RIRW – Chapter 125

Some Chapters are password protected, please use - rirw2025c to unlock these chapters. This is to top theft of translations.

Zuo Dan’s sudden bout of vomiting scared Shen Yiming out of his wits. The burning passion instantly fizzled out. He quickly helped her up and asked anxiously, “Why are you throwing up? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“Ugh—” Zuo Dan leaned over the edge of the bed again, retching hard, but nothing came up. It just felt like her stomach was churning.

The commotion was so loud that even Grandma, who was in her room, was alarmed. She came over and knocked on the door. “Dandan? Yiming? What’s going on?”

Hearing her grandma’s voice, Zuo Dan panicked and immediately stopped vomiting. She hurried to get dressed. Shen Yiming quickly followed suit, pulling on his clothes as he responded, “Grandma, Dandan threw up.”

“Oh no! Open the door and let me take a look!” Grandma said urgently.

The two of them scrambled to get dressed, their faces flushed red, and opened the door. As soon as it opened, Grandma rushed in and took Zuo Dan’s hand. “Dandan, tell Grandma, where do you feel unwell?”

“Uh, cough cough,” Zuo Dan gave a dry cough. “I just suddenly felt nauseous.”

She couldn’t very well say she’d suddenly felt like throwing up right in the middle of almost doing something naughty with Shen Yiming. That would be a major blow to her handsome comrade Yiming. And way too embarrassing.

When Grandma heard she was nauseous, she paused for a moment, then suddenly lit up with joy. “Dandan, do you have any other symptoms? Tell Grandma!”

“No, just that one,” Zuo Dan shook her head. Then she realized what Grandma was thinking and quickly added regretfully, “Grandma, it was just a sudden wave of nausea. I’ve been perfectly fine otherwise—eating well, sleeping well, full of energy. And I just had my period at the beginning of the month.”

“It only lasted two days,” Shen Yiming added.

Zuo Dan thought two days was still within the normal range. Her cycle had always been irregular when her schedule was messed up. Lately, with her and Shen Yiming trying for a baby, her rest hadn’t been the best either.

A flicker of disappointment flashed across Grandma’s face. She then asked, “Have you been craving anything sour or spicy?”

“Grandma, I’ve always liked strong flavors…”

“……” Grandma thought for a moment. That was odd. When she was pregnant with Yiming’s mom, her cravings changed significantly—one of the obvious signs. It seemed Dandan wasn’t pregnant after all.

Still, not wanting to pressure the young couple, she smiled and said, “It’s fine, I was just asking. Just in case you were pregnant and didn’t know. But don’t stress about it. These things happen naturally, especially at your age.”

Zuo Dan nodded repeatedly.

After Grandma left, Zuo Dan grumbled at Shen Yiming, “It’s all your fault. Making such a racket in the middle of the day. Even Grandma heard! If you’ve got so much energy, why haven’t you managed to plant a baby yet?”

Shen Yiming looked at her wickedly. “Comrade Zuo Dan, are you suggesting I haven’t been working hard enough? Shall we continue and test that theory?”

As he spoke, he reached out to grab her again. Zuo Dan shoved him away and rushed out to find Grandma.

Because it was cold, they had hot noodle soup for dinner. Afterward, Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming lay on the bed reading.

While flipping through a textbook, Zuo Dan solemnly proposed, “Comrade Yiming, the month is already over. A new year’s begun, and who knows what lies ahead. I suggest we suspend our seed-planting campaign. We’ll wait for orders from the organization before resuming.”

Shen Yiming shot her a sideways glance, then returned to his book. “Comrade Zuo Dan, first you say plant, now you say don’t plant. That’s capitalist behavior. We must reject that.”

“This is a matter of personal freedom,” Zuo Dan retorted. “After all, the seed gets planted in me, so I have the right to refuse. Whether you want to offer the seed or not is your freedom.”

Shen Yiming laughed, tossed his book on the table, and rolled over to pin her down. “You’re absolutely right. It is my freedom whether or not to give the seed. Since you’ve decided not to let me plant it in you, I won’t. But I’ve got a lot of seeds—so you still have to help me release them.”

With that, he leaned in to kiss her.

But just as he got close, Zuo Dan pushed him away again, covering her mouth and gagging.

Shen Yiming’s face darkened. “Comrade Zuo Dan, are you doing this on purpose?”

