Chapter 166
During the postpartum period, their second child was quite demanding, but by the time she reached her full moon, she improved a lot and could eat and drink normally.
Jindou’s full name was Qiu Xiaoqing. The second daughter, named Xiaoqing by Qingyan, took the surname Wang after the village blacksmith Wang.
Her nickname was given by Aunt Li, called Hongdou*.
*T/N: Translates to Red Bean
Little Hongdou was born particularly good-looking compared to other babies. By her full moon, she was already delicate and charming, growing exceptionally well. It’s said that babies often resemble those who they’ve seen a lot during pregnancy.
Other pregnant women and their husbands from the village purposely came to see her, hoping to have a baby as good-looking as hers.
After giving birth to her second child, Qingyan underwent some subtle changes after the postpartum period. The youthful greenness on his body faded, and his facial lines became more mature and beautiful, exuding an indescribable charm.
During the month of confinement, Qiu Henian and Aunt Li took excellent care of him, resulting in his skin being fair, bright, and radiant by the end of it.
After the confinement period, Qiu Henian had to go to the shop every day.
During the day, Jindou studied at a private school. Mr. Zhang brought him and Jiuliang back when he returned, and Chen Yu handled their meals at noon, with them going back together in the afternoon.
Qiu Henian occasionally bought meat and vegetables from Zhang Wensheng’s house as a gesture of thanks. Jindou was easy to take care of and got along well with Jiuliang, which made Chen Yu very happy.
During the day, whenever Qiu Henian had time, he would come back home. Aunt Li, Qiuniang, and Wu Shuang often came over to help.
That evening, when Qiu Henian finished work and returned home, he opened the door to the inner room quietly so as not to disturb anyone in the house.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw that Jindou had already returned, lying on the bed with his small buttocks sticking out, fast asleep. There was a small wooden horse beside him on the bedding.
Little Hongdou was also sleeping soundly in her swaddle.
Qingyan lay on his side beside the two children, his brows gently furrowed, his expression gentle. One hand supported his head, while the other gently patted Hongdou.
The room was warm, and Qingyan wore only a silk undershirt, the color complementing the snowy whiteness of his exposed arm.
Normally, no matter how beautiful someone’s appearance, after so many years of marriage, one would have grown accustomed to it. Yet Qiu Henian still found himself occasionally unable to move his gaze away from Qingyan.
And that soft, tender body—no matter how much he held him, it never seemed enough, never tender enough.
Qiu Henian stood at the doorway for a long time before Qingyan finally noticed him and looked up.
Their eyes met, and Qingyan’s beautiful eyes curved as he smiled.
Qiu Henian had returned relatively early today and had intentionally set aside time to cook something delicious for Qingyan.
Yesterday, Qingyan mentioned wanting to drink soup. On his way out in the morning, he went to the village butcher to order two pig trotters and brought them back on his way home.
The shopkeeper at the butcher shop had already prepared the pig trotters quietly. Qiu Henian washed and cut them, added yellow beans, and started stewing them.
Inside the house, Qingyan woke Jindou up, afraid that he had slept too much and wouldn’t sleep well at night.
Rubbing his eyes, Jindou came out to urinate, and Qiu Henian waited for him to finish before leading him to wash his hands.
Last night, he made some hawthorn syrup with rock candy, and there was still quite a bit left. Qiu Henian served two bowls—one for Qingyan and one for Jindou.
Qingyan asked if Qiu Henian wanted any, but he shook his head, saying it was too sweet for his liking. Nonetheless, Qingyan scooped up a spoonful and fed it to him with a smile.
After finishing, his gaze still didn’t move away. Qiu Henian finally realized he was staring at his lips.
The two looked at each other for a while. Qingyan set the bowl aside on the nearby table, just as Jindou covered his eyes with his small hands, his clear voice saying, “No peeking, no peeking…”
Qiu Henian patted his head and quickly bent down to lightly touch Qingyan’s lips before removing Jindou’s little hands.
The pig trotters in the pot had stewed until soft and tender, so Qiu Henian proceeded to stir-fry the prepared vegetables.
