That night, Xu Nianhua tossed and turned, only falling into a hazy sleep in the latter half of the night.
It was morning.
"Xiaohe, today, just stay home. It’s windy outside, don’t go out." Before leaving, Xu Nianji hugged Zhou He, gave her a kiss, looked at her pregnant belly, and the thought that in a little over two months he’d be a dad again filled his heart with a sense of happiness.
"Nianji, what’s going on today? You kept reminding me last night not to go out today. Is there something happening that I don’t know about?"
Zhou He couldn’t help but wonder. Before going to sleep last night, Xu Nianji had already told her not to go out today, and this morning, he specifically reminded her again.
"It’s nothing." Xu Nianji didn’t want her to worry.
Zhou He pursed her lips, her eyes unblinking as she looked at him, her hand gripping his, insisting on getting to the bottom of it.
"Don’t worry, it’s just a little... accident. It won’t be a big deal. Your belly is so big, you should stay at home to ease my mind." Xu Nianji held her hand, gently stroking her swollen belly, saying, "Don’t make me worry."
"You, you won’t be in danger, will you? We’ll all be safe, right?" Zhou He didn’t know what was going to happen, she could only look at Xu Nianji worriedly.
"No, everything will be fine for us."
Xu Nianji assured her, "Besides, Ma Zhijun is with me. Ma Zhijun, he’s retired and very skilled, doesn’t that reassure you?" Upon hearing about Ma Zhijun, Zhou He felt considerably more at ease.
The day passed as usual, but Zhou He was so worried that she couldn’t rest well even during her midday nap.
Xu Nianhua diligently completed the translation of the last section of the book in her room. It was only the eighth day of the first lunar month, and she had finished 80% of her task.
Now, what she needed to do was proofread one last time, then read through the whole text to see if there were any discrepancies with the original.
At half-past four in the afternoon, Xu Nianhua went out for a walk. The sun in the first lunar month was warm and cozy, and Xu Nianhua loved taking Zhuangzhuang out at this time every day to bask in the sun. First, it prevented her from being cooped up in the house every day, and second, it let her get some fresh air and clear her mind.
Otherwise, if she faced books and texts continuously, her eyes would become strained.
Today, everything was the same as usual, with only one difference—she didn’t bring Zhuangzhuang.
"Out for a walk again?"
Xu Nianhua had only walked a short distance when she ran into Liu Sanmei.
"Huh, what are you doing here?" Xu Nianhua looked at Liu Sanmei curiously, feeling a sense of relief settling inside her. She hadn’t guessed wrong after all. She said, "Aren’t you supposed to be in the vegetable garden?"
"What, did your family build this road? Can you tell this old lady she’s not allowed to walk on it?"
Liu Sanmei had intended to watch the fun, but Xu Nianhua’s words rubbed her the wrong way.
Does it mean she should stay in the vegetable garden every day?
Hmph, she wanted to see how Xu Nianhua’s mother acted.
Liu Sanmei twisted her waist and walked off, humming a tune in a very good mood.
Xu Nianhua walked and paused alternately, as there were many beautiful scenes in the village. Even in winter, the mountains weren’t barren. The green bamboo, though not as vibrant as in spring, swayed with the wind, remaining quite pleasing to the eyes.
"Nianhua?"
Gao Jianshe suddenly blocked Xu Nianhua’s path. At this moment, there were no houses nearby, only mountains on either side. Gao Jianshe’s face was flushed, and he seemed exceptionally excited to see Xu Nianhua.