Chapter 60 Serving with a Pregnant Belly

Chapter 60: Tending with a Pregnant Belly

The more he thought about it, the happier he felt. Even their differing desires found fulfillment within the same three months—such good fortune and destiny.

The mundane tasks were gradually entrusted to Shu Yangkuo. After a year of relentless work, suddenly finding himself idle was surely an adjustment. Shi Zai bought those fabrics not merely for making playful garments, but also to give him something to occupy his time. The tan puppy and six fluffy chicks he acquired were also meant to soothe Shu Yangkuo’s mind, allowing him to embrace this pastoral life without being troubled by the various discomforts of late pregnancy.

In the early days, however, Shu Yangkuo always wanted to hold him close. Shi Zai would bend his head, tinkering, sometimes busy, sometimes pondering over the pottery in his hands. The man would wrap an arm around him from behind, gently fanning with a palm-leaf fan, his chin resting on Shi Zai’s shoulder. Sometimes he’d talk about the historical background or intricate details of the artifacts, but mostly, he’d quietly watch Shi Zai work, occasionally shooing away the mischievous puppy trying to crawl into a vase at their feet… Without even turning around, Shi Zai knew how relaxed the man’s expression was and how utterly content and at ease he felt.

He felt the same—it was truly an idyllic life, like that of celestial partners.

Cool breezes swept through the mountains and along the stream, their clothes light and airy. Holding each other like this didn't feel hot at all, only endlessly comfortable.

That morning, Shi Zai turned his head and took a bite of the watermelon Shu Yangkuo had just brought him. It was cool and sweet, making his eyes crinkle with delight. After one bite, he leaned over to the man’s hand and took several big bites in a row. Shu Yangkuo chuckled, wiping away the juice from his chin.

“Slow down, it’s bad for your stomach.”

“I don’t have a baby in my belly, so I’m not afraid! Brother, you should eat less, though, or he’ll fuss when we’re together later.”

“…Think about something proper.”

Hearing this, Shi Zai gulped down the watermelon in his mouth and burst out laughing. He always found it hilarious whenever the man told him to be proper.

As he bent down to give the leftover watermelon rind to the puppy, Shi Zai suddenly noticed a newly made shirt on the small table nearby—over the past couple of days, Shu Yangkuo had finally had his fill of cuddling and would occasionally work on sewing clothes at the table next to Shi Zai. He’d actually finished one. The previous short-sleeved shirt was simple, but this one, with a small embroidered sun on the diagonal collar, was quite intricate. Though the embroidery stitches were a bit crooked, the overall effort showed the man’s dedication—each stitch was made with care.

But it was so small!

And very proper.

Shi Zai took another bite of watermelon from the man’s hand and suddenly understood. Mumbling through a full mouth, he said:

“Brother, you’re too much!”

“…Finish eating and speak clearly.”

Shi Zai clicked his tongue. Why was Shu Yangkuo acting more and more like a dad lately? Overflowing with fatherly affection, even though the baby wasn’t here yet, he kept fussing over me. Shi Zai obediently swallowed and picked up the shirt to examine it.

He turned and suddenly bit the man’s lip, glaring:

“I waited over ten days for you to make my clothes, and instead you made one for the baby!”

“…Be good, I’ll make one for you tomorrow.”

“Hmph, I’m jealous! Super jealous! You have to comfort me!”

The person in his arms was acting like the wagging-tailed puppy trying to crawl into the vase again. Shu Yangkuo chuckled softly, shooed the puppy away with one hand, and held his big puppy close with the other, kissing his big eyes. After a moment’s hesitation, he admitted honestly:

“Brother doesn’t know why, but these past few days, I keep wondering what Wang Wang will look like when he’s born.”

“…Like a human, of course. It’s not like I’m carrying a pottery doll in your belly.”

Shu Yangkuo rested his chin on Shi Zai’s head and laughed, unable to resist lifting his face to kiss him for a while.

Shi Zai smiled again. It was about seven months now, and not just Shu Yangkuo—he himself often leaned against the man’s highly rounded pregnant belly, curious to look and listen. The rising pregnancy hormones made both of them increasingly excited about the baby.

In the earlier months, their focus was naturally, and mostly, on each other. After all, the baby knew nothing, and the person in their eyes was the one who would accompany them for a lifetime. But as the baby grew, it naturally demanded more attention and love. For the child, the love between its parents and the love given to it would help it grow up securely in a stable environment.

After finishing the watermelon, Shi Zai pulled the man to lie down on the extended rocking chair in the yard, snuggling in beside him.

“Brother, let’s talk to the baby, let him know we love him and are excited for him.”

“What should we say?”

Shi Zai drew out an “Hmm,” thinking hard, then suddenly brightened. He lowered his head and pressed it against the man’s highly rounded pregnant belly, planting a loud kiss.

