Chapter 56

***

Xia Feng and Yu Dong stood near the airport gates, looking past the crowds. After waiting for ten minutes, they saw Father Xia pushing a cart full of bags and Mother Xia next to him wearing a sun cap. This was a typical look of someone who had just come from Hainan.

“Dad, mom.” Xia Feng took the cart from his father as Yu Dong wrapped her arms around Mother Xia.

“Who told you that you were allowed to pick us up?” Mother Xia’s eyes were bright, but her mouth still spouted complaints.

“Dong Dong wanted to come.” Xia Feng smiled as he placed all the credit to Yu Dong.

When Mother Xia heard this, she immediately turned to Yu Dong only to see her small face looking a little haggard. Feeling distressed, Mother Xia said, “Oh, look at the dark circles under your eyes. You work so late, how come you picked us up anyway?”

“As soon as I heard that you and dad were coming back, I became too excited to sleep.” Yu Dong’s saleswoman mouth took over as she laughed.

Xia Feng thought of Yu Dong’s earlier sleepy appearance and wanted to chuckle, but he didn’t ruin his wife’s attempts.

Mother Xia listened with a smile. Even if she knew Yu Dong was just buttering her up, she was happy to hear these words.

The four quickly left the airport, with Xia Feng driving them to his parent’s home. The Xia residence was located in an old district in the city. Although the community facilities were dated, the location was good and quiet. It was a good place for the elderly to live in.

Xia Feng and Father Xia took two bags each into the house while Yu Dong opened all the windows to let the air in.

Seeing the amount of dust, Yu Dong couldn’t help but say: “Mom, why don’t you and dad stay with us today? We can hire someone to clean the house and wash the sheets so you can move back home comfortably tomorrow.”

“No, we don’t want to barge in on your love nest.” Mother Xia refused.

“Mom, you’re exaggerating.” Yu Dong didn’t know whether she should laugh or cry.

“Then you should think of it as you being in the way of me and Father Xia’s lovenest.” Mother Xia changed her approach.

Father Xia coughed when he heard this, but didn’t say a word when Mother Xia glared at him.

Yu Dong and Xia Feng looked at each other and smiled.

“Then let’s go out for lunch first, then clean up.” Xia Feng proposed.

Everyone unanimously agreed.

The four randomly ordered a few dishes from a nearby restaurant. In fact, you could say that the smaller the shop is, the more authentic their food was. Yu Dong found it difficult to stop eating their pickled fish.

Xia Feng noticed Yu Dong’s non-stop eating of the pickled fish, so he took his chopsticks and helped put some more in her bowl.

Yu Dong tilted her head to give him a sweet smile.

Mother Xia saw her son and daughter-in-law getting along and being sweet. She was gratified to see their harmonious relationship.

“Dong Dong I think this pickled fish is a little too sour. But you like it?” Mother Xia asked with an ambiguous smile.

“Pickled fish is the most delicious when sour.” Yu Dong replied.

“Do you like to eat sour food?” Mother Xia’s eyebrows were raised.

“It’s not my absolute favorite, but maybe my appetite today is just big.” Yu Dong slowed down her eating when she realized that her greedy eating might have scared her mother-in-law.

Xia Feng had already guessed what Mother Xia was implying, so he said: “Mom, you don’t need to test her, she’s not.”

“Huh? I’m not what?” Yu Dong was puzzled as she looked at Xia Feng.

“What do you know? Maybe you just don’t know yet.” Mother Xia gave her son a look.

“How can it be so fast!” In fact, Xia Feng and Yu Dong had only been intimate recently.

“How is it fast? You’ve been married for more than half a year, some people would already be giving birth in this situation.” Mother Xia said.

Yu Dong spurted the soup she had been drinking. Xia Feng hurriedly passed a paper towel towards Yu Dong while Mother Xia nervously asked: “What’s wrong? Do you feel like throwing up?”

“Mom!” Xia Feng had no words.

“She was obviously scared by your words, why are you making assumptions.” Father Xia pulled his wife back.

“Ah? Scared by me?” Mother Xia saw Yu Dong coughing, so she apologized. “Alright, alright. Dong Dong, mother doesn’t mean anything by her words, it was just that I dreamt of a cute baby boy last night and thought you were pregnant.”

“It’s fine, I just swallowed wrong.” Yu Dong quickly tried to downplay things.

“Alright.” Mother Xia looked disappointed.

Father Xia couldn’t help but pull at his wife’s clothes from under the table as he whispered in her ear.

Xia Feng smiled at Yu Dong and shrugged. After this, Yu Dong was too scared to continue eating pickled fish lest she evokes Mother Xia’s grandmother mentality again.

After lunch, the pair wanted to help clean the house but was turned away by Father and Mother Xia, saying that they had to go to work later. So Xia Feng and Yu Dong had no choice but to say their goodbyes and drive off.

“My mother has that kind of personality, she’s a little too whimsical, you don’t have to take things too seriously.” Xia Feng was afraid of stressing Yu Dong so he explained, “She’ll forget it after a while.”

“You’re afraid that I’ll get pressured.” It was apparent to Yu Dong what Xia Feng was trying to do.

