Chapter 145: Lu Xiaotang Returns

When Xu Ning was more than eight months pregnant, Lu Xiaotang came back and was surprised to see her belly.

He set down his luggage and immediately hugged her tightly.

Seeing him return, Xu Ning asked excitedly, “Why are you back so early? Didn’t you say you had a few more days?”

Lu Xiaotang kissed her forehead and said, “I was a bit worried, so I came back a few days early. How have you been feeling?”

Xu Ning smiled and replied, “I’m doing well. I can eat and sleep fine, but walking has become a bit difficult. You should go wash up now! Xiao An will be back soon; I’ll have him make you some noodles.”

Lu Xiaotang helped her sit on a stool and gently touched her round belly. “I’m not hungry. Is Xiao An off working?”

“No, there hasn’t been much work in the fields these past few days. The village head let everyone take a break. He and some of the educated youth are fishing by the creek; they should be back soon.”

Lu Xiaotang nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll go take a shower. You just sit here for a bit.”

Just as Xu Ning settled down, Xu An returned with two fish, shouting before he even reached the house, “Sister, I caught two crucian carp today! I’ll make you some soup later!”

Seeing the two fish he held, each about the size of his palm, Xu Ning smiled and said, “Those are decent-sized fish, Xiao An! Your brother-in-law is back and is taking a shower right now. Why don’t you go make him a bowl of noodles first?”

Xu An exclaimed in delight, “My brother-in-law is back! I thought he wouldn’t be home for a couple more days. I’ll go make him some noodles right away!”

From the bathroom, Lu Xiaotang heard the siblings talking and called out, “Xiao An, don’t make too much; I’m not very hungry.”

“Got it, brother-in-law!” Xu An replied.

After Lu Xiaotang finished his shower and stepped out, Xu Ning was about to head inside to help with the cooking.

He quickly set the water bucket at the door and supported her, saying, “You stay out here and enjoy the cool breeze; don’t go inside. If you need anything, just call me or Xiao An.”

Seeing how concerned he was, Xu Ning laughed and replied, “It’s fine! Mom and Dad told me to stay active, so it won’t be as tough when it’s time to give birth.”

“Then I’ll accompany you for a walk on the main road later; it’s cooler outside with the breeze,” Lu Xiaotang said.

Xu An served Lu Xiaotang a big bowl of noodles and filled a smaller bowl for Xu Ning.

Seeing that Xu Ning’s bowl contained only a little, Lu Xiaotang thought that Xu An had cooked too little and was about to offer her some from his bowl.

However, Xu An stopped him, saying, “Brother-in-law, my sister can’t eat that much right now. Aunt Lu said that if she eats too well now, the baby might get too big, and the delivery will be harder.”

Lu Xiaotang frowned and replied, “But she can’t just eat this little bit. This won’t fill her up!”

Xu An laughed, “Don’t worry about my sister; she’s fine. She’s been eating six or seven meals a day.”

Xu Ning joined in the laughter, “Just go ahead and eat; don’t mind me. I’ve already had three meals since this morning. If Xiao Mo were here, he wouldn’t even let me have this bowl of noodles.

That kid has become so bossy! During the busy farming season, he cooks for me at home and strictly follows Mom’s rules: everything is on a schedule and portioned. I’m not allowed to eat a single bite more.”

“If I say I’m still hungry and ask him for a little more, he’ll launch into a lecture that can last half an hour!” Xu Ning complained.

Lu Xiaotang chuckled, “So Xiao Mo can cook now, too?”

Xu An laughed, “That kid is really smart. He picks things up quickly, especially when it comes to making his favorite dishes like tofu balls and potato pancakes. He can make them even better than I can!”

After finishing his meal, Lu Xiaotang got ready to wash the dishes, but Xu An said, “Brother-in-law, I’ll take care of the dishes. You can take my sister outside for a walk.”

Lu Xiaotang nodded and said, “Xiao An, you’ve been working hard during this time.”

