Reborn as a Rich Woman in the Eighties-Chapter 727 - 726: What a Sin!

Indeed, Yang Wanmeng stopped causing discomfort for Lin Xia, and Lin Xia was happy to have it easier.

They were in the same department, after all, and if they had a falling out, it would only give others something to laugh at.

Others soon learned that Lin Xia was expecting twins, and while some envied her, there were certainly those who felt jealous behind her back.

Lin Xia didn’t care about what others thought; she closed her door and lived a peaceful life with Lu Zheng.

Her days here were regular, calm, and tranquil.

Lin Xia truly enjoyed this kind of life.

Because of her pregnancy, sometimes even when she’d wake up, she’d take another nap.

She would do the laundry, cook, clean the room, and when bored, she’d go next door to chat with Hao Xiaoyun, knit some wool crafts together, and prepare some little things for the baby.

Occasionally, Lin Xia would go to the town with Lu Zheng to stroll around and shop for some daily necessities and buy some tasty food.

Time passed neither too quickly nor too slowly, and before she knew it, the weather was getting warmer by the day, and Lin Xia’s stomach was beginning to show. Ever since she got past the early stage of pregnancy, Lin Xia hardly ever threw up.

Her taste changed, and her appetite increased a lot. But as her appetite grew, her weight continued to climb. One evening after dinner, while Lu Zheng was washing dishes in the kitchen, Lin Xia sat on the couch eating fruit. She looked down at her chubby hands, which now had visible dimples, and asked Lu Zheng, "Have I gained a lot of weight? Look, my hands even have dimples now!" She used to be part of the crowd that could eat without gaining weight, and she was quite proud of it. Now, she felt like an inflated balloon, getting plumper by the day. Continuing at this rate, she couldn’t imagine how heavy she might end up being by the time she was ready to give birth. Lu Zheng saw her everyday, so he wasn’t as perceptive to the changes in her weight. But indeed, his wife had gained much more weight than before she was pregnant. However, how could he admit that? He thought Lin Xia, plump and fair, looked even more endearing. Lu Zheng came out of the kitchen and deliberately stood in front of Lin Xia, examining her up and down, "Not fat at all! Wifey, which pregnant woman doesn’t gain some weight? A bit of plumpness is good for the baby! Besides, I think my wife looks even prettier with some extra weight!" He really felt that way; maybe it was a lover’s partiality. In his eyes, Lin Xia was always beautiful and attractive, no matter what. Lin Xia tilted her head and huffed at him, "You must have eaten honey with how sweetly you speak!" Though she said that, inside she felt very sweet. Lu Zheng teased her with a wink, "Why not have a taste and see?" "I’ll take that taste!" Lin Xia retorted, not to be outdone. ... Shao Meirou, who had specifically come with big and small packages to visit Lin Xia, saw clearly that Lin Xia had indeed gained a lot of weight. Perhaps because she was carrying twins, her belly seemed much larger than those of other pregnant women at the same stage. But Shao Meirou was genuinely happy to see Lin Xia put on weight; she still thought that a daughter-in-law who looked a bit plump was a sign of good fortune. Shao Meirou stayed for two days and, besides cleaning, she even washed the bedsheets and quilt covers for Lin Xia and Lu Zheng. Before she left, they agreed that when Lin Xia had two months left before giving birth, she would return to the provincial city to wait for delivery. Giving birth was a life and death trial for women, and Lin Xia carrying twins made this trial even more challenging. A couple of days later, Yang Wanmeng’s mother-in-law also arrived. Lin Xia learned from Hao Xiaoyun that Yang Wanmeng hadn’t planned on giving birth at the family living quarters and wanted to go back to her hometown. But her in-laws had many people and little space; if she went back, she likely couldn’t expect to have a proper confinement period. She also couldn’t go back to her own parents’ to do her confinement, since they also had many people and couldn’t spare a room for her. In the end, she had to agree to give birth here, and then her mother-in-law would come to take care of her. In the morning, Lin Xia went with Hao Xiaoyun to the family quarters’ vegetable plot to pick some green onions and take a stroll. They were chatting and laughing near the family building when they met a thin, short middle-aged woman. Lin Xia immediately guessed that this woman might be Yang Wanmeng’s mother-in-law. The woman dressed simply, her skin showing years of labor under the sun, with strands of gray in her neatly tied hair at the back of her head. Her eyes were cloudy, the whites of them slightly yellow, lips tinged with purple. For some reason, Lin Xia’s first impression was that Yang Wanmeng’s mother-in-law was not in good health. As for what was wrong, Lin Xia wasn’t a doctor or a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, so naturally, she couldn’t tell. Having met her before, Hao Xiaoyun greeted her with a smile, "Auntie, you’re also out for a walk!" "Yes, it’s quite suffocating staying upstairs!" Yang Wanmeng’s mother-in-law took an extra look at Lin Xia, especially pausing on her protruding belly, "This must be the one carrying twins, right?" "Yes, hello, Auntie!" Lin Xia greeted her. Yang Wanmeng’s mother-in-law clicked her tongue with envy, "Look at this daughter-in-law, she really knows how to conceive! Getting twins in one go!" Lin Xia and Hao Xiaoyun exchanged a glance and smiled without saying anything. Lin Xia had heard many similar comments. But Yang Wanmeng’s mother-in-law did not hold back, lamenting, "Our family just can’t do it, only one baby! By the looks of our daughter-in-law’s belly, it’s almost certain to be a girl! If I hadn’t already had a grandson, our Nie family would be finished! It’s such a sin! If this were the old times, those who couldn’t bear sons would be pointed at the spine! How could they have the face to ask for this and that, to be pampered like a noble lady?" Lin Xia found these resentful words very harsh to the ear; even though she didn’t have a good relationship with Yang Wanmeng, she felt angry on her behalf. She couldn’t understand Yang Wanmeng’s mother-in-law’s mindset. She was a woman herself, so why did she have such a strong preference for sons over daughters? Lin Xia immediately thought of Fang Youlan, who had been so insistent on her taking Fetal Exchange Medicine. Back then, Fang Youlan had spoken so confidently, as if being a Lu Family daughter-in-law hinged on giving birth to a son. "What era are we living in that we still uphold this preference for sons? And what’s wrong with giving birth to a daughter? Daughters are like a little piece of padding for their mothers! Aren’t you a woman too?" Hao Xiaoyun was not used to seeing Lin Xia speak so sharply, and she hurriedly tugged at Lin Xia’s sleeve to stop her. Yang Wanmeng’s mother-in-law frowned unhappily, "How can you, a daughter-in-law, speak like that! The difference between having a boy and a girl is not trivial! A boy..." Hao Xiaoyun, worried that their conversation might escalate into an argument that wouldn’t end well for anyone, quickly interrupted her, "Auntie! You’re both right! Let’s continue this conversation another time! We need to hurry back and prepare lunch; they’ll be coming home for a meal soon!"