After confirming the pregnancy, Cheng Su and her family started sharing the good news. The Cheng family and the Ning family were naturally informed first. As for the hometown relatives, Qi Taiguo was responsible for telling them.
"... Yes, itâs just starting, only a month in!" Qi Taiguo said with a smile over the phone.
Qi Father was the one who answered the call. Upon hearing the news, he couldnât stop grinning and repeatedly said, "Excellent! Since your wife is newly pregnant, you should be more accommodating. Donât argue over little things."
"I know!" Qi Taiguo chuckled, thinking to himself that he would treat her like a queen.
"Let me talk!" Mother Qi, unable to contain herself, quickly handed Xiao Bao to the old man and grabbed the phone. She asked, "Hello, Taiguo? Did you say your wife is pregnant?"
"Yes, just a bit over a month!"
Mother Qi was overjoyed, "Oh, this is wonderful news! What does she want to eat? Sour or spicy? Sour if itâs a boy, spicy if itâs a girl. Pay attention and make sure she drinks plenty of chicken soup! How about I go to Qing City to take care of her for a few days?"
"Well..." Qi Taiguo glanced at Cheng Su beside him and then said, "Mom, itâs almost New Year. Itâs crowded everywhere, so thereâs no need for you to come over. She doesnât seem to have any major reactions now; she can eat and sleep well."
Mother Qi didnât notice his hesitation and continued to ramble on about what to be careful about.
It took Qi Taiguo quite a while to wrap up the conversation before she finally hung up the phone.
"This is great, our Qi family finally has a successor." After hanging up, Mother Qi, still full of excitement, slapped her thigh and said, "We owe it all to the Bodhisattvaâs blessing. I must go light some incense for the Bodhisattva."
Qi Father watched her rush to the shrine, shaking his head, but he was equally delighted inwardly, thinking that at his age, it was about time he became a grandfather.
"Youâll have a younger brother or sister soon!" Qi Father teased Xiao Bao with a big smile.
After calling his parents, Qi Taiguo immediately rang up his in-laws. His mother-in-law was cheerful by nature and was thrilled to hear the news. After exchanging a few words, she insisted that Cheng Su take the call.
Cheng Su talked to her for almost half an hour before ending the call.
"Everyone at home is overjoyed!" Cheng Su laughed while looking at Qi Taiguo.
Qi Taiguo nodded and, after a momentâs hesitation, said, "Mom said she wants to come over to take care of you now that she knows youâre pregnant!"
Cheng Su was momentarily stunned, with her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
"Itâs the end of the year, and the New Year is coming soon. I have to lead the festival preparation team this year, so I canât be with you or return home for the New Year," Qi Taiguo said. "Youâre newly pregnant, and if Iâm away for festival preparations, I wonât feel at ease with you alone. Do you want Mom to come over to be with you? Or your mother would be fine too!"
Now that the pregnancy was confirmed, decisions had to be made. Considering Qi Taiguoâs commitments in the military, where he might have to leave on assignments occasionally, he couldnât always be at home. Since Cheng Su was pregnant, they needed someone to care for her.
They also needed to decide whether to go back home for the New Year, considering the long journey would take a few hours, which might be challenging in her early pregnancy.
Cheng Su said, "Iâm only a little over a month pregnant. I donât require that much care yet. I think we can wait until a couple of months before the birth to have her or my mom come. As for now, letâs not bother."
Qi Taiguo frowned and tentatively asked, "Do you still find it difficult to get along with Mom? Is that why you donât want her to come?"
Cheng Su was taken aback, looked at him with some hesitation, and after a long moment, nodded slightly, "Getting along is easy, living together is hard."
Qi Taiguoâs expression darkened.