Chapter 162: Delivery

Chapter 162: Delivery

Du Yunse was so shocked by Qiu Huanian's words that he felt like his soul had left his body. In an instant, he sprang up from the bed, leaned down to kiss Qiu Huanian's smooth forehead, and said, "Brother Hua, don't worry. I'll go get help."

As soon as he finished speaking, he quickly walked out of the warm chamber and into the courtyard to call for assistance. Within moments, Mumian and Putao, who had been watching from the courtyard, rushed out.

"Uncle, Brother Hua said he has a stomachache. He suddenly woke up from his sleep, drenched in sweat. What should we do?" Du Yunse's heart was in his throat, and he felt utterly helpless at this critical moment.

Mumian, having experienced many such situations, took a deep breath and calmed down. "Sir, stay calm. The Qishu County Princess is likely going into labor. The time is right, and the delivery room and other necessities have long been prepared. Everything will be fine."

Meanwhile, Putao started directing Xing Mi, Hong Fei, and Bi Cui to gather the necessary supplies.

"First, make sure the County Princess is well wrapped and move her to the delivery room. Make sure she doesn't catch a cold from the wind."

Du Yunse, now with a task to focus on, immediately returned to the main room. After warming up a bit, he went back into the warm chamber.

Qiu Huanian, in the throes of contractions, had overheard the courtyard chatter and tried to sit up by himself.

"The alcohol is in the cabinet in the main hall. Have someone fetch it. Hands and tools need to be disinfected—"

Du Yunse took the fox fur cloak from Xing Mi and wrapped Qiu Huanian up completely, then lifted him up by the legs.

"Brother Hua, relax. They've got this."

Alcohol was still a secret, but Qiu Huanian had no qualms about using it. He simply had someone bring it over from the estate.

Qiu Huanian had already trained Mumian and Putao on how to use alcohol. Mumian and Putao saw the Qishu County Princess as almost all-powerful, thanks to her long-standing trust and reputation. Qiu Huanian didn't need to explain where the alcohol came from; he only needed to tell them how to use it and its effects.

Du Yunse carefully lifted Qiu Huanian from the bed and felt the wet sheets underneath, his heart sinking.

Xing Mi put a wind cap on Qiu Huanian's head, covering his face too. In the dark, Qiu Huanian was safely cradled in Du Yunse's arms as they rushed across the chilly courtyard to the west wing, set up as the delivery room.

The west wing's kang and floor heating were lit daily, keeping the tightly sealed room as cozy as the warm chamber. Mumian and Putao methodically directed people to arrange the pre-prepared tools.

Du Yunse gently laid Qiu Huanian on the kang. The contractions had eased for a moment, but then his calves started cramping.

Qiu Huanian's pained expression scared Du Yunse, but he managed a smile. "Don't just stand there. Rub my legs for me."

Du Yunse quickly sat by the kang, holding Qiu Huanian's calves and massaging them with shaky hands.

Qiu Huanian felt a bit more comfortable and let out a soft sigh. Seeing Du Yunse so nervous, he himself felt less panicked.

"We've practiced this several times already. Why are you still so nervous?"

Du Yunse pursed his lips, unable to speak, and focused even more on massaging Qiu Huanian's sore muscles. Mumian poured alcohol into a basin and began cleaning the brand-new tools. When Du Yunse saw the gleaming large scissors, his heart clenched tightly.

No matter how many times they had rehearsed, the actual moment of impending delivery brought unparalleled worry and regret.

"...Brother Hua, let's not have the babies, okay?" Du Yunse murmured.

Qiu Huanian lightly kicked his abdomen. "Don't talk nonsense. The babies are coming soon."

By then, Mumian and the others had everything ready and came over to ask Du Yunse to leave. Du Yunse's legs felt as if they were filled with lead, and he couldn't muster any strength.

He stubbornly refused to leave, so Mumian had no choice but to look helplessly at Qiu Huanian. "County Princess, it's against the rules for the master to stay in the delivery room."

Another wave of contractions hit Qiu Huanian, and he hissed in pain, then softly urged, "Go out, Du Yunse."

"I—"

"It's not about the rules, but having you watch makes it hard for me to—focus," Qiu Huanian said, tears of pain welling up, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and buried his face in the warm bedding.

"Go wait outside; you'll see me and the babies in the morning."

Qiu Huanian had made up his mind, and Du Yunse knew he couldn't delay any longer and be a hindrance, so he reluctantly got up and left the room, much to the relief of Mumian and the others.

As he approached the door, he couldn't help but look back at the kang, memorizing the small, curled-up figure deeply in his mind.

"Brother Hua, I'll wait right outside the window; I won't leave."

Qiu Huanian twitched the corner of his mouth, his voice slightly distorted, "Good, you're not allowed to go anywhere."

Du Yunse walked out of the birthing room and stood under the eaves closest to the kang. Bai Quan brought him a cloak, a brazier, and a hand warmer, but Du Yunse couldn’t feel the cold or warmth.

