Chapter 182: Chapter 182: Yan Lijun Is Pregnant

“Move aside! Why are you acting all high and mighty when I’m disciplining my own son?”

Liu Guifang originally thought Yan Lijun was just pretending, so she pinched Yan Lijun’s arm hard—but there was no reaction.

Xu Huaiyu could feel her whole body limp against him, and realized something was wrong. He quickly pinched the philtrum under her nose, but still got no response.

Then everything descended into chaos.

The barefoot doctor visited the Xu family for the second time that day.

“From what I can feel, it seems like a pregnancy pulse, but I can’t say for sure yet.”

“A pregnancy pulse? Are you sure?” Liu Guifang asked, half-surprised and half-pleased.

“It seems like it!”

Liu Guifang felt a pang of regret—this child came too late. If it had come earlier, she could have used it as leverage.

Xu Mingshan’s gloom also lifted. He was a little happy; it had been a long time since there was new life in the family. This was a joyous occasion.

Xu Huaiyu stood to the side, not sure how to react. He was going to be a father? How come he still felt like a kid himself?

But he was still worried about Yan Lijun.

“Uncle, why did she faint? Is there something wrong with her?”

“She fainted because of spleen deficiency and a lack of energy and blood—in short, she was just too hungry. Do you have any sugar at home?”

“Sugar? Yes, yes, we do.” Liu Guifang didn’t have time to be angry anymore. She quickly rummaged through the cupboard and found some leftover wedding candies.

“Dissolve the sugar in water and feed her half a bowl. She’ll wake up soon enough. Prepare some food for her to eat once she’s awake. This is hunger sickness, so you need to pay more attention in the future, or it could affect the baby.”

“Okay, okay, we understand. Thank you, Uncle,” Xu Huaiyu nodded.

Liu Guifang went to make the sugar water, and Xu Mingshan personally saw the barefoot doctor out.

Xu Huaiyu stayed by Yan Lijun’s side, lost in thought.

After feeding her the sugar water, Liu Guifang leaned over and whispered in her son’s ear, “Third, are you sure the baby in her belly is yours? Don’t let yourself get cuckolded without even knowing it.”

Xu Huaiyu was, of course, sure the child was his—he and Yan Lijun had only had that one slip-up before marriage.

Based on the doctor’s estimate of the timing, it was clear she got pregnant then.

“Mom, what are you talking about? Of course it’s mine! Who would dare cheat on me?” Xu Huaiyu replied in a low, annoyed voice.

“That’s good! I’m just worried you’d get tricked by that woman. Don’t forget about the bride price—she already fooled you once.

Let me tell you, just because she’s pregnant doesn’t mean we can just let the past go. No way. What’s owed still needs to be paid.”

“Mom, enough already. Go make some food, I’m hungry too. I only had a little this morning and I’m starving now.” Xu Huaiyu shooed his mother away.

Hearing this, Liu Guifang hurried to the kitchen to make some food. It wasn’t just Xu Huaiyu—she and Xu Mingshan were hungry too, having been busy since morning.

But when she got to the kitchen, she found it had been completely ransacked. She didn’t know which woman started it, but all the food—grains, vegetables, and meat—she’d put out earlier had vanished without a trace.

The kitchen looked like it had been robbed, a complete mess.

Even the huge pots of stew had been divided up, and not even a drop of soup was left.

Cursing under her breath, Liu Guifang started cooking.

When Xu Huaizhi got home, he told Lin Xiaomeng everything that had happened in detail.

Lin Xiaomeng felt immensely satisfied and immediately cooked dumplings for Xu Huaizhi. She’d made them while resting in bed the past couple of days—just toss them outside to freeze, and they’d last a long time. Convenient and simple.

When Yan Lijun woke up and learned she was pregnant, she was overjoyed—not just because she longed for a child, but also because this baby had come at the perfect time, helping her out of a tight spot and ensuring her days with her in-laws wouldn’t be too unbearable.

Xu Huaiyu told her to focus on her health and said he’d handle the bride price issue. He also reminded her that from now on, she was part of the Xu family, so she shouldn’t side with outsiders.

Liu Guifang and Xu Mingshan’s attitude toward her softened noticeably.

They’d already discussed it: just as Xu Huaiyu suggested, Liu Guifang would take the lead and make a scene with the Yan family, embarrassing them so much they wouldn’t be able to show their faces. From now on, the two families would probably be at odds for good.

Yan Lijun had long known that once this matter came to light, there was no way the two families could remain on good terms. If she wanted to establish herself in the Xu family, she had to stand with them.

Her own family’s actions had left her cold, so she didn’t hesitate to side with Xu Huaiyu. Let them make a scene—if she had to suffer, it was only fair they tasted it too.

After lunch, Liu Guifang went to her eldest son’s house next door and had Xu Huaizhi take her to the county town. She wanted to strike while the iron was hot and confront the Yan family.

Xu Huaizhi didn’t want to get involved, but he didn’t mind giving his mother a ride since he had to go back to work anyway—he’d only taken the day off.

Liu Guifang, always good at getting under people’s skin, either intentionally or not, let slip that Yan Lijun was pregnant, acting as if having a grandson made everything perfect.

Lin Xiaomeng, standing nearby, clenched her teeth in anger when she heard about Yan Lijun’s pregnancy, biting her lip to keep her emotions in check.

Why? Her own child was gone, yet Xu Huaiyu’s child got to live?"