Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 125 Two Pregnancy

Hearing this, He Zhijun became interested and pulled He Chaoli over to ask him questions. He Chaoli was overjoyed to have a private tutor, and ran to his grandmother's room, pulled out a notebook, and handed it to He Zhijun.

"Uncle, all my questions are here. Auntie said that a bad pen is worse than a good memory, so she told me to write them down so I won't forget them so easily."

He Zhijun rubbed his little head, took the notebook, opened it and looked at it. Hmm, although some words were separated and some words he didn't know were replaced with pinyin, and there were also pictures interspersed among them, overall, it was still clear that it was a notebook with a story. He thought about it with some hesitation: "Xiao Li, can you understand this by yourself?"

He Chaoli climbed onto his lap, clung to his arm, looked at the notebook, and said in a clear voice, "You can understand it, right? Or should I read it to you?"

He Zhijun nodded in satisfaction and handed the notebook back to him. "Uncle, why did Sanmao have to wander? Is it because all children who have lost their parents have no choice but to wander? Auntie said that some children aren't orphans, but they still end up wandering. She said that lost children can't find their way home and have no choice but to wander..."

He Zhijun realized for the first time that many of his child's questions couldn't be answered simply by doing well in academic subjects. This leap in thought—how did it jump from Sanmao to the White Bone Demon? He seemed to have read these books when he was a child, so why did he find them so difficult to explain?

While He Zhijun was getting completely confused from He Chaoli's questioning, Jing Yan finally woke up and left the bedroom. The moment He Chaoli saw her, he immediately lost all interest in questioning her, jumped off He Zhijun's lap, and rushed straight towards Jing Yan.

"Auntie, you're finally awake. Uncle is so stupid. Not only can he not tell stories, but he also can't answer the questions I ask. He even says I have a problem with my thinking. But Auntie always praises me for being smart, saying that my thinking is very quick and clever."

He Zhijun, who had originally stood up with a smile to greet him, hesitated upon hearing He Chaoli's words. He said aggrievedly, "Jingyan, how can you lie through your teeth? This child's question has no basis whatsoever; it's not even a question. How am I supposed to answer it?"

Jing Yan put her arm around the little boy in front of her and looked at He Zhijun disapprovingly: "Kids are kids, it's normal for their ideas to be imaginative. No matter how tricky his questions are, as long as he's willing to use his brain to think, he should be encouraged. You expect such a young child to have such strong logic? When you were his age, did you think as much as he does?"

Grandma came in from outside and, seeing Jingyan arguing with He Zhijun, interrupted her while suppressing a laugh: "Jingyan, you're awake. What's wrong with you lately? Why are you so sleepy? Is anything bothering you? Should I ask Zhijun to take you to the hospital tomorrow?"

Jingyan frowned: "I've been very sleepy lately? I don't really feel it myself. I don't feel uncomfortable anywhere, but I always want to eat delicious food, otherwise I wouldn't have asked Sister Wang to make me some snacks... Wait, Grandma, my period seems to be late."

Upon hearing this, both Grandma and He Zhijun were stunned: "Why don't we go to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow? Could she be pregnant? An'an just turned one year old, it can't be that soon, can it?"

Jing Yan glanced at him and asked, "You don't want a child?"

He Zhijun shook his head: "An'an is still young. I was hardly there for you when you were pregnant with him. Now I haven't graduated yet. If I get pregnant again, you'll have to shoulder the burden alone again. This makes me feel useless and like I haven't fulfilled my responsibilities as a father."

"It's not certain yet. We've been using protection, so getting pregnant isn't that easy. Come with me to the checkup tomorrow, so don't just guess. But if I am pregnant, I will definitely keep the baby," Jing Yan said firmly.

The whole family agreed with this suggestion, and the couple took a bus straight to the hospital after breakfast the next day. They went to see Dr. Qin, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. As soon as Dr. Qin saw them, he asked, "Where do you feel unwell?"

Jingyan sat at the table and placed her hands naturally on the pulse pillow: "My period seems to be more than half a month late. Dr. Qin, could you please take my pulse and see if I'm pregnant again?"

Dr. Qin took her pulse, and after a while, she stopped and nodded: "It's been about two months. Your son just turned one year old, right? Your husband is quite diligent, with such a short interval. But it's good that your health has always been good, and you took good care of yourself during your postpartum period. There shouldn't be any problems with your second pregnancy now, and the pregnancy is quite stable."

