Chapter 69: Checking Pulse

Forced by the growing weight of her belly, Su Yue had no choice but to borrow food from Xu Can.

When Xu Can heard the reason, she was so shocked that she instinctively touched Su Yue’s belly and asked in disbelief, “Are you really eating that much?”

Su Yue quickly defended herself. “It’s not that I eat so much, it’s the one inside my belly. This isn’t my fault.”

Xu Can didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Su Yue turned slowly around in front of her and said, “Look at me. Other than my belly, do you think I’ve gained any weight at all?”

Xu Can studied her carefully and admitted, “That’s true. You actually look thinner than before. It seems everything you eat has gone straight to your belly. That’s strange. Normally, pregnant women gain weight overall, especially if they have such a big appetite. Why are you still so thin?”

Su Yue patted her round belly and sighed. “That’s why I keep saying I’m pregnant with a glutton. This little one eats and drinks everything I take in. None of it seems to stay with me.”

Xu Can frowned as she examined Su Yue’s stomach more carefully. “Su Yue, I’ve been a doctor for years. I haven’t seen countless pregnancies, but I’ve seen enough. Honestly, I’ve never seen someone eat as much as you and still look like this. Your stomach doesn’t look right. You’re just over five months along, right?”

“Yes, a little less than six months,” Su Yue answered. She glanced down at her belly. “Why? Does it look too big? A lot of people think I’m already seven months.”

Xu Can nodded. “That’s exactly it. Your belly is indeed too big. When I was pregnant with Nini, I also had a good appetite, and my family’s conditions were decent. I never ate less, and my belly grew large. Nini weighed nearly seven pounds when she was born. But even then, at five months, I wasn’t as big as you are now.”

Su Yue swallowed nervously. “Then… could the one in my belly be a giant baby? What if he’s born weighing twelve pounds?”

Her face paled as she spoke, the thought frightening her. “If that’s the case, I’ll die from the pain. How could such a big baby even be born? And in this era, with medical care so underdeveloped… what if it turns into a difficult delivery? Will I even survive?”

Her words made Xu Can worry as well. Judging by Su Yue’s stomach, the baby really might be huge. Could such a big child be born safely? When Xu Can delivered Nini, she already thought she wouldn’t make it through. If Su Yue’s child weighed more than twelve pounds… it was simply unimaginable.

After a long silence, Xu Can said seriously, “The baby can’t be allowed to grow too big. Otherwise, you’ll suffer in the future. How about controlling your diet? Don’t eat quite so much, and try moving around more. A little exercise will help too. That way, your child won’t grow too large. It’s good for both of you.”

Su Yue nodded in agreement. “You’re right. This baby is already too fat. If he grows any bigger, I won’t be able to give birth. I’ll have to start controlling his weight from now on.”

She couldn’t help thinking of how, in future generations, pregnant women had regular prenatal check-ups to monitor the baby’s development and detect genetic issues. But now, hardly anyone had such awareness, and medical technology in the country was still very limited. She wasn’t even sure if proper prenatal examinations were available. So she asked Xu Can, “Does your hospital have B-ultrasound or anything like that?”

“B-ultrasound?” Xu Can was stunned. She stared at her in surprise. “How do you know about that?”

Su Yue immediately pretended to be clueless and laughed. “I just heard someone say it can show the baby inside the belly, so I was curious and wanted to ask. I’d love to see what my little one looks like.”

Xu Can didn’t suspect anything. She explained, “That kind of technology exists abroad, but not in China yet. Some doctors have proposed introducing it, but there hasn’t been any progress so far.”

Su Yue nodded regretfully. It seemed she would have to wait several years, until after the reforms, before hospitals here could use it.

“I was hoping to see something at the hospital, just to check if the baby is healthy,” she said, disappointed.

Xu Can smiled reassuringly. “You won’t see much in the hospital anyway. But if you’re worried, I can take you to my grandpa. His medical skills are exceptional, and he has decades of experience. He can read the fetus just by taking your pulse. If there’s anything wrong, he’ll know. In fact, much of what I know, I learned from him. When I was pregnant, I didn’t trust myself to examine it so I asked him to check me every month instead.”

Su Yue’s eyes brightened. She had always respected traditional Chinese medicine, and she knew there were indeed doctors who could read astonishingly well from a pulse. If Xu Can’s grandfather was that skilled, she would feel much more reassured.

She said quickly, “Sister Xu Can, then I’ll trouble you. When Han Aiguo has time off, let’s go together and ask Grandpa to take a look.”

Xu Can waved her hand. “Don’t be so polite. That’s settled then. Just tell me beforehand, and I’ll adjust my schedule to take you.”

