“It’s not the right time yet,” said Ye Xiaoxian while pouring the sunscreen into bottles. “She was just promoted. If we go to see her now we will appear impatient to curry the Wongs’ favor. I’m afraid in that way we’ll spoil Baozhu’s chance. We’d better wait for a while.”
Ye Xiaoxian also said, “I have an idea. I’ll go and give Liu Qianqian a bottle of sunscreen tomorrow and ask her to inquire about Baozhu. She will surely manage it.”
…
The following day in the Liu family.
Liu Qianqian opened the bottle and asked Ye Xiaoxian in confusion, “Little Ye, why are you giving me sunscreen? Don’t you know that I’m the kind of a lady who doesn’t even leave her room? I won’t get much sunshine. Even if I go out, I’ll be in a palanquin.”
Ye Xiaoxian smiled. “You can use it when in your garden, right? How can a person not sunbathe? You’ll be healthier if you get more sunshine.”
Liu Qianqian then checked out Ye Xiaoxian carefully and found that she was looking very healthy.
“Little Ye, what have you been eating recently? Why are you looking so vibrant?”
“Am I?” asked Ye Xiaoxian.
She thought about it and said, “Maybe because my staff in the restaurant have grown up. I no longer have to cook all day in the kitchen. When I’m free, I just stay at home and make seasonings and spice powders. I don’t have to run around or be exposed to oil and grease, so my skin’s becoming healthier.”
Liu Qianqian carefully looked at Ye Xiaoxian again and shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“So, what else?”
Ye Xiaoxian thought to herself, “Do you know me better than I know myself?”
Liu Qianqian suddenly smiled in a naughty way. “Little Ye, you and your husband must have consummated. I heard from my ma that a woman who is loved looks exactly the way you do now, all plumped up.”
“Um…is that so?”
Liu Qianqian noticed Ye Xiaoxian’s puzzled expression and then shouted, “I knew it! You must have consummated with Xiao Baoshan. Hahaha…because you do not deny it but only wonder whether this was right or wrong, hahaha…”
“You naughty thing!” Ye Xiaoxian acted as if she was going to pinch Liu Qianqian.
“Ahhh, soon you’ll be a real married woman in future!” shouted Liu Qianqian while running. “Little Ye is going to have a baby!”
Ye Xiaoxian heard this and suddenly paused.
Have a baby?
They did not have any contraception here and she and Xiao Baoshan did it rather passionately. What if she was really pregnant? What would she do then?
“Little Ye, what’s wrong with you? Are you really pregnant?” asked Liu Qianqian.
“No, I still had my period a short while before. However…” Ye Xiaoxian suddenly asked worriedly, “What if I’m really pregnant? I’m not prepared.”
“What preparation do you need for this?” Liu Qianqian also felt surprised. “If you’re pregnant, you just deliver the baby. What do you need to prepare? A nanny? Baby clothes? You won’t give birth for ten months anyway. It’s not like if you’re pregnant today that you’ll give birth tomorrow. It’s a long time. You have time to prepare whatever you want.”
Oh, it was another culture clash. Ye Xiaoxian could not be bothered to explain it. “Let’s not talk about this. Let’s chat about you. How’s it going? I’m almost going to have a baby but what about your marriage? Hasn’t your pa found a proper suitor for you? Or is it that you think rather lowly of them all and are still infatuated with your cousin-in-law?”
Talking of this, Liu Qianqian fell into silence for a while but before long she became energetic again. “Little Ye, your sunscreen will come in handy. I’m going out in the afternoon.”
“Where are you going?” asked Ye Xiaoxian.