Marriage in the 1970s: The Political Commissar's Contract Wife

That evening, Fang Chu consciously took her blanket and went to the next room, leaving the space to the mother and daughter she hadn't seen in a long time.

Chao Huaihua helped Zhixia take off her heavy cotton-padded coat, and when she saw her daughter's belly covered only by a thin undershirt, she was stunned.

It's only been four months, but Zhixia's belly is already swollen like a plump little watermelon, a whole size bigger than when she was pregnant with Zhilin and Zhixia at the same time.

She reached out and carefully touched her round belly, feeling the strong fetal movements inside. Her brows furrowed slightly, showing the wariness of someone who had been through it all:

"Xiaxia, your belly...it's ridiculously big. Are you...having twins?"

Zhi Xia looked down at herself, a little confused, but she had no experience and just thought it was because she had been eating too well lately: "No way, Mom, it's probably because Fang Chu has been giving me supplements every day, and the baby is getting good nutrition and is growing a little bigger than usual."

Looking at her daughter's bewildered expression, Chao Huaihua felt both amused and anxious: "What did the doctor say during the prenatal checkup? Didn't they mention the size of the babies or whether it was twins?"

Zhi Xia shook her head blankly: "I don't know... Every time, Fang Chu talks to the doctor inside while I wait outside. When he comes out, he tells me everything is fine and not to worry."

Upon hearing this, Chao Huaihua's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately felt somewhat dissatisfied with her son-in-law's overreaching attitude. How could he not let her, his mother, hear about such an important matter? After settling her daughter in, she immediately got up and went next door.

Fang Chu was just about to go to bed when his mother-in-law came in, and he quickly got up. Chao Huaihua didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "Fang Chu, Xiaxia's belly looks quite big. What did the doctor say? Is she carrying twins?"

Fang Chu had obviously been asked a similar question before, and answered quickly: "Mom, the doctor didn't say that Xiaxia is carrying twins. He just said that she's been getting too much nutrition, and the babies might be a little big. He advised her to control her diet a bit later, in case it's difficult to give birth."

His answer was clear and logical, but Chao Huaihua's doubts were not completely dispelled. She had given birth before and felt that his belly was unusually large.

Seeing Fang Chu's calm expression, she didn't say anything more. She just secretly decided that she would go to the next prenatal checkup in person and hear what the doctor had to say.

After Chao Huaihua left with a belly full of doubts, Fang Chu lay on the bed in the next room, but couldn't fall asleep.

twin?

The possibility raised by his mother-in-law was like a pebble thrown into a still lake, creating ripples in his heart. He thought back carefully; Zhixia's belly was indeed much larger than other pregnant women of the same age. The doctor had only said that good nutrition meant a larger baby. Could it be... that there were really two little ones inside?

Once the thought took hold, it couldn't be suppressed. If they really were twins, then could it be... that one of them was his beloved, sweet and soft little daughter?

The thought of possibly having a son who resembles Zhixia and a daughter who resembles Zhixia made Fang Chu's lips curl into a smile in the darkness. He felt a surge of joy, and the slight tension he felt due to his mother-in-law's arrival was largely washed away by this unexpected and wonderful anticipation.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Fang Chu got up quietly as usual, preparing to make breakfast for Zhi Xia. As soon as he opened the door, he saw his mother-in-law, Chao Huaihua, already wearing an apron and busy in the kitchen, the aroma of millet porridge wafting from the stove.

"Mom, why are you up so early? I'll do it." Fang Chu hurriedly stepped forward.

Chao Huaihua didn't even turn her head, her spatula flipping the food in the pan, her tone unequivocal: "You work hard, get some more sleep. I'll cook for Xiaxia from now on. I know what she likes to eat, and I'm good at judging her tastes. You can go now, I'll serve her in a bit."

This was clearly the posture of someone about to take over the heavy responsibility of "caretaker". Fang Chu was stunned for a moment, looking at his mother-in-law's quick back, he knew that there was no room for discussion.

He felt a subtle sense of loss, as if his most important task had been taken over, but he was mostly relieved. With an experienced mother-in-law like his mother-in-law, Zhi Xia would definitely be taken better care of.

"Okay, I'm off then, Mom." He obediently replied, glanced at the bedroom again, and then turned and left.

Listening to Fang Chu's departing footsteps, Chao Huaihua cracked an egg into the pan, thinking to herself that she needed to quickly familiarize herself with the way to the market so she could better prepare meals for her daughter. As for whether she was carrying one or two babies, she had to find out at her next prenatal checkup.

After his mother-in-law, Chao Huaihua, arrived, she took over Zhixia's meals and daily care with an unquestionable and assertive attitude. Fang Chu no longer had to rush between the military and home like a firefighter at noon. Taking advantage of the free time, he turned around and went straight to the infirmary to find Li Yunxiao.

Li Yunxiao was idly munching on sunflower seeds when Fang Chu entered. He lazily raised his eyelids and said, "Oh, what brings Political Commissar Fang here today? Don't you have to cook for your ancestors?"

Fang Chu ignored his teasing, her brows furrowed slightly, and asked with a serious thirst for knowledge, "Tell me, besides the belly being larger than usual, what other symptoms are there when someone is pregnant with twins?"

"What?!" Li Yunxiao nearly choked on the sunflower seed shells in his mouth. He sat bolt upright, his eyes wide, and his voice rose an octave. "Your wife is pregnant with twins?! Really?!"

Fang Chu felt a little uncomfortable with his reaction and mumbled, "I just suspect... her belly is a bit abnormally big."

"Wow!" Li Yunxiao's expression instantly shifted from shock to pure envy, jealousy, and hatred. He circled Fang Chu, looking at him like he was some rare animal, clicking his tongue in amazement. "Fang Chu, Fang Chu, you're really something! Not only do you hit the bullseye every time, but you can even hit two targets with one shot?! What kind of marksmanship is that?! What kind of luck is that?! God is too biased!"

Fang Chu's ears burned from his absurd words, and she glared at him irritably: "Stop talking nonsense! I'm just asking you, if they really are twins, what should we pay attention to when taking care of them?"

Li Yunxiao shrugged, adopting an arrogant "what's it to me?" attitude, and said sourly, "I don't know! I'm not an obstetrician! Your question is beyond my scope! If you're so capable, try shooting two birds with one stone. Figure it out yourself!"

This is purely a bachelor's naked jealousy of a winner in life.

Seeing his demeanor, Fang Chu knew she wouldn't get any answers from him, so she turned and left, thinking to herself that she would have to find an opportunity to personally take Zhi Xia to the obstetrics and gynecology department for a thorough examination before she could feel at ease.

Watching his retreating figure, Li Yunxiao grabbed another handful of sunflower seeds in frustration, muttering angrily, "How come he gets all the good things..."