Chapter 103

Chapter 103

◎ Fishing for secrets, not fish. ◎

On a dark, windy night, perfect for doing bad stuff—no, perfect for chumming the water and fishing.

Meng Qi and Li Qingjiang invited Zhao Zheyuan and Old Man Gu to the riverbank, setting up their gear to fish. Some used long rods, others nets, and they all looked like they knew what they were doing.

Before heading out, Li Qingjiang also brought Meng Lingzhi and Ren Baizhi along, claiming it was to feed whatever tiny fish and shrimp they caught straight to the two little guys—wild-caught, all-you-can-eat buffet, so they could have a good time too.

Meng Lingzhi and Ren Baizhi were almost thrilled out of their minds!

After sitting on the bank fishing for ages, all they caught were tiny fish and shrimp, none bigger than a thumb. They fed them straight to Meng Lingzhi and Ren Baizhi, leaving the bucket empty—basically the same as coming back with nothing.

Old Man Gu was yawning nonstop, his speech a little slurred, "Doctor Li, I don't think this outdoor barbecue of yours is gonna happen. How about we head back? If you really want barbecue, there's a slab of pork belly in the kitchen. I'll slice it thin and fry it in a pan, okay? Guaranteed better than grilled."

Getting Old Man Gu out for a night fishing barbecue wasn't the goal; in fact, even fishing wasn't Li Qingjiang's real purpose.

Li Qingjiang wanted to use this chance to tell Old Man Gu about Meng Qi's situation.

Before they came, he talked it over with Meng Qi, and Meng Qi agreed. Considering that from now on he'd often need to prepare various nourishing supplements for Meng Qi based on his condition, and sometimes might need the kitchen to brew herbal medicines, once or twice could be brushed off with the excuse of health upkeep, but repeated instances would be hard to explain. Rather than have Old Man Gu guess and potentially create friction, it was better to tell him early. That would not only benefit Meng Qi but might also make Old Man Gu a good helper.

This idea wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing for Li Qingjiang; it came after careful thought. He had been quietly observing Old Man Gu for a while, noticing his social circle was really small—he hardly ever chatted with students' parents or left the school, and he had a strong sense of boundaries when talking to people, never prying into others' business. When others tried to gossip, he'd change the subject...

Li Qingjiang figured it was safe enough to share Meng Qi's secret with Old Man Gu.

But before spilling the secret, Li Qingjiang first asked Old Man Gu the same question he'd asked Zhao Zheyuan that day. Casually, he asked, "Uncle Gu, you've seen a lot of the world. Do you believe men can give birth?"

Old Man Gu Bangqi, who had been dozing off, snapped his eyes open at Li Qingjiang's question. For a moment, his usually cloudy eyes flickered briefly like a shooting star across the sky, then went back to normal so fast that the flash seemed like an illusion to Meng Qi and the others, making them think Old Man Gu was just a frail old man, not some hidden master.

Meng Qi relaxed as he exchanged a glance with Li Qingjiang, who gave him a 'don't worry' look.

Going back to his drowsy state, Old Man Gu slowly answered Li Qingjiang's question, one word at a time, "In this big wide world, there's nothing that can't happen. Anything's possible."

So he believed it.

"Don't you think it's weird?" Li Qingjiang asked.

Old Man Gu chuckled softly, replying, "What's so weird about it? Isn't it just a seahorse spirit living among humans? As long as they don't do anything bad, having kids is their freedom and right. Our country hasn't outlawed men giving birth, has it? That's the logic, right?"

Meng Qi: ...

The logic was sound, but what a weird metaphor—seahorse spirit! It left him speechless with how bizarre it was...

Meng Qi felt a dull ache in his back teeth, covered his right cheek with his hand, and silently stared into the distance, where his net was. It was pitch black, still and calm, probably with no big fish caught.

Li Qingjiang held back a smile and nodded in agreement, "Right, you're absolutely right. Very... down-to-earth."

"Words should be spoken plainly, not hidden away. That way, your heart has room for more meaningful things," Old Man Gu said, leaning forward to check his fishing rod before sighing in disappointment and settling back into his bamboo chair to nap.

Li Qingjiang tapped out a tune on the armrest of his bamboo chair with his slender fingers. Meng Qi thought, here it comes—Miracle Doctor Li is about to have a heart-to-heart with Old Man Gu! After Zhao Zheyuan, another person's worldview was about to get a shake-up.

Sure enough, after a few seconds of silence, Li Qingjiang spoke up again to Old Man Gu, "Uncle Gu, to be honest, I insisted on dragging you out tonight because there's something I need to tell you. There are other teachers living at the school, and it's not convenient for them to know."

Old Man Gu finally stopped dozing, smiling like he already knew everything, and replied, "If I hadn't said I wanted to leave, would you have kept this old bones out here feeding the mosquitoes? That's elder abuse, you know. Spit it out—I've long seen you three have something on your minds."

"Still, nothing gets past you, Uncle Gu." Li Qingjiang gave Old Man Gu a thumbs-up.

Old Man Gu snorted, seemingly unimpressed, "Save the flattery. Get to the point. I'm old and tired, and I still want to meet the Sandman."

Li Qingjiang glanced back at Meng Qi and Zhao Zheyuan, deciding to make it short. Turning back to Old Man Gu, he confessed, "Uncle Gu, I asked you that question to see how you'd react and whether I could share this with you. The thing is, Teacher Ran Ming is what you called a 'seahorse spirit,' and he's already more than three months pregnant."

Meng Qi: ...

