Lin Zhen did not want to be disgusted.
His little life with his wife, children, and a warm bed was going quite well.
If he could avoid getting entangled with the Jia family, he would.
So when Qin Huairu came to ask him for help, he directly pushed the matter onto Jia Zhangshi and her son.
As long as that mother and son heard that she was asking him, they would refuse without a doubt.
That would save him from helping file the application tomorrow, only to hear Jia Zhangshi cursing him again after work in the afternoon.
Qin Huairu understood the reason behind it as well.
With a sigh, she said, "Fine. I'll ask my mother-in-law tomorrow. I only came to you because you just filed an application and know the process."
Lin Zhen smiled. "It's fine, Sister Qin. As long as your mother-in-law and husband agree, filling out a form for you is nothing."
Early the next morning.
When Qin Huairu went to the hospital to switch shifts, she told her mother-in-law and husband about the idea.
After all, once she gave birth, the household would be even harder to manage. Sending Bang Geng and Xiao Dang to the staff kindergarten would truly save them a great deal of trouble.
Jia Zhangshi said happily, "That's a good idea."
Jia Dongxu suddenly roared, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Qin Huairu trembled all over in fright.
"Mom and I have been switching between day and night shifts lately. I never thought that much about it. If Bang Geng hadn't said Lin Zhen's four children all went to kindergarten, I wouldn't have remembered it either."
"Hmph! Nonsense. Lin told you about it, didn't he?"
"No, Bang Geng told me. I went to ask Lin Zhen about it last night and asked him to help with the application."
"Bullshit! If you weren't about to give birth, I'd have Mom slap your mouth! Your eyes light up whenever Lin Zhen is mentioned, and you even went looking for him at night. Do you already think I'm a burden?"
Jia Zhangshi also flared up and demanded, "Qin Huairu, who exactly told you?"
"Bang Geng did. If you don't believe me, go home and ask him later!"
Tears streamed down Qin Huairu's face. She was thinking of this family, yet her husband did not understand and kept making wild, groundless suspicions.
They had been married for six years, yet that mother and son still treated her like an outsider.
A pang of bitterness rose in Qin Huairu's heart. She turned and wanted to leave the ward to cry in the corridor.
Jia Dongxu snapped, "Come back! Are you going to find Lin?"
Qin Huairu sobbed, "I'm going to give birth in the next few days. Even if you want to take your anger out on me, can't you wait until after I've given birth? Ever since I married into your Jia family, I've never done anything to wrong you, Jia Dongxu!"
Jia Dongxu's face turned ashen.
He understood in his heart that his wife was heavily pregnant now. Even if she wanted something with Lin Zhen, Lin Zhen would not be interested in her.
He was simply uneasy. He could not accept it.
He feared that after his wife gave birth, she would run away. Lin Zhen was merely the man he imagined would take his wife from him.
No matter whom Qin Huairu left with, he could not bear the consequences.
What he could accept even less was that his lower body was paralyzed, that he had lost the life a man should have, leaving him with a beautiful wife whom he could only look at.
Thus, Jia Dongxu, already suspicious, jealous, and narrow-minded, wished he could tie Qin Huairu to his side with chains.
Now, whenever he heard Qin Huairu mention Lin Zhen, he reacted as if he had swallowed explosives.
"Why are you crying? Do you regret marrying me? Do you regret looking down on Lin Zhen when you were engaged? Are you jealous of Lou Xiao'e now?"
"Think whatever you want. I have not wronged you!"
"You still say you haven't wronged me? Why did you ask Lin Zhen for help? Why didn't you ask Silly Zhu, Xu Damao, Yi Zhonghai, or Liu Haizhong? It's because Lin Zhen is in your heart!"
Qin Huairu was sobbing too hard to speak. "Because he had just filed applications for his children. I truly didn't think that much about it!"
Jia Dongxu sneered. "You just didn't expect me to think so much about it, did you?"
Qin Huairu cried, "Yes, I didn't expect you to be this suspicious."
"You dare say I'm suspicious? You've got some nerve!"
