Chapter 1697
Events in Life
Not long after, it got dark.
"Brother Qian, come over here quickly."
Yu Qian and his wife rushed to the small courtyard after receiving his call.
What are you doing?
"In a hurry."
Brother Qian was wearing a Canada Goose down jacket, and so was his wife.
It is evident that their family has been quite well-off in recent years.
“Your apprentice is doing his homework at home, and your sister-in-law is watching him.”
"It was you who managed to get both of us here with just one phone call."
“I even abandoned my own son.”
I jogged up to him and glanced at him.
"What are you doing squatting here? There are so many chairs at home, why don't you sit down?"
Brother Qian found him squatting on the threshold in front of the living room, exposed to the cold wind in the chilly January weather.
At this time of year in the capital, even the dogs don't bark, and their teeth chatter.
The best thing to do is go to the Forbidden City to see the snow scene. The red walls and yellow eaves paired with the white snow-covered roofs are the epitome of Chinese aesthetics.
Zhang Yuan's courtyard is also quite nice, with blue bricks covered in white snow, creating a beautiful scene.
"Sister-in-law, Cheng Hao is resting in the backyard. Why don't you go and have a chat with her?"
"Oh, she's here." Aunt Qian still remembered the time when her good sister suddenly left last time she came.
I was wondering what happened.
He then walked steadily towards the backyard.
"Come on." Zhang Yuan patted the dust off the threshold with his sleeve, then moved a few places to make room for Brother Qian.
"Pick a few first, then I'll explain."
Seeing this, Brother Qian was not in a hurry.
They took the cigarettes from each other, lit them, and then smoked them silently.
The two remained silent, while a light snow began to fall in the courtyard.
They remained silent, neither speaking nor asking.
He just kept smoking, one cigarette after another.
The two smoked about half a pack before Zhang Yuan stopped.
When Brother Qian looked down, he saw a lot of cigarette butts on the ground. He guessed that this guy had probably smoked several packs before he arrived.
What's troubling you so much?
I rarely see him so worried.
After encountering this problem, Zhang Yuan wanted to find someone knowledgeable who wouldn't speak carelessly or spread rumors.
After thinking it over, I think Brother Qian is the most reliable.
In addition, my wife is several months pregnant with her second child, so we can relate to each other and have experience.
He slowly opened his mouth only after he had thoroughly marinated his clothes with Chinese sauce.
Cheng Hao is pregnant.
He spoke in the most concise and profound tone.
Yu Qian first stared at him with wide eyes, and then glanced at the backyard.
He then lowered his head and continued smoking.
"Oh."
He simply responded with a soft reply.
After another period of silence, Zhang Yuan spoke again.
What's your opinion on this?
Brother Qian finished his cigarette, stubbed it out, smacked his lips a few times, and replied.
Is that child yours?
Zhang Yuan: ...
"Good question!" he clapped his hands in approval.
Yu Qian then took out cigarettes from the inside pocket of his down jacket and lit them for the two of them.
This is indeed a crucial question.
It determines whether he's a perfect bachelor or a complete idiot.
Before Brother Qian arrived, Zhang Yuan was completely bewildered.
My ears were ringing, like the sound of a temple bell.
He was completely bewildered after Cheng Hao started calling him "grandson" and demoting him by a generational title.
"I...I...I heard you went back to your hometown for blind dates?"
This was the first thing he said after standing there for a long time.
When people are in this state, they tend to ask random questions and miss the point.
Because deep down, I don't want to face the important issues.
That's just how men are.
Nine out of ten unmarried men would react this way when faced with this situation.
Zhang Yuan originally thought he was different.
I've been through thick and thin, winning awards and running companies. What does it matter if I'm just a woman?
Just like when you're with a Siamese girl, trying to use your son to gain status and play that trick on me?
no way!
Even if you succeed, what good will it do to be pregnant?
How did Uncle Jackie handle it?
I have role models here.
He felt he had handled the Siamese girl quite successfully and was very confident.
It should be said that I am more confident, confident that I can handle all kinds of dangerous emotional problems in the future.
