Chapter 47 I Lay Eggs, You Hatch Them

Chapter 47: I Lay the Egg, You Hatch It

On the winter solstice, the family of three gathered to make dumplings, watching the delicate snowflakes drift outside the window. The feathery white snow, falling diagonally from the distant horizon, was first imbued with a lingering warmth by the reddish-brown ancient city wall, then illuminated by the bright smiles within, filling the scene with coziness and joy.

If not for the sudden sound of vomiting.

Pregnancy is a blessing, but it’s undeniable that the accompanying morning sickness can be utterly frustrating.

This was Shi Zai’s first bout of pregnancy-related vomiting since discovering he was pregnant. It wasn't just dry heaving; he’d thrown up his entire breakfast into the toilet. For a while now, Shu Yangkuo had been worried about his morning sickness, so he’d been preparing light, non-greasy meals three times a day, experimenting with various refreshing and tasty dishes. Even meat and eggs were prepared with the sour flavors Shi Zai had inexplicably grown fond of. Today’s dumplings were vegetable-filled, but Shi Zai still ended up vomiting until tears welled in his eyes, whining plaintively:

"Ge, it’s not that I want to throw up—it’s those chopped glass noodles and pickled cabbage all mixed together, ugh... they’re just determined to make me nauseous."

"It’s alright, we won’t use these. I'll prepare a different filling—ugh..."

"Ge?"

Shi Zai twisted around to look back. Shu Yangkuo quickly lifted him, and despite his efforts, he couldn’t suppress another gag into the toilet. He hadn’t meant to—it was just that the pup’s description was so vivid... now he couldn’t even bear the thought of that bowl of filling.

Before even entering the dining room, Shu Yangkuo called out for Yang Yun, telling him to remove all the dumpling filling.

Yang Yun watched as his older brother held the younger one on the sofa. Both of them seemed unwell. He nodded.

"I’ll call Yan Wei Ge and ask what to do."

"No need, just bring a lemon."

Responding with an "on it," Yang Yun quickly fetched a lemon from the fridge, sliced it, and handed it over. Shu Yangkuo took it and held it under his beloved’s nose for him to smell, finding that it eased his own nausea too.

There was no need to consult Yan Wei or Zheng Yuan—Shu Yangkuo knew what to do.

Facing the bowl of dumpling filling, Yang Yun asked whether to throw it out or put it back in the fridge. After a moment’s thought, Shu Yangkuo told him to take it to Tan Xun. The two families lived nearby, and he figured they’d probably be making dumplings today too—saving them the trouble of preparing filling. Yang Yun’s mouth twitched, but he went anyway.

His partner grew drowsy again but slept fitfully, occasionally frowning and whimpering. Just like every night before bed, Shu Yangkuo scooped him up, holding him higher so he could rest his head against his shoulder. He slowed his steps, gently patting his back—this was the only way to help him sleep comfortably. This had been their routine for many nights. Shu Yangkuo felt both concern and frustration, but Zheng Yuan had insisted they wait until the first month passed. All he could do was try his utmost to make this month as comfortable as possible for the one in his arms... restless nights, daytime drowsiness, struggling with studies, unable to focus on honing his craft—Shu Yangkuo could see and empathize with his frustration. To prevent him from worrying, the one in his arms still smiled and teased him.

But no matter how anxious Shu Yangkuo was, he couldn’t risk the health of all three—especially his partner and the baby in his womb.

They would talk about it tomorrow.

Today was the winter solstice, and his beloved disliked emotional upset on holidays.

He’d felt for days that it was time to bring it up, but this matter was even more difficult for people to comprehend than the pregnancy itself. Shu Yangkuo didn’t want his beloved worrying too early—pregnant people tended to overthink, and he didn't want him distressed. He’d been carefully considering how to approach the topic and how to comfort him. It had to be done.

From his lonely childhood, his partner had always loved mending things. As he grew older, even when opportunities finally arose, he prioritized Shu Yangkuo and Yang Yun first until life improved. Only then did Shi Zai share his wishes and dreams. How could that not touch him? Now, on the verge of completing his training, with his workshop established and his skills refined, Shu Yangkuo would never allow a child to delay his progress by a year.

