Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Before Ji Yunshu even got a word out, Liu Aimin had already tightly grasped her hand, her face flushed, eyes sparkling, like she'd been holding this in forever and finally had a chance to let it out.

"Comrade Ji, let me tell you, I've been feeling off lately. Dizzy in the mornings, and the smell of grease from the cafeteria makes me want to puke. At first I thought it was just a cold, so I didn't think much of it. Then I still felt groggy, and Ming Zhe urged me to go to the hospital for a check-up. I figured it couldn't hurt to go, and the doctor said I'm pregnant—just past one month. When I got the test results, I was totally stunned. I sat in the hallway and cried for a good while. The nurse thought I was scared and kept comforting me, saying first pregnancies are always like this, don't worry."

Ji Yunshu quickly pulled her to sit on the sofa and poured her a glass of warm water: "This is great news! Why are you crying? Sit down and tell me slowly. What else did the doctor say? Did the doctor run any tests?"

Liu Aimin took the enamel cup and held it in both hands, looking at Ji Yunshu gratefully, her voice gradually calming down: "Comrade Ji, to tell you the truth, I told you before that the doctor said it would be hard for me to conceive, but I never told you why. My hometown is a tiny village deep in the mountains. There are five kids in my family—I'm the youngest, with three older brothers and one older sister. When I was six, during the rainy season, a flash flood hit and washed away the wooden bridge over the river. My brother dragged me to the riverbank to collect firewood that had been swept downstream. He thought I was in the way and pushed me, and I slipped and fell into the river. The water was fast and freezing cold. I got swept a long way downstream before the villagers pulled me out that evening. I was in that freezing water for hours, and after they pulled me out, I had a fever that almost killed me. My mom sold our only plow ox to pay for my treatment and carried me on her back across the mountains to see an old Chinese medicine doctor in town. He said the cold had gotten into my body and messed up my constitution, and that when I grew up, it might be very hard for me to bear children."

Liu Aimin's voice grew softer as she spoke, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the cup. "I've never told anyone about this besides my family. When I was seeing Ming Zhe, I told him the truth—I said I might never be able to have children, and if that was a problem for him, we shouldn't keep seeing each other. But he said he didn't care about that, that he was marrying me for me, not for anything else. But I know he really loves kids. Every time he sees other people's children in the compound, he can't help but look a couple extra times. Sometimes when he waits for me at the kindergarten gate after work and watches the kids file out in line, he can't tear his eyes away..."

"I'd already made peace with it, thinking this was just how my life would be. But then this baby came along anyway. The doctor said this pregnancy is a bit shaky, so I need to take good care of myself—not much moving around in the first few months, no getting tired, no catching a chill, and extra care with what I eat. But if I can hold onto this baby, I'll do anything. Comrade Ji, you're the first person I wanted to tell. This past month I've been coming to your house often, and every time I see Sheng Sheng and Nian Nian, I feel so happy and a little jealous... Sister Li was right—I must have caught some of your twins' luck and got pregnant. Thank you. Without you, I don't know when I ever would have conceived..."

After hearing this, Ji Yunshu reached out and covered Liu Aimin's hand, feeling both sorry for her and heartbroken: "This is wonderful news for you. If this baby is meant to be yours and Deputy Battalion Commander Liu's, then it's yours. The doctor said it would be hard for you to get pregnant, not that you couldn't. And here you are, pregnant. Since the baby's come, it means you're meant to have this child, and it will be born safely. Don't worry about anything else right now—just listen to the doctor and take it easy. If you need anything, just come to me, and I'll do whatever I can. If Ming Zhe's too busy, Brother Pei and I can help out too."

Liu Aimin dabbed the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, nodded gratefully, and took a sip of warm water to steady herself. Ji Yunshu got up and went to the kitchen, wrapped a few pieces of the red date steamed cake He Qiuxia had made that morning in some oil paper, and pressed them into Liu Aimin's hands, saying they were fresh from that morning—red dates are good for the blood, great for pregnant women—and she should take them home for a snack.

