Chapter 94

He Cuixiang frowned, her tone far from pleasant.

“What are you doing here?”

He Chunhua stood timidly next to their mother, her head lowered, too afraid to speak.

“How can you speak like that?” Mother He walked over and shot He Cuixiang a glare. “Chunhua was really worried when she heard about you. Why can’t you say something nice?”

He Cuixiang felt a twinge of guilt.

“Mom, that’s not what I meant…”

“Your sister knows she was wrong,” Mother He said, noticing He Cuixiang’s change in expression. She gestured to He Chunhua. “She came here to apologize to you.”

“Sister,” He Chunhua quickly admitted her mistake. “I thought it through and realized I was wrong.”

Mother He understood He Chunhua’s feelings. For the past six months, she had been trying to find a suitable match for her. But after seeing life in the military family compound and interacting with military officers, He Chunhua could no longer look at the village boys who just worked the fields.

Every time she tried to find someone, it ended in failure.

Mother and Father He were exhausted by the situation, and their patience with their daughter was wearing thin.

He Chunhua sensed her parents’ frustration.

When news about He Cuixiang’s situation came, she bravely approached her parents for help.

Mother He didn’t want to bring her along, but Father He thought it would be better to search for a suitable match in the military than to let her continue making a mess of things.

“Let’s hope you truly feel that way.”

He Cuixiang rubbed her belly.

The couple was happily married, and her younger sister wasn’t particularly pretty. If she didn’t give up, they would both end up embarrassed. After all, she was lying in a hospital bed and couldn’t do anything about it.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to take good care of her,” Mother He said, placing the things she brought on the bedside table. “What are you still standing there for? Go get some hot water.”

He Chunhua quickly nodded.

“Okay, I’ll go right away.”

Mother He helped He Cuixiang sit up against the headboard. “How did things end up like this?”

Worried sick, she and Father He had rushed over on the next available train after hanging up the phone.

Perhaps seeing her family made He Cuixiang look a lot better.

“Your mother-in-law is anxious, but with the second daughter-in-law just having given birth, she doesn’t want to leave her side,” Mother He said while sorting through the things she brought. “Everything in this bag is from her.”

He Cuixiang looked at the large bag, touched by her mother-in-law’s kindness.

“Did Mom say anything?”

“What could she say?” Mother He took out ten yuan from her pocket and handed it over. “Your mother-in-law wants you to take care of yourself. She’ll come back when it’s time for you to give birth.”

He Cuixiang accepted the money.

Her mother-in-law was like that—trying to be fair to everyone. However, she didn’t know how long Mother Wu had saved up this money, and she couldn’t accept it. She would find time to ask Wu Gang to send it back.

“Mom…”

Before she could finish her sentence, several people suddenly rushed into the room.

He Cuixiang was surprised to see them. “What are you all doing here?”

“The weather is nice today, so we came to see you,” Sister Lin said, looking at Mother He. “So this is your mother?”

Sister Lin was the oldest among them, not much younger than Mother He. It wouldn’t be appropriate to call her “aunt,” so they referred to her as “sister.”

“And you are?”

“Mom, let me introduce you,” He Cuixiang said, looking more energetic. “This is Sister Lin and Sister Wang. If I have any questions, I can ask them. And the prettiest one here is Sister Ruan, Commander Xie’s wife.”

Mother He greeted everyone, and when she saw Ruan Mingfu, her eyes lit up with astonishment.

“Oh my, this is the first time I’ve seen such a pretty girl in my life.”

Though Mother He was warm on the outside, she felt a pang of jealousy inside.

Her daughter was too confident.

How could she dare to compete for a man with such beauty? It was like asking for trouble. Just look at Ruan Mingfu’s figure and looks… Anyone with eyes would know how to choose.

Mother He immediately felt that He Cuixiang had done a good job in stopping her.

She was clear-headed, like her!

“Auntie,” Ruan Mingfu smiled, “you’re making me blush with all that praise.”

Mother He smiled back.

“It’s not flattery; I’m just speaking the truth,” she said, glancing at the others. “Don’t you all agree?”

“Yes, there is no one more beautiful than my sister-in-law in the family compound.”

It was Hu Wanning who spoke, “Cuixiang, how are you?”

“Don’t worry,” He Cuixiang said, her face a bit pale but her spirits high. “The doctor said I can be discharged the day after tomorrow. As long as I rest well, everything will be fine.”

Sister Lin breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. You really scared us!”

Li Xianglan nodded vigorously beside her.

She was five months pregnant, though wearing a military coat made it less noticeable. However, her face had noticeably rounded out since the news broke.

“Mom, bring over a chair,” He Cuixiang instructed, unable to move. “Xianglan is pregnant and shouldn’t stand for too long.”

“No need for that,” Sister Wang, who was standing beside the chair, quickly handed one over. “Cuixiang, you probably don’t know, but Mingfu is also expecting.”

He Cuixiang’s eyes lit up with surprise as she turned to look at Ruan Mingfu.

“Really?”

“Do you think I’d lie to you?” Sister Wang sighed. “Now you three are all set!”

Ruan Mingfu met He Cuixiang’s gaze. “I just found out a few days ago. I’m two months along.”

“That’s wonderful…”

He Chunhua came back from fetching water and heard what Mother He said. When she saw Ruan Mingfu, who looked like a crabapple, sitting beside the bed, her hand holding the kettle tightened.

She bit her lip, suppressing her jealousy, and walked over with a casual demeanor.

