Su He noticed the changes in Su Ying.
Ever since Su Ying returned to her hometown with her boyfriend, she had been completely different. Su He didn't know how to describe it, but she felt that Su Ying had become more down-to-earth than before.
Previously, Su Ying's life revolved around her family and work, with work sometimes taking precedence over family. Among the four siblings, she was the busiest. Sometimes, she would be flying around the country during Chinese New Year, unable to make it back for the reunion dinner.
It wasn't that Su Chen and Su Lin were idle; they also had their own busy schedules. However, compared to them, Su Ying was more deserving of the title "workaholic."
Recently, Su Ying had turned down a lot of work and social engagements, and had suddenly become enthusiastic about yoga and swimming. On one occasion, she even took the initiative to ask Su He to go shopping with her, which made Su He feel incredibly flattered.
"Sister, why are you suddenly so free?" Su He asked curiously.
"Don't worry, the company hasn't gone bankrupt," Su Ying replied with a playful smile. "I just felt tired and wanted to take a break for a while."
"Is your health... okay?" Su He glanced at her stomach.
"What are you thinking!" Su Ying, who was drinking water, almost spat it out. "I'm not pregnant!"
Su He chuckled dryly and said, "So, did meeting your parents go smoothly? Did they make things difficult for you?"
Su He had heard Su Ying mention before that Fu Zheng's mother had approached her and said some unpleasant things. From then on, Su He knew that the groom's family would be difficult to get along with.
"They didn't make things difficult, but it's hard to get close to them in a short period," Su Ying thought, holding a grudge and not ready to forgive so quickly. Perhaps, with time, she would slowly come to terms with it.
Su He propped her head up, listening to her recount the events in G City with great interest.
With her pregnant belly, she couldn't go anywhere and was incredibly envious.
"When I've given birth, I'm going traveling too!" Su He clenched her fists and made a bold declaration.
Su Ying smiled and doused her with cold water. "Don't even think about it for the next six months!"
"Why not?" Su He thought that confinement only lasted about a month, and she could go out after the baby's full moon celebration.
"You're thinking too simply!" Su Ying explained, counting on her fingers. "Your due date is still a month away, plus a month of confinement... After confinement, you'll have to hold a full moon party, right? For the first three months, the baby's body is extremely delicate, so it's best not to travel far. Calculate it yourself, isn't it impossible to travel within six months?"
"Even after six months, you might not be able to leave with peace of mind. Do you know how much care a newborn needs? You have to pack so many things when you go out! Milk powder, diapers, bottles, change of clothes, toys to soothe them, bibs, baby shampoo, body wash, lotion..."
"Even if you manage to go to the place you want to go, if the baby whimpers, you'll have to hold and soothe them. You'll worry if they've eaten enough, if they've been bitten by mosquitoes, and you'll want to take photos of them... Your mind will be entirely focused on the child, and you won't be able to enjoy yourself at all."
Su He: ...
It made some sense.
If she really went out, she would definitely worry about the baby. Even if she brought a few nannies along to help take care of the child, she would want to keep the baby within her sight at all times.
In that case, she truly wouldn't be able to have her own life.
Su He looked down at her swollen belly and sighed faintly. "If I want freedom, do I have to wait until he goes to kindergarten?"
"Much longer than that! When they start school, you'll have even more things to do. Today a parent-child activity, tomorrow a parent-teacher conference, then school open days, sports days, craft assignments..."
"Stop!" Su He cut her off. "What about after they start primary school?"
"Tutoring, taking photos of homework assignments. As you know, children in the early years of primary school don't have the ability to complete assignments independently, so parents have to do a lot of things for them!"
Su He slapped her forehead, feeling utterly dejected.
"Of course, what I'm saying isn't absolute. With your family's resources, you can absolutely hire private tutors for one-on-one education. You, on the other hand, just need to play with him!" Su Ying said, trying to console her as she saw Su He's crestfallen expression.
Su He was fortunate to have married into a good family. Moreover, with a responsible man like Lu Yanbei, she would have a much easier time.
"It's okay, you still have your husband," Su Ying patted her shoulder and comforted her.
When Lu Yanbei was mentioned, Su He's expression indeed lightened considerably. "Oh, right, how could I have forgotten him! I'll just bring him along when we go out!"
She believed that Lu Yanbei would be a good father.
Recently, when she attended parenting classes, Lu Yanbei always made time to be by her side. When the teacher explained how to care for a baby and how to change diapers and feed, Lu Yanbei listened attentively. When he was called to the stage to demonstrate, he performed flawlessly. His movements were skilled and error-free, often earning praise from the teacher.
Other fathers who were also about to become fathers were either forgetful or mixed up the steps, leaving the teacher amused and exasperated.
Many pregnant women watching from the side couldn't help but envy Su He.
"Your husband is amazing! He remembered after the teacher only explained it once!"
"Yes, with so many steps, I haven't learned them yet, and he's already proficient! What a divine dad!"
"May I ask if this is your first child? You're learning so well!"
"Look at your husband, and then look at you! What can you do besides eat and sleep?" Some pregnant women, unable to contain their frustration, grabbed their husbands by the ear and lectured them on the spot.
Su He also felt very lucky to have met Lu Yanbei.
*
The day Su He gave birth was on an autumn night.
Her pregnancy had gone on for a week past her due date, but the baby showed no signs of coming. Just as Su He and Lu Yanbei were discussing whether to schedule a C-section, there was a sharp cramp on one side of her abdomen, followed by an uncontrollable flow from beneath her.
Su He touched her damp pajama pants and thought she had accidentally wet herself.
"Husband... Husband..." Su He was greatly startled and quickly nudged Lu Yanbei beside her.
"What's wrong?" Lu Yanbei immediately got up and turned on the light.
"I think my water broke..." Su He took deep breaths nervously and, as instructed in the books, placed a pillow under her waist.
Despite being mentally prepared, the young couple couldn't help but feel a sense of panic.
When Lu Yanbei went downstairs to get help, he even forgot to put on his shoes.
Fortunately, the hospital bag had been prepared long ago, so they could leave with just the bag. Once the driver was ready, Lu Yanbei carried Su He into the car and they rushed to the hospital.
Old Master Lu was woken up by the commotion outside. He got dressed and followed them.
His great-grandchild was about to arrive!