Xia Zhe nodded and recalled the letter his aunt had sent him previously. She had written that most women would get morning sickness by this stage of the pregnancy and would basically throw up whatever they ate.
“Do you… do you get any morning sickness, I mean usually.” Xia Zhe found it embarrassing to raise the topic.
Qiao Mei thought about it and realized that she really had not experienced any morning sickness at all. On a usual day, she did not even feel like she was pregnant with two children. She felt no different from when she was not pregnant.
If there were any differences, it was that she ate better, slept better and walked as if she was on wings. She wondered if these counted as feeling differently.
“I don’t feel particularly uncomfortable,” Qiao Mei said as she shook her head.
“Then what about any loss of appetite or any discomfort, such as back pain, joint pain or anything like that,” Xia Zhe asked carefully.
Qiao Mei shook her head, indicating that she did not have any of these symptoms. Xia Zhe frowned and felt that Qiao Mei must be hiding something from him.
“I really don’t have any of that. I’m in very good health,” Qiao Mei said.
Xia Zhe decided to believe what Qiao Mei said for the time being. He resolved that after they got out, he would put up an application to go back to the capital and get his aunt to give Qiao Mei a full-body checkup to ensure that Qiao Mei’s health was fine.
Qiao Mei stroked Xia Zhe’s tightly furrowed brows and said, “Don’t worry, I’m really fine.”
Suddenly, Qiao Mei felt a few movements in her belly. At first, she did not pay much attention to it, but the movements had become very obvious.
“Ah!” Qiao Mei exclaimed.
Xia Zhe quickly looked at Qiao Mei, who seemed to be at a loss.
“What’s wrong, do you feel unwell?” Xia Zhe asked.
“I… I think I can feel the baby,” Qiao Mei said with tears in her eyes.
Under normal circumstances, a pregnant woman could usually sense the fetal movement of the baby at around the 20-week mark. Qiao Mei was about 16 weeks pregnant at the moment. Perhaps due to the fact that she had been exchanging energy with precious plants like wild ginseng, the baby had developed well enough to have such fetal movements.
Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei in confusion, not understanding what she meant.
Qiao Mei held Xia Zhe’s hand to stroke her belly as she said, “Baby, this is your father.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the baby obediently moved twice. Xia Zhe instantly widened his eyes and looked into Qiao Mei’s eyes in disbelief.
“This is? Is this a fetal movement?” Xia Zhe asked.
“That’s right. I guess the baby wants to greet daddy,” Qiao Mei sweet-talked Xia Zhe.
Xia Zhe was full of mixed feelings and did not know what to say to Qiao Mei. He only felt that he had not done enough and that he owed Qiao Mei too much.
Although he had been forced into the situation back then, he could be considered to have taken the initiative later on. He also had a responsibility towards Qiao Mei. It seemed that he had to work harder and let Qiao Mei become a military spouse earlier so that he could take better care of her.
“Yes, thank you,” Xia Zhe said in a choked voice.
Qiao Mei looked up and stared at Xia Zhe seriously before saying, “I should be the one thanking you, why are you thanking me instead. Besides, we’re already married, so there’s no need to say thank you.”
“Yes,” Xia Zhe nodded and said.
“Oh right, I read your letter regarding those names that you suggested for our child. Just those words you suggested, there are more than ten people in the entire village with the same names. Hurry up and change them, none of those names are good enough,” Qiao Mei said.
Xia Zhe pondered for a long time before saying, “I have an elder brother, his name is Xia Wen. He’s a teacher at the university. Shall we get his opinion on the child’s name?”
Qiao Mei nodded and said, “Yes, since elder brother is a cultured person, the name he comes up with would be meaningful. But you have to think about it as well. you can’t leave everything to elder brother!”
“Yes, yes yes, I promise you.” Xia Zhe smiled and hugged Qiao Mei.
After the two of them calmed down, Qiao Mei carefully sized up Xia Zhe. This was the person she had been thinking about day and night. She was finally able to see him and both of them were safe and alive.
Fortunately, she arrived in time and there was no delay on the way. Otherwise, she really did not dare to imagine what Xia Zhe would have experienced. As she recalled the earlier scene when Xia Zhe was in danger, she still felt a sense of lingering fear.
Qiao Mei could not help but tear up. It was so good to be alive.