Chapter 21 Mountain Home Hearth 21

Chapter 21: Hearth and Home 21

Luo Qingzhu, Lin Xingniang’s firstborn, had married a young man from Xiahe Village a few years prior.

Shanghe Village and Xiahe Village were neighbors, their inhabitants sharing the same river since childhood, fostering a bond closer than that of other villages.

Moreover, Lin Xingniang’s family hailed from Xiahe Village. In her younger days, she often took her two children to visit her parents. Her son and the young man from Xiahe Village had been close friends since childhood, a bond that deepened after their marriage, ensuring their continued affection.

Luo Qingzhu rarely visited his family home alone; usually, his husband accompanied him.

So, when Cui Lanfang saw Luo Qingzhu sitting by himself at the courtyard gate, she paused, wondering if she had mistaken him.

But their homes faced each other, and she had watched Luo Qingzhu grow up; how could she possibly be wrong?

Especially with the two large dogs of the household lying on either side of him, one of them, a big yellow dog, even nuzzling against him, whining softly.

Everyone in Shanghe Village knew that Lin Xingniang’s two large dogs were fiercely protective. No one had ever seen them so affectionate with an outsider.

Hearing Cui Lanfang’s voice, Luo Qingzhu, who had been facing away, stood up. He glanced at them, then immediately lowered his head, pushing his hair back with his hand, and softly called out, "Aunt Lanfang."

He kept his head down, turned slightly sideways, as if afraid to meet their gaze.

But Cui Lanfang noticed it immediately: a red, swollen slap mark on Luo Qingzhu’s face.

She had been about to ask if he was waiting for his mother and sister and why he hadn’t gone inside.

But seeing the slap mark, she quickly changed her mind and hurried over to pull his hand away.

Without the cover, the injury on his face became even more apparent.

She gasped, "Heavens above, Qingzhu, what happened to your face?! Who hit you?"

Even the usually good-tempered Cui Lanfang was furious. Qin Banban also scurried over, pouting as she looked at Luo Qingzhu’s face, and softly called, "Brother Qingzhu…"

Unlike his mother and sister’s fiery personalities, Luo Qingzhu had always been gentle and kind since childhood, speaking softly and never raising his voice or losing his temper.

True to his name, he was slender and tall, like a verdant, elegant bamboo stalk.

He was famously known as a fine young man in the village. Even though Lin Xingniang was a widow from a humble background, Luo Qingzhu’s diligent and gentle nature, coupled with his good looks, made him popular among many young men. When he later married into the neighboring village, quite a few young men were heartbroken.

He held back his tears and turned slightly again, trying to hide the injury on his face. Pretending nothing was wrong, he patted Qin Banban’s braid and said with a smile, "It’s been a while. Banban, you’ve grown a bit taller."

Seeing him clearly change the subject, Cui Lanfang didn’t press further. Instead, she took Luo Qingzhu’s hand and said, "There was a temple fair in town today. Your mother and sister probably won’t be back for a while. Come to my house and sit for a bit."

Regardless of how close the two families were now, Luo Qingzhu was someone she had watched grow up. She couldn't just pretend not to see him in this state.

Cui Lanfang insistently led Luo Qingzhu back to her home. Liu Guyu and Qin Banban followed them, while Qin Rongshi took the ox to the village head’s house to return it after borrowing it for several days.

By the time he returned home, the fire was already lit. It turned out that Liu Guyu, upon hearing that Luo Qingzhu hadn’t eaten yet, immediately rolled up his sleeves to cook noodles for him.

He also boiled an egg.

The warm egg was now in Qin Banban’s hand, and she was rolling it over Luo Qingzhu’s red, swollen face.

Luo Qingzhu felt somewhat embarrassed and said to Liu Guyu, "Brother Liu, please don’t trouble yourself… This is really too kind…"

Liu Guyu waved his hand and said, "It's no trouble at all! Aunt Lin has helped us so much. They say a near neighbor is better than a distant relative. Since our two families are fated to be neighbors, we ought to support each other!"

As he spoke, the noodles were already ready.

He had prepared simple broth noodles, topped with two crisp, fresh green vegetables and an egg. In a small village, this was considered a substantial meal.

Luo Qingzhu was too embarrassed to eat the egg and tried to push it toward Qin Banban.

But though Banban spoke slowly, her hands moved quickly. She deftly peeled the eggshell and swiftly placed the egg back into the noodle bowl, saying softly, "We’ve all eaten already, Brother Qingzhu. You should eat."

Luo Qingzhu choked up and didn’t say another word. He bent over his noodle bowl and began eating with trembling hands. Tears streamed down his cheeks and fell into the bowl.

Liu Guyu was a good cook, but Luo Qingzhu couldn’t taste any flavor—all he felt was bitterness.

Just then, Lin Xingniang’s voice came from outside the courtyard.

It turned out that Cui Lanfang had been waiting outside, planning to call Lin Xingniang and her daughter over as soon as they returned.

Seeing the injury on Luo Qingzhu’s face, Cui Lanfang wanted to ask about it, but she was afraid of bringing up a painful subject or intruding on family matters. So she held back, deciding to wait until Lin Xingniang returned.

Lin Xingniang and Luo Maier got the news from Cui Lanfang and hurried inside. The moment they stepped over the threshold, they called out, "Qing Zhu!"

