Chapter 57.2

It felt like Jiang Leyun had suddenly matured overnight. He didn’t need her to nag him about his homework anymore. After school, he would finish his assignments before going out to play with his friends, and he even set a time limit for playing. When the time came, he would return home. Every morning, the first thing he did was ask the baby in her belly if they slept well the previous night.

Jiang Suihan felt that her brother had grown up so quickly. He even took the initiative to help by bringing water for her to wash her face or sweeping the floor. One day, he even secretly tried washing clothes while she was sleeping, though with his small strength, he couldn’t get them clean. Especially since kids’ clothes get really dirty when they play outside, she still had to wash them herself.

The food supplies at home were running low. Because she was pregnant and the mountain roads were uneven, she didn’t feel safe riding her bike to the nearby market, nor did she want to trouble Sister Wu to bring anything back for her. These days, they had mostly been eating at the cafeteria for all three meals.

The food at the cafeteria wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. Chef Zhang had the best cooking skills. On lucky days when he was in charge of the kitchen, she could eat a bit more. But when other chefs cooked, her appetite was low. Yet, for the sake of the baby, she forced herself to eat. If she threw up, she’d eat again, repeating the cycle until she managed to keep something down.

In the morning, after finishing two classes, Jiang Suihan returned to the office to rest and drink some water before her next two lessons.

As she entered, Dai Jia’s son, Youyou, was running around the room. Jiang Suihan quickly sidestepped, but still got bumped into slightly. Fortunately, she managed to catch herself by grabbing onto the door frame.

Once she steadied herself, a wave of fear washed over her. If she hadn’t caught herself and fallen, something terrible could have happened.

Dai Jia hurried over, grabbed her son, and gave him two light smacks on the bottom.

“I told you to behave and stop running around! You almost knocked into Auntie Jiang.”

Youyou’s eyes filled with tears. He was heartbroken, but when he saw his mom’s angry face, he started sobbing and glancing up cautiously. “Mom, don’t hit me. I won’t do it again.”

“Stop hitting him, he didn’t do it on purpose. Besides, I’m fine. Don’t scare the child.” During her pregnancy, Jiang Suihan was especially soft-hearted, and seeing the little boy get punished made her feel sympathetic.

Plus, Youyou looked so pitiful with his red, teary eyes. It melted her heart.

Dai Jia wasn’t one to hit her child hard, even if it looked severe. In reality, she hadn’t used much force, worried that she might hurt him. Now, she would have to comfort her son, which could be tricky.

“Hurry up and apologize to Auntie Jiang. Tell her you didn’t do it on purpose and ask for her forgiveness.”

Youyou, holding his sore bottom, sniffled, “Auntie Jiang, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. Will you forgive me?”

“Of course, Auntie Jiang forgives you. You’re a good boy who knows how to correct his mistakes. Here’s a candy for you as a reward.” Jiang Suihan pulled out a piece of candy from her pocket and placed it in his small hand.

“Say thank you to Auntie Jiang.” Dai Jia didn’t stop her son from accepting the candy. Usually, his candy intake was strictly limited, and he’d already had his daily piece in the morning. But since he had just been through a scare, she decided to make an exception.

After calming her son down, Dai Jia glanced at Jiang Suihan’s belly, “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you need to go to the hospital to check?”

“It’s fine. I just got startled, nothing serious. I’m not that fragile. Don’t keep scolding Youyou, he was already scared enough.” Jiang Suihan shook her head. She knew her own body well.  She didn’t feel any discomfort in her stomach.

“Got it. Since you’ve already spoken up for him, how could I beat him again?” Dai Jia smiled.

She had already given birth to a child, so from some of Jiang Suihan’s recent behaviors, she suspected she might be pregnant. However, Jiang Suihan hadn’t said anything, and Dai Jia didn’t pry. In some places, it’s customary not to announce a pregnancy until after the first three months, fearing that doing so might offend the ‘fetal spirit,’ making it harder to keep the child.

In the middle of the night, Jiang Suihan woke up thirsty. She got up to drink some water and planned to go downstairs to use the bathroom.

Suddenly, it seemed like someone was knocking on the door. Her legs went weak with fright, her face turned pale, and her forehead broke out in sweat. Instinctively, she held her breath and stared nervously at the courtyard gate.

The knocking stopped. Just as she began to relax, she heard movement outside again. A dark figure appeared over the courtyard wall. The figure was tall and quickly jumped down from the wall.

