Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 860, 859 Morning Sickness
In the evening, Wu Aijun and Ma Wei came out of Beihai Park. Wu Aijun found someone selling malt candy. Although the price was high, he still bought some.

Maltose, also known as "entangled honey," is made by stirring and entangled two small bamboo sticks. It can be eaten or used to relieve boredom.

"Here you go." Wu Aijun paid and handed the vendor's wrapped malt candy to Ma Wei.

The two spent a day in Beihai, and Wu Aijun still hadn't figured out how to address Ma Wei. Calling her "Little Ma" seemed a bit presumptuous; calling her "Weiwei" might be too forward and upset her; but he couldn't exactly call her "sister," could he?

In fact, from the very beginning of their communication, Wu Aijun had never found an affectionate and appropriate way to address her.

While it's acceptable to use "Comrade Ma Wei" in a letter, addressing her in person would seem somewhat distant. Therefore, Wu Aijun avoids using this form of address and always gets straight to the point. Since there's no third party involved, Ma Wei understands even without a formal title.

"You eat too." Ma Wei took the two small bamboo sticks, cut them in half, wrapped them together, and then gave half to Wu Aijun.

Ma Wei was in a similar situation. Calling him Xiao Wu made her feel old, and calling him Ai Jun made her feel a little embarrassed to say it, so she simply kept it straight.

Wu Aijun did not refuse Ma Wei's sharing.

Wu Aijun carried this small bamboo stick home with him in his mouth.

After arriving home, he couldn't bear to throw away the bamboo stick. Even though he had finished the maltose, he still felt that it contained the sweet taste of love.

Lu Lan didn't eat at the Women's Federation dormitory. After getting the information she wanted, she went home. However, Ye Zhijuan didn't let her come back empty-handed and gave her two fish that the two brothers had caught.

The fish weren't small; the two fish together must have weighed about three pounds, enough to make for a nice meal.

"Mom, are we having fish today?" Although Ma Wei didn't say it explicitly, after this stroll, Wu Aijun felt that their relationship was basically settled. At this moment, he was no longer anxious in the morning and felt more relaxed and joyful than ever before.

"Yes. I went to your Aunt Ye's house today. Xiao Tang caught two of them and asked me to bring them back." Lu Lan didn't immediately ask her son about his love life.

"Oh, he's quite skilled." When Wu Aijun heard his mother say that she had met Tang Zhitong, his heart skipped a beat, and he felt like he had been caught cheating.

"Xiao Tang is a good catch. He goes fishing, hunting rabbits, and hunting pheasants whenever he has free time since the New Year. What did you go out to do today?" Lu Lan changed the subject so quickly that she almost broke Wu Aijun's back.

"I...I went for a stroll by the lake to see if there were any places where it would be easy to catch fish, so I can go fishing there sometime," Wu Aijun said instinctively, caught off guard.

“You’re all young people, it would be nice for you to go fishing together. But Xiao Tang has a family, so it’s not easy for him to get out of the house. As for you, shouldn’t you be facing your personal issues? You can’t run away from this.” Lu Lan put down the fish in her hand and waited for her son to speak.

"He told you everything?" Now that things had come to this point, Wu Aijun had already understood his mother's implied meaning.

“I want you to talk to me.” Lu Lan avoided answering, washed her hands, and adopted the demeanor of having a serious talk with her son.

"Well, there's this girl in his office. There was a case a while ago where the suspect was targeting Tang Zhitong, but he was sent to the countryside. That girl got stabbed..." Wu Aijun scratched his head. Since his mother hadn't denied that Tang Zhitong had confessed, it meant she already knew.

The two of them were making good progress today, and it would be fine to keep it a secret until they got engaged and announced it later. But it would also be reasonable to tell the truth now, so Wu Aijun simply blurted it all out.

However, he still did not address Ma Wei by her given name.

