Chapter 81: Extra Story 2

Chapter 81: Bonus Story 2

Doctor Wang carefully explained the dietary taboos and precautions for pregnancy to Yan Fengan, who took them all to heart. He gave a hefty consultation fee and had Aqiu escort the doctor out of the residence.

While outsiders were present, Yan Fengan maintained a composed and reserved demeanor, but once he and Wen Xi were alone in the room, the smile on his face grew even broader. He reached out, cupped Wen Xi's face in both hands, and planted a big kiss on his lips.

"We're gonna have a baby, Xiao Xi! You did it!"

Wen Xi's eyes curved into crescent moons as he said with a grin, "You're pretty amazing too, hubby."

All their hard work over the past two months had paid off. Now they didn't have to worry about not getting pregnant anymore.

Wen Xi looped his arms around Yan Fengan's neck and leaned over to peck his chin. "You're gonna be a dad, hubby—are you happy?"

Yan Fengan pulled him close and nodded, his voice a little tight. "Happy."

Though he had long been prepared for this day, now that it had actually arrived, the joy and excitement he felt were beyond words. If he weren't worried about Wen Xi's health, he'd have picked him up and spun him around right then.

Wen Xi rubbed his face against his cheek. "I'm so happy too."

In the past, when he saw Tiezhu and Tao'er gathered around sister-in-law and Brother Jin, he'd felt a little envious, even if the feeling was faint. Once in a while, the thought of having a kid with Yan Fengan would cross his mind.

But back then, his health wasn't what it is now, and the two of them hadn't managed to save much money. If they'd had a kid, Yan Fengan wouldn't have been able to focus on his studies, and the family would've been scraping by.

Now, they finally didn't have to worry about all that stuff. The thought that before long, a little one would be in this home calling him "daddy" made Wen Xi's heart swell with joy like a spring tide rolling in.

Yan Fengan cuddled with him for a bit, then stood up and patted his chest soothingly. "Aqiu told me you've been feeling sick to your stomach. How are you feeling now? Still feel like puking?"

Wen Xi shook his head. "I feel a lot better after drinking that bowl of osmanthus honey."

Yan Fengan looked at him with tender eyes. "So are you hungry? Anything you're craving? I can have Aqiu make it, or I can go out and buy it."

"You're gonna go buy it? What about your students at the school?"

School wasn't out yet, and there were still so many students in the Classics Class waiting for him.

"It'll only take half a day at most—it won't hold anything up," Yan Fengan said. "I told them to review their lessons on their own."

Wen Xi unconsciously fiddled with Yan Fengan's clothes. Even after drinking the osmanthus honey, his mouth still felt kind of bland, like he had no taste in it. Hearing Yan Fengan say this, he blinked and said, "I want some sour jujube cakes."

Just thinking about that tangy-sweet taste made Wen Xi's mouth water.

Seeing him gulp, Yan Fengan couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, wait for me. I'll go buy some for you right now."

After telling Aqiu a few things, Yan Fengan headed out to the street. Doctor Wang had said that people who are pregnant tend to have poor appetites in the first three months, so it was fine to buy some appetite-stimulating pastries and plums—as long as he didn't eat too many each day, it wouldn't be a problem.

In addition to the sour jujube cakes, Yan Fengan also picked up some osmanthus cakes and yam cakes, and he also got two kinds of plums and two kinds of dried fruit.

Wen Xi had always had a sweet tooth, and his eyes lit up at the sight of all that Yan Fengan had brought back. Yan Fengan picked up a plum and popped it into his mouth, reminding him, "Just have two or three a day, that's it. Don't overdo it, you hear?"

Hearing that, Wen Xi mumbled with the plum still in his mouth, "If you're not gonna let me eat them, why'd you buy so many?"

Yan Fengan poked the little bulge in his cheek. "There's a difference between eating less and not being allowed to eat."

