"Hmm... whatâs going on?"
"What do you think?" Han Yi didnât answer, instead, he asked her back.
Lin Wan obviously understood Han Yiâs meaning, her cheeks instantly flushed, and her eyes lowered as she buried her face in his chest, "Will it hurt the baby?"
"Our child is sturdy, it wonât happen."
While Lin Wan was lazing in bed, she heard a long period of commotion outside.
By the time she came out, it was all quiet outside. She didnât really mind.
After returning to the house and finishing breakfast, she went to chat with Shi Lan. Only when she got to Shi Lan did she find out that this morning Wang Guihua and the family on her right got into a fight.
"All because of one cabbage?" Lin Wan really couldnât understand.
"Yanminâs family said they lost a cabbage from their kitchen, claiming it was taken by Wang Guihuaâs daughter Miao Miao."
"This... Wang Guihuaâs daughter could really do such a thing."
"Yanminâs family caught Miao Miao taking the cabbage red-handed. Yanminâs family just gave her a few words of advice, but unexpectedly the child didnât listen, cried loudly, couldnât break free from Yanminâs familyâs hold, and directly bit into their wrist, tsk tsk. I saw it when they were arguing, didnât expect the child, at such a young age, could bite that fiercely, it drew blood, and left quite obvious teeth marks."
Yanminâs family, unable to contain their anger, argued with Wang Guihua, who, instead of adopting a better attitude, even retorted, claiming an adult was bullying a child," Shi Lan said as she shook her head, secretly grateful that she didnât live next door to Wang Guihua.
"Sigh... what a fuss over such a matter," Lin Wan understood how bothersome Wang Guihua and her daughter could be.
In the afternoon, after the incident in the morning, the team held a meeting, believing the familyâs ethics and manners needed improvement, requiring families in the courtyard to start attending morning lessons in the teamâs large meeting hall every day starting tomorrow.
This was for a week, the large meeting hall was nowhere as warm as the homeâs heated kang bed-stove, because of this issue, the families in the courtyard privately complained quite a bit about the two who argued.
That day, Lin Wan and Han Yi got up early together. Han Yi was afraid she might catch cold, so he had her put on an extra set of wool sweater and pants inside.
Originally, she was wearing that set of sheepskin cotton-padded coat and pants, with the additional wool sweater and pants inside, and a military coat over it. Wore a plush hat, wrapped around with a scarf.
Barely exposing a small face, wrapped like a bear, her legs didnât even bend as she walked.
Lin Wan looked at herself and complained tearfully to Han Yi, "This is too thick, unbearably uncomfortable."
"Be good, the meeting hall is cold, you all will be staying for more than three hours. You might not feel cold at home now, but once you get there, youâll understand what bone-chilling wind feels like."
Helplessly, Lin Wan had to persist, and when she went out, Shi Lan and Lin Yuan teased her quite a bit.
Once they reached the place, they werenât gloating anymore either, just as Han Yi said, the large meeting hall, rarely used, was insidiously cold once entered, even with her wearing so thickly, she couldnât help but shiver vigorously.
They called it education, but it was really just having an instructor tell them some grand truths. The main point was to teach them to treat neighbors with harmony and friendliness, to help each other. To be a good support for the husband at home, not to be a drag in any way.
At first, everyone listened with interest, but later, the warmth in their bodies was invaded by the cold wind, and each Saozi was shivering non-stop from the cold.
Only Lin Wan, the "bear," didnât get cold. Instead, she leisurely listened to the instructorâs grand truths, not feeling the cold much, though, granted, her feet got a bit cold towards the end.
The instructor above noticed the families couldnât hold on any longer, so he quickly wrapped up the summary and let them leave.
Shi Lan, spirit depleted from the cold, quickly ran back home to warm herself after parting from Lin Wan.
Yesterday, both Yanminâs and Wang Guihuaâs families were criticized today. It was heard Wang Guihuaâs husband also got criticized in a report. Saying he couldnât even manage his own small family, how could he manage the ideological work of a company.
Such a public criticism was no small matter, mishandling it might lead to a demotion.
When Lin Wan returned home in the evening, she inevitably heard another round of wailing and pleas.
This time, Wang Guihua and Miao Miao were again dragged by her husband to get beaten. The beating wasnât light, it lasted a full half an hour.
