To successfully secure the stall rental, the Xu Family specifically bought flour and made dumplings to celebrate.
The flavors of the pork and cabbage dumplings and the pork and chive dumplings, with their enticing aroma, made it hard for anyone to resist smacking their lips.
"Big brother, when did you become so..." Xu Nianhua didn’t finish her sentence, but the meaning was quite clear.
Xu Nian’an swallowed his saliva and said proudly, "Little sister, food is paramount to people, if I weren’t interested in food, how much joy would life lose?"
Although he said so, Xu Nian’an’s ears were slightly red. As a man, such an image of him drooling over dumplings, if spread, would be embarrassing!
"Big brother is right," Xu Nianhua raised both hands in support. In front of delicious food, she couldn’t resist at all.
At night, steaming hot dumplings were served. The family sat together for dinner under the dim light of the kerosene lamp, which flickered but still clearly illuminated everyone’s smiling faces.
"Mom, there’s something I want to discuss with you."
After dinner, while the family was gathered around the stove chatting, Xu Nianji suddenly spoke up.
"We’re family, just speak up," Ji Ying didn’t like such formalities from her eldest son.
"It’s , Xiaohe is pregnant, so I was thinking about the factory..." Xu Nianji hadn’t finished his words when Zhou He interrupted, "Nianji."
Zhou He quickly gave Xu Nianji a look. She hadn’t anticipated Nianji bringing up this matter suddenly.
If by chance the in-laws thought it was her idea to be lazy, that wouldn’t be good.
"Xiaohe, I know you don’t think that way, but I..." feel bad for you.
Xu Nianji didn’t have the heart to finish those last few words. He looked at Ji Ying pleadingly and said, "Mom, this idea was my own, it has nothing to do with Xiaohe. I just think that being pregnant is very tough."
"I know, I know. My Nianji has grown to understand how to care for his wife," Ji Ying said with a face full of contentment. Seeing her son and daughter-in-law happy and in love was what they most hoped to see. Addressing Zhou He, who was anxiously explaining, she said, "Xiaohe, even if Nianji hadn’t mentioned it, I would have thought of it. Being pregnant isn’t like before when you were alone. From here to the food factory, it’s a half-hour walk; indeed, it’s quite tough. I remember the house Nian’an and Nianhua rented in the county, isn’t there still one empty room?"
Originally, Grandma Cai’s house had three rooms.
"Yes," Xu Nianhua and Xu Nian’an, brother and sister, nodded affirmatively, knowing what their mother meant. Xu Nianhua said, "Mom, the house is rented by our Xu family. It will be more convenient for sister-in-law to get to the factory if they live in the county, and big brother won’t have to run back to the village every day either."
"Mom, don’t listen to Nianji. I’m living well at home. Plus, I have company going to the factory with you every day. Besides, it’s not far to walk there, and I’m not so delicate," Zhou He felt the caring intentions of Ji Ying and Xu Nianhua and was exceptionally happy. When she was with the Zhou Family, she always felt underestimated; never had she been so cherished by her family.
Because of this, Zhou He felt it was better for her to stay at home. She said, "Mom, back when others were pregnant, they still had to work in the fields. Just walking for me is not hard at all. I’ve heard it said, pregnant people should move around more, it makes the delivery easier later on."
With this, Zhou He felt a bit shy, her hand instinctively resting on her barely showing belly, her eyes and brows softened with a maternal tenderness.
This was her child, her and Nianji’s child.