NOVPUB
Chapter 94: Chapter 94 Renting a House
Tong Yao, who was planning to move, suddenly felt her legs give way and nearly stumbled, "Ugh, I’m not pregnant."
Li Nuanchun burst out laughing, her eyes narrowed into tiny slits and her facial features bunched together from amusement, "Oh! Younger sis, even though I’ve never given birth, I’ve watched many others do so. Your pregnancy is a good thing. You do not have to hide it from us. We’re all looking forward to the baby’s birth and receiving some sweets as well."
The younger generation today is just so thin-skinned, feeling embarrassed to announce their pregnancies. In stark contrast, in her generation, word of a pregnancy would circulate among friends and relatives throughout an entire village. Pregnancy is something to celebrate and should be shared with everyone to spread the joy.
Li Nuanchun spoke teasingly with a ’you can’t fool me’ expression, chuckling, "Did you get your period?"
Tong Yao:...actually, no.
"See, I told you you’re pregnant, and yet you still denied it. You haven’t had your period yet, isn’t that what pregnancy is? In my opinion, you should quit your job immediately and stay at home to rest, careful not to move recklessly until your placenta is stable."
Something crossed her mind and she pulled Tong Yao aside, whispering only loud enough for the two of them to hear: "Younger sis, let me tell you, the first three months of pregnancy are crucial and the baby is not stable yet. So, you and Doctor Si need to be careful at night. I recognize that both of you newly-weds are still in the honeymoon phase, but you cannot be careless about this matter. Ignorance might result in consequences as severe as future infertility."
Her cousin from her mother’s side was a victim of such a circumstance; robust and strong typically; she suffered a miscarriage due to negligence during her pregnancy. Ever since then, she hasn’t been able to get pregnant. The doctor stated that her body got hurt, and she wouldn’t be able to have children in the future.
The couple tirelessly sought numerous home-remedies and repeatedly prayed in temples. It’s been several years now, and she still couldn’t manage to get pregnant. The male side even planned to divorce and remarry.
If it weren’t for Dai Liwen’s own issues, he probably would have divorced her long ago.
An infertile woman is akin to a hen that doesn’t lay eggs in the eyes of her in-laws, making them impatient, wanting to finish you off.
Li Nuanchun believed that Tong Yao was decent enough; otherwise, she wouldn’t mention these things to her.
Tong Yao: I should have directly said I got my period.
With the sun already coming up, she didn’t want to continue this unwarranted discussion with Li Nuanchun.
"I’ll take Xiaohui to find a rental first. We can chat more when I come back."
"You two go ahead! Try going and coming back early while the weather is still cool." With a smile of motherly affection, Li Nuanchun saw Tong Yao off. Anyone not in the know would have assumed that her daughter-in-law was pregnant.
"Sister-in-law, are you pregnant for real?" Si Xiaohui, who had been staring at Tong Yao’s belly, finally couldn’t help but ask as soon as they left the housing area.
The rumors regarding Jia Qing and Tong Yao had been circulating around the village before, and she had her suspicions. However, she couldn’t truly believe it as Tong Yao was her sister-in-law. Any infidelity would disgrace their family, and she would never throw proverbial mud at her own relative. Plus, Tong Yao didn’t spend much time outside, and never stepped out at night, leading her to conclude that Tong Yao hadn’t done anything inappropriate.
However, after what Li Nuanchun said, doubts arose once more. If Tong Yao was indeed pregnant, there was high chance the child was not her elder brother’s.
Ugh! If Tong Yao dared to commit such an egregious act of face-losing, she would insist on her brother divorcing Tong Yao. Their family was adamant not to bear the disgrace; such a woman was unworthy of being the Si Family’s daughter-in-law.
"What kind of look is that?" Tong Yao noticed Si Xiaohui’s strange expression. She had been living in the housing area for almost a month; if she were to become pregnant, wouldn’t it be normal?
She and Si Chen weren’t together, but that was a secret between the two of them, unknown to others.
"Why are you getting cross, I was just asking out of curiosity, if you don’t want to answer then don’t, I don’t even want to know." Si Xiaohui huffed and began to walk ahead. Her elder brother must have been oblivious about this situation – she would have to talk to him tonight.
Considering the school’s proximity and convenience in commuting, Tong Yao led Si Xiaohui to look for houses around the school. During this period, most households didn’t have enough space to spare, and very few had extra houses to rent out. After several rounds, with the assistance of a kind-hearted older woman, they found a home that was willing to rent out their property.
The house owner wasn’t home and had entrusted the house to an aunt. Hearing that they wished to rent a house, the house-owning aunt was extraordinarily welcoming. She led the two of them to open the adjacent courtyard door, revealing three empty rooms in a small courtyard. The courtyard, unattended for a long time, was overgrown with weeds, and the rooms were dusty. Judging by its exterior, it hadn’t been occupied for at least five to six years.
The house came included with beds, tables, chairs, and benches. Other than the pieces being a bit antique, the house didn’t hold many flaws.
The house-owning aunt opened the western room’s door, raising a cloud of dust, causing Tong Yao to cough. With an awkward expression, the aunt explained, "The house hasn’t been lived in for six years. The house being dirty is an inconvenience, although a bit of cleaning should solve the issue. The eastern room, my nephew’s, isn’t available for renting, but you are free to use the western room, the hall, the courtyard, and the kitchen. If you decide to rent it, I won’t charge you more, the monthly rental fee is five yuan, while utility bills will be charged separately."
Tong Yao took a walk around and found that the price wasn’t exactly a steal compared to others. However, considering the size, completeness of the utilities, and its close proximity to the school, the price was just about right. Overall, she was quite pleased with the house, albeit she didn’t show her eagerness to rent.
"Aunty, what line of work is your nephew in?" Tong Yao hesitated, "If we were to live here and your nephew suddenly came back, wouldn’t it be inconvenient for us to live together?"
"You won’t have to worry about that," the apartment-owning aunt said confidently, "My nephew is a soldier. He can hardly stay home for more than two days in a year. Even if he does return, he usually stays at my place for a few days and then leaves. He doesn’t stay here."
The mention of her nephew filled her with both pride and sympathy, and she couldn’t help but become chatty, "My nephew had a tough life, losing his parents at a tender age. Fortunately, he is capable and joined the army. Honestly, we don’t lack the money from the rent. It’s just that seeing the house being vacant and lifeless doesn’t feel quite right."
The house had been neglected for several years that absence of life made it very gloomy. Her nephew would always spend a few hours in the courtyard whenever he returned, reflecting his longing for his deceased parents. She took care of her nephew as if he were her own son and seeing him like that broke her heart. Thus, she thought it’d be better to rent out the house. In this way, her nephew wouldn’t feel too upset when he saw the house being not deserted.
Upon hearing this, Tong Yao smiled, "Aunty, my sister and I will discuss this."
After saying this, she pulled Si Xiaohui to one side and quietly asked, "Xiaohui, are you satisfied with this house?"