Xu An replied with a smile, “Brother-in-law, it’s no trouble at all. My sister has always taken care of me since we were young, so it’s only right that I look after her now.”

Lu Xiaotang patted his shoulder and then took Xu Ning outside.

As they walked, Lu Xiaotang glanced at her belly with concern, not wanting her to walk too quickly.

“I’d prefer to have Mom (Aunt Lu) help with the delivery at home. The doctors in the county are so unreliable; every time I ask them something, they seem clueless.”

“There’s an old doctor who seems decent, but for some reason, he doesn’t often work at the hospital,” Xu Ning mentioned.

“Mom and Dad are good at medicine, but they’ve never delivered a baby. When I went to the hospital in Qishi, I noticed that their facilities are relatively better, and there are a few doctors there with solid skills.

I’ll discuss it with Mom and Dad tonight. If it doesn’t work out, we can go to Qishi to give birth. I’ll borrow a car in the city and take you over; don’t be afraid, everything will be fine,” he reassured her.

Xu Ning smiled and nodded in response.

Although Lu Xiaotang tried to comfort her, he felt quite anxious himself but didn’t dare show it.

That evening, when he went to the barn to discuss the matter with the elders, everyone agreed that it would be best for her to give birth in a hospital.

Both Aunt Lu and Uncle Lu suggested that Lu Xiaotang make arrangements as soon as possible so that Xu Ning could stay in the hospital a few days early, especially since it took about three hours to drive from their home to Qishi.

He returned from the barn and saw her lying on her side on the kang, his heart aching at the sight.

He sighed, thinking to himself that if she were only carrying one baby, she wouldn’t be suffering so much.

He took off his shoes, sat on the kang, and began to massage her legs while sharing what they had discussed in the barn.

“Mom and Dad suggested we go to the hospital a few days early. I’ll head to Qishi tomorrow to make the arrangements, and then I’ll bring you over in a couple of days.”

Xu Ning nodded; she had no objections. Since Lu Xiaotang arrived, she felt much more at ease.

Noticing how swollen her legs were, Lu Xiaotang asked, concerned, “Why are your legs so swollen? When did it start? Did you have Mom check on it?”

Xu Ning yawned and replied, “It’s been swollen for a while now. It’s fine; Mom looked at it and said it’s normal. Wei Lanlan and the others had the same issue when they were pregnant.”

Seeing that she looked tired, Lu Xiaotang lightened his touch as he continued to massage her.

The next day, when Xu Ning woke up and saw that no one was beside her, she slowly got dressed and went outside.

Xu An spotted her and smiled, “Sister, you’re up! Go wash up quickly; I’ve made breakfast. Come and eat!”

Xu Ning asked, “Where’s your brother-in-law?”

“He went to Qishi. He wanted to catch the earliest bus, and he’ll be back tonight, so he left really early,” Xu An explained.

After they finished breakfast, Xu Ning noticed Xu An was still at home and asked, “Xiao An, aren’t you supposed to go to work today?”

Xu An replied with a grin, “Sister, I took a day off today. I’ll go back tomorrow.”

Just then, Xu Mo walked in and said, “Second brother, you can go to work; I’ll stay home and keep an eye on Sister.”

Xu Ning asked, “Xiao Mo, aren’t you going to school today?”

“Sister, it’s Sunday! What school? Second brother, you should go to work. You can earn ten work points a day; it doesn’t make sense to just sit around at home. I only earn two work points a day, so I’ll stay home and look after sister,” Xu Mo replied.

Xu An looked at his little brother’s sharpness and chuckled, “Xiao Mo, if anything comes up, make sure to call for me right away, got it?”

Xu Mo shot him a glance and said, “Do I need you to remind me? Just go to work already! The more work points you earn, the more food we’ll get to divide after the autumn harvest. When our little nephew is born, we want him to eat well too!”

After finishing, he turned to Xu Ning with a grin, “Sister, what do you want to eat for lunch? I’ll make it for you.”

Both Xu Ning and Xu An couldn’t help but laugh at how quickly he changed his tone.