Chapter 97: Young Man with a Prominent Face and Big Horse
After a good night’s sleep, he felt much more comfortable and his mood improved a lot.
Qingyan felt miraculous and unbelievable knowing there was a little thing in his belly. Leaning against the head of the bed, he placed a hand on his belly, trying to feel it through the skin. After a while, he felt silly. It was probably just the size of a bean now, looking no different from a bean.
Thinking about it, Qingyan started to smile.
There was a sound from the inner room. Qiu Henian saw him awake and sitting there smiling, and couldn’t help but smile along.
He placed a low table on the bed and brought over all the food, letting Qingyan have breakfast in bed.
Qingyan held a spoon to drink porridge with one hand and grabbed a greasy chicken leg with the other.
He took a bite and said vaguely, “Delicious.”
Qiu Henian wiped the oil from the corner of his mouth with a cloth, his gaze soft.
“If you like it, I’ll make it for you again tomorrow.”
Qingyan said, “Eating like this every day, will I become fat?”
Qiu Henian glanced at his slender wrist and said, “A little more weight would be good, as long as you’re healthy.”
Despite saying he liked it, Qingyan only ate two chicken legs. He also had some stir-fried vegetables with porridge and finished the meal.
Qingyan originally wanted to eat one more, but Qiu Henian was afraid he hadn’t fully recovered from his illness and was still taking medicine. Eating too much greasy food wouldn’t be good, so he took away the plate of chicken legs.
Qingyan was somewhat unsatisfied, but when he drank that bowl of bitter medicine, he felt it was okay to eat less. Otherwise, he might really vomit what he had eaten.
Neither of them went out today. Qingyan needed to recuperate, and Qiu Henian took care of him, instructing Xiao Zhuang with all the tasks that needed to be done in the store.
Being in bed all the time was tiring, and Qingyan wanted to stroll around. Qiu Henian took him for a walk along the riverbank in front of the house.
There were more sunny days in early March. It had been warm for a few days recently, but these days, because the snow had melted and absorbed heat, the sunlight was good, but it was still very cold.
Qiu Henian wrapped Qingyan in a thick cotton robe and wrapped his neck well before letting him go out.
The two walked along the riverbank, chatting as they went, enjoying the rare leisure.
Qingyan counted the time on his fingers and said, “Old Doctor said the little bean is about a month and a half old now, so by mid-October, it should be out!”
Qiu Henian nodded and said, “If the days are right, it should be.”
Qingyan stopped in his tracks and said firmly, “It’s certain. I’ve calculated the days. It must have been after the Lantern Festival, while I was asleep…”
At this point, he stopped speaking. The scarf covered most of his fair face, but the blush had spread to the tips of his ears, all exposed to the man who had been watching him all the time.
Qiu Henian smiled and raised his hand to touch his blushing ear tips, but considering they were outside, he just bent down closer to Qingyan and whispered, “Qingyan, do you think it’ll be a boy?”
Qingyan’s eyelashes trembled as he looked at the man and said softly, “I’ve tried so hard, it should be.”
Qiu Henian looked at him and smiled. Qingyan asked him, “What if it’s not?”
Qiu Henian looked unusually relaxed and happy, saying, “If it’s not, then it’s not.”
The two continued to stroll forward, feeling the gentle spring sunlight and the clear air by the river.
After a while, Qiu Henian suddenly stopped and looked at Qingyan.
Qingyan also stopped, looking at him inquiringly.
Qiu Henian asked softly, “Do you remember it every time?”
At first, Qingyan didn’t react, but in an instant he understood. Blushing, he grabbed the man’s hand and bit his finger, looking fierce but not really putting any effort into it.
Qiu Henian felt as if he had been bitten by Ah Miao, and laughed with pleasure.
…
Before dark in the afternoon, Aunt Li and Qiuniang came to the house one after another.
They had just returned from town and came over after fetching things from home.
Qingyan had been resting at home these days, so he had to inform them. Early this morning, before Aunt Li left the house, Qiu Henian went over and knocked on the door to inform her.
