Chapter 115: Six-Month Pregnant Belly
Shen Min’s role in the shop was settled.
However, he still needed someone to manage his small piece of land. Qingyan privately asked him if he would agree to let San Yao manage the land like his own. After the harvest, San Yao would receive a portion of it.
Shen Min happily agreed, saying, “That sounds good. Just leave me enough to eat.”
Qingyan said, “Summer is passing by quickly. It will soon be time to harvest. You bought the seeds yourself, and the corn stalks are already quite tall. When the time comes, we’ll calculate payment based on hiring someone to harvest. If you want him to help you plant next year, we’ll make separate arrangements then.”
Shen Min naturally agreed to the terms.
The land given to Shen Min by the village chief was not far from Qingyan’s home. It wasn’t much land, and taking care of it and harvesting it would be convenient. San Yao also willingly accepted the arrangement.
With this matter settled, Shen Min went to work at Fragrant Melody Pavillion after just a couple of days.
He wore the best clothes from home, his hair and nails were clean, his back was straight, his face clean, with faint wrinkles around his eyes that made him appear friendly.
However, recently spending more time outdoors had tanned his face somewhat. But since he had a fair complexion, using Aunt Li’s scented ointment and face mask for a while helped him recover.
Besides, a tan had its own appeal. Qiuniang’s complexion wasn’t fair either, but it was smooth and healthy. Dark-skinned customers who came to the shop loved her assistance in choosing clothes, jewelry, and more.
Upon Shen Min’s arrival, Aunt Li and Qiuniang were quite happy, chatting around him. These were all familiar faces to him, which made him feel at ease.
But when customers came into the shop and saw them warmly greeting each other, Shen Min felt a bit nervous again, secretly doubting his own abilities.
Qingyan didn’t pressure him either, always guiding him through everything to help him gradually get used to it.
When he was ready, Qingyan let him try greeting customers on his own. Shen Min was visibly nervous, making mistakes when fetching items.
After watching for a while, Qingyan smiled and quietly went upstairs.
After a while, when he peeked downstairs, he saw a new wave of customers. Shen Min was helping an elderly gentleman try on clothes. He patiently tried on one piece after another, even picking out accessories to match.
The gentleman hesitated between two similar styles, one more expensive than the other but similar in design. The difference lay in the fabric quality.
Shen Min didn’t push him to buy the more expensive one, explaining that the style was currently popular in the capital this year.
The better fabric would definitely enhance the look, but next year it might not be in fashion anymore. Buying the cheaper one meant he wouldn’t feel bad if he didn’t wear it often.
After thinking it over, the gentleman chose the cheaper one but also bought the necklace and earrings that Shen Min had suggested, earning more from the sale than if he had just bought the expensive shirt alone.
As he was leaving, the gentleman said he would come back to the shop and look for Shen Min again in the future.
Shen Min smiled shyly, Qingyan smiled from the stairs, and then entrusted the first floor to him before going back upstairs to handle inventory.
—
Ever since Shen Min arrived, there was one more person on the morning and evening carriage rides.
Whenever Qiu Henian drove the carriage, Qingyan would sit beside him. Aunt Li and Qiuniang sat together in the back, chatting. Now, Shen Min was added to the group.
Whenever the carriage traveled into or out of the village, the villagers would watch. They knew about Shen Min’s new job at Fragrant Melody Pavillion.
In the past, Shen Min used to work the fields every day, dressed plainly. Although life had improved since Wang Heyao’s death, he still looked weary and rarely smiled.
Now that he went to town every day, dressed nicely and with a fairer complexion, occasionally wearing the latest fashionable headgear from the city. Everyone couldn’t help but envy him.
Initially, Wang Lao Da had caused a lot of trouble for his second brother’s family, but after his death, his second brother didn’t hold any grudges against Shen Min. Not only did he not claim any of the meager family property, but he also occasionally helped out.
Now that their family’s life had improved, they hadn’t forgotten to help out their poor sister-in-law. The villagers sighed, saying that the second brother and his wife were truly loving and righteous.
—
By July, the weather became hotter, but the variety of delicious food increased.
