Chapter 54

Chapter 54

The sudden news of a child left both of them in shock, and even after everyone had left, they still hadn’t fully recovered.

Wang Ying reached out and touched his lower abdomen. "Could that old doctor have been mistaken?"

Chen Qingyan quickly sat by the bed and held his hand. "It shouldn’t be a mistake. His medical skills are renowned in town, and something as simple as a pregnancy pulse wouldn’t be misread."

"What the fuck..."

"Wang what?"

Wang Ying held his forehead. "It’s nothing... I just need a moment to wrap my head around it."

"I feel like I’m dreaming too..."

The thought of becoming a father filled Chen Qingyan with excitement, but even more so with anxiety—could he be a good father?

Recalling his own father, from the moment he could remember, his father had doted on him with meticulous care.

Perhaps because he married late, Father Chen was more patient than other men and cherished his child even more.

People often said that men dote on grandsons but not sons, but Chen Qingyan remembered that even at four or five years old, he often rode on his father’s shoulders. Some teased Father Chen for spoiling his child.

At the time, Chen Xian, ruffling his son’s hair, said, "He's my boy. As long as I can carry him, I’d gladly carry him even at eighty."

It was just a pity that his father died early, and he could no longer rely on his shoulders.

Chen Qingyan’s eyes grew moist, and his heart gradually grew firmer. "A Ying, don’t worry, I will take good care of you and the child!"

But it wasn’t just about taking care of them. In Wang Ying’s heart, he hadn’t fully come to terms with it. At most, he felt he had become involved with a man, but the idea of carrying a child was still hard to accept.

After struggling with it for three or four days, Wang Ying finally gave up dwelling on it.

Let nature take its course. If he could really have a child who shares his blood, it might not be a bad thing. At least, in this unfamiliar world, he would have his first relative.

By the fifth day, the two prepared to return to the manor, but Madam Li sent her son away and kept Ying’er by her side to care for him.

"Wait until the pregnancy is stable before going back. Besides, what do a few men know about taking care of someone? Let Ying’er stay at home."

"Mother, I can take good care of A Ying."

"No, if you’re taking care of him, will you have time to study? You can’t focus on two things at once—don’t waste such a good opportunity!"

Chen Qingyan tried to persuade her but failed, so he had no choice but to leave reluctantly. Fortunately, the Experimental Field could be accessed from afar, allowing the two to meet there in the evenings.

Back at the manor, he shared the news of Wang Ying’s pregnancy with the others.

"Big brother, am I going to be an uncle?"

Chen Qinghuai clasped his hands in congratulations. "Congratulations, cousin."

Old Liang coughed and said, "From today on, you must lead by example and study hard, so you can set a good example for your child in the future."

"Yes!"

Perhaps bearing the weight of responsibility, Chen Qingyan studied even more diligently, rising at dawn and not resting until sunset.

The first thing he did during breaks was to open the Experimental Field and meet Wang Ying.

Since the Experimental Field could only be accessed for a fixed two hours each day, the two agreed to meet at the Hour of the Rooster to avoid wasting time.

As soon as he opened the Experimental Field, Wang Ying entered as well. The moment they saw each other, they embraced.

"How are you today? Is your abdomen uncomfortable? Have you been vomiting?"

"No, but how about you? What did you eat?"

Chen Qingyan said, "Uncle Chen and I cooked today. It’s not as good as your cooking, but it was still tasty. Shifu kept saying how much he misses you during the meal."

Wang Ying couldn’t help but laugh. Old Liang had no other hobbies—his only love for good food had been taken away.

"Mother said everything will be fine after three months, and then I can return to the manor. Today, she went to the Taoist temple to get a blessing charm for me."

"Third Aunt said she wants to make clothes for the baby. They don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl yet, but they’re already in a hurry."

"It’s fine. Boy or girl, either is good."

Wang Ying also felt that either was fine. Having grown up with contemporary beliefs, he had no preference for sons over daughters.