But the matter returned to China, to his own home, and to Cheng Hao.
His previous composure vanished.
Panic!
"It's definitely fake!" Cheng Hao didn't expect him to ask that.
I thought to myself, "You're so smart, you can't tell there's something wrong with it."
This is called being overly concerned and making a mistake, plus I was indeed very busy recently.
In addition, her angry departure because of Yang Mi's clothes last time made Zhang Yuan feel a little guilty.
He immediately accepted the idea of a blind date.
"I haven't had my period for two months. I bought more than a dozen tests, and they all showed two lines."
"Don't I need to go to the hospital for a checkup? Don't I need to rest?"
"Can I tell the school I'm pregnant?" Cheng Hao, who had just been annoyed by his comment about her weight, now stood with her hands on her hips and scolded him.
"I told you people wouldn't ask who the child's father is?"
"I can't take sick leave either. If I take sick leave, I can't get a medical record, and the school clinic will have to check it, and then people will find out."
"I could only ask for personal leave, so I made up an excuse."
"Oh..." Zhang Yuan thought to himself that doing it this way was in line with her personality, and was more thorough and low-key.
He then reached out and grasped her wrist, pinching her pulse with his index finger.
The pulse beats like pearls rolling on a plate, flowing smoothly and evenly, and feels strong and powerful under the fingers.
In traditional Chinese medicine, this is called a slippery pulse.
Commonly known as the "happy pulse".
This is one of the most basic and easiest pulse patterns to identify.
Zhang Yuan was only a novice at taking pulses, but he could still recognize this pulse.
Then he reached out and touched his older sister's lower abdomen.
It's slightly raised, and you definitely can't tell if you're wearing a coat.
I estimate it will take about three months.
Zhang Yuan quickly thought and calculated.
When did I do this?
When you think about it, it seems like it only happened once.
It was in the classroom that time...
The after-school tutoring has yielded results.
"No...you didn't take your medicine when you got home that day?"
Cheng Hao glared at him: "Why should I take medicine? It's bad for my health, you know?"
"I've calculated the dates, it should be quite safe."
"Besides, why don't you use a T?"
“It’s not appropriate for me to bring this to school,” Zhang Yuan explained. “What if it falls out of my bag or pocket and someone takes a picture of it?”
"What will people say about me? What will they think I'm doing at school?"
"I can't prepare this either!" the older sister exclaimed, getting impatient. "As a teacher, would it look good for me to carry this around with me while I'm at school?"
"If the students see this, how can I face anyone?"
Zhang Yuan put on a mask of pain.
Life is never smooth sailing or a step-by-step process.
Most of the time, major life events happen suddenly.
Just when everything was going smoothly for them, in the prime of their youth, they fell ill, like Yao Beina.
Just as their careers were experiencing a second spring and they were about to reach their peak, their illnesses relapsed, like Yao Beina.
Some people are mediocre and unambitious, but are suddenly entrusted with important responsibilities.
Some people are destitute and suddenly receive a windfall.
Someone who seemed carefree and irresponsible suddenly had a child...
The bad news: We've accumulated a lot of fertility-related attributes over the years, but there's nowhere to use them.
Good news: It came in handy this time!
The essence of an ordinary person's life is equivalent to a strong high school student running.
Her health is so poor that she walks like an 80-year-old woman.
He has an exceptionally good physique, equivalent to a university sports specialist.
Zhang Yuan is equivalent to Usain Bolt in his prime.
That's the difference in strength.
In addition, even calculating the date using Chenghao isn't very accurate; there's a margin of error.
The timing matched, but that wasn't a reason for Zhang Yuan to feel at ease or confirm that he was safe.
"I think that with Cheng Hao's intelligence, she wouldn't lie to me about something like this."
Zhang Yuan said this to Brother Qian.
“That’s true.” Yu Qian nodded.
He felt it was roughly the same because Cheng Hao was a smart person.
Not the kind of clever person who knows how to network.
Zhang Yuqi has this kind of cleverness, but lacks great wisdom.
A good older sister is different. She understands herself, is aware of his suspicions, and knows how serious the consequences would be if she were to lie to him about this and it was discovered—and there's a 100% chance she would be found out.
