Reborn in 1966

Chapter 454 The End

Du Mingjun looked at Pei Yin, who was packing her luggage, with great apology and said, "I'm so sorry, I told you we were going to travel all the way back to Beijing, but now we have to go straight back."

Pei-Yin said, "It's okay. We've been out for so long. If we keep playing around like this, it would be reckless. We all have jobs, and if we have jobs, we have to take them seriously, right?"

Qian Xiuju had already asked someone to help her buy train tickets back to Xijiang. Both of their luggage were in Shenjia Village, so they needed to go back to get their luggage before returning to Beijing. There were already many college students returning to school, and train tickets back to Beijing were not easy to buy. After getting off at Xijiang Railway Station, the two of them bought sleeper tickets back to Beijing first, and then Tian Xiaomin took them back to Shenjia Village.

Knowing that the two needed to return to the capital as soon as possible, Shen's mother had already started preparing their luggage at home. The two of them returned to the capital with a large bag of food and drinks prepared by Shen's mother.

The house had been uninhabited for over a month. It took the two of them a long time to clean it up. Pei Yin was so tired that she collapsed on the bed and didn't want to get up. Du Mingjun cooked some food, and after a simple meal, the two of them washed up and went to bed.

These days, because they weren't at home, the couple's sex life was very restrained. When he got home, Du Mingjun felt like he had inexhaustible energy. As a result, Pei Yin stayed in bed the next day. Du Mingjun had no choice but to coax her to get up and eat breakfast. After watching Pei Yin go back to sleep, he rode his bicycle back to his workplace.

After the summer vacation ended, Pei Yin and Du Mingjun began a new lifestyle.

Every morning, after getting up, Pei-yin would make breakfast, and Du Ming-jun would continue his simple exercise routine. After breakfast, Du Ming-jun would take Pei-yin to school by bicycle, and then go to the school where he taught. At noon, they would both eat in the school cafeteria. After get off work in the afternoon, Du Ming-jun would pick up Pei-yin and take her home. Sometimes they would buy some groceries on the street and bring them home, and sometimes Pei-yin would buy some groceries in the morning and bring them home. Their lives were simple yet fulfilling, until one morning, Pei-yin's unusual reaction broke the peace.

Pei-Yin had been feeling tired these past few days. She thought it might be because she was busy with the midterm exams, so she went to bed early. But the next morning she was still too tired to get out of bed. Seeing how tired Pei-Yin was, and since it was the weekend, Du Ming-Jun told her to sleep a little longer. Du Ming-Jun had some business to attend to at his workplace and told Pei-Yin to get up and eat the breakfast that was on the coffee table in the living room before he left.

When Du Mingjun returned home at noon, he found the house quiet, but the door was unlocked. He entered the living room and saw that the breakfast he had left in the morning was still there. Du Mingjun ran into the bedroom and saw Pei Yin still fast asleep. He woke Pei Yin up and realized that it was already noon. Pei Yin herself was also very confused. She felt tired and wanted to sleep. Since neither of them had anything to do in the afternoon, they decided to go out for lunch.

Pei Yin thought of the sour and spicy boiled fish and couldn't wait to eat it. Du Mingjun took her on his bicycle, and the two of them went to a restaurant they frequented. They ordered boiled fish, and it arrived in no time.

The boiled fish at this restaurant was very authentic. As soon as Pei Yin picked up her chopsticks, a strong fishy smell made her unable to hold back. She sat down and bent over, gagging. Du Mingjun was so frightened that his face turned pale. He came over and patted Pei Yin's back. The proprietress also came over to help. When Pei Yin's discomfort subsided, she looked up, tears streaming down her face. Gagging like that was just too painful.

The proprietress was an experienced woman. This young couple lived nearby and often came to the restaurant to eat, sometimes taking food away. Looking at the wife's appearance, she asked, "Is Xiao Shen pregnant?"

Du Mingjun said, "Got it? What is it?"

Upon hearing this, the proprietress burst out laughing and said, "You have a child."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yin and Du Mingjun exchanged glances. Pei Yin said, "That can't be right. We didn't plan to have a child so soon."

Upon hearing this, the proprietress thought the young couple was truly remarkable and said with a smile, "This child isn't something you can just decide not to have. Xiao Du, I think you should take Xiao Shen to the hospital for a checkup. Whether she's pregnant or not, a checkup will put your mind at ease, won't it?"

Du Mingjun nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. Looking at the untouched sauerkraut fish on the table, the proprietress smiled and said, "Alright, alright, I'll save this sauerkraut fish for my daughter. She'll be back for dinner later. She said she wanted to eat it when she came back last time, so it saves my husband from having to make it again."

Du Mingjun left ten yuan, feeling embarrassed. The proprietress saw it, grabbed it, and stuffed it into Du Mingjun's pocket, saying, "Why are you being so polite with me? Go to the hospital for a checkup right away."

After discussing it on the way, the two went to the General Hospital of the Army.

Jiang Juan hadn't started work yet at this hour. Pei Yin hadn't eaten since morning. Du Mingjun found a noodle shop and ordered a bowl of plain noodles for Pei Yin. She slurped down a big bowl of noodles with pickled vegetables. After finishing, she asked for a bowl of soup, slurped it down, and then got up to go with Du Mingjun to find Jiang Juan.