Aunt Li’s eyes lit up when she heard this. She was so happy that she clenched her hands and walked back and forth on the ground.
She muttered about killing the family’s hen to stew soup for Qingyan, saying that the soup in the shop in town was especially delicious and she could buy it for Qingyan to change his taste.
Later, she grabbed Qiu Henian’s arm and instructed him for a long time on what to pay attention to on weekdays.
After a while, she waved her hand and said, “Forget it, just remember what I said.”
She wanted to go to the next room to see Qingyan, but Qiu Henian said he hadn’t woken up yet, so she had to give up.
Aunt Li said, “After being pregnant, you’ll always feel like sleeping, so you can’t sleep enough no matter how much you sleep. He loves to sleep for a long time, so don’t bother him.”
“And also, his taste may change. Things he used to like may suddenly become distasteful, and things he didn’t like before, he may want to eat every day.”
“His temperament may also change a bit, but after giving birth, it will slowly return to normal.”
He looked at Qiu Henian and said, “You must not argue with him, just go along with everything.”
Qiu Henian agreed to each one.
As she spoke, Aunt Li’s eyes turned red and she said, “Little Qiu, when I helped you marry into this family back then, I was not very sure. Now that you two are getting better and better, and seeing you about to become a father, I can finally let go of my heart.”
When Aunt Li came to see Qingyan today, she brought a bundle with her and opened it on the bed. Inside were a pair of red embroidered tiger-head shoes and a tiger-head hat. The patterns on the shoes and hat were very delicate, with round tiger eyes looking stunning and cute.
Qingyan lovingly stroked the long eyelashes of the tiger on the shoes and hat, very happy, and asked, “Did it take a lot of effort to make these?”
Seeing that he liked them, Aunt Li was also delighted and said with a smile, “I started making them after you two got married. I did a little every day when I had time, and it took two or three months to finish them all.”
Qingyan lightly held Aunt Li’s arm and shook it back and forth, saying, “Thank you, Auntie.”
Aunt Li smiled and looked at the young man lying in bed with his hair scattered, looking delicate and weak due to his pregnancy. She thought to herself that with such a delicate appearance, anyone with a heart of stone would soften when facing him.
Not to mention someone like little Qiu, who had a cold face but a warm heart.
As they talked, Aunt Li remembered something else and rummaged inside her bundle again, pulling out a small bottle.
She uncorked the bottle and carefully poured a drop of clear oil onto her fingers, showing it to Qingyan, saying, “I don’t even know what this is called. When I was pregnant with Lanzi, the child grew big and was very lively. She used to kick my belly so hard it hurt. So, I made this oil. I applied it every day, and my belly stopped hurting and those ugly marks didn’t appear.”
Qingyan’s eyes brightened.
He said, “Auntie, you’re amazing! This is a stretch mark prevention oil!”
Aunt Li chuckled shyly, “I made this during the day at the shop. You use it for now. I’ll make more for you later. After bathing each day, have Henian rub this oil on your belly, circling it repeatedly until the oil is absorbed. That’s when it works.”
Qingyan took it and said, “This is really good. Auntie, once you check the costs, can we start selling this in our shop?”
Li Shen said, “Sure, I’ll calculate it tomorrow. For now, take care of yourself. Don’t worry about these things. Once you’re well, we’ll discuss it at the shop.”
“Alright,” Qingyan happily agreed.
Just then, Qiuniang arrived with two live black chickens in her hands, intended to stew them for Qingyan’s health.
These chickens were something new in the area, brought up from the south in recent years. Due to their unique appearance—black skin and meat—their popularity had soared among women and children, with prices rising accordingly.
Qiuniang’s chickens were both sizable with bright eyes and shiny feathers, undoubtedly costing a good sum.
She handed the chickens to her busy elder brother outside and washed her hands before entering the house. Upon seeing the tiger-headed shoes and hat made by Aunt Li, Qiuniang also admired them greatly, praising, “Auntie, everything you make turns out so well. You’re truly skillful.”
Aunt Li smiled and replied, “Qiuniang, the clothes and hats you knit are excellent as well.”
