Chapter 121 : Production

The good news quickly made the Liang family lively, with everyone sharing tips and advice about pregnancy.

Liang Qingqing continued to sit in her spot, sipping her soup, occasionally glancing at Fan Yanxing, who was surrounded by people. He sat upright in his chair, paying serious attention to the “teachers” around him, occasionally asking questions. Ma Xiuzhi and the others were happy to answer, and the atmosphere was cheerful and warm. The dinner ended amidst laughter and joy.

Before they left, Ma Xiuzhi pulled Liang Qingqing aside.

“You’re pregnant now, and I’ve already reminded Yanxing of the precautions. He’s smart and will definitely take good care of you. I’m completely at ease with him in this regard. But there’s something I’m not comfortable telling him directly, so I have to tell you instead.” Ma Xiuzhi looked around and then leaned in, whispering mysteriously into Liang Qingqing’s ear.

Hearing this, Liang Qingqing blinked in curiosity. What could be so sensitive that Ma Xiuzhi felt uncomfortable mentioning it to Fan Yanxing? She decided to ask directly.

Ma Xiuzhi clicked her tongue, poked Liang Qingqing’s forehead, and said helplessly, “You child, what else could it be? Now that you’re pregnant, it’s best to avoid certain things.”

It was something related to intimacy, and as a mother-in-law, she certainly couldn’t bluntly discuss such matters in front of her son-in-law.

Upon hearing this, Liang Qingqing’s face flushed with embarrassment. She cleared her throat and nodded, “Mom, I understand. We both know our limits.”

Earlier in the county town, Qu Qingying had also mentioned this. Did the elders really think they were so eager in that regard? It was quite embarrassing.

“You’ve just married, and it’s a fresh time. Remember what your mother said,” Ma Xiuzhi said, patting Liang Qingqing’s hand. “The first three months are crucial and delicate, so be extra careful.”

After giving some more advice, Ma Xiuzhi let them leave.

On the way back, Liang Qingqing brought up the matter with Fan Yanxing. He couldn’t help but rub his forehead and, after a while, finally said with resignation, “Dad and Mom are doing this for our own good. Don’t worry, Qingqing, I won’t do anything.”

With Fan Yanxing’s reassurance, Liang Qingqing relaxed but couldn’t help but mentally count the days. If they couldn’t be intimate until the baby was born, wouldn’t that mean they’d have to abstain for almost a year?

She had just begun exploring many new experiences with Fan Yanxing and hadn’t fully enjoyed them yet…

“If I had known, I wouldn’t have gotten pregnant so soon,” she muttered to herself.

“Hm?” Fan Yanxing, who was reflecting on their earlier conversation, asked in response.

“Nothing, you must have heard it wrong.” Liang Qingqing chuckled awkwardly, her gaze dropping in embarrassment. Given a hundred chances, she wouldn’t dare repeat what she had just said. Fortunately, Fan Yanxing didn’t press the matter but instead shifted the conversation to how they should decorate the baby’s room.

When they built the house, they had left a room specifically for the baby, but it was empty except for a bed. Who would have thought that room would be needed so soon?

“It’s still early, we don’t even know the baby’s gender yet.” Liang Qingqing said this, but her mind started to recall various baby room designs she had seen in her past life, even considering where to place the crib for soothing the baby to sleep.

Indeed, becoming a parent comes with endless concerns.

“How about buying blue curtains? Neutral colors can work for either gender.”

“We should add a few more cabinets to store the baby’s things. We’ll need to ask Second Brother for help. Also, once the baby arrives, we need to pad all the corners of the house with soft fabric to prevent any injuries.”

They continued discussing these details until they finally settled down in bed. The moonlight filtered through the window gaps, providing just enough light to see the general layout of the room. Liang Qingqing nestled in Fan Yanxing’s arms and looked up at his chin, smiling softly.

“I still can’t quite believe it.”

“Neither can I.”

Fan Yanxing’s warm hand carefully rested on her belly, feeling through the thin fabric of her nightgown. The sensation was just as soft and comfortable as before, so he couldn’t resist giving it a gentle rub.

“What are you doing? Don’t touch me.” Liang Qingqing grabbed his thumb, her body instinctively shrinking back. She looked at Fan Yanxing in disbelief, wondering if he dared to break the rules so soon after their parents’ stern warnings.

