"It's your son who can't have children, so you don't know whose seed is in that young widow's belly, and whose fool your son is to acknowledge someone else's son as his own!"
Hearing Chen Zi'an's words, Granny Wang wondered if she had misheard or if Chen Zi'an had misspoke.
But she quickly reacted.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Don't think you can just spout nonsense because you're from the city. My daughter-in-law is pregnant!" Granny Wang shouted loudly, as if shouting louder made her right.
Chen Zi'an smiled faintly and said, "My wife is also pregnant!"
This statement was earth-shattering, and almost everyone present was stunned.
The Su family had long accepted the fact that Su Manxiu couldn't have children. Now, hearing that Su Manxiu was pregnant, they were all dumbfounded.
They stared at Su Manxiu, as if trying to see something.
How long had they been married? Less than two months. Was she really pregnant?
If Manxiu could have children, then it was that dog Wang Gouzi who couldn't.
After Granny Su understood the situation, she slapped Granny Wang twice across the face.
"You old hag, you always said my daughter couldn't have children and tormented her in every way. It turns out it's your old Wang family who can't have children. My poor daughter, after marrying into your family for so many years, working like an ox and a horse, and still having to serve a woman carrying someone else's child."
Granny Wang was already shocked by this matter, and then being slapped twice by Granny Su, she was completely stunned.
Er Gouzi couldn't have children? If Er Gouzi couldn't have children, then whose child was Liu Xiaocui carrying?
"No, that's impossible! Didn't you just get married?" Granny Wang seemed to have found a reason to convince herself.
"We've been married for almost fifty days, and this baby was just conceived. What, you don't believe it?" Chen Zi'an stood beside Su Manxiu, carefully protecting her.
This was an unexpected joy for him.
He hadn't expected Manxiu to get pregnant so quickly. Although it was early days, it was basically confirmed.
Originally, he hadn't planned to say anything before the baby was three months old, but at this moment, he couldn't afford to be so particular.
"Xiuer, my poor daughter, it was my fault for being blind and marrying you to such a family, wasting so many years for you!" Granny Su cried, wiping away tears after hitting someone.
"Mom, it's all in the past. I'm living much better now than I did in the Wang family." Su Manxiu looked at Chen Zi'an.
The appearance of this man had completely changed her life.
If he hadn't appeared in time, she might have already been a water ghost in the river.
If he hadn't helped her, she might not have been able to hold on.
If he hadn't made her let go of her guard and marry him, she might never have known that she could be a mother.
Su Xiaotian, holding a stick, also stared at Su Manxiu with wide, round eyes.
What had she heard? Auntie was pregnant?
Had everything changed?
There weren't so many things happening in her previous life.
This was good, this was good. Auntie's life would definitely have hope.
After the commotion, Su Manxiu couldn't continue working here, so she took leave and went home.
After Chen Zi'an and the Su family left, the onlookers started pointing and talking about Granny Wang.
These people enjoyed watching the commotion and didn't care if Granny Wang could accept it.
She disliked her daughter-in-law for not being able to have children, but it turned out that the son, not the daughter-in-law, had the problem.
Indeed, heaven spares no one!
If this family had lived their lives properly and adopted a child, they might have been a happy family now. But now, their family was broken.
"Old woman, hurry back and see whose seed that one in your daughter-in-law's belly is. Fortunately, you haven't raised the child for them yet!"
Someone couldn't help but remind her.
Granny Wang then scrambled to sit up and scurried towards her home.
She was still cursing as she ran.
But this time, she wasn't cursing Su Manxiu, but Liu Xiaocui!
Meanwhile, Chen Zi'an and the others were on their way home when they happened to pass by the supply and marketing cooperative.
"Let's go in and buy some things!" Granny Su called out.
"Mom, we can buy them this afternoon!" Su Manxiu said softly.
Perhaps due to her pregnancy, Su Manxiu had become even more gentle.
Su Xiaotian understood her grandmother's intention and smiled, saying, "Grandma, I haven't been to the supply and marketing cooperative in the county town yet."
Hearing this, Su Manxiu quickly said, "Then let's go to the supply and marketing cooperative to have a look. Our Tianbao is a lucky child."