Upon hearing that Pei Yin might be pregnant, Jiang Juan quickly took her to the obstetrics and gynecology department for a checkup. After a series of tests, it was confirmed that Pei Yin was indeed pregnant, and more than a month along.

The two young people looked at each other, holding forms marked with plus signs. Du Mingjun's eyes were filled with joy, while Pei Yin's eyes held a hint of confusion. To be honest, Pei Yin wasn't ready to be a parent yet, because she didn't know if she could be a good mother or shoulder the responsibilities of a mother. Being abandoned in her past life made Pei Yin feel that love alone wasn't enough to be a good parent. Raising a child wasn't just about loving them; you needed to give them so much more. Pei Yin didn't know if she could provide these children with everything they needed to grow up.

When Du Mingjun saw Pei Yin's appearance, he was overjoyed that this girl, not even twenty-three years old, was going to have his child. This was the child his lover was giving birth to, a child born from their love. Seeing Pei Yin's expression, Du Mingjun asked, "Pei Yin, don't you like children?"

Pei-Yin said, "No, I'm afraid I won't be a good mother to my child."

Upon hearing this, Du Mingjun said, "Peiyin, I've never been a father either. How about we learn to be parents together?"

When Pei-Yin saw the love in her lover's eyes, it seemed to melt her heart. She couldn't help but smile and said, "Okay, then let's learn to be parents together."

The two of them hadn't even gotten home yet, but they already knew everything they needed to know.

I parked my bicycle in the yard, and before I even opened the door, the phone inside was ringing incessantly. I quickly opened the door and answered it. It was Shen's mother calling. Shen's mother had heard that Pei Yin was pregnant, and thinking about how her baby was so small and she was about to become a mother, she had mixed feelings. She had called several times, but no one answered, which made her even more anxious. Fortunately, someone finally answered. After exchanging a few words with Du Mingjun, who answered the phone, Pei Yin took the phone. Shen's mother asked, "Pei Yin, how are you feeling?"

Pei Yin thought about how her family cared for her when she was a child, and she couldn't help but feel that she was too cowardly. She couldn't hesitate about the arrival of this child just because she had been abandoned in the past. This was the crystallization of her love with Du Mingjun, and also the little baby that everyone had been looking forward to.

Pei-Yin said, "Mom, I don't feel anything except that I want to sleep."

Shen's mother said, "That's perfect. This child is also obedient. I'll arrange things at home and go over in a few days."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yin felt that her mother had sacrificed so much for her children. In the past few years, as her siblings got married and had children, Shen's mother would often be away for long periods of time. Shen's father and mother had been married for so many years and had never been separated for such a long time. For the sake of the children, Shen's mother would come out whenever she wanted. Pei Yin knew that although Shen's mother was away, she always cared about Shen's father at home. When they were young, whether their conditions were good or bad, the two of them were together. Now that they were older, they were separated again for the sake of the children. It would be a lie to say that she didn't miss him.

Pei-Yin said, "Mom, you've only been home for a few days. I'm fine, you don't need to come."

Shen's mother said, "I can't sleep at night if I don't go. Listen to me, I'll go in the next few days."

After hanging up the phone, Pei Yin said to Du Mingjun, "Our mother is coming."

Du Mingjun said, "Our mother has suffered so much for the sake of the children in the family."

The two were silent for a moment. Du Mingjun said, "I'm going to buy some groceries. What do you want to eat?"

Pei-Yin said, "I don't want to eat anything right now."

Du Mingjun said, "We can't skip meals. I'll go buy some. We'll make something light for dinner."

As a result, my aunt came over that evening with Zhao Ge, Jiang Juan, and Pei Zhi's family of three. After Pei Zhi arrived, she said, "I was at the company this afternoon and received a call from my cousin-in-law. I told Shen Qian that Shen Qian was going to Wu Jianjun's house for dinner tonight and asked me to tell you that she would come to see you tomorrow."

Pei-yin quickly invited everyone to sit down. Du Ming-jun washed the fruit he had bought that afternoon and put it on the coffee table. Her aunt held Pei-yin's hand and asked her if she felt unwell or nauseous. Pei-yin said somewhat embarrassedly, "Oh, Aunt, I'm just pregnant, there's nothing wrong with me."

My aunt said, "Look at you, child. Pregnancy and childbirth are big events for us women, and we can't be careless. Listen to your aunt, we should take good care of you. Your mother is coming, right? She can cook for you then, so you can get strong and healthy."

For dinner, the owner of a small restaurant delivered the food to her home. When the owner saw Pei Yin, she smiled and asked if she had gone to the hospital for a check-up. After learning that, she chatted with Pei Yin for a while about taking care of her pregnancy before saying goodbye and leaving.