Zuo Dan kicked him. “You’re the one doing it on purpose!” Then she leaned over the bed and kept dry-heaving.

The next morning, Shen Yiming went to the newspaper office to request leave, then took Zuo Dan to the hospital.

Zuo Dan didn’t want to go. She grumbled about having to go out in the freezing weather. Besides, she felt totally fine—as long as Shen Yiming didn’t mess with her, she didn’t feel sick at all.

But Shen Yiming insisted. There was no way he could leave her alone. They had to go to the hospital and get her checked out, just in case something was wrong.

Even a small issue couldn’t be ignored. And every time they got affectionate, she ended up vomiting. For a man, that was a serious blow to the ego. Shen Yiming thought that if he didn’t have such a strong mindset, he might’ve already started doubting himself by now.

Grandma was also a little worried about Zuo Dan—why was she always nauseous for no reason? Could it be a stomach issue? Either way, it was better to get checked out.

Though Zuo Dan wouldn’t listen to Shen Yiming, she listened to Grandma. So she bundled up in a military coat, wrapped a bright red scarf around her neck, and went out with them.

At the hospital, they first went to the gastroenterology department.

After a round of checks, the female doctor asked, “Aside from vomiting, do you have any other symptoms? Like loss of appetite or aversions to certain foods?”

Zuo Dan shook her head. “No.”

“When do you feel nauseous then?”

“…When I get emotionally worked up,” Zuo Dan replied calmly. Shen Yiming’s gaze flickered, and both of their ears turned red.

The doctor didn’t find anything wrong, so she asked, “You’re married, right?”

“Yes! We got our marriage certificate a while ago,” Zuo Dan answered quickly. They were a legal couple, after all.

“Then go to the OB-GYN department for a check.” The doctor closed the medical record. “I haven’t found anything here for now—head over there.”

So the two of them hustled their way to the OB-GYN department. Zuo Dan grumbled, “Why is it that as soon as I say I’m married, they send me to OB-GYN? What if I wasn’t? Which department would they send me to then?”

Shen Yiming rubbed his chin. “Probably would’ve just told you to go home.”

Zuo Dan huffed. “If I become a doctor someday, I’ll be one who really serves the people wholeheartedly.”

Once at the OB-GYN, they had to line up again. When it was finally Zuo Dan’s turn, the doctor handed her a container and directed her behind a curtain for a urine test. Zuo Dan’s face turned bright red as she went behind the curtain. She still hadn’t figured out how coming in for a stomach check had turned into peeing for an OB-GYN test.

Then came the waiting. Zuo Dan slipped her cold hands into Shen Yiming’s coat. “Shen Yiming, doesn’t this whole visit feel like a joke? What if there’s nothing wrong with me at all? What a waste of time.”

Shen Yiming had even taken time off work to accompany her.

Shen Yiming tugged gently at one of her braids. “It’s fine—more tests are better. If nothing turns up here, we’ll head back to gastroenterology. We’ve got to figure out what’s going on.”

After a while, the doctor finally called out, “Is Comrade Zuo Dan here?”

“Yes, yes!” Zuo Dan stood up immediately and hurried in. These days, going to the doctor felt like preparing for battle.

“You’re pregnant,” the doctor said bluntly as soon as they sat down.

Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming froze. Zuo Dan stammered, “That can’t be right, doctor. I just had my period earlier this month.”

“How many days? Was the timing regular?”

Zuo Dan thought for a moment. “It usually comes at the end of the month. This time it came at the beginning—only a few days off. And it only lasted two days.”

“Was the flow heavy? Any abdominal pain?”

Zuo Dan shook her head. “No pain. Very light.”

“That might’ve been a threatened miscarriage. Have you two not been careful? Young people can be careless—once there’s a baby, you’ve got to take it easy.”

The moment they heard “miscarriage,” both of their faces turned pale. Zuo Dan panicked. “Doctor, will I miscarry?” Shen Yiming tightened his grip on her hand nervously.

“We need to run some more tests first.”

Zuo Dan underwent the examination anxiously. After a while, the doctor frowned slightly in surprise. “You’re eight weeks along. The pregnancy is a bit unstable, but the embryo seems quite strong—this is pretty rare.”

Shen Yiming asked, “Is that good or bad?”

