"I am, too." Xu Nianhua wouldn’t be outdone and responded in the same way.
She and her second brother would both surely get into university.
"Good, good, good." Ji Ying looked at her son and daughter with a face full of pride. In other families, having one college student was already quite an achievement, yet her family was about to have two.
She didn’t say anything else, just, "Then our two university students, when you get your admission notices, your father and I will certainly throw a big banquet."
Xu Qinghe, who was always quiet, rarely agreed, but the furniture factory’s business was getting better and better. All he needed to do now was to keep his head down, complete the orders he received, and deliver them to clients. That was his mission accomplished.
He didn’t need to run around like before, sometimes unable to return home. Now, Xu Qinghe felt particularly content with his life.
Xu Nianhua hurriedly objected, "Dad, Mom, even if we do get in, let’s not throw a banquet, otherwise wouldn’t that be too conspicuous?"
With Mom at the Chili Sauce Factory and Dad owning the furniture factory, they were already enough to make people envious. If they were to add university acceptance and a big banquet to that, wouldn’t that be even more jealousy-inducing?
"We should just be happy amongst ourselves, why bother with others?" Xu Nian’an also agreed with his younger sister’s view. He just wanted to share the joy with his family, as for the neighbors, they could do without.
"This is a good thing." Ji Ying actually still wanted to throw a big banquet. Her children’s accomplishments brought her more joy than anything, and she was proud of them deep down in her heart.
Xu Nianhua glanced at Zhou He’s belly and said, "Let’s wait for my future nephew or niece to be born, then we can throw a big banquet."
"Sister-in-law, your belly seems to have gotten bigger." Xu Nianhua stared closely at Zhou He’s belly, which appeared even more noticeable as the clothes got lighter and lighter.
Whenever Zhou He talked about the child in her belly, it seemed she had endless things to say. She said, "At the beginning, it didn’t seem to grow this fast."
"How long has it been since I last saw my sister-in-law? How come her belly has blown up like a balloon?" Xu Nianhua, having lived a whole lifetime in her past life without ever being married or pregnant, and with few close people around her, naturally hadn’t seen what pregnancy was like.
At these words, Xu Nian’an couldn’t help but laugh. Then, catching his elder brother’s glance, he pursed his lips, but, he just couldn’t hold back.
Ji Ying said half in displeasure, "The baby is due in less than three months. If it didn’t grow, how could the child be healthy?"
"Oh." Xu Nianhua was just curious, and didn’t mean anything else; she quickly explained.
Zhou He smiled to show it was okay and said, "I also feel like my belly is growing exceptionally fast."
Suddenly, Zhou He’s expression changed. Xu Nianhua looked at her worriedly, thinking she might have said something to upset her sister-in-law or that her sister-in-law might have been harmed in some way.
"The baby just kicked me again."
Zhou He regained her composure and seeing her worried expression, said, "I’m fine, it’s just that the last kick was a bit painful."
Zhou He answered without hesitation.
Xu Nianhua wanted to touch but was hesitant. In the end, it was Zhou He who took her hand and placed it on her belly. As soon as Xu Nianhua touched the belly, she felt the baby inside seems to have kicked her hand.
"It moved, it really moved!"
Xu Nianhua’s voice rose with excitement, and it was only when she realized that everyone was staring at her that she became aware that perhaps her reaction had been a bit too much.