Arguing: What a scumbag.
He seemed to have felt twin pulses?
When Su Xiaoman heard this, she was so frightened that she forgot all about Empress Dowager Su and her little emperor cub. The only thing echoing in her mind was what Xie Mingtu had just said.
Tw-tw-tw-twins?
She was pregnant with twins?
This fellow had only studied medicine for a few days at most, and he already dared to say such bold things?
“You’re not teasing me, are you?” Su Xiaoman looked at him nervously.
Xie Mingtu’s expression was extremely serious as he continued feeling Su Xiaoman’s pulse. “Manman, I don’t dare say for certain either.”
Su Xiaoman threw a pillow at him.
“Come on, we’re going to the hospital. If even a quack like you can diagnose it, then the hospital’s ultrasound must be even better than you.”
“If this turns out to be a false alarm, you’re finished!”
After saying this, Su Xiaoman suddenly felt something was wrong. If it was a false alarm, that would actually be good. If it was not a false alarm, and she really was pregnant with twins, then, then, then… heavens, two children at once.
Su Xiaoman had never prepared herself for this. She had always felt that even if she and Xie Mingtu had children, they would only have one child.
If it really was twins, it had caught her completely off guard.
She had never expected to have two children?!
“Manman, finish your noodles first.”
“How can I still eat noodles? We’re going to the hospital first. You bad dog, dropping a bomb on me so early in the morning!” Su Xiaoman, whose soul had practically been blown out of her body, could not eat at all. She pushed Xie Mingtu, and the two prepared to go to the hospital.
When they closed the courtyard gate, Su Xiaoman was still puffed up with anger, holding a medical book in her hand and hitting Xie Mingtu’s shoulder with it several times.
She looked as if she had not yet recovered from the shock. Last night’s dream had already been exciting enough, and now, before she had even fully woken from that dream, she had learned another explosive possibility. Su Xiaoman was completely unprepared and had no idea how to react.
Xie Mingtu stood beside her, worried and nervous about her. For some reason, the moment Su Xiaoman saw his face now, she felt angry and inexplicably wanted to lose her temper.
A wave of nausea rose in her throat. Su Xiaoman covered her mouth, her eyes red. She was hungry, uncomfortable, angry, and aggrieved.
“It’s all your fault. It’s all your fault.” Two teardrops rolled from her eyes. Su Xiaoman felt terribly wronged. Just now, she had said she would go to the hospital without eating anything, but after walking only a couple of steps, she felt so hungry it hurt.
Being hungry was one thing, but she also felt nauseous and wanted to vomit.
“Manman, don’t be angry.”
“Come on, let’s go to the hospital.”
Xie Mingtu carefully supported her. Su Xiaoman angrily hit him several more times and refused to let him come close. The two tugged and pulled all the way out of the hutong. Su Xiaoman could not force herself to walk much farther, so she let Xie Mingtu carry her to the hospital.
After they left, a head popped out from a courtyard gate. Auntie Zhang excitedly ran back into the courtyard.
“Eh, eh, eh, all of you guess what I just saw?”
“Auntie Zhang, don’t keep us in suspense. Tell us, what did you see?”
“The young Xie couple next door had a fight!! A fierce one too. Little Su’s eyes were red. I saw her crying.”
“She was definitely crying. Crying like pear blossoms in the rain. Forget men, even I felt heartache when I saw her.”
The newly moved-in Xie couple next door had actually quarrelled?!!! This was extremely explosive news.
“What?! Those two fought?”
“Little Su even cried?!”
“How fierce was the fight?”
“She was crying outside the courtyard.”
“These young couples… Really, what did Little Xie do wrong? How could he make Little Su cry?”
…
Auntie Zhang ran back into her room and excitedly nudged her husband’s elbow.
“I told you, young couples always end up quarrelling.”
“Little Xie and Little Su next door have quarrelled too.”
“When I saw Little Su’s eyes all red, oh, even I felt heartbroken.”
“Such a pretty young woman. These young people don’t know how to cherish beauty at all.”
Su Xiaoman and Xie Mingtu arrived at the hospital and registered. Fortunately, there were not many people doing ultrasounds early that morning. After Su Xiaoman had the ultrasound, the imaging results came out.
It really was twins!
Two little bean sprouts.
Su Xiaoman pitifully hugged a mantou and gnawed on it. She was very hungry now. Previously, it had been one person eating to nourish two people. Now, after the scan, she discovered it was one person eating to nourish three people. There were actually two babies in her belly.
She had clearly asked Liu Shufeng before, and their old Su family had no twin genes. The Jiang family and Xie family also did not seem to have twin genes. How had she managed to strike the soul in one shot and get two at once?
