Xiao Bao wondered why Baosheng was so thin.

Did he miss out on meals?

Dongsheng and Lin Lin should have brought back a chubbier child.

Grandma always said to choose a sturdier and fatter one when picking small chickens or pigs.

Xiao Meng felt embarrassed under their scrutiny and leaned closely against Jiang Min.

Jiang Lin introduced them.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao immediately greeted their aunt and younger sister.

Although Jiang Lin said Xiao Meng was a bit older, Da Bao and Xiao Bao deliberately ignored this, thinking someone so small couldn’t possibly be an older sister, so Jiang Lin must have made a mistake.

When Xiao Meng heard them call her “younger sister,” she instinctively greeted her older brothers without any resistance.

She had never seen such a handsome boy before, even prettier than girls.

Da Bao was quite disappointed with Baosheng, finding him nothing like what they had imagined.

Xiao Bao was also somewhat let down, expecting Baosheng to be more fun.

Jiang Lin added, “There’s also Xiao Jun in the car behind. He’s your little cousin, and you can play with him too.”

Da Bao and Xiao Bao immediately ran to the back car.

As Xiao Jun was about to get out, he shrank back into the car when he saw his older cousins.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao looked at him and found his trembling reaction amusing.

Standing on the car’s step, they supported themselves with their hands on the seats, asking, “What’s your name?”

Xiao Jun, covering his face, cried out, “I want my milk, I want my dad, I want to go home.”

Da Bao and Xiao Bao exchanged glances.

They were disappointed to find that this timid boy couldn’t possibly be their Baosheng!

Such a letdown—where was Baosheng?

Meanwhile, Jiang Lin and Jiang Min got out of the car, and Wensheng was already there, helping Jiang Lin down.

Although he didn’t understand pregnancy or what it meant, he knew from his father that his mother needed to be well taken care of.

Wensheng was more careful than if he were assisting a very old lady.

He would have preferred to carry Jiang Lin home himself if she hadn’t insisted she was fine.

Dabao and Xiaobao called for their mother and rushed towards Jiang Lin, but Wensheng stopped them.

Dabao asked, “Where’s Baosheng?”

Xiaobao said, “Didn’t you take the train to pick up Baosheng? Why isn’t he here?”

Cheng Rushan, who had come over from behind, picked up his two sons. “We went to see Baosheng, but he won’t be home for another nine months.”

“So slow? What kind of train is that?” The brothers were stunned.

Their parents had only been gone to Beidahuang for a few days, so why would it take Baosheng nine months to get home by train?

Yan Runzhi and Cheng Yunzhi came out, smiling warmly to welcome Jiang Min and her siblings.

Jiang Min had composed herself and was ready for anything.

She greeted the elderly couple calmly, without showing any signs of her previous distress.

“You must be exhausted from the long train ride. Come in and rest. We’ll have lunch soon.”

Hearing that the train ride was exhausting, the brothers were even more worried about Baosheng taking nine months to arrive.

They were so troubled that they didn’t have the energy to entertain their two little guests.

Xiaojun ran over, tightly holding his sister’s hand, while Xiaomeng didn’t dare approach the brothers either.

Finally, the brothers whispered to each other, “This train really needs to speed up.”

They went back to Jiang Lin, cuddling up to her. Xiaobao initially wanted to cling to her like a piece of candy, but their dad didn’t allow it anymore.

Xiaobao said, “Never mind, let’s take our cousin to school and pretend she’s Baosheng.”

Dabao added, “Isn’t the little one more like Baosheng?” He was chubby and had a round face, looking adorable.

Xiaobao said, “Even though we have both younger brothers and sisters, I still prefer having a sister. Wearing a little flower dress with braids, just like Wei Mengmeng. Haha, our cousin’s name is Liang Xiaomeng, and Wei Mengmeng. Are they sisters?”

Da Bao said, “One is named Liang, and the other is named Wei. What do you think?”

Xiao Bao ran inside and called out, “Xiao Meng, come with us to school!”

Yan Runzhi said, “Your little sister just arrived. Let her rest and go to school tomorrow. You two go now, and come back for lunch.”

Da Bao and Xiao Bao ran over to kiss Jiang Lin and said, “Lin Lin, wait for us to come back!”

Then they dashed off.

Cheng Rushan told Yan Runzhi and Cheng Yunzhi that Jiang Lin was pregnant.

Yan Runzhi was surprised but clapped her hands, saying, “Oh, this is double happiness! We have Aunt and the little ones here, and now Da Bao and Xiao Bao’s Baosheng has arrived. That’s wonderful!”

She smiled at Jiang Min, saying, “Aunt’s honored guest has brought us good news.”

Jiang Min felt embarrassed and quickly replied, “Auntie, you flatter me. I don’t deserve this.”

Yan Runzhi insisted, “Of course you do. Let’s get the meal started.”

Cheng Rushan said, “You all chat; I’ll take care of the cooking.”

Cheng Xinglei and He Liang went to help.

Cheng Rushan’s hand-pulled noodles were delicious.

He Liang’s mouth watered.

However, Fang Chengguang had to leave for something.

