Chapter 60: Qi Yinglan Gives Birth Prematurely
For something like childbirth, Qiu Henian wasn’t suitable to go, and Qingyan didn’t let him. He carried the basket of eggs himself, not minding the trouble to count them once more.
There were a total of fifty-three. Giving gifts in odd numbers was considered unlucky, so Qingyan took out three and carried fifty out the door.
Aunt Li was waiting at the door, and they went together to the old Liu’s house.
Inside the door, several old women were being directed by the midwife, bustling back and forth, boiling water and cooking soup.
Liu’s daughter-in-law saw them and hurriedly greeted them to sit in the outer room first.
She said, “Liu Fa and Liu Cai just went out to escort the old doctor back to the village. Yinglan is inside with the child right now. You rest for a while, have some hot water, and warm up. You can go in later to see her and the child.”
She smiled apologetically, “The doctor said the child is premature and absolutely must not catch a chill.”
Aunt Li and Qingyan both handed over what they had brought.
Aunt Li said, “Daughter-in-law of Liu Laoda, don’t stand there so formally If it’s inconvenient to see the child, that’s fine. If there’s anything in the house that needs help, just tell us. We can help out with the chores and wait until he’s better to bring the child out for us to see.”
Qingyan also nodded, “Yes, whenever we see them, it’s the same. No rush.”
But Liu’s daughter-in-law waved her hand, lowered her voice, and said, “In this village, besides our family, Yinglan doesn’t have many familiar people, just you guys who often chat together. Can you help persuade her? Later, Liu Fa and his brother will bring Yinglan’s parents over. I’m afraid Yinglan feels wronged in his heart. When he starts crying again later, he might get sick during his confinement.”
Aunt Li glanced at Qingyan and asked, “What’s wrong? What grievance did Yinglan suffer?”
Liu’s daughter-in-law lowered her voice even more, her face looking ugly.
She said, “It’s that relative of our family who lacks virtue. Recently, Yinglan’s pregnancy hasn’t been stable. He listened to the doctor and took several doses of medicine to improve, fearing something unexpected might happen. With the cold weather recently, he hasn’t gone out again, honestly staying at home to prepare baby clothes and shoes. Liu Cai specifically went to town to buy soft cotton cloth and good-quality cotton, preparing to make two quilts for the child, as well as small basins and towels, all carefully selected and bought, not sparing any money.”
“As for Liu Youfu’s family of four, they come to our house every now and then. Every mealtime they come, the food is already cooked, regardless of whether our family has enough or not. They sit down and eat.”
“Even when they’ve finished eating, I sometimes have to hurriedly make another pot of soup to cope. But occasionally, they not only eat but also take food away. They used to be polite and ask if they could take something. Once they got used to taking, they don’t even ask anymore. If something’s missing at home, a few days later when I go to their house, I can guarantee I’ll see it there.”
Liu’s daughter-in-law took a gulp of water and sighed, “The past few days have been even more outrageous. Yinglan put all the child’s things on the kang in his room, measured the size, and spread out the quilt. But by the time it took him to come here to eat, when he went back, everything on the kang was gone.”
“Yinglan hurried to tell us about it anxiously. I only then remembered why Zhang Juzi, when she came, saw that dinner was ready but didn’t eat and left. He had been eyeing the things Yinglan bought for the child.”
Hearing this, Aunt Li and Qingyan exchanged glances, both showing surprised expressions on their faces.
Qingyan asked, “Are you sure it was her who took it?”
Liu’s daughter-in-law nodded, “Liu Cai went to his house at the time. When he entered, Zhang Juzi initially denied it, but Liu Cai saw cotton lint from their house on the floor. Unable to hide it anymore, Zhang Juzi sat on the ground crying and making a scene, saying how their family owed her such a big favor, yet she insisted on a few pieces of cloth and a few pounds of cotton.”
“Liu Cai was about to take action, but Liu Fa was afraid it would cause a scene. He rushed over and dragged him back. Yinglan was so upset he cried. I thought about compensating him for the money spent on the items, but he didn’t ask for it. That night he felt uncomfortable, and the pregnancy wasn’t stable. Despite continuing to drink the medicine, it didn’t work. This noon his water broke, and he gave birth.”
