Chapter 38: Chapter 37: The First Trip

Their horseplay ended with them skipping dinner altogether. By the time Xue Yue opened her eyes, it was the next morning.

He Lang had already gone to work.

Thinking about last night, Xue Yue took a deep breath and laid her arm across her forehead, taking a couple of minutes to compose herself.

She hadn’t eaten since yesterday evening, and her stomach was already protesting.

Mid-morning, Gao Cuiyun returned alone, holding her lower back as she walked.

Seeing Xue Yue washing clothes in the courtyard, she lifted her chin, huffed, and returned to her room with an air of arrogance.

Xue Yue: ’What’s with her? What’s her problem now?’

At noon, Xue Yue found out. It turned out Gao Cuiyun was pregnant again.

She claimed the doctor had told her not to do any work, so she took her two children to Mrs. He’s room to eat.

Mrs. He was utterly speechless. “You’re only a month pregnant and you can’t work anymore?”

Gao Cuiyun nodded. “It’s true, Mother. That’s what the doctor said. He also mentioned something about signs of a miscarriage. I didn’t really understand it all, but basically, it means I can’t work and need to eat better food.”

Mrs. He cursed, “You wretched woman! I refuse to believe anyone just stops working the moment they get pregnant. And ’eat better food’? As if the rest of us have never been pregnant before!”

Gao Cuiyun insisted the doctor had said it. “Mother, if you don’t believe me, wait for He Ze to come back and ask him. He went with me. The doctor said the reason I haven’t conceived for so many years is because something was ’stuck.’ Now that I’m suddenly pregnant, for some reason, he told me to take good care of myself.”

Mr. He frowned. “That’s enough, Second Brother’s wife. Just bring your grain over and eat with us for now.”

Gao Cuiyun nodded.

Mrs. He quickly added, “I’ll help with the cooking, but you’re washing your own clothes.”

“I know, Mother.”

Gao Cuiyun didn’t dare actually ask Mrs. He to wash her clothes. In truth, Gao Cuiyun wasn’t lying. The doctor had indeed instructed her to get bed rest, saying she showed signs of a miscarriage, had pelvic inflammation, and significant adhesions.

Actually, the He Family didn’t have that many children. The eldest and second brothers’ families only had two kids each. Some other families in the village had kids by the litter, so many there wasn’t enough room for them all on the kang bed at night.

Since He Lang was away and wouldn’t be back for lunch, Xue Yue just made a simple meal for herself. Instead, she found the days felt far too long.

The weather was still cold, and Xue Yue had nothing to do. She had already read the copy of *Forest Sea Snowfield* that He Lang brought back many times over.

Taking out the fabric she had bought earlier from the cabinet, Xue Yue started making a couple of spring outfits, following the method Mrs. He had taught her.

In the blink of an eye, He Lang had been at his new job for half a month.

“Tomorrow, I have to go on a trip to Harbin City. It’ll take about seven or eight days round trip. While I’m gone, if you need anything, just go to Mom and Dad.”

This was He Lang’s first long-haul trip since starting his job. Harbin City wasn’t considered very far.

“How many of you are going?”

“Four people, two trucks. I’ll bring you back some local specialties from Harbin City when I return.”

Xue Yue looked at He Lang. “The weather’s still cold. Where will you eat and sleep on the road?”

He Lang smiled and put his arm around Xue Yue’s shoulder. “It’s fine, don’t worry. I’ve done this run a few times before. Besides, there’s a senior driver with us this time. I just need to pack a few changes of clothes. We can buy food along the way.”

Xue Yue thought for a moment. “What if you can’t buy any? I’ll go make you some dry rations to eat on the road if you get hungry.”

And with that, she went to do it.

He Lang watched Xue Yue’s busy figure, the corners of his mouth lifting. ’So this is what it feels like to be worried about and missed by someone. It’s not bad at all.’

Xue Yue steamed a pot of brown sugar sponge cakes. She also minced some pork and mushrooms, stir-fried them with chili and spices, and packed the mixture into a jar.

It was late by the time she finished packing everything He Lang needed for his trip.

“Stop fussing. I can finish packing in the morning. Come to bed.”

“What if you’re in a hurry tomorrow and forget something? Better to get it all packed now.” Unconvinced, Xue Yue checked everything one more time before getting onto the kang.