This is why he felt relatively at ease and believed that the child was probably fine.
Otherwise, she wouldn't dare to come to him on her own initiative.
People who commit fraud usually wait until the child is born before they go to the victim's home. This isn't based on biological or genetic evidence, but rather on the psychology of the perpetrator.
This also shows that she hasn't had any other men in her life, otherwise she wouldn't be so sure.
"What are you going to do?"
"I asked you here because I wanted some advice, didn't I?"
“Brother!” Brother Qian patted him on the shoulder: “Other matters can be decided by others.”
"No one can make decisions for you in this kind of situation."
Zhang Yuan lowered his head and sighed.
This is such a hassle.
The problem is that Cheng Hao is different from the Siamese girl.
One of them had known each other for many years, while the other had only met a few times.
One has feelings, the other doesn't.
How to face it and how to deal with it is even more difficult.
Because it will cause a series of fluctuations, whether I can handle it now is questionable.
But as mentioned before, major life events never give you advance notice.
It happened so suddenly, without any warning.
"Okay, I'll think about it slowly."
"Alright, let's go inside and see those two women." Brother Qian patted the ash and snowflakes off his clothes and then got up.
The two walked across the courtyard, stepped over the threshold into the backyard, and pushed open the door to the study.
"Zhang Yuan, do you know she's pregnant!"
As soon as she entered the house, Aunt Qian stared wide-eyed and asked with a face full of joy.
Zhang Yuan thought to himself, "I called you here because I have something to say. What do you think it is?"
No wonder she married Brother Qian in her early twenties; she's so naive.
"Yes, I understand."
He not only learned about it, but also understood why Cheng Hao drank plain water instead of tea.
He hadn't noticed these details before.
“I think it’s a son,” Mrs. Qian said excitedly.
"How did you get it?"
My dear sister just said the same thing.
"Look at her pointed belly, a round belly means it's a girl."
“When I gave birth to my eldest child, he was already pointed.”
A pointed belly could also mean the baby has a pointed head... Zhang Yuan looked puzzled. Is it really that superstitious?
“I think so too,” Cheng Hao agreed.
"I've been feeling really unwell lately; I throw up everything I eat."
"My mouth always feels sour."
"Only sour foods are better."
"Now I have to add two ounces of vinegar to my mutton soup."
“Yes, yes, yes, sour for a boy, spicy for a girl, that’s how it is,” Aunt Qian agreed.
Both of them were incredibly superstitious.
"So, does that mean all people in Sichuan have to have daughters?"
"Go away!" The older sister rolled her eyes at him, clearly displeased.
"You guys should celebrate like this."
"They didn't even tell us in advance so we could bring some gifts."
Sister-in-law Qian felt her pockets, but there was nothing there.
"When are you planning to get married...?"
Before the word "marriage" could even be uttered, Brother Qian spoke first.
"If I had known, I would have brought some food and supplies. Your sister-in-law is experienced, and she also has a baby recently, so she has plenty."
"Let's communicate more in the future. We're all family, so there's no need to be so polite."
He then tugged at his wife and gave her a meaningful look.
Sister-in-law Qian didn't understand, but she continued talking about the precautions, food, clothing and other necessities.
Zhang Yuan listened patiently from the side.
"Hey, it's getting late, you should get some rest."
"You too." The two women wished each other well and saw each other off to the gate.
"Tomorrow I'll have someone go to the animal park and catch a few chickens that we raise ourselves, so I can make you some nourishing soup." Aunt Qian was very concerned and thought it was a great joy.
"You two take supplements. I'll buy some good tonics for us to share," Zhang Yuan said, seeing them off to their car.
After seeing the guests off, he made a phone call to Nicholas Tse.
"Buy me twenty catties of bird's nest."
"You want to make cotton quilts?" Young Master Xie was astonished when he heard this measurement.
People eat by the gram for each meal, but you buy by the 20-pound?
"There's also dried fish maw, dried scallops, dried tangerine peel... Good dried tangerine peel can stimulate the appetite, give me more."