“Good, very good. You two reckless young parents are lucky to have such a tough little one,” the doctor said with a smile. “Just be more careful in the future. The earlier bleeding was caused by intercourse.”

Both of their faces turned scarlet. They had been “sowing seeds” pretty enthusiastically back then—who knew the seed had already taken root?

Blushing aside, Shen Yiming was still deeply concerned. He didn’t know much, but he was sure bleeding wasn’t a good sign. “Doctor, how do we treat this? We’ll do whatever you say.”

“It’s not a big deal. Just rest more, especially for the next month. After the first trimester, things usually stabilize. Also, focus on nutrition. But seriously—be more cautious in the future. Don’t chase a moment of fun and end up with lifelong regrets. Especially you, young man—this is your wife. You’ve got to treasure her. Don’t act like some impatient monkey.”

Shen Yiming lowered his head and took the lecture silently. All he could think was: thank goodness Dandan threw up yesterday—if they had gone further, the consequences would’ve been unimaginable…

The two of them stumbled out of the doctor’s office in a daze. It wasn’t until they reached the lobby that Zuo Dan finally processed what had just happened. She grabbed Shen Yiming’s arm and said, “Shen Yiming… I’m going to be a mom?”

Shen Yiming nodded. “And I’m going to be a dad.”

The two of them stared at each other in a daze—then broke into huge grins.

“Hahaha! Shen Yiming, how am I so amazing? I’m actually going to be a mom!” Zuo Dan was full of wonder. They’d planted a seed, and now it was growing into a real baby in her belly.

And she hadn’t even realized—hadn’t felt a thing.

Shen Yiming smiled with pride. “Yeah, you’re amazing.” That spirited girl who used to compete with him was now going to be the mother of his child.

On the way home, Shen Yiming rode the bicycle slowly and carefully. Thinking about how fast he’d pedaled on the way to the Li family yesterday gave him a chill.

On the back seat, Zuo Dan hugged his waist happily. “Comrade Yiming, how do we even raise a kid? My belly is so small—how tiny must the baby be? I have no experience at all.”

“I don’t either, but it’s fine. We’ll learn. There’s nothing I can’t figure out.” Shen Yiming was full of confidence, grinning from ear to ear.

Back home, Grandma came out to greet them. “How was it? What did the tests say? Anything serious?”

“Grandma, it’s big news!” Zuo Dan beamed.

Grandma blinked. “What big news?”

“There’s going to be a new addition to the Shen family!” Zuo Dan said proudly, placing a hand on her belly.

“Really?!” Grandma walked over in delight, holding Zuo Dan’s hands and looking her up and down, her eyes glued to her belly. “You really are pregnant?”

“I’m already eight weeks in. I counted on the way home—there’s about eight months left before the baby comes out,” Zuo Dan said, beaming. What a thoughtful little one, knowing not to interrupt her important matters.

“That’s wonderful, just wonderful.” Grandma’s eyes welled up with tears. She immediately pulled Zuo Dan inside. “Quick, lie down. Don’t catch a chill in this cold weather.” Then she turned to Shen Yiming and said, “Go cook some sweet egg soup for Dandan, quickly!”

Shen Yiming had been planning to go inside too, but when he heard that, he could only reluctantly head for the kitchen.

Inside the room, Grandma examined Zuo Dan’s belly again, gently touching it. “You still need to be careful and protect the pregnancy. It’s early days—don’t move around too much.”

“Mhm, I know. Another month and it’ll be fine,” Zuo Dan said, leaning back on the bed and nodding.

Grandma wiped away her tears again. “I’m just so happy. I never thought I’d live to see this day. I used to worry I wouldn’t make it to see Yiming grow up. Now, I think I might even get to watch you and Yiming’s child grow up.”

“Of course you will, Grandma. We’ll be counting on you to help raise the baby. They’ll even call you great-grandma!”

“Good, good. I think I still have it in me to help you raise this child,” Grandma said, suddenly full of confidence. When Shen Yiming came in with the sweet egg soup, she had him feed it to Zuo Dan while she went to the main hall to tell the good news to her late husband and daughter.

Shen Yiming sat by the bed like an attentive servant, holding the bowl and feeding Zuo Dan spoon by spoon.

