Chapter 118: Qingyan Gives Birth
During the hottest days, the blacksmith shop took a break.
With Qiu Henian free, he went to the brick kiln and bought a cartload of tiles, replacing all the roof tiles at home. They had been used for many years, and recent heavy rains had caused a bit of leakage in the adjacent house. It wasn’t serious, but it was too damp. Without cleaning, things inside the house would soon start to mold.
Since they were replacing the tiles, Qiu Henian decided to renovate the entire house. Every day after dropping Qingyan and them off in town, on his way back, he would buy lime, yellow clay, fine sand, and hemp rope to plaster and paint the walls of the house.
While they lived in the other house, the weather was dry these days, so they moved back in after a couple of days. After the renovation, the house suddenly became much brighter and more comfortable to live in.
Ever since the last check-up, the couple had been getting along particularly well. After finishing their work at night and taking a shower, they sat by the window eating watermelon and chatting. Gradually, their chats turned into affectionate kisses.
They had agreed not to hold back these days, letting things flow naturally. Sometimes they were in such a rush that they didn’t even make it to the bed.
They would hastily lift their clothes, pull down their trousers, and get to it right then and there. After they were done, both their clothes were soaked at the hem. They would then blush and tidy up together.
By late August, the weather suddenly cooled down. While it was still hot during the day, they needed thicker robes at night.
In late August, Qiuniang’s son (Niansheng) was about to take the county exam. The youngest couldn’t handle all the work, so Qiuniang stopped going to the shop and focused mainly on their child.
Naturally, Qingyan and the others had no objections; this was a major event.
A few days after the exam, on the day the results were posted, Qingyan closed the fragrance shop for a day and the whole family went to see the results.
In these past two years, Niansheng had grown more mature. No matter how nervous or anxious the family was, he remained calm, with neatly combed hair and a clean robe, hands clasped behind his back, looking like a rare steady young man.
An older matchmaker from a nearby family happened to pass by. Her eyes lit up when she saw Niansheng. She grabbed Qiuniang’s arm and asked a few questions, clearly interested in arranging a match for Niansheng.
Worried about what Niansheng might hear, Qiuniang quickly pulled the matchmaker aside, took out a few pieces of candy from her basket, and handed them over, saying, “Thank you for your concern, but my child is still young. Besides, studying is his priority right now. Let’s not rush into arranging a marriage.”
The matchmaker took the candy and, despite being turned down, didn’t seem upset.
After scrutinizing Qiuniang for a moment, she suddenly realized, “I remember seeing you before! You’re from the fragrance shop. No wonder you’re not in a hurry to arrange a marriage for the child. There’s no rush for these conditions. Wait a couple more years until your child has made a name for himself, and your family’s threshold will be trampled flat!”
Qiuniang smiled and said, “Thank you for your kind words.”
Qingyan listened carefully to their conversation and looked at Niansheng. Seeing him every day, he hadn’t realized how much he had grown. Now, seeing him being talked about for marriage, he couldn’t help but reflect on his time here. He looked down at his belly. In his old world, he had lost his family, but now he not only had a family but was about to have his own child. He had never expected any of this when he first arrived.
There weren’t many people taking the county exam, but there were a few older candidates and their families anxiously waiting for the results. After a while, someone came out of the closed gates and posted a bright red list. People crowded around to see it.
Qiuniang and the youngest son squeezed through the crowd. Only Niansheng followed calmly behind.
“He passed! He’s the top scorer in the county exam!”
Qiuniang’s surprised voice could be heard clearly in the crowd.
Niansheng heard it, smiled quietly with his lips closed, as calm as a young man. When his parents squeezed out of the crowd, he said, “Mother, I want to eat pig elbows.”
His mother naturally agreed. Since everyone was there, they invited everyone to a famous restaurant in the county.
The county exam wasn’t too difficult, but it was rare to pass at his age. No matter where you go, there’s always a spotlight on your face.
