SFTIAAB Chapter 58 – end

On this weekend, the two of them went to the city together.

As the fetus grew day by day, even though they had no experience, they knew they needed to prepare some clothes and pants in advance.

There was only one large mother and baby store in the city, and it was crowded with customers.

After Jiang Miaomiao and Lu Qiming entered the store, they spotted a middle-aged woman who seemed experienced and followed behind her.

They bought whatever she bought, and one by one, they put bottles, diapers, bibs, and other things into their shopping basket. Finally, they hesitated in front of the baby clothes.

There were over a dozen sets of clothes, each with a different style, but they all looked lovely, like dolls dressed the same way.

Now the question was, should they buy clothes for a boy or a girl?

Lu Qiming was too lazy to choose and said, “Let’s buy a few sets of each.”

Jiang Miaomiao vetoed the idea. “No, I’m not carrying twins. It’s too wasteful to buy both.”

Baby clothes were made of good materials, finely crafted, and quite expensive. Each set cost hundreds of yuan, more expensive than her own clothes.

Lu Qiming compared them and said, “Then let’s buy clothes for a girl.”

“Why?”

“It’s more cost-effective. Look at this big skirt and these bows. They use more fabric. Boy clothes are too simple.”

Jiang Miaomiao was speechless. She looked up and saw a saleswoman, so she called her over and asked, “Do you have something more gender-neutral?”

The saleswoman regretfully said, “The gender-neutral ones are sold out. We’ll have new stock next month. How about coming back then?”

They had no choice but to do that.

Anyway, she was only two months pregnant, and they didn’t urgently need the clothes.

They paid for the selected items, went to the hospital for a check-up, had a big meal at a restaurant, bought some food, and happily returned home.

Not long after they got home, another car drove into the farm.

Jiang Miaomiao was standing at the doorstep eating an apple when the car stopped in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing the face of Gu Changzhou.

“Why did you come?”

“I bought some things for you guys.”

Gu Changzhou jumped out of the car and opened the trunk, which was full of mother and baby supplies.

There were all kinds of things like milk powder, baby walkers, nutritional supplements, baby food, and clothes…

All the things that he wanted to buy for his girlfriend and daughter back then but couldn’t afford were now brought to the farm and given to Jiang Miaomiao.

Seeing so many things, Jiang Miaomiao was stunned.

Lu Qiming came out of the bathroom and saw Gu Changzhou. He frowned and asked, “What are you doing here?”

“These things are produced in limited quantities and not easy to buy. I happen to have a friend who works in this industry, so I stocked up a bit for you guys. Come, give me a hand.”

Lu Qiming picked up a box and looked at it, saying coldly, “You’re not the one becoming a dad, why are you so enthusiastic?”

Gu Changzhou smiled, “I’ve been a dad before, but unfortunately, it wasn’t successful. So I hope you guys don’t repeat my old path.”

Both of them felt a bit touched by his words, so they helped together and moved all the things into the cottage.

After Gu Changzhou finished giving them the gifts, he was about to leave, but Jiang Miaomiao stopped him, insisting that he stay for dinner.

They had bought a roasted duck in the city that day, and Jiang Miaomiao went to the kitchen to cut it into pieces, planning to serve it.

Suddenly, her stomach started churning madly, and she rushed to the stove and vomited all over the place.

The two men in the living room heard the sound and rushed in, scared to see the scene and quickly went to support her.

“Is your stomach upset? Does it hurt? Should I take you to the hospital?”

Lu Qiming was extremely worried.

Gu Changzhou poured a glass of water and handed it to her, sneering, “What do you know? This is morning sickness.”

“Morning sickness?”

“When my ex… um, my former girlfriend was pregnant, she also had severe morning sickness. Going to the hospital didn’t help, so we had to deal with it from the diet.”

Lu Qiming perked up his ears and listened attentively.

“How did you deal with it?”

“Try to eat appetizing and refreshing food, not too greasy, eat more fruits and vegetables. If it doesn’t work, supplement with more vitamin B6. Exercise more, go for a walk when the weather is cool. Also, make sure to get enough sleep and rest, avoid getting too cold or too hot, and it will gradually get better.”

Lu Qiming remembered it all and asked, “Are there any other symptoms?”

Gu Changzhou carefully recalled and told them all the experiences he could remember.

In the following months, Jiang Miaomiao experienced almost all of the symptoms.

Dizziness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, frequent urination, and swelling in the limbs.

At its worst, her ankles swelled to twice their previous size, and she couldn’t even fit her shoes. Her skin looked like it was inflated like a bun, leaving an indentation when pressed.

