Chapter 516 - 501: An Old Clam Gives Birth to a Pearl

The days that followed were joyful. Zheng Changsheng was traveling back and forth between Guang City and here. He and Lin Shuying had set their wedding date for December 18th, hoping to tie the knot before the new year. But plans can never keep up with change, and their wedding was moved up to November 20th.

Why was it moved up? Gu’er found the reason amusing, but she was also happy about it—Lin Shuying was pregnant.

It was, frankly, an unbelievable turn of events.

It was perfectly normal for Zheng Changsheng and Lin Shuying to be intimate. They had already gotten their marriage certificate, after all, even if they hadn’t held the wedding banquet. With the certificate, they were a legal couple. Plus, they were a normal man and woman with feelings for each other, so them getting together was a natural progression. The only thing was, no one ever expected that with Zheng Changsheng traveling back and forth, Lin Shuying would actually get pregnant after just a few times.

Lin Shuying was no longer young. She hadn’t had another child after giving birth to Xinghua. She did get pregnant once more, but she miscarried at two months. After that, she never conceived again. She had never gone for a check-up, and Zheng Daniu used to curse her all day, saying she couldn’t lay eggs anymore. Since she never got pregnant, she assumed there was something wrong with her, that she was infertile.

When Zheng Daniu got together with Chang Juhua and Chang Juhua became pregnant, she grew even more convinced that she was the one with the problem. That’s why, when she and Zheng Changsheng got serious, she told him she couldn’t give him children. Even if she were perfectly healthy, she was almost fifty. How could she possibly give birth at that age?

When she missed her period, she assumed she was starting menopause. Her heart ached a little, and she felt she was letting Zheng Changsheng down. But then she started feeling a bit unwell. She went for a check-up and, to her surprise, found out she was pregnant.

Just thinking about the look the doctor gave her made Lin Shuying blush beet-red. ’Getting pregnant at my age... I’ll be a laughingstock!’

But being a laughingstock was one thing; deep down, she was happy. This was Zheng Changsheng’s child. If she could give him a child, she wouldn’t have to feel like she was letting him down.

’But... but I’m so old. Having another baby... I don’t know what Zhongshan and Xinghua will think. And my daughter-in-law is pregnant, too! I just heard the news, she’s over a month along, and here I am, two months pregnant... If this gets out, how can I possibly face anyone?’

Lin Shuying’s thoughts were a mess. She felt incredibly awkward and didn’t know how to face everyone. But the matter couldn’t be kept quiet, so she told Zhongshan, his wife, Xinghua, and Gu’er.

Gu’er and the others were shocked when they heard. It was something no one had expected. For Lin Shuying, it was like an old oyster yielding a pearl.

"Mom, really?"

Xinghua asked curiously, grabbing Lin Shuying’s arm.

Lin Shuying didn’t dare to look at her daughter and just gave a quick, uncertain nod.

"I’m going to have a little brother or sister! This is great! Mom, don’t worry, my brother, my sister-in-law, and I will definitely be good to the baby. And you don’t have to worry about your postpartum recovery, I’ll take care of you. I’ll help with the baby after it’s born, too. You just focus on a safe delivery."

Xinghua was thrilled. She was actually going to have a new brother or sister! Even though the age gap would be huge, it would be her own flesh and blood. She was truly happy for her mom and Uncle Zheng.

"Mom, we don’t have any objections," Zheng Zhongshan added. "Just like Xinghua said, the baby is our little brother or sister, and we’ll definitely treat them well. But you are older now, so you have to be careful about everything. You can’t be careless."

Zheng Zhongshan wasn’t against it, but he was worried about Lin Shuying’s health. Childbirth could be a life-or-death trial.

"I know what you mean. I’ll be careful. I just don’t know what your Uncle Zheng will think about it."

Lin Shuying thought Zheng Changsheng would be happy, but he had always seemed indifferent about the matter, so she wasn’t sure if he actually wanted children.

