Starting a new chapter in life

"Well, it's okay for me to be sad," Jing Yan said dismissively.

Having discussed this topic, Jingyan thought about how she died of a heart attack in the winter of 2005 in her previous life. In this life, she was very careful about this aspect and had a physical examination every year. However, it seemed that her health was indeed good in this life, and her heart had never had any problems. She thought that she might live to be seventy or eighty years old.

In May, Zhizhi came to tell Jingyan early one morning that she was over a month pregnant. Jingyan was overjoyed and started planning when to go there to take care of her daughter, which startled Zhizhi, who quickly stopped her.

"Mom, you don't need to worry about it. He's already arranged a postpartum care center. My due date is in mid-December. I'll finish my work by the end of November, and then I can stay home and prepare for childbirth. After giving birth, I'll stay at the postpartum care center for two months. You don't need to worry about it. Now, as long as you're willing to spend money, really, everything will be much easier."

Jing Yan nodded, "As long as you have a plan, that's fine. What do you want to eat? Mom will make it for you. Will you be working in Beijing or somewhere else during this period?"

"My current job is in another city and will probably finish around August. After that, I'll be working in Beijing as an assistant director. The workload won't be too heavy, and Cheng Heng will be able to take good care of me."

"When I come back to work, I reckon he'll have to cook all three meals a day himself. You don't know, his cooking skills are better than mine now. I don't know who he learned it from." Zhizhi complained, but the joy in her eyes was truly radiant. Seeing her child living a happy and carefree life made her, as a parent, feel wonderful too.

"How's Xiaoxiao doing? You met her boyfriend at your wedding, he's very... handsome." Jingyan's gossipy nature was impossible to suppress.

Looking into her mother's bright eyes, Zhizhi, who usually doesn't gossip, became interested: "Cheng Heng said the two of them are in love. At the end of last year, Zhao Qi brought Zhizhi home to meet his parents, and they liked her very much."

Later, I asked Xiaoxiao privately, and you wouldn't believe it, Zhao Qi's mother is quite trendy and loves watching fantasy dramas. She said she dreamed of being a female knight-errant when she was young, and she's actually a big fan of Xiaoxiao's career.

Knowing this might be her daughter-in-law, she was overjoyed, praising her youngest son endlessly, saying he'd finally made something of himself, bringing home the most beautiful cabbage (a metaphor for a successful woman). She didn't even try to hide it from Xiaoxiao, whose thick skin, honed over the years, almost couldn't withstand such effusive praise.

Jingyan burst into laughter: "Now your Aunt Chen Ping can finally relax. What's the rush? When fate is meant to bring you this, it will come. What's next?"

"Hmm, I haven't spoken to Xiaoxiao on the phone for a while, so I didn't know. But I haven't received an invitation from the Zhao family, so I guess they don't have any plans to hold a wedding for the time being. Zhao Qi went to Xiaoxiao's house to pay New Year's greetings during the Spring Festival, so I guess the two families will discuss the wedding date."

Zhizhi came today to share the good news, but when it was almost time, Cheng Heng rushed over and took her away. He had a meeting today and couldn't get away; he dropped her off this morning and went to the company, then came to pick her up after work.

Seeing how much he cared about Zhizhi, Jingyan was overjoyed and naturally wouldn't stop him. Watching the couple drive away, Jingyan couldn't help but call Chen Ping. He Zhijun saw her happy and just smiled without saying a word.

She chatted with Chen Ping for a while, and sure enough, without her even asking, Chen Ping couldn't help but tell her about the progress of the meeting between the two families: "The Zhao family intends to hold a wedding for the two children in October. As for the wedding preparations, the Zhao family means that they will take full responsibility for everything."

After Xiaoxiao finishes her work, she needs to try on wedding dresses and so on. It sounds like there's quite a lot to do. The wedding will be held in Beijing first, and our relatives will attend.

We'll hold another one in Haishi later. It's fine for their relatives to attend; otherwise, it's not good to ask friends and colleagues to travel so far just to attend a wedding. But we can't just not have one here either.

"You have no idea how many times the neighbors have asked me about my child's wedding these past few years. I always have to feel proud and say, 'Jingyan, your whole family should come to the wedding in Beijing!'"

Jing Yan readily agreed. She didn't want to go to Shanghai, but she wouldn't be absent from Beijing, since she had watched Xiao Xiao grow up.