Su Yue asked eagerly, “What does Grandpa like to eat? Or does he have any hobbies? I should prepare a gift. I can’t go empty-handed to disturb him.”

Xu Can thought for a moment. Knowing Su Yue’s personality, she would insist on bringing something, so she said, “Then make him one of those pastries you bake. They’re soft, and my grandpa really likes that kind of food.”

“Perfect,” Su Yue agreed immediately.

After their talk, she returned home with the food stamps Xu Can had given her.

But thinking of how her baby needed to “slim down,” Su Yue decided she had to start controlling her diet right away to slow the growth of her belly.

So that night, she only ate one bowl of rice. She set her chopsticks down firmly and refused to take another bite.

Han Aiguo was stunned and asked, “Why aren’t you eating? There’s still plenty rice in the pot,.”

Su Yue reluctantly tore her gaze away from the pot, forcing herself to resist the wild craving gnawing at her. “I—I’m full. I won’t eat anymore.”

But how could Han Aiguo believe that? He knew she never felt satisfied with just three bowls of rice these days. How could one bowl be enough? He touched her forehead and frowned. “Are you feeling unwell? Otherwise, why would you suddenly have no appetite?”

Su Yue brushed his big hand away and sighed helplessly. “I’m fine. My appetite is fine but it’s too good, actually.”

Han Aiguo’s brows drew tighter. “Are you refusing to eat on purpose because you’re worried about gaining weight?”

Su Yue nodded honestly. “Yes. I need to control my diet from now on. If I keep eating like this, the child will grow too big, and then… I won’t be able to give birth.”

Han Aiguo stared at her swollen belly, silent for a long moment. He had been worried for some time, but no one dared to bring it up. Her stomach was indeed too large, and a large belly usually meant a large baby. Big babies were notoriously hard to deliver, and Su Yue was so thin and it was her first child too. The risk was frightening for both mother and child. Yet, whenever he saw how hungry she was, he couldn’t bear to stop her from eating. How could he let his wife go hungry while carrying their child?

Now that she had voiced the concern herself, Han Aiguo didn’t try to persuade her otherwise. Instead, he went to the kitchen, ladled out a bowl of tomato and egg soup, and set it in front of her. “At least drink this. Soup won’t make you gain weight.”

Su Yue was still terribly hungry. The moment she saw the soup, she couldn’t resist. She grabbed the bowl and drank it all down, savoring every last drop.

But unfortunately, one bowl of soup did little. Not only did it fail to ease her hunger, it seemed to make her stomach cry out even louder. She suddenly felt like rushing to the kitchen, seizing the pot, and devouring it whole.

She thought bitterly that she was no different from a starving ghost. If someone handed her a pot right now, she would probably chew it clean. Still, for the sake of her own safety and the baby’s, she forced herself to resist the powerful urge to eat. To avoid temptation, she turned her back, stood up, and hid in the bedroom, unwilling to watch Han Aiguo eat.

Seeing her like that, Han Aiguo’s heart twisted with pain. He lost his appetite entirely, hurriedly finished the rice in his bowl without savoring it, and went to join her inside.

Because she had eaten so little, Su Yue went to bed early that night, thinking sleep might distract her from her hunger. But she was too naive.

In the middle of the night, a sharp pang of emptiness jolted her awake. Her stomach burned with hunger, her whole mind chanting one thought: I’m starving. I want to eat. I must eat.

Her mouth watered uncontrollably, and she kept swallowing saliva. She hadn’t felt this desperate since childhood.

The baby inside her seemed equally dissatisfied, protesting loudly. He wriggled and kicked, punching here and shoving there, as though demanding food. Her belly was in constant turmoil, tormented by this little troublemaker.

Su Yue tried to endure it, telling herself to rely on willpower. But within half an hour, she couldn’t stand it. The hunger only grew fiercer. Her belly clamored for food, refusing to settle down until it was filled.

Feeling utterly wronged, Su Yue burst into tears. She had been hungry every day of her pregnancy. No matter how much she ate, she was hungry again soon after. And now, when she tried to restrain herself for the child’s sake, her body and the little one rebelled against her. Was there any pregnant woman more conflicted than she was?

Tears streamed down her cheeks in golden drops, and she sobbed quietly into the dark.

Han Aiguo awoke to the sound of her muffled crying. Alarmed, he switched on the light and saw her face streaked with tears, her pillow already damp.

He quickly gathered her into his arms, wiping her cheeks. “What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable? Is it leg cramps?” As he spoke, he instinctively reached to rub her calf.

But Su Yue only clung to his neck and wept harder, like a child seeking comfort. The more she was consoled, the more aggrieved she felt.

Han Aiguo’s heart nearly broke. He lifted her into his arms, rushed out of bed, and said anxiously, “Don’t cry. I’ll take you to the hospital right now. We’ll see a doctor.”