Aunt Li sighed, saying, “This family really brings trouble upon themselves. Thankfully, nothing serious happened.”
After a while, Liu’s daughter-in-law saw that the time was right. She carefully entered the inner room and informed Qi Yinglan, then allowed them to enter.
Qingyan was seeing a husband and wife giving birth for the first time. He didn’t realize that newborns were so small and looked so wrinkled.
As soon as he entered, he noticed the child. Its face was small and wrinkled, eyes still shut. Being premature, it was especially thin and had reddish skin.
Seeing them come in, Qi Yinglan, with a headband tightly wrapped around his head, propped himself up and invited them to sit on the kang.
Aunt Li hurried over and helped him lie back down.
Qingyan carefully observed his complexion and said, “You look fine.”
Qi Yinglan smiled bitterly and said, “This child is barely over five pounds. It was in a hurry to come out, so it didn’t give me too much trouble.”
Aunt Li asked, “Have you chosen a name?”
Yinglan said, “We haven’t decided on a formal name yet, but I’ve named him Zhuang Zhuang.”
Aunt Li softly called to the child, “Zhuang Zhuang, Zhuang Zhuang, you must drink more milk and grow up strong and sturdy as soon as possible. Don’t make your dad worry so much.”
As if understanding, Zhuang Zhuang made a couple of noises.
Seeing the child’s reaction, Yinglan’s expression immediately softened. He lowered his head and gently kissed the baby’s red and wrinkled face.
Aunt Li and Qingyan chatted with them for a while, not forgetting Liu’s daughter-in-law’s request, and comforted Yinglan.
When Yinglan brought up the matter, his emotions became somewhat agitated. But upon seeing the baby in his arms, he immediately calmed down again, gently touching the baby’s forehead with his cheek, saying, “I won’t be angry with them anymore. As long as Zhuang Zhuang is safe and healthy, I don’t care about anything else.”
On the way back, Aunt Li sighed heavily, saying, “Yinglan’s temperament is still good. He’s willing to consider Liu’s family’s reputation. If she had encountered someone tough, after Zhang Juzi did that, it might have caused quite a stir. That family is really unbearable!”
Qingyan agreed, “It’s just too much.”
He thought to himself that he hadn’t told anyone about Liu Xiang’s affair. If Aunt Li found out, she’d probably be even more furious.
When he returned home, Qiu Henian was busy replacing the window paper.
Winter was approaching, so they had to add curtain pads inside the new window paper to block wind and keep warm. After that, they pasted the paper and sealed the joints with hemp strips, finishing it off with a layer of tung oil.
Seeing him busy, Qingyan entered the house, changed his robe, and went out to help.
Qiu Henian asked about the situation there.
Qingyan said, “When I left, Liu Cai had brought his in-laws over. The old couple are planning to stay at Liu’s place for a few days to take care of Yinglan and the baby.”
Qiu Henian nodded. “Parents themselves are more thoughtful.”
He then asked, “Does the child resemble anyone?”
Qingyan thought for a moment.
“It’s hard to say at this point. But while we were there, he suddenly cried. Yinglan said he was hungry and fed him goat’s milk with a small spoon. The vigor with which the child drank… It reminded me of how efficient Liu Cai is in his work.”
Having said that, they continued working without speaking for a while.
After a while, Qingyan noticed Qiu Henian looking at him.
He touched his face and asked, “Is there something on my face?”
Qiu Henian shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. “I was just thinking, if we have a child, they should look like you.”
Since they had decided to let things happen naturally, Qingyan had gradually let go of his worries about having children.
Upon hearing this, instead of worrying about pregnancy, his immediate reaction was to ask, “Why should they look like me?”
Qiu Henian gazed at him, softly saying, “Because you’re handsome.”
Qingyan blushed lightly and chuckled, looking down without saying a word.
…
With the window paper finished, most ordinary families had completed their year-end tasks and could finally rest.
Most villagers were idle, gathering in small groups at home to drink and play cards.
But the blacksmith’s shop couldn’t rest yet. Until the end of the year, there were plenty of iron pots, shovels, and even scissors and knives to be made. Qiu Henian still had to collect outstanding debts.
