When Wang Ying entered, she saw Zhang Na and Jiang Lin standing far apart.
Zhang Na was puffed up with anger, saying nothing. Jiang Lin saw Wang Ying arrive, gave a cold snort, and walked away.
Wang Ying ignored Jiang Lin. Ever since their open confrontation last time, Jiang Lin had never given her a pleasant look again.
“What happened between you and Jiang Lin? I think I heard you two arguing outside.”
Zhang Na looked aggrieved. “She’s been gossiping about me!”
Wang Ying helped calm her down and poured her a cup of hot tea. “Tell me slowly.”
Zhang Na gulped down two mouthfuls of hot water before angrily explaining what had happened.
“Do you remember Vice Captain Zhao from the Security Department who came to our clinic before?”
Wang Ying’s heart sank slightly. “I know.”
Zhang Na continued, “Our family and Vice Captain Zhao’s family live on the same floor. We usually just greet each other when we meet. You don’t know—Vice Captain Zhao often gets off work very late. His two kids usually just grab a few bites in the canteen after school and then go home. The kids seem a bit shy. After coming to the city, they don’t like playing with other children and just stay cooped up at home.”
“Everyone on our floor knows it’s not easy for him—a big man raising kids alone. So sometimes when someone cooks at home, they’ll call those two kids over.”
“A few days ago, when his child was sick, he was busy taking care of the older one at the hospital. The younger one didn’t get much attention. I thought his daughter was cute, so when I saw her, I’d give her a couple of candies.”
“That’s not inappropriate, right?”
Wang Ying nodded. It really wasn’t. Zhang Na didn’t know about the past grievances between her and Zhao Jun. Helping out someone else’s child casually was perfectly normal.
Even though Wang Ying had never lived in a tube apartment building, she knew what it was like there.
That kind of collective living meant neighbors often helped each other.
Zhang Na fumed, “And something so normal—this morning I came early and overheard Jiang Lin telling someone that I’ve got my eye on Vice Captain Zhao, so I’m currying favor with his little girl!”
Wang Ying: …
“That’s ridiculous.”
Zhang Na’s conditions were good enough even across the whole sugar factory. Why would she set her sights on Zhao Jun—a divorced man with two kids?
“Exactly!” Zhang Na said angrily. “If that rumor spreads, how am I supposed to find a boyfriend? Jiang Lin went too far this time! I confronted her just now, and she said something like ‘flies don’t land on uncracked eggs,’ that it must be my own fault for not being careful, otherwise people wouldn’t say such things. Sister Ying, don’t you think that’s too much?”
After hearing this, Wang Ying fell into thought.
Zhang Na continued complaining, “How can she be like this? I think she did it on purpose. Just because I’m close to you, she deliberately made things up about me! I’m going to report her to Director Yang. So what if her uncle is the factory’s deputy director? My dad is a Level Seven technician in the factory too! Isn’t she just bullying people? I’m so mad!”
Wang Ying frowned. She keenly sensed that there was something not so simple behind this matter.
When she heard Zhang Na say she wanted to report Jiang Lin, Wang Ying quickly grabbed her.
“Don’t go yet. Are you silly? Maybe not many people know about this rumor yet. But if you make a scene, more people will know. And once it spreads further, who knows what it’ll turn into? Don’t do something foolish.”
Zhang Na looked wronged. “So we’re just letting it go? You didn’t hear how excessive she was. She even said she wasn’t the only one saying it—others were saying it too. Look at her! She gossips but doesn’t even dare admit it!”
Wang Ying looked at Zhang Na seriously. “I actually think Jiang Lin might not be lying. Think about it—she doesn’t live in your building, right? She didn’t see you giving the child candy with her own eyes. So she might not be the one who started the rumor. She might just be someone who heard it.”
Zhang Na was confused. “Then… you mean someone else is spreading rumors about me? Who would be so vicious?”
Heaven as her witness, she had absolutely no feelings for Zhao Jun.
