Half a Life Misgiven, Old Dreams Cold

After I gave birth, the wives of my husband's business partners came together to visit me. Smiling, I showed them the baby clothes and pacifiers my husband had bought for our daughter abroad, and the custom-made stroller. But they only exchanged looks, their faces strange as they spoke with reluctance. "These baby clothes are an old style, and the collar is clearly yellowed. Anyone can tell they've been used before."