"There's about a month until the due date, so it's best to be careful."
Zhang Liunian closed the bedroom door and then added, "The child will be born soon. Tomorrow, let's go buy some clothes and a small bed that the baby will need."
In the past, they didn't have the conditions for such things, so there was no talk of a small bed. Now that life was better, they had to arrange a separate bed for the child. This way, no one would disturb their marital life, and then they could do this and that...
Thinking of the imminent prospect of "eating meat," Zhang Liunian's mood inexplicably improved.
Jiang Qingqing looked at the twinkling starlight in her husband's eyes and, for some reason, seemed to connect with his thoughts. Her small face instantly flushed crimson, "As you say."
Her voice was soft and small; if he hadn't been close, Zhang Liunian might not have heard her.
"Go sit down, I'll make dinner." Zhang Liunian glanced at Su Jie on the coffee table, helped his wife to sit down, and then intended to make dinner.
"No need, the meal is already made. Su Jie helped me prepare it."
Holding her husband's hand, Jiang Qingqing looked at Su Jie, a little embarrassed, and said, "Su Jie, your visit today was rather sudden, and there's no place to stay at home. I can't keep you here for now. Next time you visit, I'll make arrangements. Is that okay?"
Su Jie lowered her eyes. She admitted that she had come uninvited today, but Jiang Qingqing's arrangement still made her feel extremely awkward.
She had come to the county town precisely to be close enough to tempt Zhang Liunian. Yet, Jiang Qingqing now wanted to send her back to the village. If that happened, no matter how many tricks she had, she wouldn't be able to use them.
"Su Jie, if you don't want to go back to the village, you'll have to share the small bed with Huabao tonight. Her bed is small..." Jiang Qingqing said, feeling a bit uncomfortable when the other didn't speak.
For some reason, after the previous misunderstanding, she instinctively didn't want Su Jie to get close to her and her husband, fearing that something like the last incident might happen again.
She didn't want to see her good sister have anything with her own man. She wasn't foolish; her good man couldn't be snatched away by any woman, and even less so by a good sister.
"No, I can go back by myself."
Before Jiang Qingqing could finish, Su Jie interrupted with a forced smile.
But in her heart, she was deeply disappointed with Jiang Qingqing. This good sister, who always claimed to treat her sincerely and take good care of her during her confinement, had abandoned her in the village after less than a month and moved into the county town with her family of three to live a better life.
Was this her definition of treating her sincerely and taking good care of her?
Was abandoning her also the mark of a good sister?
If you can't truly help, don't make such promises. And what was the meaning of deliberately pushing her away now?
Did Jiang Qingqing's sincerity disappear that easily?
She just wanted to live with them, and Jiang Qingqing was already on guard, afraid she would seduce Zhang Liunian.
Truly a good sister!
"No, it's too late. How long will it take you to walk back alone?
Let's eat first. After dinner, let Liunian take Huabao to send you off."
Jiang Qingqing didn't notice Su Jie's displeasure and resentment, solely focused on preventing Su Jie from being alone with her man.
She was truly uneasy about a man and a woman sharing a motorcycle like this.
After all, there had been a misunderstanding between them last time, so sending their daughter along was the only way she could feel at ease.
Zhang Liunian smiled. If he couldn't understand his wife's intentions now, he'd truly lived in vain.
Wasn't she still bothered by the accident between him and Su Jie last time?
"I'll do as you say. I'll go call Uncle Zhao and Huabao to eat."
Zhang Liunian said this, put the money back in the room, and then went next door to call them.
After dinner, Jiang Qingqing personally placed Huabao between Zhang Liunian and Su Jie, and instructed Zhang Liunian to drive slowly and pay attention to safety.
Zhang Liunian nodded, bid farewell, started the motorcycle, and set off.
On the road from the county town to Zhangjia Village, there was a very steep slope. On this road, people sitting on the motorcycle would involuntarily lunge forward.
Taking advantage of this road, Su Jie deliberately pretended to be unsteady and lunged directly onto Zhang Liunian's back...
"Sit properly!" Zhang Liunian felt Su Jie behind him and wished he could throw her off.
Su Jie heard the coldness in his tone and didn't dare to annoy him. She quickly struggled to sit up straight and apologized, "I'm sorry, Liunian. I've never ridden a motorcycle before, and I didn't know how to balance myself."
Zhang Liunian did not reply. He drove silently towards the village and smoothly arrived at the educated youth dormitory, only then letting out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Little sister, I'll have to trouble you with Su Jie. After her confinement period is over, if she doesn't leave, let her work in the factory." Zhang Liunian entered the educated youth dormitory and found his younger sister, giving her some instructions, and was about to leave.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Xiaomei suddenly stopped Zhang Liunian, hesitant to speak, "Third Brother, if you have time, go see Eldest Brother's family. Second Brother is back."
He even brought his illegitimate son, but Zhang Xiaomei couldn't say this.
Zhang Liunian was stunned. Then, his thoughts turned, and he made a guess. Calculating the time, it was precisely when Zhang Liuxing and Fang Ru discovered Jiang Shu and her son. With his second brother returning at this time, it was definitely with the intention of handing his son over to his parents to raise.
"Okay, I'll go take a look." Zhang Liunian also wanted to see. In his previous life, he hadn't witnessed this scene, but he knew the outcome.
Now that he had time, he placed his daughter in front, started the motorcycle, and headed to his eldest brother's house.
Hearing the sound of the motorcycle, everyone in Zhang Liushui's living room peered out.
Zhang Liuxing thought it was his younger brother-in-law and his wife arriving. He craned his neck to look, but instead met Zhang Liunian's face, and his expression immediately changed as he looked away.
"Dad, Mom, Eldest Brother, Second Brother." Zhang Liunian entered the room with his daughter in his arms and greeted everyone.
Zhang Wenxue and his wife nodded upon hearing him.
Zhang Liushui, however, immediately got up and brought a stool. "Third Brother is here, come and sit. We can all listen to Second Brother's matters."
"..." Zhang Liuxing felt a pang of hurt.
It wasn't good news, so why did it need to be told to everyone in the world?
Moreover, it seemed like Third Brother had helped him deliver this matter. Now, telling him about it, wasn't that essentially asking him to mock himself?
Thinking that Zhang Liunian had given him such a great gift without saying a word, Zhang Liuxing was furious and immediately questioned, "Third Brother, Ru Ru told me that you were the one who found Jiang Shu to disrupt our marital harmony. Is this true?"
Zhang Wenxue and his wife were stunned. They looked at their second and third sons in disbelief, not understanding how their third son could be involved in this.
"Old Second, don't listen to Fang Ru's nonsense. Third Brother is bored to do something like that; it brings him no benefit. This couldn't have been done by him."
Zhang Wenxue had been living in the village for over a month and had started to favor Zhang Liunian. After all, as soon as he went out, he heard villagers praising his third son, saying he had a good son who benefited the entire village.
As time went by, all he heard were good things. Wasn't it natural for him to be influenced and think that his third son was indeed the brightest star in the sky?
Even Yu Xiaohua felt that her younger son couldn't possibly do such a thing. "Old Second, you can't wrongly accuse Old Third. Things need evidence; you can't frame your brother like this."
"..." Even you are starting to take Zhang Liunian's side and don't believe me?
Very good, excellent. You are all just people with false affection. Whoever brings you glory is the best son in your hearts, right!
He had truly misjudged them. He thought his parents would wholeheartedly support him and stand by his side. Yet, within two months of returning to the village, they had sided with his third brother.
"Ru Ru wouldn't lie. She said she met Third Brother at the entrance of the Industry and Commerce Bureau, and Third Brother told her himself."