Chapter 54: Pregnancy and Greed

When Lin Yue and Doctor Liu arrived at Liu Jianhua’s house, Wang San’s family was already waiting in the room.

Seeing Doctor Liu enter, Wang San’s wife hurried to greet him: “Doctor Liu, please come and take a look at my daughter-in-law. She said that she felt like vomiting after smelling fishy smells, and her period has been late for more than half a month. She didn’t even notice. What a child! Please take a look and see if she’s pregnant.”

Liu Jianhua blushed with embarrassment, wanting her mother-in-law to stop talking, but she was too far away to stop her.

Her husband, Zhang Shouxin, was genuinely happy and kept grinning foolishly beside her.

Doctor Liu entered with his head downcast, not at all affected by the family’s enthusiasm.

He was an old widower. In 1950, his only son died on the battlefield, and he had become withdrawn ever since.

However, he was a good person and a skilled doctor. If anyone in the village had a headache or a fever, his medicine would usually cure them. If anyone was in need, he would help if he could.

He took Liu Jianhua’s pulse and said slowly, “I can feel the pulse of pregnancy. Take good care of yourself these days. Eat as much nutritious food as you can. After three months, you should go to the county hospital for a checkup. The county hospital now has a pregnancy checkup program, and many pregnant women go there for checkups.”

This was the first grandchild in the family. Hearing Doctor Liu’s confirmation, the whole family was overjoyed.

Wang San’s wife took out a dollar from her pocket and insisted on giving it to Doctor Liu.

A dollar was a lot of money, which showed how happy she was.

Even Zhang Zhiye, who rarely smiled, was beaming.

Zhang Xiaohui had gone to work in the county early that morning and wasn’t home.

The second son, Zhang Shoucheng, hadn’t gone out either, but he didn’t seem very happy. He was idly picking at the loose threads on his pants, clearly not interested in the matter.

After seeing Doctor Liu off, Lin Yue and Wang Xiuxiang also told Liu Jianhua to rest well and took their leave.

Wang San’s wife was still talking to Liu Jianhua about how to protect the fetus. Zhang Shoucheng stood up, suddenly becoming enthusiastic: “I’ll go see the two sisters-in-law out!”

As they walked into the courtyard, Wang Xiuxiang and Lin Yue politely told Zhang Shoucheng not to bother.

Zhang Shoucheng rubbed his hands together, looking a little embarrassed. He asked, “Sister-in-law Lin, do you need more workers at your house?”

Lin Yue was taken aback and laughed, “What, you want to go too? I already asked your sister-in-law. Your brother is going to renovate your house these days, so he doesn’t have time to go.

You said you wouldn’t go either. Why do you want to go now?”

Zhang Shoucheng’s face stiffened, a little annoyed.

But he quickly adjusted his expression and chuckled, “I was thinking that I’m not very good at building houses, and I was afraid I’d cause trouble for your family.

But my brother doesn’t need me for the work at home. I thought I might as well help you and learn something.

What do you think, Sister-in-law?”

The two families were close, and Zhang Shoucheng had said it so nicely, so Lin Yue couldn’t really refuse.

But she didn’t know how they were allocating the work, and she was afraid that if he went, there wouldn’t be any work for him.

She said with difficulty, “I don’t know which part still needs workers. How about I go back and ask and tell you later?”

Seeing that Zhang Shoucheng was about to frown, Wang Xiuxiang chimed in, “Oh, your Sister-in-law Lin is building a wing room. She’s just a figurehead; she doesn’t know anything. She only knows how to serve everyone food and drinks.

You should ask me about this, not her.

In my opinion, there’s no need to go back and ask. You can just go work with your brother Shoucang. His house hasn’t been lived in for years. You’ll have plenty to do!”

Zhang Shoucheng quickly looked at Lin Yue. Lin Yue smiled, “Sister-in-law Xiuxiang is right. I really don’t know as much as she does about these things.

