Xie Sui's mind buzzed, his legs felt weak. How could Wanwan have fainted?
Du Feiyang helped him up, and they rushed to the hospital, only to see Lin Wanwan leaning against the hospital bed with a displeased expression. She had already woken up.
Xie Sui was covered in sweat, his mouth dry. He sat on a chair and asked her, "What happened? How did you faint? You scared me to death! Are you too tired? It's my fault, I shouldn't have arranged so many things for you. We won't do them anymore, let's go home and rest, okay?"
Lin Wanwan shot him a glare, still unhappy and unwilling to speak.
The doctor came over and said, "Director Xie, don't worry. your wife is just pregnant. Her child is still young and doesn't want to accept this fact. Pregnant women need to be coaxed."
Xie Sui's heart leaped. "Pregnant? That's great news! Oh, Wanwan, I thank you on behalf of all eighteen generations of my ancestors. You alone are making our Xie family prosperous. In the past, you would have been a great hero."
Lin Wanwan didn't look at him. Getting pregnant was an accident. She still wanted to build a career and become a strong woman, not stay at home raising children. "You can have this 'hero' title. You have this child for me. I'm almost like a rabbit, having litter after litter. Besides giving birth, what else am I good for?"
Xie Sui patiently coaxed her, "If I could, I definitely would. You're useful for so much more than just giving birth. I can't live without you. Doudou and Dingding can't live without you. The two little ones certainly can't live without you. Without you, our family would fall apart. You are the source of everyone's happiness, our backbone. You scared me so much just now, I almost fainted with you. Wanwan, I can't live without you. Don't be angry. How about you hit me a few times to let it out!"
The women in the surrounding maternity wards envied her. Where could they find such a good husband? Their men only knew how to scold them, asking who wasn't pregnant and what the fuss was about.
Lin Wanwan's expression softened slightly. She got up and said, "Let's go home. Don't embarrass ourselves here."
"Are you okay? You fainted. Let's switch to a private room to protect the pregnancy and rest well. You've worked hard, Wanwan. The two little rascals aren't even a year old, and you're pregnant again. How about we... not keep it? Can your body handle it?" Xie Sui wasn't unable to afford it, he was just worried about Lin Wanwan's health. She had fainted, which must be serious. He was reluctant to abort the child, but if it came to that, he would have to give up with a heavy heart.
Lin Wanwan glared at him, "What do you mean? You don't want the child? I'm telling you, if I don't want you, I still want my child. How am I not capable? If you're not capable, I am. I just didn't sleep well during my nap and got tired. Everything is fine."
Du Feiyang couldn't help but chuckle. The fierce sister-in-law was back, and Brother Xie was going to get scolded again. "Yes, yes, my Wanwan is the most capable. You rest for a while. I'll go ask the doctor. If the doctor says it's okay, we'll go home."
"Hurry up. The hospital smells bad, and I don't want to stay here. I feel like throwing up."
"Feiyang, take care of Wanwan. I'll go find the doctor."
"Okay, Brother Xie, you go ahead."
Xie Sui asked the doctor, "Is my wife's pregnancy going well? She has a predisposition for twins. If it's twins again, can her body handle it?"
The doctor said, "A predisposition for twins? It's very possible. So far, her body is fine, and her nutrition is sufficient. She fainted because she wasn't careful in the early stages. Go back and supplement your nutrition, come for regular check-ups, and we'll deal with any problems. Wait, I almost forgot. You might not be able to keep this child."
"Why?"
"Family planning!"
They were directly told to have only one child. Later, the issues of only children would be numerous: elder care, spoiling, and being overgrown babies were all serious social problems.
"I'll handle this. Thank you for the reminder." Xie Sui slipped him a red envelope. The system wasn't strict back then, and doctors would accept red envelopes. Otherwise, the family would be uneasy. The doctor, seeing no one else around, tacitly accepted it and reminded him, "You should be discharged quickly. Our hospital has quotas too. Be careful."
Xie Sui's heart sank. "Thank you. We'll leave immediately."
However, it was too late when Xie Sui returned to the ward. A group of people wearing red armbands were blocking the door. Inside, Du Feiyang was shouting angrily. Fortunately, he had left him behind, or Wanwan would have been in danger.
Xie Sui's face turned as black as ink. He pushed aside the crowd and entered. Lin Wanwan's face turned pale with fear. Xie Sui felt immense heartache and quickly embraced her. "Don't be afraid. Husband is here. I won't let them take you away. I will protect our child."
Lin Wanwan nodded. "Okay. Can we go home?"
"Yes. You rest for a while. Watch your husband get revenge. They all deserve to die for scaring my Wanwan."
"Calm down, don't be impulsive. They're just doing their job, they're not here specifically for me."
Xie Sui nodded, pulled the curtain around the hospital bed, turned, and looked at the group from the family planning office, grinning, his white teeth showing a hint of sinister intent. "You want to take my wife away? Do you know who I am?"
Du Feiyang said, "Brother Xie, I told them, and they know. They still insisted on taking sister-in-law away. I was so angry I wanted to hit them."
A middle-aged woman said, "Try hitting someone. We're enforcing the law legally."
Xie Sui asked, "How do you know it's outside the plan? Are you specifically targeting me?"
The middle-aged woman's eyes flickered. "I'm not. The hospital found out. You are a county entrepreneur, you should set an example and abide by the policy."
Xie Sui smiled. "Excuse me, but you really can't control my wife. If something happens, will you take responsibility?"
"You are resisting law enforcement!"
Xie Sui said, "I'm leaving now. If anyone dares to stop me, don't blame me for being impolite. Feiyang, call people."
"Okay, Brother Xie, please wait. I've disliked them for a long time, acting like they're in charge with a straw. What are they?"
"You, you are showing contempt for the law."
