Chapter 91

The doctor glanced at her and asked again, “Are you Ruan Mingfu?”

Ruan Mingfu stepped forward, replying, “I am.”

The doctor studied her for several seconds before looking back at the chart.

“You need to go to the obstetrics department,” he said, and before either of them could react, he cleared his throat and continued, “Preliminary judgment indicates you might be pregnant, but you’ll need to confirm that with the specialists over there.”

Ruan Mingfu: …

This news struck her like a thunderbolt, completely shocking her.

“What… what did you say?”

“You’re pregnant.”

The doctor repeated this in a particularly gentle tone, his eyes shining with joy.

“Congratulations.”

“Sister-in-law,” Hu Wanning, finally recovering from her surprise, looked at her with a face full of delight. “That’s wonderful.”

Seeing that Li Xianglan and He Cuixiang, who married at the same time as Ruan Mingfu, were both expecting, she couldn’t help but worry since Ruan Mingfu had no news until now. Thankfully, they finally received this good news.

Ruan Mingfu: …

Her feelings were complicated.

Miss Ruan is still a child~

“Sister-in-law, aren’t you happy?”

Seeing Ruan Mingfu’s furrowed brow, Hu Wanning was puzzled. Then, she offered a comforting thought.

“Every woman has to go through this,” she said, patting Ruan Mingfu’s hand. “Sister Lin said it well, having children early is good for your health and won’t affect future pregnancies.”

Future pregnancies?

She didn’t even know if the child in her womb was a boy or a girl, and they were already discussing future ones?

Ruan Mingfu felt her scalp tingle.

“Sister-in-law, please stop talking.”

She was afraid that if she continued talking, she would not be able to control herself and abort the baby.

Ruan Mingfu touched her belly, still in disbelief that a child would arrive in ten months… a mix of joy and anxiety filled her heart.

But then she considered the future. Waddling around with a big belly, the changes in her body post-birth, stretch marks, hair loss… Suddenly, this baby didn’t seem so lovable.

“Okay, okay, I won’t say anything more. Come on, let’s go get you checked again.”

*

Ruan Mingfu sat on a bench in the hospital, gazing at the heavy snow falling outside, her mind blank. As time passed, her feelings grew increasingly complex.

Looking at the closed door, she wished that the earlier diagnosis was wrong…

A nurse stepped out with the chart, looking at Ruan Mingfu. “Congratulations, you’re pregnant.”

“Really?”

Hu Wanning was even more excited than Ruan Mingfu. She snatched the report to read it, but struggled to understand the messy handwriting.

“Comrade, how is she? How long has she been pregnant?”

“All is normal,” the nurse replied with a smile. “You are too careless. It’s been two months, and this is only the first checkup in the hospital.”

Hu Wanning turned around and glanced at Ruan Mingfu.

“We just found out about this,” she told the nurse, grabbing her as she tried to leave. “Comrade, is there anything we need to pay attention to?”

The nurse thought for a moment. “No, she’s in good health and the baby is growing well. Just pay attention to the usual precautions. If you’re worried, you can come for a checkup once a month.”

“Thank you, Comrade.”

Watching the nurse walk away, Hu Wanning finally sat down next to Ruan Mingfu, her face filled with happiness.

“Sister-in-law, you’re incredible! I’ve never seen someone pregnant for two months without any symptoms,” she said, examining Ruan Mingfu’s face closely. “Do you really have no symptoms at all?”

Ruan Mingfu first shook her head, then frowned as she thought.

“Does constantly feeling sleepy count?”

Clap!

“Right!” Hu Wanning exclaimed, clapping her hands in excitement. “When I was pregnant with my fat son, I loved to sleep too.”

She glanced out at the thick snow outside.

“We can’t go back for now. Luckily, the snow wasn’t this heavy when we came, so let’s stay at the hospital for a bit.”

The hospital had a boiler room that provided heating in the winter, but it felt chilly in the large hall. Hu Wanning tightened her cotton coat and rubbed her hands against Ruan Mingfu’s forehead.

“Doesn’t feel warm,” she noted, comparing their temperatures. “By the way, you haven’t taken any medicine in the past few days, have you?”

At this thought, Hu Wanning suddenly gasped.

“No.”

The dog man had insisted she take medicine, but she couldn’t stand the taste, refusing to take it. He had given in, especially when he saw Ruan Mingfu looking so pitiful.

“That’s good,” Hu Wanning sighed in relief.”Sister-in-law, you’re already pregnant now, you must be extra careful about what you eat.”

Ruan Mingfu was still feeling down and just nodded in response.

“…I understand.”

Sigh… how did this happen to her?

The thought of carrying a child made Ruan Mingfu… she couldn’t even bear to think about it.

“Sister-in-law, you…”

Ruan Mingfu pursed her lips and looked at Hu Wanning before continuing to speak.

“Can I not have this child?”

“What?!”

Hu Wanning reacted strongly.

Realizing that everyone was looking at her, she sat down, lowered her voice, and furrowed her brow at Ruan Mingfu.

“Why would you want to get rid of a baby you finally have?”

Ruan Mingfu frowned.

She tugged at her clothes, her beautiful brows knitting together.

“…I’m scared.”

This was her first time, and she had no idea what to expect.

Hu Wanning: “…”

She thought it might be something serious.