Zuo Dan squinted with satisfaction as she ate, sighing, “Comrade Yiming, it’s really tough being a woman. Honestly, the only good days we get are when we’re pregnant. So you better take good care of me—it’s only for these few months.”

“Comrade Zuo Dan, since when have your days been anything less than good?” Shen Yiming protested.

Zuo Dan thought about it. Ever since they got married, Shen Yiming had actually treated her very well. She had clothes laid out, food ready, and he didn’t mess with her like he used to. So she patted his shoulder encouragingly. “Comrade Yiming, you’re doing well. Keep up the good work and be a role model for our little Xiao Shen!”

“Little Xiao Shen?” he blinked.

“You’re Xiao Shen, so he’s Little Xiao Shen.”

“…”

Shen Yiming firmly rejected the nickname. So Zuo Dan thought it over and decided regardless of whether it was a boy or girl, their nickname would be Youyou (“Right-Right”).

“My surname’s Zuo (Left), so the baby’s Youyou (Right-Right). When someone asks why the name, they can say it’s because their mom is Zuo Dan.”

Shen Yiming kissed her belly. “Okay, Youyou it is.”

Zuo Dan smiled and stroked her stomach. “Youyou, this big dummy is your dad, you know.”

Shen Yiming’s eyes sparkled.

Something this big had to be shared with the Zuo family too.

The next day, Shen Yiming went to work and gave the Zuo family a call. It was his younger brother-in-law, Zuo Cong, who picked up.

When he heard he was going to be an uncle, Zuo Cong jumped up with joy. “Brother Yiming, you better take good care of my sister! As soon as school gets a break, I’m heading to the provincial capital to see my nephew!”

“…The baby’s still in her belly, you won’t see anything.”

“No problem, I’ll look through my sister’s belly! I wanna come now!” Zuo Cong exclaimed excitedly.

Shen Yiming rubbed his temple. “Alright, just make sure to tell your parents.”

“Got it! I’ll go tell them now!” Zuo Cong hung up and ran out to spread the news.

Back on his end, Shen Yiming looked at the disconnected line and smiled before putting the phone back on the hook. Then he began digging through all the ration coupons in his pockets. A whole pile on the table—none of them were milk coupons.

So, he started asking around the office, trying to trade for some. Unfortunately, the office folks weren’t much help.

“Milk coupons? We don’t have those.”

“Who drinks that stuff anyway? It’s expensive. I’d rather buy two pounds of meat.”

“…”

Shen Yiming flipped through his address book and finally found a contact at a milk station. “Zhu Dawei, this is Shen Yiming. Yes, I need a favor.”

“Hahaha, don’t tease me. What could possibly make you, Shen Yiming, ask for a favor?”

“I need milk coupons!”

Due to the doctor’s instructions, Zuo Dan had been staying home and resting. But she didn’t feel like she needed to rest. The baby being there or not didn’t make a big difference. No more spotting, no food aversions, she ate and slept well, and even her teeth felt great. The vomiting had completely stopped too.

Even Grandma said this baby was a real blessing.

Aside from not being bothered by pregnancy symptoms, Zuo Dan’s diet had also leveled up. In addition to eating eggs every day, every meal had meat, and a glass of milk was now a daily essential. Life couldn’t have been more blissful.

When the Lunar New Year’s Little New Year came, Zuo Cong came to the provincial capital. The first thing he said when he saw his sister was, “Sis, you’ve gained weight!”

Zuo Dan’s face turned dark. This idiot couldn’t possibly be her brother.

Li Hui gently pushed him aside and sat down next to Zuo Dan. “It’s normal to gain weight during pregnancy. It means the baby is being good. If the baby was giving you trouble, you wouldn’t be able to gain anything.”

Hearing praise for her little darling, Zuo Dan squinted with joy.

After spending a day at the Shen household, the Zuo family went together to visit the grandparents on the Li side. Since Zuo Dan’s condition made traveling inconvenient, she stayed home.

Just as the trio arrived on campus, they happened to bump into Li Wenchang and his wife.

Li Wenchang and Guo Caiping were also renting a place nearby now. The rent was expensive, but the area was respectable. Li Wenchang was hoping to “accidentally” run into the old couple a few times—maybe over time, they’d soften up.

But the old folks barely left their home except to shop for groceries, so chances were slim.

Neither party said a word. They just brushed past each other.