Zhu Yanyi gnawed on a water chestnut while watching the Spring Festival Gala. The moment the show began, she gasped. A sudden drop and pain hit her stomach. Her face changed.
"Damn it," she thought. "My first period is happening right now? What a terrible timing."
She dared not move. It was her first time facing such an awkward moment. She felt lost.
"Sister," she whispered. She feared moving would make the bleeding worse.
"What’s wrong?" Zhu Yanli noticed Zhu Yanyi’s pale face. "Are you unwell?"
"Ani is sick?" Xie Xinlian asked with concern. The people playing cards stopped and looked at Zhu Yanyi.
Zhu Yanyi felt extremely embarrassed. She lowered her voice to Xie Xinlian. "Mother, I think… my period started?"
"What started?" Xie Xinlian didn’t understand immediately.
"That… ah, my monthly period," Zhu Yanyi said, closing her eyes. The room fell silent.
Yan Aohan coughed. "I live on the third floor. I’ll carry Ani up. Auntie, does she need anything? Do you want to prepare it?"
"Good, good," Xie Xinlian said. She hadn’t expected her daughter’s first period to arrive on New Year’s Eve. She smiled. "New year, new start. It celebrates Ani growing up."
Zhu Yanyi’s face turned red. There was nothing funny about it. If it were anything else, she could stay calm. But this was her first time. She felt shy.
Yan Aohan stood up calmly and lifted Zhu Yanyi. Xie Xinlian turned to Zhu Yanli. "An Nang, you should have some sanitary pads. Give them to Ani first."
"I have them. I’ll get them for Ani," Zhu Yanli said, her face reddening. She hurried upstairs.
Zhu Zhibin looked curious. "Mother, what is a monthly period?"
Xie Xinlian paused. "Ask your father." She rushed to the kitchen to boil brown sugar water for Zhu Yanyi.
Zhu Zhibin looked at Zhu Shunyao. Zhu Shunyao coughed and patted his head. "You’re just a child. You’ll know when you have a wife someday."
Zhu Zhibin raised an eyebrow. "Why hide it? I can look it up tonight. I don’t need to wait for a wife. Father, don’t treat me like a baby."
Zhu Shunyao wanted to stuff him back into his mother’s womb. Chen Lu laughed. "Dou Miao, a period is a sign that girls are growing up. It has nothing to do with boys. You won’t have it even when you grow up. Only your future wife will."
"Oh, I see. It’s a woman’s period," Zhu Zhibin realized. "Our teachers explained this physiology in the junior class. Second Sister is silly. There’s no need to be shy."
It wasn’t shyness. It was embarrassment. The others who understood couldn’t speak up. They just laughed awkwardly.
Luo Gang called out, "Come, let’s continue playing cards. Who deals now?"
"Come, Uncle Shunyao, let’s play," Zhang Haifeng added. He thought of Yan Aohan. Zhu Yanyi was growing up. She wondered how long Yan Aohan could hold back.