Like a heavy hammer falling from the sky, the news struck Xia Dajun, making him dizzy!

“Preg… pregnant?”

Xiaoyu was pregnant!

When a man and woman share a bed, if both are healthy, pregnancy naturally becomes possible over time. Xia Dajun just hadn’t expected it so soon. The news stunned him, followed by wild joy—Xiaoyu was carrying his child. In his forties, with his only daughter Xia Xiaolan now his enemy, Xiaoyu’s child came at just the right time.

It satisfied Xia Dajun’s male pride, along with various complex emotions.

Fearing Xiaoyu might be mistaken, he looked at her anxiously. Xiaoyu guided his hand to gently stroke her belly:

“It’s true, I’m pregnant. Lately, I’ve been craving sour foods. The old saying goes ‘Sour for a boy, spicy for a girl’—I might be carrying a son!”

A second hammer struck Xia Dajun.

Not only was Xiaoyu pregnant, but she might be carrying a son!

He had already mentally omitted the word “might.” After years of being criticized for not having a son, Xia Dajun was obsessed with having one.

If he had a son, why should he contribute to his brothers?

Breathing heavily, Xia Dajun said, “Sour for boys, spicy for girls—you must be carrying a son! Xiaoyu, I’m so happy… I, Xia Dajun, am going to have a son!”

At that moment, Xia Dajun’s back seemed to straighten with pride.

Xiaoyu smiled too: “Nothing’s certain yet, don’t get too excited. But since we can both have children, it doesn’t matter if this one’s a girl. I’ll give you a son eventually.”

Xiaoyu’s words made perfect sense.

Xia Dajun’s mind was foggy; naturally, whatever Xiaoyu said was right.

Family planning?

Nonexistent.

If they were still farmers back home, Xia Dajun would have been terrified of family planning policies. But now they were in Pengcheng, beyond the reach of Anqing County’s Family Planning Committee. At worst, they could register the son’s household back home after birth—he’d accept whatever fine they imposed!

No, wait—if they had a son, why register back home?

Xia Dajun’s eyes shone brightly as he gripped Xiaoyu’s hand: “So you’re encouraging me to buy a house for the child’s sake?”

Xiaoyu gently stroked her belly, “Yes, we were both born rural folks, looked down upon wherever we go. Brother Dajun, you only earned respect after risking your life alongside Boss Du. When we have a child, how can we let them suffer? We must give them the best—they should be a city resident!”

Working in the city was different from being a city resident.

Xiaoyu’s words struck exactly where Xia Dajun’s heart lay.

If he had a son, he would strive for his sake. For some men, having a son versus a daughter created entirely different mindsets.

A daughter would marry into another family, unable even to carry on the family name—what was there to strive for? No matter how much wealth, wouldn’t it all go to outsiders? A son was different, continuing the family line, and able to pass down the family business through generations.

Though the child in Xiaoyu’s belly was still just a developing blood bubble, Xia Dajun was already imagining his son’s future!

“My son must be a city resident. You’re right, we need to buy a house that comes with household registration. I just don’t know how expensive the Golden Sand Pool houses will be, and I don’t have much money.”

Xia Dajun had spent his earnings freely.

He didn’t mind spending on Xia Ziyu.

Didn’t mind paying to get introduction letters for Xia Hongbing’s family.

Somewhat regretted paying off Xia Hongbing’s gambling debts.

Now thinking back, if he hadn’t spent that money, he should have had several tens of thousands saved. All his past regrets seemed to pile up, crashing over him like a tidal wave. Xia Dajun’s brow furrowed deeply.

If he hadn’t spent that money, he could have bought a house for his son!

No matter how dear a niece or lovely a nephew, they couldn’t compare to one’s son.

Though Xia Dajun was known for blind filial piety, on this point he was especially clear.

Seeing his anxiety, Xiaoyu quickly comforted him: “We still have months before the child is born, and the houses with registration haven’t been built yet. We can save for a few more months. With what we have now, we’ll have about 40,000 yuan. If we’re still short, you can ask Boss Du for an advance, and we’ll figure out the rest after buying the house!”

Xiaoyu’s plan was logical; Xia Dajun had no reason to object.

However, besides buying a house, Xia Dajun thought of something else:

“When this child is born, we need to go back home and get our marriage certificate!”

How could he let his son be born illegitimate?

While Xiaoyu’s pregnancy wasn’t showing yet, Xia Dajun wanted to return to Yunan to get married. He had planned to marry Xiaoyu anyway, but traveling home was troublesome, and Xiaoyu had agreed to get the certificate at year’s end.

But plans change with circumstances. Now that Xiaoyu was pregnant, he couldn’t let her face others’ contempt with a swelling belly.

Xiaoyu’s shoulders tensed slightly.

Getting a certificate with Xia Dajun meant being permanently tied to him.

Xia Dajun wasn’t as valued by Du Zhaohui as she had thought, and Liu Tianquan’s side wanted her to withdraw, to stop wasting time on Xia Dajun.

Yet at this moment, Xiaoyu was pregnant.

In her twenties, she’d already had two abortions while with Fan Zhenchuan. If she aborted this child too, Xiaoyu feared she might never conceive again.

How far she and Xia Dajun could go was uncertain, but the child would be her flesh and blood—grown up, they would have to care for her.

Besides, staying with Xia Dajun wasn’t bad—he was easily persuaded, content with sweet words, and much easier to handle than Fan Zhenchuan or Liu Tianquan. Following Fan and Liu hadn’t brought her any benefits, while now she controlled all of Xia Dajun’s salary. In 1985, Xia Dajun’s wages matched Hong Kong’s rates. Except for supporting the Xia family, Xiaoyu was satisfied in every way.

Even the issue of supporting the Xia family could be mostly resolved during her pregnancy.

Setting aside Liu Tianquan’s side for now, with this child, Xiaoyu no longer feared Liu Tianquan’s leverage over her.

With Xia Dajun so easily swayed, even if he learned about her past, she could cry and beg, paint herself as pitiful, and considering the child, controlling Xia Dajun wouldn’t be difficult.

This pregnancy was perfect, giving Xiaoyu the confidence to break free from Liu Tianquan’s control.

Stroking her belly, she smiled genuinely for once, not to seduce but from true happiness:

“Whatever you say—let’s go home and get our marriage certificate first!”

Her reputation back home was ruined, with many knowing about her affair with Fan Zhenchuan. When Fan had power, people dared not speak ill of Xiaoyu to her face, but after his fall, they lost their restraint. Even though Fan Han hadn’t driven her away, Xiaoyu couldn’t stay in Hedong County. She wanted to marry a simple man, but finding someone like Xia Dajun wasn’t easy.

Boiler operators, street sweepers, and men with no skills didn’t mind her past, but Xiaoyu couldn’t bear such hardship.

Though easily persuaded, Xia Dajun had good luck with his high monthly salary, which greatly satisfied Xiaoyu.

Hadn’t people said she couldn’t marry well?

She’d show those gossips that she hadn’t fallen—she’d made quite a good match!