Qi Taiguo waited for a long time, but Cheng Su still hadnât come out of the bathroom. He couldnât help but feel puzzled. He knocked on the door and saw her sitting in the bathtub, already asleep.
This was the first time Qi Taiguo saw her asleep in the bathtub. He found it funny but also felt a pang of heartache.
He carefully lifted her out of the big bathtub, grabbed a large towel from the wall, covered her naked body, and carried her back to the bedroom.
He meticulously dried her body and then put on her pajamas. Qi Taiguo realized he had never been this attentive before.
When he picked up the underwear and was about to put it on her, Qi Taiguo felt something was off, and his expression turned strange.
Hesitating, he reached down to touch her, and his hand came back stained with bright red. His expression changed instantly.
Her period had come again!
Qi Taiguo wanted to wake her, but seeing her sleep undisturbed despite his fussing, he felt reluctant. He helped her put on the underwear and then went to the drawer to get her usual sanitary products.
He tore open the packaging and looked at it. How on earth was he supposed to use this?
He ripped off the outer paper, then looked and compared, thought and pondered, finally placing the precious thing in her underwear before pulling them up.
This should be right.
Qi Taiguo then put her pajama pants on her, pulled over a thin blanket to cover her abdomen, and, looking at her peaceful sleeping face, sighed.
Tomorrow, sheâll be upset again.
But itâs been several months, and they still havenât conceived. Could it be her body isnât fully recovered yet?
Qi Taiguo frowned.
Sure enough, when Cheng Su woke up the next day, she felt something strange beneath her. She reached down, and her expression changed. She got up quickly and rushed to the bathroom.
When she returned to sit on the bed, she pouted, looking dejected.
Still not pregnant!
Cheng Su hugged her knees, sitting on the bed until Qi Taiguo returned with a bag of breakfast.
"Youâre up? I got breakfast from the canteen. Get up and wash up to eat! You didnât eat last night either!" Qi Taiguo said.
Cheng Su didnât move.
"Whatâs wrong?" Qi Taiguo noticed her unhappy expression and guessed the reason. "Is it because of the baby again?"
"Itâs been months, and still nothing. Am I unable to get pregnant?" Cheng Suâs lip quivered, and her voice had a hint of tears.
"Donât talk nonsense. In June, I went for training for half a month. During that time, we didnât try, so it makes sense we missed the chance!" Qi Taiguo said.
Cheng Su shook her head.
"Didnât you say the ovulation period is mid-month? I was away for training then! How could anything happen? Come on, letâs not think about it. Weâll try harder this month, okay?" Qi Taiguo gently ruffled her hair with a smile.
"I think I canât get pregnant." Cheng Su lay down, turning her back to him. "I lost one before, and people say after a miscarriage, itâs likely you canât conceive again!"
"How could that be? Thereâs a woman in our village whoâs very fertile. She had several miscarriages and still got pregnant, later even went for sterilization! So, thatâs impossible," Qi Taiguo comforted. "You also paid respects to the Bodhisattva this year, didnât they say weâd have good news? Maybe the timing isnât right! The more anxious you are, the less likely it happens. Trust me!"
Cheng Su turned around, "Really?"
Qi Taiguo nodded earnestly. "Relax, it will happen. Anyway, weâre still young!"
Feeling slightly better, Cheng Su nodded with pursed lips, then thought about how she hadnât even realized her period came. Was it Qi Taiguo who handled it?
With a peculiar expression, she asked, "Last night, did you handle the sanitary pad for me?"
Qi Taiguoâs face turned red in a flash.