Lu Qiming hired workers to do the farm work, while he took care of her around the clock.

Seeing her in such a state, he felt even more distressed than she did, and he even proposed, “How about we reconsider having the baby?”

Jiang Miaomiao had just finished a bout of vomiting and was lying weakly on the bed.

“What do you mean, reconsider?”

“Don’t have the baby, consider having an abortion.”

“What?”

“Now it’s only halfway through the pregnancy, and you’re already like this. Can you endure it when it’s time to give birth? Let’s not have the baby; just the two of us are fine.”

Jiang Miaomiao sat up abruptly.

“What are you joking about? I’ve been pregnant for so long, and you’re telling me not to have it?”

Lu Qiming said, “Persisting will only be harder.”

“It’s worth it. At least there will be a reward. It’s better than giving up halfway.”

He asked skeptically, “Are you sure you’ve thought it through?”

“Yes!” Jiang Miaomiao’s face lit up with a maternal glow. A few seconds later, she flopped back on the bed and said pitifully, “I want to drink sour plum soup.”

Lu Qiming gently closed the door and went downstairs to make the sour plum soup for her.

While drinking it, Jiang Miaomiao’s chubby face was faintly visible through the crack in the door.

She blinked her eyes and said, “Can you let it in? I haven’t touched it in a long time.”

After Gu Changzhou finished giving them the gifts, he was about to leave, but Jiang Miaomiao stopped him, insisting that he stay for dinner.

They had bought a roasted duck in the city that day, and Jiang Miaomiao went to the kitchen to cut it into pieces, planning to serve it.

Suddenly, her stomach started churning madly, and she rushed to the stove and vomited all over the place.

The two men in the living room heard the sound and rushed in, scared to see the scene and quickly went to support her.

“Is your stomach upset? Does it hurt? Should I take you to the hospital?”

Lu Qiming was extremely worried.

Gu Changzhou poured a glass of water and handed it to her, sneering, “What do you know? This is morning sickness.”

“Morning sickness?”

“When my ex… um, my former girlfriend was pregnant, she also had severe morning sickness. Going to the hospital didn’t help, so we had to deal with it from the diet.”

Lu Qiming perked up his ears and listened attentively.

“How did you deal with it?”

“Try to eat appetizing and refreshing food, not too greasy, eat more fruits and vegetables. If it doesn’t work, supplement with more vitamin B6. Exercise more, go for a walk when the weather is cool. Also, make sure to get enough sleep and rest, avoid getting too cold or too hot, and it will gradually get better.”

Lu Qiming remembered it all and asked, “Are there any other symptoms?”

Gu Changzhou carefully recalled and told them all the experiences he could remember.

In the following months, Jiang Miaomiao experienced almost all of the symptoms.

Dizziness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, frequent urination, and swelling in the limbs.

At its worst, her ankles swelled to twice their previous size, and she couldn’t even fit her shoes. Her skin looked like it was inflated like a bun, leaving an indentation when pressed.

Lu Qiming hired workers to do the farm work, while he took care of her around the clock.

Seeing her in such a state, he felt even more distressed than she did, and he even proposed, “How about we reconsider having the baby?”

Jiang Miaomiao had just finished a bout of vomiting and was lying weakly on the bed.

“What do you mean, reconsider?”

“Don’t have the baby, consider having an abortion.”

“What?”

“Now it’s only halfway through the pregnancy, and you’re already like this. Can you endure it when it’s time to give birth? Let’s not have the baby; just the two of us are fine.”

Jiang Miaomiao sat up abruptly.

“What are you joking about? I’ve been pregnant for so long, and you’re telling me not to have it?”

Lu Qiming said, “Persisting will only be harder.”

“It’s worth it. At least there will be a reward. It’s better than giving up halfway.”

He asked skeptically, “Are you sure you’ve thought it through?”

“Yes!” Jiang Miaomiao’s face lit up with a maternal glow. A few seconds later, she flopped back on the bed and said pitifully, “I want to drink sour plum soup.”

Lu Qiming gently closed the door and went downstairs to make the sour plum soup for her.

While drinking it, Jiang Miaomiao’s chubby face was faintly visible through the crack in the door.

She blinked her eyes and said, “Can you let it in? I haven’t touched it in a long time.”

“In the delivery room.”

“Natural birth or cesarean section?”

“Natural.”

“Why aren’t you wearing a coat?”

Lu Qiming looked down at his thin T-shirt and belatedly realized that he had forgotten to change clothes.

Gu Changzhou rolled his eyes and called his assistant. Soon, someone brought a down jacket for him.

It was almost Chinese New Year. Due to the decrease in population, cars, and electrical appliances, the global temperatures had dropped significantly, and this place had experienced several snowfalls in a row.

