Chapter 120 : Pregnancy

Once they were on the bus to the country town, both of them were still in a daze.

Liang Qingqing occasionally touched her abdomen, her mind blank. Her menstrual cycle had always been very regular, with no pain or discomfort just the occasional lower back ache. The holiday season and the busy work schedule after the Spring Festival had kept her so occupied that she hadn’t even realized she hadn’t had her period for over a month, almost two.

“Don’t be nervous. We’ll know the answer after a check-up at the hospital.”

The man who was saying not to be nervous was, in fact, sweating profusely, his brows furrowed tightly, and the quiver in his voice betrayed his true feelings.

Seeing her looking at him, Fan Yanxing comfortingly patted her hand.

“Are you not happy?” Liang Qingqing observed him for a while before slowly asking this question. In her impression, newlyweds usually are ecstatic after finding out they’re going to have a baby. Even if they don’t jump for joy, there’s always a smile on their face. Her own lips hadn’t left a smile since hearing the news.

But Fan Yanxing remained calm. Aside from the initial joy, he hadn’t smiled since they left the house.

This wasn’t normal. Not at all.

Could it be that Fan Yanxing didn’t want a child, or didn’t want one so soon? But from what she knew of him, neither of these guesses seemed likely. After speculating for a while and getting a headache, she decided it was better to ask him directly rather than overthink, which would save time and energy. So she asked.

Hearing this and understanding Liang Qingqing’s recent tendency to overthink, Fan Yanxing realized she had misunderstood. He gave a wry smile, clasped their hands tightly, and said in a calm yet firm voice, “Qingqing, how could I not be happy? This is our baby. Feel my heartbeat, it’s about to jump out of my throat.”

Fan Yanxing’s exaggerated description made Liang Qingqing burst into a laugh despite herself. She actually touched his chest and felt his heart pounding rapidly like a drum. She raised an eyebrow and murmured, “Then why are you acting so composed?”

He paused before continuing, “We still don’t know for sure. If I show my true feelings now, what if… I’m afraid you’ll be even more disappointed and upset if it turns out not to be the case.”

After hearing Fan Yanxing’s words, Liang Qingqing rested her head on his shoulder and muttered, “Silly.”

“No matter what the final result is, I can accept it. It’s not like I won’t be able to get pregnant again. If it doesn’t happen this time, we can try next time. Did I scare you during this period?”

Her tone was relaxed and genuine. It wasn’t an act, she really didn’t view the outcome as that crucial. Disappointment and sadness were inevitable if expectations weren’t met, but they wouldn’t weigh too heavily because she always believed in going with the flow regarding children.

“I understand.” Fan Yanxing sighed softly, his face finally returning to the initial joy. Seeing him like this, Liang Qingqing’s smile deepened, and she gently rubbed her abdomen, silently wishing in her heart, “Baby, don’t let your dad down.”

Liang Qingqing knew her body best and had already made up her mind, she was simply waiting for a definitive confirmation to put her at ease.

The bus finally wobbled into the county town. Without pausing, they headed straight to the hospital, registered, queued, and went through the examinations in one go.

While waiting for the results, Fan Yanxing couldn’t help but stretch his neck towards the office. Since Liang Qingqing told him not to hide his true feelings, he had been as transparent as if he had unlocked all his emotional channels.

Despite his usual composure, he now acted like a nervous youngster.

In contrast to Fan Yanxing’s impatience, Liang Qingqing remained calm. She sat on a chair, leisurely eating her xiao long bao (soup dumplings), savoring each bite and enjoying the flavor.

Finally, as she neared the end of her xiao long bao, the nurse called out Liang Qingqing’s name. Before she could react, Fan Yanxing had already stood up, quickly moving to collect the white report.

“Congratulations, you’re going to be a dad.”

The nurse, used to working in the department, spoke the words almost automatically. But after saying this, she saw the tall man before her suddenly tear up, laughing and crying, looking quite overwhelmed. The nurse, feeling embarrassed, hesitated for a moment before speaking, “Aren’t you the father of the child?”

This statement caused quite a stir, drawing the attention of those around them.

Liang Qingqing was so startled she nearly dropped her xiao long bao. As she was about to say something, Fan Yanxing shook his head with a smile, “I am the child’s father. I’m just so happy.”

After a quick explanation, Fan Yanxing thanked the nurse and walked straight over to Liang Qingqing, embracing her in front of everyone, and joyfully said, “Qingqing, we’re going to have a baby.”

“I heard you,” Liang Qingqing smiled and would have liked to hold him tighter, but with so many people around, public displays of affection felt out of place for the current era. She hugged him briefly before pulling away, her face flushing slightly as she quickly glanced around, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Seeing that the crowd understood their excitement at becoming parents, they turned their heads to give them some privacy.

“Let’s go home and talk about it more.”

“Okay, we’ll do it your way.”

