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34. Chapter 34
Yu Antong got upset again, "How dare you think of hitting our son! Is this how you learned parenting from TV shows?"
Xing Lixuan replied, "I was just talking hypothetically. With proper upbringing from a young age, it's hard for a child to go astray. Judy's behavior is because her father spoiled her."
Judy's father, Leslie, believed in letting a child's nature be free, without many restrictions. Xing Yin initially agreed with this parenting approach.
This gave Judy ample space to become a little devil. By the time Xing Yin realized he needed to intervene, it was already too late, leaving Leslie full of regret.
The little devil's unruly nature has manifested. No matter how hard Xing Yin and Leslie tried to educate her, it was only a temporary fix. She'd behave for a moment and then continue causing mischief.
In the end, it was Xing Yin and Leslie's reluctance to discipline her that led to Zhu Di taking things for granted. She realized that there weren't any real consequences to her misbehaving.
After hearing this, Yu An Tong said, “You must properly educate our child once he's born.”
Xing Li Xuan laughed, “You keep mentioning 'son.' What makes you so sure it's a boy?”
“Whether it's a boy or a girl, I currently call them my son,” Yu An Tong said. “However, I have this slight intuition that it’s a boy. Besides, isn't there a saying about craving sour foods for boys? I've been loving sour foods lately, so it might very well be a boy.”
Yu An Tong truly doesn’t care whether it's a boy or a girl. Boys might be more robust and easier to raise, but could be naughtier. Girls are delicate and affectionate, but he's concerned he and Xing Li Xuan might not raise her well, and she might end up like Zhu Di.
Whether it's a boy or girl, both have their joys and worries.
“I must buy some parenting books.” Yu An Tong reached for his phone to make a purchase.
Xing Li Xuan took the phone away, “Look at the time. You can buy books tomorrow. Now, go to sleep.”
Yu An Tong, deprived of his phone, reluctantly laid down and suddenly nudged Xing Li Xuan, “Hey, should we attend a class?”
“What class?”
Yu An Tong replied, “The ones for expecting parents, about caring for pregnant women and newborns.”
“I’ll look into it,” Xing Li Xuan said. “For now, just rest and sleep.”
“Alright, alright,” Yu An Tong replied, pretending not to be sleepy. However, he dozed off within minutes.
Xing Li Xuan looked at Yu An Tong tenderly for a while, then gently touched his belly.
You little rascal, causing so much concern even before your birth. You better be well-behaved.
——
With relatives at home, Yu An Tong woke up early the next day, alongside Xing Li Xuan.
After breakfast, the whole family went to put up Spring Festival couplets and the character 'Fu' for luck.
“I want to do it! I want to do it!” Zhu Di shouted, “Let me! Let me!”
Xing Yin let her husband hold their daughter as they all pasted the 'Fu' character together.
Yu An Tong wanted to join Xing Li Xuan in pasting the Spring Festival couplets outside the door, but Xing Li Xuan said, “Stay inside. You and An Nan can put the window decorations on the inner side of the glass.”
“Task accepted,” Yu An Tong grinned. As they worked, he chatted with Yu An Nan, “How did you sleep last night, An Nan?”
Yu An Nan replied, “Pretty well.” Though still a bit reserved, she had been to the Xing family home before, so she didn't feel too out of place.
Yesterday, Mrs. Xing and Xing’s aunt engaged her in conversation about topics she might be interested in and taught her several methods to make dumplings, ensuring she wasn’t left alone.
The warmth and kindness the Xing family showed made her feel very welcome.
After putting up the couplets, Yu An Tong remembered the treat Xing Li Xuan bought for him, “Oh, my candied hawthorns!”
Xing Li Xuan asked the maid to prepare it for him.
Making candied hawthorns is quite straightforward. The key lies in melting the sugar. The maid skillfully washed the hawthorns, boiled the sugar syrup, dipped the hawthorns skewered on bamboo sticks into it, and then set them on a tray to dry.
In no time, the syrup solidified, revealing candied hawthorns glistening with a transparent sugar coat.
Yu An Tong eagerly watched from the kitchen, quickly grabbing the first skewer to taste.
With a soft "crunch!", the sugar coating shattered, and a rich blend of sour and sweet flavors burst forth.
"Mmm," Yu An Tong sighed in satisfaction, "So sour, utterly delightful!"
"Little Nan, you should try some too." Yu An Tong offered a skewer to Yu An Nan. As for the mischievous Zhu Di, there was no need to invite her; she was already happily munching away, sugar smeared all over her face and hands.
"I'll pass." Yu An Nan shook her head. Just looking made her feel the sourness. She chuckled, "Brother, why do you enjoy these as much as children do?"
Yu An Tong responded nonchalantly, "It's not exclusively for children. Adults love it too!"
Xing Li Xuan approached and cautioned Yu An Tong, "After one more, no more."
He had carefully read the dietary precautions for pregnancy given by Director Kong. He knew that hawthorns could stimulate uterine contractions and should be avoided during pregnancy.
He also remembered that expectant fathers can be sensitive and prone to prenatal anxiety. To ensure Yu An Tong's well-being, Xing Li Xuan indulged most of his requests, offering him undivided attention.
However, certain precautions must be enforced. Xing Li Xuan cast a glance at Yu An Tong's belly, and he got the hint.
Yu An Tong had read those pregnancy precautions as well, but with Xing Li Xuan caring for him, he hadn't paid them much mind. Once reminded, he recalled.
Yu An Tong, treasuring his limited indulgence, took a big bite and then handed the remaining to Xing Li Xuan, "Take it away, and keep it out of my sight."
