Chapter 204: and translation of title, then ===GLOSSARY=== with list of named entities appearing in these lines

Ah, I'm not afraid of death, it's just that the baby in my belly is a boy, the only grandson of your Old Zhou Family!

You may not consider yourselves, but you should at least consider the child in my womb, right?

Zhang Xuemei appealed to emotion and reason, brainwashing the Zhou father and son, trying to get them to agree with her viewpoint.

Haitao, Mom got food poisoning this time, it cost the family over two hundred yuan, that's about half your yearly salary.

Look at you, you often work overtime, I don't know if your body can still hold up.....

Dad, I know you and Mom look down on me, thinking I'm too old and have no natal family to help Haitao.

But Haitao isn't young either; can a well‑off young lady from another family even take a liking to him?

Even if they could, would they not despise you and Mom as burdens?

After saying all that, the Zhou father and son had no way to refute.

If they could find a suitable young lady willing to marry Zhou Haitao, they wouldn't have let Zhang Xuemei stay in their home for so long.

They were thinking of "riding the donkey while looking for a horse," but there simply aren't any well‑qualified young ladies who would take a fancy to Zhou Haitao!

Thinking this, the father and son exchanged a glance, nodded, and agreed that was the situation.

In my view, why not hold a wedding for me and Haitao, collect some gift money, and make a tidy sum for our pockets.

Then send Mom back to her rural relatives, giving her five yuan a month—very hassle‑free.

Once I have the baby, I'll find a job, work while caring for the child, and earn a few dozen yuan a month to supplement the household.

Zhang Xuemei really knows how to exploit human weaknesses; sure enough, after hearing her, the Zhou father and son's eyes lit up, and they all thought it was a good idea.

Along with that, their gazes toward Zhang Xuemei softened considerably.

Fine, I have no objections; you two just live your lives well, I can still help you with the kids, and you just need to earn money.

Zhou's father chimed in with a smiling face, harboring his own little scheme.

Once the old woman is sent away, no one will stop him from drinking, and no one will control his spending on other women.

I also have no objections; let's do it Zhang Xuemei's way—Mom's side, Dad, you go talk to her.

Zhou Haitao looked approvingly at Zhang Xuemei; his earlier irritability, gloom, and resentment all turned into ease at this moment.

Taking a wife home isn't just to have her share your burdens and help you handle family conflicts, is it?

After looking for so long without finding anyone satisfactory, we might as well go with Zhang Xuemei.

Just as his father taught him, marry a "sea‑stabilizing divine needle" at home, and the colorful flags outside won't fall.

In just a few minutes, the three decided Zhou's mother's fate.

This time Zhang Xuemei could finally hold her head high, kicking away the biggest stumbling block that had hindered her.....

Besides the joy, she also felt some worry for her daughter's situation.

The son‑in‑law said his daughter had divorced him, and as for where she went, he didn't know either.

Could she believe her son‑in‑law's words?

Of course she doesn't believe him!

But she now has no money or ability; she must first establish herself in the Zhou household before she can muster the energy to investigate her daughter's whereabouts.

May her Manman be safe and smooth.

On Monday, the Military Region Hospital was crowded with people.

Especially the queue for free prenatal checkups, which was extremely long.

They were all military dependents, with no distinction of rank; everyone lined up honestly, and no one felt comfortable cutting in.

Overall the atmosphere was harmonious and cheerful.

"Manman, why haven't you been going out lately?"

"It's too sunny, I'm too lazy to go out."

"That's true too; I feel I've gotten much darker than when I was a maiden at my parents' home."

"Me too; even though I haven't set foot on the ground since following the army, my skin has gotten a lot darker."

"Manman, how are you still so fair? Any little secret?"

"Me? I just haven't been out much, and when I do go out I wear a straw hat, covering myself thoroughly."

The military wives all had places to sit; the queuing was done by their husbands standing in line.

Since ancient times, women have been interested in topics about skin care—whether they are fair or dark.

Shen Man's answer was proper and unremarkable, with nothing special about it.

In the end, the military wives could only attribute Shen Man's fairness to her being naturally beautiful and untanable.

Such a physique cannot be envied.

As they chatted, the topic turned to Sun Meili.

The military wives sighed incessantly; this person was at most a disliked military wife, not well known, so they just kept their distance.

In the past one or two months, her situation has spread throughout the dependents' compound.

Sun Meili not only lost a child, but also forever lost the chance to be a mother!

Now she has been discharged from the Military Region Hospital and is recuperating in the dependents' compound, but some of them organized a visit, bringing a packet of brown sugar and several dozen eggs.

That person—where is there any semblance of a human appearance left?

She's as thin as skin and bone, her whole body looks ten or so years older, and she even has white hair on her head!

"What about her husband? Didn't he give her an explanation?"

"What else can be done? He whipped his daughter with a belt and then sent her back to her natal home."

"Although she's a daughter, she's still their only offspring—what else could they do?"

"Sun Meili has suffered a great loss; military marriages aren't easy to divorce, and because of this incident her husband got a major demerit......"

"Given her situation now, she can only muddle through; otherwise, in the future she won't even have survival, let alone children to support her in old age."

The words may be rough but the reasoning is sound; women of this era all advise reconciliation, not divorce.

How great is the pressure on a woman who has divorced?

Even spit droplets could drown someone!

If a man is thick‑skinned, he can simply remarry and carry on with life.

But a woman cannot do that.

Although everyone usually dislikes Sun Meili, in this matter they all sympathize with her.

Nobody said Sun Meili was bad; they were just worried about her future.

Shen Man refrains from commenting; she judges the matter, not the person, and the person, not the matter.

Just then, her husband's number came up; he came over to pick her up and go to the second‑floor prenatal check‑up.

"I'll go for the prenatal check‑up first; we'll talk again later."

"Mm‑hm, go ahead."

The military wives were all friendly, smiling as they watched Shen Man and Regiment Commander Jiang's departing backs, then they resumed their lively chat.

There's nothing to be done; in these times TVs aren't common, radios are expensive, and ordinary people can't afford them.

Want to watch a movie?

Then you have to go outside Sea Island, which is really troublesome.

Moreover, when living married life, you must split every penny evenly; only a thrifty household can last long.

So whenever there's a stir in the family compound, the military wives whisper to each other, and naturally everyone finds out.

Furthermore, Political Commissar Ji only cracks down on bad elements who spread rumors and slander; they aren't among them.

If even this little pastime were taken away, they'd truly have nowhere to cry, dying of boredom.

What's more important, the gossip section chief is none other than Political Commissar Ji's wife.

At this moment, Shen Man, who had just gone up to the second floor, happened to run into Wangjie and her husband coming out of the prenatal clinic......

Their eyes met, and their expressions differed.