From that day on, Pei Yin began her pregnancy life, which was said to be comparable to that of a giant panda and treated like a queen. Everyone at her workplace took care of her, and even the office director who usually arranged the duty roster was replaced. Du Mingjun picked her up and dropped her off every day. After Shen's mother arrived, Du Mingjun consulted a doctor and made a daily schedule for Pei Yin, including a nutrition chart for each stage, clearly showing what she should and shouldn't eat. Originally, she was supposed to eat lunch at the school cafeteria, but Du Mingjun insisted on going home early every day to get the food and bring it to her, eating with her at school before going to work. Pei Yin applied for a small dormitory at her workplace, where she could rest after lunch. During the Spring Festival, Du Kunpeng even disregarded work for the first time and arrived in Beijing two days early to celebrate the New Year with the children.

While enjoying everyone's care and love, Pei-Yin felt that her feelings for her family had deepened.

At the beginning of her pregnancy, Pei Yin was fine except for being a little tired. However, after three months, she started vomiting. She would vomit everything she ate, and even drinking water would make her vomit until her eyes were filled with tears and her face was pale. Du Mingjun was heartbroken and asked many people for folk remedies. Pei Yin, on the other hand, faced her morning sickness calmly. After vomiting, she would eat and drink again. Shen's mother even told her aunt, Shengxiu, who came to visit Pei Yin, "I didn't expect this little girl to be so tough and not delicate at all." The aunt said, "Our daughter is not delicate at all. Look at Pei Zhi back then. Li Qing even secretly told me that he was afraid Pei Zhi would not be able to bear the pain of childbirth, but she still gave birth smoothly."

In the autumn, Aunt Shengxiu married off her daughter. Since both she and her husband were very busy with work, the kitchen in their new house was rarely used. Third Grandma couldn't stand Shen Qian and her husband always buying food from outside, so she decided to have the two children come to eat at their house. This pleased Shen Qian greatly. After the New Year, Shen Qian and Wu Jianjun moved in. Aunt Shengxiu, being a Western-educated woman, felt that her children were grown up, married, and should live on their own. She thought it was inappropriate for them to come home. The mother and daughter were arguing fiercely when Shen Qian became pregnant. Now things were really complicated. Well, Aunt Shengxiu had nothing to say. Looking at her sister-in-law, Peiyin, who had come from her hometown to take care of her daughter since she was pregnant, it would be unreasonable for her to send her daughter back to her own home. Fortunately, her son-in-law was a very sensible person. Although he usually went along with his daughter's wishes and would stay with her when she wanted to go home, he helped with all the chores at home and could even cook. However, he could only cook well. Although Third Grandma was old, she still liked to cook for the children in the family. Could Third Grandma's cooking skills be compared to those of ordinary people? After eating Third Grandma's cooking a few times, Wu Jianjun actually took the time to learn how to cook.

Shen Qian had been vomiting since the beginning, but she was fine after three months. Now, Pei Yin was over seven months pregnant and was still vomiting into the trash can. Shen Qian was over three months pregnant and her belly was just starting to show. She was eating salted plums and saw Pei Yin start vomiting after only two sips of water. She frowned and said, "Pei Yin, didn't you go to the hospital for a checkup?"

Pei Yin wiped her mouth and said, "I've had a check-up. The doctor said the baby is fine. It's probably because of my constitution. But I feel much worse these past two days. I guess I'm almost recovered."

Shen Qian said, "Pregnancy is really hard. If I had known it was this hard, I wouldn't have gotten pregnant."

Pei Yin said, "Sister Qianqian, you're talking nonsense. If you don't give your brother-in-law a child, how will he face his family? People who know you know that you don't want to have a child, but people who don't know you might think that one of you is sick and can't have children."

Shen Qian said, "I think everything is great in China, but it's not good to care too much about other people's opinions. Whether or not to have children is a personal matter, but here, it's a matter for the whole family. After you get married, everyone will ask you first, 'Are you pregnant yet?' Heaven knows that the first time I heard someone ask me if I was pregnant, I didn't know what they were asking. I even asked her, 'What are you pregnant?' which made her blush."

Pei Yin had already rinsed her mouth and calmed down from the nausea she had just felt. She said, "Part of marriage is about passing on the torch. The arrival of a new generation is something every family member looks forward to."

Shen Qian said, "That's true. I told my mom I didn't want to have a child so early. My mom didn't say anything else, she just told me to tell my grandma. But I didn't dare to say it. On the third day after my wedding, when I went back to my parents' home, my grandma said to me, 'Qianqian, have a child soon. Grandma can close her eyes in peace when she sees your child.' Oh dear, my brother doesn't want to get married early, but I got married so early and now I've become everyone's darling."

Such conversations took place frequently. Because Shen Qian was pregnant, after discussing it, the group hired a professional manager to handle all the company's affairs. Fu Xiaomin was currently at home taking care of the child, and Shen Qian was preparing to take care of the child. Before the child was weaned, no one had much time to go to the company to keep an eye on things.

In the transition from spring to summer, Pei Yin gave birth to a girl weighing seven pounds and six ounces on a clear morning. As she came out of the delivery room, the weak Pei Yin smiled and said to Du Mingjun, who was waiting at the door, "Look, I gave birth to your little sweetheart."

Looking at Pei Yin, who was covered in sweat and pale from giving birth, Du Mingjun took her hand, gently kissed her forehead, and said with emotion, "Thank you, my lover!"