Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Chapter 597: Chapter 310: Pregnancy (2)

Juhua finally realized they were talking about having children and couldn’t help but feel frustrated. ’This isn’t like farming,’ she thought, ’where hard work guarantees a harvest. How am I supposed to be more "meticulous" about it?’

But she didn’t realize that people did, in fact, compare it to planting crops.

Mrs. Zhang had heard from Liu Yunlan how well her sister-in-law treated her, so she was particularly fond of Juhua. She chimed in with a smile, "Isn’t that the truth? I was married for a good two years myself before I was pregnant with my Yunlan. You can’t rush these things. Juhua is still very young, and you can tell just by looking at her that she’s a fortunate one. She’ll have plenty of children later on."

Mrs. Wang took the flat bamboo tray of melon seeds from Juhua’s hands, smiled, and patted her hand. She pulled Juhua down to sit beside her. Without saying a word, she turned and began chatting with the old grand-aunt about the Zheng Family’s new calf.

When they went to sleep that night, Juhua curled up in front of Huai Zi and complained to him, "If I don’t have a baby soon, everyone I meet is going to ask about it."

Huai Zi stroked her back, nuzzled his chin against her smooth cheek, and gave her a light kiss. "Who cares what other people say?" he said with a smile. "I’m not rushing you. The ones who start late don’t necessarily end up with the least. Sometimes they have even more than the ones who started first. Just look at the autumn eggplants—see how well they bear fruit? And the late rice? It’s not harvested yet, but it’ll still fill a whole granary."

Juhua couldn’t help but laugh, though she was still annoyed, and she tugged his ear. "What nonsense are you spouting? Who makes comparisons like that? ’Autumn eggplants’ at best means they bear one last batch at the end of the season. How can you compare that to me? I’m more like an eggplant seedling just planted in the spring—everyone else’s is blooming, but mine hasn’t even started."

Huai Zi quickly exclaimed, "You’re right, that’s not a good comparison. But that’s okay! The first flowers to bloom are the first to fade, and the first fruits are the first to be picked. We’ll bloom later, but we’ll still get a whole bush full of eggplants."

Hearing this, Juhua laughed and playfully pounded his shoulder, protesting, "Why are you so obsessed with eggplants? Why not talk about peaches or plums? The peach tree we got from Liu Xiaomei’s family and the peaches Cousin Laixi bought aren’t the same. The one from Mei’s family blooms and fruits early, but the kind Cousin Laixi bought is later—it doesn’t ripen until almost the seventh month. But it’s much sweeter, and the fruits are bigger."

Huai Zi nodded repeatedly, his eyes shining in the darkness. He laughed with delight. "That’s exactly it. You’re like that peach that only ripens in the seventh month. It might bloom a little later than the others, but the fruit it bears is big and sweet."

Thinking about this metaphor, the two of them stifled their laughter.

No wonder the wives in the countryside placed so much importance on having children. If you didn’t have a baby, people would gossip you to death. It was like a competition: Meizi was pregnant again, Zhuzi was pregnant too, and Liu Sanshun’s wife, Xiu, was also pregnant. As for Big Mouth Zhao’s wife, Guizhi, she got pregnant with her second before her first was even weaned.

Juhua had once sheepishly confessed to Huai Zi that being surrounded by a group of pregnant women put a lot of pressure on her. Huai Zi had looked at her, amused. ’She doesn’t look pressured at all.’ He then deliberately feigned nonchalance and said, "We’re the peaches that ripen in the seventh month. Let them have their turn first."

The weather gradually grew colder. Without the sausage workshop, people’s lives became a bit more relaxed. But the diligent always found work to do—raking firewood on the mountains, busying themselves in the cabbage and radish fields, and so on. There was never a moment to rest.

Qingmu and Huai Zi spent several days in a row on the mountain raking firewood. They brought back loads of dry branches, fallen leaves, pine needles, and thatch, piling it all up high. They were like field mice hoarding grain, preparing to wait out the winter.

When the first snow of the year fell, Juhua felt her days were especially relaxed and happy. This was the most relaxing winter she’d had since arriving in this world. The first winter, she had been busy with her small business, and they had been poor back then. In the years that followed, she was always busy making and selling sausages, with no time to rest.

Now, food for the family, feed for the pigs, fodder for the ox, and even firewood had all been fully prepared. They were truly settling in for the winter like a proper farming family.

She would do needlework with Zhao Qing, or go back to her parents’ home to play with little Hulu, who paid them no mind. Other times, she would kick a shuttlecock to warm her hands and feet. The two of them, one big and one small, had a wonderful time playing. Sometimes Meizi and Guizhi would also bring their children over, and the three little kids would run riot all over the house.

When Juhua discovered she was pregnant, the winter became even more filled with joy and celebration.

That night, when Juhua whispered to Zhang Huai that she was pregnant, he asked in disbelief, "You’re not mistaken? Juhua, do you know how to tell if you’re expecting? Why don’t we ask Mom tomorrow?"

Juhua had expected him to be overjoyed, but who would have thought he wouldn’t believe her? She was so angry she pinched his arm and said through gritted teeth, "Am I that clueless? Don’t I know my own body? If you don’t believe me, then just forget it."

Huai Zi hurriedly hugged her tightly, saying repeatedly, "I believe you, I believe you. I... I just couldn’t quite believe it for a moment!"

Hearing his jumbled words, Juhua couldn’t help but laugh softly. She rested against his chest, rubbing her forehead against his chin, and whispered, "I’m not mistaken. My monthly bleeding hasn’t come for many days, and... I just feel like something’s different inside my body..."

Her soft voice in the darkness seemed to possess a magic that captivated Huai Zi. As if afraid of startling the tiny new life, Huai Zi also grew solemn. He reached out his large hand and stroked Juhua’s belly through her clothes, whispering in her ear, "But you were kicking a shuttlecock with Zhao Qing just a couple of days ago. Will that be a problem?"

Juhua shook her head. "I only played for a little while each time, and I didn’t get too tired. I don’t like playing until I’m out of breath." Speaking of this, she felt fortunate. If she were the type to get carried away while playing, something bad might have happened. Her constitution wasn’t very strong.

Huai Zi should have been ecstatic, but instead, he just held Juhua quietly and murmured in her ear, "Hua’er, we’re going to have a baby. You have to take good care of yourself from now on, and the baby has to be healthy too, you hear?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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