"Third Brother, you..." Gu Xingping exclaimed excitedly as soon as she entered the room.
Fortunately, Zhang Qin pulled her back in time and gestured towards Chen Lishu, suggesting that this good news should come from the person herself.
Gu Xingping then realized her oversight and smiled sheepishly, having been too overjoyed to think it through.
Gu Xingdong was looking for a basin to put beans in. After filling half a basin and preparing to soak them, he turned around and almost bumped into Chen Lishu.
Looking up, he saw her smiling at him and raised an eyebrow, teasing, "What's making you so happy? Did you find money?"
Chen Lishu smiled, "Happier than finding money. Guess what it is?"
Gu Xingdong shook his head, "I really can't guess this."
While pouring water into the basin, he said, "I borrowed a stone mill today. I'll soak some beans too. Didn't you say you wanted to drink soy milk yesterday? You can have it tomorrow morning."
Watching him work, Chen Lishu asked, "Do you know why I want to drink soy milk?"
"Why?"
"It's not me who wants to drink it, it's the baby in my belly."
"Oh." Gu Xingdong nodded, then suddenly felt something was amiss. He stopped what he was doing, turned his head, and stared at her blankly, "What did you just say? Say it again."
Seeing him like this for the first time, Chen Lishu couldn't help but smile and repeat, "I said, it's not me who wants to drink soy milk, it's the baby in my belly."
Gu Xingdong's usually steady face first showed a hint of disbelief, then his eyes flashed with ecstasy. However, he was undoubtedly restrained. The knuckles of his hand gripping the basin turned slightly white from the force, as he suppressed the urge to pull her into his arms.
Chen Lishu dangled her fair fingers in front of him, "Are you stunned with joy? Or do you have any... dissatisfaction about becoming a father?"
Before Chen Lishu could finish speaking, she felt her hand tighten as it was grasped by a pair of large hands.
Gu Xingdong said solemnly, "Comrade Chen Lishu, you have worked hard!"
"Pfft." Chen Lishu couldn't help but laugh out loud, then shook her head, "It's not hard, not hard."
Gu Xingdong emphasized again seriously, "You have worked hard."
"It's not hard."
"Thank you."
"No, okay, you're welcome."
Gu Xingping and Zhang Qin watched them, bewildered. What were these two doing? Being so polite about a pregnancy?
Soon, Li Xiulan and Gu Shoufu also learned the news of Chen Lishu's pregnancy.
Li Xiulan was so happy she didn't know what to say: "Buddha bless, heaven has eyes, Goddess of Mercy..."
Gu Shoufu, listening to her incessant muttering, couldn't help but say, "My son has an heir, why are you praying to them?"
"I'm happy," Li Xiulan glared at him. "Can't I mutter?"
Gu Shoufu disapproved, "If anyone should be thanked, it should be the spirits of our ancestors."
Li Xiulan readily agreed, "Yes, yes, tomorrow I'll have the third child go burn some paper money for the ancestors."
"Xiao Song, go get some wine. Tonight, I'll have a drink with your third uncle and the others."
Gu Shoufu had just taken out a dollar, but Li Xiulan unhappily slapped it back and glared at him, "You old rascal, Lishu finally got pregnant. Your breath smells so strong, it might offend my grandchild!"
Gu Shoufu then chuckled sheepishly and put the money back.
"This is really something. People are precious, and a pregnancy is treasured. You weren't this attentive when we were pregnant, Mom. It's as if our babies weren't your grandchildren."
Liu Yuemin felt a pang of sadness seeing the elders' reactions.
"There's nothing to compare here. My third brother and his wife have been married for so many years and only now have a child. My parents are so happy, Second Sister-in-law, are you really going to compare this?" Gu Xingping retorted.
"Now you have your Third Sister-in-law, and you've forgotten all about me, your Second Sister-in-law. Everyone knows you two are inseparable."
"Alright, she has a mouth and you have a tongue, both of you say less."
Li Xiulan appeased both sides and turned to Chen Lishu, "Third daughter-in-law, if you want to eat anything, tell Mom, and Mom will make it for you. You're only home for a few days a year, and it's only right for Mom to take good care of you."
Chen Lishu said a little shyly, "Mom, I want to eat dumplings." Dafeng Novel Network.
As long as she had cravings, Li Xiulan got up, "What kind of filling do you want?"
"Sauerkraut and pork."
"Okay, Mom will make it for you right away." Li Xiulan responded and bustled away.
"Mom, am I going to have a little brother? Where is he?" Ruirui stood beside Chen Lishu, looking at her unchanged belly with confusion. He had seen Lin Xiaoyue's belly, and he remembered it was as big as a watermelon.
Chen Lishu couldn't help but laugh, "He's in Mommy's belly. He's still too small, so you can't see him yet."
Ruirui looked up, "When will the little brother grow up?"
"It might not be a little brother, it could be a little sister. When you start second grade, he'll be out to play with you."
The doctor had said she was six weeks pregnant during the hospital check-up, which meant she conceived in December. A normal pregnancy is about nine months, which would be around the time students start school.
Chen Lishu felt this child had come at a very opportune time. She would be in her fourth year of university, and her coursework would definitely be less demanding than before, especially in the latter half of the semester. It was even possible there would be internships assigned, allowing her more time.
"Girls are the most annoying, always crying. I don't like little sisters," Gu Ming chimed in from the side.
His own sister, Gu Feng, was a nuisance.
Ruirui glanced at him, then stealthily glanced in Liu Yuemin's direction, blinked, and said, "The little sister my mom gives birth to will definitely not be annoying."
His mom was so beautiful and her smile so lovely, she wouldn't be annoying at all.
Meanwhile, Wu Chunmei and Chen Mantun, upon learning of Chen Lishu's pregnancy from Chen Lifei, were overjoyed. Chen Lishu's lack of a pregnancy for so many years had been a worry for both of them.
"Sweetness at last after bitterness," Wu Chunmei quickly wiped her eyes. "Child's father, let's go see the child, see what they want to eat, and we can prepare it for them. When the child leaves, there'll be no one to prepare things for them over there."
She had been pregnant seven times, and the conditions were poor back then. Whatever she craved during her pregnancies, she couldn't get, and the feeling was terrible. Now that her child was pregnant, and the family's conditions were better, she didn't want her child to repeat the suffering she had endured.
Li Xiulan was gathering firewood to start cooking when she saw Chen Mantun and his wife arrive. Knowing they must have heard about Chen Lishu's pregnancy, she greeted them happily and said sincerely, "In-laws, thank you for marrying such a good daughter into our family."
Wu Chunmei and Chen Mantun felt a little embarrassed by her thanks, "It's Lishu's good fortune to have a mother-in-law like you."
After saying this, all three felt a bit awkward and couldn't help but laugh.