Chapter 6: Pregnancy

Liu Yinyin felt like she could just die at this moment.

How could she be this unlucky? She was already muddling through life on her own—what was she supposed to do now that there was going to be a child?

Her head felt like it was about to explode!

She wasn’t even sure if she was really pregnant. Liu Yinyin could only hope that all these reactions were just a coincidence.

During lunch, the whole family was in a cheerful mood. The stewed cabbage with pork was incredibly fragrant, with juicy slices of meat and crispy bits of pork fat. Every bite was full of rich, meaty flavor.

Even the normally bland cabbage tasted delicious, infused with the aroma of pork.

Liu Yinyin mechanically picked up a piece of cabbage and put it into her mouth…

But as soon as she did, a wave of nausea rolled through her. Covering her mouth, she dry-heaved twice and didn’t dare take another bite of the dish.

She spent the entire meal feeling anxious and unsettled.

With her mind occupied by thoughts of pregnancy, Liu Yinyin had no motivation to do any work.

In the afternoon, she couldn’t hold back anymore and bought a pregnancy test from the system.

She endured several agonizing minutes before the results appeared on the test stick—two bright red lines.

Liu Yinyin’s heart sank into despair.

She really was pregnant!

What was she supposed to do now?

A chill ran through her heart. In her past life, she had been a proper, unmarried young woman. And now, out of nowhere, she had a child growing in her belly.

The feeling… was truly unbearable.

Liu Yinyin was completely at a loss. She had no idea how to break the news to her parents, nor did she know if they would be frightened out of their wits.

The next day, she still didn’t go to work.

Jiang Cuihua had spent the whole night worrying and hadn’t been able to sleep. She insisted that Liu Yinyin skip work and go to the hospital for a check-up. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to stop worrying about it.

Liu Yinyin had already used the pregnancy test, but she couldn’t exactly say that out loud.

Besides, pregnancy tests weren’t necessarily 100% accurate, right?

So, Liu Yinyin packed up and headed to the county town again. This time, she didn’t wander around.

Upon arriving, she went straight to the hospital.

The female doctor in the gynecology department first took her pulse, then glanced at her without saying much. Instead, she simply instructed Liu Yinyin to get a blood test.

She waited for nearly two hours before the results came out. Holding the test report, she went back to the doctor.

Without even looking up, the doctor said, “You’re pregnant—already two months along.”

Liu Yinyin instinctively touched her belly. The result was printed in black and white—there was no room for wishful thinking now.

Perhaps because she looked young and visibly panicked, the doctor glanced at her and asked, “Are you keeping the baby?”

Liu Yinyin was stunned. “…What?”

The doctor kept a neutral expression as she explained, “You’re already a couple of months in. If you’re not planning to keep it, you need to terminate the pregnancy soon. If you wait any longer, you won’t be able to.”

Liu Yinyin responded without hesitation, “No, doctor… I’m not planning to get rid of the baby.”

The unexpected pregnancy had caught her completely off guard.

To be honest, Liu Yinyin was mostly scared—lost, even. She had never given birth or raised a child before. She didn’t know a thing about it and was afraid she wouldn’t be able to handle it.

But no matter how overwhelmed she felt, she had never considered aborting the baby. After all, it was a life. She couldn’t be that heartless.

Hearing her answer, the doctor smiled faintly and said, “Your pulse suggests that this pregnancy isn’t very stable. You’ll need to get plenty of rest and make sure to eat nutritious food. It’s best to come back for a follow-up check-up in a while.”

“Unstable?” Liu Yinyin asked worriedly. “Will the baby be okay?”

Look at that—just yesterday, she had been so distressed about being pregnant that she couldn’t eat or sleep. And today, she was already worrying about the baby’s health.

Was this a mother’s instinct kicking in?

The doctor shook her head. “It’s nothing too serious. Just take good care of yourself during this period.”

Liu Yinyin let out a sigh of relief. After thanking the doctor, she left the hospital with the test report in hand.

Her mind was still a little dazed.

It was truly unbelievable—there was actually a little life growing inside her.

Now that there was an extra “piece of flesh” in her belly, Liu Yinyin felt uncomfortable all over. She didn’t dare make any sudden movements and even walked with extra caution.

Early in the morning, Jiang Cuihua stood at the doorway, anxiously looking around, waiting for her daughter. When she finally saw Liu Yinyin walking back slowly, she immediately pulled her into the house, closed the door, and asked, “Daughter, how did it go? You’re not pregnant, are you?”

Liu Yinyin sat down on the bed, took a deep breath, and remained silent. Instead, she reached into her pocket, pulled out the test results, and handed them over.

Jiang Cuihua quickly took the paper and opened it to read…

Sigh!

She was illiterate. What was the point of showing this to her?

“Mom.” Liu Yinyin glanced at her and said, “I’m pregnant. The doctor said it’s already two months along.”

In another two or three months, she would start to show. There was no way to keep it a secret.

“Oh, dear heavens, you really are pregnant…” Jiang Cuihua stared at her daughter’s stomach with a troubled expression.

This was exactly what she had feared. The ones who should have gotten pregnant hadn’t, and the one who shouldn’t have… had.

After a moment of hesitation, Jiang Cuihua cautiously suggested, “Yinyin, you’re still young. Given your current situation, this isn’t a good time to have a child. Maybe we should…”

She wanted to say, maybe we should get rid of it, but she just couldn’t bring herself to say those last few words. No matter what, this was her own grandchild.

But if Liu Yinyin gave birth, who would raise the child? Her daughter’s life would only become harder.

Liu Yinyin could see the concern in her mother’s eyes, but she remained firm and said seriously, “Mom, I want to keep this child.”

To be honest, Jiang Cuihua couldn’t bear the thought of forcing her daughter to abort either. After thinking for a moment, she asked, “How about this—have the baby, then take it to the Gu family and let them raise it?”

After all, the child was part of the Gu family’s bloodline. They wouldn’t just abandon it, right?

Liu Yinyin’s lips twitched.

Have her go through ten months of pregnancy just to give the baby to the Gu family?

Absolutely not!

“Mom, there’s something you probably don’t know.” Liu Yinyin recalled the original owner’s time in the Gu family.

Pausing for a moment, she continued, “When I was at the Gu household, Gu Cheng’s mother constantly accused me of being an improper wife, saying I went around seducing other men.”

The original Liu Yinyin had been extremely beautiful. In modern terms, she was the kind of girl who would turn heads wherever she went.

She couldn’t stop people from looking at her.

Over time, rumors spread around the village, making her the subject of gossip.

The Gu family was well-respected in the village, and when Gu Cheng’s mother heard these rumors, she started to suspect Liu Yinyin as well.

The entire family kept a close watch on her. If she even spoke a single word to another man, Gu Cheng’s mother would scold her for half a day, accusing her of being unfaithful and shaming her son.

And then there was Gu Cheng’s sister-in-law—once, when Liu Yinyin’s elder brother-in-law helped her carry a bucket of water, his wife saw it and immediately called her a shameless flirt, claiming that she seduced every man she met…

In short, life in the Gu household had been unbearable for the original Liu Yinyin, to the point that she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

…