Lin He and Uncle Wen concluded their discussions, then strolled through the town with Ziqing and Ziyu. Truthfully, there wasn't much worth buying in the village. After a few laps, they bought snacks and toys for Xiaobao and returned. Xiaobao had whined that morning about accompanying them to town, but Lin He, needing to attend to serious matters, had kept him home, coaxing him with promises of new toys and treats upon their return.

Arriving home, it was still relatively early. The carriage was certainly much faster, shaving off more than an hour of travel time alone. Upon entering the courtyard, however, things seemed strangely quiet; not a soul was present, not even the children usually playing there. Lin He found this odd.

Suddenly, voices drifted from inside the house, and immediately after, Er Niu emerged, his face beaming with joy, followed by a physician carrying a medicine chest. Lin He grew even more perplexed. A doctor certainly meant someone was ill, but why would Er Niu look so cheerful if that were the case?

Watching Er Niu escort the physician out, Lin He hurried into the room. She found Xiaobao and Chen'er inside. Huang Shi was seated on the bed, her expression somewhat reserved, yet tinged with happiness. Lin He quickly moved to her side and asked, "Mother, what happened? Did you feel unwell that you called the doctor? What did he say?"

Huang Shi glanced at Lin He, a delicate blush rising to her cheeks, as if the matter were too sensitive to voice. It was the quick-witted Chen'er who spoke up first: "Sister, the doctor said Mother is pregnant! Father said we're going to have a younger brother. He said there's a boy in Mother's tummy. So, 'pregnant' means there’s a little brother inside!"

Only then did Lin He fully grasp it—her mother was expecting. No wonder Father was so elated, and Mother looked so shy. Although surprised, Lin He quickly reasoned it was quite normal. Mother wasn't yet forty; while it was slightly older for childbirth, it wasn't unheard of, especially without modern contraceptives back then. Her own maternal grandmother had another eight-year-old uncle, even when she was quite advanced in age.

Recovering from her surprise, Lin He smiled brightly. "Mother, then you must take good care of yourself. From now on, you shouldn't do any housework. Let Ziqing and Ziyu handle everything. Rest well and give me a plump, fair-skinned little brother."

"That’s right, my dear," Er Niu chimed in as he walked toward the room, his voice cheerful. "Don't lift a finger anymore. Just rest at home. When I fathered the others, times were hard, and you suffered a great deal. This time is different. Whatever you want to eat, we’ll get it. Whatever you desire, we’ll buy it. Don't compromise your own comfort."

Ziqing and Ziyu stood by, offering smiles and congratulations to Er Niu and Huang Shi. Er Niu chuckled happily; people of this era simply rejoiced at a new addition, no matter how many children they already had.

Lin He noticed Xiaobao standing silently, his wide eyes fixed intently on Huang Shi’s belly. Lin He asked, "Xiaobao, what are you looking at?"

Xiaobao tilted his head. "Big Sister, Second Sister said there's a brother in Mother’s tummy, but Mother’s belly is only this small. How did the brother get in there? Is the brother as big as me?"

A ripple of embarrassed silence fell over the room. Only Huang Shi and Er Niu looked sheepish. The other young maids were too innocent to grasp the implications and showed little reaction. Lin He, however, felt at a loss for how to answer Xiaobao's direct question.

In her past life, Lin He knew that many young children posed such queries, and parents often gave glib responses—claiming the child was adopted from elsewhere or grew out of a cabbage patch. Lin He recalled a story where a five-year-old boy asked his biological mother where he came from, and she casually replied he was found in a nearby dumpster. The boy subsequently spent days waiting in that trash heap for his birth mother to claim him, a story that illustrated how crucial it was not to dismiss such fundamental questions flippantly, as children took everything literally.

Yet, Xiaobao had asked the question, and Lin He herself was only a few years old. An overly professional answer would surely raise suspicion. Lin He smiled gently at Xiaobao. "The little brother is born right out of Mommy’s tummy, of course. He’s very small now. In a few months, he will grow bigger, just like you did, Xiaobao. You'll understand when you are older."

Thankfully, Xiaobao accepted this explanation, not pressing for further details. He was quickly enveloped again in the joy of having a sibling, shouting that he would soon have a brother to play with, and then bounced out into the courtyard.

Lin He persuaded Huang Shi to rest a while longer on the bed, then took Chen'er, Ziqing, and Ziyu out, leaving Er Niu and Huang Shi in the room. Er Niu noticed his wife’s pale complexion and spoke with concern. "My dear, are you feeling unwell? Do you still feel nauseous? I can drive out later and fetch you some preserved fruit."

Huang Shi had carried several children before. Back then, they struggled for food; it was nothing like now, where she didn't have to work and could stay home all day. Childbirth wasn't a delicate affair reserved only for the pampered. She replied, "I'm fine now. It’s like this for the first few months of pregnancy; things taste bland, but it gets better later." She then tried to get up.

Er Niu asked what she intended to do. Huang Shi said it was nearly time to prepare lunch and she needed to direct Ziqing and Ziyu in the kitchen. Er Niu immediately grew anxious. "We have helpers now! He will supervise the cooking, and Lin He will oversee things. You must stay in bed."

Huang Shi playfully scolded him. "I’ve had several children; I know my own body. Lying down constantly is actually not good for me. Let me go. Even if I don't work, I can't spend all day prone on the bed."

Er Niu conceded her point; after all, his wife had experience with multiple pregnancies, so he eased his worry and allowed her to go into the courtyard. When Huang Shi reached the yard, Lin He was already in the kitchen, instructing Ziqing and Ziyu on preparing the meal. Lin He decided she would manage the dishes herself. Thinking of her mother’s condition, she needed to add nutritious elements to the diet, dishes that were both nourishing and light.

Lin He decided on a simple meal for lunch: a light Three Delicacies Soup and shredded tofu skin. These were simple side dishes, made with ingredients already available at home, and both were beneficial for the pregnant mother and the developing child.