Not long after, Yang Yun returned with a plate of strawberry gelatin made by Ji Qianxi himself—red on the inside, tender and springy on the outside.

Shu Yangkuo carried his sleeping beloved back to the bedroom, slipped out quietly, and told Yang Yun to eat the strawberry gelatin. He kept one to examine for a moment, then put on his jacket and headed to the local grocery store. After buying ingredients, he made six large trays of fruit gelatin—sour orange, green plum, grape, hawthorn—and even made two trays of banana and pear gelatin for Yang Yun. He cut the fruit gelatin into pieces about half the size of the pup’s fist, wrapped them in ultra-thin glutinous rice wrappers, and called them dumplings. They were refreshingly tart and sweet, and looked incredibly appetizing.

Yang Yun, seeing his older brother secretly tasting his own cooking for the first time, covered his mouth to stifle a laugh before walking over to grab one himself.

"Da Ge, are you sure you don’t want my help coaxing him tomorrow?"

"...Mhm."

"Alright then, I’ll go help out at your shop."

Hearing this, Shu Yangkuo looked up at the growing youth, paused, and said:

"Give Xiao Yun some space—Da Ge has his pride too."

He sighed helplessly and stopped what he was doing.

"You know how your little Ge is—once he accepts it, he’s bound to say outrageous things."

"Oh."

"Da Ge can’t handle it, and you shouldn’t listen either."

"Hahahaha..."

Yang Yun didn’t feel slighted at all after being misunderstood—instead, he laughed so hard he nearly doubled over. With a new baby on the way, the little Ge was becoming more temperamental and daring with his words, while Da Ge was growing gentler and even confiding in him like this. It was hilarious.

After eating two more pieces of fruit gelatin, Yang Yun tossed out, "Da Ge is becoming more like a pregnant man now!" and slipped away like greased lightning.

The next morning after breakfast, Shu Yangkuo didn’t get to bring it up immediately. They had just settled on the balcony when his partner exclaimed:

"Ge, you’ve been secretly nibbling on me, haven’t you? I’m so swollen! It hurts a bit!"

"..."

He’d already been wrongly accused upon waking up. Shu Yangkuo had called Yan Wei, who said this was normal, usually occurring between six to eight weeks. If the chest pain became unbearable, gentle warm compresses and massage could help.

Shu Yangkuo had already applied heat for fifteen minutes that morning, and now he was complaining again.

Just as he was about to fetch a warm towel, Shu Yangkuo found himself unable to rise—Shi Zai had straddled him, blocking his path:

"Ge, your tongue is pretty warm too."

"..."

"Hurry up, I’m pregnant—Ge has to indulge my every whim... You’re so annoying, hurry up!"

His wide eyes glared. After a moment of silence, Shu Yangkuo lowered his gaze...

Feeling the heat of the man’s tongue, Shi Zai wrapped his arms around the head against his chest, tilted his neck back, and let out a soft sigh.

It had been over half a month since they’d last been intimate—not even a kiss. He was going insane. This little taste only intensified his craving. Unable to get what he wanted, Shi Zai fumbled secretly to send Yan Wei a text: "Can we?" The reply came quickly: "Use your hands." He grabbed Shu Yangkuo’s hand and let his tears fall until the large hand complied with his wishes.

When it was his turn to help the man, Shu Yangkuo rasped hoarsely:

"Ge is not an animal."

"You’re more of an animal than an animal when you get going, hmph."

"...Be good."

Shu Yangkuo turned his head and laughed—he really had no way with the one in his arms.

His lips were nipped by the other’s teeth. Taking a deep breath, he slowly began explaining everything that had happened since the day they found out Shi Zai was pregnant. From December 8th, he had been receiving injections, and by January 8th of the new year, they could switch.

Simply put, Shu Yangkuo would continue carrying the baby in Shi Zai’s womb.