Luo Maier rushed forward, grabbed her brother’s hand, and looked at his face. Instantly, she was furious: "Brother! Which bastard hit you?"

When Lin Xingniang saw the red, swollen slap mark on Luo Qingzhu’s face, her eyes immediately reddened—both from heartache and anger.

She was like an enraged lioness, her bristles up.

"Who was it?! Was it someone from the Qi family?! How dare they do this to you?!"

The Qi family was Luo Qingzhu’s in-laws.

It was no wonder Lin Xingniang suspected them.

If it had been a conflict with someone else, Luo Qingzhu could have discussed it with his in-laws. There would have been no need for him to come all the way back to the village alone. He must have been wronged there.

Luo Qingzhu pressed his lips together and remained silent, only casting an embarrassed glance at Liu Guyu and the others, as if the matter was too painful to talk about.

Liu Guyu understood his hesitation. He first took the empty noodle bowl from Luo Qingzhu’s hands, then prepared to lead his family out to give them some privacy to talk.

But just as he collected the bowl, Lin Xingniang said, "Oh, child, speak up… Aunt Lanfang is no outsider. What are you afraid of?"

Hearing his mother’s words, Luo Qingzhu covered his face and burst out crying. He cried for a long time before wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve.

He took a deep breath and slowly said, "A few days ago, I hadn’t been feeling well—I kept feeling nauseous. When my mother-in-law found out, she was thrilled and said I must be pregnant! That same day, she killed a chicken to make me soup… For the next few days, there was always meat and eggs. But… but today, I went to see a doctor, and he said I’m not pregnant at all! My mother-in-law… she got so angry she hit me!"

If it were just that, Luo Qingzhu wouldn’t have been so upset.

He had been married into the Qi family for five years, and in all that time, he hadn’t conceived. Everyone was watching his belly, hoping day and night—even Luo Qingzhu himself was anxious and worried about it.

Over the past few days, his mother-in-law had treated him like a precious treasure, but Luo Qingzhu felt uneasy and secretly went to see a doctor. Sure enough, his fears were confirmed—it was all a false alarm.

His mother-in-law’s hopes were shattered. After waiting five years for a child, only to be disappointed again, she flew off the handle and slapped Luo Qingzhu.

She also said many hurtful things.

Things like, "I killed a good laying hen for nothing!" and that his belly was useless, that she would have him divorced and find her son another wife.

He didn’t dare tell Lin Xingniang these things, afraid it would make her angry and sad.

Just hearing this much, Lin Xingniang was already furious!

But she also knew that this matter was her Qing Zhu's deepest concern.

Not to mention Luo Qingzhu, even Lin Xingniang herself was anxious. In this world, women and ges already have it tough; without a child to rely on, life would only become harder in the future.

Right now, Qi Shan’s heart is still set on Qing Zhu, and he still has his back. But if too much time passes, even Luo Qingzhu’s own husband might grow resentful of his inability to have a child, and then life would truly become unbearable.

Thinking of Qi Shan, Lin Xingniang quickly asked, “Where is Qi Shan?! Did he say nothing?! Did he just stand by and watch his mother hit you?!”

Hearing his husband’s name, Luo Qingzhu’s eyes cleared for a moment before he shook his head and said, “He went out to work with his master and wasn’t home.”

Luo Qingzhu’s husband, Qi Shan, was learning the craft of brick and tile making from a craftsman and wasn’t always at home.

Luo Qingzhu still remembered how excited and overjoyed his husband had been when his mother-in-law mentioned he might be pregnant. Qi Shan’s face had been lit up with happiness, so much so that he was speechless.

Thinking of this, even Luo Qingzhu began to doubt—if Qi Shan found out the pregnancy was a mistake, would he be as disappointed and angry as his mother?

Lin Xingniang was a strong-willed woman, but at this moment, she couldn’t hold back her tears. She hugged Luo Qingzhu and cried softly, “...My dear, why is fate so cruel to you!”

Seeing this, Liu Guyu furrowed his brow.

Having spent several months in this different world, he had gradually come to accept that ges could bear children.

He held back for a while but finally couldn’t resist asking, “Um... since it’s been so long without any good news, have you had him checked by a doctor?”

Hearing Liu Guyu’s question, Lin Xingniang wiped her tears and turned to look at him before replying, “Of course we have! We’ve been to many doctors, visited every clinic in town!”

Not just the Qi family—even Lin Xingniang was worried about this. She had secretly taken her boy to see doctors multiple times.

But after five years, there was still no luck.

Liu Guyu hesitated, then finally held his forehead and said, “Um... what I mean is... have both of you been checked?”

Both Lin Xingniang and Luo Qingzhu were taken aback. Luo Qingzhu’s face was still stained with tears, and his voice was nasally from crying.

He said, “Both of us? You mean my husband? But having children is a matter for women and ges—what does it have to do with men?”

Even Lin Xingniang added, “Exactly! Men don’t bear children!”

Just as he thought!

Liu Guyu had been listening from the side and had already begun to suspect something. Now, hearing Luo Qingzhu and Lin Xingniang’s words, his suspicions grew stronger.

He glanced at Qin Banban and Luo Maier in the room, then gently guided the two girls outside, telling them to go play in the yard for a while.

Afterward, he turned to the others and said, “What do you mean it's not their business?! Can women and ges get pregnant by themselves? How can they just have all the fun and none of the responsibility, expecting a perfect baby after one night of fun? As if!”

Author's note:

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