The middle-aged woman was furious. "We'll report you to the county. If you dare to have an extra child, your factory won't be able to operate anymore."
Xie Sui almost laughed. Such arrogance, like a toad yawning. "May I ask your name, auntie? Ignorance isn't your fault, but it's wrong to be ignorant and make a spectacle of yourself. Has your brain gone bad? Go back and ask around. It's not that I, Xie Sui, want to stay here, but the county begged me to stay. Without the tax revenue from my factory, you'd all be eating the northwest wind! Get lost, don't spoil my wife's mood. You're too ugly!"
"You, you're too arrogant."
Xie Sui tilted his head. "This is just how I am. Whoever is arrogant towards me, I'll be even more arrogant towards them." He turned and picked up Lin Wanwan. The group wanted to stop them, but Xie Sui glared, and Du Feiyang grabbed the IV stand. They involuntarily stepped aside. The driver and bodyguards also arrived, escorting them out of the hospital.
The middle-aged woman stomped her foot in anger. "Too arrogant! This is a criminal element! I'm going to report him to the county."
A junior official said, "Director Yan, let's just forget it. This is Director Xie. Many employees in our county work in his factory. The county can't really make things difficult for him over this, can they?"
"So he can do whatever he wants? This kind of behavior must not be encouraged."
The women who had just given birth heard this and scoffed. This person was crazy, making such a fuss over family planning, and claiming national trust? Did the nation even know who he was?
...
On the way back, Xie Sui was on the phone the whole time. He felt that today's incident was not accidental; it was aimed at him.
Lin Wanwan asked worriedly, "Will there be trouble?"
"No trouble. At worst, we'll go to Hong Kong to give birth. The child has found us, so we must protect them."
Lin Wanwan was touched. "Mm, I believe you."
Du Feiyang's eyes lit up. "That's right, Brother Xie! Let's go to Hong Kong, to the US! If they have the guts, they can chase us there too!"
"We're not at that stage yet. She's stupid, but not everyone in the county is stupid. It's not her place to decide."
When Lin Wanwan returned home, Xie Lan quickly helped her inside. Xie Sui had already informed her about Lin Wanwan's pregnancy, and she was filled with mixed feelings, extremely worried. "Are you alright?"
"I'm okay. You've worked hard lately, Big Sister."
"Don't say that. You focus on your pregnancy. I'll have our mother come over too, and we'll take care of you together. Anyone who dares to come and drag you away, I'll fight them to the death."
Xie Sui said, "Big Sister, be vigilant. Keep an eye on the entrance. Those people won't give up. If they come to the house to cause trouble, Wanwan will be scared."
"So arrogant? There's no place to reason with them. Those people are truly heartless. Don't they have children? May they be struck by lightning and die a horrible death."
Xie Sui shrugged. There was no right or wrong in this matter. Many years later, when recalling the madness of this history, some would regret it, and some would suffer a miserable fate, attributing it to retribution.
...
Lin Wanwan rested for a night and was physically fine, but her mood remained heavy. She constantly worried that someone would suddenly break in and was startled by any slight noise at night. She was traumatized.
Xie Sui felt that this wouldn't do; it would wear her out. If necessary, they would go to Hong Kong to nest.
Plans, however, could not keep up with changes. The project here had just begun, and Xie Sui had to leave. Secretary Chen and Secretary Tang personally came to his home to see him, accompanied by the middle-aged woman, whose surname was Yan, and her name was Yan Xiaoju.
Xie Sui had already inquired about her. She was the aunt of Yan Xiaoliang, another Yan family member. This further confirmed it was revenge against Xie Sui.
"Director Xie, is your wife alright?"
Xie Sui said, "She's been frightened and can't sleep soundly. Secretary Chen, don't worry. I won't make things difficult for you. There are policies from above, and we must implement them."
Yan Xiaoju said, "Director Xie, it's right to say so. You should cooperate with our work. This is your obligation."
Xie Sui didn't even look at her, treating her as if she were nothing. He fanned his nose, "Smelly! What is this thing babbling in front of me!"
"You..."
Secretary Chen said, "You go out first. I'll talk to Director Xie."
Yan Xiaoju reluctantly went out. She felt she had done nothing wrong. This pregnant woman had seriously violated regulations, and she had a responsibility to eliminate her child, or even make her get sterilized and never have children again.
In the room, Xie Sui continued, "I won't make things difficult for Secretary Chen. I plan to develop in Hong Kong."
"This is absolutely not possible, Director Xie. With such a good situation in the country, how can you go to Hong Kong?"
"I won't let Wanwan suffer. We must have this child."
Secretary Chen also seemed troubled. Xie Sui's situation was special. He wasn't short of money and could afford to raise children.
"Secretary Chen, don't worry. Feiyang will be in charge of the county, and all projects will proceed as usual. It won't affect your political achievements. However, in five or ten years, the county will be stagnant and development will reach its limit."
Secretary Chen's lips trembled. This seemed like a show of weakness, but every word was a threat. A business at his level had many choices.
"Director Xie, let's not say anything out of anger. How about this? Pay a fine."
"Alright, how much is the fine?"
Things that could be solved with money were not problems. However, if the county demanded an exorbitant amount and treated him like a fool, Xie Sui wouldn't play along.
"Your social status is different. The fine is based on income, at least five hundred thousand."
Xie Sui raised his eyebrows. "Five hundred thousand? That's too much. My factory doesn't even earn that much in a year, and there are so many projects waiting for capital. Fifty thousand is enough for the workers' half-year wages. How about I owe them their salaries?"
Secretary Chen felt stifled. Delaying salaries was even more unacceptable. The workers would then blockade the county government. This Director Xie was really difficult to deal with. All along, he had controlled the rhythm and led him by the nose.