Even more terrifying was that Xie Mingtu, this half-baked doctor, had actually diagnosed it correctly?!!!!
“Manman, we’re going to have two children.” Xie Mingtu carefully hugged his beloved Manman. Poor Little Doctor Xie did not dare speak carelessly at all. Manman’s crying and fussing today had frightened him badly.
But he could also understand. Pregnant women’s emotions were like this.
Su Xiaoman leaned in Xie Mingtu’s arms while hugging the mantou, then lowered her head and took another couple of bites. She said pitifully, “I want to eat meat. I want to drink fish soup.”
“All right.”
Xie Mingtu sent her home, then went to buy meat and fish. He himself was not very good at cooking and could only make soup, so he learned to make the pickled cabbage fish Manman liked. He took a day off from school. Su Xiaoman did not quite trust his cooking skills, so she gave him pointers from the side.
Once the dishes were cooked, the starving Su Xiaoman’s appetite opened wide. She ate two bowls of rice in a row. Unfortunately, after eating, she vomited it all back up, vomiting until tears were forced from her eyes.
She leaned against Xie Mingtu in discomfort and cried for a while, then closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Xie Mingtu looked at her worriedly, lowered his head, and gently placed a kiss on her cheek. He tucked the quilt around her, then went to tidy the things in the room.
Su Xiaoman’s pregnancy had not yet been told to anyone else. They had not even told Grandpa Jiang and Grandma Jiang. After all, the pregnancy was still early, not even three months along, and the foetus was not yet stable. But now that they had suddenly learned it was twins, the couple discussed it and decided to tell their relatives and friends after all.
Xie Mingtu called Grandpa Jiang.
Su Xiaoman sent Liu Shufeng a letter.
Once those two were told, it was almost the same as everyone knowing.
After hanging up his grandson’s call, Grandpa Jiang’s ears were still buzzing in disbelief. His mouth stretched into a grin that nearly reached his ears. What had he just heard? His youngest grandson’s wife was pregnant!!
And she was pregnant with twins!!
He was going to become a great-grandfather!!!!
Grandpa Jiang’s feet felt light and floating. He almost floated back home. As soon as Grandma Jiang saw the dazed, foolish look on this old man’s face, she immediately pulled a long face.
“What’s wrong with you? Why are you making that expression?”
“Old companion, we’re going to hold great-grandchildren!”
Grandma Jiang widened her eyes, and the corners of her mouth immediately bloomed into a smile. “Xiaoman is pregnant?”
“She is. Xiaotu just called and said his wife has one. She’s carrying twins too.”
Grandma Jiang cried out in shock and excitement, “Twins?!”
They were going to have two great-grandchildren all at once?!!!
This was an enormous event!
Grandpa Jiang and Grandma Jiang were so happy that they were too excited to sleep that night. The next day, Grandpa Jiang brought wine and went to find Wang Xun’an next door. Grandpa Wang truly suffered terribly.
“My grandson’s wife has one. She’s carrying twins!”
…
Even the wine Grandpa Wang drank tasted sour. After driving Jiang Ruojun out, he sent an urgent marriage order to his own grandson.
His eyes were so red with envy they were nearly bleeding. Old Jiang next door was actually going to hold great-grandchildren, and one pregnancy meant two babies!!
As for the little brat in his own family, there was not even the shadow of a wife.
Once Grandpa Jiang and Grandma Jiang knew, the rest of the Jiang family naturally knew as well. Ever since Xie Yazhi learned that her youngest daughter-in-law was pregnant, she frequently lost focus during class. Her heart was in complete turmoil. She, she, she… she was actually going to become a grandmother.
And two little grandchildren at once. Her own biological grandson and granddaughter.
Heavens.
“Teacher Xie, what’s wrong?”
…
Many people in the compound also noticed that something was not right with Xie Yazhi. Very not right.
“Jiang family’s, what’s wrong with you?”
“Did something happen?”
But they saw Xie Yazhi smile brilliantly and say openly, “My youngest daughter-in-law is pregnant. I’m going to be a grandmother?”
“Ah?!”
Xie Yazhi’s youngest daughter-in-law — wasn’t that the one connected to the son they had recognised the year before last?
It was said that the Jiang family’s biological youngest son was a heavenly genius with extremely excellent grades, and had now been recommended to the capital to study at university. His wife was also a delicate, pretty person. She had previously been in the cultural troupe and had now gone to a song-and-dance troupe in the capital.
“You’re going to be a grandmother?!”
“Congratulations, congratulations!!”
