Lin Xiaoyue pursed her lips and smiled, "She gave birth to three sons in a row and wasn't willing to give up on having a daughter, so she brought the little one over not long after her confinement."
Chen Lishu's mouth parted slightly, "She just finished her confinement period, isn't it a bit too soon?" Her body probably hasn't recovered yet.
"She can only come over now during the farming slack season to give birth quickly. Otherwise, in two more months, when the children are in school and adults are working, she definitely won't be able to get away. Besides, aren't there families where two children were born in one year, one 'green grass' and one 'yellow grass'?"
Chen Lishu sighed, "There's no rush for this. She could have waited until winter or next year."
Lin Xiaoyue explained, "Sister-in-law Wang is already over thirty. If she delays any longer, her body definitely won't be able to handle it."
Chen Lishu thought about it and agreed. Thirty was considered an advanced maternal age back then, let alone now.
Lin Xiaoyue's gaze fell on Chen Lishu's belly, and she couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why haven't you conceived yet?"
Calculating the time, it had been half a year since Chen Lishu arrived from the previous year.
Chen Lishu subconsciously touched her belly and revealed a wry smile, "I don't know either. It's been so long, and there's still no sign."
If she hadn't given birth in her previous life, she would have doubted if there was something wrong with her body.
Lin Xiaoyue initially thought Chen Lishu was deliberately using contraception to focus on her studies. Seeing that she genuinely wanted a child, she leaned closer and whispered in her ear.
Chen Lishu's face flushed when she heard the question, but she still replied, "We actually do it several times a night."
There was no way around it; some people had so much energy that it made others grind their teeth in frustration.
Lin Xiaoyue nodded understandingly. Although she felt shy mentioning such things, they were both women, so there was nothing they couldn't talk about. She kindly reminded her, "When I was pregnant with my son Wu Yan, I was in the same situation as you. Later, when the elders at home noticed there was no sign for so long and learned about the situation, they told me that it shouldn't be too frequent, or it would be difficult to conceive. Later, I talked to my husband Old Wu about it, and soon after, I got pregnant."
Chen Lishu's eyes lit up at her words, "Really?"
Lin Xiaoyue nodded affirmatively, "Of course, it's true."
...
When Gu Xingdong returned, Chen Lishu was cooking in the kitchen. The setting sun shone through the window onto her busy figure, as if bathing her in a faint golden light, making it hard for him to look away.
Although Chen Lishu heard the door close, she didn't hear Gu Xingdong's voice for a long time. She couldn't help but turn her head curiously and saw Gu Xingdong standing at the doorway, staring at her with his dark eyes.
Chen Lishu smiled playfully, "Why are you looking at me like that? Don't you recognize me?"
"A little bit." Gu Xingdong nodded seriously, walked into the kitchen with his hands behind his back, and said, "I suddenly realized my wife is getting more and more beautiful."
Chen Lishu couldn't help but laugh, "Did you put honey in your mouth?"
Hearing her words, Gu Xingdong raised an eyebrow, then leaned closer suggestively, "Do you want to taste it?"
Looking at his increasingly close handsome face, Chen Lishu pushed him away with a look of disdain, "Taste what? You smell of sweat, go wash up."
Gu Xingdong's eyes narrowed dangerously, "You dislike me, don't you?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he cupped Chen Lishu's face and, ignoring her struggles, kissed her fiercely before letting her go.
"Gu Xingdong!" Chen Lishu stomped her feet in anger, but he had already slipped away to the bathroom.
The weather was hot, so Chen Lishu prepared cold noodles for dinner. As she brought the noodles to the table, Gu Xingdong emerged from the bathroom. He had taken off his training clothes and, due to the heat, was only wearing long pants and a tank top, revealing his lean arms and long limbs.
The hot weather and prolonged exposure to the sun had quickly darkened Gu Xingdong's skin. His original wheat complexion had almost turned into chocolate, which added to his masculine charm.
Seeing his gaze fall on the bowls on the table, Chen Lishu said with a smile, "We're having cold noodles today. Add whatever seasoning you like."
To make the flavor better, she had prepared several kinds of seasonings: crushed peanuts, chili oil, chopped scallions, as well as bean sprouts and shredded potatoes.
Gu Xingdong had never known that eating noodles could involve so many things. Seeing Chen Lishu already start, he pulled up a stool, sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and quickly mixed a bowl for himself. After tasting it, he praised, "Delicious."
He quickly finished the noodles in his bowl and then reached for a second bowl.
Chen Lishu felt full after eating one bowl, and all the remaining noodles were devoured by Gu Xingdong.
At night, after Chen Lishu finished her ablutions, she went to the bed and had just lifted the quilt to lie down when the person who had been reading immediately leaned over...
After an unknown amount of time, with a contented sigh from above, Chen Lishu also came back to her senses. She reached out to push him, "Xingdong, you can get up now."
Gu Xingdong buried his head in her neck, took a deep breath, and then propped himself up on his elbows, "Did I press on you?"
Chen Lishu shook her head. Thinking of Lin Xiaoyue's instructions, she felt a little shy and whispered, "You, you go out first, and then give me the pillow."
Gu Xingdong moved as he was told, stretching out his long arm to grab the pillow nearby.
Chen Lishu carefully shifted her body and then placed the pillow under her lower back.
Seeing her actions, Gu Xingdong's eyes suddenly deepened, "New position?"
Sensing his eagerness, Chen Lishu's face flushed crimson, and she chided, "What are you thinking!"
After scolding him, she recounted what Lin Xiaoyue had told her.
Gu Xingdong was stunned for a moment after hearing this. Then, the force on his arm loosened, and he slumped back onto the bed, groaning, "So it's going to be like this until you're pregnant?"
Chen Lishu comforted him, "I can't help it either. They said it shouldn't be too frequent. For the sake of the child, you'll have to bear with it for now."
Gu Xingdong shifted, propping his head on his elbow and turning to face Chen Lishu, he stroked her flat abdomen and sighed, "Be more competitive. For you, I've even sacrificed my own happiness."
Chen Lishu was immediately amused by his sulky expression and burst into laughter.
...
The next day, when Chen Lishu woke up, the spot beside her was already empty. She glanced at her watch; it was past seven o'clock.
She got dressed and got up. The 'King,' who had roamed outside all night, had apparently returned at some point and was now snoring soundly in his bed.
He seemed to have gained a lot of weight recently. The mat made for him before the Chinese New Year was almost too small for his increasingly round body.
Thinking of making him a bigger mat when she had time, Chen Lishu turned and went to the kitchen to make herself something simple to eat.
After eating, Chen Lishu grabbed her shoulder bag and left the house.
Thinking that Li Zhengxing should have returned from his business trip by now, Chen Lishu took a bus to Wang Aixiang's house.
"Sister, you've finally come. I figured you'd be here by now after so long."