For some reason, she felt that her original fate shouldn't have been like this, but a tragic death. The reason she could have the life she had now was all because of Su Xiaotian's good luck.
When the group arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative, although the Su family members were not well-dressed, Chen Zi'an and Su Manxiu were dressed quite well, so the staff at the cooperative did not dare to be too dismissive of them.
Soon, someone recognized Chen Zi'an as a leader from the armed forces department, and they became even more attentive.
Granny Su, holding a stack of coupons and money, walked around the county town's supply and marketing cooperative, which was much larger than the one in the town.
"My goodness, the supply and marketing cooperative in the county town is indeed different. It takes a lot of time just to walk around here."
Granny Su's words amused Su Xiaotian and the others.
"Grandma, there will be even bigger ones in the future!"
In later generations, supermarkets were much larger than current supply and marketing cooperatives. These were simply department stores, not worth mentioning.
"What Tianbao says is right, there will be even bigger ones in the future." Granny Su sighed, not knowing if she truly believed Su Xiaotian's words or just said them casually.
"Mom, you look first. We'll go home to eat." Su Manxiu, worried that Granny Su might buy things impulsively, reminded her with a smile.
Granny Su repeatedly shook her head, "This is my first time at the supply and marketing cooperative in the county town, so I can't just leave without buying anything."
Granny Su lingered for a while and finally bought a pound of white sugar, a pound of brown sugar, and then, using the oil can from Su Lao Er's basket, she grudgingly filled it with four pounds of soybean oil. Finally, she cut three pounds of pork.
At that time, white sugar and brown sugar were fifty cents a pound, soybean oil was eighty cents, and pork was seventy cents a pound. These items totaled six yuan and thirty cents.
Chen Zi'an wanted to pay, but Granny Su stopped him.
"That won't do. This is my first time buying things at a supply and marketing cooperative in the city, so I have to pay myself."
Su Manxiu chuckled and signaled Chen Zi'an not to interfere, letting the old lady handle it herself.
Since the old Su family had produced a sewing machine coupon and a bicycle coupon, and also produced so much money, Su Manxiu felt that her parents' family might be living a better life than she had imagined.
Chen Zi'an could only go along with Granny Su's wishes.
Granny Su carefully paid the money and coupons to the supply and marketing cooperative salesperson and then asked, "Are there any snacks? Buy some for my daughter. My daughter is pregnant."
She said this with great pride.
The salesperson, hearing Granny Su say this, also greatly admired her concern for her daughter.
She smiled and said, "Auntie, there aren't many people who care about their daughters as much as you do!"
Looking at this old lady, her life was probably not good, but she could still care for her daughter, which was truly not easy.
"If you don't care for your own child, who else will?" Granny Su smiled.
"There's canned food, and also sponge cake and crispy biscuits, and fruit rolls and candy. What would you like, madam?" the salesperson introduced one by one.
"Canned food isn't as good as our own fruits. Xiuer, I'll have your third brother bring you a basket of soft pears. Let's buy a pound of sponge cake, a pound of crispy biscuits, and half a pound of fruit rolls and candy each."
Granny Su was very generous at this moment. Her daughter was already thirty years old, and it was her first pregnancy, so she couldn't be stingy.
The salesperson responded and packed these items for Granny Su.
Granny Su paid the money and coupons without hesitation.
The salesperson was extremely surprised. Indeed, one should not judge a book by its cover.
This old lady looked like she came from a poor background, and she even smelled of the stove. She should be from the countryside, yet she could produce so many coupons.
She cared for her daughter and could afford money and coupons. Why wasn't such an old lady her mother?
"Mom, why did you buy so many things? I'm already this old. I just need to eat, I don't need to eat these snacks!" Su Manxiu complained, but in her heart, she felt sweet.
The past thoughts that her parents didn't love her disappeared at this moment. The emptiness of the past was filled.
She felt she was the happiest person in the world!
"Xiuer, when you're pregnant, you'll have cravings. Tell your mom what you want to eat, and I'll get it for you. Your sisters-in-law are generous and won't argue with you over such a small matter," Granny Su comforted Su Manxiu.
"Auntie, Xiaotian will also take care of you!" Su Xiaotian quickly said.
Only now did she understand why she had been drawing so many pastry and candy coupons recently. It turned out they were waiting for this.