During this time, no one went over to stop and persuade them.
Next morning, Shi Lan and Lin Yuan didnât tease her anymore, each dressed like a bear.
Of course, she also saw Wang Guihua, looking a bit haggard, though her spirits seemed alright.
Instructor Feng also seemed pretty smart, only beating her body, never hitting her face.
"Xiao Wan, last year during New Year you came late, didnât join in the program. This year you should participate in a program," Sister-in-law Zhang happened to be off today, pulled along to attend the lesson.
"Ah, thereâs a program this year too?" She didnât want to be in the spotlight.
"Every year there is, both Sister-in-law Zhang and I, along with a few other older ones, prepared a poetry reading. You and Xiao Lin, Xiao Lan, youâre young, think of a program yourself, report to me when ready," Sister-in-law Jiang reminded a few of them.
"Oh... we have to report?" Shi Lan said with a troubled face, embarrassingly, "Everyone has to report, after reporting thereâs a selection process, not necessarily will you be on stage, donât worry," Sister-in-law Jiang, perhaps noticing their concerns, smiled.
However, Lin Yuan covered her mouth and smiled, "I wonât be here for New Year, you can exclude me. Think of a program yourselves."
Leaving Lin Wan and Shi Lan looking at each other for a few seconds, feeling quite helpless.
"What can you do?" Shi Lan leaned over, quietly asking Lin Wan.
Without waiting for Lin Wanâs answer, seeing her frequently furrowing, Shi Lan knew Lin Wan didnât have any talent.
"What about you?" Lin Wan asked back. "I...," now it was Shi Lanâs turn to be stumped.
This entire morning, neither of them heard anything, just sat there worrying. But, they werenât the only ones concerned, Lin Wan noticed most people asking each other, preparing to team up with someone.
When stepping out at noon, they surprisingly saw Han Yi coming to pick her up.
These days, Han Yi didnât return home for lunch, eating at the team.
"Coming home for lunch today?"
"No, today we are not cooking at home, Iâll take you to the team to eat," Han Yi approached closely, affectionately holding her hand, whispering near her ear, "The team slaughtered a pig today. Iâll take you to try it."
"We eat meat every day, whatâs there to be excited about," Lin Wan said recklessly without even thinking. Luckily, her voice was low, otherwise, many might have been infuriated to death.
"They made blood sausage out of the pig intestines, I know you love eating that," Han Yi fondly pinched Lin Wanâs small face, whispered in her ear.
Only saw Lin Wanâs eyebrows arch in surprise. She nodded eagerly.
Their intimate acts all caught the eyes of the Saozis coming out.
Not a few people praised, saying Captain Han was kind, considerate of his wife. Look, such a distance, still ran over to fetch her.
Not only was Han Yi taking her, but many team families were there too, bringing their wives and children. In the winter scarcity, the team finally managed a feast, bringing their family along to eat a meal, the higher-ups just turned a blind eye.
Both being pregnant, Lin Wan almost had no pregnancy reactions, while Sun Yuâs were quite severe, virtually eating and throwing up everything.
The canteen had meat today, she wanted to bring Sun Yu, but Sun Yu disliked everything she smelled now.
Usually at school, she barely managed, didnât like eating school meals, buying food outside every day. Didnât want to take a leave to rest at home for a while, he was really worried. But there was nothing he could do, just getting anxious.
The savings at home were running low, these past two months, he hadnât sent money back home.
Yang Wei thought about bringing his mom over to look after Sun Yu, but Sun Yu and his mom were naturally incompatible, bickering and arguing as soon as they met.
He barely mentioned it to Sun Yu, and she immediately disagreed, refusing to let his mom come over for anything.
She retorted, saying, look, Han Yiâs wife is pregnant too, doing it all by herself, no family attending. Said, itâs just pregnancy, she can handle it.
Yang Wei felt utterly helpless hearing that, Han Yiâs wife had hardly any pregnancy reactions, endlessly trying out different foods, full of energy every day.
Unlike her, lying in bed every day, completely fatigued and without any spirit, how can she compare?
Han Yi deliberately took her to sit in a corner of the canteen, then queued up to get the meal.
In no time, a bowl full of cabbage and vermicelli underneath, entirely pig blood sausage.