"Daughter! From now on, just stay at home and take good care of yourself for the baby. I’ll make sure you have nutritious meals every day! Just eat and sleep, then eat again! Just take good care of my grandchild!" Wang Cuihua helped her daughter into the house while grinning like a flower, advising her.
"Yes, yes! Pregnant women do like to sleep. When you wake up, you’ll be hungry, so just take care of yourself. Grandma will also make you some delicious food!" Bai Xianglan chimed in.
Lin Xue felt overwhelmed as she expected this outcome. "Are you planning to raise pigs? I’m pregnant, not a Chinese New Year pig! You can’t do this to me!" Lin Xue protested. "Besides, I have to take Grandma and Grandpa back in a few days! I can’t just listen to you all!"
This set off a storm. "That’s not okay! You’re pregnant now, you can’t take long car rides. Let them take you. You should stay home and rest!" Bai Xianglan quickly shook her head and waved her hands.
"Yes, yes, Xiao Xue, Grandma and Grandpa don’t need you to take them. Just see us off to the train, we’ll get off ourselves when we get there!" Li Xiuying waved her hand as well.
"Grandma, Mom! Staying cooped up at home is not good for a pregnant woman. If I’m in a bad mood, the baby won’t be happy either, and it won’t grow well! I need to go out, get some fresh air, and everything will be better!" Lin Xue tried to convince herself.
"Oh, please! The child is still so small! How could it understand if it’s happy or not? Eating more and resting more will help raise a good child! Listen to me, I know what’s best!" Wang Cuihua insisted, with the experience of having given birth to seven children.
"But if I’m in a bad mood, I won’t want to eat or sleep. By then, being hungry and tired will surely affect the baby, right? I’ve made up my mind. After I’m done with school this month, I’ll drive Grandma and Grandpa back with Zhang Yuan. If you don’t let me, I’ll go on a hunger strike! You can consider what to do!" Lin Xue finally resorted to threats. "I’m hungry now! If you don’t agree, I won’t eat!"
Wang Cuihua looked at her daughter, who had become unreasonable since becoming pregnant. She had no choice; the daughter was in charge now. She would have to find a way to get her a more comfortable seat later.
"Fine, fine, I agree! Hurry, go to bed. I’ll make you something tasty right away!"
Wang Cuihua’s agreement meant that Lin Daliang agreed too, and so did Bai Xianglan.
She realized that among them, her mother Wang Cuihua still held the decision-making power.
With her parents and grandma settled, even Grandma and Grandpa couldn’t object, and they nodded, pleased as she enjoyed a hearty meal.
The full family service was wonderfully delightful.
Even Zhang Yuan became more attentive, carefully picking out fish bones, almost making the fish not as enjoyable to eat.
After fully indulging at her parent’s house, both fully satisfied and well-rested, they eagerly headed to the grandparents’ house.
However, they didn’t scare the two elderly like they did with her mom, steadily breaking the news instead.
The two elders, equally excited, couldn’t stop gesticulating and repeatedly saying, "Bless the ancestors, bless the ancestors."
The joy and laughter downstairs also drew the attention of Zhang Ting.
Since her discharge from the hospital, she had been lingering there, not leaving. The elderly couple pitied her circumstances and worried that her mother might pull something rash again, so they kept her there.
Hearing that Zhang Yuan and Lin Xue had come over, Zhang Ting had her ear on the listen the entire time. She hated Lin Xue to the core and was ready to retaliate at the slightest opportunity. When she learned that Lin Xue was pregnant, she was maddened enough to wish she could bite her.
So, she dolled herself up and slowly came down the stairs.
She greeted them warmly with a smile, "Big brother and sister-in-law, what brings you here? Grandma Zheng said she missed you!" Saying this, she went up and hooked Lin Xue’s arm.
She acted as if they were good sisters, making it impossible for anyone to see the hatred in her heart.
"Tingting! Quickly help your sister-in-law sit down; she’s carrying twins now, can’t let her get tired!" Grandma Zhang felt a bit worried about this granddaughter, noticing her somewhat distracted demeanor. Sometimes she was terribly irritable, and now she was smiling so brightly, something didn’t feel right.
"Grandma, sister-in-law is pregnant?" Zhang Ting feigned disbelief, then eagerly reached out to touch Lin Xue’s belly.
Lin Xue instinctively stepped back, and seeing that, Zhang Yuan immediately stepped forward to pull his wife up from Zhang Ting’s grasp, helping her to sit down.
"Xiao Xue, if you crave something, let Grandma know. Grandma will have someone buy it and make it for you!" Grandma Zhang was so loving that she seemed to have lost her sense of direction in happiness.
"Grandma, my appetite is through the roof now. I can eat anything in large amounts! I’m not picky at all!" Lin Xue obediently nodded. "And I’m not really experiencing any nausea!"
"You remind me of when I was pregnant with Xiao Yuan’s dad!" Grandma Zhang smiled too. "Not being picky is a blessing! You can absorb all kinds of nutrients!"
Beside them, Zhang Ting forced a smile and sat down, listening to their joyful discussion about the baby and making baby clothes. She gritted her teeth in anger, hardly able to hold back.
"Grandma, we just ate before coming here, so we’re not hungry!" Lin Xue declined Grandma’s offer to have someone buy snacks, as she was already full and not hungry at all.
As she said this, Grandpa, who had just come downstairs, handed her a bulging envelope. "Xiao Xue, here’s five thousand yuan! Use it to buy something tasty to nourish yourself! If you run out, just tell Grandpa!"
Lin Xue stood up in surprise. "Grandpa, we have money! No need to give us more!" she shook her head, refusing.
"Xiao Xue, this is for nourishing our great-grandchild! You can’t refuse! Go buy something delicious! Take it!" Grandma also stood up, took the money, and stuffed it into Lin Xue’s hands.
Lin Xue stood diagonally across from Zhang Ting when suddenly a shriek pierced the atmosphere. Before anyone could react, Zhang Ting sprang up and shoved Lin Xue to the ground.
"You bitch! I asked you to raise a child for me and you refused, now you’re pregnant to spite me! Is it because I got pregnant that you intentionally got pregnant soon after to disgust me?" Zhang Ting hurled after pushing her down, watching everyone’s panicked expression, especially her lofty brother’s pale face of fear, and laughed maniacally. "And you all! When I got pregnant, you despised me and locked me up. Why is it when she’s pregnant, you pamper her and give her money? Why do you treat me like I’m not a person? I’m going to kill this bitch!"
After shouting, she intended to go forward and push Lin Xue again, who was just being lifted by Zhang Yuan.
Zhang Yuan barely extended a leg to kick over when the old man’s slap arrived.
Knocked by the double hit, Zhang Ting was kicked to the ground.
Zhang Yuan gave a cold glance, couldn’t bother dealing with her, and hurriedly ran out carrying Lin Xue, who clutched her stomach.
The old lady chased a few steps but fainted away.
Fortunately, the housekeeper was present and immediately sent her to the hospital.
Of course, the old man followed her, leaving Zhang Ting alone, clutching her abdomen, howling on the floor.
She had just recently undergone surgery, and her wounds hadn’t fully healed yet.
A lifelong soldier, the old man could not stand such pampered and unruly grandchildren. In his anger, he didn’t hold back, resulting in a swollen patch on her face, a terrifying sight to behold.