Qiuniang then remembered something and turned to Qingyan, saying, “How could I forget this? When the child is born, the skin will be tender, unsuitable for woolens. I’m skilled at making quilts. I’ll handle the baby’s quilts and carriers. You don’t need to worry about these.”
Qingyan thanked her with a smile. He could manage basic bedding, but more intricate items were beyond him. With Aunt Li and Qiuniang’s help, he could relax a lot.
The three of them chatted for a while, lifting Qingyan’s spirits.
Qiu Henian finished cooking and called them to eat.
Qiuniang stood up and said, “My youngest at home has made dinner. He and Niansheng are waiting for me to return. I won’t eat here.”
Since Aunt Li was alone and hadn’t cooked yet, Qingyan insisted she stay.
After finishing the meal and helping to clean up, Aunt Li finally returned home.
It was late when Qiu Henian stood in the courtyard, watching her cross the neighboring yard and enter her house before returning to his own.
Qingyan had eaten several chicken legs over the past few days and didn’t feel like eating more chicken meat for now. He asked Qiu Henian to keep those two black chickens with the other small ones at home, to be stewed whenever he felt like it.
…
Qingyan stayed at home for a total of three days. On the third day, he couldn’t stand lying around anymore.
Mid-October was still a long way off, and Qiu Henian couldn’t keep him indoors forever. So he agreed to take Qingyan to the shop every other day.
The next day, Qiu Henian brought Aunt Li’s cart and took him to town.
After dropping him off at the shop, Qiu Henian said, “I’ll go find Hunter Liu. If all goes well, I’ll be back to pick you up before dark.”
Qingyan nodded and lowered his voice, advising, “You’re carrying quite a bit of money. Be careful on your way.”
Qiu Henian acknowledged and then pushed the cart back home.
Qingyan hadn’t been to the shop in a few days. He checked the shelves and adjusted the position of some items. He noted which products were selling well and needed restocking.
Wherever he went, Qiuniang followed closely, afraid something might happen to him, much to Qingyan’s amusement.
Huani knew about his condition and congratulated him joyfully, saying, “You and Brother Qiu are both so good-looking. I bet this child will be beautiful!”
Qingyan thanked her with a smile.
He quietly asked Qiuniang, who said Huani had been very diligent and sweet-tongued. Customers liked her when she served them.
She mentioned her husband was returning soon and how happy she was to have him home for a while. She’d been buying this and that, preparing his favorite foods.
Qingyan felt reassured after hearing this.
…
After lunch, a while passed with no customers in the shop. Huani couldn’t help but yawn.
Afraid of dozing off, she stood up and paced outside the shop door.
Not far down the street, the sound of hoofbeats approached. Many pedestrians stopped to look in that direction.
Curious, Huani also looked over.
When she saw who it was, she couldn’t help but be stunned.
In a short while, Qingyan was busy with his accounts when Huani called out from the door, “Shopkeeper, shopkeeper, come and see!”
Perplexed, Qingyan put away his books and walked over.
Huani stood outside, pointing excitedly at the street, saying, “It’s Brother Qiu, Brother Qiu has come!”
Qingyan turned to look where she pointed. Not far down the street, a tall and lean young man in a gray robe, riding a dark red horse, was leisurely making his way towards them.
He had a handsome face, tranquil eyes like a calm lake, a straight nose, and a somewhat aloof demeanor that made him seem unapproachable.
His overall bearing was like a young hero described in books, yet there was also a touch of scholarly elegance about him.
When he saw the people at the entrance of Fragrant Melody Pavillion, the tranquility in his eyes gradually stirred, like ripples on a lake caused by a few pebbles. Then a smile curved his lips, softening his entire face from the earlier unapproachable coldness.
He smoothly dismounted his tall horse in front of Fragrant Melody Pavillion, took the reins, and stood before Qingyan with a smile, “Qingyan, I’ve come to take you home.”
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
Unable to resist, Qingyan followed him inside with a smile, feeling that despite Chen Yu’s many flaws, as long as you understood his temper, he wasn’t bad.
