At that time, the hospital didn’t have ultrasound machines.

Pregnancy was usually confirmed through urine tests, and there weren’t systematic prenatal exams.

Most people didn’t even have the concept of prenatal care.

Shi Qin shook her head and grabbed Chu Xia’s hand. “I trust you. Can you tell me what precautions I should take now that I’m pregnant?”

Chu Xia handed her the notes she had been writing. “I’ve prepared everything for you. Read through it, and if you have any questions, just ask. But I still recommend you get a checkup from the Western medicine department as well.”

Shi Qin nodded, acknowledging Chu Xia’s advice.

There were indeed some things on the paper that Shi Qin didn’t understand, so she asked Chu Xia for a long time.

Since Chu Xia didn’t have any other patients at the moment, she patiently explained and gave her a lot of information about things pregnant women should pay attention to.

“However, you don’t need to be overly cautious. Being too nervous isn’t good either. Just act like you normally would, as if you’re not pregnant. Be careful not to bump into anything, avoid foods that are harmful to pregnant women and the baby, and make sure to get proper nutrition.”

Shi Qin kept Chu Xia’s advice in mind, clutching the paper Chu Xia had given her as if it were a decree from heaven, and left the clinic.

Chu Xia continued reading her book.

That evening, while Chu Xia’s family was having dinner, Ye Xingsu excitedly arrived at Chu Xia’s house, bringing Shi Qin along.

“Cen Zhengnian, I’m going to be a dad! Haha!”

Cen Zhengnian glanced at him and, still eating, said, “Congratulations, but I’ve been a dad for a while now.”

Since Cen Huai’an was already over ten years old, Cen Zhengnian wasn’t particularly envious of Ye Xingsu just now becoming a father.

Ye Xingsu didn’t mind Cen Zhengnian’s attitude and remained as excited as ever.

He even went over to Chu Xia to thank her.

If Chu Xia hadn’t noticed that Shi Qin was pregnant, neither of them, being inexperienced, would have known, and they might have lost the baby.

After all, Chu Xia had clearly written on the list of precautions that couples should avoid certain activities in the first three months of pregnancy, as it could lead to a miscarriage.

Just two days before going to the hospital, Shi Qin and Ye Xingsu had still been engaging in such activities.

Shi Qin felt too embarrassed to bring it up to Chu Xia, but Ye Xingsu, worried about the baby’s health, thickened his skin and asked Chu Xia about the condition of the fetus.

“The baby is very healthy. I could feel a strong pulse. You don’t need to worry.”

Relieved, Ye Xingsu sat down in Chu Xia’s house and asked her many more questions, fully demonstrating his excitement as a new father.

Only after a long while did he leave with Shi Qin.

This year, winter came a little earlier.

Cen Huai’an had grown taller, so Chu Xia decided to take advantage of her day off on Sunday to take him to the mall to buy some clothes.

Now, in the capital, besides department stores, a newly opened mall offered a wider selection of goods and better service, taking away much of the department stores’ business.

Today, Chu Xia was accompanied by Luo Peng and Jiang Zhiguan, who also brought their children along.

Jiang Weixian’s mother didn’t have much interaction with Chu Xia and her group, and their relationship wasn’t as close.

“Chu Xia, do you think this coat would be suitable for An An? I think the style is quite elegant, and the color is just right.”

Luo Peng held up a cotton jacket and compared it against Cen Huai’an’s body. The mall not only had cotton jackets but also down jackets, and you could find all the trendy items there.

Chu Xia took a step back to look and said, “It works. An An, do you like it?”

Cen Huai’an had no particular opinion about what clothes to buy; he didn’t care about these things, much like his father, Cen Zhengnian.

So, he nodded, and Chu Xia told him to take off his coat and try it on.

As soon as An An put it on, he instantly looked like a young nobleman from a distinguished family.

The clothes seemed to make his complexion appear even better—though that might have been due to the lighting.

Chu Xia felt the fabric and the thickness of the jacket, then asked the store clerk for one size larger for Cen Huai’an to try on.

The larger size was a bit looser, but it would allow for layering underneath, whereas the first size fit snugly and would be tight if he wore a sweater.

Chu Xia ended up buying the larger size.

