The morning sunlight poured into the luxurious courtyard, its polished floors reflecting a gentle glow. The scent of freshly cooked breakfast still lingered in the air as the family gathered in the main sitting room. Jia Lan sat beside her mother, Lin Shunhua, nibbling on sunflower seeds while listening to her grandmother, Chen Meiyun, animatedly share the latest gossip from the neighbors.
"Do you know what Old Madam Wang said yesterday?" Grandma's voice lowered dramatically, as if revealing a top-secret matter. "She claims her neighbor's daughter has been secretly meeting a young man in the peach orchard!"
Jia Lan widened her eyes in exaggerated surprise. "Really? I thought peach orchards were only for eating peaches, not for romance cultivation."
Her father, Jia Chenghai, chuckled. "Romance cultivation? This isn't one of your storybooks, Lan Lan."
The family's laughter filled the room, the warm atmosphere making the winter morning feel cozy. Xu Li, the eldest sister-in-law, poured tea for everyone, and Yao Jing, the second sister-in-law, sat quietly but smiled at the banter.
Lin Shunhua was in the middle of telling an exaggerated story about how the next-door neighbor's chicken escaped and caused chaos in the alley.
"…and just as Old Madam Zhao bent over to catch it, the rooster flew straight into her arms—feathers everywhere! I nearly spat out my tea!" She laughed, patting her husband Jia Chenghai's arm.
Jia Lan, nibbling on a candied hawthorn, chuckled. "Poor rooster… probably thought it was being kidnapped."
Chen Meiyun shook her head with mock seriousness. "In this courtyard, even the poultry lead dramatic lives."
It was just as Chen Meiyun was about to launch into another round of neighborhood news that the heavy wooden gate creaked open.
They were still chuckling when footsteps sounded in the corridor.
The door curtain lifted, and in walked Jia Ruiyu, Jia Lan's married sister, her cheeks rosy from the cold, and beside her was her husband, Zhou Heng, carrying a small basket of winter jujubes.
"Oh, you're both here!" Mother Jia set her teacup down and smiled warmly. "Come, sit, sit. Have you eaten breakfast?"
"Yes, Mother," Ruiyu replied, slipping off her scarf. But there was a playful glint in her eyes as she exchanged a glance with her husband.
"Eldest sister! Eldest brother-in-law!" Yao Jing called, grinning.
"Oh-ho, you two have the look of people hiding something," Jia Wei teased, squinting at them. "Out with it."
Zhou Heng cleared his throat, pretending to look casual. "We… might have something to tell you."
"Spit it out," Jia Zhen said, pretending to frown. "Don't come in here acting like you're about to sell us a treasure map."
Zhou Heng exchanged a glance with Jia Ruiyu, both of them suppressing smiles. "Hmm… maybe we do have something to share," Zhou Heng said in a deliberately mysterious tone.
Grandpa Jia Yusheng raised an eyebrow. "Something? From the way you're smiling, it's not bad news."
Everyone laughed, but Ruiyu only shrugged innocently. "It's not urgent…"
"Not urgent?" Lin Shunhua waved a hand. "You came all the way here in this cold, tell us now!"
Ruiyu pressed her lips together, as if trying to contain herself. "Well… I've been feeling a bit… tired lately. And sleepy. Very sleepy."
"That's because you stay up late reading those silly magazines," Mother Jia said with a chuckle.
But Zhou Heng shook his head and grinned. "No, Mother, it's not that. We went to the doctor… and they said…"
Ruiyu burst out, unable to hold it in any longer. "I'm pregnant!"
The room fell silent for one heartbeat before erupting into cheers and exclamations.
"Oh, heavens! Congratulations!" Grandma clapped her hands together, her eyes misty with joy.
Mother Jia immediately reached for her daughter's hand. "Ruiyu! Two months? How could you not tell us earlier?"
"I wanted to be sure first," Ruiyu admitted, smiling sheepishly.
Lin Shunhua beamed. "I knew you'd been looking a bit rounder in the cheeks lately!"
Zhou Heng laughed, shaking his head. "And don't congratulate me yet tell her to rest more! She still refuses to take it easy."
"Oh please," Ruiyu rolled her eyes. "This man won't let me even lift a teacup. The moment I stand up, he looks like I'm about to collapse."
"That's because the moment I heard she was pregnant," Zhou Heng admitted earnestly, "my first thought wasn't the baby—it was that my wife would suffer during pregnancy and delivery. I'd rather do everything myself than let her strain even a little."
"Aiyo… listen to him," Lin Shunhua teased. "He's turned into a hen himself."
Everyone laughed again, the joy in the air thick and warm.
While everyone crowded around with congratulations, Zhou Heng turned to Mother Jia with mock seriousness. "But Mother, you must help me. This woman refuses to rest! I told her to put her feet up and not lift a single finger, but she says I'm making a fuss."
Ruiyu rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "If I listen to him, I'll become a porcelain doll. He doesn't even want me to pour myself tea."
"That's right," Zhou Heng said proudly. "My wife is precious. When I first heard the news, I didn't think about anything else except how she would feel, if she would be tired, and—" he lowered his voice dramatically, "—how scary childbirth must be."
Mother Jia laughed and patted his shoulder. "A good son-in-law you are. I think you should stay here for the whole pregnancy. I can take care of her."
But Ruiyu shook her head. "No, no, I don't want to trouble everyone. I can manage at home."
Zhou Heng, however, brightened at the idea. "Actually, that sounds perfect. My family's in another city, and my mother… well, she's not exactly the caring type. Here, you'll have your mother and grandmother fussing over you daily. I'll sleep better knowing that."
Jia Lan, who had been sipping tea quietly, suddenly piped up with a teasing grin. "Zhou Heng ge, I think you just want to make sure she doesn't lift a finger because you're secretly afraid she'll boss you around while pregnant."
Everyone burst into laughter, even Zhou Heng, who shook his head. "Ah, Lan Lan, you've found me out."
In the midst of the joy, Yao Jing, though smiling, couldn't hide a flicker of sadness in her eyes. Jia Wei noticed it immediately. As lunch preparations began, he quietly pulled her aside near the kitchen.
"What's wrong?" he asked gently.
Yao Jing hesitated before sighing. "We've been married two years, Wei. And still… no baby."
Jia Wei squeezed her hand. "Rubbish. My elder brother and Xu Li had their first child after three years. And even if we never have a child, I married you for you, not for a baby. Don't let this weigh on you."
Her eyes softened, the sadness melting into a shy smile. "You say that now…"
"And I'll say it forever." He kissed her forehead before leading her back to the laughter in the kitchen.
Her lips curved into a small smile, though her eyes still held a trace of worry. "You always know how to comfort me."
Meanwhile, in the main room, Jia Lan was chatting animatedly with her sister and brother-in-law. Ruiyu leaned close and whispered mischievously, "Lan Lan, don't worry. I'll find you a husband who'll love you as much as Zhou Heng loves me."
"Make sure he's rich too," Jia Lan shot back instantly, making Zhou Heng nearly choke on his tea from laughing.
"You're glowing already," Jia Lan teased.
Ruiyu grinned. "That's just the joy of knowing I can boss Zhou Heng around for nine months."
Zhou Heng made a mock bow. "Madam, I was born to serve."
The sound of merriment carried into the courtyard, love, and new beginnings woven together in one perfect winter morning.
The room filled with warmth and banter as the aroma of lunch began to drift from the kitchen. The house felt fuller, brighter alive with the promise of a new little life to come.