Spring chives had just come down these past couple of days, and San Yao had sent over several bundles this morning.
Qiu Henian washed the Chinese chives, then stir-fried them with shrimp and scrambled eggs. He also stir-fried some shredded potatoes, and dinner was ready.
The staple food for the night was the pancakes made by Aunt Li, soft and fluffy, with several layers. After tearing open the pancake, he spread the shredded potatoes inside, sprinkled a thin layer of chili oil, added some shredded onions and chopped cilantro, and then topped it off with some leftover egg sauce from home. Rolling it up and taking a bite, it was incredibly delicious.
Since young children can’t handle spicy or overly salty foods, Qiu Henian omitted the chili oil and soybean paste from Jindou’s pancake. Instead, he filled it with scrambled eggs and shrimp mixed with Chinese chives, making it milder but still flavorful.
After spending the day reading and enjoying a tangy hawthorn appetizer, Jindou had a hearty appetite. He nearly finished the entire rolled pancake, leaving just a small portion that his father quickly ate.
The pig’s trotter soup was stewed to a milky white color. Qingyan alone had two bowls, and the pig’s trotter melted in his mouth. He devoured a whole one by himself.
Ever since he conceived this second child, he had developed a special liking for pig’s trotters. Even after giving birth, his taste hadn’t changed.
Throughout the entire pregnancy and postpartum period, he ate so well that his complexion was rosy and his face tender.
While Jindou was drinking the soup, two soybeans fell on the table. Qingyan picked them up with his fingers, put them in his mouth, and scooped up the juice with his fingertips before swallowing them.
Feeling someone staring straight at him, Qingyan looked up and saw Qiu Henian staring at him absent-mindedly. He lowered his head and smiled with pursed lips, having some thoughts in his mind.
After dinner, Little Hongdou woke up babbling.
Qiu Henian brought in the warm milk, cooled it down, and brought it into the room.
Qingyan took it and fed Little Hongdou spoon by spoon. After she finished eating, Qiu Henian picked up Hongdou and patted her back to help her burp.
At night, Jindou went to sleep in Grandma Li’s house with a small pillow.
The couple then put Little Hongdou to sleep.
After washing up, Qingyan held Qiu Henian’s strong wrist and went to the neighboring room they hadn’t visited for a long time.
Qingyan’s belly was still wrapped with a belt, which made his waist appear slimmer and his hips fuller.
Qiu Henian shook his buttocks vigorously, and after they finished, he still left many bite marks.
They were thinking about the children next door, and since Qingyan had just given birth not long ago, Qiu Henian didn’t dare to be too presumptuous. Neither of them felt fully satisfied.
Qingyan sat in Qiu Henian’s arms, quietly asking him if he wanted to go again.
Qiu Henian’s forehead burst with veins, but he still refused.
Qingyan then hugged his neck to comfort him and kissed him affectionately. Seeing him getting excited again, Qingyan didn’t dare to provoke him again.
The two of them cuddled in this position. Qingyan buried his face in the man’s neck, whispering softly, and the man listened tenderly, occasionally kissing his eyebrows, eyes, and lips.
When they heard Little Hongdou crying in the next room, they quickly got up, wiped off the stickiness with a cloth, straightened their clothes, and hurried over to soothe the child.
Qingyan changed Hongdou’s diaper while Qiu Henian poured hot water on the side, soaking it directly. They had become quite adept at caring for the child, much more skilled compared to when Jindou was born.
……
In these recent days, the blacksmith’s shop has been busy, and Qiu Henian hasn’t had time to return home during the day. During this time, Wu Shuang often goes to his mother-in-law’s house to help out.
Before, whenever Wu Shuang came to their house, he was somewhat reserved and couldn’t relax. But as he visited more frequently, he gradually got used to it and became close to Qingyan and Jindou.
He didn’t have any experience in taking care of infants, nor had he had much contact with them. When Qingyan asked him to try holding the child, he didn’t expect the baby’s body to be so soft and the head so heavy, making him nervous and at a loss.