“Every woman goes through this. It’s better to have the baby sooner than later,” she said, patting Ruan Mingfu’s hand. “Trust me! Once you have the baby, nobody will bother you about having more.”

Ruan Mingfu: …

That made her even more anxious.

Thinking about how every family here had at least three kids made her hair stand on end.

Was she really going to have that many?

Suddenly, she regretted not going to Hong Kong City; this was terrifying!

“Don’t worry, giving birth is quick,” Hu Wanning said, knowing exactly what Ruan Mingfu was feeling. “Why don’t we have Aunt Ruan come stay with you for a few days?”

That made sense, considering their parents were both away. Ruan Mingfu was young, so how could she not be scared in such a situation?

When she had her son, she was upset for a long time, and it was only when her mom stayed with her for a few days that she felt better. If Ruan Mingfu had an elder to guide her, she wouldn’t have to feel so down.

Ruan Mingfu shook her head. “No need.”

We don’t know what’s going on at the farm yet.

Besides, Father Ruan had lingering health issues, and Mrs. Ruan was busy helping him, so she might not have the time to take care of her.

“That won’t do. You can’t be without an elder looking after you,” Hu Wanning insisted, counting on her fingers.

It seemed like there were no good options other than Mrs. Ruan. She could look after Ruan Mingfu, but since they didn’t live together, it would still be inconvenient.

“sister-in-law, you really can’t do this,” Hu Wanning said with a worried look. “Listen to me, wait until Old Xie comes back and talk to him properly.”

Seeing Ruan Mingfu’s situation, it seemed more serious than before.

Hu Wanning couldn’t leave after bringing her home. Instead, she brought her fat son with her and kept an eye on Ruan Mingfu.

As for Ruan Mingfu…

Since she learned she was pregnant, she had been in a daze.

Leaning back on the sofa, she sighed heavily. She reached down to touch her belly… it felt smooth and flat, with no signs of a baby bump yet.

“Sister-in-law, don’t think too much,” Hu Wanning said, handing her a cup of hot water. “You two are good-looking; the baby will be beautiful too.”

Beautiful?

Ruan Mingfu thought for a moment.

A little doll with skin as white as snow and big, round eyes looking at her with dependence… the key was, it would call her “Mommy” in a sweet voice.

That feeling didn’t seem too bad?

Taking a deep breath, Ruan Mingfu accepted the water.

“Thank you, sister-in-law.”

“The most important thing for you right now is to take care of your health,” Hu Wanning said seriously. “Cuxiang almost had a miscarriage because she didn’t pay attention.”

What?

Ruan Mingfu looked at her in confusion.

“It happened after you left,” Hu Wanning explained. “I heard from Sister Lin that it was really dangerous. If Sister Wang hadn’t visited her, they might not have noticed. They rushed her to the hospital, and that’s how they saved both mother and child.”

“Even so, she has to stay in bed for the next three months.”

“What happened?” Ruan Mingfu frowned again. “How could this happen?”

Cuixiang didn’t seem like someone who would be so weak.

Hu Wanning sighed. “They said she blacked out while standing up to wash clothes and fell.”

Now it made sense to Ruan Mingfu.

When pregnant, one eats for two. Anemia is common, which explains why Cuixiang had problems.

“I need to go see her,” Ruan Mingfu said, thinking about what she could bring as a gift. She also shot a glare at Hu Wanning. “Sister-in-law, you should have told me!”

Hu Wanning glared back at her. “You can’t go anywhere! Don’t forget, you’re pregnant too.”

What if something happened on the icy roads?

“I’ll go for you!”

“Thank you, sister-in-law,” Ruan Mingfu leaned against Hu Wanning’s shoulder. “You’re the best.”

Hu Wanning felt pleased with her affection.

“You’re quite the charmer,” she said, her eyes turning into crescent moons. “Cuixiang is in the hospital, and I plan to go with Sister Lin and Sister Wang tomorrow. Xianglan is even more worried since Cuixiang’s situation scared her.”

Ruan Mingfu thought carefully. “Isn’t she almost five months along?”

“No, she won’t be five months until the first of next month.”

Oh wow, she got that wrong.

She scratched her head.

“Xianglan brought her mother over,” Hu Wanning patted her hand. “Remember what I told you in the hospital and mention it to Old Xie.”

Normally, she wouldn’t bother, but considering the terrible weather and the constant snow, it was so cold. Xie Yanzhao had military matters to handle and couldn’t take care of Ruan Mingfu all the time.

“I understand, sister-in-law, don’t worry.”

….

By the time the dog-man returned, it was already dark. As soon as he walked in, he saw Hu Wanning smiling at him, her eyes filled with a deeper meaning that left him puzzled.

“Old Xie is back,” Hu Wanning called out to Ruan Mingfu. “I’ll take my leave now.”

“Sister-in-law, take care.”

Ruan Mingfu wanted to stand up to see her off, but she was pushed back down.

“I have walked this road a thousand times, at least a hundred times. I don’t need you to send me there,” she took the little fat boy’s hand, “I’m going back first. You two can have a good chat.”

Xie Yanzhao watched the mother and son leave, then turned his gaze to Ruan Mingfu on the sofa.

“Do you have something to tell me?”

“What could there possibly be?” Ruan Mingfu shot him a glare, clearly displeased with the dog-man. “Hey, hurry up and close the door! The wind is freezing!”