Xie Yazhi’s eyes were full of excited joy. “Thank you. My daughter-in-law is even carrying twins. I’m a little worried.”
“Really? You’re going to have two little grandchildren!!”
Everyone in the compound was stunned. The Jiang family had really had many things happen in the past year or two. Two years ago, there had been that child-switching incident, and many people had sympathised with and pitied Xie Yazhi. Now her biological son had been recognised back, had brought a wife with him, and soon they would even be holding grandchildren.
Now Wang Yiping from the same compound took a detour whenever she saw her.
She did not want to see Xie Yazhi. She did not want to see Xie Yazhi at all!! Wang Yiping’s heart was so sour it was as if she had drunk three bottles of vinegar. And to think she had once sympathised with Xie Yazhi. Now… hehe, she had better hurry home and call her son!!!
She wanted to hold little grandchildren too!!
Xie Yazhi found a way to gather one hundred jin’s worth of nationally valid meat coupons, along with various grain coupons, oil coupons, and others. Her youngest daughter-in-law was pregnant now and absolutely had to eat well and nourish her body properly. She was also afraid the young couple would not accept other things, so she gathered a large stack of various coupons, milk powder, malted milk, and other nutritional products, and entrusted her eldest son to personally deliver them to her youngest son and his wife.
“Little brother’s wife is pregnant?”
The eldest and second Jiang brothers, as biological older brothers, both learned of it and were naturally happy. Second Brother Jiang asked for half a day off, left the military station, bought large bags of nutritional products, and entrusted someone to send them to the capital.
“All right, I’ll personally deliver them.”
Eldest Brother Jiang agreed over the phone.
“Little brother’s wife is pregnant?!” Third Sister Jiang shouted in surprise over the phone. Speaking of which, she had not yet met this younger brother and younger sister-in-law. Third Sister Jiang was in the navy and had been stationed on an island for the past year or two.
In their family, the eldest, second, and third had not married, yet the youngest brother had married first, and now his wife was already pregnant.
He had overtaken them from behind.
Third Sister Jiang asked for the address and also entrusted someone to bring local nutritional products, dried seafood, and other things to send to her younger brother and sister-in-law. She… was almost going to have two little nephews?
The Su family had not yet received the letter for the time being.
Su Xiaoman stretched lazily. By evening, she had already accepted the fact that she was pregnant with twins. She was even a little excited. She wondered whether she would give birth to a pair of twin sisters, a pair of twin brothers, or boy-girl twins.
If she could have twin daughters, that would be wonderful. Two identical, beautiful little padded jackets, following behind Xie Mingtu and sweetly calling her Mama. She could make all kinds of pretty little dresses for them.
When Su Xiaoman was studying, she had especially envied other people’s twin sisters.
Maybe now, she herself could have her wish fulfilled and possess a pair of twin daughters. As for their family’s daughters, whether they resembled Xie Mingtu or her, their looks would definitely not be bad.
If they resembled Su Xiaoman, she could already imagine in her mind what her little daughters would look like in childhood. She could picture how to make clothes for the two sisters. If they resembled Xie Mingtu…
…Beautiful would still be beautiful, but she could not form the image in her mind.
Xie Mingtu’s changes over the past year or two had been huge. In addition, whenever she recalled the past, Su Xiaoman inevitably remembered this fellow’s former rough-dog appearance.
Su Xiaoman rubbed her face and quickly sent the image of bearded daughters out of her mind.
Send it away, send it away…
Unfortunately, human thoughts were just that cheap. The more she told herself not to think of it, the more clearly the matter surfaced in her mind.
Su Xiaoman felt a little suffocated. “…”
During the day, she had held Xie Mingtu’s handsome face in her hands and carefully examined it for more than ten minutes. She still could not substitute this face into the image of her future little daughters. Instead, she remembered his appearance from two years ago even more clearly.
It felt like the world was playing tricks on her.
In truth, Xie Gouzi should have been very good-looking as a child. After all, Liu Shufeng and all the villagers had personally verified it. Unfortunately, the image of rough Gouzi was also very powerful. When Su Xiaoman recalled the past, she really could not help missing it a little… No, it definitely was not that her taste was too strange. Rather, after enough time passed, people became used to missing the past, missing those times that had already gone by.
This was not good.
“Manman, what’s wrong?” Xie Mingtu stood obediently in front of her, letting her hold his face and look back and forth. Even though he did not understand, he indulged her actions.
What was Manman studying?
Su Xiaoman smiled and kissed his face, deliberately sweetening her voice. “Brother Xiaotu, I was thinking, if our daughters look like you, what would they grow into?”
