When her fingers became sore from writing, Yu Xiaolian threw down the pen, planning to take a break before continuing.
Suddenly, Yu Changhe’s anxious voice rang out from outside the house, and Yu Xiaolian quickly dashed out.
Mrs. Sun had fallen from the stool she was standing on and was now lying unconscious in Yu Changhe’s arms.
"Your mother suddenly fainted. Go quickly to the pharmacy on the street and find a doctor!" Yu Changhe’s face was filled with urgency, relieved he had reacted quickly enough to catch Mrs. Sun as she fell, otherwise who knows how badly she might have been injured.
Could it be that Mrs. Sun has been overworked recently and suffered from heatstroke? Yu Xiaolian didn’t dare delay and hurried off to find a doctor.
She went to the same white-bearded doctor who had treated Yu Changhe’s leg.
One reason was that the old doctor was a good person, another because his pharmacy was the closest to their home.
By the time Yu Xiaolian returned with the old doctor, Mrs. Sun had already been moved to the kang bed in the east room by Yu Changhe.
The old doctor, eager to save lives, walked quickly. Once inside, he didn’t even greet Yu Changhe, immediately checking Mrs. Sun’s breath. Seeing her breath was normal, he sighed in relief and reached to check Mrs. Sun’s pulse.
The old doctor’s expression changed from grave to a slight smile, while Yu Changhe furrowed his brow, puzzled.
Suddenly, the old doctor chuckled and said to Yu Changhe, "Mrs. Yu has suffered slight heatstroke. Although it’s late autumn now, the midday sun is still quite strong. Were you working outside under the sun?"
Yu Changhe nodded, "Earlier, we were outside putting up window paper."
The old doctor glared at Yu Changhe, "Your wife is over two months pregnant, and you still let her work under the blazing sun. What should I say about you!"
Yu Changhe was stunned, finally finding his voice after a moment, "Pregnant? Two months?"
The old doctor nodded, "Two months, and by her pulse, it looks like twins."
"Twins?" Yu Changhe felt faint himself.
This happiness came too suddenly. He stepped forward and hugged the old doctor, excitedly asking, "Is it true what you’re saying?"
The old doctor struggled in Yu Changhe’s embrace, "I’ve been practicing medicine for over fifty years. It can’t be fake. It’s a pregnancy pulse, no mistake!"
Yu Changhe was so excited, he almost planted a kiss on the old doctor’s face. Seeing how overly joyful the man was, the doctor took several steps back to avoid such a mishap.
"The heatstroke your wife has is not serious, but during pregnancy, she shouldn’t take other medications lightly. She needs proper rest. In the first three months, the pregnancy is not stable, so she shouldn’t be doing any work."
After finishing his advice, the old doctor slung his medicine box over his back, ready to leave.
Yu Changhe quickly instructed Yu Xiaolian to pay the doctor for the consultation and reminded her that Mrs. Sun’s pregnancy was joyous news, so to give a bit more.
Yu Xiaolian was not stingy, being happier than anyone about Mrs. Sun’s pregnancy. As long as Mrs. Sun had a child, her heart knot would be untied, and she wouldn’t spiral into madness anymore.
Yu Xiaolian took out a piece of Silver and gave it to the old doctor, politely seeing him to the door.
Yu Changhe paced around the room, turning anxiously, "Why hasn’t your mother woken up yet?"
Yu Xiaolian consoled, "Dad, don’t worry, the doctor said it was nothing serious. Mom should wake up soon."
But how could Yu Changhe not worry? He was not only anxious but unable to calm his mind, pacing around with his hands nervously wringing together.
Recalling the old doctor’s words about the first three months being unstable, Yu Xiaolian decided that during Mrs. Sun’s pregnancy, she would be the one to take over cooking responsibilities, "You keep pacing, I’ll go make dinner."
"Ah, yes, yes, yes," Yu Changhe nodded repeatedly, "Your mother will definitely be hungry when she wakes up. Make more, something nutritious for her."
Yu Xiaolian also realized that Mrs. Sun, pregnant at her age, classified as an older expectant mother, needed to eat nutritious food. However, maintaining balanced nutrition was also important. Over-supplementing might result in a child too large at birth, which could lead to complications.
After all, in ancient times, C-sections were not an option. If the baby was too large to be delivered, it could end fatally for both mother and child.
No—her mother was carrying twins, if something went wrong, it would be tragic for three lives.
Ugh, what horrible thoughts. Her mother would definitely give birth to the two little babies safely and smoothly.
By that time, she could proudly become an elder sister, just thinking about it made her happy.
Yu Xiaolian decided to prepare a nutritious meal for Mrs. Sun, starting with boiled shrimp, since in the cooking-challenged Yu Xiaolian’s eyes, boiling shrimp simply meant cleaning them and boiling them with water, a relatively simple task.
She also picked up a piece of beef from the fresh produce section at the supermarket, and two tomatoes from the vegetable section, planning to make braised beef with tomatoes.
This dish was one that Yu Xiaolian particularly enjoyed making, though what she made never tasted as good as what her mom would make.
The cooking methods were similar, adding a little of various seasonings. Even though the ingredients added might be the same, for some reason her dish never tasted like the others.
Yu Xiaolian concluded she simply had no talent for cooking.
Except for instant noodles or self-heating hotpots, Yu Xiaolian could prepare them with the original flavor. Anything else would be hit-or-miss in taste, her fluctuating culinary skills depended on fate.
After preparing two dishes, Yu Xiaolian also made a seaweed egg drop soup.
While Yu Xiaolian was cooking, Mrs. Sun woke up, and headed to the kitchen to cook, but Yu Changhe helped her back again.
At dinner, Yu Xiaolian looked eagerly at Mrs. Sun putting the beef into her mouth.
Sure enough, Mrs. Sun furrowed her brow, "The beef wasn’t cooked long enough; it’s not tender!" Googlᴇ search novel·fire.net
Mrs. Sun then took a sip of the seaweed egg drop soup, almost spat it out, with her brow furrowed, she forced it down, "Too salty, and the egg tastes fishy."
Yu Xiaolian tasted the dish and sipped the soup, once again internally disdaining her cooking skills, realizing what she made was nothing like Mrs. Sun’s.
Yu Changhe peeled some prawns for Mrs. Sun, "Eat shrimp, I’ll make dinner tonight!"
Mrs. Sun said helplessly, "I’m just pregnant, not incapacitated. Cooking isn’t tiring, I can do it!"
Yu Changhe disagreed, stating that he would handle all the cooking from now on, and even the task of papering the windows didn’t need Mrs. Sun’s help anymore, he could do it alone.
Even though one person would take longer, he was insistent, making sure Mrs. Sun stayed on the kang all day. Even when Mrs. Sun went to the bathroom, he had to accompany her to assist.
Mrs. Sun found it exasperating yet amusing, knowing that Yu Changhe valued the child she carried and still cared deeply about her. She felt a sense of comfort.
That day, as Mrs. Sun was sitting on the kang sewing cotton clothes for the three of them, she mentioned the original plan to return to her family home during the twelfth lunar month.
But now that Mrs. Sun was pregnant, Yu Changhe changed his mind, firmly against Mrs. Sun taking a bumpy carriage ride.
Mrs. Sun was mindful of her old mother and younger brother, thinking if she waited until after the delivery to return, it would take another year. Therefore, she asked Yu Xiaolian and Yu Changhe to find time to return for a visit.
Yu Xiaolian agreed with full enthusiasm, clamoring about preparing many gifts for her grandmother, delighting Mrs. Sun infinitely.