“Lin Zhen is back?”
As Lin Zhen returned to Ping’an Brigade, dusty and weary, the elderly women chatting at the village entrance greeted him with great enthusiasm.
He didn’t see the familiar figure among them and felt a twinge of disappointment, which only made him more eager to get home.
“Oh, why are you only coming back now!”
Aunt Wang slapped her thigh.
Lin Zhen’s heart immediately sank. “What’s wrong?”
Had something happened at home?
Aunt Wang: “What’s wrong? Hurry back to Song Wei—she’s pregnant!”
For a few seconds, Lin Zhen was completely stunned.
Pre…pregnant?
Did he hear that right?
Before the women could say more, Lin Zhen grabbed his belongings and sprinted toward home like a bolt of lightning.
The aunts watched him vanish in an instant, exchanged glances, and burst into laughter.
“Even the steadiest people can’t stay calm when they become fathers.”
Exactly.
Lin Zhen raced home like the wind, ignoring anyone who greeted him along the way.
Pushing the gate open, he immediately spotted the woman sitting contentedly in the small yard, basking in the sun.
Hearing the sound of the door, Song Wei opened her eyes and turned to look.
“You’re back?”
Seeing the figure at the gate, her eyes lit up with surprise, and she jumped to her feet.
In that instant, Lin Zhen’s heart seemed to skip a beat.
He quickly dropped his things and rushed over to hug her.
“Slow down.”
Lin Zhen’s voice was hoarse and low, his chin shadowed with dark stubble, making him look somewhat disheveled.
As he held her, he immediately noticed the change in her belly.
“You know already?”
Song Wei could tell from his reaction that someone must have told him.
She puffed out her slightly rounded belly and placed his hand on it. “Feel it.”
Her belly had already begun to curve outward, though it was still small.
It wasn’t noticeable through her clothes, but touching it revealed the difference.
“Just a pity about my abs.”
Her tone carried a hint of regret.
After arriving here, she had often exercised and frequently ventured into the mountains, developing well-defined abs.
But now, those abdominal muscles had completely disappeared.
“It’s not a pity. I’ll help you train them back later.”
Lin Zhen held her for a long time, reluctant to let go.
“Thank you.”
Thank you for coming into my world and giving me a home.
“Are you hungry? Is there anything you’d like to eat?”
“I just ate, but I still feel like I haven’t had enough. If I had to choose, I’d want beef jerky. Too bad we’re not on the grasslands—otherwise, I could hunt wild yaks. One yak has so much meat, enough to make loads of beef jerky.”
Lin Zhen listened quietly, then went to the gate to retrieve the things he had dropped.
“Sponge cake, assorted biscuits, jelly, twist pastries, candy, and the White Rabbit milk candies you love.”
Several bags were filled entirely with food.
Song Wei’s eyes sparkled brightly.
Her man understood her!
Without hesitation, she grabbed the biscuits and sponge cake and began eating.
“Here are also apples, peaches, plums, mangoes…”
He unpacked all the edible items.
Song Wei: (❁´▽`❁)
So much food—such happiness!
“I want to eat the mango.”
Lin Zhen hurried to the kitchen, peeled the mango, and cut it into bite-sized pieces for easy eating.
“Go get some rest. I can eat this myself.”
Instead of leaving, Lin Zhen brought over a stool and sat beside her, using a dagger to peel an apple.
“The apple flesh is sweeter. You eat that.”
As for the peel, he didn’t waste it—he could eat it himself or give it to Little Bear.
Little Bear, catching the scent, came trotting over and sat beside them, staring eagerly.
Lin Zhen: “…Well, guess I won’t be eating the apple peel after all.”
Little Bear didn’t mind the peel and happily munched away, savoring every bite.
Song Wei ate while updating him on her condition.
“It’s been three months now. I went to see Old Ji for a pulse reading the day before yesterday, and he said I might be carrying twins. That’s why my belly is showing so soon.”
“T-twins?!”
He had just processed the news of his wife’s pregnancy, and now another shocking revelation hit him.
Lin Zhen felt both joy and worry.
Childbirth was already risky for women, and carrying twins increased the risks even more.
He needed to find an opportunity to visit the hospital and inquire about childbirth-related matters.
He kept these thoughts to himself.
Song Wei handed him a piece of sponge cake.
“Have some too.”
“Let’s share the apple.”
“You have some mango as well.”
She guessed that Lin Zhen hadn’t eaten much since returning.
As she ate, Song Wei drifted off to sleep.
Lately, this had been happening often—either eating or sleeping.
But when she was awake, she mostly spent her time eating while taking walks outside.
Old Ji had advised that staying active would make childbirth easier later.
She also disliked being cooped up at home.
Seeing she had fallen asleep, Lin Zhen gently picked her up and carried her to the room. He then climbed onto the kang and held her as he drifted off to sleep.
When Lin Ping’an returned home in the afternoon, the aroma of meat wafting from the house made his mouth water.
Their family’s meals had been exceptionally good lately, and he was starting to gain a little weight.
After dropping his schoolbag, he entered the kitchen and found not only Aunt Xinghua but also his brother!
“Brother, when did you get back?”
Lin Ping’an was overjoyed. His brother was finally home.
Now he wouldn’t have to worry about being unable to take good care of his sister-in-law.
Lin Zhen glanced at him. “Noon.”
After those words, he turned his attention back to the fish soup simmering on the stove.
Aunt Xinghua was giving him a crash course on what foods to avoid during pregnancy and how to care for a pregnant woman.
He listened intently, even jotting down notes in a small notebook.
Aunt Xinghua was very pleased with his attitude.
“Pregnancy is hard on women. If the family can manage, she shouldn’t have to work in the fields. Carrying a baby and having to bend or squat constantly in the fields is pure misery.”
In rural areas, people didn’t fuss over pregnancy—expecting mothers were often seen working in the fields with large bellies because families were poor, and every laborer had to earn work points desperately. Otherwise, how would they feed so many mouths throughout the year?
The Lin Zhen family was well-off and didn’t lack food. It was best if the pregnant woman didn’t have to work in the fields.
Lin Zhen nodded. “I know. I’ll ask for some time off from the transport station. I’ll handle the fieldwork.”
“That won’t do! The transport station is a proper job. How can fieldwork compare?”
Lin Zhen replied seriously, “The transport station is too far. Even if I’m not on long trips, sometimes I’m so busy I’m away all day. I wouldn’t feel at ease.”
Aunt Xinghua said, “What’s there to worry about? She was perfectly fine while you were away. Leave her to me—I’ll make sure she’s plump and healthy. But you can’t give up your job at the transport station! That’s an iron rice bowl so many people dream of having!”
In these times, a stable job was something countless people yearned for.
If he lost his job because his wife was pregnant, wouldn’t that be a terrible waste!
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