Chapter 36: Love (1)

After learning that Su Ting’s period was delayed, He Dongchuan had been sleeping very well these past few days, but he asked the same question daily: “Has your period come today?”

Whenever Su Ting told him it hadn’t come, his expression would become very worried.

At first, Su Ting didn’t think much of it, but after several times, she felt something was wrong. If her period hadn’t come, it meant the chances of pregnancy had greatly increased. So, why was he worried?

Previously, He Dongchuan had mistakenly thought that Su Ting was pregnant. He had spent the whole day at the base, feeling happy, and nearly caused a scene when he returned. Therefore, she didn’t think he was concerned about not wanting a child. Instead, she began to wonder if he had misunderstood.

That evening, He Dongchuan asked his usual question about Su Ting’s period, and Su Ting gave her usual answer: no. When she saw his furrowed brow, she knowingly asked: “You don’t want this child, do you?”

“Child?” He Dongchuan looked surprised. “What child?”

Su Ting didn’t say anything, just turned on her side on the bed and looked at him.

He Dongchuan had just gone down the wrong mental path. His mind wasn’t foolish. After hearing Su Ting mention a child, he quickly thought that her delayed period could be due to pregnancy, rather than a health issue as he had initially assumed.

Once he understood, a joyful expression gradually replaced the worry on He Dongchuan’s face. Without thinking, he leaned toward Su Ting and asked: “Are you pregnant?”

After asking, he pulled back, bending down and pressing his ear to her stomach.

When smart people do silly things, it is especially amusing. Su Ting was like that now. She laughed out loud because of He Dongchuan’s clueless actions. “There’s no movement yet. I’ve heard that babies only start moving after four or five months. I’m only a month along, maybe even less. Besides, it’s still early. It’s not confirmed yet, it could just be a delayed period.”

After Su Ting explained, He Dongchuan realized he had done something silly, but he didn’t feel embarrassed in the least. He pulled his wife into his arms and asked: “Does it mean we have to wait two weeks before we can check?”

Su Ting, unsure, replied: “Probably. But it might not be detectable yet. It may take longer.”

After suspecting she might be pregnant, Su Ting had asked Yu Xiaofang and Chen Shaomei for advice, hoping to gain some experience from them. But after asking, she realized she had overthought it.

Unlike the regular prenatal checkups that became a norm fifty years later, and giving birth in a hospital being a common practice, in this era, many people had no such concept. If their period was delayed? They just waited. Once pregnancy symptoms appeared or the belly grew bigger, they could be sure of pregnancy.

It wasn’t just in rural areas; even in the cities, most people had never set foot in a hospital from pregnancy to childbirth, from the first child to the second or third.

Yu Xiaofang and Chen Shaomei were just two among the “majority.”

Therefore, when Su Ting asked them when she could go to the hospital to confirm the pregnancy, their first reaction was: “You need to go to the hospital? Just wait two months, and you’ll know!”

Then, they began gossiping about whether Su Ting was pregnant.

After asking them, Su Ting gave up on the idea of gaining any experience from the military wives. She decided it would be better to go to the hospital for a checkup in the middle of the month and ask the doctor directly.

“What day is the 13th?” He Dongchuan asked, then left the room without waiting for Su Ting’s answer.

When he returned, he was holding a calendar. He flipped to the 13th and said: “It’s Tuesday. I’ll take a day off that day.”

“No need to take a day off.” Su Ting replied. “Maybe if we wait a few days, the test will be more accurate. What day is Sunday?”

“18th.”

“Let’s go that day.” Su Ting suggested. She hoped they could get results in one visit to avoid making multiple trips. She looked up and saw He Dongchuan still lost in thought, so she leaned over and linked her arm with his. “The checkup might require fasting, no food in the morning. If we go too early, the test might not be accurate, and we’ll have to come back again. It would be such a hassle.”

Hearing her say this, He Dongchuan replied: “Alright, then let’s go on the 18th.”

