The room was quiet.
Li Xiulan’s expression was peculiar when she saw Zhang Wan’er appear. She curiously approached the other woman and asked, “Are you really pregnant?”
“Yes, Auntie.” Zhang Wan’er’s lips curved upwards slightly, a docile smile gracing her face. She then continued, “But I was also afraid of a wrong result, so after a long while, specifically today, I went to the hospital for another check-up! This is today’s result, the child inside is indeed your little grandson.”
After speaking, Zhang Wan’er placed a pregnancy report in front of Li Xiulan. Upon seeing the ultrasound image, Li Xiulan felt her vision blur, and her steps faltered several times. If Zhang Wan’er hadn’t been there to support her, she might have fallen flat on her face.
After a good while, once Li Xiulan had recovered, she stammered, “Could this result be mistaken?”
Zhang Wan’er feigned ignorance of Li Xiulan’s underlying meaning and explained, “This result should not be mistaken. Initially, I used a home pregnancy test, and then today I went to the hospital for an ultrasound.”
Ultrasound images can be faked, can’t they? Li Xiulan took a deep breath and grabbed Zhang Wan’er’s wrist, saying, “The technology in some hospitals isn’t very mature yet, and ultrasounds can be misread. How about this, I’ll take you for another check-up. After all, it’s my grandson in your womb, so it’s best to be thorough.”
Hearing Li Xiulan mention “grandson,” Zhang Wan’er’s eyes lit up instantly. So, as long as she could confirm there was a child, Li Xiulan would acknowledge her existence?
If that were the case, Zhang Wan’er not only refused but also affectionately linked arms with Li Xiulan, smiling as she said, “Alright, the child in my belly will be very happy to have his grandmother take him for a check-up! Auntie, do you know? This is the happiest thing for me these days.”
Li Xiulan forced a smile and twitched the corner of her mouth towards Zhang Wan’er. She didn’t take her to a big hospital, considering Zhang Wan’er’s influence spread throughout the capital. Who knew if she might collude with people in those hospitals to falsify results?
After much thought, Li Xiulan took Zhang Wan’er to the home of Meihua, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner she had met while square dancing. Upon entering, she stated her purpose: “Meihua, please quickly help me see if this young lady is pregnant. Your TCM skills are excellent, and your diagnosis will definitely be accurate.”
Hearing Li Xiulan praise her TCM skills, Meihua’s eyes crinkled with a smile. She then playfully approached Zhang Wan’er, placed her arm on the pulse cushion, and began to take her pulse.
During the pulse-taking, Li Xiulan didn’t dare to blink, afraid that Zhang Wan’er might have bribed Meihua with money behind her back, leading to false results. After about ten minutes, Meihua withdrew her hand and looked at Li Xiulan with a meaningful gaze, asking, “Is this your daughter-in-law?”
Upon hearing Meihua’s question, Li Xiulan’s expression became strange. After a moment’s thought, she replied, “A distant relative.”
“Distant relative?” Meihua felt that Li Xiulan was acting a bit odd today, but this was the patient’s secret and had no bearing on her examination results, so she naturally wouldn’t pry further. She then announced her findings: “Based on my diagnosis, it’s a pregnancy pulse!”
“What?!” Hearing this news, Li Xiulan was dumbfounded, her mind going completely blank. By the time Zhang Wan’er helped her out, she had no reaction.
After a good while, Li Xiulan snapped back to reality. She firmly grasped Zhang Wan’er’s arm and stared intently at her, asking, “Is there any mistake? I know my son very well. He would never do something irresponsible! This child…”
“Auntie!” Zhang Wan’er interrupted Li Xiulan indignantly, her eyes welling up with tears. She choked out, “I, Zhang Wan’er, am a young lady from a prominent family. I would never do something carelessly. I am certain that this child is Gu Xingdong’s. You know, the timing of this child matches!”
Listening to Zhang Wan’er’s confident words, Li Xiulan almost choked to death. If Gu Xingdong had truly not done anything, Zhang Wan’er wouldn’t be so confident in claiming they had been intimate. But if the child in her womb truly belonged to their family, how would their family carry on?
Li Xiulan felt dazed, her steps faltering. Zhang Wan’er bit her lower lip tightly, then feigned an innocent expression and said, “Auntie, don’t you like the existence of this child? Don’t worry, I won’t be an obstacle for your family. If you don’t like it, I can have this child aborted!”
“Really?” Li Xiulan’s eyes lit up at this statement. When she turned around, she saw tears like pearls on a string falling from Zhang Wan’er’s eyes. Zhang Wan’er looked so pitiful that even Li Xiulan felt a pang of sympathy.
Zhang Wan’er choked out, “I know my presence is unconventional. I don’t want to be a burden to Gu Xingdong. Since you all dislike this child, I can consider terminating the pregnancy! It’s just a shame for the child. He chose me in heaven, only to have to leave shortly after arriving. Thinking about it makes me feel terrible, to have his life so mercilessly taken away, I feel a sense of guilt. When I learned I was pregnant, I wondered if the child would be as brave and valiant as Gu Xingdong when born, or as cute as Yi Cheng. Would this child resemble his mother more, or his father?”
Listening to Zhang Wan’er’s words, Li Xiulan felt a twinge of guilt. She took a deep breath, pressed her hand against her forehead, and slowly said, “You should go back first. Let me think about this properly. If it is truly Gu Xingdong’s child, the real decision-makers should be you young people. An old woman like me shouldn’t interfere in this matter!”
Seeing that Li Xiulan was starting to waver, Zhang Wan’er’s lips curved upwards slightly, a triumphant glint flashing through her eyes. She was determined to win this plan!