He Lang pulled her into his arms.

“While I’m away, you have to eat properly. Don’t just make do. You’ve lost weight this past half-month.” As he spoke, He Lang stroked Xue Yue’s face.

Xue Yue had indeed lost some weight in the last two weeks. Her once slightly round face had gained some definition, as if she was blossoming.

Xue Yue lay in He Lang’s arms, inhaling his pleasant scent. She closed her eyes and nodded. “I know.”

“I’ve ordered a batch of bricks from someone. They should be delivered in a few days. If I’m not back by then, go with Dad and have them unload the bricks at our foundation. When I get back, we’ll start building the house.”

“Mm.”

“Also, while I’m not here at night, make sure you bolt the door when you sleep. If someone knocks in the middle of the night, don’t open it.”

“I know.”

’With so many people in the courtyard, who would dare try to come in at night?’ Xue Yue thought. But since He Lang was worried, she listened obediently.

He Lang looked down at Xue Yue. Seeing her eyes were closed, he kissed her forehead and held her tighter.

“Alright, go to sleep.”

The next morning, after breakfast, He Lang left, taking the things Xue Yue had packed for him.

Xue Yue stood at the courtyard gate, watching him until he was out of sight.

“Third Son’s left?” Mrs. He asked as she came out and saw Xue Yue standing at the gate.

“Yes.”

Mrs. He said to Xue Yue, “Don’t worry. Third Son has been on long trips before. That boy is very sharp, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

Xue Yue gave a slight, forced smile.

That night, the day He Lang left, Xue Yue found she had insomnia. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Habit is a terrifying thing. With one less person in the room, Xue Yue felt that even the kang bed seemed bigger.

Meanwhile, He Lang, now on the road, was eating the brown sugar sponge cakes Xue Yue had made for him.

Beside him, Old Mo exclaimed between bites, “He Lang, your wife’s brown sugar sponge cakes are delicious! You’re a lucky man. My wife’s cooking is… edible, I’ll give it that.”

He Lang teased, “Old Mo, next time I see your wife, I’ll be sure to pass on what you said today.”

“Hey, you brat! I was just talking. You can’t tell my wife! If she kicks me out, I’m moving in with you.”

He Lang laughed heartily. “I say, Old Mo, is your wife really that fierce?”

Old Mo laughed too, a nostalgic look in his eyes. “When my wife was young, she was the famous spitfire of our neighborhood. All the young guys were afraid of her, but not me. I loved that feisty spirit of hers. It was hard enough winning her over, but then my father-in-law looked down on me for being poor.

“My family back then… we were truly poor. Lots of kids, living hand-to-mouth. With several sons about to get married and no money in the house, my dad was worried sick, his hair turned white over it.

“But my wife didn’t mind. She said I was a good person and that as long as I had my strength, I’d never starve. I worked for my father-in-law’s family from dawn till dusk for half a month straight before he finally relented.

“So she married me. But my family was big and our house was small. My mother is a formidable woman, and my wife suffered quite a bit. In the end, my wife and I moved out and rented a place.

“It wasn’t until I joined the transport team and we had some money that we were able to buy a house. Now we have the house, the kids are grown, and we’re getting old. My wife still had it rough with me all these years. Her cooking has never been that great, but I’ve gotten used to it. If it suddenly changed one day, I don’t think I could handle it.”

He Lang glanced at Old Mo, seeing the happy expression on his face, and thought of his own young wife. ’We’ll definitely be this happy too,’ he thought. ’When I’m Old Mo’s age, I’ll be able to look back on the past with this same happiness.’

On the fifth day after He Lang left, the men delivering the bricks arrived.

Xue Yue went to get Mr. He, and Mrs. He came along too. Together, they unloaded the bricks.

They made several trips, and also delivered two truckloads of sand.

It was only when the villagers saw this that they realized the He Family’s Third Son was building his own house.

Everyone started talking about it.

The village chief even asked Mr. He about the price of the bricks. “We got a notice from above. Another batch of educated youth are coming in March, but the Educated Youth Point hasn’t been built yet. The commune doesn’t have much money. Where did Third Son order these bricks from?”

“Village Chief, how would I know? Our Third Son has always had a mind of his own. I don’t know anything about these bricks. You’ll have to wait for him to come back and ask him yourself.”

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