After seeing Liu Aimin off, Ji Yunshu returned to the main room. Huajuan was curled up on the arm of the sofa, dozing. She sat down, placed her hand on Huajuan's back, but her gaze fell on the teacup Liu Aimin had just set down, her mind churning over what she'd seen in her dream.

In her dream, Pei Yufeng died in the spring. Going by Liu Aimin's pregnancy timeline, she'd be due around the same time next spring—another match with the dream... In the dream, Liu Aimin had a rough labor and was in the delivery room in pain all night. Liu Mingzhe was frantic and wouldn't leave her side, which is why Pei Yufeng volunteered to take his mission. Now that Liu Aimin's pregnancy was so hard-won, Liu Mingzhe would definitely be even more protective. If she could rest well through this period and be in better shape than in the dream, would her delivery go more smoothly?

After spending so much time with Liu Aimin, Ji Yunshu had completely let go of the slight prejudice she'd first felt because of the dream. Liu Aimin and Liu Mingzhe were both honest, sincere people. If Liu Aimin's life were in danger on the day she gave birth, she definitely couldn't bear to let Liu Mingzhe go on a mission alone. The two of them loved each other deeply, and this baby was something they'd wanted for so long. But if it meant sending Pei Yufeng into danger... that was absolutely not happening!

But military orders were as solid as mountains, and the situation at the front was urgent. She couldn't ask Pei Yufeng to abandon his duty to the country for her sake—he wouldn't do it, and neither would she.

Was there a way to have it both ways? What if, by some chance, Liu Aimin didn't go into labor on the day Liu Mingzhe was supposed to go on his mission, or had already given birth before then—as long as she was safe, Liu Mingzhe wouldn't stay behind for her, Pei Yufeng wouldn't have to take his place at sea, and Pei Yufeng could get through that ordeal safely!

But there was no way to predict when a woman would go into labor. Her own due date had been early August, but unexpectedly, after Huajuan stepped on her belly, both kids had come out smoothly on July 20th. Ji Yunshu frowned—there was simply no way to calculate this!

He Qiuxia came out of the bedroom carrying Nian Nian, who had just woken up. Seeing Ji Yunshu sitting on the sofa staring into space, she placed Nian Nian in the crib and sat down beside her, lowering her voice to ask: "Xiaoshu, what's wrong? What did Comrade Liu say? Are you feeling unwell? You don't look happy."

"Mom, I'm not unhappy." Ji Yunshu snapped back to reality and quickly smiled. "Comrade Liu is pregnant. She just found out—about a month along. Her constitution is weak and this pregnancy isn't very stable, so the doctor told her to rest well. It really tugs at my heart. I plan to visit her more often and help out where I can. This pregnancy was hard-won for her, so she needs proper care."

He Qiuxia nodded. "We're all neighbors. Help where you can."

From that day on, Ji Yunshu paid extra attention to Liu Aimin's health. Whenever she had free time, she'd go with Li Shu and Huang Paimei to visit her, urging her to eat more blood-nourishing foods, saying that anemia during pregnancy was bad for both mother and child.

Liu Mingzhe truly did treat Liu Aimin as if she were made of glass. Ever since learning she was pregnant, the man seemed transformed, taking care of everything big and small at home. He got up before dawn every day to light the stove and cook, washed the dishes and wiped the table after meals, and every night soaked Liu Aimin's feet in hot water before carefully drying them with a towel.