He Zhijun frowned: "Dr. Qin, we took precautions, how could there still be an accident?"

Dr. Qin chuckled, “You two are both in good health, and those measures aren’t entirely safe. It’s not uncommon for some to slip through the net. If you really don’t plan to have any more mistresses, the safest thing to do is to have your wife give birth to this child and have an IUD inserted after the baby turns one year old.”

Jingyan found the idea of ​​IUD insertion difficult to accept. She had done it in her previous life, and although she hadn't experienced any problems herself, she later heard that many women experienced a significant increase in gynecological diseases after IUD insertion.

Back then, a neighbor had her IUD removed more than ten years after it was inserted because she was feeling unwell. The IUD had rusted inside her body, and just hearing about it made her shudder. So she eventually had her IUD removed too. But she didn't have the courage to look at it to see if it was rusted or not. Now, she gets a little scared whenever she hears about IUDs.

He Zhijun was very curious about this and asked, "What does 'getting an IUD' mean, and how is it done?"

Since Dr. Qin didn't have many patients, she patiently explained: "An IUD, also known as an intrauterine device, is a contraceptive device placed inside the uterine cavity. It's considered a minor surgical procedure."

"What material is it made of? Are there any side effects?" He Zhijun asked.

"Because they are made of inert metal, there will inevitably be some side effects. If the technology in some hospitals is not up to standard, there are risks associated with inserting an IUD. Although it's said to provide contraception, it's still recommended to use it in conjunction with condoms."

Since this is made of metal, it's recommended to have it removed and replaced at a hospital after a certain number of years. Otherwise, it can easily lead to gynecological diseases over time. We've only recently introduced this technology, so we can't currently assess the exact lifespan of a sterilization ring, but we generally recommend ten years.

Dr. Qin explained everything in great detail, without concealing anything that she herself was unaware of.

He Zhijun was even more worried upon hearing this: "If the risks of IUDs are so high, can men have IUDs? What are the risks then?"

When Dr. Qin heard him say this, her eyes brightened and became much kinder, and her tone even lifted considerably: "For men, it's a tubal ligation, no IUD needed. The technical term is vasectomy, which is a minor surgery."

Two small incisions, each less than 1 cm wide, are made on the scrotum. The vas deferens is then removed and disconnected, followed by heat coagulation and ligation. Finally, a piece of gauze and tape are applied to the incisions.

No internal surgery is required, the procedure is minimally invasive with few complications, and the pain throughout the procedure is minimal. Strenuous physical activity and vigorous exercise should be avoided for a week after surgery, leading to a faster recovery.

He Zhijun realized that Dr. Qin actually preferred men to have vasectomies rather than women having IUDs; otherwise, she wouldn't have described the specific location of the surgery in such detail.

Jingyan quickly asked, "Then, will it have a big impact on our sex life later? If I regret it later, can I undo it?"

Dr. Qin nodded: "It won't affect your normal life. As long as you take good care of yourself during the recovery period, you'll look the same before and after the surgery. It won't affect the quality. Of course, if you regret it later, you can have reconstructive surgery. However, our hospital's reconstructive surgery is not yet very mature. But believe me, within ten years, we will definitely be able to do this well."

Jingyan...

He Zhijun touched his nose, but still mustered up the courage to ask, "Did Dr. Qin have a tubal ligation?"

Dr. Qin… “That’s a rather impolite question.”

Jingyan also felt ashamed and lowered her head, wishing she could bury herself in the ground. It was too embarrassing.

But Dr. Qin, a medical expert, was thick-skinned and recovered quickly: "I haven't done it myself. My wife suffered a lot a few years ago. She had a difficult childbirth and couldn't get pregnant again afterward, so I don't have that problem. But I'm still very confident in my theoretical knowledge."

He Zhijun nodded: "Okay, after the child is born, I will choose a time to come and get my tubal ligated. A woman's uterus is fragile, so it's best not to put anything in it."

Jingyan was shocked by his choice: "Are you sure? What if the surgery doesn't go well? You might become a eunuch in the new China. That's quite a risk."

Dr. Qin, standing nearby, said coolly, "Are you doubting the medical skills of the doctors at our hospital? If you're really worried, I'll perform the surgery myself. Even if it goes wrong, I can still help him recover afterward."

Jingyan felt even more uncertain about what to do.

