Chapter 65.1

The next day, Xiao Zhou returned from the Lu family with Lu Nong’s red bean jade pendant and 550 yuan from the Lu family, as well as a house deed. Lu Moxing promised to move out of the house within three days.

Lu Nong was not interested in Lu Moxing’s house because it was too close to Father Lu and Mother Lu’s home. She wanted to sell it and use the money to buy a new place.

In fact, buying a house at this time was not ideal. In the 1980s, one could buy a courtyard house in the capital for just over ten thousand yuan, which was the best time to buy a house.

The main reason why Lu Nong wanted to buy a house was to convert her spare money into real estate to preserve its value. Also, as a wealthy mother, Lu Nong planned to buy a house for each of her son and daughter as a coming-of-age gift for their 18th birthdays.

Pei Zheng would also receive a house, with the money deducted from the savings account Pei Ji’an had given her.

However, when Xiao Zhou inquired about it, he learned that during this time, all housing in the country belonged to the state. In principle, houses could not be bought or sold freely, only rented. The rental fees were low, costing just a few dimes, and with units distributing housing, almost no one spent money to buy property.

It seemed that even if she sold the house, the price would be extremely low.

After hearing this, Lu Nong gave up on selling the house. She withdrew her savings and asked Xiao Zhou to help her buy a modestly priced property, deciding not to buy too much at first and to test the waters.

On New Year’s Eve, the family busied themselves all night preparing a large feast. There were no Spring Festival galas in the 1960s, so after enjoying a wonderful meal together, they started to keep vigil for the New Year. Lu Nong dozed off on the sofa as they waited.

When midnight struck, Pei Ji’an asked Pei Zheng to go outside to set off firecrackers. Lu Nong woke up, squinting as she covered her son’s ears. Xiao Huai covered the ears of the little white dog, and outside, the firecrackers went off with loud “bangs.” Soon, the sounds of firecrackers from other families filled the air, making it seem like the entire city was celebrating.

“Go to sleep,” Pei Ji’an gently told Lu Nong, who was still on the sofa.

“Hmm…” After setting off the firecrackers, Lu Nong fell asleep completely.

With no other choice, Pei Ji’an bent down to pick up Lu Nong and carried her to their bedroom.

The next morning, as Lu Nong came downstairs for breakfast, Pei Zheng, Xiao Huai, and Xiao Bai were waiting at the foot of the stairs. Upon seeing Lu Nong, they all rushed over.

“Happy New Year, stepmother!” Pei Zheng exclaimed.

“Happy New Year, Mama!” Xiao Huai chimed in.

“Woof woof!” Xiao Bai barked.

After that, the dog extended its paw, looking eagerly at Lu Nong.

Lu Nong: “…”

“Okay…” She pulled out two red envelopes from behind her back and handed one to each of them. Pei Zheng slyly opened his envelope for a peek, but after seeing the contents, he complained, “Only twenty cents! That’s not even enough to buy a piece of candy.”

Lu Nong smiled mischievously. Like many modern adults who trick children into thinking they will receive more money, she cleared her throat and stretched out her hands. “Xiao Zheng, Xiao Huai, since you two are still young, let’s temporarily have Mama hold onto your New Year money. When you grow up, I’ll return it to you, okay?”

Xiao Huai didn’t fully understand, but since his mom asked for it, he obediently returned the freshly received red envelope to her.

Pei Zheng was completely shocked and could not hold back his words. “Are you serious? Only twenty cents, and you want to trick it back? You’re even scamming little kids!”

Lu Nong became displeased. While she admitted to tricking children, what was wrong with twenty cents?

“Don’t underestimate the value of twenty cents. It can buy a lot of things, so don’t give it back to me.”

Pei Zheng bit his lip but ultimately didn’t return the money. “You’re so stingy!”

Lu Nong scoffed. “Haha, how much did your dad give you for New Year’s money?”

Pei Zheng: “…” Does he dare to ask the old man for a red envelope? Does he dare? Does he dare?

In the end, the fifty cents given by Aunt Wu turned out to be the highest denomination received during the New Year, and Pei Zheng felt there was no way to stay in this family any longer!

He wants to run away from home with his baby brother!

After the New Year, Lu Nong was three months pregnant, and her belly had started to show a slight curve. The whole family treated her like a rare treasure. After the incident where Lu Wenqiang almost bumped into Lu Nong, they were extra cautious, afraid she would get hurt, even insisting on accompanying her when she went for a walk.

Pei Zheng and Gu Huai became the main companions for walks. Every evening, the trio—one adult, two children, and a little white dog—strolled around, becoming a unique sight in the compound.

Huaihuai led the way, holding the little white dog’s leash, Pei Zheng was at the rear, and Lu Nong was walking in the middle. When she met someone she knew, she would stop and talk to them. Pei Zheng was getting very impatient, but he still stayed by Lu Nong’s side silently.

Gu Xiaohuai became even more obedient. Ever since his family told him that his mother was pregnant and needed a man’s protection, Gu Xiaohuai stayed by Lu Nong’s side every day. Whenever he had time, he would talk to the baby and tell him through her belly to be good and not to make his mother sad.