When Liu Aimin came to visit Ji Yunshu's house, she sat on the sofa holding the red date tea He Qiuxia had poured for her, speaking of these things with a dreamy, happy smile: "Comrade Ji, don't you think he's overdoing it? Now when I get home from work, he won't let me do anything. Yesterday I tried to help pick vegetables, and he pushed me out of the kitchen, saying the cooking fumes would make me nauseous and I should go lie down. He won't even let me wash my own underwear—says scrubbing clothes takes too much effort and is bad for the baby. What's worse, he's worried the kids at the kindergarten might accidentally bump into me, so he wants me to take leave and rest at home until the pregnancy is stable before going back to work. I'm a kindergarten teacher—all I do is lead the children in singing and drawing. How dangerous can that be? He won't listen. He just won't let me go."

Ji Yunshu was slightly surprised. She knew Liu Aimin's pregnancy was indeed unstable, but she'd never seen anyone as nervous as Liu Mingzhe. Ji Yunshu didn't approve of taking leave from work just for the pregnancy, but Liu Aimin showed no resentment as she spoke—instead, she radiated happiness: "Actually, he has a point. This pregnancy was hard-won, and I should be extra careful in the first few months. The kids at the kindergarten run and jump around—if one really bumped into me, it wouldn't be a joke. But I don't want to stay home that early either. Being idle would drive me crazy."

Liu Aimin looked down and touched her still-flat belly, a contented smile on her face, the corners of her mouth curving up, the light in her eyes so gentle it seemed ready to overflow.

Ji Yunshu watched her like this, feeling both happy for her and a faint trace of worry. She was of course glad that Liu Mingzhe treated Liu Aimin well, but this level of care didn't seem quite right—who asks their spouse to take leave from work the moment they get pregnant? Ji Yunshu could understand Liu Mingzhe's concern for Liu Aimin, but he was also very busy with military duties and only came home in the evenings. Even if he wanted to overprotect Liu Aimin, he didn't have the time! Before, Liu Aimin had taken care of him; now he'd suddenly taken over all the chores, as if Liu Aimin had nothing to do besides rest.

But Liu Aimin didn't see anything wrong with it. She was completely absorbed in how attentive Liu Mingzhe had become, so Ji Yunshu didn't say anything more.

When Liu Aimin reached three months of pregnancy, her morning sickness suddenly became severe. Before, it was just occasional dry heaving; now she threw up almost everything she ate. The smell of cooking oil made her vomit, and just thinking about the fishy smell of seafood had her retching into the enamel basin for ages. She lost a lot of weight, her once-round cheeks now somewhat sunken. Liu Mingzhe was so anxious that blisters formed on his lips. He went to every window at the cafeteria to get food, but Liu Aimin couldn't eat any of it. Finally, he concluded that the officers' cafeteria food was too greasy and heavily seasoned for a pregnant woman.

He said to Liu Aimin: "Aimin, you can't eat anything. The cafeteria food is too oily and salty. My mother raised several children back home and is excellent at caring for women during confinement. I'll have her come look after you—at least she can cook food that suits your taste. Your constitution was already weak, and this pregnancy isn't stable. You can't go without care."

Liu Aimin said no, she could manage on her own, and felt it wasn't right to bring her mother-in-law over so early. But Liu Mingzhe didn't listen at all. He went straight to the Political Department and filled out the application form. Within a few days, the approval came through.

The day Liu's mother arrived, Ji Yunshu and Li Shu happened to be visiting Liu Aimin's house. Liu's mother got off the tricycle carrying bags and bundles, her graying hair combed neatly, wearing a faded dark blue jacket with a front closure, and holding a live hen in her hand.

Her voice arrived before she even entered the door. She grabbed Liu Aimin's hands and looked her up and down several times, her voice loud enough to be heard from the slope outside the gate: "Oh my, my girl, you've gotten so thin! How has Ming Zhe been taking care of you? I was so worried at home I couldn't sleep, thinking about coming here every day—finally the approval came through! Look at your complexion, pale as paper. You need to drink plenty of chicken soup to build yourself up. This hen I brought from home is a real free-range chicken. The soup it makes is especially fragrant—it'll help with milk production, so the baby will have plenty to eat."

