r18novel Chapter 1166 He Yuzhu's Thoughts
Chapter 1166 He Yuzhu's Thoughts
Her words were half true and half false. Qin Huairu had indeed secretly shed tears a few times and made a couple of lapses in judgment because of Banggeng's rural assignment, but she was by no means "foolish." She just wanted to use these words to see whether He Yuzhu valued her and the family more, or Qin Huairu's "affection" more.
He Yuzhu was initially quite worried, his brows furrowing in concern. But then he thought back to the day before yesterday when he had just helped Qin Huairu fix her leaky roof. She had even handed him a bowl of sweet soup with a smile, and seemed quite lucid. Why was she suddenly acting so strangely? Then, looking at Lu Jia's ambiguous smile, he suddenly realized—she was testing him! Pregnant women are just so calculating.
He snorted inwardly, but put on a look of sudden realization, slamming his chopsticks on the table: "Hey, I thought it was something serious! Didn't you just say that we don't need to offend someone like Gu Nan? What does the Jia family's business have to do with us? Whether she's good or bad is her family's business, why should we care? From now on, I'll stay away from her to avoid getting into trouble!" He spoke decisively, staring intently at Lu Jia, as if making a declaration of determination, almost as if he wanted to swear an oath.
Lu Jia was surprised and amused by his quick reaction. She had thought she could make him anxious and press her for details, but this silly guy was clever enough not to fall for it.
She didn't dwell on it anymore, picked up her bowl and drank the rest of the soup. The warm broth slid down her throat, making her feel cozy. She put down the bowl, picked up a dishcloth from the table and wiped her mouth. "That's true. Let's not talk about this anymore, it's just unnecessary worry. Go and rest early after you finish eating, you have to get up early for work tomorrow. As the 'factory manager's favorite,' you can't be late."
Seeing that she didn't press the matter further, He Yuzhu breathed a sigh of relief and nodded vigorously, quickly clearing away the dishes. As he washed the dishes, he pondered that Lu Jia's mind was becoming increasingly active now that she was pregnant. He really needed to avoid dealing with Qin Huairu in the future and stay away from her, lest she overthink things and cause any problems with the fetus.
Lu Jia sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), her hand gently touching her lower abdomen, her fingertips able to feel the faint movement, a faint smile playing on her lips. He Yuzhu's reaction wasn't exactly satisfactory, but it wasn't bad either. At least he knew to express his feelings to her, showing that he still cared about the family. As for Qin Huairu… she had plenty of patience; she could work things out little by little until He Yuzhu completely gave up those inappropriate thoughts.
The moonlight streamed through the window lattice, casting dappled, checkered shadows on the ground, much like the hearts of people in this courtyard—layer upon layer, concealing too many unseen twists and turns, and until the very last moment, no one could guess the ending.
He Yuzhu had indeed been working himself to the bone lately. The work in the factory kitchen was already demanding, requiring him to stand for most of the day chopping vegetables and tossing woks. When he got home, he still had to take care of Lu Jia, who was pregnant, making her chicken soup and massaging her back. He felt like half his energy had been drained away, and he always had dark circles under his eyes. Looking at Lu Jia's increasingly prominent belly, round and plump like a small watermelon, he said with a touch of concern, "If you ask me, your belly is getting bigger and bigger. You have to walk slowly, it's so inconvenient. Why don't you take a couple of days off from the factory to rest? Don't push yourself too hard, what will happen to you and the baby if you exhaust yourself?"
Lu Jia smiled, stroking her belly, her fingertips gently tracing the bulging curve, her eyes filled with a warm tenderness: "It's still early, there are still almost two months until I give birth, it's fine. The work in the workshop isn't heavy, it's just sitting and writing reports, it won't tire me out. When I really can't take it anymore, I'll ask for help then, I might as well ask for a few more days, so I can rest during my postpartum period, and save myself the trouble of going back and forth."
He Yuzhu nodded and didn't try to persuade her further. That evening, he ate some light food with Lu Jia, then drank two small cups of baijiu (Chinese liquor) with a plate of peanuts. Feeling a bit heavy-headed, he went to bed early. But after lying down, he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. His mind was a jumble of random thoughts, especially Qin Huairu's image, which kept flashing before his eyes—the image of her wearing an apron and picking vegetables in the yard, the way she smiled as she leaned over to borrow soy sauce, and the cup of steaming water she handed him when he helped her fix the coal stove last time.
Speaking of which, although Qin Huairu had given birth to three children, the gentleness in her eyes hadn't diminished, and the timid, charming naiveté she spoke always gave him a strange feeling. Before Lu Jia was pregnant, the two of them were deeply in love, and he hadn't had so many thoughts about her. But now that Lu Jia was heavily pregnant and couldn't sleep well at night, there were bound to be more considerations between them, and those thoughts that had been suppressed in his heart sprouted up like wild grass in early spring.
As for Ran Qiuye, he didn't even dare to think about her—she was an educated woman, and even if her husband Gu Nan wasn't the deputy factory director, just in terms of physique and the sharpness in his eyes, he was no match for him at all. Why bother making a fool of himself? After thinking it over, among the women in the courtyard, only Qin Huairu seemed to have a chance.
The Jia family has been plagued by troubles lately. The matter of sending the laborers to the countryside is like a thunderbolt hanging over their heads, ready to explode at any moment. Qin Huairu is so anxious that she has developed several blisters on her lips and sighs constantly in the courtyard. He Yuzhu is secretly calculating: if he can step in and lend a hand now, given Qin Huairu's always adept at handling things, she might be grateful to him and even throw herself at him. That way, he can finally put his own desires to rest.
Sure enough, the next morning, He Yuzhu got up later than usual. He dawdled around at home, washing up and eating, deliberately drinking his porridge slowly, just to kill time and wait to run into Qin Huairu in the courtyard.
Seeing his absent-mindedness, his chopsticks fidgeting in his bowl, his eyes constantly glancing towards the courtyard gate, Lu Jia knew exactly what was going on, but said nothing. Pregnant, she was too lazy to worry about such complicated matters. What He Yuzhu was thinking and doing seemed shrouded in a thin mist to her; there was no need to concern herself with it—life was hers to live, and she only needed to know what was good and bad.
Not long after, the sound of the gate creaking open came from the courtyard. He Yuzhu's ears perked up, and he quickly peeked out. Sure enough, he saw Qin Huairu and Yi Zhonghai walking out together, talking as they went, as if they were going to work together. Qin Huairu, with her sharp eyes, also caught sight of He Yuzhu inside. Their eyes met, and she instantly understood He Yuzhu's intentions. She quickly said to Yi Zhonghai, "Uncle Yi, you go to work first. I just remembered that I still have some things to take care of inside, so I need to go back and get something. I'll stay a little longer."