Hearing his mother shouting, Fang Sihuo quickly closed his book and stood up to stop her “Mom, stop shouting, Ji You is sleeping.”
Zhang Guilan was flustered, her voice stammering “Ji You, she has terminated the pregnancy.”
Fang Sihuo did not answer directly. He remained calm and said “Ji You can decide for herself whether to keep the child. If she wants it, she will keep it. If she does not, she will not.”
For Zhang Guilan, this was like thunder striking the ground. Her weathered face instantly turned pale and she let out a pained cry “Ji You really terminated the pregnancy.”
She seemed unable to bear it and scolded Fang Sihuo “Other men can manage their households, but you cannot. You say it so lightly. The child was already over five months old. You just say to terminate it without discussing it with her. How does she see you?”
She wailed dramatically “Which daughter-in-law would secretly terminate her child? My life is even more bitter than bitter herbs. I cannot go on like this.”
Ji You was awakened by the noise. She thought to herself, good grief, very few people knew she intended to terminate the pregnancy. Someone must have told the old lady on purpose.
She tried to rush into the couple’s room, but Fang Sihuo stopped her. Zhang Guilan was too forceful. Mother and son almost came to blows in the outer room.
“Mom, Ji You is sleeping.”
“Ah, the child is gone. How can she sleep?”
Fang Sihuo had no choice but to let her pass, but he warned loudly “Ji You is weak. Do not say anything unpleasant.”
The old lady rolled her eyes at Fang Sihuo. Who could possibly upset Ji You? Only she could irritate others.
She lifted the door curtain and rushed in. Feeling a draft, she slowed her pace. Standing by the bed, she saw Ji You staring at her with wide black eyes, and her fiery energy immediately faded.
She squatted, pulled the blanket up, tucked it in, and changed to a gentler tone, complaining “Look at you. You did not discuss it with us and secretly terminated the pregnancy. Your face is pale. Are you uncomfortable? You are in the small confinement period. You cannot go out, you cannot catch a cold, and you cannot touch cold water. Do not go to work. What do you want to eat? I will go buy it. Should I buy a chicken to make soup?”
Though her tone was harsh, every word showed care as if she were a kind mother-in-law.
In reality, first, she could not provoke this difficult daughter-in-law and second, she dared not provoke her.
Ji You could create chaos in the house. Her son could not manage her and would always side with Ji You. The old lady wisely restrained her temper and swallowed her complaints and scolding.
Hearing the words chicken soup, Ji You felt a wave of nausea and quickly said “Mom, no need to buy chicken. I still feel nauseous. I do not want meat or cooking smells. I will eat boiled vegetables.”
Zhang Guilan was speechless. She had never seen someone still nauseous after terminating a pregnancy.
She sighed “Fine. Our meals recently have no oil anyway. Saves money. I will cook some greens.”
She stood up. The healthy woman in her fifties suddenly appeared frail and unsteady as she walked out the door.
This time, lifting the door curtain did not create any wind.
Fang Sihuo exhaled in relief. His mother had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She did not worsen the conflict. He followed her out, sat back in the outer room, and resumed reading.
Ji You buried her head under the blanket, covering her eyes and mouth, leaving only her nose exposed. She was not ready to tell the mother and son that she had not terminated the pregnancy. She did not know the old lady’s opinion about the child. She only knew the old lady had a potential daughter-in-law in mind.
The man she had disliked in the previous life also had someone watching him.
Perhaps the old lady hoped she would terminate the pregnancy and divorce to make way for the new daughter-in-law.
Zhang Guilan began cooking in the hallway. Ji You could not tolerate the smell of oil, so she also ate boiled vegetables.
They steamed rice in a large pot with a sweet potato. Soon, the aroma of rice and sweet potato filled the air. A small pot was used for boiling spinach and vermicelli.
Fang Sihuo brought in some potatoes and said “Mom, steam some potatoes for Ji You. She likes them.”
Zhang Guilan took the potatoes and glared at Fang Sihuo “Why did you not say that earlier? The sweet potato is almost done. When your wife speaks, it is like an imperial edict. Even her farts smell good.”
Fang Sihuo did not respond. He returned to the outer room to keep watch.
Their own meals had no cooking smell, but other households did. Ji You wanted to go for a walk. When she stepped out, Zhang Guilan saw her and asked “Where are you going?”
“I cannot stand the cooking smells. I am going out for a walk.”
Zhang Guilan shouted “People from the big city are delicate. Think carefully. Do not catch a cold or you will suffer. Fang Sihuo, why do you not manage your wife?”
Ji You insisted on going out. Fang Sihuo could only follow.
Outside the dark building, sunlight poured down. Ji You squinted and looked at Fang Sihuo. She suddenly felt his strong profile was very masculine. She did not like rugged appearances, yet he looked quite good.
Being watched by Ji You again, Fang Sihuo’s face flushed and he felt awkward.
When Zhang Guilan called them for dinner, they returned to the building. They passed the narrow hallway used as kitchens. Ji You went to her room. Fang Sihuo quickly filled a basin with warm water for her to wash her hands.
As a pregnant woman, Ji You quietly enjoyed the care provided. After washing her hands, the table was ready in the outer room.
The meal included rice with sweet potato, steamed potatoes, and spinach with vermicelli seasoned with salt and sesame oil.
Fang Sihuo peeled the hot potatoes and placed them on a plate for Ji You.
Surrounded by the aroma of rice, sweet potato, and potato, Ji You felt comfortable. Ignoring nutrition, this meal was very friendly for someone suffering severe morning sickness.
After lunch, Zhang Guilan went to work. She shouted towards the inner room “Ji You, I am sweeping the streets. Tonight I will make boiled vegetables for you. Fang Sihuo, watch your wife. Do not let her catch a cold.”
She was now a sanitation worker. Ji You thought this job undignified and looked down on her mother-in-law, but Zhang Guilan did not care.
Ji You ignored it and focused on resting while Fang Sihuo continued reading.
In the evening, Zhang Guilan returned with some carrots. Serving Ji You was difficult as she refused many foods. Each meal, Zhang Guilan had to think carefully about what to cook.
That evening, she planned to steam millet, cook red date and white fungus soup, and make a boiled dish of wood ear mushrooms, peanuts, and carrots.
The hallway echoed with the sounds of clanging pots and pans and the mixed smells of cooking. Ji You could not tolerate the odors and closed her door. A young voice penetrated the door “Ji You, did you terminate the pregnancy?”
Ji You recognized the voice immediately. It was the potential daughter-in-law.
The voice continued with unhidden joy and provocation “Ji You, now you must be satisfied.”
Ji You thought to herself, I will make you all unsatisfied. Even if everyone wants me to terminate the pregnancy, I will have this child.
In the previous life, she imagined what life would be like if she still had the ability to have children.
Thinking this, she tried to get up to respond. Suddenly, she felt the baby move.
This was the unique connection between mother and child. Ji You had not cared about fetal movement before, but now she found it wondrous.
What would normally be a simple movement, Ji You interpreted as the baby expressing disapproval at being terminated and kicking slightly.
The little life was growing. It could understand what adults said.
Hearing the voice, Fang Sihuo’s first reaction was to enter the room. Seeing Ji You trying to get up, he quickly said “Do not pay attention to her.”