Xia Feng glanced at Yu Dong and didn’t say anything, but his expression said it all.

“Why should I get pressured? It’s not like getting pregnant is all up to me.” Yu Dong didn’t care.

“Are you implying that…I haven’t worked hard enough?” Xia Feng’s voice sounded a little dangerous.

“Concentrate on driving, what nonsense are you thinking?” Xia Feng sounded so serious, but Yu Dong couldn’t resist laughing out loud.

Xia Feng also felt that what he had just said sounded like some hero in a late night idol drama. He ended up laughing together with Yu Dong.

Half an hour later, the car stopped at the parking lot of the building that situated Xiaoyue Studios. Yu Dong was about to get off but was suddenly stopped by Xia Feng.

“What’s the matter?” Yu Dong paused.

“Dong Dong, how about having children a few years later?” Xia Feng thought about it for a while and came to this conclusion.

“Why?” Yu Dong froze at his words, then asked.

“Today I saw that my mom desperately wanted a grandson, but when I seriously thought about it, raising a child is no easy feat.” Xia Feng explained, “You just graduated university, and your career had just taken off. I’m still busy with work and my research, we…”

“Then how would we explain this to your mom?” Yu Dong didn’t express her opinion on the matter and asked this instead.

“I know my mom. She’s easily excitable, but she’s also reasonable. I think she’ll understand.” Xia Feng thought about it then answered.

“Then…if I want a child?” Yu Dong seriously asked, looking at Xia Feng straight in the eye.

“…” Xia Feng was surprised, but he seriously considered it.

Yu Dong quietly waited, and for some reason, her heart tightened.

“Then I’ll suspend my research for a while and just work in the hospital so I can be home more frequently.” Xia Feng told her.

“Suspend your research?” Yu Dong was surprised.

“Yeah, when the child is a little older, I’ll start over.” Xia Feng said.

“That’s not…I can resign first…”

Yu Dong hadn’t finished when Xia Feng interrupted her. Xia Feng held her hands and said earnestly: “Our family consists of the both of us. Our child will also be both of our responsibilities. I can’t just let you make the sacrifice alone, and I like your enthusiastic attitude towards your job.”

“But your research…if it succeeds, it can benefit millions of people.” Yu Dong couldn’t help but remind him.

“If I have the power to help millions of people, how can I neglect my family and children.” Xia Feng smiled.

But Yu Dong can’t let his research get delayed; otherwise it would be her fault if Xia Feng can’t publish his results as scheduled in 2017.

“But I don’t want you to pause your research. I like it when you come home every day and tell me about your experiments. The expression that you make when you get a breakthrough in your results is particularly handsome.” Yu Dong couldn’t help but say.

“Then what can I do?” If this doesn’t work either, Xia Feng didn’t know what else to do.

“My mom says that children should learn to grow up on their own.” Yu Dong remembered a phrase her mother said before.

“Nonsense!: Xia Feng didn’t hold back his thoughts on this.

“Did you just say call my mother’s words nonsense?” Yu Dong’s eyes were wide open.

“I…no…oh….” Xia Feng didn’t know how to explain his outburst.

“Ha ha…” Yu Dong saw Xia Feng’s flustered expression and suddenly felt happy.

“…” Xia Feng could only helplessly wait for Yu Dong to finish giggling.

“Alright, we’re thinking too far ahead when I’m not even pregnant.” Yu Dong took a deep breath and said, “And even if do get pregnant…you’re not allowed to stop your research.”

“But I don’t want you to be alone…”

“As long as you have me in your thoughts…I’m not alone.”

I know your heart is capable of great love, but all I need is to be reflected in your eyes.

Xia Feng gathered Yu Dong into a gentle embrace. Smelling her scent, he sighed: “It’ll be hard on you.”

“Do you know when a woman will feel hardship?” Yu Dong whispered.

“When?”

“When she wholeheartedly gives herself to her family but is not appreciated.” Yu Dong said. “Xia Feng, I love my job, but I love you more.”

Xia Feng tightened his arms around Yu Dong.

“I’m not a naive and ignorant girl. From the moment I found out that you were a doctor, I knew you would be very busy with work. That you’re going to spend more time with patients than with me.”

Xia Feng’s heart thumped.

“You have your research and I know your experiments are difficult, but I know that it’s for a good cause. I don’t necessarily need my husband to be a great person, but I know this research means a lot to you.”

“Before I met you, I never felt like women needed to sacrifice themselves for their families. But after meeting you, I found that I was willing to sacrifice myself for you.” Yu Dong said.

“I want to be able to sacrifice myself for you too.” Xia Feng’s voice was a little hoarse, his eyes becoming wet.

“Xia Feng, ever since the last holiday, I haven’t had my period.”

When Yu Dong said these words, Xia Feng felt like he had been struck by lightning. He straightened and looked at Yu Dong incredulously.

“It might just have been late. I intend to go to a doctor before talking to my mother.” Yu Dong continued.

“You…I…”

“What if I’m pregnant?” Yu Dong asked.

“Let it learn to grow up on its own!”

Xia Feng felt that his mother-in-law was right in the end. While the child grows up, he won’t allow his wife to get tired.