Since Shoucang needs workers, you can go there this afternoon.”

When Zhang Shoucheng heard that he was going this afternoon, he was clearly not very happy.

In their village, workers only ate a proper meal at noon. In the afternoon, they didn’t eat a proper meal.

But he didn’t say anything. As long as he could go, he quickly agreed.

The two of them went out. When they were far enough away, Wang Xiuxiang pinched Lin Yue hard: “I told you that you didn’t need to make the food so good. You’re too honest! Look, just because of this lunch, how many people in the village are thinking about you! If more people come begging you, I don’t know what you’ll do!”

Lin Yue hadn’t thought about this, but she was close to Liu Jianhua and couldn’t directly refuse Zhang Shoucheng.

She hugged Wang Xiuxiang’s arm and begged, “Sister-in-law, please save me! When I delivered the food, someone had already asked me. Luckily, it was Zhu Yongchang, and I didn’t give him any face. I just chased him away.

But what do I say if others ask me? Please teach me!”

Wang Xiuxiang pointed at her and said angrily, “I don’t care. You deal with it yourself!”

Lin Yue: “Good sister-in-law, I really can’t handle this! If the food is bad, I’m afraid they’ll talk about me behind my back. But if it’s good, there are so many problems.

Please give me some advice. You’re the famous female Zhuge in our village. No one is smarter than you.

If you don’t save me, I’m going to cry!”

Wang Xiuxiang walked a few steps ahead: “Ugh! Stop giving me weird nicknames.

What female Zhuge? You want to put me on a pedestal. I don’t want that.”

Seeing that she wasn’t catching up, she turned back: “Alright, stop acting in front of me.

What do you need me for? Didn’t you already ask my father-in-law to help with the house? If anyone wants to work, just have them go to my father-in-law. Why are you asking me?”

Lin Yue felt a little guilty. She didn’t want to say it directly: “Then what about my little things…”

“I can’t do it well, let people find him in front of him, uncle will be annoyed! Uncle will definitely scold me, sister-in-law, you help me tell uncle!” Wang Xiuxiang glared at her: “I owe you!” Lin Yue giggled, holding Wang Xiuxiang’s hand and walked away.

     Back to the new house, she found people coming back from outside one after another, and they happened to meet each other.

    Seeing the two of them come back, everyone smiled awkwardly.

     Lin Yue was a little curious, but Wang Xiuxiang pulled her into the house to eat.

     She looked out from the door, only to see that the few people still had bowls and chopsticks in their hands. She was a little puzzled: “What are they doing? Why do they have to take bowls and chopsticks when they go out, and they are still hiding from people?” Wang Xiuxiang glanced out and said: “I guess they sent their lunch home, and you just happened to bump into them, so they are embarrassed.

    ” Hearing her say this, Lin Yue suddenly understood.

     She couldn’t help but mutter: “It’s still a good man who takes care of his family!” Wang Xiuxiang chuckled and went into the house with her.

     In the room, Zhang Shouren and Zhang Shouyi, the two brothers, were coaxing Little Wanli and Little Lingling to eat. Seeing their posture, it looked like they were doing a good job.

    Seeing the two of them come in, the two brothers quickly stood up and called out to them.

     Lin Yue smiled: “Oh, it’s Second Uncle and Third Uncle taking care of you two little ones. Thank you, Uncle, have you eaten?” Then she turned to the two brothers and said, “Don’t feed them, let them eat by themselves, lest they get spoiled.

    Have you two finished your meal?” Seeing the two of them nod, she said again: “After you finish your meal, go and rest for a while. You two have been tired all morning. Find a place to rest. I’ll take care of them.

    ” The two didn’t say much and went to find a place to rest.

     The two little ones couldn’t use chopsticks yet, so the two brothers separated the meat and soup from the mutton soup for them. At this time, the two were eating the meat with their hands, enjoying themselves.

