"You're pregnant. I'll prescribe some folic acid, calcium tablets, and multivitamins for you. You should take more care to get enough rest."
Ding Sha calmly took the note from the doctor and touched her still flat belly as she walked out of the room.
He couldn't help but sigh and looked at the pitifully small balance on his phone. Ding Sha went to a pharmacy outside to ask around and found that the prices at the hospital were still cheaper.
The couples standing in front of the maternity and child hospital had happy faces, but Ding Sha, who was alone, inevitably looked a little lonely.
Ignoring the strange looks from people around him, Ding Sha rode his electric bike towards home.
When she passed by the vegetable market, she hesitated for a moment, thought about the baby that had not yet formed in her belly, and finally bought half a pound of shrimps. The shrimps were not big and there were only a few of them, and it cost her more than 20 yuan.
After walking around for a long time, we finally arrived at a small village in the suburbs. We passed by all the aunties chatting on the roadside who were pointing and looking at us.
Ding Sha returned to his own shabby courtyard.
When I got home, I ran to the kitchen first, found the casserole and rice, and cooked them on low heat before I moved a small stool and sat by the faucet to remove the shrimp threads.
Turn on the fire, add oil and clean the shrimp heads, and stir-fry to bring out the bright red shrimp oil and delicious aroma. Ding Sha carefully blew away the smoke overflowing from the casserole and stirred it with a spoon.
The rice bloomed when cooked.
She poured in the shrimp oil and put in the marinated fresh shrimp.
I always feel like something is missing.
Ding Sha thought for a moment, wiped his hands with his apron, squatted down, took out an inconspicuous small jar from a pile of jars and cans in the corner, picked up some preserved vegetables and threw them into the porridge.
After boiling it for a while, she scooped up a little, blew it cool, tasted it, and took the casserole away with a rag, showing satisfaction.
This is for dinner tonight.
Ding Sha sat in the somewhat dim and empty main room, drinking porridge quietly.
Today is her third day in the book.
She had long discovered that she could not make any choice that went against the development of the plot.
For example, abortion.
She doesn't even know who the father of the child is.
Because she was reborn as the deceased mother of the male protagonist in a sad novel.
In the original book, she died of childbirth complications and was only mentioned a few times.
The novel mainly revolves around the protagonist's miserable life, telling the story of his misery and suffering.
And now the male protagonist of the sad novel is still in her belly.
She didn't have any useful information.
At present, it seems that all she can do is to be at ease with the male protagonist and give birth to him.
Then wait to die.
Ding Sha couldn't help but sigh when he thought of this.
No money, no family, no education, and no job.
A child with only a little life-threatening illness not only has to support himself but also the child.
Oh yeah, and a pretty face.
Ding Sha raised his hand and touched his face.
She originally had a pretty appearance, but suddenly she was transformed into a beautiful lady. Besides feeling grief and indignation, she actually felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
“Boom boom boom…”
Someone knocks on the door.
"Who is it?" Ding Sha yelled without moving.
"It's me, I came to bring you something!"
It’s Grandma Zhang, our next-door neighbor.
Ding Sha quickly stood up and went to open the door.
Grandma Zhang was kind to her and would send her some green vegetables grown in her yard every now and then.
"Grandma Zhang," Ding Sha opened the door and welcomed her in.
"Are you eating?" Grandma Zhang smelled the rich and delicious aroma as she entered the door.
"I made some porridge," Ding Sha supported the old man with weak legs and feet, "Would you like some?"
Grandma Zhang couldn't help but nodded.
There was only a wall between her and Ding Sha's house. Every time it was time for dinner, she would feel uneasy when she smelled the fragrance from Ding Sha's house, and everything she ate would lose its taste.
Ding Sha went to the kitchen, got out a set of bowls and chopsticks, and served a bowl of porridge to Grandma Zhang.
The fragrance became stronger, and Grandma Zhang couldn't wait to take a bite.
The taste is rich and soft, and the shrimp meat is sweet.
After finishing the bowl quickly, Grandma Zhang praised, "Your cooking skills are really good!"
She slapped her thigh when she said this, "I almost forgot about the main thing!"
"I came here today to discuss something with you," Grandma Zhang rubbed her hands, "My brother's wife and her nephew are having a wedding in two days, but that guy is unreliable and forgot to make an appointment with the chef in advance."
"Now that the day is almost here and they can't find a cook, the whole family is getting anxious, so they come to me for help," said Grandma Zhang, looking helpless. "I thought that your cooking is always delicious, so I wanted to ask if you have this idea, and we will pay you the same salary."
Ding Sha subconsciously wanted to agree, but swallowed the words back.
She touched her belly and felt a little worried.
She wanted to earn the money, but was afraid that her poor health would ruin it.
Grandma Zhang saw her hesitation and said caringly, "I won't force you to come. Don't worry about grandma. If you don't want to come, then don't come. We won't be estranged."
Ding Sha looked at her gratefully, "Grandma Zhang, it's not that I don't want to answer it, it's just that..."
She didn't know whether to tell Grandma Zhang about her pregnancy. Her ID card showed that she was only a few months old when she turned 18.
If I tell them, I will inevitably be asked about the father of the child. If I keep it a secret, I won't be able to hide it for long because my belly will get bigger in a few months.
Ding Sha thought about this and said, "… I'm pregnant, I'm afraid I can't take care of such a big banquet."
Grandma Zhang looked at her with some surprise.
This childish-looking girl is pregnant?!
Thinking that she had been alone since she moved in, Grandma Zhang paused and still asked who the child's father was.
Ding Sha had already thought of an excuse, "He went to Guangdong to work, and will come back when he makes money."
As for what will happen then... we'll talk about it then.
Grandma Zhang looked at Ding Sha with some pity. It sounded like she was trying to deceive the little girl. She felt a little reluctant and after thinking it over again and again, she was still afraid that she would suffer a loss.
"You are still young, you can have more children slowly..." she advised tactfully.
If it weren't for this child, the little girl might have lived a better life.
Ding Sha sighed inwardly but shook his head with a happy look on his face, "I'll wait for him to come back."
Grandma Zhang stopped persuading people. To be honest, she herself felt a little uncomfortable persuading people to have an abortion.
At worst, I can just take better care of this girl in the future.
Cheer up, Grandma Zhang took Ding Sha's hand and began to remind her of some things she should pay attention to when she was pregnant.
Grandma Zhang explained in detail what to eat is good for the body, what not to touch, and what to avoid.
Ding Sha listened very carefully.
She has always been a person who goes with the flow. Since she has decided to have this child, she will treat him well.
The first step is to keep his body healthy. You can’t let him be weak and sickly from birth.
Grandma Zhang left, but Ding Sha fell into deep thought.
The reality is that she doesn't have a husband who works and earns money in Guangdong, so she has to find ways to make money on her own.
Otherwise, let alone giving birth to a child, it would be a problem for her to even survive.
While washing dishes absentmindedly, Ding Sha was thinking about ways to make money.
This is a rural area on the edge of the city. There are not many people in the village. Many people work in the city during the day and ride motorcycles back home at night.
Ding Sha suddenly remembered the construction site he passed by when he came back from the hospital.
As the city has been continuously expanding, there has been constant construction going on, whether it is road construction or house building. Ding Sha recalled the complaints he heard from passing workers.
Got it!
She can sell lunch boxes at the entrance of the construction site!
Author's side note: Gourmet cookies are coming!