“I don’t object to you dating that girl. As a mother, I worry about you, a man, let alone Miss Ma. Why don’t you two discuss it and talk to your parents, and have both sets of parents meet?” Lu Lan listened and spoke with a smile, her smile never fading throughout the entire conversation.

After raising my son for so many years, he has finally learned to steal someone else's cabbage, and he has found a high-quality one!
Although working-class people are currently the most sought-after when looking for a partner, family background is actually the most important factor when considering one's own family.

Although some people in such families do marry pure laborers, they are a minority...

When Ma Wei returned home, she faced a similar situation. Her father sat on the sofa as steady as a mountain, listening intently to his wife's interrogation of their daughter.

In the end, Ma Wei couldn't resist her mother's combined pressure and admitted that she was dating someone and briefly mentioned Wu Aijun's situation.

"Three years younger than you?!" Upon hearing this, Ma's mother frowned, worried about her daughter.

Don't underestimate a three-year-old; who can predict what they'll do in the future? Aren't there plenty of men who complain about their wives getting old and losing their looks? Just recently, someone even divorced his wife and married a younger one.

"Three years old isn't old. You guys discuss it and find a suitable opportunity for me to meet this young man."

The city of Sijiu is neither small nor large; there aren't many people of high status with the surname Wu. Although his daughter didn't say who Wu Aijun's father was, Ma's father already had a clue.

The two families are well-matched, from different systems, and have no vested interests, which is all good. However, the young man must genuinely care for his daughter, which is why he suggested meeting her first.

…………

Tang Zhitong didn't expect Lu Lan to suddenly go to the Women's Federation dormitory, so she didn't prepare much for the fish.

Since the two fish were given to Lu Lan, there were none left for themselves.

Ye Zhijuan didn't eat alone. She cut the mandarin fish that Jingying had steamed in half, put the meatier lower half in Jingying's lunchbox, and let the young couple take it home.

Since Jingying no longer has a lunchbox, Fengzhen will bring her lunch tomorrow, so nothing will be delayed.

After all that, the mandarin fish got cold, and the fishy smell became stronger. When he got home and opened the lunchbox, Xiao Wang smelled it, covered his mouth, and ran out.

"What's wrong? Is she going to vomit?" Zhang Guifang was both surprised and worried. She was surprised that the fishy smell confirmed her pregnancy, but she was worried about her daughter-in-law. She felt sorry for her and was also worried that her body couldn't handle it.

"It's a normal reaction, nothing to worry about." Tang Zhitong hurriedly replied to his mother, then jogged out of the room. Even though it was a normal reaction, he was still worried about his classmate, Xiao Wang.

When they got outside, Xiao Wang had already finished vomiting, clutching his chest, but only some sour fluid came out.

"Are you alright? Is there anything that's bothering you?" Tang Zhitong stepped forward and patted Xiao Wang on the back.

"It's nothing." Xiao Wang wiped her mouth and smiled. This vomiting confirmed her pregnancy, and she no longer needed to be suspicious.

"Tell me whatever you want to eat from now on, and I'll make it for you." With a warehouse full of food, Tang Zhitong was confident she could whip up something for Xiao Wang as long as it wasn't too bizarre. She didn't care if others found out anymore; a pregnant woman is the most important thing, and she could just eat it quietly in secret.

"No, the food is fine as it is now. Heat up the fish, it tastes a bit strong when it's cold." Xiao Wang was very happy, happy that her husband cared about her, and happy that after more than a year of marriage, they were finally expecting their child.

"No problem!" Tang Zhitong agreed readily, already thinking about what to bring back for Xiao Wang tomorrow.

"Sister-in-law, what's wrong? Did you eat something bad?" Fengzhi, who loved excitement, ran out from the main room, looking at Xiao Wang with innocent eyes and a worried expression.

"Hmm, my stomach's a little upset." Facing her sister-in-law, Xiao Wang didn't feel comfortable explaining the origins of life, so she could only give a vague answer. "Sister-in-law, have some water to rinse your mouth," Fengzhen followed suit. Being a grown-up, she already knew some of the scientific principles involved and didn't ask any further questions.