After Liu Aimin introduced Ji Yunshu and Li Shu as the wives of the regiment commander and deputy commander above Liu Mingzhe, Liu's mother immediately turned to them with a smile so wide her eyes crinkled into slits: "So you two are the wives of Ming Zhe's leaders! I'm Ming Zhe's mother. From now on, we're family. Our Aimin has been so well looked after by you all during this time. If there's anything you need, just tell me—I'm quick with my hands, and I can do laundry, cooking, and childcare, anything at all."

Ji Yunshu smiled and said, "Auntie, you're too kind. It's only right for neighbors to look out for each other."

Li Shu also nodded: "We're familiar with Xiao Liu. We've known her for so long, and we're happy she's pregnant. If you need anything, just come find me."

Seeing that Ji Yunshu and Li Shu were polite and easy to get along with, Liu's mother pulled them into more conversation—what time to queue at the supply cooperative for vegetables, which cafeteria dishes were good, whether there were any ways to save money on shopping, whether prices in the compound were much higher than in the village, and so on, her tone as warm as if she'd known them for years.

After that, Liu's mother took the hen into the kitchen to prepare soup for Liu Aimin. When He Qiuxia came to fetch Ji Yunshu for dinner, Liu's mother abandoned the soup and immediately went over to size He Qiuxia up, then enthusiastically peppered her with questions.

He Qiuxia was also meeting Liu's mother for the first time. As someone with experience, she was a good judge of character and always polite. Liu's mother grabbed He Qiuxia and showered her with compliments—saying Ji Yunshu was beautiful, praising He Qiuxia for looking young. He Qiuxia was in a hurry to get back with Ji Yunshu for dinner, so she laughed it off and made her escape.

On the way home, He Qiuxia tugged at Ji Yunshu's sleeve and whispered in her ear: "Take a good look at this mother-in-law. Her face smiles warmly, but her eyes dart around quickly. People like that say nice things, but who knows what they're really thinking. Keep an eye on her."

Ji Yunshu nodded, filing He Qiuxia's words away in her mind.

Within less than half a month of her arrival, Liu's mother had mapped out the social dynamics of the family compound better than her own kitchen stove. Every morning she carried her vegetable basket to the supply cooperative, and if she ran into Wang Yulan on the way, she'd always stop to chat, praising Wang Yulan's complexion and the brightness of her clothes, and complimenting Commander Lu's leadership.

Wang Yulan was a straightforward, friendly person. At first she'd respond politely, but when she noticed Liu's mother "happened" to run into her at the cooperative entrance every morning, she grew wary. She still smiled and responded cheerfully, but in her mind she'd already tagged this new mother-in-law as "someone who knows how to work a crowd."

However, Wang Yulan wasn't one to gossip behind people's backs. She only mentioned to Commander Lu that Liu Mingzhe's mother didn't seem like an easy person to get along with, and what was Comrade Liu Aimin going to do? But that was their family matter, and there was nothing she and Commander Lu could do about it.

Beyond that, Liu's mother was also excessively warm toward Li Shu and Ji Yunshu. Knowing they were the wives of Liu Mingzhe's direct superiors, she'd show up every few days carrying a bowl of something freshly cooked—one day red date and white fungus soup, the next sweet potato cakes—saying "Aimin can't eat this, so I thought I'd bring some for the neighbors to try." But every time she sat down, within three minutes the conversation would turn to Liu Mingzhe—was he busy at the unit lately, was he listening to his leaders, was there anything he'd done wrong that caused his leaders worry, how much did Ming Zhe earn per month at the unit, were the allowances generous?

Li Shu was outspoken. At first, she figured since she was Deputy Battalion Commander Liu's own mother, there was nothing wrong with answering. But when she noticed the woman constantly prying into the salaries and allowances of the regiment and battalion commanders, her eyes lighting up every time money came up, Li Shu began to feel uncomfortable. After too many questions, Li Shu finally couldn't hold back and once replied directly, "Auntie, don't worry—Deputy Battalion Commander Liu's salary is definitely enough for the three of you." Only then did Liu's mother sheepishly change the subject.

