Chapter 193: Qin Huairu Is Pregnant

Qin Huairu's pregnancy nausea came on fierce and sudden, as if she were turning her stomach upside down. That morning, as soon as she caught a whiff of Bangzi Noodle Porridge, she clamped her mouth and rushed out, leaning on the Old Locust Tree in the courtyard, vomiting so violently the world went dark, the sour bile scorching her throat into pain.

Her reaction made someone overjoyed—Jia Zhangshi.

The old woman flapped her wings like a victorious hen and immediately broadcasted throughout the courtyard. "Hey, everyone, look! My Huairu's reaction—she's vomiting like crazy!" She slapped her thigh, her voice so loud it could overturn the roof, "Sour boys and spicy girls, the old sayings are so true! She must be carrying our Jia family's great golden grandson! We Jia of Dongxu have an heir now!"

Her smugness was as if the Jia family had already embraced a plump heir to continue the line, and even the wrinkles on her face smoothed out, glistening with oil.

Xu Damao, brushing his teeth at the sink, replied with foam‑filled, slurred words, "Jia Dama, aren't you beating the drums too early? 'Sour boys and spicy girls'? I think it's just a gluttonous stomach upset! It only counts if a baby comes out with a grip; what if it's a 'half‑ton' (a little girl), then your drum‑beating isn't for nothing?" He was accustomed to dousing enthusiasm, always poking at people's hearts.

He Yuzhu, the "Sha Zhu" practicing wrestling moves in the Central Courtyard, chuckled and waved his arm, "Exactly! Xu Damao's words are rough but not unreasonable. Jia Dama, if your golden grandson turns out to be a girl in a skirt, where will you put that showy display? Don't be like that monkey grandson, who was granted the title 'Bi Ma Wen'—who knows what rank, just empty joy!" He was a muddle, his citations always crooked, but when he mocked someone he was blunt.

The other families in the courtyard, though laughing outwardly, had hearts as clear as mirrors. Jia Zhangshi was usually sharp‑tongued and overbearing, offending half the courtyard with a single word. Seeing her so flamboyant now, many sneered in secret, some even maliciously prayed, "Better she gives birth to a girl, to crush this old pious woman's prestige!" "Let's see how long she can swagger."

Jia Zhangshi, irritated by Xu Damao and He Yuzhu's back‑and‑forth, flipped her Sanjiao Yan, spat, "Ugh! You two bachelors know nothing! A dog's mouth can't spit ivory! From our Huairu's fetal signs, it's clearly a son! Go ahead, be envious and jealous!" She cursed, while scheming another matter in her mind.

Her eyes flicked, and she twisted her plump body toward Yi Zhonghai's house. Upon entering, she immediately wore a flattering, slightly presumptuous smile, "First Elder, are you busy?"

Yi Zhonghai, holding an enamel jar of tea, felt a sudden thump in his heart at her demeanor, but his face remained unchanged, "Old sister‑in‑law, what's the matter?"

Jia Zhangshi slapped her thigh and began chanting, "Hey, First Elder, you're the master of Dongxu, a highly respected First Elder in the courtyard! Now Huairu is pregnant—this is a great joy for us, isn't it? But look at our situation, Dongxu's meager salary, how can we provide nutrition for the pregnant woman? If the adults can't eat enough, how will my great golden grandson survive? As a master, you can't just stand by, can you?"

Her words put Yi Zhonghai directly on the spot, both highlighting his duty as master and slapping the "great courtyard celebration" and "First Elder" labels onto him.

Yi Zhonghai felt a greasy, sour taste in his gut, as if he'd swallowed a fly. He knew Jia Zhangshi was just stirring trouble, but he couldn't bluntly refute her. Preserving the courtyard's façade of "respecting elders and caring for the young" and "mutual help" was the foundation of his standing as a First Elder. If he mishandled it and earned a reputation for neglecting disciples or the big picture, where would his face go?

He paused, then forced a warm smile onto his face, "Old sister‑in‑law is right; Huairu's pregnancy is a big matter, she needs proper nutrition." He turned to Jia Dama with a signal, "Go, give the old sister‑in‑law five jin of white flour and ten cash. Consider it a small token from me as master, to help Huairu replenish her body."

