Cannon Fodder in an Era Drama — I Survive with Acting-Chapter 76: Important Node

"There are indeed a few additional points. It’s just... this one is a bit awkward to bring up. I hesitated for a long time when I was writing the notes and ultimately decided not to include it. It’s better to tell you in person."

Hearing this, a deep blush instantly spread across Song Qingya’s otherwise calm face.

She even instinctively shuffled her feet, wanting to hide her face behind Fei Jin.

She stammered, "Doctor Wen... you don’t have to specifically remind us. We know how to be careful..."

Her voice trailed off as she spoke.

Doctor Wen rambled on as he gathered his papers.

"I’m not kidding when I tell you this. I’ve been practicing for decades, and I’ve seen this sort of thing far too often. Just last year, there was a young couple in town who couldn’t restrain themselves. Something went wrong, and they came rushing to us, but we couldn’t save the baby. An investigation revealed it was because they were too impatient. They messed around, which caused some bleeding, and by then it was too late for regrets."

Hearing how serious the consequences could be, the smile vanished from Fei Jin’s face. He said in a low voice, "I understand what to do. Thank you for the warning."

After thanking him again, the two left the hospital.

By then, the sky had already grown dark.

Streetlights flickered on, one after another, and the air was filled with the aroma of dinner.

This time, in a rare change, Fei Jin didn’t let her go home alone.

Instead, he had Old Zhou drive her home.

By the time she returned to the residential compound, news of Song Qingya’s pregnancy had already spread like wildfire.

The young couple walked around with constant smiles, their ears filled with the congratulations of their neighbors.

The women who had learned to cook from Song Qingya were especially delighted. They took turns bringing over homemade meals and snacks, and they all dropped by to visit her.

Most of the things they brought were brand new.

One of the women said with great enthusiasm, "Qingya, dear, you have to take it easy now. Make sure you get plenty of rest and walk as little as possible. From now on, if you’re craving anything, just let your Auntie here know! We’re practically family. It’s no trouble at all to set another place at the table! You can come over for a hot, delicious meal anytime!"

Another woman chimed in, laughing and patting her apron. "No, come to my place! You’re just a few alleys away from us, you can be there in a flash. It’s so convenient and easy! Besides, I haven’t made a meat dish in days. It’s the perfect chance for me to show off a little for you!"

Before she could finish, a slightly older woman cut in.

"It ought to be my turn to bring food first! I just learned a new recipe for a stir-fry with mushrooms and crispy ’three delicacies.’ My kids devoured it and said it was absolutely incredible; they were all fighting for second helpings! I’ll bring it over to your place piping hot tomorrow so you can try it too, Qingya!"

The other women nearby heard this and all chimed in their agreement.

"That’s a great idea! Just let her wait at home, so she doesn’t have to tire herself out going back and forth! If you’re going to deliver it to her door, then let’s all do it. It doesn’t matter who goes first, the important thing is that she doesn’t have to lift a finger to cook!"

"Then I want in, too! I can’t cook to save my life, but I can certainly deliver food! The more the merrier!"

"Count me in!"

"How could I miss out on something like this?"

The women in town were always sincere and down-to-earth.

They had grown a bit distant due to some past misunderstandings, but after Song Qingya personally showed them how to cook a few dishes, they had all gradually warmed up to each other and become friends.

Plus, they still felt a little guilty about the past, so now they saw a rare opportunity to make it up to her.

They all rushed over to help, vying to give Song Qingya rice, flour, meat, eggs, clothes, and other household items.

There were also all sorts of other daily odds and ends, piled high in a large basket.

As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. Genuine kindness is always repaid in kind.

Looking at the group of chattering, smiling women,

Song Qingya’s eyes curved into adorable crescents, and her words were as sweet as honey.

She made sure to sincerely thank every single one of them.

The weather had been getting warmer, and she watched them, dripping with sweat, after making several trips to bring so many heavy things. Yet when they left, they took nothing with them.

Song Qingya’s heart ached with a mix of gratitude and guilt. She couldn’t bear to take so much from them, so she selected a few of the smaller, more delicate gifts to keep as mementos.

With her eyes welling up, she said softly, "Thank you, all of you, for being so caring... This is more than enough. It’s just Fei Jin and me; we really can’t eat this much."

"Oh, dear, how can you say that!"

"Your family is a family of three now! Have you forgotten about the little one in your belly?"

"Exactly! You’re eating for two now! It’s perfectly fine to eat a little more! Pregnant women need plenty of nutrients so the baby can grow up healthy and strong."

"Don’t worry about gaining weight. You need to eat a lot to get enough nutrients for the baby to grow big and strong."

...

’Although their advice was based on old-fashioned wisdom,’

’...it all sounded very familiar to Song Qingya.’

’She knew, however, that if a pregnant woman ate too many rich, restorative foods,’

’...it could actually cause the baby to be too big, which would complicate a natural birth.’

Still, they all meant well, so she didn’t have the heart to point out the flaws in their logic. She just smiled and kept her thoughts to herself.

Instead, she just quietly gave a few words of advice to another young, pregnant woman who was nearby.

She reminded her to eat a balanced diet and not to focus solely on rich, heavy foods,

...because having a baby that was too large could cause problems during labor.

After everyone had said their goodbyes and left, the room was finally quiet again.

Song Qingya sank back into her chair.

’I’ve definitely gained some weight recently. My movements have gotten so much slower.’

’My balance isn’t as good as it used to be, either.’

The changes were obvious to her.

But at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a strange new sensation welling up inside her.

’A tiny life was quietly growing inside of her.’

’Even though the baby wasn’t born yet, she couldn’t stop herself from wanting to buy another little outfit or two whenever she passed a baby store.’

’And next week, I have to make time to go to the carpenter’s shop in town.’

’I need to ask him to custom-make a sturdy little crib...’

She opened her system space, and a stream of silvery-white data flashed before her eyes.

A system notification followed—

[Congratulations! Your Repair Value with the Male Lead has reached 50%. This is a critical milestone. Progress this significant has never been seen in any of the past 99 missions.] 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The system’s data core analyzed the importance of this breakthrough. It deemed the progress exceptionally rare—so rare, in fact, that it considered reporting the achievement as this month’s "Employee of the Month" case study!