"Thank you." Faced with her family's concern, Xiao Wang smiled sweetly, feeling that life was truly enjoyable.

When they got back inside, Zhang Guifang had already taken salted eggs out of the jar and was going to cook one for her daughter-in-law to make her more nutritious: "We don't have any fresh eggs at home, so you'll have to make do with this salted egg for now."

"Mom, no need. I'll eat whatever's at home. I just thought the fish was a bit fishy, ​​but it'll be fine after heating it up." When she first married into the family, Xiao Wang enjoyed special treatment. Thanks to her efforts, the whole family was finally treated equally. But today, after vomiting, those days are back to normal.

“No way, this time listen to me.” Zhang Guifang was very firm this time and refused to agree.

“Sister-in-law, you should eat something good if you’re not feeling well. You can stop eating once you’re better.” Although Fengzhi was greedy, she explained things very clearly.

"Then I'll listen to you, sister-in-law." Facing his considerate sister-in-law, Xiao Wang reached out and patted her head, but in his heart, he was thinking that his period of discomfort might be a little long...

People are in high spirits when they have good news, and the Tang family is beaming with joy today.

Xiao Wang vomited only once, and didn't vomit again after that, but his appetite wasn't as good as before, and he didn't eat much.

"Anzi, ask your boss tomorrow if you can buy some meat or something to nourish Wenwen." After dinner, Zhang Guifang took her son to the yard, giving him instructions while also slipping him ten yuan.

"Mom, don't worry about it, I know what I'm doing. We don't need the money. I'll let you know when the money in our savings runs out." Tang Zhitong accepted her mother's suggestion, but didn't intend to accept the money.

"Everything that doesn't require a ticket is going up in price this year. How much stuff have you brought home? We're lucky if we can even buy it; we can't let others suffer losses."

"Mom, don't worry, it won't happen. Everything will be charged according to the ticket price. We agreed on it a long time ago." People's vigilance gradually decreases. After frequently bringing things home over the past two years, Tang Zhitong thought her mother had let go of this matter. She didn't expect her mother to remember it again today, so she could only continue to deceive her.

"I don't know many characters and I can't help you much, just keep that in mind." Zhang Guifang knew her place and, seeing that her son had an explanation, stopped pressing the matter.

Although she was not very knowledgeable, she knew that the fewer people who knew about such things, the better, and that there was no point in getting to the bottom of it.

After watching his mother return to the house, Tang Zhitong stood in the yard looking at the moon.

Today is the 19th day of the lunar calendar. The moon isn't full, but it's very bright.

Nighttime always makes people sentimental. Tang Zhitong believed that his mother would not harm him, and he also believed that his classmate Xiao Wang would not harm him. He wanted to be honest with them and tell them that he could do magic tricks and could conjure up all kinds of delicious things.

"What are you thinking about?" Seeing that her husband hadn't come inside, Xiao Wang came out of the house, walked to his side, and stood up with him to look at the sky.

"What should we name our child? How about Yuanyuan?" Tang Zhitong didn't lie like a magician; they would put the matter aside for now and discuss it again after careful consideration.

"Tang Yuan? Or Tang Yuanyuan?" Ms. Wang hadn't expected her husband to be thinking about a name for their child. Upon hearing this, she felt a surge of happiness, took her husband's arm, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Let's use a repeated character," Tang Yuan suggested. It sounded like "tangyuan" (glutinous rice ball), and it wasn't fashionable to name children after snacks these days. Tang Zhitong thought for a moment and replied.

These days, many people in Beijing give their children names with repeated characters. Among the children of Xiao Wang, there are Cao Shuangshuang and Yue Zhenzhen.

Names like Pingping, Tingting, Xiaoxiao, Doudou, Yuanyuan, Fangfang, Yanyan, Nannan, Diandian, and Lingling are also popular. These names are not only easy to pronounce, remember, and hear, but they are also said to have other meanings, representing a life free from worldly strife and a lack of interest in officialdom.