Later, Ji Yunshu noticed that Liu's mother paid more attention to her and Li Shu than to Liu Aimin. Several times when Ji Yunshu visited Liu Aimin's house, she saw Liu Aimin leaning alone on the sofa, a bowl of already-cold plain congee and a small dish of pickled radish on the table before her—not even an egg. Liu's mother was either chatting loudly with neighbors in the yard or slowly picking vegetables in the kitchen. When Liu Aimin asked her to pour a glass of water, she'd call back "Coming, coming" but not move for ages.

Ji Yunshu saw Liu Aimin so thirsty she tried to push herself up from the sofa to get water herself, and only then did Liu's mother poke her head out of the kitchen to say, "Oh dear, why did you get up yourself? Sit down, sit down," before turning back to her vegetables. In the end, it was Ji Yunshu who poured the water for Liu Aimin.

Another time, Ji Yunshu went to bring Liu Aimin some crucian carp soup—He Qiuxia had made extra, and Ji Yunshu thought since Liu Aimin was also pregnant, she'd like to try it.

Before Ji Yunshu even entered the gate, she heard Liu's mother sitting in the yard chatting with Aunt Zhang next door, her voice loud enough to carry across several streets: "I've been so busy these days—shopping for groceries, making soup, doing laundry. Aimin is such a picky eater. She won't eat the cafeteria food and insists I cook everything myself. Last night I made a pot of chicken soup, and she took two sips before throwing it all up. It broke my heart!"

Ji Yunshu stood at the gate holding the crucian carp soup, clearly seeing that on the small table before Liu Aimin sat a bowl of plain congee and half a dish of pickled radish—not a trace of chicken soup anywhere.

When Liu's mother saw Ji Yunshu come in, a flicker of discomfort crossed her face, but she immediately plastered on a smile and stood up to take the soup bowl from her hands: "Oh my, Comrade Ji, you're bringing soup for Aimin again! How embarrassing! Come in, sit down! Aimin, look how good Comrade Ji is to you—closer than real sisters."

Ji Yunshu set the soup bowl on the small table, glanced at the already-cold congee in front of Liu Aimin, and suppressed her anger to smile at Liu's mother: "Auntie, Comrade Liu is pregnant. The doctor said she's anemic and needs more meat and eggs. Didn't you make her chicken soup? Let her drink it while it's hot."

Liu's mother sighed without changing her expression, her tone full of grievance: "You don't know—Aimin throws up everything she eats. The chicken soup I made yesterday, she took two sips and threw it all up. It truly breaks my heart! It's not that I won't make it for her—she just can't keep it down. I thought she could have some plain congee to settle her stomach first, and then we'll nourish her once she feels better."

Ji Yunshu said nothing more. She simply brought the crucian carp soup to Liu Aimin and said softly, "Drink it while it's hot."

Liu Aimin held the bowl and drank it sip by sip, the corners of her eyes slightly reddening. Ji Yunshu looked at her profile, so thin her cheekbones stuck out, and felt a fire of indignation in her chest. When she got home, she told He Qiuxia about it.

"Mom, I went to Comrade Liu's house today. Her mother-in-law was out in the yard chatting with people, and all Comrade Liu had in front of her was a bowl of cold congee and pickled radish. The mother-in-law keeps saying how much she dotes on her, how she made chicken soup but Liu threw it up—but I could tell that wasn't the case at all. The chicken soup never even made it to the table. Comrade Liu can't even get an egg. She's so thin she doesn't even look human anymore. And the mother-in-law spends all day in the yard telling people how hard she works and how difficult she has it. Comrade Liu throws up whatever she eats, but that's all the more reason she should eat! She's carrying a child—if she doesn't build up her strength, delivery will be difficult. Her mother-in-law has given birth to several children herself. Doesn't she understand even that much?"

