Hualing came back from work, saw Cheng Su and the others chatting animatedly in the kitchen, and joined in on the conversation. A group of women standing in the kitchen were talking about work, then shifted to discussing their kids.
This Southwest Ladder building had four apartments per floor. Among the families here, everyone had kids, either already born or on the way, except for Cheng Su.
"Didnât you say you would have one this year? Still no signs?" Hualing glanced at Cheng Su.
She remembered when Cancan was born, Cheng Su had mentioned wanting a child this year, but it seemed like there was still no sign of it.
Cheng Su shook her head and said, "Iâm still taking pills to regulate my body right now!"
The others were taken aback.
"After what happened last year, my health hasnât been great. My hands and feet are too cold, and my uterus is chilled, so I need to regulate it first," Cheng Su explained.
Hearing her say this, the others recalled that upsetting incident and felt a bit embarrassed, realizing they had brought up something painful to her!
Hualing felt sympathy for Cheng Su. She herself had experienced the distress of Chen Shouwangâs affair. For someone as glossy as Cheng Su, she too had suffered from some flashy scoundrelâs deed back then.
It shows that in life, eight or nine out of ten things donât go as one wishes. No one should assume others have it easy; you never know what theyâve gone through privately.
"Oh, letâs not talk about this. Cheng Su, youâre still young; thereâs no rush," Chunhua said. "Let me tell you, donât think having kids is so fun. Just look at me, a complete yellow-faced woman now, not as fresh as before. My Old Liang isnât even interested in me anymore. If it werenât for me taking the initiative, he probably wouldnât even think of touching me!"
Guiying blushed and lowered her head. Being thin-skinned, she couldnât bear to hear such bawdy talk.
Hualing spat, "Shameless, youâll say anything, donât you have any decency."
"Weâre all adults, all married, whatâs there to be afraid of saying? Really, after having a kid, down there isnât as good as before. When you do it, itâs not as comfortable as when you havenât given birth. If you donât believe me, ask Guiying," Chunhua pointed to Guiying. "After she and Dahe had a baby, is it as loving as before? And our skin canât compare to pre-birth, itâs all rough."
Guiying was so embarrassed she wished she could find a hole to hide in.
"No way, I think Guiying looks even more beautiful after having a kid!" Hualing deliberately teased her.
"Really?" Chunhua leaned in for a closer look and said, "Then I should buy some ginseng cream for my face too."
Cheng Su was amused and burst out laughing, saying, "Actually, Iâve heard that giving birth is like a rebirth for women. The key is to have a good postpartum recovery. If you handle that well, you can be even prettier than before. Chunhua, donât underestimate yourself. I noticed your mother-in-law took good care of you during your recovery, and after having the baby, you looked even better, fair and rosy, really nice-looking."
"Really?" Chunhua touched her face delightedly and said, "Youâre the one who knows how to talk!"
Hualing rolled her eyes speechlessly; she thought this person was really easy to please.
"Your due date is July, right?" Cheng Su asked her, "When will you start resting, and how will you arrange your postpartum recovery?"
"Early July. Weâve got it all planned out; Iâm going back to my momâs for the recovery. I canât count on his mom to take good care of me," Hualing said, pursing her lips.
On this point, Cheng Su agreed. Only your own mother will truly care about her daughter and take good care of you during recovery. It doesnât matter where you recover, as long as youâre comfortable.
The group chatted for a while. Those who needed to cook did so, and those who needed to rinse rice did. There was lively commotion, with a homely atmosphere filling the kitchen.