Granted, he didn’t have a wife, and it wasn’t easy for a man to raise two children alone. But he wasn’t disabled. Yet despite raising two kids, Zhao Jun couldn’t even manage basic household cleanliness properly.
His clothes often had stains that hadn’t been properly washed out. His shirts were wrinkled. The two children would wear dirty clothes again the next day without change…
Zhang Na truly looked down on that kind of man.
Just because you don’t have a wife, does that mean you stop living properly? If housework doesn’t get done, are you just waiting to marry someone so she can do it for you? What kind of person is that? Talking about “marrying a new bride”—more like planning to marry a new mother.
Precisely because she thought so little of Zhao Jun, Zhang Na had immediately confronted Jiang Lin when she heard the gossip.
Not to mention her own family conditions were good and she was an only child. Even if she didn’t have this job and her family background were average, she still wouldn’t choose Zhao Jun, okay?
Was she crazy, going to be someone’s stepmother?
Wang Ying said, “Think carefully—when you gave candy to Zhao’s child, who saw it? Where did you give it? How many times? I think whoever spread this rumor definitely had ill intentions.”
After Wang Ying analyzed it like that, Zhang Na suddenly felt chills down her spine. “You mean… the one spreading rumors might be… Zhao Jun?”
Wang Ying replied, “I’m not saying it’s definitely him. It could be someone else.”
In truth, Wang Ying felt it was unlikely to be Zhao Jun. Even if he had taken a liking to Zhang Na, he wouldn’t use gossip to force her hand. Zhang Na wasn’t from an ordinary family. She was her parents’ only daughter. Even if her reputation were slightly tarnished, her parents wouldn’t marry her off to a divorced man just to save face.
It was far more likely to create enemies than to secure a marriage.
Moreover, given Zhao Jun’s pride and self-importance, the kind of wife he wanted would probably be the Wang Baochuan type—someone who would endure hardship loyally and devote herself entirely. A well-qualified girl like Zhang Na wasn’t within his ideal range.
The purpose of such gossip could only be one thing: to damage Zhang Na’s reputation.
Rather than trying to trap her into an unfortunate marriage, it seemed more driven by jealousy.
Zhang Na thought hard. “When I gave Zhao Xi candy, twice it was at the stairwell—neighbors were around. A few other times we ran into each other on the road. Twice I was with Yang Qing…”
She looked discouraged. “I can’t think of who it might be. There were too many neighbors. I can barely remember who was there.”
Wang Ying said, “Then don’t overthink it. Go tell your mom. Tell her everything we just discussed and let her handle it.”
Zhang Na pouted. “My mom will definitely scold me for meddling and causing all this trouble.”
Even so, she obediently went home and told her mother everything.
A few days later, Zhang Na came to Wang Ying with a stunned expression. “My mom arranged a blind date for me.”
Wang Ying thought it over briefly and immediately understood.
No matter why someone was jealous of Zhang Na, spreading rumors about her and a divorced man was clearly meant to lower her value in the matchmaking market—hoping she’d end up with a bad match.
Zhang Na’s mother didn’t waste time explaining rumors. Instead, she arranged several blind dates directly. That was a clear signal to everyone: the rumors about her daughter and a divorced man were false. If her daughter were interested in such a man, why would she still be going on blind dates?
“My mom also told me to stay away from Yang Qing,” Zhang Na said hesitantly. “She seems to think Yang Qing spread the rumor…”
Wang Ying replied, “Your mom is only guessing. But being cautious isn’t a bad thing, right?”
Zhang Na drooped. “I don’t understand.”
“Before you came, Sister Ying, Yang Qing and I were the closest. She’s always been so gentle… How could she say bad things about me?”
Wang Ying stayed silent. People were simply complicated.
Among the women in their clinic, none had poor conditions. Jiang Lin didn’t even try to hide her powerful connections. Zhang Na was an only child from a harmonious dual-income family—marrying into a leadership household wouldn’t be surprising. Yang Qing was slightly less advantaged than Jiang Lin and Zhang Na, but she had an aunt who managed the clinic and was reportedly dating the son of the factory’s logistics director.