He Qiuxia was sitting on the sofa folding diapers. She set the diaper down and said with a knowing look: "That mother-in-law is full of schemes, and Comrade Liu is an honest soul. She probably hasn't told Xiao Liu about any of this. Ask Xiao Pei whether Xiao Liu knows what's going on. If he doesn't even care what his own wife eats every day, then there's nothing our family can do about it."

Thinking of what the future held, Ji Yunshu sighed. That evening, as soon as Pei Yufeng came home, she asked him.

Pei Yufeng said: "Liu Mingzhe has been eating only one vegetable dish with mantou at the cafeteria for lunch lately. I asked him why he was eating so little, and he said most of his monthly salary went to his mother—to buy supplements for Aimin."

"How is that possible?" Ji Yunshu put down her chopsticks and asked him how much money Liu Mingzhe had given his mother. Pei Yufeng said he didn't know the exact amount, but from Liu Mingzhe's tone, it was substantial.

"If Comrade Liu were actually eating supplements, she wouldn't have gotten this thin. Can't Liu Mingzhe see that?" Ji Yunshu slammed her chopsticks on the table in anger and stood up immediately. Pei Yufeng quickly tugged at her sleeve, and only then did Ji Yunshu realize what she was doing and sit back down.

"Why have you been so concerned about Comrade Liu lately?" Pei Yufeng asked curiously.

"She's been through so much with this pregnancy, and I just became a mother myself. I know how hard childbirth is. I'm worried about her." Ji Yunshu leaned against Pei Yufeng's shoulder and spoke slowly. She couldn't very well tell Pei Yufeng about her dreams—the real reason was all because of him!

"I'll drop a hint to him tomorrow and see whether he's letting his mother bully his wife or if he really hasn't noticed." Pei Yufeng ruffled Ji Yunshu's hair.

Pei Yufeng was quick to act, but after that, Liu's mother continued to do as she pleased. Pei Yufeng and Ji Yunshu couldn't say much more.

But Liu Mingzhe had given Liu's mother so much money—where did it all go?

One evening, He Qiuxia went to the communal tap to wash diapers and happened to run into Liu's mother chatting with someone she knew well. Liu's mother probably thought no one familiar was around and didn't lower her voice. He Qiuxia clearly heard her say: "You have no idea how hard my life is. Mingzhe insisted on marrying a hen that can't lay an egg—how could I agree to that? Now she's finally pregnant, and she's so high-maintenance. Acting like being pregnant is some serious illness—can't eat this, can't eat that. When I was pregnant back then, I wasn't this delicate. If she's this fussy with the first one, what's it going to be like later?"

"It's not that I won't nourish her—she throws up everything she eats. What a waste! And that was chicken soup! Back in the village, I'd be lucky to have it once a month, and she actually threw it up! And Mingzhe—whatever his wife says is law. If I say a word, he says I talk too much. Do you know how hard I worked raising him? But at least he's a good son—he gave me a nice chunk of his salary this month and told me to buy some supplements for Aimin. How much can that barren hen eat? My youngest is the one who's really struggling. He's farming back home with five kids to feed. My grandson is five years old and has only had chicken soup three times. Is it wrong for Mingzhe to help out his little brother, being the eldest and all? Besides, Aimin has food and clothes at home and doesn't have to do any heavy work—isn't that a good life?"

He Qiuxia was so furious after hearing this that she nearly stormed over to argue with Liu's mother. But she was a cultured woman and knew she couldn't embarrass Liu Aimin, so she quietly walked away and told Ji Yunshu everything word for word.

Ji Yunshu felt a wave of anger rise in her chest. "Does Liu Mingzhe, as her husband, even have a clue what his mother is doing? His wife is pregnant and eating plain vegetables and white rice without even an egg, while he's playing the big spender—skipping his own meals and handing all the money over to his brother!"