He Zhijun smiled and patted her head, comforting her, "Don't worry, the New Year is coming soon, and Mom and Dad will be coming over then. We'll discuss it as a family and make a final decision. We still have time, there's no rush to a conclusion."

The couple returned home, and He Zhijun told his grandmother that Jingyan was pregnant again. His grandmother was genuinely happy. As an older generation, she loved nothing more than a large and prosperous family. She only had one son, then two grandsons, and now she has three great-grandchildren. Four generations living together made her very happy.

With An'an already as a scout, the second child seemed much more relaxed. Plus, with Sister Wang cooking for her, it was hard to eat less of her culinary skills. And she still didn't experience any morning sickness, so her life hadn't changed much at all.

When He Zhijun was on winter vacation, he took over the childcare at home and tutored He Chaoli in advance to prepare for the next semester's knowledge points. As a result, Xiaoli could only go out to play for two or three hours a day and could no longer run around outside whenever he wanted.

With only a week left until the Lunar New Year, the package sent from their hometown in Liaoning Province finally arrived. When He Zhijun went to the post office to pick up the package with the parcel collection slip, Jing Yan reminded him to bring a stroller. Fortunately, the child listened to her advice; otherwise, he probably wouldn't have made it back.

I originally thought I would receive 50 jin of soybean oil, but I didn't expect to receive 100 jin, plus a meat grinder. The weight alone is about 150 jin. I was very happy to receive the items, but I felt heavy-hearted when I calculated the shipping cost.

The price is two cents per pound for up to ten pounds, and four cents per pound for more than ten pounds. The package is divided into three parts: fifty pounds of soybean oil in one package, and the meat grinder in another package. But Jingyan did not expect to calculate the cost for her older brother and fourth sister so meticulously.

The package contained a letter from her brother. He said he bought the used meat grinder for sixty yuan, choosing the newest one available, and assured her that everything was fine at home.

Nowadays, more and more stalls and shops are being set up on the streets and alleys of the city. The municipal government is also vigorously promoting economic development. They told Jingyan that the policies have been stabilized and that now is the right time to open a shop.

Fourth Sister's letter was much more down-to-earth: "My eldest brother said you needed fifty catties of soybean oil to make some desserts. I thought it wouldn't hurt to have extra if you're in the food business, so I sent you another fifty catties from my husband's family. We'll talk about it when we run out."

Every household in our village has pressed their own soybean oil at the oil press, which is enough. This spring, I'll plant more soybeans so we can press even more oil. Don't worry, Fourth Sister will prepare as much as you need.

Then he asked her if everything was alright on her end, how she was getting along with her in-laws, and told her to control her temper, not to be too stubborn, and to know how to show weakness... Looking at the pages full of all sorts of worries and instructions, Jingyan's eyes welled up with tears.

Finally, he mentioned that his third sister's address had changed, and that her husband had been transferred to the State Farms Administration Bureau to become the director of a nut factory, a position equivalent to a section chief. He also attached his third sister's latest address, telling her to write to her when she had time.

After reading the letter, Jingyan began to reply. The village would organize a pig slaughter for the New Year, so no household would be short of meat; Jingyan didn't need to worry about that. There weren't many local specialties she could send back to her fourth sister, but fortunately, the fabrics available here had a much wider variety of patterns than in Liaoning Province.

We decided to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to select some fabric. One piece for Fourth Sister, one piece for Peng Chunlai, and one piece each for Eldest Sister-in-law and Second Sister-in-law. As for the men, well, they already have clothes to wear, so we don't need to give them any.

The letter was written, and the amount to be remitted was calculated: shipping cost was fifty-eight yuan, meat grinder cost was sixty yuan, and soybean oil was one hundred and twenty yuan. Since she pressed her own oil, she probably wouldn't need that much, but she still decided to give it at the market price without a ration coupon. Anyway, she couldn't let her fourth sister suffer a loss, nor could she let her in-laws have any complaints.

With their money in hand, He Zhijun and Jing Yan went to the supply and marketing cooperative. Wool fabric was expensive and not very practical, but the coats made from it were very well-made. They bought a brown one. Cotton was plentiful in the north, but silk was hard to find. However, the supply and marketing cooperative didn't have any nice patterns either, so the two took a bus to Master Zhao's tailor shop.

Master Zhao suggested that while cheongsams aren't very popular these days, making shirts out of silk would be a great alternative, suitable for everyday wear. So they picked out four more, and the two headed straight to the post office to send the money and parcel in one go.