"Good boy," Xing Li Xuan whispered, pecking at the corner of his lips, removing the residual sugar.
Xing Li Xuan wasn't interested in such treats. He took the remaining candied hawthorns to the kitchen and then returned with a plate.
"You can eat these."
On the plate were strawberries, grapes, and oranges, all encased in the same glistening sugar coating, reminiscent of the candied hawthorns.
All were relatively sour fruits, and with the sugar coating, they tasted excellent. Yu An Tong was delighted; his blood sugar was fine, allowing him moderate sugar intake.
Only when Xing Li Xuan left did Yu An Nan move closer to Yu An Tong, voicing her confusion, "Brother, why can't you eat hawthorns?"
Yu An Tong chuckled, knowing this would be a hard-to-believe moment. He fed her a candied strawberry and said nonchalantly, "Because I'm pregnant."
There was a soft "plop!"
Yu An Nan dropped the strawberry from her mouth onto the floor.
Frowning, she said, "Brother, don't joke with me."
"I'm not lying to you." Yu Antong pulled out his phone, "Here, let me show you the ultrasound video of the baby."
It took Yu Annan about fifteen minutes to finally accept the groundbreaking fact that men could get pregnant.
"Bro, you're seriously amazing!" Yu Annan looked at her brother with admiration filling her eyes.
Her brother was not only handsome with a kind heart and excellent culinary skills but was also successful in both love and career. Now, he could even bear a child. Who could be more impressive than him?
Fan Tuan reads a book.
Yu Antong thought, "... My sister seems a bit silly sometimes."
He hadn't expected Yu Annan to react in such an impressed and straightforward manner, and it had him laughing for quite a while.
——
The Xing family always kept a regular schedule, even during the New Year. They would have their New Year's Eve dinner at the usual time, not waiting until midnight.
The housemaid served the last dish, a steaming sweet and sour carp, and then joined the Xing family at the table.
As the head of the household, Father Xing stood up and said, "This past year, our family has had both tears and laughter. We lost some loved ones, but we also welcomed Antong into our home. Soon, another new life will join our family.
"As we bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, let's celebrate the New Year. Wishing everyone in our family happiness and health!"
Xing Yin continued, "I wish everyone success in all their endeavors and may all your wishes come true! Cheers!"
She had already heard from Mother Xing about Yu Antong's pregnancy. Hence, she wasn't surprised by Father Xing's toast. She even told Yu Antong that she would look out for any cases of male pregnancies in the U.S.
Everyone at the table was smiling. They stood and toasted, with Yu Antong and the kids drinking juice.
After everyone sat down, Mother Xing said, "Come on, eat up! Ah Yin, have you tried Antong's cooking? He's quite skilled."
Xing Yin raised an eyebrow, "Is that so? I must give it a proper taste then."
Yu Antong's morning sickness wasn't very severe, but Xing Lixuan had always prevented him from cooking. For this New Year's Eve dinner, he had initially planned to prepare only a few vegetarian dishes.
But unable to resist the urge, he ended up cooking meat dishes as well. Maybe the little one inside him knew it was New Year, because Yu Antong made several dishes without feeling any discomfort.
Xing Yin was always conscious of her figure and rarely ate meat. With most of the New Year dishes being meaty, she didn't want to dampen the mood by sticking to just vegetables. Mentioning her eagerness to try Yu Antong's dishes, she took a piece of the sweet and sour fish.
It was hard for her to indulge in such a sugary and oily dish, so she only took a small piece.
As she slowly tasted it, the fish, fried to perfection, had a slightly crispy exterior with tender and flavorful meat inside, combined with the tangy sweet and sour sauce, making it irresistibly delicious.
Savoring that excellent taste, Xing Yin, feeling a tad guilty, reached for a more generous piece of the fish.
The vibrant sweet and sour sauce was a mix of love and regret for her.
Xing Yin's husband, Leslie, swallowed a piece of braised pork with fatty layers and exclaimed sincerely, "Delicious! It's so tasty!"
Chinese cuisine seemed to have a magical pull on him, making it impossible to stop eating.
Xing Yin looked at her husband, watching him enjoy his meal with sheer delight evident in his eyes.
Just this once, I'll indulge myself!
Xing Yin reminded herself internally, setting aside all thoughts of body shape and low-fat diets, and started to feast joyously with her husband.
Xing's father pointed at a plate of sausages and said, "These sausages have been sun-dried for a long time and are well-marinated. It's my favorite."
The little rascal ate messily, his mouth full of oil, mumbling as he chewed, "Meat, meat!"
Yu Antong's eyes teared up from the spicy boiled pork slices. The tissues were with Xing Lixuan, so he nudged him, "Hand me a tissue."
Xing Lixuan handed it over, advising, "Eat less of this, it's too spicy."
Yu Antong shook his head, "Even if it makes me cry, I still want it."
He continued, "Who came up with that saying about sour for boys and spicy for girls? I feel it's not accurate. How do you categorize someone like me who loves both sour and spicy?"
Xing Lixuan chuckled, whispering in Yu Antong's ear, "Darling, are you hinting that you want to give me two babies?"
Author's note:
A big thanks to the angels who cast their support votes or nourished me between 2020-01-12 21:07:36 and 2020-01-13 18:12:01!
Thank you for the support bombs, asura sent 1!
A huge thanks to those who sent nutrient solutions: Chu Chu with 20 bottles; Juan Maor with 10 bottles; Ah Nana with 8 bottles; asura with 7 bottles; Gu Lu, Cat's Meow, and Hua Jiu Qi Qiu with 1 bottle each.
I deeply appreciate all your support! I will continue to work hard!
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