The commotion in the inner courtyard woke up everyone in the mansion. Jiu Jiu, along with Yuan Jia and Yuan Ruo, got up and came over. Knowing that Qiu Huanian was in labor, everyone was wide awake and gathered in the main hall to wait for news. The mansion's imperial physician was also on standby, ready to diagnose and prescribe at any sign of trouble.

Du Yunse did not join them; he remained standing outside the window, listening to the muffled cries of labor pain from the birthing room just a wall away, watching as buckets of hot water were carried from the kitchen in the corner of the yard into the birthing room, not even noticing his legs going numb.

Bai Quan, following orders, took Du Yunse's official card and went to the Hanlin Academy to request leave on his behalf.

In the Yu Dynasty's official system, there was no such thing as leave for childbirth. Officially, an official's husband giving birth was not a reason for leave, but since Du Yunse's husband was a county lord, denying him leave would get his superiors in trouble.

If Qiu Huanian hadn't gone into labor in the dead of night, the Du residence would’ve been packed with people from various families coming to inquire about the situation.

As the first light of dawn broke, Du Yunse's nerves, numb with tension, finally caught the sound of a baby's cry.

His spirits lifted instantly, and he asked inside, "How is Huanian?"

Inside the birthing room, there was a flurry of activity. Xing Mi pushed the door open a crack and said, "The county lord has delivered the first child, a healthy little boy."

Seeing that Xing Mi's face showed little joy, Du Yunse's heart raced, "And the county lord? How is he?"

"There's another child that hasn't come out yet, the county lord is nearly exhausted, Uncle Putao says we need to wait—Master! Master!"

Du Yunse stumbled, and the next second, he pushed past Xing Mi and barged into the birthing room. Before anyone could react, he was already by the kang.

The heavy, metallic smell of blood in the birthing room made Du Yunse's heart sink. He looked at Qiu Huanian, lying exhausted in the blood, his teeth were chattering.

"Huanian... Zisui... Brother Hua..." He held Qiu Huanian's pale, weak hand and called out repeatedly, his anxious voice bringing Qiu Huanian, who was on the verge of fainting, back to consciousness.

"How did you... get in? Where's my blanket... don't look!"

Qiu Huanian tried to struggle, but Du Yunse quickly pressed his hand to his lips, agreeing with him, "I won’t look, I promise."

Uncle Putao, with his experience, pushed Xing Mi, "We can't just wait idly, have the kitchen immediately prepare two eggs with rice wine and brown sugar and bring them over. The county lord needs strength to continue."

The eggs with rice wine and brown sugar were Uncle Putao's secret remedy, quickly replenishing the strength of a weakened mother or father. Xing Mi immediately ran out to give the order. Everything in the kitchen was ready, and in less than five minutes, a steaming bowl of egg soup was brought in.

Du Yunse carefully held Qiu Huanian in a position he thought was comfortable and fed him bit by bit.

After a long night, Qiu Huanian's appearance was something he himself couldn't bear to look at—disheveled, covered in sweat and blood, his face pale as a ghost from blood loss. But Du Yunse showed no sign of disgust, occasionally kissing his forehead with strands of hair stuck to it, his gaze filled with adoration, as always.

After finishing the two eggs and drinking every last drop of the rice wine and brown sugar, Qiu Huanian finally caught his breath.

Mumian cut a slice from the priceless century-old ginseng gifted by the crown prince, thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and cut another slice.

"County lord, keep the ginseng under your tongue, we need to continue, or the baby might suffocate."

Qiu Huanian saved his strength for speaking and just nodded. Du Yunse took the ginseng and placed it under Qiu Huanian's tongue, holding the person in his arms tightly, unwilling to leave.

Qiu Huanian, clinging to his lover's warm and strong embrace, didn't want him to leave either, and whispered faintly, "Don't peek."

Du Yunse obediently closed his eyes, "I won't look, I'll stay right here with you."

After a short break, the labor pains started again. In the midst of the seemingly endless pain, Qiu Huanian sobbed and rested his head in the crook of Du Yunse's neck, gripping Du Yunse's forearm tightly, his nails uncontrollably piercing the skin and drawing blood.

Du Yunse didn't pull his arm away. He was glad he could be of some help, sharing in Qiu Huanian's pain, even though it was less than a fraction of what Qiu Huanian was enduring.

Du Yunse kept his eyes closed, enduring the chaos in the delivery room in the dark. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally heard the faint cry of a baby again.

"It's here! The other baby is finally here!"

"Congratulations to the Qing Lord, congratulations to the Master, the second son is a healthy young lad!"

Qiu Huanian, exhausted, tilted his head back and met Du Yunse's opened eyes. Both of them smiled silently in unison.

After a quick cleanup, Mumian and Pu Tao brought both children over.

"Both little ones are healthy and whole. The second son was born half an hour after the first, slightly weaker, but he'll be just fine with a little care."

Du Yunse helped Qiu Huanian sit up a bit, and Qiu Huanian struggled to open his eyes to look at the little ones he had worked so hard to bring into the world.

"So... so red... not very cute..." Qiu Huanian expressed a childish disappointment.

