Zhou Xingxing became angrier the more she thought about it. If that little bastard hadn't been talking nonsense, would she have acted so recklessly?
Shen Wuqiu suppressed a laugh and comforted her, "Alright, don't be angry anymore. Having a child is something that can't be forced. Look how much your mother and mother-in-law cherish the little baby in your belly."
"Don't provoke me." Speaking of this, Stephen Chow looked even more pained. "I bet they weren't this careful when they were pregnant themselves. You have no idea, they control everything I eat, how much I eat, when I sleep, and when I check my phone. I'm about to break down."
Shen Wuqiu raised an eyebrow, put herself in Zhou Xingxing's shoes, and couldn't help but shudder. Fortunately, when she was pregnant, her family treated her as the head of the household and there weren't so many rules.
Zhou Xingxing sighed. She sat for a while and then felt a pain in her back, so she changed her position. "Didn't you feel any pain when you were pregnant? Now I feel uncomfortable doing anything."
"I'm fine, it's just that as my belly got bigger, I felt a little uncomfortable," Shen Wuqiu said honestly, then comforted her, "I've heard that the older you get, the harder pregnancy is. Since you've met the right person, you should settle this important life event as soon as possible."
Stephen Chow pursed his lips, "My live-streaming career has only just begun."
Seeing her pitiful look, Shen Wuqiu continued to comfort her: "Don't worry, with the kids around, you're not afraid of not getting enough viewers. When the weather gets better in a while, you can go to the reservoir on the dam and livestream the kids fishing."
"The kids went fishing?" Stephen Chow's eyes lit up instantly. "Really?"
"Why would I lie to you?" Shen Wuqiu then told her about sending the kids to kindergarten a while ago. "These kids are too restless, so Lingyu made them go fishing at the reservoir every day to temper their temper. If it hadn't rained these past two days, they would have been taken there by now."
Zhou Xingxing couldn't wait any longer. He picked up Sanmao, who was playing with a cat scarf on the sofa, pinched her face, and pretended to be fierce, saying, "If you can guarantee that Aunt Ai's live streaming career will soar, I will forgive your nonsense. Otherwise!"
"Meow~" Sanmao coaxed her, sticking out his little tongue and licking her cheek.
Stephen Chow couldn't handle these little cuties. His pretentious fierceness immediately crumbled, and he rubbed his forehead against Sanmao's, saying, "What a smooth-talking little thing."
Shen Wuqiu watched them interact, and when she saw Simao, with his chubby head, dart over and stare longingly at the snack plate on the coffee table, she picked out a beef jerky candy, peeled it, and gave it to her, saying, "You can only have one."
Simao was originally going to eat it in one bite, but when she heard what she said, she spat it onto the coffee table and licked it repeatedly with her little tongue.
"Look how much you've made the child hungry." Zhou Xingxing put down Sanmao and peeled two more for him. "Simao, eat up. Auntie Ai will give you two as a reward."
Although Simao really wanted to eat it, she still secretly glanced at Shen Wuqiu and meowed.
That sour-faced cat is perfect for playing the victim, and Shen Wuqiu's heart softened completely. "Eat up, eat up, but you can't eat any more today."
Si Mao didn't care whether he could continue eating today; as long as he had something in his mouth now, that was more reliable. He ate one after another.
I guess he was satisfied after eating three, and then he left.
Looking at Simao's chubby little body, and then at Sanmao playing with lace on the sofa, Zhou Xingxing thought, "Why does Simao seem to have gotten a little fatter?"
Shen Wuqiu sighed, "Da Mao weighs 2.3 kilograms, Er Mao weighs 3 kilograms, San Mao weighs 2.8 kilograms, and Si Mao is almost 5 kilograms. Do you think she should get a little fatter?"
Stephen Chow scratched his brow. "Looks like I need to be careful."
"Then why are you still buying them all those random snacks?" After saying that, Shen Wuqiu asked her again, "By the way, you're pregnant again now, haven't your two families discussed the marriage yet?"
"We got our marriage certificate after the Lunar New Year, but I'm not interested in having a wedding for now." Stephen Chow isn't particularly interested in ceremonies like that. "He does want to have one, but considering all the hassles of weddings, my mom is worried I'll be too tired, so she said we can do it later."
Shen Wuqiu didn't really care about these things. She nodded and didn't say much. "So, does this count as a shotgun wedding?"
Stephen Chow knew she was teasing him, and said matter-of-factly, "So that's why we're best friends, isn't it?"
Shen Wuqiu smiled.
It's strange. When they were in the same dormitory before, she didn't feel that she was very close to Zhou Xingxing. Now it seems that she has realized that Zhou Xingxing is her good friend and best friend for life.