He Qiuxia sighed. "Liu Mingzhe truly treats Liu Aimin well, but he's completely blind when it comes to his mother. It seems like his mother never favored him as a kid, so now he's desperate to prove he's the most devoted son, and he just lets her do whatever she wants."

Ji Yunshu said, "I can't stand this—I need to go talk to Comrade Liu. If she keeps going like this, her body will give out sooner or later."

The next morning, Ji Yunshu brought a bowl of freshly stewed crucian carp soup to Liu Aimin's house. Liu's mother wasn't there—probably off visiting someone.

Liu Aimin was alone, leaning against the sofa. She was five months pregnant now and her belly was starting to show. When she saw Ji Yunshu come in, she quickly pushed herself up straighter, forcing a smile, but the exhaustion in her eyes couldn't be hidden. She had lost even more weight—her cheekbones were protruding, and her wrists looked so thin they might snap if you touched them.

Ji Yunshu set the soup on the small table, sat down beside Liu Aimin, took her hand, and lowered her voice: "Comrade Liu, tell me the truth. What does your mother-in-law feed you every day?"

"Just... porridge, sometimes stir-fried vegetables, or a steamed egg custard. I throw up whatever I eat, and she's really in a tough spot too—she tries different things, but I can't keep anything down." Liu Aimin avoided her gaze, her fingers unconsciously picking at a loose thread on her clothes.

"And the supplements? Deputy Battalion Commander Liu said he gave your mother-in-law a lot of money this month specifically to buy meat, chicken, and pork liver to nourish you. Have you been getting any?"

Liu Aimin lowered her head, her lips moving several times before she whispered, "I have." As soon as she said those three words, her eyes turned red.

"What have you been getting? Tell me clearly. Last time I came, you had white porridge and pickled radish on your table. The time before that, white porridge and half a plate of stir-fried greens. Before that, white porridge and two pieces of dried sweet potato. Before your mother-in-law came, at least you could eat from the cafeteria. After she arrived, you've only gotten thinner. Have you told Liu Mingzhe?"

Liu Aimin's tears finally fell, one by one landing on the backs of her hands resting on her knees. She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, her voice softer than a mosquito's buzz: "I don't dare tell him. You don't understand—Mingzhe's parents never liked me. They thought my family was too poor and that I was too weak to bear children. When we got married, his family didn't even approve. Now that he's finally willing to come take care of me, if I complain that she's treating me badly, Mingzhe would be stuck in the middle... Besides, I really can't eat meat—I throw up the soup, and then I feel guilty about wasting it. Better to just eat white porridge, at least nothing goes to waste. That money... consider it a gift to his brother's family. They have it hard too, with so many kids to feed. It's only natural for his mother to worry about her grandchildren."

"What do you mean, a gift? That's Liu Mingzhe's salary—it's your family's money, meant to nourish you during pregnancy. She's taking your family's money to support her youngest son while making you eat white porridge and pickled radish while pregnant—that's not a gift, that's being completely muddled!" Ji Yunshu grew angrier as she spoke, but seeing Liu Aimin's submissive demeanor, she felt something clog her chest—a mix of fury and heartache.

Ji Yunshu pushed the soup toward Liu Aimin and told her to drink it first.

Liu Aimin said "thank you," picked up the bowl, and sipped it slowly, tears falling again—dropping into the soup, but she didn't stop, drinking every last drop.

Ji Yunshu watched her and had only one thought—Liu Mingzhe had to know about this. If he found out and still sided with his mother, then that man wasn't worth all the suffering Liu Aimin endured for him.

Ji Yunshu decided to help Liu Aimin one last time. If things continued like this, the tragedy of Liu Aimin's difficult childbirth in her dream would surely come true. She would do whatever it took to stop Pei Yufeng from going on that mission in Liu Mingzhe's place—their family's problems must never affect her and Brother Pei!

Author's note:

None