Lu Qiming put on the down jacket, and his body temperature slowly recovered. He thanked Gu Changzhou.

Glancing at his watch, Gu Changzhou estimated the time in his heart, relieved, and took out a cigarette from his pocket.

Before he could light it, a passing nurse scolded, “Smoking is not allowed in the hospital!”

Gu Changzhou awkwardly put the cigarette back and met Lu Qiming’s helpless gaze. It seemed that he had encountered the same situation.

The corridor was so narrow, the weather was so cold, and smoking was not allowed. There was nothing else to do.

The most important person was experiencing such great danger in the delivery room, making people feel anxious.

Lu Qiming casually said, “If you want to do a paternity test, now is a good time.”

Gu Changzhou sneered, “I won’t do that. You two can’t get rid of me in this lifetime.”

“Fine.” Lu Qiming shrugged, “Being a cheap dad, I’ll also be a cheap grandpa.”

“Grandpa? I am the grandfather.”

Gu Changzhou stated seriously.

Lu Qiming asked, “You still want to be my father?”

“I only have this one child. Why can’t her child call me grandpa?”

Grandpa, a term with the “foreign” character in it, made people feel uncomfortable.

He had even saved money for the child’s red envelopes for the next ten years. How could he be treated as an outsider?

Thinking of something quite important, Gu Changzhou asked, “What’s the child’s name?”

Lu Qiming hesitated, and seeing the other’s prolonged silence and flickering eyes, he was shocked, “You haven’t decided yet?”

Lu Qiming scratched his head, evading the question.

“Why hasn’t it been decided?”

Gu Changzhou stepped in front of him and said, “Are you even a father? Do you think you’re giving birth to a kitten or a puppy? Until now, there’s no name?”

He was getting a little angry, “Don’t you know how busy I’ve been during this time?”

“I only know that my child’s name was decided long before she was born.”

“Yes, but it was of no use after it was decided. What’s there to be proud of?”

“You…”

The two of them argued fiercely, their faces flushed and their necks thick. They didn’t even notice that the door of the delivery room had opened.

Jiang Miaomiao was pushed out, and the nurse next to her was holding the baby.

“Hey, who is the baby’s father? Hey!”

The nurse shouted twice, but no one paid attention. Jiang Miaomiao had to weakly say, “Stop arguing, just shut up.”

They finally noticed this side and ran over with excitement.

“Is the delivery over? Is it painful?”

The nurse asked with dissatisfaction, “Who is the baby’s father? It’s a boy, weighing five pounds and three ounces, very healthy.”

Lu Qiming raised his hand like an elementary school student and squeezed past Gu Changzhou.

“It’s me, it’s me.”

The nurse let him see the baby. Lu Qiming thought he could tell who the baby looked like, but after looking for a while, he only felt like a rat, the ugliest one without fur and red skin.

Gu Changzhou didn’t back down either and asked Jiang Miaomiao, “Have you decided whose surname the child will take? You endured pregnancy for ten months and gave birth with so much hardship. The child must take your surname and not give others a free ride.”

Jiang Miaomiao: “…”

Lu Qiming leaned in, “It doesn’t matter whose surname he takes, as long as it’s not yours, you don’t need to interfere.”

Gu Changzhou pointed at him and said, “See? How do I put it, a pure straight male chauvinist. You mustn’t show weakness. With me backing you, don’t be afraid.”

Jiang Miaomiao had just given birth and her head was buzzing. Being argued by the two almost made her collapse. She covered her ears and pleaded with the nurse, “Please push me away quickly.”

She was having a hard time.

The medical staff laughed and cried, and they sent her and the baby to the ward.

Jiang Miaomiao’s delivery process went smoothly, and she didn’t need an episiotomy. She stayed in the hospital for two days and was ready to go home.

On the day of discharge, the issue of the child’s surname had been settled—take charge of his own life, and on his hundredth birthday, he would draw lots to decide which surname to take.

Before that, for the sake of convenience, Jiang Miaomiao gave him a nickname.

Because of his sparse hair, she was very worried about his future hair volume, so she named him Mao Mao.

Gu Changzhou got a new car and insisted on using his car to take them back.

The group drove into the mountain area, and when they were about two miles away from the farm, a white figure appeared on the road ahead, eagerly waiting.

It was Rou Rou.

What was it doing here? Where was Da Hei?

Lu Qiming opened the car door to get out, but Rou Rou turned and ran.

They had no choice but to follow.

Back at the farm, Jiang Miaomiao was wrapped up like a bear, holding Mao Mao in her arms.

