Regimental Commander Ma was enjoying his meal when he heard this, so he had to stand up and take care of the children first.
Wang Xiuzhi wanted to help, but Liu Chunhua stopped her. “They two can handle it. It’s New Year’s—you deserve a break too.”
Wang Xiuzhi paused for a moment, then sat back down.
Worried the children might find it too intense, Lin Zhilan hadn’t used too much oil, and the base spice was very mild. She’d also added some medicinal herbs to reduce heat and enhance flavor, so it wasn’t too stimulating to eat.
Even so, everyone was sweating all over, as if all their worries and troubles had vanished, leaving only the delightful taste on their tongues.
The children also ate until their faces were flushed red, constantly shouting that they wanted to eat this or that.
In the distance, firecrackers sounded.
The courtyard was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.
After the meal, the table was cleared, and everyone sat in the yard drinking tea and chatting.
It wasn’t until Lin Zhilan started yawning that they all exchanged New Year’s wishes and dispersed.
After washing up and lying in bed, Lin Zhilan found she wasn’t that sleepy anymore.
When Su Lang came back from his shower, he saw her lying in the blankets with her eyes sparkling.
“Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
Lin Zhilan sat up and looked at him. “Su Lang, another year has passed.”
Su Lang sat down, placed his left hand on her waist, rubbed it gently through the fabric of her clothes, and slightly pulled his arm back. Lin Zhilan then moved to sit on his lap.
She instinctively tried to pull away.
“Don’t move,” Su Lang said softly.
So Lin Zhilan stayed still.
Su Lang gently lifted her chin with his hand and looked at her face intently.
Because of the hot pot they’d eaten that evening, Lin Zhilan’s lips were slightly more swollen than usual, full and bright red.
After looking at her for a while, Su Lang leaned his head on his wife’s shoulder and took a deep breath of the fragrance from her hair and neck.
He breathed in for a while, then lowered his head to kiss her, very gently.
Lin Zhilan didn’t refuse. She leaned against his chest, resting her head on his shoulder, letting him kiss her.
Su Lang’s hand slid down from her cheek, along the curve of her neck, and finally came to rest on her chest, which was fuller now because of her pregnancy.
In the palm of his hand was a round, warm curve. Su Lang pressed his palm there, feeling the faint pulse beneath her skin.
Lin Zhilan’s body trembled slightly. A tingling sensation rose from the base of her spine, like an electric current shooting through her whole body.
“Su Lang…”
“Mm.”
Su Lang responded, his lips moving away from her earlobe and covering her lips again.
His hand rested on her leg, his fingertips rubbing the softest skin on the inside of her thigh.
It was like waves crashing against rocks—sometimes gentle and tender, then suddenly surging, splashing in all directions.
After several bouts of turbulence, it gradually became gentle and affectionate again.
Lin Zhilan’s hands rested on his shoulders. Her breathing grew faster and quicker, and her fingertips couldn’t help but dig into his skin, leaving shallow marks.
Su Lang’s muscles were firm, full of the strength of youth, and he looked even more attractive without his clothes on.
Lin Zhilan’s hand quietly slipped under his clothes and pressed against his skin.
Su Lang’s body suddenly tensed, and he let out a soft gasp.
Lin Zhilan knew that Su Lang liked it when she touched him, and he reacted especially strongly.
Since he had “taken good care of her” just now, Lin Zhilan decided to touch him in return.
Her soft hand wandered over his chest, moved across his abs, and then down to his lower abdomen.
Su Lang’s breathing gradually grew heavier.
…
In the late stages of pregnancy, Lin Zhilan—being a doctor—could no longer eat whatever she craved as she had before, no matter how tempting it was.
But once people can’t satisfy their appetite, they tend to feel a little bitter.
Fortunately, Su Lang was endlessly patient with her, and Lin Zhilan’s late pregnancy wasn’t too difficult to endure.
Counting down to Lin Zhilan’s due date, Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng arrived at the spring equinox.
Su Lang went to pick up his parents himself.
At the dock, he was startled by the amount of things Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng had brought.
“Mom, I have everything prepared here. You didn’t need to buy so much stuff.”
Xu Yueyun said, “It’s not much—just some grain, clothes, and that sort of thing. As for the milk powder and brown sugar, only part of it was from me; the rest was sent by Chief Cheng.”
Not only that, there were also many precious herbs and tonics, all sent by Chief Cheng.
He was even more thoughtful than her in-laws.
But her young daughter-in-law treated Chief Cheng like an elder and was always respectful, never forgetting to include a gift for Chief Cheng whenever she sent things.
Xu Yueyun simply thought that her young daughter-in-law was clever and accomplished, which had earned Chief Cheng’s favor.
Luckily, Su Lang had driven the car that day, so they could load all that stuff and take it back.
When they got home, Xu Yueyun went to see her daughter-in-law first and felt her belly. “Not bad, the baby isn’t too big. That way, you’ll have less difficulty when you give birth.”
Lin Zhilan held her hand. “I know, Mom.”
“Exactly,” Xu Yueyun said, smiling. “You’re a doctor, so of course you’d know these things.”
The hospital and school had started giving Lin Zhilan leave that month. Su Lang had to go to work, and Auntie Yu came every day to take care of her.
The whole family wouldn’t let Lin Zhilan lift a finger. With nothing else to do, she ended up writing several articles and even catching up on her overdue manuscripts.
Auntie Yu helped Su Lang move the things into the storage room, then went to the kitchen to prepare food.
Since Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng had just arrived, Auntie Yu made a very hearty first meal.
There was braised fish, stir-fried bean sprouts, braised tofu, and a large bone soup.
Lin Zhilan only focused on the bean sprouts. Su Lang picked a piece of meat from the bone and put it in her bowl. “Now that Mom and Dad are here, do you want to check into the maternity ward early?”
Her due date was in April, and it was already the end of March.
Su Lang had to work and couldn’t stay home watching over her every day. He felt anxious.
He was afraid he’d be away when she went into labor.
If she could stay at the hospital in advance, Su Lang would feel more at ease.
Lin Zhilan shook her head. “No need, it’s too early. I’d be taking up a hospital bed.”
Xu Yueyun said to her son, “Don’t worry. I’ll come over during the day to look after Zhilan. The hospital isn’t far from here, and childbirth doesn’t happen in an instant. If Zhilan goes into labor, I’ll just go out and call for help.”
Su Lang had no choice but to agree.
Though he wasn’t a first-time father, he had no experience with his wife going through labor.
During the pregnancy, he had gone to consult with obstetrics doctors and people like Aunt Hehua and Sister Chunhua for advice on how to care for his wife.
Now that his parents were here, Su Lang felt a little more grounded.
In the afternoon, when Jiang Chengzhou and Linlin came home from school, Xu Yueyun quickly took out the gifts for her little granddaughter and her older grandson.
She hadn’t thought of it before, but Lin Zhilan had specifically written to ask her to pay more attention to the two older children once they arrived. That was what reminded Xu Yueyun.
When she mentioned it to Su Bingcheng, Xu Yueyun sighed, “No wonder Chengzhou and Linlin aren’t biological siblings but get along even better than many real siblings. It’s all thanks to Zhilan.”
