I lowered my head shyly, pretending to be bashful, and reached out to feed my adoptive father the soup.
"Daddy, drink some soup. You'll recover very soon."
"Then Xiao Ruan and little brother will both be filial to you."
"Little brother?" My adoptive father asked casually, feigning indifference. "You already know it's a boy?"
I let out a small gasp. "Yes! I saw it—it's a little brother in Mommy's tummy. Didn't Daddy see it too?"
The man in the neighboring bed sighed deeply. "Brother, don't blame me for not warning you as someone who's been through it. Sometimes a son is a life-shortening curse. I reckon your situation is just like mine. You'd better cherish this daughter of yours—when you're sick and hospitalized in the future, she'll likely be the only one who comes to see you. As for that son… ha, better not even mention him."
I lowered my head and gently blew on the soup.
From the corner of my eye, I caught the pensive look on my adoptive father's face. I knew then that the seed of doubt had already been planted—and had begun to take root.
After several days in the hospital, under the relentless indoctrination of the man in the next bed, my adoptive father could no longer sit still and insisted on being discharged early to deal with the child in my adoptive mother's womb.
On the day of discharge, while my adoptive father went to handle the paperwork, I took some cake and fruit to thank the uncle in the neighboring bed.
"There's no need to thank me, child. I was only telling the truth."
I nodded obediently. "But this is a small token of Xiao Ruan's gratitude. My sister, watching from heaven, would also hope you accept it and recover soon."
The man's eyes reddened. He patted my head gently and told me to go.
When we returned home, my adoptive parents erupted into the fiercest argument they had ever had.
"No! I finally got pregnant with a son, and now you want me to abort him? I absolutely won't agree!"
"This is for the good of our family! What's wrong with a boy? Can he bring our family the good fortune we have now?"
"Why not? Our current good life might very well be brought by the son in my belly!"
"Stop talking nonsense! It was clearly Xiao Ruan who brought it!"
"…"
Everything in the house that could be smashed was smashed by my adoptive mother. She flatly refused to have an abortion.
In the end, it was only when my adoptive father threatened divorce that she followed him to the hospital, unwilling and resentful.
After that, my adoptive father valued me more and more, and I gradually became the one with the greatest authority in the household.
Most of the money the company earned ended up in my hands.
After the college entrance exam, my adoptive mother became pregnant again.
This time, afraid my adoptive father would drag her to the hospital for another abortion, she informed me in advance at the company where I worked.
"Mom, is it true? Am I going to be a big sister?"
My hand trembled slightly as I placed it on her belly.
A faint, ominous glint flashed through my eyes.
I was certain—this time, it was still Lu Zhe.
I hadn't expected him to be so relentlessly persistent.
My adoptive mother grabbed my hand tightly and sighed. "Xiao Ruan, Mom is really scared."
"Scared of what, Mom? Pregnancy is a good thing," I said, feigning innocence. "Once Dad finds out, he'll be overjoyed." I pretended to pick up my phone to make a call, only for her to slap it out of my hand.
"Mom, what are you doing?" I asked, looking at her in confusion.
She looked anxious, her words hesitant and halting. "You can't tell your dad. If he finds out, he'll definitely force me to get an abortion!"
"Xiao Ruan, please help Mom speak up for me in front of your dad. Let me give birth to your brother, okay?"
"If you're the one who says it, your dad will surely agree."
In the end, wasn't she just afraid that if she spoke up herself, my adoptive father would bring up divorce again?
I sneered inwardly, but on the surface I hesitated. "I can try—I definitely don't want the baby to be aborted. But lately the company has been running into some problems. Dad is already overwhelmed. If we tell him at a time like this, he'll definitely be furious… maybe he'll even be like he was when I was little…"