Chapter 762 - 392: An Old Tree Blossoms (2)

Chapter 762: Chapter 392: An Old Tree Blossoms (2)

She paused. Pu Pao already had a sinking feeling. She covered her mouth with her little hands and stared wide-eyed at Juhua. Laishou was grinning and giggling, but Hulu just watched his aunt. He didn’t really understand, but he loved being held by her like this, listening to her tell a story.

—"That fool saw the water churning in the irrigation ditch, so he hurriedly put his basket down, then cracked every single egg in it and poured them into the ditch."

"HAHAHA..." Laishou howled with laughter, stomping his feet.

Pu Pao laughed for a moment, then her brow furrowed with worry. "But what happened then? He went home with nothing, so his wife must have been furious with him."

Just as Juhua was about to speak, she heard Mrs. Wang call out joyfully, "Hua’er, your mother’s back!"

Sure enough, Qingmu was driving the horse-drawn cart into the courtyard. He called out loudly toward the house, "Hulu, Daddy’s home!" 𝔣𝖗ⅇℯ

The two dogs seemed to spring to life, barking loudly as they darted back and forth alongside the cart. Once the cart came to a stop, they peered at the entrance, their eyes glinting in the dim moonlight. They watched Zheng Changhe and the others dismount, their tails wagging furiously in delight. It seemed even they had felt the courtyard was too empty with so few people around.

And so, the excitement for the story was instantly replaced by the joy of their family’s return. Hulu was the first to dash into the courtyard, yelling, "Daddy, Mommy, Grandpa, Grandma!" His voice was clear and cheerful. Pu Pao quickly followed behind to make sure he didn’t fall.

Juhua was overjoyed as well. She and Mrs. Wang went forward to greet them. Amid the flurry of greetings, she heard Qingmu say, "Mom’s all right." Her heart instantly settled. Not caring about anything else, she cheerfully went to get the meal ready.

However, once the food was set on the table and Liu Yunlan had helped Mrs. Yang to her seat, Zheng Changhe, grinning from ear to ear, said repeatedly, "Juhua, go get some pickled bamboo shoots. Your mother can’t quite stomach this food..."

Before he could finish, Mrs. Yang shot him a fierce glare. "What are you yelling about? Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? You’ll make the children laugh!" As she spoke, her expression was a little awkward.

Qingmu and Liu Yunlan just smiled without saying a word. Fearing his parents would feel awkward, Qingmu said to Juhua, "Our family has double blessings today. Your sister-in-law is pregnant again." He then nuzzled Hulu, who was in his arms. "Hulu, do you want a little brother or a little sister?"

Hulu happily threw his arms around his father’s neck, squirming excitedly. "A sister!" he cried.

Juhua and Mrs. Wang were ecstatic. "Really?" they asked hurriedly. "When did this happen? Sister Yunlan, you didn’t show any signs at all!"

Liu Yunlan’s face turned red. Sitting at the table, she said shyly, "I... I thought it might be the case, but I wasn’t sure. Since I was taking Mother to the market today anyway, I had Doctor Yun take a look. He said I’m a little over two months along..."

Juhua grinned happily. "This is wonderful news, and such a good omen! Dad—"

Zheng Changhe cut her off. "There’s another piece of good news! Your mother’s pregnant too! She’s going to give you a little brother. Isn’t that fantastic? Now hurry up and fetch some of those pickled bamboo shoots. Your mother is craving sour things."

Hearing that Liu Yunlan was pregnant had made Juhua beam with delight. But hearing that Mrs. Yang was pregnant too... she could only blink and stare at her father, completely unable to process it. Her mouth fell open, the rest of her sentence caught in her throat, her face a mask of utter shock.

Seeing the astonished expressions on her daughter’s and her own mother’s faces, Mrs. Yang was so mortified she wished the ground would swallow her whole. She lowered her head, not knowing what to do. ’Getting pregnant should be a joyous occasion, but at my age... and at the same time as my daughter-in-law? Isn’t this just humiliating?’

But Juhua was quick on the uptake. Seeing her mother’s awkward discomfort, her eyes lit up, and she said with a burst of feigned surprise, "Wow! This is a truly wonderful omen! It means our Old Zheng Family is destined for greatness, that we’re about to flourish!"

Seeing her father and brother both staring at her, she explained, "Our Zheng Family has only had a single heir for generations. This year, not only is my sister-in-law expecting, but even Mother is too! And everyone knows that children born to older parents are the most intelligent. This baby, whether it’s a boy or a girl, will be someone extraordinary. It’s a sign that the Zheng Family is about to prosper greatly! Dad, this courtyard won’t be nearly big enough in the future. We’ll have to build an extension!"

’She spun the tale with incredible smoothness. Speaking of which, it seems I’m getting addicted to making things up. Last time, I spun a lie about someone dying, and now I’m spinning one about a newborn. I feel like I’m turning into a complete charlatan.’

But Zheng Changhe and the others believed her completely. And why wouldn’t they? What man isn’t happy when his wife is pregnant? What family doesn’t believe that more children and grandchildren are a sign of prosperity and good fortune?

Zheng Changhe roared with laughter. "We’ll build more! We’ll definitely build more! We’re not afraid of having too many children. Juhua, I think you’re absolutely right. The Old Zheng Family is about to hit the big time! Darling," he said to his wife, "don’t you be embarrassed. It’s just family here, what’s there to be shy about? Juhua said it herself—children born to older parents are the cleverest. Maybe our son will be like Yangzi and become a Scholar! When that time comes, you and I will be the parents of a Scholar."

Mrs. Wang also snapped out of it and chided Mrs. Yang, "Such wonderful news, and you’re acting all bashful. Don’t you know how many people pray for this and never receive it? Now you listen to me. Starting today, you are to stop rushing around and working yourself to the bone. This family won’t starve with one less person working. I’ll take care of the kitchen. At your age, you need to be especially careful while carrying the baby. I’ll say something that might sound biased, but Yunlan is young and has a stronger constitution than you, so it’ll likely be easier for her. But she can’t be careless either. From now on, neither of you is to do any work. Just leave the household to me."

Juhua watched her maternal grandmother and couldn’t help but smile, pursing her lips. ’She’s like someone from my past life who was unemployed for ages and finally found a job,’ she thought. ’There’s so much more spirit in her voice.’

Seeing her mother and daughter looking so happy, Mrs. Yang’s expression finally softened. However, she still shot Zheng Changhe a look, blaming him for getting carried away in front of everyone like a little kid. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)