"Dried monkey head mushrooms, morel mushrooms, black moss, and dried shrimp."
"You want to open a restaurant?" Young Master Xie asked, puzzled.
"Mind your own business, buy it for me, the best I can afford, money's no object, pick the best you can find."
"Well, what a coincidence," Young Master Xie said with a smile.
"It just so happens that Mr. Yang and I were discussing creating a food variety show, and we have these channels."
"Speaking of which, are you interested in making this kind of show?" he asked casually.
“Okay.” Zhang Yuan instantly switched to work mode.
Young Master Xie is going to become a freelance cook!
Good thing!
It's not just a good thing that they did a show together; after he gained fame, he started his own food brand.
And I have a food factory, which is a perfect match!
He had been thinking that since he was already making airline meals and had a modern food production line, he should expand his business further.
The economy is good right now, so you can make money selling anything.
Leveraging celebrity endorsements gives me an advantage over typical food companies.
“Sure, I’ll buy the ingredients for you and give them to you later. We can sit down and chat about making the show.”
They made a gesture of intent to meet.
The dried goods he asked Mr. Xie to buy in Hong Kong alone cost millions.
A pound of top-grade traceable bird's nest costs 6 to 7 yuan.
He didn't care about the cost.
Regardless of what happens in the future, if it really is a boy as Cheng Hao and Qian Sao said.
That's the eldest son!
This is terrible; we must do everything we can to take care of her.
Then he called Young Master Huo again.
Do you know any good medical teams here?
There are good medical professionals in China, but most of them are limited to public hospitals.
In terms of private healthcare standards, Hong Kong, with its glitz and glamour, is far superior.
Meanwhile, Young Master Huo had already married Guo Jingjing and had a son in a low-key manner.
Given his family status, his son, being the eldest grandson, would undoubtedly receive all the care and attention he deserved.
Therefore, Zhang Yuan deduced that they must know a top-tier team.
This kind of private medical resource is only available among the super-rich; ordinary people have no idea about it.
"Congratulations! When are you getting married? I'll give you a red envelope."
Wow, that young master is quite authentic.
"Marriage...I haven't thought about it yet."
"Oh..." Upon hearing this, he didn't say much more: "That's your own business."
"We have medical staff available. You can come to hospitals in Hong Kong or stay at home. It's up to you to decide."
"I'll make the arrangements for you and give you the number; you can communicate with them yourself."
"Okay, thank you."
After finishing all that, he finally took a short break.
Then another silence fell.
With heavy steps, I walked towards the bedroom in the backyard.
Cheng Hao glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and, seeing his worried expression, didn't press him to say anything about taking responsibility.
Do you prefer a boy or a girl?
Instead, she pulled him to her side and asked him.
Zhang Yuan asked himself if he actually didn't care.
I wasn't prepared at all, and I don't discriminate against girls.
But considering that her older sister had always said it was a boy, she knew what was going on.
“I like boys,” he said, going along with the other person’s suggestion.
The other party did indeed smile, but didn't say it aloud.
"I think girls are fine too."
Zhang Yuan couldn't figure out what she was really thinking.
Is it because of a traditional personality, or because they believe that a boy is beneficial to their relationship?
He'll put it aside for now; this isn't the time to dwell on it.
Women and children are more important, Zhang Yuan made a rational decision, and prioritized this above all else.
A man who doesn't even care about his own children has extremely poor character.
Although there are many such people in the industry.
The two chatted casually, talking about everyday things.
The older sister no longer acts superior or condescending, like a teacher.
Even now, with my belly so big, I can't muster any strength.
Let's put our worries and resentments aside for now.
Using conversation to bridge some gaps is a good method.
It was already past midnight, and they were preparing to chat a little longer before going to sleep, when the assistant knocked on the door.
"Brother Zhang Yuan, someone is looking for you."
"what?"
Zhang Yuan lifted his hand from Cheng Hao's lower abdomen and got out of bed.
"Who goes there so late?"
He opened the door and asked.
Zhao Dandan frowned and uttered two words.
"Police." (End of chapter)