“Congratulations, you two! Your family will soon be welcoming a new member!”
“Really, Doctor Jiang? My wife is really pregnant?” Chen Fusheng was ecstatic. Having lived two lives, this was the first time he was going to be a father.
“It’s true!”
Doctor Jiang observed the reactions of Chen Fusheng and Liu Xiaoli and guessed that this was both their first time becoming parents. She took the initiative to explain some precautions for pregnant women.
Before long, an intern brought in the results of Liu Xiaoli’s examination. Doctor Jiang picked them up, glanced at the report, and said:
“According to the examination, your baby is currently about four weeks along. Be sure to remember this date; it’s very important…”
Doctor Jiang went on to explain why it was important to the two new parents, and only when the next patient came in did she pick up the teapot and take a sip.
“Thank you, Doctor Jiang. We’ll let you get back to work. We’ll be on our way.” Seeing that the doctor had essentially served tea to see them out, Chen Fusheng tactfully led Liu Xiaoli to their feet and left.
“Careful, sweetheart. Watch the step.”
“Act normal. I’m only a month along.” Liu Xiaoli said this, but in truth, ever since learning that a new life was growing inside her, she couldn’t help but be more cautious in everything she did.
Once outside the hospital, Liu Xiaoli asked, “Where are we going next?”
“To Mom and Dad’s. Let’s share the good news with them too.”
“I knew you’d say that.” Liu Xiaoli smiled.
They had ridden over on one bicycle together.
And naturally, they rode back the same way.
Liu Xiaoli used to like riding side-saddle, including on the way here. But now that she knew there was a baby in her belly, she instinctively chose to sit astride the rear seat, since it was safer. Both arms could wrap around the rider’s waist.
She even reminded him: “Ride slowly.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you two.”
Just then, Liu Xiaoli remembered the four eels at home that they’d planned to bring to her parents today, and quickly reminded him.
“That can wait. Let me get you there safely first, then I’ll go back for them.”
“You just have to make an extra trip, don’t you.”
“I’m happy to.”
“Stubborn man. Have it your way.”
Liu Xiaoli gave his back a gentle headbutt, then immediately changed the subject.
“Brother Sheng, do you think our baby will be a boy or a girl?”
“A girl, probably.”
“Why?”
“Because a daughter is her daddy’s little sweetheart.”
“Hmph, then I guess it’s a boy.”
“Sweetheart.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think it’s possible you’re carrying boy-girl twins?”
“You’re dreaming. If it were twins, wouldn’t the doctor have said so?”
“Good point.”
Half an hour later, Chen Fusheng pedaled Liu Xiaoli up to the old campus faculty housing at River City University.
His parents lived in this compound too. It was older than the Riverside Community, but the apartment his parents had been assigned was a three-bedroom.
“Fusheng is back!”
“I’m here, I’m here. Second Uncle, still exercising?”
“Fusheng, your wife is truly beautiful! Come visit Auntie sometime.”
“Sure thing, Auntie.”
“Fusheng…”
Since Chen Fusheng had grown up here, every time he came back, he’d inevitably run into people he knew.
Knock knock knock.
Finally, they arrived at his parents’ door. This old building had no doorbell, and though he had a key, he hadn’t brought it. So he could only knock.
“Who is it? Coming!”
The one who opened the door was Chen Fusheng’s father, Chen Runqiu, a professor in the History Department at River City University.
“Dad.” Liu Xiaoli greeted him first.
Chen Runqiu smiled and nodded at his daughter-in-law, then asked with concern, “Have you eaten? Your mother has been going on all morning about when you two would arrive.”
“Have we eaten?” Chen Fusheng looked at his wife uncertainly. He’d actually forgotten.
Liu Xiaoli was the same. She hadn’t eaten much last night, and this morning the two of them had gone straight to the hospital for the checkup. She truly hadn’t had a bite to eat since. Nobody had mentioned it earlier so she hadn’t felt hungry, but now that the topic came up, she suddenly realized she was famished.
“…” Chen Runqiu stared at the two of them, speechless. How could you forget whether you’ve eaten or not? Don’t starve yourselves to death.
“Where’s Mom?” After entering, Chen Fusheng helped Liu Xiaoli change into slippers first before changing into his own, asking as he did.
“In the kitchen washing dishes,” Chen Runqiu said. “We just finished eating. If only you’d come a little earlier.”
“No worries, we can go out to eat later.”
He’d barely finished speaking when his mother, Yang Hongmei, came rushing over after hearing the commotion and caught the tail end. Naturally, he got an earful.
“Do you have money to burn? Going out to eat.”
“I just didn’t want you to go to any trouble, Mom.”
“If you don’t want me to go to trouble, then come earlier next weekend and stop sleeping in!”
While scolding her son, Yang Hongmei didn’t forget to take Liu Xiaoli’s hand and explain.
“I’m scolding him, not you. Don’t take it to heart, Xiaoli. What would you like to eat? Mom will make it for you.”
“Mom, there’s been a misunderstanding. Brother Sheng and I actually went to the hospital this morning, which is why we’re a bit late.”
“The hospital?”
The hospital was a sensitive topic.
Both elders asked with concern, “What did you go to the hospital for?”
Liu Xiaoli and Chen Fusheng exchanged a glance, silently cueing the latter to speak.
Chen Fusheng took the hint and stepped forward:
“Mom, Dad, we have some good news… Xiaoli is… pregnant!”
Hearing the wonderful news, Chen Runqiu and his wife Yang Hongmei froze for a moment, and once it sank in, their faces lit up with excitement.
“Really?”
“You’re not joking with us?”
“Of course it’s real. Would we joke about something like this?”
“Right, right, right, this is no joking matter. So Xiaoli, you’re really pregnant?”
“Yes, Mom. Brother Sheng took me to the hospital for a checkup this morning. Look, here are the results. The baby is one month along.”
“Wonderful, wonderful, that’s wonderful…”
Seeing his mother get so emotional she was crying, Chen Fusheng quickly helped wipe her tears and comforted her:
“Mom, pull yourself together. Why are you crying?”
“I’m not crying. I’m just happy.”
Yang Hongmei was a proud woman. She could cry in front of her husband and son, but shedding tears in front of her daughter-in-law felt like a loss of composure.
So she quickly changed the subject: “Xiaoli, you two haven’t eaten yet, right?”
Liu Xiaoli nodded.
Yang Hongmei then turned to her husband and gave an order. “Old Chen, I remember Teacher Wang in the building next door keeps a few chickens. Go buy one from him to make soup. See if he’s willing. If not, go to the market.”
Chen Fusheng said, “Mom, just give me something simple to eat. How long will it take to stew a whole chicken? Xiaoli didn’t eat much last night. Her stomach must be rumbling by now.”
Liu Xiaoli chimed in, “Yes, Mom, anything simple is fine.”
“Simple won’t do. I remember there’s a bowl of leftover rice. I’ll make you some egg fried rice to tide you over.”
Yang Hongmei said this, and seeing her husband standing there unmoving, gave him another nudge. Then she headed for the kitchen herself.
Later, when Chen Fusheng tried to go into the kitchen to help, his mother shooed him out, telling him to keep his wife company.
“Little one, thanks to you, Daddy doesn’t have to do any work either!”
Liu Xiaoli sat on the sofa while Chen Fusheng crouched beside her, gently pressing his head against her belly and whispering to the one-month-old baby inside.
Before long, Yang Hongmei came out carrying two steaming plates of egg fried rice. Seeing this scene, a smile crept across her face unbidden.
“Time to eat.”
“Thank you, Mom.”