Fan Yanxing, confused, held her hand back and explained with a hint of embarrassment, “I just wanted to feel our baby.”

Realizing only then that she had misunderstood, he squeezed her palm regretfully and whispered, “Do I seem so unreliable?”

Liang Qingqing shook her head and couldn’t help but tease, “The baby is only this tiny right now, what can you possibly feel?”

“A little touch is just a way to start bonding early,” Fan Yanxing admitted, knowing his actions were a bit childish, but he couldn’t help defending himself. “This is our flesh and blood, I cherish it.”

“Alright, alright, you can touch.” Liang Qingqing placed his hand back on her belly, nestled into his arms, and found the most comfortable position. It wasn’t long before drowsiness overtook her, making it hard to hear his murmured words as her eyelids fought each other until they finally closed.

Not hearing any response from her for a while, Fan Yanxing looked down and saw that Liang Qingqing had fallen asleep with even breathing. He gently smiled, kissed her forehead, and whispered, “Qingqing, goodnight.”

Since learning of her pregnancy, Liang Qingqing had been particularly attentive to her routine and diet. She made sure to go to bed on time and not stay up late, and to eat regularly without delays. Even if she didn’t strictly enforce these habits, her body seemed to enforce them for her becoming sleepy and hungry at the exact times, almost like an internal alarm clock.

Fortunately, apart from increased sleepiness and appetite, she hadn’t experienced any other unpleasant pregnancy symptoms. After smoothly passing the first three months, Qu Qingying and Xiao Jinhua came to Changbei Province for a week.

During this time, they pampered her with a variety of northern foods, ensuring she ate well and slept well before feeling comfortable leaving.

Liang Qingqing was grateful that her pregnancy was going well and that the baby inside was behaving and not causing any trouble. Most importantly, her pregnancy didn’t interfere with her work. Her professional skills continued to improve, and her career advanced smoothly.

By the start of summer, she had her own independent office, a salary increase, and a promotion!

Moreover, the employee residential building funded by the bureau was completed. Her position qualified her for a housing allocation, and she was assigned a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment.

It was as if fortune had come at just the right time. As her pregnancy progressed, living in a communal dormitory became increasingly inconvenient. Just when she was struggling with what to do, the housing allocation came through!

The apartment had already been ventilated and came with simple furniture. It was ready to move in after a bit of tidying up.

Liang Qingqing completed the paperwork, got the keys, and called her family for help. The Liang family ran around for most of the day, tidying up the apartment until it was ready for moving in.

The Fan family, far away, could only offer financial support and used their connections to have furniture, including the baby crib, delivered to the new home.

Seeing the newly refreshed apartment, Liang Qingqing smiled with satisfaction.

“Mom, you’ve been taking good care of Qingqing during this time,” Fan Yanxing said as he handed a glass of water to Ma Xiuzhi, gratefully smiling at her. Ma Xiuzhi waved her hand dismissively and shot him a disapproving look, saying, “We’re family, there’s no need for formalities.”

Worried about Liang Qingqing living alone with her big belly, the family wanted Ma Xiuzhi to move in with her to keep her company and to be there in case of any emergency.

“Mom, I knew you’d take care of me,” Liang Qingqing said, sweetly clinging to Ma Xiuzhi’s arm.

Ma Xiuzhi’s smile was so wide it almost reached her ears, but she feigned annoyance as she said, “You’re about to become a mother, yet you’re still acting like a child.”

“Well, I’ll always be a child in front of you and Dad. I don’t care, I’m sticking to you,” Liang Qingqing said, showing no shyness in front of everyone as she hugged Ma Xiuzhi tighter.

Seeing Liang Qingqing’s bulging belly, Ma Xiuzhi couldn’t help but give in, “Alright, alright, you can stick to me.”

Everyone laughed at the playful exchange between mother and daughter.

“Your sister-in-law is about to give birth. Your brother has taken her to the country hospital and is staying by her side every day,” Ma Xiuzhi said, her face showing a hint of worry. “We just don’t know when she’ll go into labor.”

When Wang Xiaomei went for a check-up in the county, the doctor said the baby was quite large and that delivery might be risky. She was advised to control her diet and avoid too many nutritional supplements.