No matter whether it was Lu Nong, other family members, or outsiders, their hearts melted when they saw Gu Xiaohuai like this, and everyone loved Gu Xiaohuai.

The other mothers in the compound felt jealous when they saw how Pei Zheng and Gu Xiaohuai were protecting Lu Nong so diligently. They all had sons, and one of them was not even their biological son. Why were other people’s sons so obedient and so fond of their mothers? Were their own sons born in vain?

Lu Nong was unaware of the envy surrounding her. She began experiencing morning sickness and became extremely sensitive to smells. She couldn’t stand the scent of shoe polish, cooking oil, or even the smell of the dog. Any strong smell would make her nauseous.

She couldn’t eat anything with even a hint of odor. No matter what she ingested, she would end up throwing it up, and she visibly lost weight.

The family felt helpless until one day, Lu Nong suddenly expressed that she had no taste in her mouth and wanted to eat sour dates.

Since it was still the New Year holiday and the supply and marketing cooperative was closed, Pei Ji’an had to call his comrades in Beijing one by one to ask who had sour dates. After being teased by his old comrades, he drove across most of Beijing at midnight to bring back some sour dates, which finally restored Lu Nong’s appetite.

Once Lu Nong’s appetite returned, her cravings became unpredictable. One day, she wanted spicy chicken cubes, and the next day, she craved sour spicy noodles. After eating sour spicy noodles for five or six consecutive days, she grew tired of them and started craving Chinese toon^[1]Chinese toon, or Xiangchun (香椿), is the young leaves and shoots of the Chinese mahogany tree. It’s a popular ingredient in Chinese cuisine, especially in spring when it’s freshly … Continue reading.

But it was winter. Where would she find Chinese toon?

No matter how skilled Aunt Wu was in the kitchen, she couldn’t replicate the taste of Chinese toon with other ingredients.

Without Chinese toon, Lu Nong felt sad. When she was upset, she isolated herself, sitting alone on the bed in their bedroom, shedding tears and looking both pitiful and adorable.

Pei Ji’an had no choice but to hold her gently and soothe her until she fell asleep.

There was a standard process for soothing her. First, he would softly pat her back, not too light nor too heavy. Then, he would tell her a story with a happy ending. Once she fell asleep, he would kiss her forehead, ensuring every step was completed.

To check if Pei Ji’an remembered the last step, she would pretend to be asleep. He, of course, wouldn’t take shortcuts, but when he realized she was pretending, he playfully gave her a few taps on her bottom as a lesson.

This stirred up a hornet’s nest. Lu Nong cried out in grievance, her tears and snot finding their way onto Pei Ji’an’s clothes. He was both amused and exasperated, having to comfort her again and promise not to spank her anymore to stop her tears.

After the incident, Lu Nong couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, wishing she could disappear. It became one of her most regrettable memories.

After a chaotic month, Lu Nong entered her fourth month of pregnancy, and the morning sickness subsided. She entered a phase where she could eat heartily.

To make up for the lack of nutrition the previous month, Aunt Wu started preparing a variety of delicious dishes, much to the delight of the family. Pei Zheng even gained more weight than Lu Nong, the pregnant one.

Lu Nong’s body was not prone to gaining weight. Apart from her growing belly, her limbs remained slender. However, her breasts developed, and her hips became more curvy, enhancing her figure.

Whether it was Aunt Wu’s nourishing meals or not, after a month, Lu Nong’s skin became moisturized and fair, and her hair not only didn’t fall out but also grew shinier and thicker. She radiated a gentle charm that was hard to ignore.

By the fifth month, Lu Nong’s belly was showing. Wearing loose clothes, her pregnancy was evident, and she had to sleep on her side.

Families in the compound who had a good relationship with Lu Nong began visiting her. Her neighbor, Huo Xiaoling, also came over. Although Lu Nong wasn’t particularly keen on dealing with her, she welcomed Huo Xiaoling to the living room sofa and offered her fruit.

Seeing Lu Nong looking so beautiful, Huo Xiaoling sighed worriedly and said, “Sister, have you been craving spicy food lately?”

“Not really,” Lu Nong replied. She had heard the saying that girls crave sour and boys crave spicy, but she didn’t have a particular craving for either. She liked both spicy and sour foods.

Huo Xiaoling patted Lu Nong’s hand and said, “I tell you, a daughter makes the mother beautiful, a son makes the mother ugly. My skin was very good when I gave birth to a daughter, and you may be pregnant with a daughter. But you’re still young, so have a daughter first, and then a son later to complete the family.”

Lu Nong touched her face, realizing why Aunt Wu had hesitated to speak when she saw her recently. Aunt Wu must have guessed she was having a girl. This mindset was common in that era, where having a son was often seen as more favorable than having a daughter.

However, Lu Nong preferred a daughter. She couldn’t wait to have a girl; girls were so wonderful, clever, and cute. She imagined being able to wear matching outfits with her daughter when she grew up.

“Sister, are you serious? Am I really having a girl?” Lu Nong asked excitedly for confirmation.

Huo Xiaoling: “…..”