Chapter 38: Pregnancy  (2)

After leaving the post office, the three of them headed to the department store. Since they had come all this way, it would be a shame not to browse a little.  

Shopping at the department store naturally meant buying something. At first, Su Ting felt there wasn’t anything they particularly needed, so she didn’t plan to buy anything. However, He Dongchuan suggested that she pick out a couple of outfits for when her belly grew bigger.  

Su Ting thought about it and calculated the time. It was only August, and the department store had just begun stocking autumn clothing. By the time her belly became noticeably bigger, it would be around November or December—autumn clothes wouldn’t be suitable by then. As for spring clothes, she could simply reuse them in autumn. Since she wasn’t lacking clothes at the moment, she decided not to buy any.  

However, He Dongchuan’s words reminded her that He Yan was growing quickly, and the clothes they had brought in the spring might not fit him by autumn. Since they had industrial coupons on hand, she bought him two jackets, two inner layers, and one pair of pants for now—after all, his summer long pants could still be worn in early autumn. They would buy more when the weather got colder.  

As for He Dongchuan, he didn’t buy any clothes at all. After all, he had his military uniform.  

Once they finished shopping, they returned home with large bags in tow. Along the way, they ran into some military wives who looked on with envy and asked: “Went to the city again today?”  

“Just had some errands to run.” Su Ting responded with a smile.  

At the time, there was a common belief that pregnancies shouldn’t be publicly announced before the first three months had passed. So, she and He Dongchuan had agreed to keep it private, only informing close relatives and good friends for the time being.  

Some people were curious and wanted to ask what errands they had run in the city, but Su Ting skillfully diverted the conversation and avoided answering directly.

Since Su Ting didn’t explain further, the military wives didn’t press her for details. In their minds, they assumed she was just being polite and that she and her husband had simply gone to the city for leisure rather than any pressing matters.  

However, by now, Su Ting had been following the military unit for several months. They had grown used to seeing her return from the city with large bags full of purchases. Unlike before, when they would subtly or not-so-subtly suggest that she was too extravagant with money, now they simply looked on with envy.  

…  

When they arrived home, He Dongchuan went inside to put things away, while He Yan hopped onto his kick scooter and dashed off energetically. Su Ting, on the other hand, poured herself a cup of cool boiled water. After spending half the day walking around, she was parched.  

She gulped down half the cup in one go. Just as she set down the enamel mug, Yu Xiaofang arrived. Without even greeting her properly, she asked: “Did you hear?”  

“Hear what?” Su Ting asked.  

“The teaching position at the military primary school—it went to that woman, Xiao Sun.”  

Su Ting thought back and recalled some details about Xiao Sun. “Isn’t that a good thing? I remember she has the right qualifications, and her personality seems decent too.”  

“She is a nice person, but come on, this is a job at the military school! You just gave it up like that, and you don’t feel the least bit regretful?” Yu Xiaofang asked. She knew that Principal Jiang had personally approached Su Ting before, intending to offer her the teaching position.  

Su Ting thought about it and shook her head. “Not really. I know myself well enough—I’m not patient. Managing a classroom full of kids would give me a headache. I’m just not cut out to be a teacher.”  

Seeing that Su Ting truly had no interest in the job, Yu Xiaofang didn’t push the matter further. She simply sighed and said: “Well, if that’s the case, then Xiao Sun really should be thanking you. If you hadn’t stepped aside, she never would’ve gotten such a great opportunity.”  

Su Ting waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t put me on a pedestal. Comrade Sun got the job because she’s qualified. Principal Jiang even told me that day that even if I wanted to be a teacher, I’d have to pass a written exam and a teaching demonstration. If I didn’t pass, it wouldn’t matter how much he favored me.”  

Yu Xiaofang had a decent relationship with Su Ting, but she didn’t actually know much about her academic background. Hearing this, she believed about seventy or eighty percent of it. With a sigh, she said: “That’s true… Honestly, though, I can’t help but feel a little bitter. You educated folks get job offers thrown at you the moment you join the military community, while people like me… I’ve been following the unit for years, and I still don’t have any work.”  

Su Ting exaggeratedly stretched her neck, looking around in all directions before saying: “Where? Where are all these leaders desperately trying to give me a job? I don’t see them anywhere.”  

Yu Xiaofang shot her a playful glare. “Oh, come on! I was just exaggerating. Do you have to take everything so literally?”  

“Well, you started it.” Su Ting teased back.  

“Yes, yes, it’s all my fault.” Yu Xiaofang admitted with a grin before sighing. “I was just speaking without thinking. The truth is, my family was poor, and my parents didn’t let me study when I was young. Now, I’m struggling at every turn because of it.”

Su Ting’s straightforward words left Yu Xiaofang momentarily speechless.  

She then shifted gears and said: “But you’re not entirely wrong. Education is definitely important, otherwise, why would we send our kids to school? And I think if you’re really looking for a job, you could start by studying more on your own. Even if your education level doesn’t allow you to become a teacher, places like the Supply and Marketing Cooperative sometimes hire people. If you know more than other military wives and have better math skills, the leadership there might be more inclined to hire you.”  

Yu Xiaofang pondered this for a moment before sighing. “You have a point. I guess I was just stuck in my own head.”  

After seeing Yu Xiaofang off, Su Ting returned to the master bedroom. There, she found He Dongchuan flipping through an illustrated magazine. As soon as he heard her footsteps, he looked up at her, eyes gleaming with amusement. “Our Little Sister of Understanding is back?”  

Su Ting was caught off guard by this title and took a moment to process before responding. “What nonsense are you talking about?”  

“Well, those who are good at comforting others are called ‘Big Sisters of Understanding.’ Since you’re younger than Yu Xiaofang, doesn’t that make you the ‘Little Sister of Understanding’?”  

Su Ting narrowed her eyes. “…Are you complimenting me or making fun of me?”  

“Of course I’m complimenting you.” Without hesitation, He Dongchuan reached out and pulled her into his arms, his expression calm and serious. “It just so happens that I’ve been struggling with a little problem lately. Comrade Su, could you also help guide me through it?”  

Su Ting raised an eyebrow and shot him a suspicious look. “What problem?”  

He leaned in, lowering his voice to whisper something in her ear.  

As the words reached her, a warm blush spread over Su Ting’s face. She stared at him, her eyes widening in disbelief before she shot him a sharp glare. “That’s not a problem the ‘Little Sister of Understanding’ can solve. Please exit to the right and find the ‘Big Sister of Understanding’ instead. Thank you.”  

He Dongchuan raised an eyebrow. “Exit to the right? Wouldn’t that lead me straight into Xiao Yan’s bedroom?”  

“Exactly. You’ll be sleeping with Xiao Yan tonight.”  

“Why?”  

Su Ting huffed: “Because I don’t trust you.”  

Though she spoke with firm conviction, it ultimately proved futile against a certain someone’s persistence. That night, not only did He Dongchuan successfully gain entry to the bedroom, but Su Ting also found herself using her hands—very, very vigorously—to help “guide” him through his so-called problem.