Chapter 73: Wait, He Said She

“Huh?” Jiang Xiaochao held his little calf and looked confused. He didn’t dwell on it. Seeing him come back, knowing there was food, he bounced and skipped to get bowls and chopsticks.

“Mom, dinner is ready!” He called out in a small voice.

Hu Yao was asleep in the hall, still clutching the sweater she was knitting for him.

She had tossed and turned all night, sleeping poorly.

Hearing Jiang Xiaochao’s call, she slowly woke up. As she lifted her eyes, Jiang Han was already standing in front of her.

“He’s missing one or two pieces of clothes, what are you sleeping here for?” He took the half-knitted sweater from her hand, his tone displeased.

“Dinner.”

She was still drowsy. He took her hand, and she followed him, somewhat dazed.

After dinner, Hu Yao took her prenatal medicine and was ordered by Jiang Han to go back to her room to sleep.

She had just eaten and couldn’t sleep, but he insisted she sleep!

Hu Yao lay straight on the bed, feeling a little depressed. She listened to the sounds of the father and son talking outside the room, gradually losing consciousness and falling asleep.

For several days, Hu Yao either ate and slept or slept and ate. Jiang Han was out early and back late, but he would bring food back at mealtimes. If he found her doing anything, he would scold her harshly.

It wasn’t until Hu Yao finished her prenatal medicine that he took her for another checkup. The baby was stable, and he stopped restricting her so much.

Song Sikai and Du Ximei were going to hold a wedding banquet in a few days. While Hu Yao was confined to the house on bed rest, Du Ximei often came to chat with her, which kept her from getting bored.

After she told Du Ximei that Song Sikai was a shepherd, Song Sikai went out in the middle of the night, found a small flock of sheep, and put them on the mountain. He really managed to fool Du Ximei. Later, he gave all the sheep to her.

He bought mostly lambs. Jiang Xiaochao also liked the lambs. Recently, he had been herding his cows, and he had even gone to the mountains in the neighboring village to play with Song Sikai’s lambs.

Jiang Han wouldn’t let Hu Yao and Jiang Xiaochao go herding cows, so Du Ximei went with him instead. Their relationship grew closer as they herded cows and sheep.

Du Ximei even said she wanted to be Jiang Xiaochao’s godmother. She playfully teased Hu Yao about it, and Hu Yao asked Jiang Xiaochao’s opinion before agreeing with a smile.

“You’re going to marry Uncle Sikai?” Jiang Xiaochao clasped his hands expectantly as he waited for Du Ximei to start the fire. He distractedly said to her, “Uncle Sikai is not a good person, just like my dad.”

Du Ximei chuckled and winked at him. “Godmother knows. Godmother will make him a good person.”

She wasn’t a fool. Only Song Sikai, that fool, treated her like a fool. He even deceived her! Since that was the case, she would make sure he paid for his deception!

A sly glint flashed in Du Ximei’s eyes. She skillfully and quickly skinned and processed the sheep, putting it on the fire. Where was the sickly appearance Song Sikai had described?

“Chaochao, don’t secretly play with my knife anymore.”

“Oh.”

…

Hu Yao didn’t know that Du Ximei often gave Jiang Xiaochao extra food. Recently, she noticed he was eating less than before, but strangely, his little belly was still round.

Then one day, he bounced and skipped back to her, holding a large lamb leg wrapped in lotus leaves. That’s when she found out what was going on.

The sheep Song Sikai had given Du Ximei were gradually decreasing in number.

On the day of their wedding banquet, Hu Yao wanted to help, but Jiang Han wouldn’t let her go into the crowd. Some old women said it was bad luck for a pregnant woman to attend someone else’s wedding banquet, that it would be bad for the newlyweds. So Hu Yao didn’t go. She asked Jiang Han to bring a gift to Du Ximei and Song Sikai for her.

It was a silver bracelet and a red envelope. The bracelet was bought with the money Hu Yao had saved and earned from doing crafts while she was at home.

Jiang Han glanced at her, looking unhappy again, but he didn’t say anything.

Since she got pregnant, he had scolded her less. Every time he looked like he was going to say something to her, like he used to, his face would turn black, but he would hold back.

Hu Yao thought he was doing this for the sake of the child.

Jiang Han was indeed doing it for the sake of the child. He was also doing it because of what Dr. Liu, the old lady, had told him. He had to be more accommodating to her and not let her get upset anymore.

How could he be more accommodating to her! He had been putting up with her for years! Now, there was another little thing in her belly, ready to step on his nose! He couldn’t beat her or scold her! She would just pout at him with a sullen face if he said anything!

Hu Yao didn’t know what he was thinking. It was lively outside, and she was a little bored at home alone.

Although she didn’t go to the banquet, the father and son brought back a lot of food for her. Jiang Xiaochao even gave her all the candy and cookies he had stuffed in his little pockets.

Jiang Han took a large bowl and filled it with food for her. Just the chicken legs and goose legs on top were enough to fill Hu Yao up. She ate even less than before after she got pregnant.

She was in the early stages of pregnancy, not even a month and a half, and her morning sickness was getting worse. She couldn’t eat anything in the morning.

Jiang Xiaochao knew she was like this because she was pregnant. He frowned and said in a childish voice that his brother or sister was a bad guy and that she should give them back to Jiang Han.

How could she give them back!

Hu Yao laughed at his words, feeling warm inside at his thoughtful actions.

The two plots of land where Jiang Han had planted watermelons were empty after the watermelons were harvested. Before she got pregnant, Hu Yao had planted vegetables there.

After she got pregnant, Jiang Han wouldn’t let her leave the house much. He wouldn’t let her do things like carrying water, watering the vegetables, or weeding. She hadn’t been to those two plots of land for a while and was worried about them.

Jiang Han pulled a face. He had one more thing to do every day: go to the fields to take care of her vegetables.

“Did I owe you something in my last life? So much trouble!”

In the evening, Jiang Han washed some grapes and “threw” them in front of her. He was gruff and slightly black-faced as he went to grab Jiang Xiaochao, who was rolling around in the yard.

“Go take a bath, you’re asking for a beating, Jiang Xiaochao!”

“Don’t you want to eat grapes? You washed them, but you still need to feed me?” He turned to her after cleaning up Jiang Xiaochao.

“…”

She felt like he hadn’t scolded her recently, but his temper was getting worse and worse–>>

…than her, who was pregnant.

Hu Yao pursed her lips and picked up a few sweet and sour grapes to eat.

She didn’t ask him to wash them!

“Do you want an orange?” he asked her, sitting down beside her.

He had already peeled it, and the air was filled with the sweet and fresh scent of orange.

Recently, she had been vomiting a lot, not eating much of anything, but she loved to eat various fruits, and eating them didn’t make her want to vomit anymore.

The orange scent that filled her nostrils was too overpowering, and for a moment, Hu Yao felt that the grapes in her hand weren’t as delicious anymore.

She glanced at him, but continued to eat the grapes: “No, you eat it.”

He’d say she again later!

“I already peeled it, you don’t want to eat it?” He glared at her, with a hint of threat in his voice.

“… I’ll eat it.” Hu Yao took the orange he had peeled, which was a bit messy.

Seeing her finish the orange bite by bite, her appetite was good and she was no longer throwing up everything she ate like she did in the morning, Jiang Han was quite satisfied. He peeled another orange for her.