"Uncle Zheng will definitely be happy," Gu’er said. "But there’s another order on that end, so he wasn’t supposed to come back for another half a month. Someone needs to be there. How about this? I’ll call him in a little while and tell him to come back. We can have Li Zhi go over instead. It’ll be a good chance for Li Zhi to visit Feng Ling, too."

Gu’er didn’t think there was any need to worry about Zheng Changsheng’s reaction. Before, they were worried Lin Shuying couldn’t conceive, and there was nothing to be done. But now that she was pregnant, Gu’er figured Zheng Changsheng would dote on her endlessly.

"Don’t call him. Don’t say anything. It’s too embarrassing," Lin Shuying protested. "Let’s just wait for him to finish his work and come back. I’m not in any hurry."

Lin Shuying was mortified. She was about to become a grandmother, and here she was, pregnant again. She felt like she couldn’t hold her head up.

"You might not be in a hurry, Auntie, but Uncle Zheng will be. If we don’t tell him, he’ll blame us when he gets back. We should have him come home. The house is all tidied up, so he can come back, pick a date, and we can have a small banquet with a couple of tables."

Gu’er felt they needed to hurry with the wedding reception. Otherwise, Lin Shuying’s belly would start showing, and it would be unpleasant if people started gossiping about her.

In the end, Lin Shuying didn’t argue. She was flustered and also secretly hoped Zheng Changsheng would come back and decide what to do.

Gu’er left Lin Shuying in Xinghua’s care, since Zhongshan had his own recently pregnant wife to look after.

Gu’er went back and told the Sun Family the news. They were all happy for Lin Shuying. Having a child with Zheng Changsheng would make their relationship even more solid.

"Gu’er, are you serious? You’re not pulling my leg, are you?"

On the other end of the line, Zheng Changsheng’s voice trembled when he heard the news from Gu’er. He couldn’t believe it. ’Could heaven really be this good to me? I had already prepared for a life without children, but now Lin Shuying is pregnant. I’m going to be a father... Is this really happening?’

"Uncle Zheng, would I joke about something like this? She’s more than two months along. I’ll have Li Zhi go over there, so you should hurry back and take care of the wedding with my aunt. Her belly won’t stay hidden for long."

Gu’er smiled. Good news had a way of lifting everyone’s spirits. It seemed like this year was full of wonderful things.

"Okay, okay, I’m coming back right now. I’m coming back! Gu’er, you have to take good care of your aunt. Don’t let her do a single thing. She’s older, not like a young woman. You absolutely have to look after her. Wait for me, I’m coming home."

Zheng Changsheng was incredibly excited. An emotion screamed within him, and he felt the blood pounding through his veins. It was as if he were a young man again.

"Okay, Uncle Zheng, don’t worry. We’ll take good care of Auntie. We’ll wait for you to get back."

Gu’er would have taken care of Lin Shuying even without being told.

"Gu’er, wait."

Just as Gu’er was about to hang up, Zheng Changsheng suddenly stopped her.

"Gu’er, did the doctor say anything? Did he say she can’t give birth at her age? Is it dangerous? If—and I’m just saying if—if your aunt has this baby, will she... will something happen to her?"

Zheng Changsheng fell silent for a moment before asking, his voice heavy. He had been so caught up in his happiness that he had forgotten how dangerous it was for Lin Shuying to be pregnant at her age.

Gu’er was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Zheng Changsheng to ask this.

"And what if the doctor said it would be very dangerous for her to give birth?"

Gu’er countered. In truth, whether the doctor said it or not, Lin Shuying’s was a high-risk pregnancy due to her age. There were definite dangers involved.

"I would never trade your aunt’s life for a child. If it’s truly dangerous, then I’ll go with her to terminate the pregnancy. Even though the procedure has its own risks, it’s still better than her going through with the birth. Gu’er, just tell me the truth. I can handle it."

Zheng Changsheng’s voice was shaking. He was terrified.

"Don’t worry, Uncle Zheng. The doctor said my aunt is in pretty good health. As long as you spend more time with her and take good care of her from now on, she’ll be able to deliver the baby safely."

Gu’er gave Zheng Changsheng the reassurance he needed.