208 Swollen

The setting sun sank, and the small courtyard was plated with a layer of warm golden light. Around the villas were plum blossom trees full of vitality.

As soon as they reached the villa, the tired Ira carried her big belly to the bed, adjusted the pillow, leaned on it, closed her eye, and took a deep breath. The countryside air was truly different away from the pollution fresh and cool. A faint aroma of the surrounding plum blossoms energized her. Just as she was relieving her fatigue, Ira felt a pull on her sleeve.

She turned to see Vivan sitting beside her with long slanting eyebrows and a dazzling pair of eyes. The corner of his lips hung as if smiling but full of pride.

"Ira, I walked for two hours now."

"I know." She replied and closed her eyes again. As he was walking for two hours, she sat in one place, looking around. Once you hit thirty weeks of pregnancy, it's not just your belly that appears swollen but also face, hands, ankles, and feet. Ira's cheeks were puffed, her hair grew to her shoulder-length in these months. She had no makeup, but her face emitted charm; nonetheless, just a subtle beauty pleasing to the eye.

He pulled her sleeves again, raised his eyebrows, and repeated, "Two hours of walking! Exercise time not included." He looked at waiting for her praise, just like the kid she saw earlier.

Ira smiled and saw the person who raised his chin and was gloating pride. In fact, his progress was genuinely recommendable. With an initial couple of weeks with a trained caregiver and physiotherapist 24*7, he quickly jumped from using walkers and crutches to a cane.

"Good boy." She patted his head like a pet and praised him, and ruffled his hair. "Good! You have worked hard."

Vivan nodded and, in an artificial baby voice, asked, "What do I get for being a good boy?" The bright look in his eyes dissolved all the sympathy she felt a moment ago.

"What do you want?" She sighed deeply.

Benefits? He smiled, held the hand on his head, and gently patted himself with it. "How about a kiss?"

"You.."

"Please…" Ira tried to withdraw her hand, but those puppy eyes were hard to resist.

"Can I?" Vivan smiled, knowing that the trick worked.

Ira smirked as well, " No."

"..."

After some time, her lips were swollen as well.

...

Vivan got a call from his secretary. After a brief silence, he chuckled, staring at Ira. "Okay, I will visit the site tomorrow. Come and pick me up."

These months Ira wasn't the one to stay idle. Ira had convinced him to jump into the construction business. In this industry, Vivan had to do nothing much. Ira would point out a potential plot. He would blindly invest in it on Ira's guarantee awaiting a rise in their prices. "Trust me," she always argued. She would even ask him for the land details, pushing him to draw and design stuff.

Initially, he thought the girl was merely playing around to spend time. Anyway, investing money in property would never go waste. But now, after hearing the secretary's words, he was convinced of his wife's wisdom.

They had invested in a big piece of land merely a month ago. Now the price rose so exponentially. It was unforeseen how Ira could get that. Maybe she had resources and contacts with the government, he thought.

In reality, with the knowledge of future Ira exactly knew about housing supply and demand in the future. The new roads, subway extensions in rural places, the airport plans in recent years. She never needed any resource or contact in government for it.

His jaw dropped upon hearing the price rise. He arranged for a site visit. He needed to see the land to believe the price rise he just heard. Should he tell Ira about it? As he was about to tell her, their bedroom door was knocked. He decided to surprise her after seeing the place.

Tara entered the room. Ira looked at the tray her mother-in-law brought today. It seemed to be bigger than yesterdays.

"Vivan told me you had stomach pain and nausea." She placed the tray on the table and continued, "It's an herbal decoction. It's good for pain relief and doesn't cause any side effects."

Ira looked at the scary black decoction and flinched. Won't this bitterness cause her more nausea? Just a look was enough to make her feel nauseous. How would she drink it? She turned to Vivan to seek help, but he was busy drolling, looking at the table.

Along with this, there was another bowl of halva( sweet dessert) and orange juice.

As Vivan leaned to take the bowl of halva to taste, his hand was slapped away by Tara.

"Not for you."

"Mom.... not fair!." He just desired to taste it. Why was he treated so rudely? Whose mom was this?

"She has to drink bitter medicine. So it's for her only." She said and turned to leave.

Stopping at the door, she said, "If you want, there is some left the kitchen, but " she raised her voice and continued, "you won't get anything until Ira eats everything here."

Tara now knew the tactics to make her son and daughter in law obediently listen to her.

"Baby, drink the medicine." Vivan hurriedly got the bowl, almost forcing Ira to drink it. He knew his mother would serve him halva only when all empty bowls were returned.

Glancing at Vivan's greedy face, Ira gulped down the decoction. In spite of poor appetite, she ate and drank the orange juice as well.

In the past, Ira did not give Tara any face and never cared about her relationship as her daughter in law. Hence she couldn't see this side of Tara.

A loving mother in law. She took care of her more, so like her mother. Now not only she sends soup and nutritional drinks but also made dishes Ira liked or craved.

It makes Ira feel flattered.