“You took so long to get water,” Mother He scolded, slightly displeased. “What took you so long?”

She took the kettle and poured some into a cup to let it cool.

“Mom, it’s Chunhua’s first time at the hospital. She’ll get the hang of it soon.”

“Chunhua seems to be looking much better after going home,” Sister Lin remarked to Mother He. “You’re truly blessed to have two good daughters.”

Every mother loves to hear such compliments.

“They can be quite disappointing,” Mother He said with a smile, revealing a few teeth. Her gaze toward Sister Lin was friendlier than usual. “I’ll only breathe a sigh of relief when they’re both married off.”

Sister Lin’s eyes brightened. “Chunhua doesn’t have a partner yet. I know some great young men…”

Mother He’s eyes also lit up.

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

Sister Lin is also very capable. She acts as a matchmaker wherever she goes.

Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly felt a strong gaze on her. Turning her head, she caught sight of He Chunhua looking away guiltily.

…That’s odd.

After a while, noticing He Cuixiang looked weary, everyone decided to leave.

Mother He organized the items brought by the visitors. “Those sisters-in-law are nice to come and check on you.”

“All the men are soldiers under Commander Xie, and Sister Ruan’s temperament is so pleasant,” He Cuixiang said, taking a sip of water. “Of course, she feels closer to us than others.”

Thinking about Ruan Mingfu’s demeanor, Mother He glanced over at the thoughtful He Chunhua.

“Just give up. I’m moved by such beauty, let alone a man. Besides, it was just a matchmaking; whether it will work out or not is another matter. You don’t have to blame them. If that Commander Xie was interested in you, it wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

“Mom,” He Chunhua pressed her lips together, hiding her unwillingness, “I’ve long forgotten about that!”

Mother He pursed her lips, knowing the truth behind her words.

“Ah!” Mother He exclaimed, opening the thermos. “There’s soup… It smells so good. Let me pour you a bowl while it’s hot.”

Upon seeing the whole pigeon inside and a ginseng root the thickness of a finger, she was astonished.

“Wow, how much did it cost to make this soup?”

As soon as the soup was poured, the entire room filled with its aroma.

He Cuixiang took a glance and felt touched.

“It was prepared by Sister Ruan.”

“Well, we must thank her properly,” Mother He said, swallowing her saliva as she inhaled the fragrant scent. “This soup is great for boosting your energy. You should drink it quickly.”

She fished out the small ginseng and planned to buy a chicken tomorrow to stew it together. Such good ingredients shouldn’t go to waste.

He Cuixiang nodded.

After finishing the hearty soup, she said, “Mom, you and Chunhua should eat the pigeon. I can’t manage it.”

“Why should we supplement each other’s health?” Mother He put the pigeon in the thermos. “I’ll heat it up again for you at night. But your sister-in-law is too extravagant…”

Thinking about it now, Mother He still feels heartbroken.

He Cuixiang chuckled and was about to lie down to rest when she decided to share everything that had happened with Ruan Mingfu over the past few months with He Chunhua.

“My goodness, this girl is too amazing,” Mother He said in disbelief. “She even built a factory… her brother is too rich.”

He Chunhua: “…”

How could she feel jealous now?

The gap between them wasn’t wide enough for jealousy to flourish. In contrast to Ruan Mingfu, He Chunhua could only look up in admiration.

He Cuixiang glanced at her and noticed the struggle in her eyes.

Hopefully, she can wake up to her reality and live her life well.

…

Ever since Aunt Zhang arrived, Ruan Mingfu’s days have been nothing short of blissful.

She never pried into the relationship between Xie Yanzhao and Ruan Mingfu, not even asking a single question. Besides, Aunt Zhang was a great cook, nourishing her to a glossy finish, and even the family dog had gained a bit of weight.

When she learned Ruan Mingfu was pregnant, Aunt Zhang was overjoyed.

This morning, Ruan Mingfu, whose pregnancy was beginning to show, experienced some morning sickness. She quickly pulled out radishes from the garden, cut them into thin strips, salted them to draw out the moisture, and then marinated them with spices.

The tangy, spicy, and crunchy flavor was irresistible to Ruan Mingfu.

Hu Wanning, curious, tried a bite and found herself hooked as well.

“Aunt Zhang’s cooking is amazing. It’s nearly as good as my mom’s!”

“Of course!”

Even if she wasn’t directly complimenting Ruan Mingfu, it didn’t stop her from feeling on top of the world.

“I saw Yazhao brought a duck today. We’ll have ginger duck for dinner tonight. This dish is perfect for this weather,” Aunt Zhang said.

Hu Wanning’s eyes lit up. “Aunt Zhang, can you make ginger duck?”

“I grew up in Fujian with my parents,” Aunt Zhang replied. Though she was older, she looked similar to Mother He. “Everyone there knows how to make it, and I learned from an old woman.”

“That’s great! Can you teach me?”

For Hu Wanning, nothing was more important than good food.

Just as Aunt Zhang was about to agree, a young man walked in, his eyes brightening when he saw Ruan Mingfu.

“Sister-in-law,” Bai Qingnian said, shaking the snow off his clothes. “I saw your letter in the mailroom, so I brought it over for you.”

Ruan Mingfu took the letter suspiciously and recognized the handwriting only when she looked at the signature.

It was sent by Second Sister Hu. She felt the thick envelope and wondered what was inside.

As she opened it and pulled out the contents, she was stunned to find a remittance slip for one thousand yuan on top.

“So much money?!”