Knowing he was looking out for him and the baby, Wen Xi didn't talk back. Then Yan Fengan added, "You're still early in the pregnancy. I want to wait until you're three months along before we tell the family."

Wen Xi got the logic and nodded, saying vaguely, "I'll do what you say."

Yan Fengan took care of everything around the house, big or small, without a hitch. As long as he was around, Wen Xi didn't have to use his brain much.

After the sour jujube cakes and plums, Wen Xi's appetite came back. Aqiu steamed him a bowl of egg custard with minced pork. After a couple of bites of the custard, Wen Xi poured his rice into it, stirred it all up, and took another bite—it tasted so good he couldn't help but squint his eyes in satisfaction.

Yan Fengan watched from the sidelines, and seeing his appetite come back, he finally felt a little less worried.

Most male carriers go through a lot during pregnancy—just the morning sickness alone is torture. Wen Xi's symptoms were still on the mild side, and if he was careful with his diet, he could probably avoid a lot of it.

During the private school's monthly break, Yan Fengan went to the bookstore and picked up several medical books on male pregnancy. Following the dietary advice in the books, he copied out and put together a pregnancy meal plan, telling Aqiu to make all future meals according to the meal plan he'd written.

It wasn't until around Mid-Autumn Festival that the Yan family found out Wen Xi was pregnant. Even though they already had a few grandkids, Chen Lanfang and Yan Shichang were still over the moon at the news. The day they got it, they could hardly wait to rush into town to see Wen Xi.

But they hadn't prepared anything beforehand. The chickens they raised and the eggs they collected were already being saved for He Jin. Now that both of the family's male carriers were pregnant, those supplies clearly wouldn't be enough for them.

The messenger had barely left when Chen Lanfang grabbed a basket and called for Li Wan, and the two of them went around to the neighbors' places to buy chickens and eggs.

Before the neighbors could even say anything, she smiled and said, "A while back, our Xiao Xi found out he's pregnant. His dad and I want to go see him, but all our chickens and eggs have to be kept for Jin Geer, so we came to ask you all."

Nowadays, the Yan family's life was something the villagers couldn't even compare to. Hearing this, everyone smiled and said congratulations: "That's really great news! Forget the chickens—we've got some eggs saved up. Consider them a gift for Xi Geer."

"I can't do that." Chen Lanfang naturally wasn't about to take them for free. She counted out some copper coins and handed them to her. "We'll need a lot more in the future, so I can't be taking advantage of the villagers."

She and Li Wan bought chickens and eggs, and whenever they ran into someone they knew on the road, they'd stop and chat. In just one afternoon, word of Wen Xi's pregnancy had spread all over Daoxiang Village.

Chen Lanfang wasn't the type to deliberately show off, but some people with nasty tongues just loved to gossip behind others' backs.

Her son had married a virtuous spouse, excelled in his studies, and had now passed the provincial exam, opened a school in the city, and bought a house. His life was going so well that a lot of people were green with envy.

Those bastards didn't dare speak ill of their family openly, so they pretended to be looking out for their Sanlang, saying that Wen Xi had worn out his health in the Wen household and probably couldn't have kids. If Master Juren ended up with no heirs, what a shame that would be—he shouldn't let some male carrier waste his best years.

Matchmakers from the neighboring village even had the nerve to come to their house, offering to set up a concubine for their Sanlang.

Chen Lanfang was so mad she had the eldest and second sons kick them out. Who did they think they were, trying to run everyone's lives and sticking their noses into their family business? Even if those ill-intentioned people wanted to be concubines, or even maids or servants, for their Sanlang, she wouldn't give a single one of them a second look.

Sanlang and Xi Geer both knew what they wanted. They'll have kids whenever they want to—Chen Lanfang and Yan Shichang couldn't be bothered to worry about it.

Good thing the young couple had moved into the city early. Otherwise, with those flies and mosquitoes buzzing around them all day, it would've been really annoying.

