Chapter 69: A Man

Chapter 69 A Man

"What a lovely girl. If she looks like A Yuan, that would be even better."

Auntie Hui smiled, her eyes crinkling, as if she had already seen the little girl's appearance.

A Yuan looked down, gently stroking her belly. Whether it was a boy or a girl, she only wished for the child to be born safely.

Jinxiu Fang's business was thriving. A Yuan was clever in her thoughts. Though she couldn't compete in quantity, she focused on unique designs that the noble ladies in the capital liked, which resonated with the young ladies in Suzhou.

Jinxiu Fang's business was thriving, and A Yuan's belly grew larger by the day.

In the hot summer of August, Guihua Alley buzzed with activity.

Auntie Qian and Su Mengyun boiled water and cooked noodles, while Auntie Hui and the midwife stayed with A Yuan.

Her pregnancy was already difficult, and after many hardships, although she had rested for half a year, her body was still damaged.

A Yuan's face turned pale with pain, and Auntie Hui felt helpless, her heart aching but unable to do anything to help her, only able to wipe the sweat from her brow repeatedly.

"Hang in there, A Yuan. Once the baby's here, everything will be alright."

"Auntie..."

A Yuan clutched Auntie Hui's hand, tears welling in her eyes.

She hadn't been afraid when she fled the Marquis's mansion, but now she was afraid that something might happen to the child.

"Auntie, if I can't give birth, you must save the child..."

Auntie Hui's eyes filled with warmth, and she lightly patted her head. "What are you talking about? I'll make sure both of you are safe! Silly girl, don't think too much. Save your strength; you'll need it soon!"

"Here's the hot water!"

Auntie Qian and Su Mengyun pushed the door open, bringing in hot water, scissors, and clean white cloth. Su Mengyun brought a big bowl of hot noodle soup topped with two poached eggs.

A Yuan wasn't hungry at the moment, but for the sake of the child, she forced herself to eat it all.

As a man, Zhou Yan couldn't enter and waited outside with the doctor, afraid they might not find help in time if something went wrong.

The midwife, with decades of experience, had seen all kinds of pregnant women. Seeing A Yuan so anxious, she chuckled.

"Don't fret, dear. When it's time, just push as hard as you can."

The midwife's advice was blunt but sound. A Yuan realized worrying wouldn't help. She took deep breaths to conserve her strength, and the midwife laughed again.

"Ah, that's right. The little lady is giving birth, it's good. Your mother-in-law and husband are so caring, surely it's a blessed child, and won't give you much trouble."

The midwife didn't know the family's situation and thought Zhou Yan was A Yuan's husband.

Indeed, no man would care so much if it weren't his own wife.

A Yuan looked uneasy, her gaze distant. The child's father might never know of its existence.

After hours of labor, A Yuan finally gave birth late at night.

"Oh my, it's a little girl, so beautiful!"

The midwife carried the baby out, washed her in hot water, and then wrapped her in swaddling clothes to show A Yuan.

"A Yuan, look, other people's newborns are all wrinkled like little monkeys, but yours is so fair and tender, clearly beautiful."

A Yuan was already exhausted, but the moment she saw her child, all her pain faded away.

Hui Gu also came over to take a look, and indeed, as the midwife had said, the little girl was exceptionally beautiful.

"A Yuan, what should we name her?"

The little girl lay with her eyes closed, sucking on her fingers, not crying even after birth.

A Yuan gently touched her delicate little face, her eyes filled with love.

"A Man, her name is A Man."

A small blessing is worth more than a grand fortune.

Her life had been tough—she lost her parents young, and her marriage was far from easy. Now that she had a daughter, she only wished for her to have a fulfilling life.

"A Man... what a beautiful name. From now on, our little girl will be A Man."

A Man was a sweet, well-behaved baby, eating and sleeping without a peep.

Hui Gu moved into Osmanthus Alley to care for them, cuddling the baby every day, doting on her even more than A Yuan did.

"Hui Gu, don’t spoil her too much—she might get used to it."

Our A Man is so good—how could she get spoiled? It’s hot out, and lying still all day could give her a rash. I can’t let her suffer."

It was mid-August, and while the weather was cooling, the days remained warm.

Zhou Yan, concerned about A Yuan’s comfort during her confinement, arranged for several carts of ice to be stored in the cellar.

Auntie Qian and Su Mengyun managed the embroidery workshop, while Hui Gu cared for the baby, making A Yuan’s confinement easy—she even gained a little weight afterward.

She was naturally beautiful, and the extra weight only enhanced her charm, giving her a youthful glow.

Zhou Yan stood at the door, watching her intently until A Yuan caught his gaze.

"Yan-ge?"

A Yuan couldn’t be exposed to drafts, but Hui Gu worried she’d feel stifled, so the gauze door curtain let in just enough air and a faint view of the outside.

When A Yuan called his name, Zhou Yan snapped out of his thoughts.

His soft voice drifted through the curtain.

"I made a cradle for A Man. Let’s take her over to try it out."

"Another cradle? Why did you make one?"

Zhou Yan might have been a scholar, but he was also a talented carpenter.

A Man wasn’t even a month old, yet he’d already crafted a rattle-drum, a rocking horse, a tangram, and now a cradle.

A Yuan thought she spoiled A Man, but compared to Hui Gu and Zhou Yan, she was nowhere close.

"You’re not sleeping well with her at night. This way, you can rest, and the cradle’s wheels let you move her around while you work, keeping her close."

Zhou Yan's thoughtfulness left A Yuan speechless.

"Brother Yan, come in. A Man is awake."

Hearing this, the man hesitated briefly before lifting the door curtain.

A Yuan reclined against the headboard, her dark hair braided and cascading over her shoulders.

A Man lay beside her, the little girl sucking her thumb, her large, grape-like eyes wide and lively. After a month, she had grown fair and tender, utterly adorable.

A Yuan picked her up and handed her to Zhou Yan, who instinctively grabbed the man's lapel.

Zhou Yan's heart softened. Although he resented Wei Xun for betraying A Yuan, he couldn't harbor any resentment toward their child.

A Man's good behavior reminded him of A Yuan's childhood, making him want to dote on her even more.

"Good A Man, Uncle will take you to the rocking cradle."

After saying goodbye to A Yuan, he carried the child out.

The rocking cradle was small, and Aunt Hui had lined it with a soft brocade quilt. The little girl lay there quietly, without a fuss.

Aunt Hui doted on her, playing with a small rabbit plush toy, utterly enchanted.

"You're hopeless. If only you could win A Yuan's heart, our A Man would be my beloved granddaughter."

Zhou Yan took the scolding without protest. He knew he was too awkward in his pursuit of A Yuan, which was why she didn't return his feelings.

"That despicable Wei Xun betrayed A Yuan. If only he knew she had given birth to such a beautiful and well-behaved daughter, he would surely regret it."

"Hmph! That good-for-nothing who deserves to have no descendants isn't worthy of being A Man's father!"