As for the rest, Gu Xia didn’t tell Lu Xiaoyan.
She felt that was an oral agreement between her and Lu Shaoting, concerning this marriage built entirely on mutual use.
There really wasn’t much to say.
Hearing Gu Xia’s words, Lu Xiaoyan felt somewhat relieved.
“It seems he’s really decided to keep the child, even willing to marry you. But Gu Xia, you need to understand Shaoting’s physical condition. In the future, he might not be able to…”
Looking at Gu Xia’s youthful, round face, her bright and large eyes holding a clarity untouched by worldly corruption, Lu Xiaoyan felt that speaking to her about matters between men and women would be like tainting the child.
But she was about to marry Shaoting. What needed to be said still had to be said in advance.
“Shaoting’s body might develop some minor issues in the future. Think carefully before you marry him. Once you’re married, you can’t regret it later and cause trouble over these matters.”
Gu Xia nodded.
“Aunt Lu, don’t worry, I know all about it. I’ve heard what the doctors and others have said.”
“Uncle Lu wants to keep the child in my belly because he won’t be able to have children in the future. I know all of this.”
Lu Xiaoyan looked at the innocent Gu Xia but felt that the pregnant Gu Xia who had come seeking responsibility wasn’t as detestable as before.
Her tone softened somewhat as her impression of Gu Xia improved.
“Gu Xia, from now on, just call me Second Sister. And don’t call Shaoting ‘uncle’ anymore—just use his name.”
“Are you heading back now? Did Shaoting ask you to go back?”
Gu Xia hummed in agreement. “He told me to go back. I’ll come again tomorrow.”
Lu Xiaoyan instinctively glanced at Gu Xia’s stomach and said, “Since you’re getting married, you’ll be husband and wife from now on. Shaoting is currently injured in his lower body. No matter how careful the soldiers or caregivers are, it’s not as convenient as having someone close to him do it. You’re pregnant now, but it’s not showing yet, so I’ll have to trouble you to take care of Shaoting a bit more.”
“I’ve asked the doctor. His leg injury is severe, so I’ll need to trouble you to stay by his side and care for him for a few days. Once his condition improves a bit, he can go home to recuperate.”
Gu Xia understood Lu Xiaoyan’s meaning—she wanted Gu Xia to care for Lu Shaoting in the capacity of his fiancée.
It wasn’t very convenient for others to care for him.
Because Lu Shaoting’s injury wasn’t just severe; it was also in a sensitive location, near the upper thigh.
When changing the dressing, he was almost completely exposed from the waist down.
As Lu Shaoting’s sister, Lu Xiaoyan knew about her younger brother’s certain fastidiousness—he couldn’t accept unfamiliar female comrades having intimate contact with his body.
After this surgery, he outright refused female nurses, and it was the doctor who helped him apply the medicine.
Hospitals generally have more female nurses, and male nurses are almost nonexistent. Given his status, the hospital staff respected his wishes.
But with frequent dressing changes like this, over time, the doctor couldn’t always attend to him alone.
That would be a bit of a waste of resources.
Lu Xiaoyan thought of persuading Gu Xia to stay, after all, they had been intimate before.
If Gu Xia took care of Old Fourth, she would be the most suitable candidate.
Gu Xia didn’t mind taking care of Lu Shaoting. After all, if she took good care of this man, her parents and sister’s fate could be changed in this lifetime.
It’s just that Lu Shaoting didn’t seem to like her very much.
Gu Xia understood clearly that Lu Shaoting’s purpose in marrying her was to have children.
Firstly, Lu Shaoting was getting older, and secondly, his recent severe injury had fundamentally damaged his health.
His goal was simply to have children.
Gu Xia’s goal was also to use the child to secure Lu Shaoting’s help for herself.
Their relationship was purely a collaboration of mutual interests.
After listening to Lu Xiaoyan, Gu Xia finally said that she would go back today to pack her personal belongings.
If she came again tomorrow, she could stay overnight to provide care.
Hearing Gu Xia say this, Lu Xiaoyan found it difficult to make things any harder for her.
She gave Gu Xia a few instructions: take care of her health, be careful on the road.
She also left Gu Xia a phone number, saying that if anything happened, Gu Xia could call her.
It was clear that Lu Xiaoyan truly cared about the two children in Gu Xia’s belly, who belonged to Lu Shaoting.
In fact, looking at Lu Xiaoyan’s concerned demeanor, she seemed even more concerned about the children in Gu Xia’s belly than Lu Shaoting, the children’s biological father.
Gu Xia returned to her rented room and packed her things.
She didn’t know whether she would continue living here after taking care of Lu Shaoting or move into the Lu family home with him.
But these weren’t her biggest worries. Her heart was preoccupied with her parents and older sister.
Having lived in such an environment in her past life, she knew just how harsh it was.
Her Gu family was among those sent down for re-education, with no so-called work points or wages to speak of.
They were usually given some coarse grains and mixed flour based on the number of people in the household.
Enough to survive, but never enough to be full.
Gu Xia wondered if she could find something to do during her pregnancy and waiting period.
Before, she wouldn’t have dared to think about it. After all, her household registration had been transferred to a rural area in the northwest, making her an undocumented resident in the city.
Not only was it difficult to find work, but even surviving was a challenge.
But if she married Lu Shaoting, her identity would gain an extra layer of protection.
At least before the child was born, she would have a legitimate status.
She couldn’t waste this time. She had to try to earn some money, which could also help her parents and sister with their living expenses.
Gu Xia also wondered when Lu Shaoting planned to step in and help.
Especially since Lu Shaoting was currently injured and quite severely so. If he needed to recuperate for a year or two, wouldn’t her parents and sister suffer even longer?
The more she thought about it, the more anxious Gu Xia became.
Early the next morning, she carried her simply packed belongings and headed straight to the hospital.
She arrived just as Lu Shaoting was due for a dressing change. The doctor responsible for the change hadn’t arrived yet. Instead, a young nurse stood in the ward, her eyes red and swollen, holding the supplies for the dressing change.
Lu Shaoting’s expression was also unpleasant.
But he knew it wasn’t appropriate to be too particular about such quirks in the hospital.
Yet, he couldn’t get past it physically.
Upon seeing Gu Xia appear, Lu Shaoting’s expression shifted slightly.
He seemed to feel that Gu Xia was a bit more familiar to him than the unfamiliar nurse, making her more acceptable.
“Gu Xia, come in and help me change the dressing.”
Gu Xia was momentarily stunned, but she was good at following instructions.
However, it was better to speak up about what needed to be said.
“I can help change the dressing, but I don’t know how to do it.”
“I’ll teach you.”
After saying this, Lu Shaoting directly asked the nurse to leave.
The nurse also felt wronged, having been assigned to care for such a difficult-to-serve senior officer.
But her superiors had instructed that this officer held a high position and was not to be offended.
Seeing Gu Xia suddenly appear and being called by the commander to change his dressing, the nurse felt a sudden sense of relief, as someone had come to her rescue in a moment of urgency.
But she also worried that if Gu Xia, being unprofessional, didn’t handle the commander’s dressing properly, she would surely be held responsible.
Gu Xia noticed the nurse’s concern and proactively asked her how to change a patient’s dressing.
She might appear simple-minded, but in reality, Gu Xia was quite clever, picking up many things quickly after just one lesson.
It was just that her sister’s brilliance was too dazzling, overshadowing her own light.
But she never minded such things, believing it was fine whether her sister or she herself excelled—after all, they were both part of the Gu family.