Wang Ying thought that compared to someone openly arrogant like Jiang Lin, someone like Yang Qing was more troubling.
Zhang Na gradually distanced herself from Yang Qing, remaining polite but formal at work.
Wang Ying noticed several times that Yang Qing seemed to want to speak with Zhang Na, but Zhang Na always avoided her.
It made Wang Ying sigh. Even in a small clinic, everyone had their own little schemes.
Once winter truly arrived, snowy days became common.
Especially the day after a snowfall—the clinic would receive many patients with fall injuries.
Most were minor injuries—people would just buy a bottle of medicinal oil and rub it at home. But some falls were severe, and fractures weren’t impossible. Elderly people had to be particularly careful. A fall at that age could bring out all sorts of hidden ailments.
Wang Ying had been busy from morning to afternoon when she suddenly felt dizzy.
Doctor Yang reacted quickly and caught her. “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’ve overworked yourself.”
After the dizziness passed, Wang Ying muttered, “That shouldn’t be the case.”
Compared to her previous workload, this was nothing. She had taken excellent care of her health over the past few years. How could a single busy day overwhelm her?
“Maybe I’m just a bit tired. It’s fine—I’ll sit and rest for a while.”
Sitting in the office, Wang Ying began reviewing her recent condition.
If there was any difference, it was that she’d been getting hungry easily, feeling sleepy, craving spicy food, and disliking bland flavors…
Wang Ying’s eyes widened in disbelief. Quietly, she felt her own pulse.
Two fingers rested on her wrist. After a few breaths, the excitement in her heart was impossible to suppress.
“Doctor Yang, may I take a leave today? I’m not feeling well—I’d like to go to the hospital for a blood test.”
Their clinic didn’t have blood-testing equipment. If Wang Ying had her blood drawn there, it would have to be sent to the hospital and the results would only come back the next day. She couldn’t wait that long.
She urgently needed confirmation.
Although Doctor Yang found it a bit strange, she didn’t stop her and directly approved the leave.
By the time Wang Ying returned from the hospital, she was in an incredibly joyful mood.
More than two months along. Counting the time, she must have conceived not long after moving to the city.
When Xu Shuang came home from work, he hadn’t even caught his breath before the news hit him squarely in the head.
Wang Ying watched as the usually steady Xu Shuang seemed to crash like a frozen computer. She gave him a playful shove. “What are you doing?”
Xu Shuang finally reacted. He wanted to hug her but pulled his hands back, hesitated again and again, and in the end only lightly rested his hand over her belly.
“…Are you uncomfortable?”
A new life was coming into the world. Such vibrant hope, yet it came at the cost of the mother’s hardship. Xu Shuang’s first instinct was to ask about Wang Ying’s condition.
“I’m fine,” Wang Ying said.
She might have been a bit tired during the day, but now she felt completely fine.
“Just a little hungry.”
For the first time in his life, Xu Shuang cooked with heroic enthusiasm. “What do you want to eat? I’ll make it!”
Before moving to the city, he had told Old Madam Xu that they planned to start trying for a baby. Afraid her son was clueless, she had given him plenty of advice. One of the most important points was that a pregnant woman’s mood and appetite could fluctuate greatly. Some craved strange foods.
Xu Shuang thought that even if Wang Ying asked for beef or donkey meat, he would find a way to get it.
When hunger hit, Wang Ying asked specifically for egg fried rice.
Xu Shuang immediately got up to set the wok on the stove. At nine in the evening, white steam rose from their chimney…
Wang Ying ate the fluffy, perfectly separated grains of egg fried rice with deep satisfaction.
“Should I ask for leave for you tomorrow?” Xu Shuang said. “Rest at home. The ground’s covered in snow—it’s not safe to walk or ride. Stay home. I’ll come back morning and afternoon to cook for you.”
“And we’re running low on eggs. I’ll go to the black market these next couple of days and see if I can get more things.”
“I’ll go talk to Master later…”
“I need to write a letter to my elder brother…”
“I’ll bring Mom over once the snow melts…”
Wang Ying finished a big bowl of fried rice, wiped her mouth, and laughed. “Xu Shuang, are you a little nervous?”