……

Before He Dongchuan realized Su Ting might be pregnant, he had been hoping her period would come sooner, constantly worrying. After learning that she might be pregnant, he stopped worrying as much and started counting the days on the calendar, asking others what day it was three times a day.

Shi Cheng, unable to stand it anymore, asked when He Dongchuan asked for the date again: “Are you getting old?”

“Huh?”

“You ask the date three times a day. Isn’t that because you’re getting older, and you’re forgetting things? Can’t remember the date?” Shi Cheng shrugged.

He Dongchuan paused for a moment, then reminded him: “I remember you’re two years older than me.”

If he was getting old, then what about Shi Cheng? Was he already halfway in the grave?

Sigh, he shouldn’t be discussing age with him.

Shi Cheng helplessly asked: “Then tell me, what’s going on with you lately? What day is so important to you?”

“The 18th, Su Ting and I are going to the hospital.” He Dongchuan replied calmly, but the corner of his lips unintentionally curled up, betraying his pride.

However, Shi Cheng didn’t notice his smugness. Instead of being impressed, he was more concerned. “Going to the hospital? Is someone sick? What illness do you have?”

“Can’t you wish for something good for me?” He Dongchuan asked, feeling irritated.

Shi Cheng thought, what could be good about going to the hospital? He asked grumpily: “If no one is sick, why are you going to the hospital? Looking for trouble?”

“… My wife might be pregnant.”

Shi Cheng’s face showed surprise. “Pregnant? Really?”

“Still not sure, we need to go to the hospital to find out.” He Dongchuan said.

“Then you should go earlier, why wait until the 18th?” Shi Cheng asked.

He Dongchuan replied: “It’s just too soon. Even if we go to the hospital, the test might not be accurate. We might have to wait a month and a half before going for another checkup.”

“Is that so?” Shi Cheng asked doubtfully.

He Dongchuan, in disgust, said: “You and your wife already have three kids, how do you not know about something so important?” He had originally planned to ask Shi Cheng for advice on what to pay attention to when his wife was pregnant.

Shi Cheng felt ashamed as He Dongchuan spoke. “We do have three kids, but I wasn’t at home when she was pregnant. By the time I got the news, her belly was already big.”

He Dongchuan understood. He knew that when Zhou Yuan got pregnant with He Yan, her belly wasn’t showing yet, but she had already been to the hospital for a checkup, and by then, she was already two months along.

Because of this, although he had He Yan, He Dongchuan didn’t know much about the process of pregnancy. If it hadn’t been for Su Ting mentioning it the other day, he would probably still be just as clueless.

Realizing that Shi Cheng didn’t know anything, He Dongchuan decided not to ask anyone else. It was probably pointless to ask, so he’d just wait until the 18th to ask the doctor.

Although they had agreed to go for the checkup on the 18th, because of needing to send out the publishing contract, He Dongchuan still went to the city on Sunday.

He didn’t let Su Ting go with him. Even though the city wasn’t far, the journey involved both a boat and a car, and it was very bumpy. Since she could possibly be pregnant, it was better for her to be cautious.

Su Ting felt his concern was unnecessary. She had already taken a boat and car ride to the city before to pick up reader letters, and they had even had a bit of a rough night afterwards. If she was going to have any reactions, she would have had them by now; it shouldn’t have taken this long.

In fact, until now, Su Ting didn’t really feel pregnant.

Although she knew that morning sickness varied from person to person, her experience had been so peaceful. If it weren’t for her delayed period, she definitely wouldn’t have thought of pregnancy.

But then again, pregnancy is usually associated with a delayed period, and if her period came, she wouldn’t need to worry about this at all.

In the end, Su Ting couldn’t argue with He Dongchuan and spent the Sunday continuing to lie at home.

There’s an old saying: when you talk about someone, they show up.

The night before, when discussing who would send the letter, Su Ting still felt no signs of pregnancy. But the next morning, while having breakfast, the smell of milk suddenly made her gag.

She put the cup down, stood up from the chair, and rushed to the bathroom to vomit.