Jia Dongxu could not move now. Otherwise, he would have gotten down and hit her long ago.
Seeing that her son and daughter-in-law could not go on arguing like this, Jia Zhangshi immediately scolded Qin Huairu.
"Are you done yet? Do you want to anger Dongxu to death so you can remarry? What are you arguing for? When your husband speaks, you listen. You're not allowed to talk back!"
Tears of grievance flowed endlessly from Qin Huairu's eyes. "Then tell me, are the children going or not?"
"Have Silly Zhu help file the application. From now on, you are not allowed to mention Lin Zhen's name in front of me!"
Qin Huairu lowered her head and continued crying.
Jia Dongxu added, "Mom, when you go back, stop by the steel mill first and tell Silly Zhu. Or have First Elder help if that works."
Jia Zhangshi nodded. "All right, I'll go right now!"
Jia Zhangshi made her way to the entrance of the steel mill and told the gatekeeper that she wanted to see He Yuzhu.
Five minutes later, Silly Zhu ran out.
"Grandma Jia, what do you need me for?"
"I heard Lin Zhen's four sons were all signed up for kindergarten. Dongxu wants to apply for Bang Geng and Xiao Dang too. Go to the logistics department later and help fill out a form. See how soon they can get in. That's all."
Silly Zhu smiled. "They're not running around in the courtyard anymore?"
"They won't be. With Dongxu like this, we can't manage."
"Sure, it's no big deal. You could've just said so in the courtyard. You didn't have to make a special trip all the way here."
"Sigh, we only just thought of it."
"Eh? Come to think of it, I don't even know how to fill out the form. Why didn't Qin Huairu just ask Lin Zhen? Doesn't he know the process inside out?"
Jia Zhangshi's expression instantly changed. "Don't mention him. Dongxu said that even if Lin wanted to help, we wouldn't let him. In this courtyard, you're the only one who can help us!"
Silly Zhu smiled. "Heh, so I've become quite the hot commodity!"
After Jia Zhangshi left, Silly Zhu headed alone to the logistics department, his feelings complicated.
He was a little pleased with himself, a little disappointed, and a little sour.
Jia Zhangshi had said that he was the only one in the courtyard who could help Qin Huairu, and that did make him feel good.
But he knew that the person Jia Dongxu was truly guarding against was Lin Zhen.
Him? Sigh, he was simply not worth Jia Dongxu's suspicion.
He did not know whether helping Qin Huairu this time was something to be happy about or disappointed by.
In the blink of an eye, a week passed.
With half a month left until the New Year, Qin Huairu gave birth.
It was a girl.
When Jia Dongxu heard, his eyes rolled back, and he nearly fainted.
He had been hoping for a son, so Bang Geng would be bullied less by Lin Zhen's four sons in the future.
Who would have thought that after his wife gave birth to their daughter Xiao Dang, she would give birth to another daughter?
His lower body was already paralyzed. It would be impossible for him to have more children in the future.
The hope of giving Bang Geng a younger brother was completely gone.
"Sigh... fate!!! Why did he become an engineer while I became paralyzed? Why does he have four sons while I only have one?"
Jia Dongxu sighed toward the heavens. The junior apprentice he had once looked down on had unexpectedly become someone far beyond his reach.
"Dongxu, give the second girl a name," Jia Zhangshi urged gently.
"I won't. Let Qin Huairu name her. She gave birth to the girl, so she can name her herself!"
Jia Zhangshi ran to Qin Huairu's maternity ward and said coldly, "Dongxu said you can name the second girl yourself!"
After saying that, she slammed the door and left, drawing sidelong glances from all the nurses.
"Sigh, this is a new era. How are there still such feudal ideas about favoring sons over daughters?"
"Exactly. Whether it's a boy or a girl isn't the mother's fault!"
"Comrade Qin Huairu, don't be sad. Your health is important. Give the little girl a name."
Qin Huairu looked out the window. A locust tree stood bare in the cold winter, and a wave of desolation instantly swept over her heart.
"Huai Hua. I hope she can always live in spring."
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