He waved goodbye to Cheng Rushan and left.

Seeing He Liang looking so hungry, Cheng Rushan asked, “Didn’t you have breakfast?”

He Liang replied seriously, “When Cheng Ge isn’t home, nothing tastes good.”

Cheng Rushan said, “When you eat the noodles later, make sure to prove they’re good.”

He Liang asked, “Cheng Ge, why are you joking around so much?”

Cheng Rushan smiled.

At mealtime, Da Bao and Xiao Bao came back on the dot, as if they had eyes that could see far away.

Wensheng asked, “Did you two finish school?”

Da Bao replied, “We had the last period of labor class. We helped the teacher clean the blackboard and set up the desks and chairs, so we could come back early.”

Xiao Bao added, “Hehe.”

Although Xiao Meng was obedient, she was also shy and self-conscious.

Seeing the lively and handsome Da Bao and Xiao Bao made her hesitant to come forward.

Xiaojun started to recover and immediately moved closer to Dabao and Xiaobao.

Noticing a small wooden gun sticking out of Xiaobao’s pocket, he said, “I have one too. My dad made it for me.”

Xiaobao pulled it out and handed it to Xiaojun. “Here, you can play with it for a while.”

Meanwhile, Jiang Lin quietly explained Xiaomeng’s situation to Dabao and Xiaobao, asking them to take care of her and find ways to help her eat more without feeling sick.

Dabao said, “That’s easy. Let’s ask Dad to give us bigger bowls! If everyone uses big bowls, it looks like there’s less food, but we actually eat more. Let’s try it.”

Jiang Lin thought it was a good idea and suggested they tell their dad.

If Xiaomeng ate more without realizing it, she might not feel sick.

The psychological effect could help since she often felt she ate too much.

When it was time to eat, Cheng Rushan found some big bowls for the four kids.

Dabao and the others got half a bowl, while Xiaomeng’s bowl looked like it had less food, but it was actually more than she usually ate.

Dabao intentionally asked, “Why are you eating so little?”

Xiaomeng looked a bit flustered. “I-I can’t eat much.”

Xiaojun said, “She throws up if she eats too much. It’s a waste.”

Xiaobao added, “I throw up if I eat too much too. Just don’t eat too much. You’re a girl, so it’s okay to eat less. No need to feel embarrassed. Not everyone can eat as much as Zhao Xiaohui.”

Wensheng asked who Zhao Xiaohui was.

Xiaobao replied, “The girl in our class who eats the most. She eats more than the boys.”

Jiang Min kept an eye on Xiaomeng.

At this meal, Xiaomeng ate more than usual without noticing and didn’t feel sick.

She still ate less than Xiaojun, but it was a good start, and her health should gradually improve.

After lunch, Dabao and Xiaobao went back to school.

Jiang Lin and Jiang Min discussed the plan: Cheng Rushan would take them to register at the school, and in the evening, he and Jiang Xinglei would return to their hometown.

They would stay at the school to focus on their studies.

The children would stay here for now.

After several days on the train, traveling back and forth would be too exhausting for them.

Jiang Min was extremely grateful and thanked Yan Runzhi and Cheng Yun.

She appreciated their help.

Jiang Lin said, “I have to go back to school too.”

Cheng Rushan coaxed her, “You’ve been tired for a few days, take a rest.”

Jiang Lin replied, “I’m not tired; I don’t feel anything at all. As you saw, I’m eating well, and I haven’t had any morning sickness. Hehe, this is what the heavens give us! Aren’t you jealous?”

Cheng Rushan smiled but still didn’t agree. “Go tomorrow instead. It’ll get dark soon this afternoon, and you only have one class.”

He knew her class schedule better than she did.

Seeing his concerned expression, Jiang Lin decided to follow his advice to make him happy.

Cheng Rushan was indeed very pleased and patted her on the head, telling her to rest well at home.

When Jiang Min was about to get into the car, she hugged Jiang Lin and said, “Lin Lin, don’t worry. Since I’m here, I won’t let you down. I’ll get better.”

She couldn’t rely on others for everything; her inner strength and support in life had to come from herself.

She needed to be strong and not dwell on her emotions. She had to be a pillar of support for her children.

Jiang Xinglei also said, “Sister, don’t worry. I’ll tutor Eldest Sister this month and make sure she passes.”

Jiang Lin smiled and said, “Of course, I’m not worried. Eldest Sister has always been much better at studying than we are. I think you should work hard while tutoring her. Don’t let her end up doing better than you.”

Jiang Xinglei looked frightened.

Jiang Min hugged Xiao Meng and Xiao Jun, saying, “Be good and listen to Aunt. Mom will come to see you in a couple of days.”

Xiao Meng and Xiao Jun used to stay with their grandmother and didn’t spend every day with Jiang Min and Liang Tiefeng.

Now that they were familiar with Jiang Lin, they naturally wouldn’t cling to their mom.

Xiao Meng said, “Mom, you’re great. You’re going to university just like Aunt.”

Jiang Min kissed them and then got into the car with Jiang Xinglei.

