Lin Xinyan blushed at the woman’s words, not knowing how to respond. She did not expect the woman to talk about something so intimate in public.
Seeing Lin Xinyan’s reddened face reddened, the woman could not help but smile. “We’re all married women, there is nothing to be embarrassed about,” she said.
Lin Xinyan simply smiled at her and remained silent.
But the woman continued saying, “You’re still young, there are still a lot of things you need to learn.”
Zong Jinghao came closer trying to eavesdrop.
He never thought much about childbearing. To him, everything was just a natural process.
Even the book he bought only talked about the process of pregnancy. It said nothing about the effects of pregnancy on mothers.
“Let me tell you about what happened to my friend. When she was giving birth to her son, he was so big that the doctor had to do a deep cut. They didn’t even anesthetize her when they stitch the wound! This has never happened to me, but just the thought of it sends chills down my spine!” the woman narrated with a contorted face.
Although Lin Xinyan had heard about similar stories, she had never experienced something like that. After all, the twins that she had were smaller than usual.
It was probably because her health had always been bad.
“If you think about it, a woman’s vagina is only this big. If it has to open up for such a huge baby to come out, it’s impossible for it to revert back to its original size. That’s why I say, you shouldn’t go for natural birth. You need to think of your husband, “ the woman advised kindly.
Lin Xinyan was still not comfortable talking about this. But she knew the woman had good intentions, so she smiled at her politely.
“Don’t just keep quiet. What I say is true. Men and women are different—men don’t need to give birth. To be brutally honest, their genitals don’t change much over the years. But it’s totally different for women. Our vaginas won’t be the same after we get married, not to mention what will happen after we give birth to children. A woman’s life is just difficult. If you meet a good man, good for you; but if you meet a bad one, you’re simply risking your life for someone who will eventually divorce you,” the woman shared. She seemed to have a lot to say about this. But Lin Xinyan understood what she meant. Besides, pregnant women were usually more sensitive.
Her husband probably overlooked her need for emotional support, which explained why her thinking was rather pessimistic.
“Don’t think too much about it,” Lin Xinyan comforted her.
The woman looked at her and could not understand why Lin Xinyan did not see the gravity of the issue. “You should really think about it seriously. Don’t wait till you lose both your husband and your body. I’ve seen so many real-life examples. Remember the friend I told you about? She is getting a divorce from her husband,” the woman continued, trying to persuade her.
Lin Xinyan looked at her, wondering if the woman got this negativity from her circle of friends.
Lin Xinyan sighed as she thought about what the woman said. If a man really loves a woman, he will stay by her side no matter what. Even if their sex life has changed, he should be able to understand that it’s all because of him.
But if you marry a jerk, he will still leave you no matter how hard you try to maintain the relationship.
Lin Xinyan came to the hospital in a bright mood today, but the conversation with the woman made her feel miserable.
She felt sad not because she was afraid of any biological changes, nor was it because she was worried that her husband would mind those changes. It was because she realized a woman’s life was never easy. If she met a good man, everything would be worth it; but if she met the wrong person, not only would her life be hard, but their marriage would also not end well as well.
She patted the woman on the hand and said, “It’s better to think about happy things when you’re pregnant. It’ll be good for your baby too.”
Lin Xinyan recalled what an old woman told her once—in the olden days, women would look at their own shoes before they went into labor—it gave them the courage to believe that they could still wear those shoes after they survived childbirth.
But healthcare had gotten better these days, and the number of women dying from childbirth and the chances of birth defects had reduced drastically.
Lin Xinyan thought a mother’s love was the greatest in the world. Once a mother has her own baby, she would love the baby no matter what happened between her and her husband.
There was a saying that a child was a part of their mother. They were connected by flesh and blood for nine months, therefore their bond was inseparable.
Just then, the woman’s turn came and she stood up. She looked at Lin Xinyan and said, “Thank you. I will try to be happier.”
Lin Xinyan smiled at her and watched her walked alone towards the phlebotomist to get her blood drawn.
Things must have been difficult for her.
Lin Xinyan retracted her gaze and looked at her own baby bump tenderly. The bump was getting bigger day after day, and the baby had been moving these days.
Hello there, my dear little baby. I wonder if your daddy thinks about you? To be honest, mommy has no idea where he is and what he’s doing. I hope he has not forgotten about us…
Lin Xinyan caught herself thinking negatively and let off a laugh. I must have been affected by that woman.
She was so deep in her thoughts that she did not realize Zong Jinghao had his gaze locked on her.
At that moment, he really wanted to hold her and touch their child.
A few minutes later, the nurse called her number and Lin Xinyan walked towards the counter.
She sat down and rolled up her sleeves, getting ready for the nurse to draw her blood. Her skin was fair and it did not take much time for the nurse to find a vein without applying much pressure. The nurse swabbed the spot with some alcohol and took up the syringe.
Zong Jinghao was afraid she might be in pain. As such, he stepped forward so he could have a better view of her face. To his surprise, Lin Xinyan looked calm. But he quickly realized her idle hand was all clenched up in a tight fist. Evidently, she was nervous.
Zong Jinghao reached for her hand without thinking any further. He just wanted to be there for her when she was in pain.