Su Yue shook her head fiercely, still crying. “No, don’t go! I’m fine. I’m not sick.”

Sweat dotted Han Aiguo’s forehead. “Then what is it? Why are you crying like this?”

Sniffling, Su Yue pressed her hand to her belly and sobbed, “I’m… hungry. I want to eat… wuwuwu…”

Han Aiguo froze, utterly at a loss for words. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh. So this was why she was crying; because she was hungry.

Shaking his head, he carried her back to bed, wiped her tears, and coaxed softly, “Alright, don’t cry anymore. I’ll make you something to eat. You won’t be hungry after that.”

Su Yue sniffled and looked at him with tearful eyes. “But I can’t… If I eat too much, the baby will get too big. How will I give birth then?”

Han Aiguo frowned, sighing deeply. “But starving isn’t the answer either. If you’re this hungry and can’t sleep, it’ll harm both you and the baby. What if the child is hungry too?”

Her lips trembled and fresh tears threatened to fall.

He quickly comforted her again. “Okay, listen to me this time. You can eat and drink. Didn’t we agree to see the doctor in a couple of days? Let the doctor check first. If they say you need to control your diet, we’ll control it then. If not, we’ll keep eating as usual. For now, don’t overthink it. Just eat and feel full, alright?”

Hunger made people easy to persuade.

At once, Su Yue nodded eagerly, her eyes lighting up with hope. She looked at him expectantly, like a child waiting for her parents to prepare her favorite treat.

Han Aiguo couldn’t help but chuckle at her expression. He kissed her forehead, and then went to the kitchen to make food.

In the end, Su Yue devoured an entire pot of noodles, even draining the broth. It was as if a strong wind had swept through, leaving nothing behind.

Satisfied at last, she let out a long breath. The tears, the grievance, the despair; all of it vanished the moment her hunger was sated.

But when she glanced at the empty pot, she felt embarrassed. Wasn’t she just a glutton who cried when she didn’t get enough to eat? Truly hopeless.

She didn’t dare meet Han Aiguo’s eyes, but he only smiled silently. He carried his now well-fed, drowsy wife back to bed, and she fell asleep the instant her head touched the pillow.

Thus, Su Yue’s “diet plan” failed miserably on its very first night and was never attempted again.

More than a week later, when the baby in her belly turned six months old, Han Aiguo finally took vacation leave. Su Yue immediately arranged with Xu Can to visit her grandfather for a consultation.

Xu Can hadn’t seen her for days, and the moment she did, she was stunned. Staring at Su Yue’s belly, she was speechless for a long while before blurting, “Last time I saw you, your stomach wasn’t this big. Has it really grown this much in just a few days? Am I imagining things?”

Su Yue touched her belly helplessly. “You’re not imagining it. It’s true. Just look at the straps on the back of my overalls.”

Xu Can glanced at the straps and fell silent. “Didn’t I tell you to control your diet? Did you even try? We can’t let this baby grow so fast.”

Su Yue admitted sheepishly that her very first attempt at dieting had ended in complete failure.

Hearing this, Xu Can burst into laughter. She nearly couldn’t stop. At last, catching her breath, she said, “No wonder. You really have an endless appetite. Well, let my grandpa check your pulse today. Maybe he’ll know a way to help.”

Su Yue nodded in agreement. She too wanted to hear if Grandpa Xu had any suggestions.

More than two hours later, they arrived at his home.

The elderly man seemed to have been expecting them and was already waiting with a warm smile. His hair was silver, and though he looked to be seventy or eighty, his posture was straight and his eyes lively. The courtyard was lined with drying herbs, filling the air with a rich medicinal fragrance that immediately calmed the heart.

The old doctor glanced at Su Yue’s belly with interest. “I hear you want me to check the fetus?”

Su Yue bowed her head respectfully. “Grandfather, I’d like to know if the baby is well. Could you please examine me?”

He didn’t rush to act, but asked first, “How many months along are you?”

“Just six months today,” Su Yue answered.

His brows lifted in surprise. “Only six months? With such a belly, I thought you were nearly due.”

Su Yue sighed helplessly. “To be honest, Grandfather, these past months I’ve been endlessly hungry. I eat three big bowls in one sitting and still don’t feel full. I eat many times a day, yet I’m always starving. My belly is this large, but I worry… If the baby grows too big, it will affect delivery. That’s why I came to you.”

The old man nodded thoughtfully. He set a pulse pillow on the table. “Stretch out your wrist, then. Let me feel your pulse first.”

Su Yue obediently placed her wrist on the cushion. The old doctor pressed his fingers lightly to her skin and began his careful examination.