Aunt Li said that Qingyan’s pregnancy was during the best time. Having just gotten pregnant after the New Year, there was plenty of good food at home, which spared him.
By the time they had consumed the reserves from March, the river was opened for fishing. They couldn’t finish eating all the big and small fish.
Once they had their fill of fish, wild vegetables from the mountains came down. They were fresh and tender, perfect for making dumplings, buns, stir-frying, mixing with sauce, and more.
After this period, as they entered June and July, the vegetables and fruits from the fields were all harvested.
San Yao went to deliver vegetables to each household every other day. Chives, dry cucumbers, green beans, persimmons, eggplants, and edamame were all eaten as soon as they were picked from the fields.
As the weather grew warmer, the flower seeds sown in spring in the courtyard also bloomed. As soon as one entered the courtyard, it was filled with fragrance and a dazzling array of colorful flowers. Such a sight couldn’t help but lift one’s spirits.
When the edamame came down, Qiu Henian would cook them in saltwater with star anise, fragrant leaves, and dried chili peppers. After dinner, the two of them and Aunt Li would often sit under the grape arbor, cracking edamame, drinking cold tea, and chatting.
Watermelon was cut into pieces and placed in a dish. Even the ever-circling Ah Miao could eat a small piece, but they dared not give it too much as it could upset its stomach.
Sometimes San Yao and his wife brought their child over for a while. When Mr. Zhang from next door saw them, he would bring over fruits, candies, and other treats whenever he had time, which increased the number of visits from Chen Yu.
Since mid-June, after Qingyan’s belly had bulged a little, it grew rapidly.
By mid-July, the little bean in Qingyan’s belly had reached six months. Now, it wasn’t just a small bulge anymore. As soon as he entered a room, people would notice the round belly.
Qingyan occasionally felt heartburn, unable to eat much meat and preferring sour and cool foods.
Aunt Li said it was because the little bean in his belly was growing hair.
Qiu Henian was worried that Qingyan would overindulge in cool foods and strain his stomach, as he had fallen ill from it a few years ago. So he always reminded him, which made Qingyan unhappy.
Later, Xiao Zhuang’s mother sent some lantern fruit picked from the mountain, and only then was the problem considered solved.
The Lantern fruit was tiny, jade-green in color. When held up to the sunlight, it appeared semi-transparent, revealing the intricate veins inside, just like the supports of a bamboo lantern.
When you popped one into your mouth, its juice splashed out with a bite. If an ordinary person ate it this way, their face would probably pucker from the sourness, but for Qingyan, now that he had a body, eating it felt satisfyingly sour, tasting just right.
Qiu Henian tasted it once. Watching Qingyan pop them into his mouth one by one, he felt his teeth ache.
Despite all the trouble he went through, Qiu Henian couldn’t make up for the loss no matter how hard he tried. He could only maintain his figure from before pregnancy, not getting any thinner was already considered good.
One reason was that Qingyan wasn’t as interested in meat anymore, and another was that the one inside his belly grew too fast, increasing consumption.
Seen from behind, Qingyan had slender limbs, a thin back, and a slender waist. No one could tell he was a pregnant man.
But when he turned to face front, seeing how big his belly was, Qiu Henian was shocked to realize that this fair and handsome young man had been pregnant for a long time.
Although Fragrant Melody Pavillion did business mainly for women and children, many men also visited. Most came to help their wives or husbands pick things, or were accompanied by older family members.
One day, a handsome young man who had never been married came out with his mother for a rare stroll. As soon as they entered Fragrant Melody Pavillion’s door, he couldn’t take his eyes off Qingyan behind the counter, his gaze following him wherever he moved.
His mother asked him to look at the hair ornaments, and he responded with an “oh” sound, finally shifting his gaze to the hair ornaments.
After glancing at them, he praised them a couple of times. However, when he hurriedly looked back behind the counter, he was disappointed to find that the beauty there had disappeared without a trace.
The young man was instantly disappointed, his anxious eyes wandering around the shop. Suddenly, between the shelves, he caught a glimpse of the figure of that beauty.
His movements were graceful like a weak willow in the wind, with slender shoulders and a soft waist. When he reached for an item on the shelf, the tassel on his hair ornament swayed gently with his movements, brushing against his delicate and fair neck, causing the young man’s heart to sway along with it.
