Cheng You was pregnant, and Qiu Tingting and Feng Xianxu were about to tie the knot. The Feng family welcomed a long-awaited wave of joy.
During this time, Feng Xue hadn't come to cause trouble, and the old lady's spirits had improved significantly, giving her the energy to oversee her grandson's wedding.
Feng Xianxu and Qiu Tingting's wedding was set for the end of June, when the weather had already turned warm.
Cheng You could not drink alcohol, and the old lady dared not let her help entertain guests, so she only let her eat dinner and go home to rest.
It was also at this time that Duan Liping sent a letter from abroad.
The letter detailed her recent situation and included a photograph.
She had found a foreign boyfriend and her face was beaming with excitement.
After her studies abroad ended, she found a suitable job overseas and would likely settle there permanently.
Sun Xiaowan looked wistful, unsure if she would ever have the chance to reunite with her.
She hadn't lost weight after her confinement, appearing fuller than before, with a ruddy complexion and looking very healthy.
Cheng You was more philosophical. All good things must come to an end.
"If fate allows, we will meet again sooner or later. I want to write back to her. Is there anything you want to say?"
"Yes, why don't we take a photo too and send it back together?"
Cheng You thought it was a good idea and said, "This time, let's send your family photo first. You go back and take one with Song Jingtang and the children. After the one in my belly is born, I'll send her mine."
Sun Xiaowan readily agreed. She dictated, and Cheng You wrote.
By the time this letter, which had crossed the ocean, reached Duan Liping, it was already July.
Cheng You was four months pregnant, her pregnancy beginning to show.
The ground was almost cracking from the sun, and Cheng You became increasingly lethargic, rarely going out except for classes.
Song Qinglan delivered soup on time, making her feel as if she were in confinement.
Fortunately, it all ended up in Qi Chengyan's stomach, otherwise Cheng You would have become as fat as a pig.
"Sister is due soon, right?"
Song Qinglan nodded, "Her due date is within these few days, and she's already in the hospital."
"Mom, don't you need to go take care of her?"
Song Qinglan said, "She has her mother-in-law to take care of her, and Boyan isn't as busy as Chengyan, so he can accompany her."
Cheng You was different. Her parents were deceased, and the only close relative she had was the old Jiang family, but they were all far away in Yongcheng and couldn't come.
She couldn't possibly ask Mrs. Feng to come and take care of her.
"I still have a long way to go before giving birth, you go take care of sister. I'll be fine here."
Song Qinglan chided her, "You're not far along, but I know more about pregnancy than you do. There are still things to be careful about."
She was mainly afraid that Cheng You wouldn't listen and would go to the fields to work again.
With the sun so strong now, what if she fainted in the fields?
She would usually stay at Cheng You's house until Qi Chengyan returned home, and only leave after seeing that Cheng You was being looked after.
After Qiu Tingting got married, she moved directly into the Feng family's home and would come to chat with Cheng You when she had time.
Qi Yang's child was born in the middle of the night. Song Qinglan didn't send word to Cheng You, who found out the next day.
When she went to see, Qi Yang had already been moved to a regular ward and looked to be in good condition.
The baby was like Sun Xiaowan's child when she was just born, all wrinkled and tiny.
"Is it a girl?"
Cheng You thought the features were very delicate.
Qi Yang chuckled, "Why are you like Chengyan? It's a boy, and everyone says he's delicate-looking."
Cheng You gently touched his little face. Seeing him smack his lips, she suddenly felt a strange sensation.
A child had been born just like this.
Qi Yang looked at her expression and smiled, asking, "Amazing, isn't it?"
Cheng You nodded, "Amazing."
"I think so too. You can't feel it yet, but in a while, when the one in your belly starts moving, you'll find life even more amazing."
Cheng You stroked her slightly protruding abdomen, "It will move?"
"It will, it's just not time yet."
Cheng You suddenly felt a sense of anticipation.
"Will sister have a second child?"
Qi Yang hadn't thought about it yet. "Your brother-in-law says one is enough. I'm mainly worried that one child will be too lonely."
Song Qinglan said, "There are so many children of similar age in the compound, how can he be lonely? Once he starts school, you won't worry about not having anyone to play with. One is enough, you don't have the energy for more."
Qi Yang felt her words were novel. People nowadays liked having many children for good fortune.
"Mom, if Cheng You has this one, you won't let her have any more?"
Song Qinglan found it amusing, "Whether to have more or not is their own business, what does it have to do with me? With your brother's personality, can I control him?"
Qi Yang laughed, it seemed her mother had truly come to terms with things.
After leaving the hospital, Cheng You received a message from Chen Qin.
"The medicinal herb garden is providing fewer herbs recently. Have you taken on other orders?"
Cheng You denied it immediately, "The medicinal herb garden's herbs are only supplied to Zhen Shan Tang."
"That's strange. Director Pan told me that the supply will be gradually reduced starting this month."
Director Pan was someone Chen Qin had personally selected. However, he was now in charge of the medicinal herb garden, and Chen Qin didn't want to overstep his bounds, so he came to find Cheng You.
"Will you come with me to ask?"
Cheng You also wanted to know what was going on.
Song Qinglan disagreed first when she heard she was going so far.
She knew Cheng You wouldn't listen, so she personally arranged for a car and went with her.
When they arrived at the medicinal herb garden, a truck was parked at the entrance, and many workers were loading herbs onto it.
Chen Qin's eyes darkened, "That's not our pharmacy's truck."
This meant Director Pan had privately sold the herbs to others.
The herbs were to be supplied only to Zhen Shan Tang; this was an explicit rule that no one could violate. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"You all stop," Cheng You reprimanded.
Soon, Liu Ying emerged from inside, looking furious.
She was shouting, "I'm going to find Cheng You! You can't move the Mu Xi grass without my permission!"
Hearing that they intended to move the Mu Xi grass, Chen Qin's face turned dark.
"They're utterly unreasonable! Call Pan Yunping out!"
The workers quickly slipped away. No matter how important Director Pan was, he was not as important as Cheng You, the boss.
In the end, Cheng You was the one who paid their salaries.
Soon, Director Pan came out.
Upon seeing Cheng You, he walked over unhurriedly.
However, as it was hot, he kept wiping his sweat as he walked, his fat belly jiggling.
"Cheng You, why are you here? It's so hot, I'm handling things here, you should go back."
Since Chen Qin addressed her by her first name, Director Pan followed suit.
Perhaps he thought Cheng You was easy-going and young, so he didn't take her very seriously.
Especially since Cheng You rarely visited the medicinal herb garden in the past two months, which further emboldened him, making him act as if he were the boss.
Cheng You remained composed and patiently asked, "Director Pan, I heard you sold the herbs to someone else. What's going on?"