Su Qingyi pointed out the acupoints to him.
“When morning sickness gets severe in the future, you can press here appropriately; it will make you more comfortable.”
As she spoke, she took the basin again, soaked the towel in hot water, wrung it out after it was thoroughly wet, and helped Chen Xiu wipe herself clean.
“Wang Tuan, do you have hawthorn at home?”
Wang Tie Zhu hurriedly replied, “Yes, we do. We used hawthorn to suppress it at first, but they say hawthorn shouldn’t be eaten too much—it can cause miscarriage.”
Chen Xiu also nodded.
“I really crave that taste.”
Su Qingyi didn’t explain further.
“Wang Tuan, please steam it for me in a pot, add a spoonful of brown sugar, no water. I’ll handle it later.”
After wiping Chen Xiu clean, she pressed a few acupoints for her.
Chen Xiu, who had been vomiting until her stomach cramped, finally began to recover.
By then, the hawthorn was steamed. Su Qingyi mashed it with a spoon, removed the pits, rinsed it with boiling water, filtered out the residue, poured it into a bowl, and finally handed it to Chen Xiu.
“Try it.”
It looked like brown sugar water, but it tasted sweet and sour, refreshing on the palate.
Chen Xiu had just finished vomiting, and her stomach was empty. She gulped it down in one go.
Instantly, she felt comfortable all over, with no urge to vomit again.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, she grabbed Su Qingyi’s hand and thanked her profusely.
“Little sister, you’ve truly saved the lives of me and my child. If I kept vomiting like this, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to hold on. Are you a doctor or a nurse?”
With such skills, she naturally assumed Su Qingyi worked in a hospital.
Su Qingyi shook her head and honestly stated her profession.
“I’m a nanny.”
Chen Xiu was taken aback and looked at Wang Tie Zhu in disbelief.
Seeing Wang Tie Zhu nod.
When they had visited Pei Zhao’s home earlier, she had indeed said so, and Pei Zhao hadn’t objected.
He had initially thought the young woman was just being modest, but after witnessing Su Qingyi’s methods, how could he not believe her!
Given this, his eyes shifted thoughtfully, and thinking of Pei Zhao’s old-fashioned ways, an idea struck him.
“Little sister, could you come cook for me? I’ll pay you wages; I won’t let you work for free. Don’t worry, as for Pei Zhao, I’ll pay to find him a better nanny!”
After all, that guy is so clueless!
Gasp!
Su Qingyi was startled to hear this.
She hadn’t expected her casual efforts to be so appreciated.
However, Su Qingyi quickly replied.
“I’ve already agreed to work at Regimental Commander Pei’s house. I can’t take money from others for side jobs. But if Regimental Commander Pei agrees, you can prepare the ingredients and send them over. When I cook, I can make an extra portion, and you can come pick it up yourselves.”
Her straightforward and honest attitude further endeared her to Chen Xiu.
“That’s wonderful. I’ve taken a liking to you, little sister.”
By now, Chen Xiu had regained her strength. Glancing at Su Qingyi’s figure and appearance, her eyes sparkled. She got out of bed, took a brand-new dress from the wardrobe, and stuffed two unopened boxes of face cream into Su Qingyi’s arms.
“You mustn’t refuse. This dress was bought before I got pregnant; I can’t wear it now. I don’t dare use the face cream either. If you won’t take money and won’t accept your sister’s gift, I’ll really get angry.”
The dress looked beautiful and clearly expensive.
Su Qingyi felt the kindness—something rare in her long life in her previous existence.
Her heart warmed.
“Thank you.”
After chatting a while longer, she left the Wang Tuan’s home.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she stepped out, she ran straight into He Annian.
Under the old locust tree not far from the military compound, He Annian stood in a crisp cadre uniform, hands clasped behind his back.
His deceptively gentle eyes happened to glance over.
Yet his face wore a half-smile tinged with a certain smug arrogance.
As if he was certain she would rush over to curry favor.
Su Qingyi sneered coldly, pretending not to see him. She regretted even looking in this direction when she left the house—what rotten luck.
Another second of looking, and she feared she’d get a sty.
Su Qingyi didn’t pause her steps in the slightest, nor did she even lift an eyelid. Keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead, she walked directly back to Pei Zhao’s home.
The schemes from her past life were still vivid in her mind. Even if her head had been slammed in a door, she wouldn’t spare another glance at this scumbag.
As expected, the smile on He Annian’s face froze, his hypocritical grin nearly slipping.
A flicker of astonishment passed through his eyes.
What was wrong with this woman?
With his qualifications, she’d be hard-pressed to find someone better even with a lantern. Yet Su Qingyi actually looked down on him?
Rejecting him publicly was one thing, but now that he had condescended to come find her, what kind of attitude was this?
He Annian narrowed his eyes, staring at the woman’s graceful retreating figure, his expression complex.
Just then, a voice so soft it could drown a person in sweetness rang out, “Annian, look at how arrogant she acts. I think she’s just putting on a show.”
“Country girls are full of tricks. If she didn’t come up with some new scheme, how could she keep your attention? Playing these hard-to-get games is just to make you more invested.”
“Once you take the bait and go looking for her, the bride price will probably double.”
Shen Qiuyue swayed her hips as she approached, her tone laced with a barely detectable sourness.
He Annian frowned, clearly taking Shen Qiuyue’s words to heart.
When he looked back at Su Qingyi’s retreating figure, his gaze held a trace of disgust, increasingly convinced this was just another one of Su Qingyi’s tactics.
“Let her be. Instead of becoming a Company Commander’s Wife, she chooses to be a nanny. I think she’s using her cleverness in all the wrong places!”
With that, He Annian turned a pained look toward Shen Qiuyue. “Let’s head back first. I know you’re suffering now, but I’ll find a way soon. I won’t let anyone suspect anything or tarnish your reputation.”
After speaking, He Annian took off his jacket and draped it over Shen Qiuyue’s shoulders.
His softened gaze rested on Shen Qiuyue’s gentle face.
As their eyes met, tenderness nearly overflowed from both.
Shen Qiuyue stepped forward gently, finally smiling. “Alright, I believe you.”
“But that woman doesn’t seem like the quiet type. She has that fox-like charm—who knows when she might seduce someone else. You should keep an eye on her.”
He Annian nodded repeatedly.
As they turned to leave, he didn’t notice the suppressed jealousy in Shen Qiuyue’s eyes.
From behind, she had seen it clearly—the look in He Annian’s eyes when he watched that woman walk away was off!
What did that vixen have besides a good figure? Who was she swaying her hips for, trying to seduce?
Originally, she had thought of letting He Annian marry her—she had plenty of ways to make her suffer. But it seemed the girl was more cunning than expected.
No, she had to think of a plan. Since he wasn’t going to marry her, having that vixen stay here was unsafe!
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Having long since returned to the Pei household, Su Qingyi paid no mind to the schemes of that scumbag and his vile woman.
As soon as she entered, she saw Pei Zhao sitting at the table reading a newspaper and addressed him formally.
“Regimental Commander Pei, I’m back. Mrs. Wang Tuan’s condition has stabilized.”
Pei Zhao gave a hum, his peripheral glance catching the bundle in her arms. His dark eyes narrowed slightly. “What’s that?”
Su Qingyi answered truthfully, without any concealment, “It was given by Sister-in-law Wang—a dress and two boxes of face cream. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go back to my room to tidy up first.”
Seeing that he had no further requests, she quickly turned and headed back to her room.
In the living room, Pei Zhao narrowed his eyes.
Was he really that frightening? Making people avoid him like the plague.
Why was she running away so fast?