Back To The 80s-Chapter 241 - 251: Fetal Movement (Additional Content for 4000 votes)_1
Chen Gang knew that his only way out now was to study. But without money to pay for school, he had to rely on Gu Xiaobei. That’s why he had come to Gu Xiaobei, filled with shame.
Gu Xiaobei noticed Chen Gang’s awkwardness and spoke gently, "Chen Gang, don’t think too much about anything else, just focus on your studies. Become a successful person, that’s how you can accomplish what you want."
Chen Gang nodded, "Aunt, please go back inside. I will leave now. After my mother’s seven-seven, I will come again."
Gu Xiaobei didn’t fully understand these customs. She nodded and saw Chen Gang off.
Li Fengmei had heard the two talking at the door from inside the room, but she was afraid to come out and embarrass Chen Gang. After Chen Gang left, she stepped out and called for Gu Xiaobei to come to her house.
"What a poor child," sighed Li Fengmei as Gu Xiaobei entered the room.
"Yeah, with his mother gone, I bet Li Xianglan is going to insist on splitting up the household," Gu Xiaobei understood. In many families, after the elders passed away, the siblings’ first task was often to split up the house.
"I’m afraid this child will have a hard time at home," Li Fengmei sighed. She continued, "Chen Gang really knows his place. People who are in deep mourning aren’t supposed to visit other people’s homes, especially homes with pregnant women."
Gu Xiaobei was puzzled, "Why is that?"
"After a woman becomes pregnant, her body weakens and she’s vulnerable to unclean things. Also, it’s believed that the soul of the deceased doesn’t disperse until the seven-seven is over. There’s a fear that the unresolved spirit could disturb the child in the womb."
Though Gu Xiaobei didn’t believe in these things, she nonetheless felt goosebumps and shivers down her spine as she listened.
Seeing Gu Xiaobei’s face turn stiff, Li Fengmei laughed and said, "These are just superstitions, but we follow them to respect others."
Gu Xiaobei touched her protruding belly and asked Li Fengmei, "Why does my stomach always feel like there’s a little fish swimming back and forth at night?"
Li Fengmei chuckled, "That’s the baby moving around! When I was pregnant with Dadong, I was scared out of my wits whenever the baby moved in my belly. It wasn’t until experienced mothers told me that the baby was fully formed and just playing around that I calmed down."
Gu Xiaobei found the whole thing amazing. There was a fully formed baby moving around in her belly; she wondered what the baby would look like. The thought brought a smile to her face.
Now aware of the wonders of fetal movement, Gu Xiaobei would stroke her belly every day during her noon nap and before going to bed at night, whispering to the baby.
"Baby, I’m your mommy. Are you happy today? Mommy is not happy today because mommy misses daddy a lot."
"Baby, what do you look like? Do you have single or double eyelids? If you have double eyelids, give me a kick."
"Baby, the snow has all melted, why hasn’t daddy come back yet? Do you think daddy misses us?"
"Baby, shall we sing a nursery rhyme today?"
...
Gu Xiaobei didn’t tire of these repetitive talks. Instead, she became more and more addicted to them. Especially when the baby moved right after she had finished speaking; she would then spend a long time giggling, feeling as if Little Bun could communicate with her.
By the end of March, Lu Zhanguo still hadn’t returned. The buds were sprouting on the poplar trees, and before long new leaves would be unfurling.
The morning sunshine was perfect, there was no wind. Gu Xiaobei, her belly now obviously swollen, went for a walk outside.
After taking a walk around the compound, she returned home to find Xiangmin sunbathing with the baby.
This was the first time Gu Xiaobei had seen Xiangmin since she gave birth. Although they lived next door to each other, Xiangmin hardly ever left the house, even when she went to the restroom, she chose times when no one was around.
Gu Xiaobei was shocked by Xiangmin’s appearance. She was nothing but skin and bones, and her eyes were dull. But when she laid eyes on Gu Xiaobei, there was a flash of resentment in her gaze.
Gu Xiaobei inwardly rolled her eyes. The way Xiangmin hated her was insane; she was probably going to blame her for having a girl.
Xiangmin’s resentment towards Gu Xiaobei seemed to multiply whenever she saw her. Ding Guihua was still around, but she didn’t bother to care for Xiangmin and her daughter; after having her meals and drinks, she would just sit in the outer room and puff away on her cigarette.
Guo Huaqiang found their home oppressive and would generally stay in the barracks, only coming home to sleep at night.
After Xiangmin’s milk had dried up due to her mother-in-law’s interference with her breastfeeding, the baby had to be fed formula. This added an extra expense, which Ding Guihua was reluctant to bear. Everyday she would indirectly criticize Xiangmin for being useless and for wasting food.
Despite Ding Guihua’s nasty comments, she did take care of washing the baby’s diapers.
Xiangmin assigned all her unhappiness onto Gu Xiaobei, believing everything went downhill after Gu Xiaobei arrived.
Ever since Gu Xiaobei became pregnant and saw Xiangmin experiencing one pregnancy-related complication after another, ending in preterm birth, she had been extremely careful in everything she did.
She was always afraid of stepping into puddles or slipping on ice patches and falling.
When she passed by Xiangming’s door on her way upstairs, she noticed several small puddles of liquid. She carefully stepped over them, and after a second look, she realized it wasn’t water. She bent down for a closer look and found out it was oil.
Gu Xiaobei suspected it was Xiangmin’s doing. With the current economy, people were sparing when frying with oil. Who would be so careless as to spill oil on the ground?
Considering the grudge Xiangmin held against her, Gu Xiaobei immediately became alert. If Xiangmin really tried something reckless and ended up hurting Gu Xiaobei’s baby, Gu Xiaobei swore she would risk her life to make Xiangmin pay.
With this in mind, Gu Xiaobei knocked on Xiangmin’s door. Ding Guihua answered, "What is it, Zhanguo’s wife?"
"Auntie, how can your family be so careless? You’ve spilled oil all over the floor. It’s so wasteful," Gu Xiaobei pointed innocently at the oil stains on the floor.
Ding Guihua looked down and her face darkened, she began to scold, "This wastrel! Is she blind? How could she spill so much oil?"
Gu Xiaobei laughed, "I guess it wasn’t intentional. Who would willingly spill oil? But it’s strange how the oil is splattered here and there. It would have been better to cover it with some ash. If someone slips and falls, that would be a big deal."
Ding Guihua wasn’t dumb. Upon closer inspection, it indeed looked like the oil had been spilled on purpose. Her face darkened further, and her resentment against Xiangmin grew. She had never harmed anyone before, but now she was even more upset with Xiangmin.
Seeing Ding Guihua’s gloomy expression, Gu Xiaobei felt that she had correctly appraised the situation. She didn’t have the energy to deal with Xiangmin herself, so she left it to her mother-in-law.
As expected, Ding Guihua didn’t disappoint Gu Xiaobei. At noon, Ding Guihua was heard scolding, "You wasteful child, you heartless creature! Why did my grandson fall? It’s all because you’re not doing what you’re supposed to every day, this is karma!
Why doesn’t this karma fall onto you, the unworthy one? You’ve taken away my healthy grandson, leaving nothing behind!" Ding Guihua was sobbing and cursing at the same time.
Xiangmin watched her coldly, "If you don’t like it, you can go back to your hometown. My child and I don’t need you to care for us!"
"Are you kicking me out? Let me tell you, this is my son’s house. If anyone has to go, it’s you, the outsider. You worthless woman!" Ding Guihua spat out these words through gritted teeth.