Jia Dama felt reluctant, but out of respect for her husband's face, she silently went inside to fetch the items.

Jia Zhangshi grabbed the heavy flour sack and the bundle of small bills, her face blooming with a smile, and flattered as if money were free, "Hey! Still a First Elder! Wise and caring to the young! On behalf of Dongxu, Huairu, and my unborn great golden grandson, thank you! You truly are the anchor of our courtyard!"

She left Yi's house with endless thanks, her back standing even straighter than before.

Yet the white flour and the money never reached Qin Huairu's mouth at all.

Jia Zhangshi, bag in hand, paced briskly but didn't go straight home. She first stashed the white flour back in the bottom of her own cupboard, muttering, "Such good flour, it'd be wasteful for that gluttonous wife to eat! Keep it for later." Then she pinched the ten cash, sniffed as if catching a hint of an unparalleled flavor, turned sharply, and headed straight out of the Siheyuan gate toward the Braised Meat stall at Hu Tong Kou.

Soon, she was carrying a greasy paper‑wrapped parcel, eating it in a hidden corner. The rich Braised Meat aroma drifted far, making the stray dogs in the Alley salivate and bark.

Jia Zhangshi ate with lingering flavor, and after finishing, wiped her mouth clean, glanced left and right as if fearing being seen, then contentedly returned home.

Qin Huairu, pale from vomiting and weak all over, staggered back into the house, hoping to find something to eat. She only saw a few cold steamed buns on the table, with no oily spots at all. She asked puzzled, "Mother, didn't First Elder give us white flour and money? Could we…?"

Jia Zhangshi, still chewing meat, slurred, "You don't know! That white flour is precious, to be saved for a crucial moment! Those ten cash, mother keeps them for you; you'll have many places to spend later! You're pregnant now; greasy food isn't good for you or the child! Just make do with some buns; when we were pregnant, having buns was already good enough!"

Qin Huairu stared at her mother‑in‑law's glossy mouth corner and smelled the faint Braised Meat scent, her heart as clear as a mirror. A wave of immense grievance and sorrow instantly engulfed her. She toiled for this family, bearing a child and enduring hardship, yet couldn't even get a decent bite. Her mother‑in‑law shouted "great golden grandson," but acted in a way that even deprived a pregnant woman's nutrition—such a vile deed!

Her nose twitched sourly, tears nearly fell, and she quickly bowed her head, silently picking up the hard steamed bun, nibbling bite by bite, tasting like chewing wax. The Braised Meat aroma was a cruel taunt, lingering around her, reminding her of her humility and helplessness. She stroked her unborn belly, her heart icy, feeling bewildered and fearful about this family and the days ahead. This child, born into such a household—could it truly be a blessing?

Meanwhile, from the Xi Kua Yuan drifted the simple aroma of home‑cooked dishes. Li Ping'an had returned from work, washing his hands at the sink, while Lin Xueqing, apron tied, busied herself at the stove, a pot of greens sizzling, full of kitchen warmth.

Li Ping'an inhaled, seemingly catching a faint whiff of the discordant Braised Meat scent drifting from the Central Courtyard, then glanced at the light vegetables in his own pot and shook his head. He said to his sister Li Pingle, "See? Some people have rotten hearts; no amount of meat can make up for it."

Li Pingle scoffed, "Exactly! That Jia old woman is no good! She took the First Elder's money meant for Sister Qin's nourishment and secretly ate meat herself! She can even shout 'great golden grandson'!"

Lin Xueqing turned off the heat, plated the vegetables, and said calmly, "Everyone has their own fate, each family its own way. We just need to live our own lives well." She handed chopsticks to the siblings, "Eat."

Under the warm light, the simple meal exuded a sense of steadiness and peace, a stark contrast to the front and central courtyards' false boasting, selfish scheming, and helpless sorrow.

The night in the Siheyuan gradually settled amid the tangled human bustle, with only an unknown child's wail and Jia Zhangshi's faint burp rippling softly in the darkness.