She increasingly felt that choosing to go home and help her elderly father farm would be the best decision she had ever made in her life, bringing her long-lost family affection, passionate love, and warm friendships into a life she thought she would be lonely in her old age.
April 17th arrived quickly. Shen Wuqiu and Gu Miaomiao were dressed up in their finest attire, and Lao Du extended a warm invitation for them to bring their kittens to the opening ceremony.
So, early that morning, the Shen family went to Mingxing Village. The Du family of three also came. It seemed that the town leaders valued this project quite a bit. Around nine o'clock, several cars from the town arrived, and Secretary Fang and village officials from several nearby villages came to attend the groundbreaking ceremony.
Upon hearing about the kittens' fishing skills, even Secretary Fang couldn't help but have someone take a few photos of him with the kittens. He then turned to Shen Wuqiu and said, "You've raised these kittens well; they're sure to bring you good fortune. Old Du said that last year's Gesang flower fields owed a lot to your kittens."
"You flatter me. It's just that it's a bit more humane than other families."
“I think they’ve become sentient,” Secretary Fang said, patting her shoulder and lowering his voice. “Your cats are so adorable, don’t sell them off easily.”
Shen Wuqiu smiled and said, "Don't worry, it won't happen."
"That's good." Before leaving, Secretary Fang couldn't resist teasing Sanmao, the sweet little cat.
The government's road construction was completed in one go; the construction team kept operating regardless of whether it was sunny or rainy.
After Shen Wuqiu and his team started work, they took advantage of the road construction to complete the project in one go.
Although the focus of our work this year is on the estate here, things are also busy in the orchards and forests after April.
Once they got really busy, the couple had no free time, and the family's kittens were handed over to Stephen Chow.
Stephen Chow is a restless person, and after the first trimester of her pregnancy, she took her babies out for walks every day.
When the rapeseed flowers bloom, I livestream with my kids in the rapeseed fields; in June, when the cosmos flowers are in full bloom, I livestream with my kids in the cosmos flower fields.
To promote the new project at the manor, Lao Du opened the Gesang flower base to the public free of charge this year.
Thanks to the hype generated last year, Lao Du didn't need to do much marketing this year. Starting from the end of April, more and more people began to come to the village.
The construction of the new road between Qixing and Mingxing villages took more than half a year, and it was not until early December that the road was officially opened to traffic.
The construction of Shen Wuqiu's manor has taken shape, but the decoration is still underway. Even if you come to have a meal, you won't be able to go until March next year.
Although the manor is not yet open for business, the fishing project at the dam reservoir has already been promoted thanks to the flowers and fruits that bloomed in May, June and July.
After the hottest days of summer are over, there are noticeably more fishing enthusiasts coming here.
Everything is proceeding smoothly and according to plan.
Before we knew it, it was March of the following year.
By this time, the manor was adorned with carved railings and painted beams, completely resembling an ancient garden.
On opening day, the front desk phone was ringing off the hook starting at eight in the morning. Within just three hours, lunch and dinner reservations were fully booked. In addition to reservations, there were also many guests who came from afar after hearing about the restaurant.
To avoid disappointing everyone, Shen Wuqiu and Lao Du didn't sit idle. They rented a lot more tables, chairs, and benches, filling the corridor that was originally used for strolling.
That night, the entire manor was brightly lit. Although the kitchen was bustling with activity and customers couldn't order anything and had to eat whatever was served, everyone still had a great time.
Because Gu Miaomiao brought a lot of fine wine from the clan for everyone to enjoy.
That night, Shen Wuqiu stood on the high platform of the manor, raised his wine glass and said to everyone: "Thank you all for coming from afar to support us. Today, all of you are guests. My partner said that her wine will bring you peace and joy for the rest of your lives, and that you will live to a hundred years old without worries. So I wish you all peace and joy for the rest of your lives, and that you will live to a hundred years old without worries."
That night, the moon was shy and demure. In the middle of the night, the March wind carried a chill that lingered between warmth and cold. The night wind lifted her fluttering hair, and her smiling face looked exceptionally beautiful.
People in the audience asked her, "Ms. Shen is so amazing, I really want to see what kind of person your partner is."
Shen Wuqiu slightly raised her head, her fair hand pointing to Gu Lingyu standing in the crowd, "It's her, my peerless beauty."
After a brief silence, the crowd erupted in commotion, "Truly a peerless beauty. Indeed, only a true beauty deserves such a place in this world."
Shen Wuqiu chuckled softly, gently hooking the hand of the person who approached her. In full view of everyone, they intertwined their fingers, and he leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Thank you for coming and showing me the beauty of this world."
Gu Miaomiao held her hand tightly, her bright eyes filled with gratitude for the person before her. "Thank you for appearing in my life and allowing me to witness such unparalleled beauty."