Qingyan didn’t rest either. Taking advantage of the busy market before the New Year, he and Qiuniang seized the opportunity to set up their stall for several days.
It was hard work to set up a stall in winter, but the rewards were also substantial.
As dusk approached, Qiu Henian and Sanmao came to help them close their stall. The two families walked home together. It was getting darker as they walked, and they arrived home completely dark, but they were still full of energy.
It wasn’t until after Laba Festival that Qingyan finally rested. Qiu Henian’s accounts were also almost settled, and the two went to town to deposit their silver coins.
Apart from daily expenses such as food and clothing, the major expenditures this year included the renovation of their thirty mu of farmland and their usual social interactions.
The expenses for materials at the shop and Qingyan’s inventory were necessary business expenses and not included in these figures.
Their expenses were certainly higher than those of ordinary families. After all, few villagers could afford to eat meat every day or wear such fine clothes.
But both of them were young and capable, and they didn’t spend money on unnecessary items. Saving up these sums bit by bit, their savings were gradually becoming substantial.
This year’s tasks were completed earlier, and the shop closed more than a week earlier than last year.
On the last day, when Qiu Henian returned from the shop, he was carefully carrying a bundle.
When he entered, Qingyan heard a “meow.” He thought he had misheard until Qiu Henian smiled and opened the bundle.
Qingyan saw a two-month-old tabby cat.
Qingyan joyfully took the kitten. The little tabby looked up at him in his arms, mewing softly with a baby voice. Qingyan’s heart melted at the sight.
“It was picked up by Xiaozhuang under the bridge. Its mother has passed away, and this little one was the only one left alive, so I brought it back,” Qiu Henian explained.
That night, except for dinner, Qingyan’s mind was occupied with the little kitten.
Sometimes he fed it rice porridge, sometimes chopped chicken. He was afraid the kitten would be cold on the floor, so he made a small cushioned nest and placed it next to his pillow on the bed.
After Qiu Henian got into bed and saw the comfortable nest the kitten was in, his eyes looked a bit complicated.
Qingyan lay on his side, playing with the kitten, when Qiu Henian coughed and called him, “Qingyan.”
“Yeah?” Qingyan responded without turning his head.
Qiu Henian sighed helplessly and called him again, “Qingyan.”
Only then did Qingyan turn around, smiling as he asked, “What’s up?”
Qiu Henian asked, “Can we put the kitten in the neighboring room for now? The bed there is warm too.”
Qingyan thought for a moment.
“That’s fine, but I’m afraid it won’t adapt to the new room right away. Should we leave it here for a few more days?”
Qiu Henian chuckled, covering his forehead with one hand, then putting it down, resting both hands on the bed in front of Qingyan, and looking at him intently.
“Let’s put it in that room for now, and I’ll bring it back later. Is that okay?”
Qingyan blinked.
“Why?”
Qiu Henian looked at him, his throat moving slightly as his voice lowered, “Because… what I’m about to do later, I don’t want it to see.”
With his mind full of the kitten, Qingyan only then understood what he meant. He looked up at Qiu Henian, his beautiful eyes gradually becoming watery, a blush appearing on his cheeks.
After Qiu Henian took the kitten away and returned to the room, Qingyan saw him standing in front of the basin, leisurely washing his hands. His fingers were long and powerful, with prominent veins on the back of his hand, displaying captivating lines with his every move.
His nails were also neatly trimmed.
Qiu Henian got back into bed again and pulled down the bed curtain.
When it covered Qingyan, the coldness on his body made Qingyan shiver all over.
Qiu Henian lowered his head and kissed Qingyan’s lips.
The rustling inside the curtain lasted a while.
After that, Qiu Henian comforted him in a hoarse voice, “No rush, take it slowly.”
Qingyan was overwhelmed by his stimulation. He finally understood why Qiu Henian had washed his hands so carefully earlier…
He knelt on the bed, burying his face in the pillow. Before he could even react, his consciousness blanked out for a moment…
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
…Despite the soft fabric, the parts of his chest that protruded still felt sore, and that residual feeling wouldn’t dissipate for a while.