He usually wasn’t this talkative.
But nervousness was understandable. After all, it was her first time too!
They lay in bed, thinking they would be too excited to sleep. But Wang Ying fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow. Xu Shuang gently gathered her into his arms and only then felt at ease enough to sleep.
…
Xu Shuang’s excitement didn’t fade at all. Wang Ying took three days off to rest at home.
During those three days, Xu Shuang not only came home three times a day to cook different dishes, he also used his breaks to visit the black market several times, bringing back loads of supplies.
Rice and flour aside, he bought various dried meats and vegetables, large slabs of pork, and fresh fish.
Since Wang Ying loved spicy food, lunch one day was twice-cooked pork with rice.
Glossy slices of pork were stir-fried with green garlic shoots—rich but not greasy, fragrant and delicious. The curled edges of the pork were golden and crisp, like shimmering ruffled skirts, salty and spicy.
Wang Ying spooned the twice-cooked pork over rice. The red chili oil soaked into the rice, the meat wrapping around each bite. She ate heartily, savoring every mouthful.
She herself found it strange. At a time when morning sickness should have been happening, her appetite was excellent.
Nowadays, there was always soup simmering on the stove. It wasn’t always meat soup—most of the time it was vegetarian. But Xu Shuang had the habit of frying a sunny-side-up egg and then adding hot water to boil, creating a milky-white broth. Toss in some napa cabbage and a sprinkle of goji berries, and it was ready to eat.
Xu Shuang was afraid that if Wang Ying got hungry while he was at work, she could just throw in some pre-cut cabbage and have something warm anytime.
In those three days, not only did neighbors come to offer congratulations, Chen Dong from the back courtyard even brought out an old-looking handheld object to give to Wang Ying.
“This is for the child. Take it. My great-grandfather once held this in his hands. They say it dates back to the Song Dynasty. Consider it a gift for the baby.”
Even without knowing much about antiques, Wang Ying understood how precious it must be for Chen Dong to keep such an item all these years. Something so antique-looking might be worth a fortune in the future.
She tried to refuse, but Chen Dong directly stuffed it into Xu Shuang’s hands.
“Take it. It’s for the child.”
Wang Ying could only accept it.
Three days passed quickly. When it was time for her to return to work, Xu Shuang insisted on escorting her like a guardian spirit.
“The ground’s slippery. I won’t feel at ease if you go alone.”
She wouldn’t ride her bicycle anymore—it was more dangerous. So Xu Shuang walked her all the way to the sugar factory. Not just to the gate, but to the clinic itself.
She had only taken three days off, yet news of her pregnancy had already spread through the clinic.
Zhang Na was genuinely happy for her. Seeing how tightly Xu Shuang hovered, Doctor Yang teased, “Come on, this is a clinic after all. Besides the hospital, this is the safest place you could be.”
Wang Ying smiled at Xu Shuang. “Exactly.”
Though the sugar factory clinic only treated minor ailments, there were several doctors. What could possibly go wrong?
Xu Shuang softly reminded her, “Don’t skimp on money at the canteen for lunch. I’ll come pick you up this afternoon.”
Wang Ying nodded. In this era, workplaces were quite considerate toward pregnant women. In their clinic alone, as soon as Doctor Yang learned she was pregnant, she told Wang Ying she could leave an hour early throughout her pregnancy and postpartum period.
Everyone else got off work at five in the afternoon, but she could leave at four.
The time difference worked out perfectly. Xu Shuang could come pick her up, and she could eat dinner before going home—then still have a late-night snack afterward.
Wang Ying felt that if she kept eating like this, she would sooner or later gain weight.
But Xu Shuang thought it would be good if she did. “You’re still too thin.”
In truth, Wang Ying wasn’t thin. Her figure was naturally well-proportioned. She was the kind of person who didn’t look bulky even if she gained weight. As the old saying went, she had a small frame, so even with flesh on her bones, she didn’t appear heavy.