If it was a boy, Chen Qingyan could teach him to study. If he was talented, he could take the imperial exams; if not, he could stay close to them. If it was a girl or a ger, Wang Ying would teach them how to run a shop.

After all, limited by the times, women and gers couldn’t achieve great accomplishments. Being able to choose a good partner and live peacefully was the best life one could hope for.

Chen Qingyan held him close as they sat under the peach tree, looking at the blessing charm. Suddenly, they felt a growing anticipation for the unborn child.

Chen Qingyan also shared what he had studied that day and talked about making ice sticks. "I followed your method, poured the mixture into molds, and froze them in the Experimental Field. Tomorrow, Dun Zi will deliver them to town on time."

"Sorry for the trouble."

"This isn’t trouble at all—it’s what I should do."

Wang Ying shifted his position, resting his head on Chen Qingyan’s shoulder. "We need to save more money. If you can take the imperial exams next year, it’ll cost a lot."

"I’m afraid it won’t be that fast. When my teacher became famous, it was a matter of timing, location, and opportunity. The Jiangnan region has always been full of talented scholars, with a rich scholarly atmosphere. People often organized poetry societies and classical debates. Their poetry societies are nothing like the ones in town—they had young attendants record the poems and songs from the gatherings, compile them into books, and distribute them."

"I’ve bought a few copies myself. Those whose works made it into the books were generally quite learned. Back then, my teacher was young and exceptionally talented, and he happened to meet Great Scholar Bai, who appreciated talent and debated with him. That’s how he rose to prominence overnight. My innate ability is no match for my teacher’s, and I lack the right opportunities. To make a name for myself, I’ll need time and the right circumstances."

Wang Ying nodded. But Chen Qingyan was still young—only eighteen. In his previous life, Wang Ying had just graduated from high school at that age.

"Don’t rush. Focus on learning from Old Liang—he has great knowledge."

"I understand."

"Take care of your health too. Don’t overwork yourself and get sick."

"Don’t worry. I practice the Five-Animals Exercise with Old Liang every morning now. I feel much stronger than before. If you don’t believe me, feel for yourself."

Wang Ying reached out and touched his abdomen. There was indeed some muscle there—no wonder he always ended up pinned beneath him.

Time was almost up. Chen Qingyan reluctantly kissed the corner of his mouth. "It’s time to go. See you again at this time tomorrow."

"Okay, rest early and don’t stay up late reading—it’s bad for your eyes."

"Mm, I know."

In a flash, the two returned to their respective bedrooms. Wang Ying hugged the quilt, feeling for the first time how large the bed at home was. The thought of having to stay there for two more months before returning to the manor felt agonizing.

On the other side, Chen Qingyan was just as restless. Catching his lover's scent on the quilt, he tossed and turned all night until dawn before finally falling asleep.

*

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed, and Li Shi invited a doctor again to take his pulse.

"The fetal condition is stable; it's definitely a positive pregnancy diagnosis."

Li Shi clasped her hands and chanted a Buddhist phrase, "Amitabha, Buddha be praised!"

The doctor prescribed two prescriptions for stabilizing the pregnancy and left. Chen Rong and Li Shi brought some fabric to Wang Ying’s room for him to choose from. "Which color do you like? I’ll make a few clothes for you."

"There are plenty of clothes in the closet, enough to wear."

Chen Rong smiled and said, "Silly boy, when the pregnancy progresses and your belly swells, the old clothes won't fit anymore. We need to make a few looser ones for you."

Wang Ying scratched his head awkwardly. The thought of himself with a big belly made him feel uncomfortable all over. "Any style is fine, just make whatever you think is best."

"Then let's choose this snow-blue and this crimson fabric."

Chen Rong held the fabric up against Wang Ying and said, "Ying’er’s so fair-skinned; any color looks good on him."

Li Shi added, "I hope the child’s skin takes after Ying’er and definitely not Qing Yan."

Wang Ying said, "Qing Yan isn’t dark either."