“Wang Wang, I’m your dad, twenty-one years and one month old. I like noodles, sweet and sour fruits…”

Before he could finish, Shi Zai lifted his head and glared—what was this rotten man laughing at! His laughter made the pregnant belly tremble slightly, and the baby inside, who had just kicked Shi Zai’s mouth, was now too scared to move.

Shi Zai leaped up to bite the man’s ear. Shu Yangkuo quickly rubbed his head to soothe him. “Wife, keep going, Brother won’t laugh at you.” But he couldn’t help adding, “After Wang Wang is born, you won’t need to introduce yourself like that.” His chest shook with laughter again, and Shi Zai bit him once more. This rotten man had learned to tease him now, heh.

Pressing close again, Shi Zai gently patted the baby who was turning inside, thought for a moment, and continued:

“Today is Grain in Ear, a beautiful summer day made even more beautiful because of you. I’m lying next to your daddy Shu Yangkuo’s belly, talking to you. There’s so much I want to say, but let me start with ‘I love you.’ You’ve shown me more forms and expressions of love, given me a deeper understanding and hope for life, and made me love your daddy even more. Wang Wang, I will love you until the end of my life. I’ll let you see all the beauty and love in this world, let you grow up brilliantly surrounded by love. But your daddy is the one who will leave this world with me, the one who will leave before you, the one I’ll rely on after you grow up. So, Wang Wang, please be happy for me—the one I love most is your daddy, Shu Yangkuo. I used to worry you’d be jealous and wanted to love you the most, but I slowly realized that only if we love each other more can you learn about love from us and love this world with firm passion.”

“Of course, I love him to receive double the love from him, but I love you without needing anything in return. You are the fruit of our love, the beautiful love we want you to carry forward. So, all you need to do is grow up happily and freely, live your life fully, pursue your dreams, and love whoever you want to love. You are our beloved, but you are also yourself, a new chapter the world is opening for you.”

“Shi Yiwang—today we see tomorrow, and tomorrow shines brightly for you. Baby, we love you so, so much, and we’re waiting for you.”

Finished, Shi Zai leaped up again, eyes sparkling.

“Brother, I spoke for you too! The last sentence, mmm—”

Before he could finish, he was pulled into a deep kiss by the emotionally stirred man.

Cool breezes blew, the sweetness of watermelon lingering on their lips and in their hearts. Love flowed from their chests into the highly rounded pregnant belly, where the playful baby stretched out little fists. After a while, two hands overlapped and gently tapped fists with it.

Their love for the baby grew more tangible day by day. Shu Yangkuo became increasingly fond of making small clothes—not just outfits but also blankets, socks, and shoes. Even though they had bought many already, Shi Zai rode his bicycle to the village to buy soft fabric, letting the man pour his overflowing paternal love into each stitch. Shi Zai, meanwhile, talked to the baby every day, sometimes writing it down or recording it on his phone to play for Wang Wang after birth. Both expressed and recorded the baby’s life in their own ways—this was truly unparalleled prenatal education.

While writing “Welcoming Wang Wang: A Hundred-Day Diary,” Shi Zai grew curious about what the man sometimes wrote and locked away—it was a password-protected diary. One day, after Shu Yangkuo fell asleep, Shi Zai forcibly opened it. The title was “The Little Sun That Never Sets.”

The next morning, Shi Zai showed no guilt about invading the man’s privacy and instead glared, demanding, “Are you Hou Yi or something?” Shu Yangkuo looked confused, so Shi Zai explained, “I never set, so you have to always be shooting.” After a pause, Shu Yangkuo, ears red, changed the title.

Shi Zai laughed heartily, took the diary the man had written for him, crossed out the title, and wrote “My Baby Is a Bit Perverted.” Shu Yangkuo’s eyes widened—this rotten man was teasing him even more. Then he handed the pen to Shu Yangkuo, forcing him to change “a bit” to “especially,” heh. He spent several nights carefully reading the contents. Tsk, it certainly lived up to the theme and his personality.

But it was good—the greatest expression of love is desire. The happier they were, the more they loved.

They didn’t do it every night. In their rural mountain life, they indulged whenever they felt like being intimate. With Shi Zai’s encouragement, teasing, and the assurance that everything was normal, the man gradually let go of his inhibitions. As the pregnancy progressed and hormones increased, so did his desires, and Shu Yangkuo no longer always held back.

In the heat of midsummer, only the cicadas chirped incessantly in the afternoon, and even the clouds seemed lazily drowsy. After finishing work in the yard, Shi Zai tiptoed into the bedroom. His husband was asleep, his highly rounded pregnant belly making him look even more like a mountain.

The small red mole on the left side of his belly was stretched upward by the baby. Shi Zai leaned down, fingers gently touching it, and the baby pressed back—fascinating.

Shu Yangkuo opened his eyes to find one little rascal inside and another in his arms. He chuckled softly.

“Little rascal.”

Brushing away the mischievous hand, Shu Yangkuo breathed deeply, sat up, one hand holding his belly, the other pinning down his energetic waist beneath him to show him who’s boss.