Sweet slice-of-life love story: Wife, Let's love again
Chapter 341 - 334: Before I Knew It, I Was Approaching Thirty

The room was very warm, the heating in their old house was always powerful, there was no need to wear thick clothing indoors, shedding cumbersome down jackets, a single layer was enough to ward off the cold, and bustling about for a while might even make one break into a sweat.

Both their shirts were in a matching couple’s style, Qin Guanglin’s a dark gray and He Fang’s a light blue, each with a large panda design on the belly, one wearing a gentleman’s hat, the other with a pink bow tie, giving off a full sense of warmth.

Was this what it meant to enjoy the good life?

Qin’s Mom watched the two get everything in order and sit down together, feeling somewhat emotional.

With jobs, a house, a car, Qin Guanglin had truly made something of himself.

And to have married He Fang, such a good daughter-in-law, truly heaven-sent.

All the hardships suffered in the first half of her life were worth it.

"Once the new year is over, you’ll be twenty-nine, just a step away from thirty," Qin’s Mom mentioned as she prepared the condiments.

Qin Guanglin corrected her, "Twenty-eight, I’m only twenty-seven this year."

"You’re twenty-eight this year, twenty-nine next year."

"Twenty-seven."

"Twenty-eight... Who knows better, you or me?!" Qin’s Mom clicked her tongue and glared at him, "Don’t I know how old you are?!"

"Hmm..." He Fang looked at the two of them and interjected, "Twenty-seven by actual age, twenty-eight by nominal age, both are correct."

"..."

"..."

"We’ve always talked about nominal age, you’re twenty-eight, and in two more months you’ll be twenty-nine."

Qin’s Mom always felt that something was not quite right. It seemed like they had started dating so early, and in the blink of an eye, he was nearly thirty, yet only just married and without children?

"Alright, alright, twenty-nine... oh no, twenty-eight, and in a few months, twenty-nine," Qin Guanglin responded, scooping a large spoonful of sesame sauce for himself, "Let’s eat."

"Some things should be hurried along once it’s time,"

Qin’s Mom sneaked a glance at He Fang and reminded casually.

Being pregnant at twenty-nine, and by the time the child is born, they would be thirty. Becoming a father at thirty was too late.

With everything one could wish for, such outstanding people, why drag their feet on marriage and childbearing? Not showing the slightest urgency.

Qin Guanglin and He Fang exchanged a glance, he squinted his eyes, his wife really had predicted right.

When the news of that person’s passing came in late October, he had already grown accustomed to He Fang’s "golden words," nearly everything she spoke turned out to be true, this feeling of grasping the future as if he were a Prophet was a tad exhilarating.

"Cough... we’re preparing, we’re preparing," Qin Guanglin mumbled, while He Fang bowed her head to tap the surface of the oil with a spoon in the pot, serving a bowl of soup for each before starting to cook the vegetables.

The soup from the chicken stuffed with pig’s stomach was very nourishing, leaving one with a warm sensation after finishing, it was most suitable to drink in winter.

"Preparing? How long have you been preparing?" Qin’s Mom’s heart lifted.

"Just started, give me half a year of preparation time."

"..."

Damn it, half a year is way too long!

Qin’s Mom almost got excited enough to peel him with her bare hands, her voice raised a few degrees as she asked, "How long did you say?!"

"Science is key nowadays, you need to exercise for a few months, like running and hitting the gym... During these months, no smoking, no drinking, and then we must consider her physical condition," Qin Guanglin patiently explained, "This is how we can ensure a healthy and smart baby, just like me."

"But you don’t smoke anyhow, and haven’t you always been working out?"

"Ever since the move, I’ve pretty much dropped the ball, you know, fishing for three days and then leaving the nets out in the sun for two. I need to pick it back up, don’t worry, we’ve got it all planned out."

"Exactly, Mom, listen to Guanglin, he’s taking this very seriously."

A guy nearing thirty talking about this kind of stuff, he didn’t even seem shy. Together they persuaded Qin’s Mom. She was anxious inside, but she knew conditions now were not like during her time when you could just get pregnant without much thought and then simply take care of the fetus to have the baby—not to say that people today are delicate, but back in her day she was raised doing laborious work, strong and hearty, eating anything and everything with gusto, a stark contrast to these young office workers who are generally in a state of sub-health. Even He Fang’s portions of food are like a kitten’s, barely more than half a bowl, not much different from an old lady like her.

Moreover, with the improved standards of living now, there’s a plethora of confusing schemes and things to note about preparing for pregnancy. She had secretly done a bit of research and it all made her head spin. But no matter what, believing in science is always the right approach.

"Get to it, work out every day!" Qin’s Mom muttered, then turned to He Fang, "Fang, you keep an eye on him. If he dares to slack off, whip him with a belt."

"Mhm, I will supervise."

He Fang smiled and nodded, giving Qin Guanglin a mischievous glance.

"..."

"Hey, this soup smells amazing, really good." Qin’s Mom tasted a spoonful of soup, nodding in approval, and after praising He Fang’s cooking skills, she started eating with her chopsticks.

Though the table was laden with dishes, they seemed to shrink once cooked. Dinner started just after five and lasted close to seven. Qin Guanglin took care of the leftovers, standing by the pot, eating as he went, while Qin’s Mom chatted leisurely with He Fang.

When it was time to leave, she brought out a basin and handed it to Qin Guanglin, "Take this with you, release them tomorrow."

"Okay."

Qin Guanglin dressed neatly, adjusted He Fang’s scarf for her, then took the basin and said goodbye as they went out the door.

"All the fish you had before came from your mom?" He Fang had suspected as much, but now seeing it confirmed her guess.

"Yeah, all this fuss about releasing them, it’s better to just cook them for you to build your strength..." Qin Guanglin looked at the fish in the basin and suddenly lost his appetite, "Let’s go release it together tomorrow."

"You don’t want to eat it?"

"Doing good deeds is important, if you want fish, I’ll go buy another one."

While talking, he placed the basin in the car and cautiously reversed the vehicle. Though he’d scoffed at charity and freeing captive animals before, perhaps it was getting older or the influence of He Fang’s talk of the future, but he found himself slightly willing to believe.

It’s better to believe in something than nothing. After all, it was just a fish, just ten yuan.

He Fang chuckled, nodded in agreement with Guanglin, not saying much. Whether or not this would count as a good deed, it was a positive action either way. The fish had been caught from the Luo River; releasing them back wouldn’t affect the ecosystem, otherwise, that wouldn’t be earning merit, that would be creating trouble.

"Have you heard of the ’Infinite Merit Release Machine’?" Qin Guanglin drove through the night, a bit of mischief brewing in his mind.

"Exploiting merit could lead to being banned." He Fang knew what he was up to and curled her lip.

That machine was so absurd; it would be surprising if it actually worked.

"Fine... So, when will we ’start planting the seeds’ for our daughter? Which month next year?"

"Planting seeds, what an ugly phrase... April."

"The very month we first met."

"The month we met for the first time in this lifetime."