Chen Zi'an laughed and patted Su Xiaotian's fluffy head, "With your auntie taken care of by you, your uncle is relieved!"
"When I save up some more coupons, I'll make two sets of clothes for the baby before it's born," Granny Su added. "The little quilt can be the one Xiaotian used before. Tianbao is a lucky child, so the baby will also be blessed by using her bedding."
Su Manxiu strongly agreed with this. She had originally planned to return in January to inform her parents and siblings, and then ask for some clothes that Su Xiaotian had worn. Unexpectedly, her mother brought it up herself.
Granny Su browsed around and bought many things to take home. She also spent a lot of money, but she was very happy, and her steps became much more brisk.
After exiting the supply and marketing cooperative, Chen Zi'an saw that it was already noon and said, "Why don't we eat at a restaurant!"
It was only right for his mother-in-law and brother-in-law, who had come to the city with difficulty, to eat something good outside.
"That won't do. I'll go back and cook for Manxiu. Manxiu loves my noodles the most."
"Mom, I want to eat dumplings today. Is that okay?" Su Manxiu suddenly said.
She felt she was being a bit fussy. She had gotten through times when she couldn't even eat enough, and now she was becoming picky.
But Granny Su and the others didn't think anything was wrong.
"Okay, we just bought meat, so I'll go back and chop the meat filling to make dumplings for you. Do we have any vegetables at home? Radishes, cabbage, or anything?" Granny Su said in a rush.
"Mom, should I buy another two pounds of meat?" Chen Zi'an quickly added.
According to the custom here, the mother-in-law was usually called "Auntie," but Chen Zi'an's parents had already passed away, so he simply called Su Manxiu's parents "Dad and Mom."
"No need. Pure meat dumplings are delicious, but they are too extravagant. Adding some vegetables makes them tastier and saves meat," Granny Su shook her head.
"But you've come all this way, you should eat something good!" Chen Zi'an said sincerely.
"We have meat dumplings to eat, what's not good about that? Let's go home quickly, I need to hurry and cook for Xiuer!"
Granny Su was bustling with energy, and her whole person looked spirited, which was due to her high spirits.
After the whole family returned, Granny Su immediately went to the kitchen to busy herself with cooking. Su Lao San offered to help, but Chen Zi'an disagreed and went into the kitchen to help himself.
Su Xiaotian saw the date tree in the yard and became interested, so she went to play under the date tree.
"Xiaotian, come inside quickly, it's too cold outside!" Su Manxiu called out.
"Auntie, I'll just play for a while. If it gets cold, I'll come inside," Su Xiaotian quickly responded.
She wanted to chat with the date tree and see what the yard was like before, and if there were any bad things.
Auntie was pregnant now and needed to be taken good care of.
Su Xiaotian stroked the date tree and chatted for a long time. Not only did she learn that everything in the yard was peaceful, but she also learned about some surrounding matters.
There were many more stories in the county town than in the countryside, especially in recent years.
Su Xiaotian learned many things she wanted to know, and she also heard from the date tree that there were many good things buried under this yard, and it was said that there were jade and porcelain.
These things definitely couldn't be taken out now, so she didn't plan to reveal all of them.
However, when Su Xiaotian returned to the house, she said to Su Manxiu, "Auntie, this house is very auspicious. You must not sell it."
Su Manxiu chuckled, "This house is comfortable to live in, so of course I won't sell it. Besides, I haven't heard of anyone willing to buy houses."
In recent years, housing transactions had almost stagnated, and many families were waiting for housing allocated by the state.
To wait for state allocation, they were willing to squeeze into a small room with their entire family.
Chen Zi'an's house was inherited from his ancestors. As for why the Chen family ancestors had a small courtyard here, Su Manxiu didn't know.
Su Xiaotian naturally couldn't say that in a few more years, with the market economy, there would be many housing transactions.
"Anyway, this house is good. Auntie, just remember it!"
Su Manxiu did not object to Su Xiaotian's persistent insistence that the house was good.
Wasn't this house good?
"Alright, I know. Little girl, you know quite a lot, you even know if a house is good or not!" Su Manxiu said with a smile.
She found Su Xiaotian, this little girl, to be very shrewd and cute. She even thought it would be great if her future child could be this cute!