Chapter 36.2

Someone like him would suffer in such times, but it was also his strength. He wouldn’t be tempted, no matter how sweet the allure. He would never compromise his principles. He wouldn’t admit to something he didn’t do wrong, but he had his limits, like never engaging in extramarital relationships.

Seeing her smile, Mother Zhou finally relaxed. She took a stool and sat beside her, chatting idly. “He’s just like his father—so stubborn it could drive anyone mad. But it has its benefits. I never have to worry about him fooling around with other women. No matter how beautiful they are, he wouldn’t even look at them. He turns over his entire salary and helps out at home after work.”

“Mom, are you missing Dad?”

“Sigh, it’s been so long. I don’t dare to think about it.”

“Maybe…” She wanted to comfort her but found the words felt too fake to say. Huh, it seems like they are cut from the same cloth. Deep down, she also had strong principles and high standards.

After washing up, she went to bed. But with worries in her mind, she couldn’t sleep soundly that night. That stubborn mule, if he refused to back down, their lives would likely get harder.

She wasn’t afraid of hardship, he wasn’t either. But what if she was pregnant? No worries, her mother-in-law was there to help. Even if she was pregnant, it wouldn’t be a problem. Once she had the baby, someone would be there to take care of it. As long as this concern was settled, having a job would make everything else seem manageable.

Moreover, she had the system, so there was even less to worry about. If he wanted to stick to his principles, then let him; sometimes, she felt some principles shouldn’t be broken.

Once she figured it out, she quickly fell asleep. When she woke up, it was already 7:30. She hurriedly got up, not forgetting the most important thing. Following the instructions, she quickly saw two clear red lines.

So, this means she was pregnant?

Luo Lan: System, this thing isn’t going to be that 1% inaccurate, right?

System: If you’re worried, just go to the hospital for a test.

Luo Lan: But that would cost more money.

System: You’re so stingy.

Is it stingy? She was just being practical. Well, since her period was late and everything pointed to a possible pregnancy, she decided to go to the hospital during her lunch break.

After getting her blood drawn, she was lucky that the gynecologist wasn’t the same one as last time. The doctor smoothly issued a test order, and after the blood draw, she said the report would be ready by 5 PM. After work, Luo Lan rushed to the hospital, and when she saw the report with the same results as last time, she was stunned for a moment.

Then came the ecstatic joy. She was so happy that she could barely contain herself. Thankfully, she still had some rationality left and suppressed her overwhelming excitement. Instead of going home, she headed straight to the machinery factory.

“Look—”

Zhou Qingshan was still contemplating how to cheer his wife up or how to communicate with her when she abruptly handed him a report. He looked down at it, then raised his head, showing not an ounce of excitement.

“What’s this about Junhui’s report? Why are you showing it to me?”

Looking into his confused eyes, she suddenly remembered that Zhou Junhui’s previous test was also under her name. “This is mine.”

“Yours?” The man was baffled and looked down again. Indeed, it indicated she was pregnant. “You’re pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Otherwise, why would I deceive you?” She had planned for a fake pregnancy later, but didn’t expect it to happen now.

“Wife—”

Alright, she successfully made him dumbfounded. His face displayed excitement, confusion, and nervousness, with a mix of emotions flashing across it. His arms trembled, wanting to hug her but hesitating, unsure whether to cry or laugh.

“I’m going to be a dad!”

“So, what’s the deal? Are you still not going to write the self-criticism?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to write it, but…”

“Zhou Qingshan, what if it’s a matter of life and death for our mother and child?”

“I’ll write it.” The man immediately lowered his head, took a deep breath, and forced a smile. Just when he was about to give up on his principles, Luo Lan spoke up.

“Don’t write it if you don’t want to. Worst case, you go to the farm. Don’t worry, I can take care of the baby. You can trust Mom and the two younger sisters to me. I’ll take care of everything.”

Hearing this from his wife made this big man feel ashamed. Since their marriage, he had caused her so much trouble. He had hoped to settle things after resolving his brother’s issue and live a peaceful life, but now they faced this chaotic era.

If it weren’t for her clever solutions, they wouldn’t even know what kind of situation they were in now. Junhui was being ridiculed and would struggle to lift her head for the rest of her life, making marriage even more difficult. He had also been implicated, and his mother was already lost in thought, likely having given up. That left a soft-hearted Junfang, who would have to endure everyone’s whims.

He didn’t speak idly. The next morning, he asked the guard for paper and pen. Though it felt like a heavy burden, he still wrote the self-criticism. He admitted his mistakes, acknowledged that he had spoken incorrectly and had been wrong in his thinking. He vowed to actively correct his mistakes and study diligently.

Luo Lan came home that night and didn’t have time to share the good news with her mother-in-law. The next morning, she wanted to speak up, but when she turned around, she saw him standing at the door, scruffy and looking tired from the recent hardships.

“How did you come back?”