But Xu Shuang didn’t see it that way. In his eyes, Wang Ying had already been upgraded to a fragile porcelain artifact.
He escorted her to and from work every day, attentive to the extreme. The entire clinic grew envious watching him.
Doctor Yang had seen too many irresponsible men in the factory—men who acted as if once the child was born, it was solely the woman’s responsibility. They only needed to play with the child in their spare time to earn the title of “good father,” while completely ignoring the daily feeding, cleaning, and caregiving. Suddenly encountering someone like Xu Shuang, she inwardly admired Wang Ying’s keen eye for choosing well.
“Such a good man is truly rare.”
Zhang Na’s mother even tugged at her daughter’s ear and lectured her, “Learn from Wang Ying. If you find someone like that, your father and I won’t have to worry ourselves sick.”
They only had one daughter. She was good in every way, just a little too naïve. Whenever Zhang Na’s mother thought about it, she worried. Aim too high and her daughter might suffer; aim too low and the man’s fragile pride might cause trouble later, especially once he gained confidence and started mistreating her.
After much thought, Zhang Na’s mother asked, “Why don’t you ask if Wang Ying’s husband has any brothers?”
Zhang Na: …
When Wang Ying heard the question, she couldn’t help laughing. “He does have an older brother… but he’s already married. And besides, he’s a sent-down youth in the Northwest.”
Indeed, after several years of grinding hardship, Xu Ming had ultimately married Song Ya, the daughter of the farm director. Last year’s letter had arrived, and Xu Shuang and Wang Ying had mailed them a large package of goods and various fabrics. Old Madam Xu had emptied her savings and tucked fifty yuan inside, telling Xu Ming to give it to Song Ya.
Not long after, Xu Ming wrote back. This time, however, he also sent a large package of local specialties—beef jerky, raisins, nuts. In his letter, he said that Song Ya had told him not to ask the family for anything anymore.
Old Madam Xu sighed, “That boy Xu Ming had a slick tongue since he was little. Back in the production team, people used to say he’d probably live off his face and mouth one day. Seems like no matter how much you study, it doesn’t matter—he still ended up living off it.”
But she was open-minded about it. Xu Ming’s marriage over there was practically like marrying into his wife’s family, and Xu Shuang’s situation here was much the same. Though both sons had effectively “married out,” the daughters-in-law were both good women.
That Song Ya, judging by her letter, was polite and sensible—a good girl indeed.
At this point, Old Madam Xu felt her life was complete. She was just waiting for grandchildren from both sides so she could enjoy her later years playing with them.
After Wang Ying finished explaining, Zhang Na put on an exaggerated sigh. “Sister Ying, with your husband setting the bar so high, I’m afraid I won’t be able to find anyone.”
They were all human—how could the differences be so great?
Some men were handsome and doted on their wives; others were unattractive yet still overestimated themselves.
The clinic cashier, Xiao Fei, protested, “Hey now, Comrade Zhang, don’t judge by appearances. We male comrades have plenty of good qualities too. You can’t just look at faces.”
Beside him, Yang Qing added softly, “That’s right. Handsome men are often surrounded by temptation.”
Wang Ying raised an eyebrow. “We’re talking about building a life together. What’s this about temptation? Whether man or woman, everyone faces temptations. Isn’t that so?”
Yang Qing quickly backed down. “You’re right.”
Xu Shuang’s voice sounded from outside. Wang Ying briskly packed up her things.
“I’ll head out first.”
Xu Shuang had come to pick her up.
Even in the sugar factory, a husband who showed up every single day to escort his wife was rare. By now, the Security Department all knew Xu Shuang and could chat with him casually.
Watching the young couple leave sweetly side by side, the younger guards were unbearably envious.
“Man, if I had such a beautiful wife, I’d treat her like that too.”
“Right, Deputy Captain Zhao?”
![I Mistook the Paranoid Gong for a Shou [Book Transmigration]](https://novels.space/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-12-at-01.24.02_47d1acd0.jpg "I Mistook the Paranoid Gong for a Shou [Book Transmigration]")