Chen Lanfang made a point of parading around the village under the guise of buying chickens. This time, she'd like to see who'd dare talk crap behind their backs.

Wen Xi was pretty popular in the village now. Aside from a few people who were sour about it, most folks were genuinely happy for him.

Not long after Chen Lanfang and Li Wan returned home, Aunt Li, Shunzi Furlang, He Dong, and others sent over some eggs, vegetables, and some red dates and goji berries that were just dried this year, asking them to bring them along to Wen Xi when they went into the city.

The vast majority of people in the village still knew how to repay a kindness. They'd earned money working for Wen Xi, their lives had gotten a bit better than before, and they all remembered how good he'd been to them.

Chen Lanfang got everything packed up, and the next day, Yan Wangchun drove the cart and took them into the city.

When they arrived, Wen Xi was in the yard embroidering baby bibs and little shoes.

Hearing the noise outside the yard, he put the needle, thread, and fabric he was holding into the sewing basket, got up, and walked to the gate to take a look. He saw his eldest brother driving an ox cart loaded with a cartful of stuff and people.

Most of what they brought was stuff to eat, but the cradle Yan Shichang had made took up a good chunk of space.

Wen Xi went to help carry the stuff inside, but Shen Yun grabbed him and pulled him aside. "We'll take care of this—you just rest."

Wen Xi took his arm happily. "You came too."

"I heard Auntie say yesterday that you're expecting, so I begged her to let me come along when she went into town. It's been so long since we've seen each other—I've been missing you." Shen Yun looked Wen Xi up and down. "You haven't gained a bit of weight. Honestly, you can't even tell you're pregnant."

Chen Lanfang chuckled from the side. "He hasn't started showing yet, so of course you can't tell."

Wen Xi also smiled. Once everyone was inside, he glanced outside and heard Chen Lanfang say, "The mountain road is bumpy, so your Brother Jin couldn't come since his belly is getting big. I had the second son stay home to keep him company."

"This year has really been a good one—you and Xiao Jin are both expecting, and your due dates aren't far apart. When the time comes, you can raise the babies together."

Li Wan laughed at that and said, "Mother, what are you saying? One of them is in the countryside and the other in town—how could they raise them together?"

Chen Lanfang sighed. "That's what worries me too. Xiao Xi is having his first child, and with no one around to look after him, I can't rest easy. But Xiao Jin needs looking after as well."

Li Wan's little one also couldn't be left alone. Adding new members to the family was certainly joyful, but having them all come at once was indeed exhausting.

"Mother, don't worry. You and Sister-in-law just take good care of Brother Jin at home," Wen Xi said. "My husband said that once I'm further along, he'll hire an experienced nursemaid from outside to take care of me."

Chen Lanfang nodded. "You should hire someone. Sanlang has to teach during the day, and Aqiu has to manage the kitchen, cleaning, and deliveries. Now that you're pregnant, there's a lot you can't do anymore—he alone won't be enough."

Given the family's current circumstances, hiring a nursemaid wasn't difficult. With someone in town to look after him, Chen Lanfang could worry less.

The family had brought four live chickens for Wen Xi. Yan Shichang took them to the backyard to tie them up. The weather was still a bit warm, so live chickens could be kept for a few more days.

Killing them fresh for eating was also fine—it just meant taking care of them for a few days first.

Harvest season was approaching, and the family had more work these days. At noon, when the private school let out for lunch, Yan Fengan came back to join everyone for a meal. In the afternoon, Chen Lanfang and the others returned to the village.

When he came back from school and saw the quiet house, Yan Fengan didn't think much of it. But Wen Xi's expression seemed a bit odd—he looked at him as if wanting to say something, then held back, as though there was something very important he needed to tell him.

Yan Fengan found it strange and asked him what was wrong, but he just shook his head.

This went on several times, until Yan Fengan had lost all patience. Finally, he pulled Wen Xi into his arms and held him, asking, "What exactly is going on?"

