CHAPTER 354: CHAPTER 347: BLUE OR PINK

Resignation was set in stone, but Qin Guanglin didn’t leave immediately. Not only were there many affairs to hand over, but he was also responsible for a painting that was nearly finished; replacing him now wouldn’t be appropriate.

When everything was handled, it would be his time to step down. There was no rush in these one or two days.

Come the weekend, it was time for the regular pregnancy check-up. Qin Guanglin made an early appointment and accompanied his pregnant wife, He Fang, to the hospital for a health examination.

Unlike the previous times, he brought a large red envelope with him.

The hospital prohibited disclosing the baby’s gender, and they had never asked before. They had always done the prenatal checks there, and by now they were familiar with the doctor. The baby was already over five months along, and he finally couldn’t contain his curiosity.

"Everything’s okay, Doctor?"

"Currently, everything seems quite normal, but there’s a bit of nutritional excess. You’ll need to eat a more balanced diet, reduce the intake of high-fat, high-calorie food, and increase fresh fruits and green vegetables... Also, more exercise and walking are advised..."

The bespectacled female doctor in her forties glanced at the various data while speaking, and Qin Guanglin nodded as if pecking like a chicken, continuously agreeing.

"Come back in two weeks, and if the weight gain is still excessive..."

"I will make sure she exercises!" Qin Guanglin declared as if issuing an order. After a pause, he hesitantly asked, "But... she can’t eat less, right?"

"Eat more grains and vegetables; they’re healthier than big portions of meat."

"Right, right."

Qin Guanglin wasn’t to blame; he strictly followed a pregnant woman’s diet every day, with balanced meals that rarely featured large portions of meat. Yet He Fang’s appetite had grown; even after eating her fill, she’d still stuff a little more into her belly — she was overly sensitive about the child.

"I will definitely ensure she takes walks... An hour and a half won’t be too much, right?"

Qin Guanglin had asked this question who knows how many times, practically confirming it at every check-up. The doctor wasn’t surprised, as many would-be fathers and mothers were this cautious. After all, each stage had its changes, and she patiently repeated the same answer.

"Split it into several sessions, three times a day, twenty to thirty minutes each time should be fine. It all depends on her condition. If she feels very tired, don’t force it."

"Okay, okay..."

Having given all his instructions, and seeing that the doctor wasn’t too busy, Qin Guanglin sneakily took out his phone and casually mentioned, "This is our first pregnancy... ah, her first, and there are many things we don’t understand. We want to prepare the best for our child in advance. Do you have any recommendations for formula?"

"Hmm... these brands are all fairly similar," casually glanced the doctor and said, "Once the price reaches a certain point, there really isn’t much difference. It’s too early for you to think about this now; even buying it would just take up space."

"Just preparing in advance... Then we’ll just pick the expensive ones — see how eager we are? Not only have we prepared the room in advance, but also the stroller, the cradle, the diapers... everything the baby will need from birth to two or three years old." Qin Guanglin rubbed his thigh with his hand, his face full of smiles. After a pause, he lowered his voice slightly, "It’s just that we have some disagreement over clothing. She insists on buying blue, and I like pink, so we can’t decide what to buy. Any suggestions?"

While speaking, he discreetly passed the red envelope underneath the table.

"..."

The doctor gave Qin Guanglin a meaningful look, pushed up her glasses, and smiled, "I quite like pink as well. Pink is nice."

"Great!"

Qin Guanglin clenched his fist excitedly, surprising the doctor sitting opposite him a bit. Was it really such a big deal?

"Thank you, thank you so much! I won’t bother you any longer!"

Grinning foolishly, he said his farewells. As he walked out the door, he swung his fists vigorously a few times to suppress the excitement in his heart. He waited for He Fang to exit together. Once they got into the car, he laughed out loud, hugging the steering wheel.

The weight that pressed on his chest finally lifted.

In a few more months, his adorable daughter would come into the world.

"What are you up to?" He Fang asked, mystified while sitting in the passenger seat, patting her belly as she watched him ’freak out.’

"It’s our daughter in your belly."

"It’s always been our daughter."

"No, I just asked the doctor, and it’s what the doctor said."

"..."

He Fang was stunned for a moment before the realization set in. Joy began to bloom from the corners of her eyes, and she repeated, "Really?!"

"Really!"

"Our daughter..."

She looked down at her belly, her face unable to hide her amazement.

Pregnancy was just the beginning; now it was truly a success.

"We have to tell... no, we can’t tell Qin’s Mom, let her be surprised when the child is born." Qin Guanglin held back his joy; not only was this the daughter He Fang wanted, but also the one he desired.

Daughters are ten times better than sons.