Tang Zhitong felt that as long as the source of his wealth was clean, being a wealthy and idle person was quite nice, so he planned to learn how to do it.

"Tang Yuanyuan, Tang Yuanyuan? It sounds like Chen Yuanyuan. Wouldn't it be inappropriate to name a boy like this?" Xiao Wang read the name twice and was not very satisfied with it. However, she was very satisfied with her husband. Giving him a girl's name meant that her husband wanted a daughter, so if she had a daughter, the pressure wouldn't be so great.

“That makes sense. Why don’t you think of one?” Tang Zhitong tilted her head and rubbed her ear against Xiao Wang’s head.

"I don't want to. Naming the child is your business." The father has the right to name the child, and Xiao Wang doesn't intend to interfere.

"Then I'll think about it some more and look it up in the dictionary later. Anyway, there's no rush." ​​Tang Zhitong smiled, planning to see what suggestions his fellow readers had and then copy them down. After all, his fellow readers were very talented, while he was terrible at coming up with names.

"Hmm, no rush. Did you give Gousheng any advice?" Xiao Wang, who had been holding back all afternoon, finally asked.

"No, you told me not to play matchmaker. Last month, Ma Wei went back to her workplace and asked me about Wu Aijun. Just then, Wu Aijun wrote to ask about Ma Wei's work hours, so I told him." Tang Zhitong didn't expect her classmate Wang to remember this, and immediately acted innocent, wondering if what she did count as playing matchmaker.

"Everything is good when things are going well, but the worst thing is when you get into a fight and people resent you." Xiao Wang tightened his grip on her arm, still disapproving of matchmaking.

"Yes, yes, you're right." Tang Zhitong didn't argue with the pregnant woman. Matchmaking was indeed something to be careful about, but it also depended on who you were doing it for. People of good character would only remember the favor, while people of bad character would definitely not get involved.

"What did Mom say to you just now?" Xiao Wang sensed her husband's perfunctory attitude and gently twisted his waist.

"He didn't say anything, he just wanted to give me money, saying he wanted me to find some meat or something to supplement your nutrition." Feeling the gentle touch from Xiao Wang's fingertips, Tang Zhitong felt a slight itch between his ribs and reached out to grab the mischievous little devil.

"Did you take money from Mom?" Xiao Wang looked up when he heard this.

"No, it's fine to accept it, why such a big reaction?"

“No, Mom has worked so hard to save up some money for her retirement, she can’t spend it on me.”

"Okay, okay, whatever you say is right." Tang Zhitong still didn't argue with the pregnant woman.

"You're just giving me the runaround again." Little Wang was a little dissatisfied, and reached out with her other little hand as well.

"How could I dare to be perfunctory with you? I will definitely listen to your words as if they were imperial edicts. Tell me quickly what you want to eat. Whether it flies in the sky or runs on the ground, as long as you say it, I will definitely do my best to get it for you." Tang Zhitong let Xiao Wang do as she pleased, but she was thinking about her morning sickness.

"Then I want the moon in the sky!" Little Wang smiled slyly, lifting his little face to look at the moon, which looked like a big pancake.

"You naughty boy, do you really think I'm some kind of monkey trying to catch the moon?" Tang Zhitong couldn't help but flick Wang's nose.

"Ugh~" Xiao Wang patted his chest, suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, and thankfully he didn't throw up.

"Hehe, it's getting a bit chilly outside, let's go back inside." Vomiting in early pregnancy is caused by increased hormone levels, and it doesn't necessarily have to do with what you crave. You might even vomit after eating what you crave, but as a family member, Tang Zhitong can't really ignore it.

Tang Zhitong remembered that vitamin B6 could relieve morning sickness. She wondered if the hospital still had it. She would have to ask when she passed by. If not, she could also supplement it by eating more meat, vegetables, and fruits, but that would be a slow way to supplement B6.

(End of this chapter)