"He’s not dark, but as a child, he broke out in rashes. As soon as the weather turned hot, he’d break out in red patches, itching so bad he’d cry nonstop."

Hearing about Chen Qingyan’s childhood, Wang Ying couldn’t help but grow curious. "Was he a crybaby as a child?"

"He was!" Li Shi and Chen Rong said in unison.

When Chen Qingyan was first born, Chen Rong hadn’t yet married, and she even helped take care of him for a few days.

"Qing Yan had a nickname as a child: the Night Crier. As soon as it got dark, he’d start crying. He didn’t wail loudly like other children but would whimper softly, which was heartbreaking to see."

Li Shi said, "Exactly. At first, I thought he was just naturally prone to crying, but how could anyone endure it for long? Back then, Tian Mama would stay up with him all night, so exhausted she could barely stand straight."

Mentioning Tian Mama out of the blue, Li Shi couldn’t help but sigh...

"Later, a few monks came through town begging for alms. They said Qing Yan had unfinished business from a past life and couldn’t let go of his previous family, which was why he cried every night. They chanted sutras for him for a day, and strangely enough, from that day on, he never cried at night again!"

This was one of the reasons she was so superstitious about monks and Taoist priests.

Wang Ying listened with amazement, feeling like he had gotten to know his husband a little better.

Feeling bored at home that day, he went to the shop at noon to bring lunch to his brother and sister. Li Shi, worried about him going alone, insisted that Er Shun accompany him.

When they arrived at the shop, they happened to run into Cao Kun, who was there with a popsicle in his mouth. Seeing Wang Ying, he quickly stood up to greet him. "Hey, sis."

Wang Ying laughed at him. "You’re here a lot, kid. Why are you here again?"

"Hehe, I wanted to see Qiu Er."

Lin Qiu blushed bright red, stepped hard on his foot, and ran out.

Wang Ying couldn’t help but burst into laughter. "They’re not even married yet. Mind your words."

"I meant to. I sent him away because I wanted to talk to you, sister-in-law."

Seeing his serious expression, Wang Ying knew it was something important. "Did something happen in the county town?"

"You’re quick, sister-in-law. You guessed it right away. It’s about Little Qiu’s father." Cao Kun told Wang Ying about encountering Lin Zhangbin after the New Year. "I was afraid he’d come looking for Little Qiu and the others again, so I kept him at the Porter Guild and found him a job as an accountant."

"That’s thoughtful of you."

"It’s the least I could do. But these past few days, he heard from someone that I’m going to marry Qiu Er and started acting all high-and-mighty in front of me, demanding a raise and expecting me to wait on him hand and foot."

Wang Ying tsked. What an shameless old man, not even considering whether he deserved it.

Cao Kun was no ordinary person either. He’d been out in the world since he was sixteen and had seen all kinds of people. If it weren’t for the fact that he was Lin Qiu’s father, he would’ve already had someone beat him up.

"I found a couple of guys to scare him, and he was terrified."

Wang Ying said, "Serves him right. Don’t indulge him. If he dares to cause trouble for you again, just drive him away with a big stick."

"Alright, I understand. By the way, the son born to his mistress doesn’t seem like a normal child. He’s almost seven or eight months old but can’t even roll over. He doesn’t respond when called—most likely he has a disability..."

Wang Ying tsked again, surprised that karma had come so quickly.

Not long after, Lin Qiu returned from outside. Cao Kun stood up and said, "I should go. I’ll come see you another time."

Lin Qiu mumbled in agreement and quickly waved his hands when Cao Kun tried to give him money. "I don’t need your money. Sister-in-law gives me a share of the shop’s profits. I earn seven or eight taels of silver a month!"

"Then hold onto it for me. I travel around and am afraid of losing it." As he spoke, he tossed him a bag of scattered silver, about twenty taels, waved, and left.

Watching the young couple’s reluctant parting, Wang Ying felt his teeth hurt from all the sweetness. Thankfully, he could see Qing Yan that evening, or else he really couldn’t take it!