The three families of Lao Wang, along with Li Shen, were delighted with this for quite some time.
……
After September arrived, several rains fell in succession, sweeping away the last traces of summer heat and bringing cooler weather.
The crops in the fields could be harvested one after another, and San Yao began to get busy. All the land was under his management, making things easier for everyone else.
By late September, Qingyan stopped going to town. Only about twenty days remained, and the old physician said he could give birth at any time.
Qiu Henian tried to finish his work quickly and stay at home with him as much as possible. Unable to manage everything, he asked Liu Fa and Qi Yinglan to come and keep him company, while Chen Yu also came over occasionally to check on him.
Qingyan had trouble sleeping at night again. When lying on his back, his pelvic area would ache, and lying on his side would make his arms and hips sore. He also had to get up to urinate more frequently.
Another thing that made his anxious was something that he hadn’t told Qiu Henian. She was afraid of the pain of childbirth and worried about any unforeseen complications.
When Qiu Henian wasn’t home, he would take out the little clothes, hats, and shoes prepared for the baby and look at them one by one, often shedding tears.
Liu Fa noticed this and secretly informed Qiu Henian. Not wanting him to misunderstand, Qiu Henian went to town and personally invited the midwife they had arranged for, reassuring Qingyan about the process of childbirth.
However, Qingyan noticed that Qiu Henian also slept poorly at night. Whenever he moved, he would wake up instantly, with no trace of sleepiness on his face.
As the due date approached, Qingyan himself became less nervous, but Qiu Henian became visibly anxious. He would often suddenly embrace him, holding him close and kissing him repeatedly.
Sometimes, when Qingyan woke up, he would find him staring at him in a daze.
Then one night, when Qingyan discovered blood on his undergarments, Qiu Henian remained outwardly calm, but his hands trembled as he fetched fresh clothes for him.
That night, both the midwife and the old physician were called over. Li Shen and Qiuniang came too, and oil lamps burned throughout the night in the room.
Despite what others said and regardless of taboos, Qiu Henian insisted on staying with Qingyan inside the room. He wouldn’t listen to anyone else.
Qingyan had always been delicate; even a slight pain would make him cry and need comforting. But now, although clearly in great pain, he barely made a sound. His lips were chapped from biting, and tears streamed down his face when the pain became unbearable.
Qiu Henian, heartbroken, nearly cried himself. He knelt beside the bed and offered his arm to him. Qingyan grabbed his hand and bit it hard due to his pain, causing the veins on Qiu Henian’s forehead to bulge.
The labor lasted for several hours, with the room lit up all night long.
The midwife explained that Qingyan had a narrow pelvis and a tight birth canal, especially since this was his first child. It was normal for it to take this long, but it was indeed difficult for the mother.
Qiu Henian’s face changed color several times as he listened.
Finally, at dawn, a loud cry pierced the air, signaling the birth of the child.
Exhausted but still conscious, Qingyan lifted his sweaty face to catch a glimpse of the baby.
The midwife quickly cleaned the baby and wrapped him in a blanket, handing him over to his father.
Qiu Henian didn’t get a good look at him but hurried to Qingyan’s bedside with the baby in his arms.
Qingyan examined him closely and smiled tiredly.
“He’s so ugly.”
Qiu Henian glanced down and chuckled softly.
Qingyan asked, “Is it a boy, a girl, or a little ge’er?”
Qiu Henian replied, “It’s a little ge’er.”
Qingyan smiled again and said, “Henian, congratulations. Your wish came true.”
But Qiu Henian lowered his head, pressing his lips to his forehead and whispered, “Qingyan, this would be our only one. I don’t want you to suffer like this ever again.”
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
Qiu Henian glanced at the bed. The midwife was massaging Qingyan’s belly. Qingyan’s face was pale, his teeth clenched tightly, sweat beads dripping down. He hesitated on whether to leave him alone.