Unlike her brother and sister, Jiang Weixi loved buying new clothes.

Whenever she saw a pretty outfit, she would want to try it on, and Luo Peng had to hold her back from time to time.

Otherwise, she’d be running off to another pile of clothes before you knew it.

“Mom! Mom! Skirt!”

Jiang Weixi had a particular fondness for skirts and couldn’t move past them whenever she saw one.

Luo Peng, however, wouldn’t indulge her every whim.

If she wasn’t allowed to try something, she wouldn’t let her, no matter how much Jiang Weixi cried.

As they were browsing, a delighted voice suddenly reached Chu Xia’s ears: “Chu Xia! An An!”

The voice sounded familiar to Chu Xia, so she turned her head and saw Guan Yan walking toward her with a boy shorter than An An.

“You?”

“Chu Xia, don’t you recognize me? I’m Guan Yan. We were neighbors for a long time at the textile factory compound.”

“I remember.” Chu Xia’s cheerful expression disappeared, and her mood visibly cooled.

“I just didn’t expect to run into you here.”

It wouldn’t be wrong to call it a fateful encounter.

Guan Yan kept smiling. “I didn’t expect it either. It shows we’re really destined. After you and An An moved, none of us knew you had moved to the capital.”

Chu Xia replied, “No one else knows either.”

Guan Yan’s gaze shifted between Chu Xia and her companions, and her smile deepened. “We’ve moved to the capital too. I don’t know many people here, but since we both came from Liangzhou to the capital, why don’t we have a meal together sometime and keep in touch?”

Chu Xia declined outright, “We’re not free for a meal right now, sorry. There are people waiting for us at home. We should get going.”

Guan Yan had hoped to chat more with Chu Xia, especially about getting An An and her son Qi Ming together to play in the future.

However, Chu Xia and her group had already walked away, leaving Guan Yan no choice but to give up.

“Mom, why do we even bother talking to Cen Huai’an’s mom when she’s so cold?”

“You don’t understand.” Guan Yan tapped her son’s forehead. “I’m not talking to her. I’m talking to the connections behind her.”

For Guan Yan, the fact that Chu Xia’s family had been able to move to the capital and establish themselves—plus the fact that her companions had such elegant appearances—indicated that Chu Xia had significant connections in the capital.

Guan Yan’s family had only just moved to the capital and needed someone to help them quickly gain a foothold.

Being old neighbors from Liangzhou made Chu Xia the perfect person to approach.

The problem was that for some reason, Luo Chuxia had been wary of her since they first met.

Guan Yan had been able to build relationships with many people, but with Luo Chuxia, no method seemed to work.

But Guan Yan wasn’t relying on just one strategy.

She had other plans in mind.

Chu Xia’s mood soured after running into Guan Yan and Qi Ming, and she didn’t want to continue shopping.

Jiang Zhiguan and Luo Peng sensed her change in mood.

As soon as they left the mall, Jiang Zhiguan asked, “That woman just now—did she do something bad to you or An An?”

Chu Xia shook her head. “No, I just don’t like their family.”

Cen Huai’an grabbed Chu Xia’s hand. “Mom, I don’t like them either.”

Jiang Zhiguan immediately took their side. “If you don’t like them, then they must be bad people. The capital is so big, and they don’t know where you live. You probably won’t run into them again.”

Chu Xia thought to herself: Yes, the capital is so big, so why did we run into them here? Is the plotline really that strong?

Since she hadn’t encountered Guan Yan and her child again, Chuxia temporarily put the matter out of her mind.

However, after returning home, she reminded Cen Huai’an, “Qi Ming and his mother are getting close to us with a purpose. Remember to be cautious if you meet them in the future.”

Cen Huai’an, who was helping Chuxia set the table with the roast duck they bought that day, responded with a simple “mm.”

He didn’t like Qi Ming and wouldn’t interact with him much in the future.

Shi Qin hadn’t told anyone about her pregnancy, but she praised Chuxia’s medical skills in the family compound, saying that Chuxia’s skills were excellent. Some people countered, “She just graduated from university and lacks experience. How can she compare to seasoned traditional Chinese medicine doctors?”

