The Exiled Life of the Noble Girl-Chapter 107: Sour Plums

Mr. Jin had been working so hard these days that after classes, Li Mingwei would stay at the school to help him make booklets. After finishing his homework, Dong Lei pushed open the back window and saw they were still busy, so he didn't want to disturb them. He just propped up his head and waited for them.

Li Mingwei happened to glance up and saw him looking at them from the window. She raised her eyebrows: "Are you done?"

Dong Lei admitted honestly: "No, there are two questions I don't really understand."

So he didn't dare put brush to paper.

Li Mingwei nodded, tidied up the things in her hands and handed them to Mr. Jin. Then she went upstairs to help Dong Lei with the questions.

After finishing, Dong Lei directly put his homework on Mr. Jin's desk, packed up his bag: "Auntie, are you walking home with me?"

Li Mingwei went to the window and took a look. Mr. Jin had finished his work and was tidying up the classroom. So she bid him farewell and left with Dong Lei. The two of them walked to an intersection when Dong Lei suddenly stopped and scratched Li Mingwei's palm while holding her hand.

"What's wrong?" f𝗿e𝗲𝘄𝗲bn𝐨𝚟𝚎l.com

Dong Lei didn't speak, just looked a little embarrassed.

Li Mingwei looked around and suddenly remembered that going from that intersection led to a snack shop. She glanced at Dong Lei - this little brat's thoughts were quite complex.

"What, your mother doesn't buy you snacks anymore?"

Dong Lei pouted grievously: "Ever since our family bought land, they stopped buying them. Auntie, I, I'm craving snacks now."

After they bought land? Li Mingwei calculated - that must have been two months already. Sister Chunhua was too frugal, how could this child not be hungry for snacks.

Li Mingwei pulled him by the hand towards the snack shop. Dong Lei grinned happily, his steps more brisk.

"Go pick what you want."

She let go of Dong Lei's hand. Dong Lei rushed to the counter, his gaze drifting among the various snacks, as if he wanted to try them all.

Chen Jie watched him with a smile, not disturbing him. He turned and greeted Li Mingwei: "Mingwei, haven't seen you in a long time!"

"I've been busy recently." A whole month copying books. Other than going to the embroidery workshop to deliver work, she really hadn't gone out much.

She took two steps forward, approaching Chen Jie to see what he was fiddling with in his hands. Unable to restrain her curiosity, she leaned in for a closer look. Chen Jie smiled and handed her one: "Want to try?"

Li Mingwei accepted it and inspected it. It looked like a plum, so she popped it into her mouth.

Mm~

"A little sour!"

Chen Jie probably knew of her situation too, so he didn't say this was what pregnant women liked to eat. Instead he said, "They're sour plums, of course they're sour."

Sour plums?

Weren't those what pregnant women ate? Li Mingwei did know that much. But since she had already tasted it, it would be impolite not to buy some. So she had Chen Jie bag some for her.

Chen Jie didn't say anything, packing a bit less for her and handing her the bag: "You can handle sour huh."

"It's alright."

Li Mingwei patted Dong Lei's head, urging him: "Have you picked yet? If we don't head back soon your mother will worry."

Seeing she had made her selection, Dong Lei didn't dare delay. He picked his two favorites and had Chen Jie weigh and bag them. Then he followed Li Mingwei home.

Carrying his snacks, he contemplated how to avoid being scolded by Mother when he got home. He turned and saw Li Mingwei's mouth constantly moving, so he held out his hand: "Auntie, what are you eating? Can I have one?"

Li Mingwei directly put one in his mouth. Dong Lei chewed, then spat it out, yelling loudly: "Auntie, what is this, so sour!"

Clutching his snacks, he ran forward, grumbling to himself. How could anyone like eating this stuff?

Li Mingwei was stunned. Really sour?

Kids' senses must be more sensitive.

She sent Dong Lei to his door. As expected, Wang Chunhua was already waiting at the door. With one glance she spotted the snacks in her son's hands. Striding forward, she grabbed his ear. She knew it - how could he be so late getting home. Turns out he was pestering his auntie to buy him snacks!

Li Mingwei walked up and saw her angry sister. She held out the bag of plums placatingly: "Sister, want some plums?"

Plums?

Wang Chunhua looked down at the empty bag. What plums?

Seeing her sister just staring at her motionless, Li Mingwei took back the bag, only just realizing she had finished all the sour plums on the way here.

Thinking of something, her nose suddenly soured. Her body shivered and she almost lost her footing. She grabbed Wang Chunhua's arm to steady herself. Her voice choked up a little: "Sister, I've been especially tired lately, always wanting to sleep. And, craving sour plums..."

Wang Chunhua still hadn't reacted. She flashed through the words "sour plum" in her mind, also trembling slightly. Hesitantly she said: "You can't be..."

"I know!"

That's what the doctors had said! Two imperial doctors, plus an outside doctor, had all said the same - that she couldn't conceive. But what was going on with her now?

Wang Chunhua reacted swiftly, removing her apron and tossing it onto Dong Lei. Supporting Li Mingwei, she headed straight for the pharmacy to see a doctor, while Dong Lei yanked the apron off his head and watched them leaving. Was he off the hook already? That was too easy!

On the way to the pharmacy, Li Mingwei's mind was a chaotic mess. What exactly was going on with her? Could she really be pregnant or was it just her imagination...

Li Mingwei crouched outside the pharmacy door, too afraid to enter. Wang Chunhua couldn't tug her along either, so she crouched beside her, arm around her shoulders, persuading: "Sister, it'll hurt whether you stick your neck out or hide it. Let's just go in."

"But, I'm scared~"

"What's there to be scared of? At worst you're not pregnant. Scholar Li knew about this when he married you, and so did your mother-in-law. They didn't expect you to bear them a child. What do you have to fear?"

Although Wang Chunhua spoke the truth, Li Mingwei's heart still ached. She looked grievously at Wang Chunhua, then steeled herself and went in.

She carefully placed her wrist on the doctor's pulse-taking pillow. The doctor glanced at her and put his hand over hers: "What's the problem?"

Wang Chunhua stood at her side, arm around her shoulders, answering for her: "She's tired every day, and craves sour foods."

The doctor looked at Li Mingwei, examining her even more attentively. Hadn't outsiders said she couldn't conceive?

He narrowed his eyes, calmed himself, and carefully sensed her pulse. His brow furrowed deeper and deeper: "This fetus is weak!"

Li Mingwei's heart tightened: "So I really am pregnant?"

The doctor was about to reply when Wang Chunhua rushed over, nearly knocking him off his chair: "What do you mean weak? My sister finally conceived after so long, how can you say it's weak?"

She grabbed the doctor's clothes: "Speak doctor, what's weak about it?"

"You, get off!" The doctor shoved her forcefully away, took a deep breath, and rapped the table heavily twice. Seeing Wang Chunhua calm down a little, he sat back steadily and tidied his clothes.

Seeing his anger, Wang Chunhua lowered her voice: "So doctor, what's weak about it?"

The doctor impatiently said: "Look how thin your sister is. How could it not be weak!"