After they left, Yan Runzhi led Xiao Meng and Xiao Jun and praised them for being both good-looking and well-behaved. “In the future, you’ll go to school with Dabao and Xiaobao. There are many children in this big courtyard who love to play with Dabao and Xiaobao. No one will bully you.”

Now the two boys were the little heartthrobs of the school.

Both boys and girls liked them and wished they could stay by their side every day telling stories.

Even the teachers were captivated by their stories and couldn’t get enough.

Wen Sheng assisted Jiang Lin, saying, “Mother, watch your step.”

Jiang Lin: …

Yan Runzhi looked at her and smiled, “Bao’er’s mother, come pick out some fabric. I think I should make you some new summer clothes; the old ones definitely won’t fit.”

Jiang Lin said, “Mom, don’t tire yourself out. Just having two maternity outfits to change between is enough.”

Yan Runzhi replied, “Tired? No way, we have a sewing machine now. Compared to before, I feel like I’ve got nothing to do, living in such comfort.”

Jiang Lin smiled, “Mom, you and Dad deserve this comfort.”

Yan Runzhi and Cheng Yunzhi took Xiaomeng and Xiaojun away and also told Wensheng to go play at the courtyard’s small theater, so they wouldn’t disturb Jiang Lin.

Wensheng said, “I want to read the opera scripts to Mom.”

Cheng Yunzhi helped the theater troupe repair opera scripts, and Wensheng followed along, remembering how his mom loved listening to him read them.

Jiang Lin lay on the kang, listening to Wensheng read, but she fell asleep before he finished the first act.

Wensheng saw her sleeping so soundly and just sat there watching her.

The more he looked, the more he felt that his mom was truly beautiful and he could never get enough of looking at her.

These past few days without his mom at home, he had nightmares about her disappearing, waking up feeling empty and like he was exposed to the wind.

Now that Mom was back, everything felt right.

When Jiang Lin woke up, it was already dark outside.

Cheng Rushan had returned.

After sending Jiang Xinglei and Jiang Min to the office and having a meeting with Director Di and others, he had also gone to the Discipline Inspection Department, working efficiently as ever.

Jiang Lin, upon waking, snuggled into his arms like she had no bones, her voice soft and enticing.

Cheng Rushan reflected that since she got pregnant, she had become particularly affectionate, which secretly pleased him.

He had specifically consulted the elderly doctor about their marital relations.

The doctor said it was normal and nothing to worry about, but as a man, he needed to be restrained to avoid harming his wife and the baby.

This had given him a fright, recalling a few times he hadn’t been very restrained. Luckily, nothing had happened, otherwise…

The old doctor, known for his sense of humor, couldn’t resist teasing Cheng Rushan, saying, “In the past, if the family could afford it, the husband would sleep separately once the wife was pregnant. They might have a concubine or a maid, and if not… well…”

Cheng Rushan thought, “I’m not separating from my wife.”

He held her chin and kissed her fiercely.

This little woman, who seduced him without taking responsibility.

Jiang Lin, feeling hot all over from his kiss, began to seduce him, indicating her desire for him.

Cheng Rushan held her hand, “Wife, we can’t. The doctor said no.”

Jiang Lin, her eyes half-open and misty, looked at him incredulously, “Why not? What if I want you?”

She really wanted him, more than ever before, and the feeling was a bit scary.

Cheng Rushan looked at her wine-like eyes and felt he was about to lose his resistance.

He used all his self-control and said calmly, “Endure it.”

Jiang Lin widened her eyes and stared at him as if he were a monster, whispering, “You want me to endure it? Is this something that can be endured?”

You’re the one who kept me up all night! You said I should endure it—can this really be endured?

Hmph!

Cheng Rushan, breathing heavily, bitterly kissed her lips. “Heartless, haven’t I endured enough for you?”

He reached out and touched her; she really wanted him.

At this moment, Yan Runzhi called out from outside, “Dongsheng, come here.”

Cheng Rushan was comfortably kissing his wife and didn’t want to respond, but he still let go of Jiang Lin and went outside. “Mother, what’s the matter?”

Yan Runzhi pulled him aside and said quietly, “Bao’er is pregnant. You can’t touch her for the next few months; it could harm her and the baby.”

Cheng Rushan: … Fine, I understand without you saying. I’ll endure it; I’m a practicing ascetic.

Yan Runzhi continued, “Dongsheng, move out and sleep in the south room for two months.”

Cheng Rushan: !!! So if the wife is pregnant, does that mean she’s not mine anymore? Well, it’s still up to my wife. “Mother, I won’t make things difficult for Lin Lin.” If I really move out, won’t those rascals laugh at me for being rejected?

Cheng Rushan went back to test Jiang Lin to see if she wanted him to move out.

But as soon as he started, she tearfully accused him: “Shan Ge, have I turned into a yellow-faced woman? Do you dislike me?”

Cheng Rushan hurriedly pulled her into his arms and comforted her, satisfying her need for affection, allowing her to let him go.

But for him, it was pure torment.

He found that his wife’s pregnancy was a test of a man’s soul and body.

She was becoming increasingly alluring, exuding a deadly temptation, and continuously tempting him, but he couldn’t partake.

It was truly torturous!