After chatting for a while, Jingyan thought it over and decided not to tell Zhizhi about her pregnancy. After all, the older generation said that you should not tell her about a pregnancy until three months after conception, otherwise it would bring bad luck. Although it is feudal dross, she still held the idea of ​​better believing it and avoided it.

On National Day, Lu Xiaoxiao and Zhao Qi's wedding was officially held. Although Lu's family and friends were not notified, there were still quite a few people present, including Lu Xiaoxiao's friends in the industry and her colleagues. In addition, there were Zhao's family, friends, and work partners, making the wedding a grand affair.

He Zhijun and Jing Yan arrived at the hotel early in the morning. The wedding banquet would be held here, so they wouldn't have to go between the two places. Zhizhi, who was eight months pregnant, was carefully protected by Cheng Heng. She took her seat as soon as she entered the restaurant, as she couldn't stand up any longer.

Chen Ping held Jing Yan's hand and looked at the guests coming in one after another. Her voice was a little nervous: "I thought that a wedding held here would only have about 30 or 40 tables, but there are too many people here. They've booked the whole hotel. How much will this cost? I'd be lucky if I could book 10% of the wedding in Shanghai."

Jingyan patted her hand reassuringly: "Xiaoxiao knows a lot of people here. Although they may not all be friends, that's how it is in their line of work. They always have to maintain appearances and relationships, so more people come."

Besides, the Zhao family is quite wealthy and has many connections. The wedding in Haishi can be considered a testament to the presence of relatives and friends from both sides. Fewer people are fine, to avoid too much trouble. We are just an ordinary family, and the Zhao family knew this beforehand, so they won't complain about this.

"The main reason is that our Xiaoxiao is outstanding enough, which is why Zhao Qi has settled down. All things considered, the Zhao family benefits. You don't need to be so insecure. Come on, straighten your back. Even if you're just faking it, at least project a strong presence. Don't hold Xiaoxiao back."

Reassured by Jing Yan, Chen Ping took several deep breaths and finally suppressed her fear. She forced a polite smile and followed Lao Lu to the main gate to greet the guests.

There were many wedding guests, but everyone was well-mannered, and the venue wasn't noisy. After the wedding ceremony was completed and the meal was over, the wedding came to an end. The parents and relatives of both families stood at the door to give wedding favors to the departing guests.

After all the guests had finally left, Chen Ping felt as if her spine had been pulled out, and she slumped down. Fortunately, Commander Lu caught her in time: "What's wrong? Xiaoxiao's wedding, why are you so nervous that your legs are weak?"

Chen Ping glared at him: "You're the one who's so nervous your legs are weak. I'm just tired. I've been bending over to pick things up, and my back and legs are so sore."

Old Lu was a little embarrassed: "Oh, this is my fault. I was so busy handing out things that you had to squat down and stand up to hand me things. Come on, I'll carry you home." After saying that, he squatted down with his back to Chen Ping.

Seeing this, Zhao Qi's mother, who was also exhausted, looked at her husband and shook her head: "We can't compare, we can't compare."

She staggered a little, but the head of the Zhao family didn't even offer a hand to help her. He walked towards the car parked outside the restaurant, got into the back seat, and leaned out of the window to urge her, "Hurry up, you're too tired today. Go home and get some rest."

Madam Zhao, disregarding her manners, rolled her eyes dramatically. "I'm tired too! Can't you see I can barely walk? Just you wait!"

Seeing his wife get angry, the head of the Zhao family pulled his head back into the car and remained silent.

Watching the Zhao couple's car drive away, Chen Ping muttered, "It seems that life isn't always easy for the wealthy. This husband is so inconsiderate."

Old Lu smiled and said, "Everyone has their own destiny. People like them will never need their husbands to be considerate enough in their lives. Anyway, there are plenty of people helping out at home. You work much harder than Mrs. Zhao on a daily basis."

Chen Ping rested her head on his neck and whispered, "But it's enough that I have your love and care for me."

After carefully putting her into the back seat, Lao Lu closed the door, walked around to the other side and got in. Only then did Xiao Xiao's driver start the car and drive away. The newlyweds, who were left behind, looked at each other. "Well, I will learn from my father-in-law in the future and not be as chauvinistic as my dad."

Xiao Xiao smiled: "Then you have to remember your promise today, okay? I'll keep an eye on you from now on."

Zhao Qi nodded: "Yes, if there is anything I have done wrong, please point it out to me in time."

The two chatted and laughed as they got into the car and left, and the once bustling restaurant finally fell silent.