They had gotten used to a hard life before, and now that conditions were better, they didn’t want to skimp on food, especially for a pregnant woman. So any good food at home was immediately sent to Wang Xiaomei.

Unfortunately, their good intentions had backfired.

Nobody expected that too much good food could lead to the baby growing too large, making delivery difficult.

“Mom, the doctor also said that since this is her second child, even if there are difficulties, the risk of serious complications is low,” Liang Qingqing said soothingly.

Ma Xiuzhi understood this reasoning and took a deep breath, her smile returning to her face.

After the family had a meal at the state-run restaurant, Liang Qingqing and Ma Xiuzhi saw them off at the station. Once the bus had departed, the two women leisurely made their way home, chatting until they finally fell asleep together that night.

Barely a day had passed when Liang Qingqing received a call from Liang shuqiang informing her that Wang Xiaomei had gone into labor early. She hurriedly ended the call, took leave from work, and returned to Fujin Country with Ma Xiuzhi.

By the time they arrived, the baby had already been born. Although the baby was a boy instead of the hoped-for girl, there was some disappointment but still a lot of joy. Liang Shuqiang’s smile never left his face.

“A child, whether a son or a daughter, is a treasure to the family,” he said with a smile.

Liang Qingqing saw Wang Xiaomei looking weak on the hospital bed and spoke with her for a bit. When Wang Xiaomei closed her eyes tiredly, Liang Qingqing ushered everyone out of the room to give her some quiet time to rest.

Ma Xiuzhi stayed in the hospital room with Wang Xiaomei, while the others went to the observation room to check on the baby. The baby needed to be monitored for a while because he had been under stress during delivery and needed some time before he could return to his mother.

“Why is the baby’s face purple?” Songzi asked, peering over Liang Shuqiang’s shoulder.

Liang Shuqiang, looking at the baby with tenderness, answered, “You were the same when you were born. Just give it some time, and his color will improve.”

Hearing their exchange, Liang Qingqing and Fan Yanxing also leaned in to look at the baby, both imagining what their own child might look like.

“Please, let our daughter look like me and our son look like you,” Liang Qingqing murmured, although both she and Fan Yanxing were quite good-looking, and it was hard for her to picture a female version of Fan Yanxing or a male version of herself.

Fan Yanxing, thinking along the same lines, nodded in agreement and added, “Yes, please, let it be so.”

Huang Yali, overhearing their conversation, chuckled and said, “You’ll find out in a few months. But no matter who the baby looks like, she or he will definitely be beautiful. Don’t worry.”

The word “beautiful” was quite fitting, but that was a discussion for later.

After enduring the hot summer, autumn arrived quickly. Fan Yanxing was transferred to work in the provincial capital, and the couple’s long-distance relationship finally ended, allowing them to see each other every day.

Meanwhile, Liang Qingqing’s belly continued to grow, bringing with it aches in her legs and back. Just standing for a while meant she needed to sit and rest for a long time before feeling comfortable again.

As the due date approached, Xiao Jinhua came to help care for Liang Qingqing, followed by Qu Qingying and Fan Yajun. Although Fan Yajun was not an obstetrician, her extensive medical knowledge made her extremely useful in providing timely solutions when Liang Qingqing felt uncomfortable.

Therefore, Ma Xiuzhi willingly gave up her room for Fan Yajun to stay in.

Three days before the due date, Liang Qingqing was preparing to move to the hospital to avoid any unforeseen situations.

However, things didn’t go as planned. While everyone was busy packing her belongings, Liang Qingqing was drinking water when her water suddenly broke. She was so frightened that tears streamed down her face, and her legs weakened, almost causing her to fall off the sofa. Luckily, Fan Yanxing was quick to catch her.

“Qingqing is going to give birth!”

His voice was trembling, unable to hide his anxiety. Fan Yanxing, with red eyes, placed a pillow behind Liang Qingqing, took a deep breath to keep himself calm, and extended his hand for her to hold.

“I’m in so much pain,” Liang Qingqing said, her face pale. She gripped his hand tightly, her fingers digging into his hand until they left red marks. Tears streamed down her cheeks one after another.

At that moment, Fan Yajun and Ma Xiuzhi, who were in the room, rushed out. Seeing the scene before them, their hearts skipped a beat, and their breathing became rapid.