The calendar was the wall-hanging type, hung right behind the sofa.
From the 2nd to the 10th, each date was circled in red, making it stand out quite noticeably.
Jiang Si had been planning to find a time to discuss this with Third Grandpa.
Now that he brought it up, she decided to be straightforward.
"Third Grandpa, these red circles are actually..."
But before she could finish, Third Grandpa suddenly exclaimed, "Ah, I know!"
"You know?" Jiang Si was momentarily stunned, though she quickly realized it wasn’t that surprising.
After all, her face had noticeably rounded out lately.
Plus, she’d been sleeping more and eating bigger portions—something both Third Grandpa and Uncle Zhong had surely noticed.
Seeing Third Grandpa smiling warmly at her, Jiang Si nodded.
Good news like this was meant to be shared with family.
So when Uncle Zhong finished cooking the tangyuan and the three of them sat down together, Jiang Si spoke up.
"I haven’t gone to the hospital for a check-up yet, but I think I’m pregnant. I was planning to—"
"Cough, cough—"
"Cough, cough—"
Two choking sounds erupted simultaneously.
Third Grandpa and Uncle Zhong had just taken a bite of tangyuan, and the news left them torn between spitting it out or forcing it down.
Jiang Si startled, quickly patting their backs.
"Are you both okay?"
"We’re fine, we’re fine," they waved her off.
Once they finally swallowed, they turned to her with wide-eyed shock.
"What did you just say?"
"I said I haven’t gone for a check-up yet... but I’m pretty sure I’m pregnant..."
"You... you’re pregnant???"
The way they asked left Jiang Si at a loss for words. She blinked in confusion at Third Grandpa.
"Didn’t you say you knew when you saw the red circles on the calendar?"
"Yes, I did say that," Third Grandpa replied, puzzled.
"Weren’t those marking the days since Young Huo left for training?"
Young Huo had gone for training on the 1st, so she started counting from the 2nd.
Today made it exactly nine days.
Seemed obvious to him.
Then he added, "Was I wrong?"
"..."
Jiang Si shook her head awkwardly. "No."
One look at her expression, and Third Grandpa and Uncle Zhong immediately understood.
No wonder she’d been staying in more often, holed up in her room.
They’d assumed she was just adjusting to Young Huo being away.
Now realizing he was about to become a great-grandfather, Third Grandpa’s voice trembled with excitement.
"Such big news, why didn’t you tell us sooner?"
Jiang Si, rarely one to act coy, admitted, "Last time, we thought I was pregnant, but it turned out to be a false alarm."
"So this time, I wanted to wait a little longer to be sure."
"You—"
Third Grandpa thought of her devouring two large red bean popsicles the day before and lightly tapped her forehead in mock scolding.
"Have you been feeling unwell at all lately?"
Jiang Si shook her head honestly. "Not at all."
She didn’t know how other women experienced pregnancy, but she had zero symptoms—eating well, sleeping soundly.
No morning sickness, not even a hint of nausea while brushing her teeth.
The only minor complaint was occasional dizziness from oversleeping.
But Third Grandpa still wasn’t convinced.
Though he’d never been married, he’d seen enough.
Take their neighbor Hu Meili, for example.
Just days ago, she was eating fine, and now her face had thinned noticeably.
Remembering Jiang Si hadn’t even seen a doctor yet, Third Grandpa grew restless.
Neither he nor Uncle Zhong knew much about pregnancy—best to consult a professional.
"After we finish eating, Uncle Zhong and I will take you to the hospital," he declared.
"Huh?" Jiang Si glanced at her bowl of tangyuan.
"Today won’t work—prenatal check-ups require fasting, and I’ve almost finished this bowl."
Third Grandpa looked down. Sure enough, only one tangyuan remained.
But that wasn’t the main issue. Jiang Si added, "It’s still early. The test might not even detect anything yet."
"What’s still early?"
The courtyard gate was open, and Hu Meili walked in just in time to catch that last remark.
"Meili! Come, sit!" Third Grandpa greeted her warmly. "Perfect timing—we made plenty of tangyuan. Let me cook some for you."
Hu Meili waved her hands. "No need, Uncle! I already ate before coming."
In fact, she’d come specifically to thank Jiang Si.
"I took your advice—made fruit tea with tangerine syrup, water, and mint. Drank it for two days, and my morning sickness is much better now."
Jiang Si’s eyes gleamed—seemed the spring water’s effects were holding up.
"Glad it helped. The tangyuan are small, though."
"You’re eating for two now. A few won’t hurt."
Third Grandpa nodded. "Exactly, just a taste."
Hu Meili, never one to fuss, agreed. "Alright, thanks, Uncle."
Once the men went to the kitchen, Hu Meili clasped her hands excitedly. "I can’t believe it’s happened so soon for you! Congratulations!"
Seeing her genuine delight, Jiang Si chuckled.
"Not confirmed yet. Need a hospital visit to be sure."
Hu Meili studied her face. "I’d bet on it. You’ve got that pregnancy glow."
Jiang Si was taken aback—could people really tell just by looking?
But given Hu Meili’s tendency for bold statements, she decided not to dwell on it.
Fortunately, Hu Meili showed restraint today.
She only mused, "Now that you’re expecting, only Xu Mingjuan’s left."
As if summoned, Xu Mingjuan appeared at the gate.
"Who’s left for what?" she asked with a smile.
"Perfect timing!" Hu Meili announced. "Jiang Si has good news!"
Xu Mingjuan processed this. "Jiang Si, you’re pregnant?"
Jiang Si repeated her earlier explanation.
"No wonder! I thought you looked different lately."
"I meant to ask yesterday, but got distracted and forgot."
Hu Meili nodded vigorously. "See? I said the same thing! Great minds think alike."
Jiang Si fell silent, glancing at her reflection in a nearby mirror.
A pregnancy glow?
Strange—she couldn’t spot it herself.
Suddenly, Hu Meili’s smile froze. "Wait, don’t move."
Xu Mingjuan blinked. "What’s wrong?"
"I think... you might be pregnant too."
"Impossible." Xu Mingjuan dismissed it instantly. "Doctor Jiang only said my chances improved. It couldn’t happen this fast!"
"I’m serious!" Hu Meili insisted.
"Pregnancy isn’t about weight or complexion—it’s in the eyes."
Jiang Si watched curiously but saw nothing conclusive. Still, it felt oddly mystical.
If Xu Mingjuan really was pregnant, it’d be less than a month along.
Could someone really detect that just by looking?
Teacher Hu’s eyes aren’t just sharp—they’re practically a human ultrasound machine!
“Seriously, don’t even doubt it.”
Hu Meili’s expression was uncharacteristically earnest.
“Look at how much softer your gaze is now. And when you sat down earlier, you instinctively held your waist.”
Xu Mingjuan massaged her temples: Was there any chance she had just, you know, pulled a muscle in her back?