"It's just... Shen Yun... he..." Wen Xi wasn't sure how to put it. "He and Shen Liang..."

Yan Fengan gently placed his palm over Wen Xi's belly. Though there was nothing to feel yet, whenever Wen Xi was in his arms, his hand couldn't help but drift there.

Hearing Wen Xi's stammering words, he smiled and said, "Are you trying to say that Shen Yun got together with his brother?"

"How did you know?" Wen Xi nearly jumped in surprise, had Yan Fengan not been holding him tightly with both arms. "Did Shen Liang tell you?"

"I guessed."

"Guessed?" Wen Xi pouted and turned to look at Yan Fengan, his face full of disbelief.

"Really, I guessed. Think about it—those two brothers are both well past the age of marriage, and neither has married anyone. Isn't it obvious?"

"But..." Wen Xi felt conflicted. "They're brothers who grew up together."

"They're not blood-related." Yan Fengan remembered that when he was young, some gossiping villagers would deliberately say in front of Shen Liang that Shen Yun was a child bride his father had found for him. Back then, he was too young to understand what a child bride meant, so he went home and asked his mother.

After hearing the explanation, he felt even more confused. It wasn't until he was older that he learned Shen Liang and Shen Yun weren't actually related by blood.

Wen Xi suddenly bringing this up made Yan Fengan ask, "Did Shen Yun say something to you?"

Wen Xi said, "I was the one who asked. Xiao Yun is the same age as me, and I was worried people in the village would gossip if he never married. So he confessed to me."

"And what did you say?"

"What else could I say? Of course I wished him well."

After all, he was his friend. No matter how surprised or confused Wen Xi felt inside, he couldn't show it in front of Shen Yun.

When Shen Yun heard his blessing, he visibly relaxed.

Yan Fengan smiled and rested his chin on Wen Xi's shoulder. "I knew our Xiao Xi was the most understanding person. Actually, there's nothing wrong with it. Shen Liang has always been good to Shen Yun, and Shen Yun relies on him a lot. The decision they made must have been well thought out."

Wen Xi had certainly seen how they felt about each other. What he once thought was brotherly affection, looking back now, seemed to have many differences.

"Now that you put it that way, I guess it's fine. I'm just worried about what people outside might say."

Gossip could be deadly—with a relationship like theirs, if everyone outside spat one word, it would drown them.

"You're not new to village life. Do you think people wouldn't gossip even if they weren't together? If Shen Yun married out, some people would find even more to make up."

Two unrelated men—one a man and one a gē'er—living under the same roof with a bedridden old mother, there was no shortage of talk outside.

After hearing his words, Wen Xi gradually came to understand. Shen Yun and Shen Liang being together was actually more stable than either of them marrying separately.

Yan Fengan ruffled his hair. "Alright, stop overthinking. I haven't read today's article to you yet. Come on, let's go to the study."

As soon as he heard he was going to read him an article, Wen Xi's face fell.

The things Yan Fengan read were so obscure and hard to understand that Wen Xi didn't want to listen after the first two times. But this man insisted that the baby should be exposed to such refinement, so Wen Xi endured it.

After putting up with it for several days, Wen Xi really couldn't take it anymore. He was too embarrassed to say he didn't want to listen, so he resorted to being playful and blamed it on his not-yet-formed baby.

"The baby says he can't understand. Husband, please stop reading."

Yan Fengan lowered his gaze and quietly stared at his belly without saying anything.

Wen Xi's face grew hot under his gaze. Knowing his husband was someone who yielded to softness rather than force, he turned and kissed Yan Fengan on the cheek, softening his voice. "I don't want to listen to those classics anymore. Husband, will you read me a storybook instead?"

Yan Fengan furrowed his brow. Reading the classics at least let the child understand some principles—what use was a storybook?

But with Wen Xi looking like that, Yan Fengan couldn't harden his heart to refuse him. Fine—nothing mattered more than their Xiao Xi. He sighed and said, "Whatever you say goes."