"Right, the doctor also said you’re over-nourished, so from now on you need to take an extra half-hour walk every day, and you can’t eat as much during meals, just until you’re 80% full. I’ll keep an eye on you..."

While Qin Guanglin chattered on, he started the car and took He Fang back to North Fly Road. They always spent weekends together with Qin’s Mom, and when the baby was due, Qin’s Mom would even move in with them for a few months to help out.

"Brother Lin!"

"Sister-in-law He!"

From down the street, Little Fatty, their neighbor’s kid, saw Qin Guanglin’s car pulling up and turned to run back home, bringing out a bag of food to greet them warmly.

"This is a local specialty my mom brought back a few days ago. We kept some for you."

"Look at your mom... Please thank Aunt Wang for me." Qin Guanglin was about to refuse when he thought better of it and reached out to accept it.

Little Fatty often came to him for advice about drawing. It was only right to reciprocate; accepting the gift seemed proper, otherwise, it would come off as rude.

Such a big bag, too, very generous...

After a brief chat with Little Fatty, without lingering outside, Qin Guanglin took He Fang home. They tried a taste of the local specialty and then he called out, ready to go out and buy groceries.

Qin’s Mom hadn’t wandered off in the midday, waiting for them to arrive. She had washed some fruit and set it on the coffee table for He Fang, inviting her to eat. Before her belly had grown big, He Fang was already treated like a treasure but now with her stomach large, wherever she went, she had food and drink prepared for her.

"I got up early specifically to make a pot of chicken soup. It’s been simmering until it turned white, and it’ll be just right to drink in a bit..."

Hearing Qin’s Mom’s words, Qin Guanglin’s steps out the door halted, "Don’t drink it, she’s over-nourished now; those high-fat, high-calorie foods can’t be eaten in excess. Whole grains are far better."

The doctor had just talked about over-nourishment, and here she was, making chicken soup... He’d have to be the one to finish it later.

"Pregnancy needs good nutrition, how can there be too much..."

"The doctor said so!"

"... Then have just a little, one small bowl." Qin’s Mom still believed in science, but the thought of the early morning effort poured into the soup that He Fang couldn’t drink, all ending up in Qin Guanglin’s stomach, was distressing.

"Don’t sneak her any, okay..." Qin Guanglin instructed, seeing He Fang waving him off, then grabbed his keys and headed out.

"It’s fine, he’s just blowing things out of proportion. I’ll have two bowls later." He Fang consoled Qin’s Mom. It would be too demoralizing not to taste the soup after it had been simmering all morning.

September wasn’t as hot as July and August. After entering autumn, there was a noticeable coolness in the air. Uncle Pan had swapped his big shorts for labor cloth pants and no longer went topless, but he still habitually held his palm fan, swaying back and forth in his bamboo chair.

"Eaten yet, Lin?"

"Not yet, just about to go buy some groceries. Have you eaten, Uncle?"

"They’re cooking inside; I’ll eat when it’s ready."

"Oh."

Qin Guanglin browsed the shelves of Old Pan’s convenience store while chatting idly with Uncle Pan and checking his phone with serious intent, prompting Uncle Pan’s curiosity, "What are you looking for? Tell me, maybe I have it."

"Low-fat dairy products."

"What? Why are you boycotting it?"

"Low-fat dairy products!"

"Alright, boycott, boycott... Wait a second, you’re not planning to overturn my store, are you?"

Uncle Pan, for some reason, had a strange train of thought, possibly because past boycotts had led to vandalism and looting, casting a shadow on him. He looked back in amazement at Qin Guanglin crouched in front of the shelf.

"..."

Qin Guanglin was speechless. "Never mind, Uncle Pan, you keep resting. I’m not overturning anything, just looking for... dairy products, the low-fat kind, as the doctor recommended. They’re good for someone who’s pregnant."

"Oh... for your wife, huh? The name is boycott, right? Strange name for it."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh."

As Qin Guanglin answered, he searched on his phone to understand the difference between low-fat and high-fat. Thinking it over, he decided to buy them online, casually picking up some snacks and paying for them.

"Remember what I told you back then? That girl came looking for you, right? And now, look at you, both with growing bellies... Tsk tsk, you’ve got to treat her well."

Uncle Pan fanned himself thoughtfully. Old people like giving young ones some advice, rocking in his chair, he squinted at the snacks in Qin Guanglin’s hand, "So, this is called ’boycott’? Eight yuan."

"Definitely, that’s for my wife... Scanned it, you keep resting."

Qin Guanglin casually replied, gave the snacks a squeeze, bursting the packet with a pop, startling the old man, "Heh heh, I’m off now."

"You rascal..."