye Qingzhi sneered inwardly. Did the fox’s tail show so quickly?
Whether it was rice or white flour, these were all fine grains. Without grain tickets, you couldn’t buy them even if you had money.
And she, with just one word, wanted them to spare her a few catties, and even said she would pay. Who of the three families was short of money? What they lacked were grain tickets.
“Zhang Dama, forget about the money. If you want some…” Ye Qingzhi deliberately paused. Seeing her look at her happily, her lips curved into a slight smile. “You can just give me the rice.”
Zhang Dama’s smile froze on her face. She had thought that Ye Qingzhi would give her some. But she wanted to trade for rice.
She forced a smile. “Qingzhi, you see, when we came, we didn’t bring any rice.”
Ye Qingzhi looked at her in confusion. “Then you said you wanted to make rice cakes with us. How can you make them without rice?”
Zhang Dama’s smile froze on her face again. She cursed inwardly. This Ye Qingzhi was still as disrespectful to her elders as before, with no manners at all.
Ye Qingzhi could tell at a glance that Zhang Dama was cursing her in her heart. Hmph, if she had the guts, she could curse her out loud. Was she afraid of a little old woman who loved to take advantage of others?
Not long after sending Zhang Dama away, Li Jinfeng came over with her two daughters. “Qingzhi, did Zhang Dama come to find you? It’s Wenhua’s fault. She doesn’t know how to keep a secret. She tells everything when someone asks.”
After saying that, Li Jinfeng glared at Li Wenhua. She had no sense at all. She would have to teach her a good lesson later.
“It’s fine. She’s just a child. I’ve already sent her away. She wanted to use some money to have us give her some rice cakes. How can there be such a good thing?” Ye Qingzhi said with a smile, pulling Wenhua over. “It’s fine. You’re still young.”
It was fine not to comfort her, but as soon as she did, Li Wenhua’s tears started to fall.
She really didn’t know that this was something that couldn’t be said. When Grandma Zhang had asked her what her mother was doing, she had said she was soaking rice. Grandma Zhang had then known it was to make rice cakes. After Grandma Zhang had left, her mother had been scolding her. She really felt very wronged.
“What are you crying for? You still have the face to cry? You…” Seeing Li Wenhua crying at Ye Qingzhi’s house, Li Jinfeng felt extremely embarrassed and was furious.
“Alright, alright. She’s still a child,” Ye Qingzhi said, hugging Li Wenhua. She took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears and coaxed her gently, “Don’t cry anymore. Such a pretty little girl, you won’t be pretty if you cry. Auntie will give you some nougat to eat.”
Ye Qingzhi took her to the kitchen to wash her face, then took a few pieces of candy from the cupboard. Each of the few children got one, and Li Wenhua got two.
“Mama, why does the little sister get two? I want two too,” Yangyang protested.
“No, you can only have one. Otherwise, you’ll get cavities. Oh my, oh my, it hurts. Look, your big sister and brothers all have one,” Ye Qingzhi said, patting the little boy’s head.
Yangyang turned to look. His big sister and brothers all had one, just like him. He immediately stopped making a fuss and went to play with the little sister.
“Why did you give so much candy?” Li Jinfeng asked with some embarrassment.
“Is your belly uncomfortable? I heard Liu Yuqin’s reaction is very strong,” Ye Qingzhi said, changing the subject.
Liu Yuqin was already thin, but her morning sickness was very severe. According to Zhang Dama, she could only drink some porridge and couldn’t eat anything else.
At the Zhang Xuewen family’s house, Liu Yuqin lay on the heated brick bed, clutching her stomach, her face pale. She struggled to take the clear porridge from the bedside table and drank two sips. Her stomach felt a little better. A hint of hatred flashed in her eyes.
That damn old woman. She said her morning sickness was because she couldn’t stand the smell of oil and smoke, so she only gave her a bowl of clear porridge for all three meals. She was probably trying to starve her to death.