Xie Mingtu shook his head. Daughters looking like him?
Xie Gouzi could not imagine it.
Su Xiaoman once again examined his brows and eyes. Suddenly, a thought popped into her mind — an absolutely brilliant thought. This thought required dear Xie Gouzi’s cooperation.
“Brother Xiaotu, why don’t you try wearing a skirt? I’ll make you two dresses…” Su Xiaoman really wanted to see what Xie Mingtu would look like in a dress. Just now, when she examined his brows and eyes, she had already imagined it in her mind.
If makeup softened Xie Mingtu’s brows and eyes, covering the masculine sharpness between his brows, with a delicate, gentle look, and then he wore a dress… perhaps he would be a beautiful great beauty.
She really wanted to see it!
Su Xiaoman was confident that since Xie Mingtu indulged her so much, he would definitely go along with her idea. Unexpectedly, this time Xie Mingtu resisted to the death.
Xie Mingtu felt that wearing a skirt in front of Manman would definitely affect his masculine dignity and manliness. He would not wear it. Absolutely not. How could he, a man, wear a skirt?
“You won’t even agree to this, and you still dare say you love me!” The currently pregnant Noble Consort Su was especially unreasonable.
Xie Mingtu’s head felt like three heads at once. He scratched his hair. “Manman, can’t we think of some other idea?”
Having him wear a skirt was worse than making him run ten laps around the city.
“Our daughters should look like their mother.”
“Boys are the ones who look like their fathers, which means they’ll look like me.” Xie Mingtu pointed at his own face. “Manman, look at my face and imagine a son.”
Su Xiaoman shook her head. “Right now, I just want to know what a daughter who looks like you would look like. I want to see a daughter. Try wearing my dress, and I’ll put makeup on you.”
Xie Mingtu’s heart went cold. He gestured with his hand to remind her, “Manman, I’m this much taller than you.”
“I can’t wear your dress.”
Seeing that “size,” Noble Consort Su felt insulted. “As long as the waist fits, you can wear it. Why couldn’t you? I’ll make you a new set.”
“Manman, we must be diligent and frugal. We can’t waste fabric.”
“After you wear it, I can alter it from your size to mine, so it won’t be wasted.” It was not easy to alter something small into something big, but altering something big into something small was no difficult matter for Su Xiaoman.
“Brother Xiaotu, just agree to Manman.” Su Xiaoman tugged at his hand and acted spoiled, shaking it hard three times.
Xie Mingtu: “…”
Su Xiaoman smiled brightly and tugged his hand again, scratching his palm with her index finger. “Brother Xiaotu?”
Xie Mingtu turned his head to look toward the courtyard gate and quickly said, “Manman, Grandpa Duan heard you’re pregnant and said he wants to give you a pigeon to nourish your body. I’m going to get it now. Wait for me at home.”
In a few quick movements, Xie Mingtu slipped to the courtyard gate and then fled. Su Xiaoman watched his panicked fleeing figure, both angry and amused.
Wasn’t it just wearing a skirt? Did he have to react that strongly? It seemed he was truly afraid of wearing a skirt.
Su Xiaoman smiled. But joy soon turned to sorrow. She covered her mouth and retched several times. She did not vomit anything, but her eyes became red, and a few physiological tears fell.
This feeling of wanting to vomit but not vomiting was truly uncomfortable. Actually vomiting was uncomfortable too. She did not know how long this pregnancy sickness would last.
After recovering, Su Xiaoman walked to the courtyard gate and made a puffed-up face in the direction Xie Mingtu had fled. When she turned around, she saw Auntie Zhang from next door looking at her curiously.
Auntie Zhang had an apron tied around her waist. She walked up to Su Xiaoman, pointed at her own eyes, and asked with concern, “Were you crying just now?”
“Did you and your husband argue a little?”
“He just left like that?!”
Su Xiaoman nodded. She thought that what had just happened with Xie Mingtu could probably count as bickering? Bantering? Or perhaps simply husband-and-wife playfulness?
It was normal for couples to play-fight and make a fuss.
When Xie Gouzi came back, she would continue bullying him.
Auntie Zhang looked Su Xiaoman up and down. This beautiful woman had clearly cried just now. Her eyes were red, like a little rabbit’s, filled with water, delicate and soft, looking pitiful and lovely.
Even her voice was gentle and soft, completely different from those bright, loud voices. A woman like this must surely have a gentle and obedient temper.
Auntie Zhang thought to herself that when men became cruel, their hearts could be as hard as stone. A beautiful little sister Su like this — and her husband still did not cherish her properly.
What a scumbag.
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