On the way back from the hospital, Fan Yanxing was as careful as if he were protecting a precious gem. He even helped her down the stairs with extra caution, and whenever their pace quickened slightly, he would nervously raise his voice to remind her. At first, Liang Qingqing appreciated his concern and happily accepted his care.

However, as his attentiveness became more frequent, it started to annoy her. She pouted and grumbled, “There’s no need to be so careful. I’m not a child, I can take care of myself and the baby.”

Fan Yanxing realized he might be overdoing it but couldn’t help but caution, “Better safe than sorry.”

This was hard to argue against, so Liang Qingqing chose not to respond. As she was about to head to the usual parking spot in the village, Fan Yanxing stopped her. He glanced at his watch and made a plan: “The tractor is too bumpy. We’ll take the bus back. We still have some time, so let’s first go to the post office to share the good news with Mom and Dad, then head home.”

“Today is too rushed. I’ll come back to the country town tomorrow to consult the doctor about what to pay attention to during pregnancy and what to eat or use. It would be best if Mom and Dad can buy what we need in the capital and send it over…”

Fan Yanxing continued to outline his plans as they walked, finally adding, “I’ll take care of all these things. You don’t need to worry about anything. Just focus on eating well and taking care of yourself.”

“Go ahead with your plans. I have no objections.”

With someone handling all the details, Liang Qingqing was more than happy to focus on resting and taking care of the baby. She was very satisfied with Fan Yanxing’s attitude. Unlike some men who act like they’re above caring for their pregnant wives, leaving all the responsibility to them as if the child is only the woman’s concern, what a disgrace!

At the post office, Fan Yanxing directly called Qu Qingying’s office. Given the urgency, he skipped any small talk and bluntly shared the news of Liang Qingqing’s pregnancy, leaving no time for Qu Qingying to prepare.

Qu Qingying was so shocked that she stood up from her chair. She hadn’t expected to hear such good news so soon. A wave of joy surged through her, causing her to smile so widely that her eyes nearly disappeared into crescents.

Hearing Fan Yanxing mention what pregnant women need to eat and use, Qu Qingying immediately patted her chest, saying, “Leave this to me. Your sister works at the hospital, I’ll have her ask the gynecologists, and I’ll buy what you need and send it over.”

Then, she couldn’t help but express her concern, “You two young people don’t know much. You need to ask your mother-in-law more. Don’t mess things up. I’m not too worried about Qingqing, my main concern is you, Fan Yanxing. You need to know what you should and shouldn’t do. Don’t mistreat Qingqing. If I find out, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

“Mom! I know,” Fan Yanxing, detecting the hidden meaning in Qu Qingying’s words, felt a bit embarrassed. He cleared his throat and changed the subject, “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Qingqing.”

“Okay. I’ll see if I can apply for family leave soon and come over to visit you.”

“Alright, I’ll talk to you later when I have time.”

After hanging up hastily, Fan Yanxing took Liang Qingqing to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some of her favorite foods. They then headed to the station. Upon returning to the village, they first dropped off their things and went to Liang’s family.

It was mealtime, and the couple went to the kitchen as usual. Upon seeing them, Ma Xiuzhi quickly brought two sets of bowls and chopsticks. Without needing any prompting, Fan Yanxing moved two chairs and helped Liang Qingqing sit down.

Everyone saw his cautious actions and thought they were a loving couple, not suspecting anything else.

“My second brother and his wife?” Liang Qingqing felt that it was better to give a bit of context before announcing their news. She noticed Liang Junqiang and Huang Yali were missing from the table and asked.

“They went back to her parents’ home. They’ll be back tomorrow morning,” Ma Xiuzhi said, ladling a bowl of sponge gourd and egg soup for Liang Qingqing.

Liang Qingqing nodded, looking at the yellow-green soup in her bowl, and swallowed. She drank several mouthfuls before suddenly remembering she had already eaten ten dumplings at the hospital.

In the past, ten dumplings would have been enough to make her stomach feel tight, leaving no room for more soup. Pregnancy was indeed amazing, altering one’s appetite.

Indeed, today was different from usual. With two people eating instead of one, it was no surprise that her appetite had increased.

After finishing most of the meal, Liang Qingqing nudged Fan Yanxing’s shoe with her toe. He immediately understood, set down his bowl, cleared his throat, and with a smile, said, “Mom and Dad, Qingqing and I came here today to tell you something very important.”

Fan Yanxing’s serious demeanor made everyone exchange glances and put down their bowls and chopsticks.

“What’s the matter?”

Given his expression, it didn’t seem like bad news.

“Qingqing is pregnant!”

Not bad news, but great news! It was wonderful news!

“Really? So, we’re double blessed!” Ma Xiuzhi looked at Liang Qingqing’s still flat stomach, then at Wang Xiaomei’s already prominently rounded belly, and grinned, showing her big front teeth.