     Wang Xiuxiang teased the children: “Your mother doesn’t feed you either, come on, mother will feed you.

    ” She was about to spit out the food in her mouth.

     The two little ones quickly covered their mouths, Lingling shouted: “Don’t eat the food you spit out!” Wang Xiuxiang deliberately put on a stern face: “You two little brats, you know to dislike your mother being dirty? Mother is going to be angry!” People who often interact with Lin Yue know that her two children have never been allowed to be fed with their mouths since they were young.

    But everyone likes to tease children, Wang Xiuxiang is still measured, she teases a few words and then stops, some people don’t stop until they make the children cry, and when the children cry, they will laugh, as if they have done something interesting.

    There are also those who like to touch Little Wanli’s little bird, which scares Lin Yue so she never dares to let her child wear open-crotch pants.

     The child was not afraid of this big lady, and even made a face at her.

     “Isn’t it dirtier for you to grab food with your hands?” Little Wanli retorted loudly: “Wanli washed his hands, washed them with soap and smelled good!” Wang Xiuxiang was amused: “Oh, Zhang Wanli, your voice can be so loud, it’s not easy!” Lin Yue laughed: “You stop teasing them, look at how anxious our Wanli is, he even started talking.

    ” Wang Xiuxiang heard this and laughed heartily.

    The two little ones didn’t understand, they looked at the big lady, then at their own mother, wondering what they were laughing at.

     Just as they were eating, Zhang Xiaoxi ran in angrily. As soon as she entered the door, she started searching everywhere. When she saw the remaining mutton soup and cakes, she immediately put her hands on her hips and shouted loudly: “You prodigal, just going to the toilet and you have cakes and meat, you’re so arrogant that you don’t even know your surname! You make so much meat, you don’t know how to send some to your parents, you’ve given it all to outsiders, you’re a white-eyed wolf, you don’t know how to be filial at all!” These words don’t sound like they were spoken by an eleven-year-old child. Without thinking, Lin Yue knew that someone had taught her.

     She had sent a full small basin of soup over there early in the morning, and there was a lot of lamb offal in it, enough for the three of them to eat. This was still not enough, so she sent a child over to make trouble.

     She wouldn’t indulge her just because she was a child, so she scolded back: “It seems that the meat I sent over this morning went to the dog’s belly. I feed a dog with bones, and the dog will still remember my kindness. You are not even as good as a dog. You ate my meat, and you still come to my door to scold me.

    Go, go, don’t let me hit you with my big broom!” Zhang Xiaoxi has never gotten any good from Lin Yue. She has scolded all the words she has learned, and now she is stuck, looking angry: “Don’t be arrogant, I’ll make my brother divorce you!” This child, born in the new society, grew up in the new China, and still talks about making her brother divorce her all the time. I don’t know what kind of things she has been exposed to at home.

     Lin Yue saw that she was going to move the mutton soup, so she quickly got off the kang to stop her.

    Wang Xiuxiang reached out to hold the bucket containing the mutton soup, but Zhang Xiaoxi bit her hand, causing her to cry out in pain.

     Zhang Shouren and Zhang Shouyi, the two brothers, heard the commotion and ran in from outside.

    Seeing this, they quickly pulled Zhang Xiaoxi away with Lin Yue.

     Zhang Shouren was so angry that he slapped her on the back twice, and said anxiously: “What are you doing? Sister-in-law sent a lot of meat over this morning, everyone in the village saw it, you are not at home eating properly, what are you doing here making trouble?” Zhang Xiaoxi almost cried out loud: “Brother! That little bit of meat is enough for who to eat? Look at her, there’s more left in the bucket than what was sent to our house. Dad and Mom are right, she’s a prodigal, a white-eyed wolf, a beast who has fed her conscience to the dogs! When Big Brother comes back, I’ll make Big Brother divorce her!” A cold voice came from the doorway: “Who do you want me to divorce?”