Shi Qin argued loudly, “You haven’t been to Chuxia for a check-up, so how do you know her skills aren’t as good as those old doctors? I’m saying this because I’ve been there myself.”

The people in the family compound stopped focusing on Chuxia and immediately asked her why she had gone to see a doctor and what illness she had.

Their concern was mixed with a sense of gossip.

Shi Qin didn’t want to discuss her gynecological issues, but if she didn’t explain why she sought medical help, people would make up their own stories about her condition.

Since she was nearly three months pregnant, Shi Qin decided to be straightforward: “She figured out I was pregnant with just one pulse check, and when she told me what to watch out for, she was very patient. My urine test results matched exactly what she said.”

“You’re pregnant?”

“How many months along?”

“Do you have strong symptoms?”

These people had no pressing health concerns of their own, so they were more interested in Shi Qin’s pregnancy than in Chuxia’s medical skills.

Shi Qin realized that promoting Chuxia in the family compound wasn’t very effective since people were more interested in her pregnancy.

She was exhausted by the questions and managed to excuse herself from the enthusiastic neighbors, heading to Chuxia’s home to drink a glass of warm water.

“What’s wrong? You look like you’re being chased by wolves,” Chuxia observed as she poured another glass of water for Shi Qin.

Shi Qin sat on the couch, took a deep breath, and said, “Those gossipy women in the family compound are scarier than wolves. I couldn’t handle their questions.”

Chuxia, sitting beside her, asked casually as she drank her water, “What did they ask you?”

Shi Qin recounted the conversation with the neighbors and sighed, “I just wanted to help you get more patients, but all they cared about was my pregnancy.”

Chuxia looked at her with a mix of amusement and gratitude. “Thanks for the promotion. Since you’re in their presence and pregnancy is something everyone’s interested in, they aren’t focusing on my medical skills right now. But your promotion might still be effective; maybe they’ll remember me when they need medical help.”

Shi Qin nodded, agreeing with Chuxia’s perspective.

“Could you check how my baby is doing now?”

It had been a while since her last check-up. Shi Qin’s abdomen hadn’t shown much yet, and after the morning sickness ended, she felt a sense of unreality.

“Sure,” Chuxia said.

She took Shi Qin’s pulse and, after setting her hand down, smiled at Shi Qin, “Don’t worry, your baby is very healthy, and you’re doing great.”

Shi Qin breathed a sigh of relief. As a first-time mother, she worried about making mistakes.

Both she and Ye Xingxu had married late, and their baby was coming later too, making them both a bit anxious.

Shi Qin enjoyed visiting Chuxia’s home. Chuxia was patient during the check-ups and spoke in a soothing manner, which relaxed Shi Qin each time she returned from a visit.

In the family compound, everyone knew An An was well taken care of by Chuxia.

Despite being reserved, An An was polite, good at his studies, and sensible.

There were not many children in the compound who could match An An.

Others either had only one or two of his strengths or were just spoiled.

At this age, children around eight, nine, or ten are often troublesome and don’t understand much.

Every time Shi Qin saw An An, she hoped that her own child, whether a boy or girl, would be just as obedient and lovable as him.

Therefore, she also came to Chuxia’s home to see An An a few more times, hoping to have a child who resembled An An.

As the weather grew colder, Chuxia found herself appreciating the warmth of Cen Zhengnian’s body at night and couldn’t help but think how nice it was to have someone to warm the bed.

However, she didn’t dare let Cen Zhengnian know this, or he would use it as an excuse to make some requests that would make Chuxia blush.

Chuxia knew that Cen Zhengnian wasn’t as serious as he appeared, considering the little pamphlets in his room back in the Northwest.

Honestly, Chuxia enjoyed it. The two of them were increasingly in sync, and the perfect embrace of spirit and flesh was an indescribable feeling of bliss.

In mid-November, the registration for the city’s middle school math competition started again.

Cen Huai’an initially didn’t want to sign up.

He had already achieved the rank he wanted in the second year and proved his abilities.

With the upcoming entrance exams next semester, he preferred to focus on his studies.

However, Teacher Zhang, after a thorough search, found that none of the new students in the advanced math class this year could match Cen Huai’an’s abilities.

He had talked to Cen Huai’an many times, hoping he would represent the school one last time in his final year.