Rou Rou bit her pants and led her to its dog nest.

In the nest padded with thick cotton, three puppies with their eyes closed were sleeping in Da Hei’s embrace.

One was white, one was black, and one was spotted.

Gu Changzhou walked over and smiled, “We are doubly blessed, haha.”

Lu Qiming glanced sideways, “Both of us?”

“…You guys, okay?”

Gu Changzhou covered his mouth and quietly advised Jiang Miaomiao, “In the future, let him take care of the child less. Otherwise, he’ll grow up to be petty.”

Jiang Miaomiao couldn’t help but smile, almost unable to hold the baby.

After the child was born, they should have invited friends to their home for a meal. But Jiang Miaomiao had not finished her postpartum recovery, and she was an inexperienced new mother, so they decided not to invite anyone, and they even had no plans for a big celebration for the baby’s one-hundredth day. They would just have a nice meal with their little family.

However, the news could not be kept secret. Shortly after Jiang Miaomiao returned home, she received one gift after another.

There was a longevity lock brought by Yuan Mubing through someone else, free vaccines from Chen Hong, and small clothes from former colleagues.

Gu Changzhou naturally did not want to miss this lively event either. He sent them two experienced maternity nurses, which greatly eased the pressure on the couple.

With everyone being so enthusiastic, they felt embarrassed to be lazy, so they earnestly prepared for Mao Mao’s one-hundred-day celebration and sent out invitations a month in advance.

Lu Qiming prepared the ingredients, and Jiang Miaomiao and the maternity nurses studied the dishes.

On the day of the banquet, there were many cars parked outside the farm.

Yuan Mubing specially took leave and flew overnight from Europe, and she was the last to arrive.

After parking the car and carrying the gift, she walked into the living room and saw many familiar faces.

The small living room was packed with guests, and there was no space for a table.

Lu Qiming had someone carry a large round table and placed it by the fish pond.

Someone suddenly made a joke, “With so many people here, if a zombie comes out, no one can escape.”

Someone next to him covered his mouth, “Tsk, why say something unlucky? Besides, Professor Chen Hong is here. If a zombie shows up, he’ll give it ten shots of vaccine. It won’t have a chance to jump around.”

Everyone burst into laughter. Yuan Mubing was not used to this noisy atmosphere. She found Lu Qiming and asked, “Where is she?”

The latter was busy lighting the fire and was covered in smoke, but his handsome features were still irresistible. He raised his chin and said, “Upstairs, keep your voice down, Mao Mao is sleeping.”

Yuan Mubing nodded and went upstairs alone, walking very lightly.

Arriving at the wooden door, she was about to push it open but heard a gentle female voice telling a story, so she stopped.

“Once upon a time, there was a little salted fish who lacked nothing to eat or drink, but felt life was meaningless. No matter where it looked, everything was uninteresting. One night, it read a book and was deeply attracted by the stories inside…”

She looked through the crack in the door and saw Jiang Miaomiao sitting by the baby’s crib, wearing a loose and soft white sweater, bathed in warm sunlight.

With a rosy complexion and smooth skin, her fair hands gently patted the baby’s chest.

She was telling a story and laughing at the same time, making the scene as beautiful as an illustration in a fairy tale book.

“…The little salted fish followed the school of fish back to the city. It waited and waited in its small house, finally waiting for the big salted fish to return. They didn’t want to work, and still wanted to lie down like before, so they found a small nest outside the city and settled there…”

At this point, Jiang Miaomiao frowned and reached into the baby’s pants to feel, and her expression changed suddenly.

“You naughty little rascal, you wouldn’t poop when I wanted you to, and now you insist on changing into clean clothes before doing it. You stink, how can I take you out to meet people like this?”

She turned her head and shouted out the window, “Lu Qiming!”

Downstairs, Lu Qiming responded amidst his busy work.

“What’s going on?”

“Quick, come and change your son’s pants, he pooped again! This is the third time today!”

The dreamy fairy tale turned into chaos. Yuan Mubing suppressed her laughter, left the gift outside the door, and left quietly.

She had to catch a flight in an hour, so she drove quickly.

As she drove away, she looked back and saw several beautiful small houses standing in the lush mountains.

Beside the houses were fish ponds, vegetable fields, rice paddies, and orchards.

Cows and sheep were grazing on the slopes, and the big black and big white dogs were running around the orchard with their half-grown puppies.

Hens were laying eggs, and the clucking sound echoed far away.

Children growing up here would surely be very happy, right?

Yuan Mubing turned her gaze away, and her usually tense body relaxed a lot. She turned on the stereo, smiled, and hummed a song.

End of the story.