Shen Xue was pregnant, which was tremendous news for Chen Yang.
The older man took his wife to the state-run department store and bought a lot of nutritional supplements. Ginseng, of course, was a must for stews, as it was highly nourishing.
Back then, unlike later generations, ginseng cultivation wasn't yet industrialized. Most were wild, aged mountain ginseng.
Later, numerous scientific studies claimed that cultivated ginseng had the same nutritional components as wild ginseng, presenting data to support their findings.
Chen Yang didn't care if others believed it or not; he certainly didn't.
Things treasured by their ancestors for thousands of years had their value for a reason.
If it weren't for the long distance to the Northeast, he would have traveled to Changbai Mountain to stock up on wild ginseng from the old forests. These were treasures, and in a few decades, they would be rare finds.
Chen Yang bought a lot of tonics to boost blood and energy, including aged ginseng, bird's nest, malted milk powder, red dates, and goji berries. He also needed to buy more refined flour in Liuhe County later.
This fine grain was more nourishing.
Doctors also offered other advice: eat more fruits and vegetables, and get enough calcium.
Anhui province didn't have many places for dairy farming, so Chen Yang couldn't find milk. It was even harder to find in Shenjiaba, so he had to give up on that.
However, according to the doctor, pig liver was also a good source of calcium, which Chen Yang considered.
Wang Jianguo had been promoted to deputy director of the food factory, and his elder cousin Zhao Wukang still worked at the aquatic products section of the food factory. It wouldn't be a problem for him to help get some fresh pig liver from the pork section occasionally. It wasn't expensive.
The only issue was the strong smell; he needed to figure out a tasty way to prepare it for Shen Xue.
As for fruits and vegetables, there was no need to worry. Their own yard and his father-in-law's yard had vegetable patches planted with all sorts of vegetables. This year, there was no pollution from pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Homegrown organic vegetables were the safest.
For fruits, he would search in the small alleys of the county town. Villagers often brought them to sell.
Anhui's acceptance of private enterprise had emboldened many people. Even the black market in Liuhe County had become more open, with regular market days on the first and fifteenth of each month.
After buying a pile of supplements, Lin Didi pulled Shen Xue aside to talk about private women's matters.
She and Zhang Weiyang were only a wedding banquet away from being officially married. They already had their marriage certificate and were living openly in Zhang Weiyang's home.
Chen Yang would never believe they hadn't consummated their marriage.
They were both in their early twenties; a little spark between them was perfectly normal. He remembered how he and Shen Xue had been back then.
His mother had taught him things at home, but back then, children were still very traditional with their parents and wouldn't discuss things in detail.
Zhang Weiyang's mother had passed away early, and without a mother-in-law to guide her, Lin Didi didn't know much about romantic relationships or childbirth.
Having Shen Xue, who was closer in age and experienced, she naturally sought her advice.
Women, once they start chatting, can talk for hours. Chen Yang was happy that Shen Xue had someone to talk to.
Usually at home, Shen Xue didn't have many friends. The young wives and older women from their work unit loved to tell dirty jokes, which often made Shen Xue blush.
Lin Didi was someone she could talk to, and so was Yu Lili. People often spoke of close female friends, and Chen Yang considered that he had found two companions for his wife.
Seeing Shen Xue enjoying herself, Chen Yang didn't rush. After she finished chatting with Lin Didi, he had Shen Xue put the purchased supplements in the shop and then took his wife and children to Hu Dong's house.
They hadn't been to Qinghe in a while. Now that they were here, he wanted to visit Hu Dong and his wife with the children, and also invite Hu Dong to pay a visit to Zou Chenguang.
However, as soon as Chen Yang arrived at Hu Dong's, he found two elderly people there.
Upon inquiry, he learned that Yu Lili was also pregnant, almost three months along, even earlier than Shen Xue. Hu Dong's parents had been called over to take care of her.
What could this be called? It was destiny!
Hu Dong and his wife invited Chen Yang and Shen Xue to sit down. The couple's twin daughters were already playing happily with the baby and Chen Hao.
With Shen Xue and Yu Lili both pregnant, they had plenty to talk about. Chen Yang and Hu Dong couldn't get a word in, so they decided to head straight to Zou Chenguang's house.
Zou Chenguang had been promoted. He was still in charge of industrial and commercial affairs, but his position had changed. He had moved on, and a former deputy director, his direct subordinate, had taken his place.
It could be said that even though Zou Chenguang had been promoted, the municipal committee and the industrial and commercial bureau, his domain, were still under his influence.
Zou Chenguang's house was still the same courtyard. Leaders in those days weren't like those in later times, where a promotion meant an immediate upgrade in housing.
Not moving into a new house seemed to contradict their current status.
Just like last time, Zou Chenguang was in a meeting. His wife entertained the two guests and then busied herself with preparing a meal.
Since their two children had been found by Chen Yang, and Zou Chenguang had been promoted, Zhou Qiuju's life had become better and better.
Her work was also easier; she only had to collect and distribute newspapers at the office. After delivering the papers to the leaders' offices, she could go home early to cook. Out of respect for Zou Chenguang, no one gave her a hard time.
Both children had started school. Just as it was time for dinner, Zou Jingze returned home with his sister, tossing his olive-green backpack with a red star onto the rocking chair.
The little fellow went straight to the kitchen.
"Mom, I'm hungry. Is dinner ready?"
Zou Jingze hadn't noticed Chen Yang and Hu Dong in the room yet. After he started attending school, his personality had become much more cheerful.
Because of Zou Chenguang's position, the teachers paid close attention to him, fearing that he might face any unfair treatment at school. They educated the class students not to discriminate against Zou Jingze's disabled hand.
With no discrimination and so many new friends and classmates, Zou Jingze's personality quickly brightened.
This made Zou Chenguang and Zhou Qiuju even happier.
"Go wash your hands. You don't even greet the guests when they come over."
Zhou Qiuju doted on her son and daughter, who had been lost and found, beyond words. She sent Zou Jingze to entertain Chen Yang and the others, and then continued cooking.
"Uncle, is Xiao Donggua here too?"
As soon as he saw Chen Yang, Zou Jingze became excited. He still remembered Chen Hao.
"Yes, he is. After dinner, you can go to your Uncle Hu's house to play together."
Chen Yang couldn't help but feel amused. Due to special circumstances, Zou Chenguang had married and had children very late. At his age, he should have been a grandfather.
His son was so young, yet the way of addressing each other was all mixed up.
Chen Yang called Zou Chenguang "Old Uncle," but Zou Jingze was only a few years older than Chen Hao. By calling him Uncle based on Chen Hao's generation, it was only because Zou Chenguang didn't mind. They each called each other as they pleased; otherwise, it would have been quite awkward.