Make it short doesn't mean skip all the fancy talk and just blurt it out! I'll never look at seahorses the same way again! I strongly protest being called a seahorse spirit! Meng Qi puffed out his cheeks, glaring at Li Qingjiang, momentarily forgetting that his secret was being told to someone else.

Until he caught sight of Old Man Gu's shocked expression.

Huh? Wasn't he supposed to be accepting? Why was he so stunned? A hundred times more shocked than Zhao Zheyuan had been, so much so that a bad feeling crept into Meng Qi's heart.

Meng Qi gripped the fishing net line tightly.

Old Man Gu stared at Meng Qi for a long moment, and then a mist formed in his eyes, slowly obscuring all his emotions.

Meng Qi's tension turned to confusion. Leaning past Li Qingjiang, he softly asked Old Man Gu, "Uncle Gu, can you not accept this?" Please don't let him quit—there were dozens of hungry mouths at school relying on his cooking...

Old Man Gu quickly shook his head at Meng Qi, his voice choked, "I can accept it, I can. Don't overthink it. I just... I just can't believe it."

Meng Qi was even more confused, "Why can't you believe it? Didn't you say, 'In this big wide world, there's nothing that can't happen'?"

Old Man Gu let out a long sigh, pausing for a while before answering, "I believe what's happening to you is real, but I can't believe such a thing has happened again around me. It's too incredible... I feel dazed... What year is this..."

Li Qingjiang immediately caught the key point in Old Man Gu's words and pressed him, "You said 'happened again around me.' Does that mean you've personally seen someone in the same situation as Teacher Ran before? Are they okay? Where are they now?"

Old Man Gu nodded, then shook his head, "Yes, I saw him. He was a young man from our area. He insisted on going out to see the world when he was young, came back two years later dejected, and then a few months after that, he suddenly jumped into the river and drowned."

Jumped into the river?

Meng Qi looked at the river flowing quietly under the moonlight, and a chill crept up his spine—a bone-deep cold that made him shiver involuntarily. Pointing at the river, he asked Old Man Gu, "The river you're talking about... is it this one?"

Old Man Gu hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded, "Yes, it is. But back then, the water was much higher and flowed faster. Over the years, the weather's gotten drier, and the water level has dropped by nearly half. Now, standing in it, it wouldn't even reach your waist."

Old Man Gu's words carried a hidden meaning, and Meng Qi caught it. Smiling at the worried Old Man Gu, he continued, "Why did he jump? Did he say why?" Surely it wasn't just because of this situation? Meng Qi couldn't understand.

"Probably heartbreak and his family's lack of understanding. I still remember his cries, drifting over the high wall of his house—sobbing, heartbreaking. He was in pain, but we neighbors couldn't help. After he came back, his door barely opened. No one could get in, and his family rarely came out."

The more Meng Qi heard, the sadder he felt. He even imagined the loneliness and despair of not being understood by his own grandparents—it was suffocating. But he quickly recovered, determined to keep listening, because he believed his grandparents would never do that; they would love him as always.

Old Man Gu continued, his voice tinged with sorrow, "Because his family kept it so tightly sealed, we only found out the reason on the day of the accident. But it was too late. By the time they pulled him from the river, he was cold and gone... He suffered a lot before he died. When he passed, he was skin and bones, hardly human, making his swollen belly look even more grotesque..."

Meng Qi couldn't help touching his own abdomen. It was still unchanged for now, but he wondered if next month, or the month after, it would grow abnormally large—large enough to draw countless stares...

"Child, you must take care of yourself. Keep an open mind, don't dwell on the dark side. The path is yours to walk. Make it as wide as you want. Remember what I say: nothing in this world is more important than living." Old Man Gu spoke to Meng Qi with deep concern.

Thinking back on the hardships and trials he'd faced since childhood, and comparing them to the unwavering care and love from his grandparents, Meng Qi felt a profound resonance with Old Man Gu's heartfelt words. He believed them wholeheartedly. It was this very belief that had carried him step by step from the mud into the light. So when faced with things like transmigrating into a book, pregnancy, and the looming threat of a difficult childbirth, he didn't panic or pin his hopes on others.

He was Meng Qi—someone with stars in his eyes and hope in his heart.

"Thank you, Uncle Gu. Don't worry. I don't find this situation hard to accept. Right now, I'm doing my best to live each day well, hoping that when I'm your age, I can share these words with younger generations too." Meng Qi spoke sincerely, both to Old Man Gu and to himself.

"That's the spirit! There's no hurdle in life you can't overcome. Trust me, and I'll give my all to help you through this!" Old Man Gu's voice grew louder with each word, carrying a conviction that left no room for doubt from Meng Qi, Li Qingjiang, or Zhao Zheyuan. After speaking to Meng Qi, he turned to Li Qingjiang and said, "You're the doctor. You steer the ship from here on. Just tell me what to do and how to do it. I may be old, but I'm nimble and easy to work with. Not to brag, but this old man can do the work of two strong young men! Use me as you see fit!"

Li Qingjiang smiled and agreed, "Alright, Uncle Gu. You're still vigorous in your old age—I'd have to bow to you."

"That's true! Look, my rod's moving, and it's a big one—must be a big fish too," Old Man Gu said as he pulled, eventually landing a hefty carp weighing over two pounds.

Then, as if blessed by Lady Luck, the fishing quartet reeled in one fish after another, tossing them onto the bank. It was awesome! A total thrill!

"Author's Note"

In this chapter, Zhao Zheyuan became the background prop carrying the fishing gear. Poor kid...