As the young man continued to watch, he started to have certain thoughts.
He had good looks, a wealthy family background, and was a scholar at a young age. People around him said his future was limitless.
Although he appeared modest on the surface, he actually had a high opinion of himself. His mother had advised him many times about his marriage, but he hadn’t agreed casually; he wanted to find the most suitable match for himself.
Now that he had seen this beauty, the young man suddenly felt as if he had lost his soul, his heart beating irregularly.
He turned to look at his mother who was picking out head ornaments, thinking to himself: he must find out about this beauty’s background clearly. If his mother took charge and went to propose marriage, few in this town could match him, and she surely wouldn’t refuse.
Thinking of this, his face flushed with excitement, his eyes filled with happiness.
Just as he made up his mind and was about to ask the saleswoman about the situation, the beauty from behind the shelf picked up his things, turned around, and happened to face him.
The young man couldn’t hide the shock on his face, staring straight at the prominent belly of the beauty.
The beauty noticed his gaze. At first, he smiled at him subconsciously, his beautiful eyes narrowing slightly, his lips rosy and his teeth white, smiling beautifully.
But then it seemed like he realized he had been staring at him all this time. Quickly, he stopped smiling, lowered his eyelids, turned his face away somewhat unhappily, and stopped looking at him.
The young man finally realized his rashness and quickly withdrew his gaze, lowering his head. But that smile just now seemed to be etched in his heart, leaving him regretful to the point of tears.
His mother picked out the head ornaments satisfactorily and paid the silver. The young man followed her out of Fragrant Melody Pavillion.
But after returning home, he couldn’t concentrate on the books he loved. He paced back and forth in the study, stomped his foot, changed into his outer robe, slipped out of the house secretly, and returned to the street where Fragrant Melody Pavillion was located.
He hid at the alley entrance, looking towards the gate of Fragrant Melody Pavillion. Occasionally, he could see the beauty coming out and talking to people, but he quickly returned inside.
His heart followed along, sometimes excited, sometimes disappointed.
In his heart, he secretly made up his mind to see what kind of man could match this beauty.
As the day gradually grew late and fewer pedestrians were on the road, Fragrant Melody Pavillion was also about to close.
From the end of the street, a carriage slowly approached. The driver was a tall, remarkable-looking man. After he got off, he confidently entered Fragrant Melody Pavillion.
In a short while, he came out and neatly set the boards in place. Before the last one, everyone from the shop had come out, including the beautiful man.
The young man was still hesitating as to who this person from the shop was when several people climbed onto the carriage, and the beautiful man tried to get on as well, but he struggled because of his body. The tall man reached out and gently helped him at his delicate waist, which finally enabled his to sit down.
Seeing this scene, the young man’s hand clenched tightly at his side, jealousy burning in his eyes.
After everyone chattered and laughed their way onto the carriage, the beautiful man sat down next to the tall man. As the carriage moved forward, the young man clearly saw the beautiful man lift his sleeve and wipe the tall man’s forehead and cheek. Then, he smiled sweetly and affectionately at him, while the tall man looked at him with a steady gaze, the meaning of which was clear to another man.
But no matter how much he hated it, there was nothing the young man could do. The tall man cracked the whip, and the carriage clattered away. That smile just now shattered before his eyes like a fleeting flower.
As for the man afterward, how he suffered day and night at home, not caring about tea or food, had nothing to do with the people on the carriage.
After everyone had been sent home, the two men returned to their respective homes.
As soon as they entered the outer room, Qiu Henian gently embraced Qingyan’s waist, being careful not to touch his belly. His hand lightly stroked the tassel on his hair ornament.
Qingyan looked up and smiled at him, asking, “Does it look nice or not?”
Qiu Henian hummed in agreement, then lowered his head to lightly sniff at Qingyan’s ear and neck.
Qingyan squirmed ticklishly but obediently buried his face in Qiu Henian’s shoulder, exposing his neck to the man, letting him imprint delicate kisses all over it.
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
He murmured, “Yu Qingyan, in this household, finally someone could recognize that I’m not you.”