“You’re awake? Have you had your porridge? Oh my, Li Jinfeng and Ye Qingzhi are making rice cakes. I was originally planning to trade some for you to eat, but that damn old woman Ye Qingzhi was unwilling. Yuqin, is there anything you want to eat? You can’t just drink porridge all day. I can’t let my grandson suffer,” Zhang Dama said, looking at Liu Yuqin’s belly lovingly.
Liu Yuqin pursed her lips. Could she have guessed wrong? The damn old woman was not trying to starve her to death?
That was true. The child in her belly was the Zhang family’s flesh and blood. No matter how much the damn old woman disliked her, it was impossible for her to dislike her own grandson.
“Ma, can I have a bowl of noodles?” Liu Yuqin asked carefully.
Zhang Dama was first displeased, but after seeing Liu Yuqin clutch her belly, she forced a smile. “Alright, you wait.”
After turning around, the smile on Zhang Dama’s face disappeared. Eat. Anyway, you won’t be eating for long.
The timidity on Liu Yuqin’s face disappeared. Sure enough, this damn old woman would not mistreat the flesh in her belly.
She gently stroked her belly. You must be a son. That way, after I’ve finished my confinement, this damn old woman will have no reason to exist anymore.
Ye Qingzhi had no idea about the terrible thoughts of this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. After lunch, she started to steam the rice. It would take several hours. Around the time He Qiming and the others got off work, the rice would be just right.
“Wow, Mama, is it steamed?” Yangyang would come over and ask every once in a while.
“It’s ready. Move aside. Let Papa take it out. You little turnip, don’t get scalded,” Ye Qingzhi said, lifting the steamer lid to have a look. “Qiming, you take it out. Jingyan, Anmin, take Yangyang away.”
The few soldiers were very strong. The rice cakes they pounded were particularly fine and smooth. Ye Qingzhi rolled a strip first for the drooling Li Jinfeng, and then for the children.
“Mama, it’s delicious,” Ye Anjie said, taking a bite impatiently.
Ye Qingzhi shot him a sideways glance and poured a small half bowl of white sugar. “Go and dip it in sugar with them.”
“Okay,” Ye Anjie said, dipping it in sugar first. Sure enough, it was even more delicious.
“This is my first time eating freshly made rice cakes. They’re so delicious,” Yang Xiaorou said, taking two bites and then feeding one to Shen Qingyuan.
“Is it delicious?” Ye Qingzhi rolled a small one, dipped it in sugar, and fed it to He Qiming.
“It’s delicious. You have some too,” He Qiming said, taking off his coat from the heat and continuing to pound the rice cakes.
With Li Wenshu and He Jingyan helping to roll the rice cakes, Ye Qingzhi simply took a few of the already cooled rice cakes to cook a rice cake soup.
She added some vermicelli and some green vegetables, and a pot of rice cake soup was quickly ready.
“The rice cake soup is ready. Eat up and then we’ll make more,” Ye Qingzhi called out.
It was not until past nine at night that all the rice cakes were made. After weighing and dividing them, Ye Qingzhi was exhausted and planned to clean up the next morning.
But when she got up, He Qiming had already gotten up early and cleaned up. He had also gone into the mountains with some people to hunt. She didn’t know if he would be back today.
“Qingzhi, are you worried? Don’t worry. When this group of people goes into the mountains, it’s the wild animals that should be afraid of them,” Yang Xiaorou said, nudging Ye Qingzhi with her elbow. “Do you have any folk remedies for having children?”
Ye Qingzhi looked at her in surprise. “You already have a son. What, you want a second child?”
“It’s not for me,” Yang Xiaorou said, hesitating for a long time. “It’s for Bai Xue. She said she asked you last time, and you didn’t deny it, so she asked me to ask you again.”
Ye Qingzhi frowned. “Medicine is three parts poison. I don’t think these folk remedies are reliable.”
“She’s just grasping at straws. She hasn’t been pregnant for five years of marriage. Sigh, the pressure is really great,” Yang Xiaorou said with a soft sigh.
“I’m sorry, I really don’t have any folk remedies for having children,” she said. Even if she did, she couldn’t give them. If something went wrong, she would be the one to suffer.