Mumian chuckled, "All babies look like this when they're born. They'll get better in a few days. I can see that both young masters have inherited the best features from the Qing Lord and the Master. They'll surely grow up to be handsome and elegant!"

Qiu Huanian was just talking; of course, he couldn't really dislike the little ones. He smiled and said, "Have the royal doctor check them over carefully. Move the cradle next to the bed and crack the window on the other side to let in some fresh air."

"Qing Lord, don't worry. We've got everything under control. Just rest for a while!"

Du Yunse carefully picked up Qiu Huanian and placed him on the clean side of the kang, covering him with a blanket before turning to look at the two little ones in the cradle.

"Huanian has gone through so much for you," Du Yunse paused, then softly laughed, "Grow up fast, and help me protect your father in the future, okay?"

The hand gripping his arm suddenly loosened. Du Yunse turned around to see that the exhausted Qiu Huanian had lost consciousness and had peacefully fallen into a deep sleep.

...

Qiu Huanian slept until evening. When he opened his eyes, he was momentarily disoriented.

The birthing room had been completely cleaned, filled with a fresh and warm scent. The bright sunset shone through the paper window, casting a golden light that brought peace to the heart.

Qiu Huanian turned his head and saw Du Yunse by the kang and the large cradle not far away.

The big cradle was made by Bing Qi and Bing Ba after they heard the news of the twins. Made of the finest rosewood, its craftsmanship and strength were on par with those used for royal heirs in the palace.

It was too cold outside, so Qiu Huanian and the children would have to stay in the warm birthing room for at least ten more days before they could move out.

Du Yunse spoon-fed Qiu Huanian some sweet soup while telling him what had happened while he was asleep.

"The royal doctor has checked both babies, and there are no major problems."

"After the children were born, I sent people to announce the good news to various households. Many families sent gifts to congratulate us. Qing Lord, the Min family's young lad, and the teacher came in person, but you were still asleep then."

"Your uncle also came. I let him sneak in to see you and the children. He couldn't stay long and left, saying he'd visit again when he had the chance."

"Your uncle came under the guise of delivering a message from the Crown Prince. Wu Shen and his party are nearing the capital and are expected to return tomorrow."

Du Yunse briefly recounted what had happened during the day, and Qiu Huanian finished his sweet soup. Du Yunse moved the cradle closer, and together they looked at the children.

The two little ones slept quietly in the soft bedding, their skin no longer as red as it was at birth. Their delicate and refined features were now visible, clearly inheriting the best traits of both Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse.

"One boy and one son, the names we prepared can be assigned accordingly."

Since they didn't know the specific genders of the children beforehand, Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse had come up with many names in advance, both formal and informal.

Qiu Huanian thought for a moment, "How about Gu Gu for the older child and Yang Yang for the younger one?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking."

Qiu Huanian wanted the children's nicknames to be cute reduplicatives with auspicious meanings and easy to raise. "Gu" and "Yang" are full of vitality and are common, symbolizing the importance of agriculture, making them ideal choices.

"Then Gu Gu's formal name will be Du Xuhuai, and for Yang Yang—"

"Xubi, what do you think, Hua Ge?"

"Du Xubi..." Qiu Huanian smiled, "A good name. Xubi means clear, azure sky. This child will always be pure and transparent, as free and boundless as the sky."

Xuhuai Ruogu, Bikong Yangfan. Both are images that evoke beautiful aspirations.

With a few words, they assigned the names they had been thinking about for months. Qiu Huanian looked at the two little bundles in the cradle, oblivious to their surroundings, and felt a surge of tenderness welling up inside him.

Gu Gu and Yang Yang were his closest family, the children who connected him with the love of his life, and an indispensable part of his future.

Qiu Huanian tightly hugged Du Yunse, holding him close, "Welcome to the world, my darlings."

Author's Note:

We've finally reached 800,000 words, and it's time to fulfill the "childbirth" tag!

I had been hesitating whether to describe the childbirth process in detail, but ultimately, I decided to dedicate an entire chapter to this incredibly important event for Huanian and Yunse.

The buns are ready~

Additional Note—

Yang Yang's formal name, Du Xubi, was decided after a night of research with my friends (compared to Xuhuai, which was decided quickly, as it comes from the idiom "Xuhuai Ruogu").

Xubi means clear, azure water or sky, a classically beautiful term. Liu Yuxi's "You Taoyuan Yibai Yun" uses this term: "The Yuan River flows clear and serene, day after day in quiet solitude. The returning current embraces the steep cliffs, the bright mirror contains the azure void."

Both the author outside the story and the protagonists within it thought of beautiful things when naming Yang Yang.

While the protagonists in the story rejoice at the birth of their children, and most readers in the comments celebrate the arrival of the little buns, it's not amusing to misinterpret a baby's name, forcing negative connotations onto a beautiful word through homophones and dialects, and then commenting about it.

As my friend said, "Those words were originally innocent and beautiful, carrying very good meanings, but they have been tainted and need to be slowly cleansed."

Gu Gu and Yang Yang are two babies I cherish deeply. I hope such misinterpretations will not appear again. Thank you~