Chapter Eighty-Seven: Joy or Sorrow

During the next three days, Kang Ning bid farewell to Old Li and the other workers one by one. When they learned Kang Ning was leaving, everyone was in low spirits; Old Li and his brothers sighed repeatedly, especially Yu Sheng. If it weren't for Kang Ning comforting him gently and giving him his phone number, Yu Sheng might have wept uncontrollably.

The two sets of realistic vehicle documents were ready, costing Kang Ning twelve hundred yuan. One included a driver's license for a third-class military police sergeant, requiring Kang Ning to wear the military police uniform for a formal photo for the first time.

Fortunately, the man on the street corner, who used a seal-carving stall as cover for his forgery business, had everything prepared, saving Kang Ning much trouble. What impressed Kang Ning most was that the stall, offering both seal-carving and key duplication, was less than fifty meters from the police station across the street.

He also found a place to park his Beijing 212 Jeep. The site was originally a pork distribution station belonging to a bankrupt food company, with over a dozen unused garages. Some were temporarily rented by merchants as warehouses. The quiet courtyard held two old three-story dormitory buildings for rent, with few tenants who mostly didn't know each other. No one watched the main gate, and it was less than eight hundred meters from Lu Jing's neighborhood. Kang Ning was very satisfied with the garage, rented for eighty yuan a month.

Early in the morning, Kang Ning left home under the pretense of a jog, went to the factory to fetch his beloved car, filled it with gas, indulged himself for a while, and then parked it in the garage. On the run back, he stopped by the market near the community, bought breakfast, and jogged home.

After setting down the breakfast, Kang Ning showered and found Lu Jing still asleep. He went into the bedroom, only to be troubled by Lu Jing's unusual mood. No matter what tricks Kang Ning tried, the once gentle and obedient Lu Jing refused his touch. Left with no choice, Kang Ning went to the kitchen to warm milk and fry eggs. He sat at the table reading the newspaper, waiting for her. After a long time, Lu Jing finally emerged from the bathroom, frowning as she sat at the table, staring blankly at the pastries.

Kang Ning thought Lu Jing was simply tired. He picked up her favorite mille-feuille and offered it to her, but Lu Jing covered her mouth and dashed back into the bathroom, followed by painful sounds of retching.

Kang Ning rushed in to pat her back and wipe her face. Seeing Lu Jing's strange expression after her vomiting ceased, he felt a stir in his heart, grasped her wrist, and placed his middle and ring fingers precisely on her pulse. After half a minute, Kang Ning shook his head, lifted her, carried her into the bedroom, and gently propped her against the headboard, placing a pillow behind her back.

"Jing'er, how long has it been? Why didn't you tell me?" Kang Ning caressed her slightly gaunt face, his gentle gaze tinged with reproach.

Lu Jing clutched Kang Ning's hand to her cheek, tears streaming down her face in grievance: "The doctor said it's probably eight weeks. I didn't dare tell you, afraid you'd want me to give up the child."

Kang Ning took a tissue from the bedside and gently wiped her tears. "Silly girl, when have I ever said I wouldn't let you have a child?"

"I've mentioned children to you several times, but you always avoid answering and change the subject. I thought you didn't want children, so I stopped bringing it up. Xiao Ning, can I please have a child? I want one. If you ever leave me, at least I have something to hold on to..." Lu Jing broke down, unable to continue, burying herself in Kang Ning's arms and crying in anguish.

Kang Ning sighed and gently shifted Lu Jing into a comfortable supine position. "Baby, I promise you—let our child be born healthy and strong."

"Really? Xiao Ning, you promise?"

"I promise!"

Lu Jing quickly sat up, clinging tightly to Kang Ning's neck and crying loudly. "Thank you... Xiao Ning..."

Kang Ning held her in his arms. "Silly girl, why thank me? If anything, it's I who should thank you. You're the one who suffers. You kept this from me all along—don't be so willful again. Having a child is a big deal. If I hadn't discovered it and you kept acting recklessly, if anything happened to your delicate belly, you'd be heartbroken!"

Lu Jing hadn't expected her secret plan—discarding birth control pills and getting pregnant without telling Kang Ning—to be so easily understood and accepted by him. She quickly wiped her tears and smiled happily. "I'm not afraid of hardship. I'm willing!"

Kang Ning smiled warmly. "Remember, from today on, obey me. No more talk of opening shops or factories. Take good care of yourself, and we'll discuss everything after our child is born. Though you've grown stronger these past years, your constitution is still a bit thin, so from today on I'll manage your diet and portions. Keep a cheerful and optimistic outlook, understood?"

"Mm! But today you can't decide what I eat—can we start tomorrow?" Lu Jing asked, delighted.

"Why?"

Lu Jing hugged Kang Ning's neck and pouted. "See, you don't respect us women at all! Today is Women's Day and Sunday—Mengmeng and Zheng Yi are coming for dinner. They wanted to eat out, but I worried that if I couldn't hold back my nausea, people would notice, so I insisted on cooking at home. Mengmeng might be here soon."

Kang Ning thought for a moment. "Alright, I'll go buy groceries later. I'll cook dinner today."

"Xiao Ning, I'm so happy!" Lu Jing pressed her cheek to Kang Ning, utterly intoxicated.

Kang Ning tapped her delicate nose. "No more 'Xiao Ning' from now on. Starting today, call me husband!"

Lu Jing kissed him shyly. "Husband, I have something to tell you."

"Go ahead."

"Mengmeng wants to move in. At first, I worried about her parents' feelings, just like you did. Her father received a transfer order a few days ago—he's becoming Deputy Director of the Provincial Construction Bureau. Next week they'll move to Chengdu. Mengmeng doesn't want to go teach in Chengdu, claiming she can't bear to leave. Her parents had no choice but to say they'd discuss it after the summer holiday, so Mengmeng plans to move in as soon as her parents leave. It's for the best—it'll keep you from getting lonely." Lu Jing finally revealed Mengmeng's plan to Kang Ning.

Kang Ning felt deeply embarrassed but couldn't let go of the woman he loved, so he feigned ignorance. "Why would I be lonely? Aren't you always with me?"

Lu Jing rolled her eyes at him in mock annoyance. "You hypocrite! I don't know what you're made of—neither Mengmeng nor I can handle you. Every time, you leave us both exhausted. Mengmeng coming will at least share the burden. Seeing you repressed makes me uneasy. And when you're not here, I'll have company too."

After hearing Lu Jing's words, Kang Ning couldn't help himself again. He gently laid Lu Jing down, pulled aside her loose robe, and teased her with the tip of his tongue. Lu Jing hurriedly clutched her collar and cried out, "No! Don't tease me—I'm afraid it'll hurt the baby!"

"Don't worry, I won't. I just want to kiss here—so the baby won't fight me for attention when he's born!"

Kang Ning joked, making Lu Jing blush, laughing and scolding him as she rolled to the other side of the bed.

Kang Ning, still playful, wanted to tease her more, but the sudden sound of the doorbell made him stop. Lu Jing gave him a mischievous look and nodded toward the door. Kang Ning shook his head, turned to answer, and as he approached, called out deliberately, "Who is it?"