Zhizhi's job is now reduced to small assistant tasks. Originally, Cheng Heng hoped she would rest at home, but He Jin'an knew that his younger sister couldn't stay idle, so he found her some work at the company, which was to screen, evaluate, and provide initial training to newcomers who were willing to sign contracts.

Zhizhi was very satisfied that it didn't require too much physical or mental exertion and could pass the time. She didn't want to rest early; she always felt uneasy staying at home for too long. Work made her feel more at ease.

As December arrived, Zhizhi stayed home. The roads were slippery, and her due date was approaching. They had moved to a house in a residential area next to the hospital. Cheng Heng had prepared this house in advance so that they could go to the hospital promptly if any signs of labor appeared.

Jingyan originally wanted to take care of her, but Cheng Heng had also hired a live-in nanny. This community is an old community, and there are no large houses. The house has three bedrooms and two living rooms. The nanny lives in one room, the young couple lives in another room, and the third room is a practice room for Zhizhi to exercise appropriately every day.

There was nowhere for the elderly to stay. He Zhijun and Jing Yan came to check on things once and thought the arrangements were good, so she felt relieved and didn't insist on coming over again. There were professionals available, so she, an amateur, didn't get involved.

By the time Jingyan received the message from Zhizhi, Zhizhi had already given birth. However, it wasn't a natural birth; the baby didn't descend into the pelvis even though her due date had passed. An ultrasound revealed that her amniotic fluid was low, so she had no choice but to have a cesarean section.

It was a boy, weighing exactly eight pounds. After giving birth, Zhizhi stayed in the hospital for seven days and then took the baby to a postpartum care center. It was a single room, a suite-style room with a bathroom, bedroom, and living room, and the space was quite large.

When He Zhijun and Jing Yan were picked up by Cheng Heng, they were quite shocked. "The prices here must be expensive," Jing Yan asked in surprise.

"Fifty thousand a month, and with Zhizhi's double postpartum care, one hundred thousand will be enough." Cheng Heng said it casually. Jing Yan felt a little pained, but thinking that it was for her own daughter, she swallowed back the complaint about the high cost and didn't say anything in the end.

He Zhijun could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her expression, and comforted her, "They're well-off, so it's no big deal for them to enjoy themselves a bit more."

Jing Yan nodded; she thought so too, except... they just hadn't seen much of the world.

“This year the government has introduced a policy that no longer encourages only children, but instead relaxes the restrictions on having two children. Do you plan to have another one in a few years?” He Zhijun asked.

Cheng Heng shook his head: "Zhizhi had surgery this time, and the doctor said it's best to wait three years before getting pregnant again, but I think one child is enough. Raising a child from infancy is not easy enough."

Zhizhi is busy with work, and I'm not a very patient person. Taking care of another baby would be too much for me. I was thinking that after weaning this child, our two families could discuss whether my parents would like to take the baby in and help take care of him/her. We can bring him/her back to stay with us on weekends.

Before Jing Yan could speak, He Zhijun refused: "We don't want to be stuck at home taking care of the children. You know, your mother-in-law raised my brothers' children all by herself. I don't want her to suffer like that when she's old."

Cheng Heng looked as if he had expected this: "If my parents-in-law don't mind, then send the child to my house. My parents are really bored at home now. They called me a while ago to discuss letting them take care of the child in the future. When they were young, they left my brother and me with a nanny. Now that they're old, they want to take care of their grandson."

Jing Yan laughed and said, "They were busy when they were young, so it's good that they can enjoy their grandchildren now. But if they help you take care of your children, what about your brother's children?"

Cheng Heng laughed: "His child is with his mother-in-law. My parents never fought over it. Actually, if you also wanted to take care of your grandson, they still wouldn't be able to win. Fortunately, you care about them, so you were able to fulfill my parents' wishes."

Jing Yan sighed, "Times have indeed changed."

The couple looked at the menus for the three meals and tasted the food. They found it to be quite good, so they left with peace of mind.

Zhizhi had a good delivery, and she spent the Lunar New Year at the postpartum care center. Although it was a suite, there couldn't be too many people. On New Year's Eve, He Zhijun and Jing Yan delivered dumplings and then went home. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Cheng family delivered dumplings, and then they didn't bother them anymore. There were only two adults, how much could they eat?

After Zhizhi moved back home after her two-month confinement period, Cheng Heng took care of her for two days and found that he was still too incompetent. He was clumsy and awkward when changing the baby's diapers. Fortunately, there was heating in the house, otherwise, with his clumsiness, he would have frozen to death while changing the baby's clothes.