After examinations, like Zheng Yuan, Shu Yangkuo could activate his originally atrophied reproductive cavity through medication. Though he couldn’t conceive like Shi Zai, medical technology allowed for embryo transfer, letting him carry the baby for the remaining seven months until a cesarean delivery.

Once he sensed Shi Zai’s desire for this baby, Shu Yangkuo immediately got examined upon hearing Zheng Yuan’s solution and received his first injection within an hour. He received one shot daily. He didn’t dwell on what might have been without Zheng Yuan’s idea—instead, he repeated in his heart how much he loved his beloved. Fu Zai, a child of fortune—meeting his beloved was the luckiest blessing across lifetimes. Every problem had a solution.

It wasn’t just about his beloved’s health—it was about ensuring nothing stood in the way of his dreams.

Of course, he would go into detail about certain things, like the risk-free parts, while skipping over others, like Shi Zai's dreams or anything like that, not wanting his baby to feel any pressure. His baby loved him without any reason, and so did he—it was love at first sight.

After listening, Shi Zai was quiet for a long moment. From what Shu Yangkuo explained, he could understand and accept such advanced medical technology, though he was still pretty amazed—amazed by the love of this man, who was like a mountain he could lean on. He lowered his head and gently touched his own belly, then placed his hand on Shu Yangkuo’s abdomen. Did that mean that Shu Yangkuo would carry the baby from now on? As he started to pull his hand back, it was tightly grasped.

Shu Yangkuo smiled and kissed those big, still-dazed eyes in his arms:

“Hubby's going to carry the baby for wifey? Do you like it?”

“...”

“Wifey?”

“Waaah—”

Instantly, Shu Yangkuo was completely flustered. He had worked up the nerve after days of practicing—though it was really just smooth talk—to cheer up his baby, but now… his baby was crying, and not just crying, but sobbing his heart out, shaking all over.

While crying, Shi Zai was wiping his tears with his vest, and tears also fell pattering onto his slightly curved belly, pressed against the man’s abdomen, warming both their hearts through. After the last tear was kissed off, Shi Zai said with red eyes:

“Hubby, maybe we shouldn't. Pregnancy is actually really uncomfortable. What would we do if you're miserable?”

“...”

Already understanding why the person in his arms was crying, hearing him say it outright now, Shu Yangkuo felt emotions welling up and his throat tightened:

“What do we do when wifey suffers?”

“...You'd comfort me.”

“And you'd comfort me too.”

After a moment of silence, Shi Zai bumped his forehead against the man’s chin and added:

“Hubby won’t sleep well.”

“...”

“Hubby won’t eat well.”

Shu Yangkuo breathed out heavily and buried his face in his precious’s shoulder:

“Baby, don’t tear hubby’s heart out.”

“...”

“Then it’s decided. Even if baby doesn’t want to, he has to. If you’re not good, hubby will really, really give you a spanking.”

Instantly, another tear rolled down Shi Zai’s cheek. He secretly wiped it away and teased deliberately:

“Hubby’s being mean to me. I hate you.”

“I am mean. You’re not allowed to hate.”

“Hahaha, hubby, you’re getting better and better at acting cute…”

Shi Zai laughed. From the moment the man threatened to spank him with no real menace, Shi Zai had wanted to laugh. He had an optimistic nature, never dwelling or overthinking. Knowing that Shu Yangkuo had fully prepared for this, he had gradually accepted it—accepting love was also his own way of loving.

If he didn’t accept it, he would suffer physically, and Shu Yangkuo would suffer emotionally—torture for both.

This way is pretty good too—I carry the baby, and hubby helps me… Thinking of this, Shi Zai’s eyes suddenly lit up:

“Hubby, is it kinda like—I lay the egg, and you hatch it! Wow, that’s great, hahahaha!”

“...”

That was pretty much it. Seeing the person in his arms cheer up, Shu Yangkuo also relaxed and smiled along.

Not two seconds later, the mischievous pup mysteriously leaned in and began whispering mischievously in his ear:

“Hubby, we can do it after three months. Then you can have your way with me while you’re big with the baby! Oh oh yeah yeah, just over a month left… Big bro, how about it—let’s go catch some loaches…”