Qingyan patiently taught him how to hold and feed the baby, including how to express milk. Wu Shuang learned very seriously, skills that would surely come in handy in the future.
Wu Shuang really liked this delicate and lovely little Hongdou. Even when she cried or wet herself, he didn’t mind at all and took care of her with special patience.
Sometimes when he didn’t need to help, he still thought about them.
When he returned home at night, before going to bed, there were only him and Xiao Zhuang in the room. Wu Shuang felt the house was unusually quiet, as if something was missing.
Before, he didn’t have any special thoughts about having his own children.
At that time, when he was first led by his adoptive father to Xiao Zhuang’s house, he saw so many brothers and sisters in Xiao Zhuang’s family, so he guessed that his parents liked children.
So, the second time he went to see Xiao Zhuang, he boldly said he wanted to have many children to please him.
After marrying into the family, Xiao Zhuang’s mother talked every day about holding chubby grandchildren, confirming his guess. He eagerly pursued pregnancy.
It wasn’t until he helped take care of Little Hongdou for a while that Wu Shuang himself realized he also longed to have his own child.
At night, in bed, Wu Shuang tightly bound Xiao Zhuang’s strong and sturdy body with both hands and feet, not allowing him to leave even a bit.
After one time, while Xiao Zhuang was still closing his eyes and resting, Wu Shuang’s hands were already reaching out like a snake, teasing him several times before sitting up.
Xiao Zhuang gasped heavily, leaning against the head of the bed, gripping his thighs tightly with both hands, feeling so comfortable that his eyes were about to burst with light.
Wu Shuang understood the concept of fertile periods. During this period, whenever Xiao Zhuang had free time, he had to come home early and often played in bed not just once or twice a day. Sometimes, after finishing, the bedding was soaked and there was nowhere to lie down.
Sometimes in the morning, before he was fully awake, he felt a heavy but indescribable comfort on his body. Opening his eyes, he saw Wu Shuang trying hard with gritted teeth.
Xiao Zhuang was tired but happy. However, after a month or two passed like this, Wu Shuang began to worry day by day.
Both of them were young, and it was the easiest time to conceive. They tossed and turned like this every day, but there was no movement in their bellies. Although no one urged Wu Shuang, he gradually became anxious.
As a result of his anxiety, he squeezed out Xiao Zhuang’s essence like juice every day.
As the saying goes, “There is no exhausted field, only a worn-out ox.”
When Xiao Zhuang’s mother stewed pork kidneys for him again. No matter how big the pot was, he slurped it all up without leaving any.
After a while like this, Wu Shuang felt something was wrong. When Xiao Zhuang rested, he would take him to see the doctor together.
At first, Xiao Zhuang didn’t care, saying there was no need, it’s just not the right time yet, and it would happen when it should.
But Wu Shuang was still anxious. To reassure him, Xiao Zhuang accompanied him. On the way, they saw someone selling clay flower pots and picked a nice one for him.
This matter had to be seen by both of them. The old doctor took Xiao Zhuang’s pulse and pondered, saying, “You can’t be reckless just because you’re young, not even considering any moderation.”
Xiao Zhuang blushed when he heard this.
When the old doctor took Wu Shuang’s pulse, he remained silent for a while.
Wu Shuang was very uneasy, Xiao Zhuang’s big hand rested on his thin shoulders, comforting him.
The old doctor sighed and said, “This young man is healthy, there’s no major issue, but… oh, do you remember that time in the middle of the night when he had a fever and fell unconscious, and I gave him some medicine?”
Xiao Zhuang’s heart sank upon hearing the old doctor say, “That medicine is harmless after a short recovery period for ordinary people, but his physical foundation is too weak. To conceive a child, he’ll need to rest for a year or two.”
Wu Shuang’s fingers dug tightly into the tabletop, his nails almost sinking into the wood.
He asked, “Will he definitely conceive after a year or two?”
The old doctor sighed again, saying, “It’s not certain.”
Clang, clatter!
The small flowerpot in Wu Shuang’s hand fell to the ground, smashing into pieces!