“They told me to reflect on myself for three days, and I can return to work after that.”

“You wrote it?”

“I did.”

His bottom line was that unless their lives were threatened, there were some things he would never do. When he chose their lives over his principles without hesitation, her anger dissipated. Being principled wasn’t a bad thing after all.

To respect his principles, she stopped pushing him, but he felt sorry for his wife and couldn’t let her carry such a heavy burden alone. With Xu Hongbing already dealt with, he figured it would just mean going to the farm. Junhui had a job, and Junfang was settled now. His mother could accompany the sisters to the countryside, and life could still go on.

But now that his wife was pregnant, he couldn’t let her shoulder this responsibility alone. At that moment, he wasn’t just a man holding onto his principles. He was also the father of the baby in her belly. He had to take on the responsibility of being a father, which meant sacrificing something he had always held onto.

He felt a bit uneasy, but he chose responsibility over his principles. He could be looked down upon, but he couldn’t neglect his pregnant wife.

“There’s hot water in the kettle, go wash up first.” Mother Zhou looked at her son with concern, having held back her questions these past few days, worried about adding to the children’s troubles.

“Mom,” he smiled to reassure her, “It’s all good now.”

“Okay.”

After washing from head to toe and shaving, he emerged looking clean and tidy. Luo Lan secretly smiled at his transformation and urged him to eat before getting some proper rest.

“And you?” he asked.

“I have to work.”

He thought Luo Lan had already told his mother, while she assumed he had done so, so neither had actually communicated. After his nap, he woke up around 5 PM and thought about how his wife loved eating pancakes. He rolled up his sleeves to make dinner, while his mother also grabbed radishes to make pancakes.

“Mom, did Lan’er say anything about wanting pancakes before she left?”

“No. She just mentioned Junfang needed to return to the brigade tomorrow and asked me to accompany her. I thought I’d make some more dry food for her. It can be stored even when it’s cold, and she can just heat it up when she wants to eat it.”

“You’re accompanying Junfang back to the brigade?” He murmured to himself, sounding doubtful. “Aren’t you interested in the grandchildren?”

“What grandchildren are you talking about?”

Seeing his mother’s confused expression, he realized she might not know. “Lan’er is pregnant, didn’t you know?”

“What did you say?” Mother Zhou’s eyes widened in disbelief, unable to comprehend. She had been prepared to adopt but suddenly found out her daughter-in-law was already pregnant.

“Lan’er is pregnant. Although we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl yet, I think you wouldn’t mind, right?”

The radish in Mother Zhou’s hand fell to the ground as she excitedly spun in place, picking up the spatula and then putting it down again, unsure of what to do.

“Then why aren’t you going to pick her up?”

Initially, he didn’t want to give anyone a reason to criticize him, staying home to reflect, but now he didn’t care. He turned and left the kitchen. As he stepped outside, he spotted his wife riding her bicycle. With a loud screech of brakes, she dismounted gracefully.

“Take it slow.”

“I’m not made of paper.”

Whether she was made of paper or not wasn’t for her to decide. Once she entered the house, she learned what it was like to be pampered. Her bag was taken by her mother-in-law, and her sister-in-law brought her warm water, eagerly urging her to sit in a chair.

“Sister-in-law, when will the little nephew come out?”

“I don’t know.”

Mother Zhou calculated, “It’s November now, so it should be around June next year.”

“How wonderful!” Zhou Junfang exclaimed, her smile bright. “Mom, don’t accompany me to the brigade. Stay here to take care of my sister-in-law.”

Mother Zhou nodded, “Can you cook for yourself?”

“I can. I’ve always known how to cook. It’s just that you wouldn’t let me.”

“Alright, then you can practice cooking now.”

Luo Lan smiled and said, “I’m not feeling anything, so I don’t need anyone to take care of me.”

Mother Zhou scolded her gently, “You can’t say that. Some women have delayed reactions to morning sickness. Even if you don’t feel sick now, don’t take it lightly. If you want to eat something at night, just let me know, and I’ll make it for you.”

“Anything is fine, I just need a bite.”

“See? You say you’re not feeling anything, but you don’t have an appetite for anything. You still can’t ignore it.”

As Mother Zhou busily moved into the kitchen, Zhou Qingshan stayed by her side. “Are you really not feeling any discomfort at all? Do you want me to massage your legs and shoulders?”

“No need. It’s just pregnancy, it’s not a big deal. You guys are making me nervous.”

“Okay, okay, don’t be nervous.”

Soon, Zhou Junhui returned and, upon hearing the news, jumped three feet in joy. “That’s great! There’s a new life in the family. Mom’s illness should get better too. Sister-in-law, thank you. You’re the great benefactor of our family. From now on, whatever you say goes; we’ll all listen to you.”

Junfang chimed in, “Yes, we’ll all listen to sister-in-law from now on.”

Luo Lan turned to Zhou Qingshan, who immediately nodded. “Of course, I’ll listen to you.”