Jiang Suihan was so scared she could hardly breathe. She grabbed a nearby wooden stick, pressing herself tightly against the wall, motionless, preparing to surprise the intruder when they approached.

Alone at home with just a pregnant woman and a child, she had to strike accurately, ensuring no future danger.

Suddenly, a gust of wind passed beside her. Xu Zhao, always on alert, reached out and grabbed the air. With a forceful tug, the person holding the stick stumbled forward.

He wrapped his arms around her, chuckling softly, “Trying to kill your husband, huh?”

Jiang Suihan’s heart raced, her back soaked in cold sweat. She thought she was done for, but then she heard a familiar voice. She froze for a second, finally realizing what had happened.

Unable to suppress her anger, she pounded her small fists on Xu Zhao’s chest, gritting her teeth, “I was really about to! You came back without saying a word, sneaking around like a thief in the middle of the night. You scared me half to death!”

She was terrified. In that moment, countless thoughts flashed through her mind—thieves, murderers, and even spies.

“I didn’t want to wake you. Is there any food left? I haven’t had dinner and I’m starving.” Xu Zhao nonchalantly changed the subject. He had rushed home without stopping, skipping both lunch and dinner, only managing to grab a couple of steamed buns earlier.

“Wait here.” Jiang Suihan glared at him. It was almost the early hours of the next day, and he hadn’t eaten yet? He should be glad he didn’t starve to death.

She lit a candle and opened the kitchen cabinets to see what was left. There was a bit of flour left, but making noodles would take too long. Suddenly, she had an idea. She could make a quick dough ball soup.

Ten minutes later, she had finished cooking the cabbage and dough ball soup. She had planned to add two eggs, but after searching, she remembered they had run out a few days ago.

Pregnancy really does make one forgetful—her memory has worsened.

Xu Zhao ate from a large, full bowl. He must have been starving, as he kept his head down, eating in silence.

“Slow down.” Watching him eat like that, Jiang Suihan couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t too hot for him. She couldn’t handle eating food that was too hot.

Unable to stop herself, she yawned. Feeling a bit sleepy, she propped her chin on her hands, idly staring at Xu Zhao. A stubble had grown around his mouth, his side profile was sharp, and his jawline was clear and smooth. His hair had grown a bit long, giving him a disheveled yet refined look.

For some reason, Jiang Suihan’s heart skipped a beat. This image of him really struck a chord with her.

Feeling the intense gaze from beside him, Xu Zhao couldn’t help but notice. As he slowed down, eating more leisurely, he glanced up at Jiang Suihan, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Tonight, she seemed unusually enthusiastic.

Meeting Xu Zhao’s meaningful gaze, Jiang Suihan quickly averted her eyes. She spotted a large bag on the floor. “What’s inside?”

“Why don’t you open it and see for yourself?” Xu Zhao avoided answering directly, urging her to find out on her own.

Curious, Jiang Suihan found a pair of scissors and cut the rope securing the bag. She pulled out the contents one by one. A large pack of beef jerky, two cans of milk powder, three packs of milk tablets, and some walnuts and raisins.

Everything was food, nearly piling up like a small mountain. Carrying all of this back must have been exhausting for him.

“Huh? What’s this?” Jiang Suihan held up a beautifully colored piece of clothing. When she unfolded it, she saw it was a shawl, intricately embroidered with bright patterns, full of ethnic charm.

Her eyes lit up as she looked at Xu Zhao, “Is this for me?”

“There’s a village nearby where the elderly weave these shawls. I found them interesting and bought two,” Xu Zhao replied casually, without mentioning that he had to persuade the old lady for a long time before she agreed to sell them to him.

That elderly lady was known for her weaving skills in the village. Originally, these two shawls were meant for her granddaughters as part of their dowry. After Xu Zhao explained why he wanted them, she was initially unwilling to sell. But after her family members convinced her, saying they could use the money to help the younger men in the family find wives, she finally agreed.

“There’s another one?” Jiang Suihan beamed as she eagerly tried on the shawl.

She had only jokingly told him to bring back some local specialties, but she never expected such a pleasant surprise.

Xu Zhao propped his chin with one hand, smiling as he watched her try on the shawl over and over again, patiently responding that it looked good each time.

Later, when they went to bed, Jiang Suihan felt like she had forgotten something, but she was too tired to figure out what. The moment her head hit the pillow, she fell fast asleep.