She had just gotten out of bed and hadn’t had breakfast yet. What she had eaten the night before was already digested, so there wasn’t much left in her stomach. After a long while of retching, all that came up was milk and water.

He Dongchuan followed her into the bathroom, crouched behind her, and gently patted her back. Once she felt a bit better, he stood up and handed her the towel she used to wash her face. “Is your stomach upset?”

“A little.” Su Ting said as she wiped her mouth.

He Yan, still unaware of what was happening, stood at the bathroom door and anxiously asked: “Mom, what’s wrong with your stomach?”

Su Ting shook her head and said: “It’s nothing, just feeling a bit nauseous. It’ll pass soon.”

“Oh.” He Yan sighed in relief.

After returning to the dining table, He Dongchuan poured a glass of warm water for Su Ting, and she pushed the milk towards him. He saw it, picked up the glass, and drank most of the milk in one go.

He Yan, who was eating noodles, immediately shouted: “Mom! Dad drank your milk!” His tone was clearly one of complaint.

Su Ting explained: “Mom gave it to Dad. My stomach is uncomfortable, so I can’t drink milk.”

He Yan showed a look of sudden realization, turned to look at his father, and his eyes began to dart around.

Watching his father finish the milk in the glass, He Yan lowered his head, covered his mouth, and let out a dry heave. Then he jumped off the chair and rushed toward the bathroom.

He Dongchuan and Su Ting hurriedly followed and saw He Yan squatting on the bathroom floor, dry heaving and spitting out a couple of mouthfuls of saliva. He then looked up and said: “Dad, Mom, my stomach hurts too.”

Just as He Dongchuan was about to ask him what had happened, he fell silent. He handed He Yan a towel and said: “Wipe your mouth.”

“Heh heh!” He Yan nodded vigorously and happily wiped his mouth. When he returned to the dining table, he pushed the milk toward his father.

“What’s this?” He Dongchuan asked.

“My stomach hurts, I can’t drink milk!” He Yan said matter-of-factly, his eyes and expression full of pride.

By now, if Su Ting and He Dongchuan couldn’t tell what He Yan was up to, they had lived more than twenty years in vain.

He Dongchuan asked: “Is your stomach really hurting?”

“Yeah, yeah!” He Yan said, then suddenly realized that he might have appeared too eager. He held his stomach and groaned: “It hurts so much.” looking up at his father, hoping he’d drink the milk soon.

Instead of drinking the milk, He Dongchuan didn’t even touch his breakfast. He turned to Su Ting and said: “I’ll take Xiao Yan to the health clinic.”

“Why go to the health clinic?”

He Dongchuan said casually: “Didn’t he say his stomach hurts? I’ll take him to see a doctor and get some medicine so he can take it for a few days, so the pain doesn’t continue.”

Get some medicine.

Take it for a few days.

He Yan, who had been secretly laughing, was now stunned. He swallowed heavily and said: “I-I don’t think it hurts that much anymore.”

He Dongchuan narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure?”

“Really, really!”

“Can you drink milk now?”

“Yes, yes.”

To prove to his father that he was really feeling better, He Yan quickly picked up the milk and drank a big gulp. After swallowing it, he opened his mouth and said: “See? I drank the milk, and I’m perfectly fine!”

He Dongchuan replied: “If you’re fine, that’s good. Next time, if you’re feeling unwell, tell me earlier. I’ll take you to the health clinic to see a doctor.”

He definitely didn’t want to go to the health clinic to see a doctor!

He Yan thought to himself, but he replied: “Got it!”

After finishing a glass of milk, He Yan noticed something was off. “Mom’s stomach isn’t feeling well too. Doesn’t she need to go to the health clinic to see a doctor?”

“Mom isn’t going to the health clinic; she’s going to the hospital in the city.”

“Is the hospital more powerful?”

“Mm.”

To He Yan: “more powerful” meant more medicine, and he immediately looked at Su Ting with sympathy in his eyes.

…