Chapter 83: Extra Story 4

Chapter 83: Side Story 4

Once the room was more or less tidied up, Yan Fengan finally entered the delivery room. Though his steps were still a bit unsteady, he'd mostly gotten his wits back, and he handed the midwife the pouch he'd prepared beforehand as soon as he walked in.

The pouch had some heft to it—just from the weight, you could tell it was stuffed with copper coins and silver. The midwife accepted it with a big smile and thanked him, then followed Chen Lanfang and the others out of the delivery room.

Wen Xi had just pushed with everything he had, and now his whole body ached. His thick, jet-black hair fanned out across the pillow like silk threads, beads of sweat on his forehead and cheeks, his eyes red and puffy from crying.

It had been a long time since Yan Fengan had seen him look this pitiful. His nose suddenly prickled, and tears welled up in his eyes before he could stop them.

Wen Xi, utterly exhausted, seemed to feel it. He struggled to open his eyes and saw his husband with tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. His pale face cracked into a weak grin as he reached up to wipe the dampness from the corner of Yan Fengan's eye, saying feebly, "Husband, you're crying."

Yan Fengan took his hand and pressed it to his own cheek, his eyes red and his voice hoarse, he said, "How could I not cry seeing you like this?"

His throat tightened, and he choked up for a moment before adding, "I've put you through so much, Xiaoxi."

Wen Xi shook his head weakly. Giving birth was painful, yes, but it wasn't something he couldn't bear.

Compared to the beatings he'd taken for no reason in the past, this short-lived pain was nothing. Especially the moment the baby was born—the thought that from now on, he and Yan Fengan would have a child of their own made everything worth it.

Wen Xi said softly, "Husband, have you held Peng'er yet?"

The child's nickname had been decided by Wen Xi and Yan Fengan from the start—if the baby was a boy or a girl, they'd call them Ping'er, but if it was a son, they'd call him Peng'er, which basically meant "little piglet."

The older generation said that giving a child such a humble nickname would trick the ghosts and spirits, keeping the child safe from misfortune.

Yan Fengan shook his head. The newborn was a tiny bundle, wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed beside Wen Xi. He didn't dare so much as touch it, let alone hold it.

Wen Xi wanted to hold the child himself, but he didn't have the strength. He forced himself to stay awake long enough to exchange a few words with Yan Fengan before his eyelids started drooping.

Knowing Wen Xi was exhausted, Yan Fengan said nothing more. When Granny Wu tiptoed in carrying a basin of hot water to wipe Wen Xi's body down, Yan Fengan took the basin from her and said quietly, "I'll do this. You go help Aqiu in the kitchen and get the soup for Xiaoxi and the milk for the child ready."

Only after Granny Wu left and closed the door did Yan Fengan slowly undo Wen Xi's clothes, wiping away the sweat and bloodstains from his body.

Feeling clean and refreshed, Wen Xi slept more comfortably.

He slept straight through until the afternoon. When he opened his eyes, he saw Yan Fengan sitting by the bed, watching over him. Though the most dangerous moment had passed, having him there still made Wen Xi feel safer.

Yan Fengan felt relieved to see Wen Xi awake. He leaned down to kiss his forehead and said gently, "Are you hungry? The soup's been simmering—shall I have someone bring it over?"

Wen Xi nodded. Giving birth had taken a lot out of him, and though he wasn't as tired now, his stomach felt empty.

Yan Fengan went out to call someone, and before long, Granny Wu brought over a bowl of peanut and pig's trotter soup.

Peanuts are good for your qi and blood, and the trotters were stewed until tender. The oil had been skimmed off the top, leaving the broth fragrant and rich without being greasy—just right for someone who'd just given birth.

Yan Fengan propped a few soft pillows behind Wen Xi, helped him sit up, then took the slightly cooled trotter soup from the table and fed it to him a spoonful at a time.

Wen Xi had had a good appetite throughout his pregnancy and wasn't a picky eater. Having been hungry for so long, the trotter soup tasted especially delicious, and he put away two full bowls before stopping.

Chen Lanfang, who had come in to hold her grandson, couldn't help marveling: "When Xiaoxi was still pregnant, I couldn't sleep a wink all night, worried that with his frail constitution, he'd struggle during childbirth. Who'd have thought he'd be so sturdy—he delivered the baby smoothly without much trouble at all, and this being his first child, no less."

Even for women, the first birth was always harder, let alone for a man like Wen Xi.

Wen Xi curved his lips into a smile at her words. Though he'd complained to Yan Fengan about being fattened up, he knew very well that if his body were still as weak as before, this hurdle would have been much harder to clear.

Yan Fengan had constantly consulted physicians, strictly following their advice and medical texts to design Wen Xi's meals, while Aqiu prepared all sorts of delicious dishes for him every day, changing things up constantly.

In the later stages of the pregnancy, the doctor said he needed to walk more, so every day after school, Yan Fengan would take him for strolls around the streets.

With such meticulous care on every front, as long as the baby was positioned correctly, delivery would naturally be easier.

The child had been born, but Yan Shichang and the others hadn't seen him yet. Taking advantage of Wen Xi being awake, Chen Lanfang carried the baby out for everyone to take a look.

With grandsons arriving one after another, Yan Shichang's smile hadn't left his face for days. He wanted to reach out and hold Peng'er but was afraid his rough hands might hurt the child, so he just stood in front of Chen Lanfang, beaming: "Look at that high nose bridge—just like his father."

Chen Lanfang had said the same thing in front of Wen Xi and Yan Fengan. The two new fathers looked at their own wrinkled little baby and couldn't see any resemblance to anyone.

The wind was strong outside, so after giving Yan Shichang and the other two sons a quick look, Chen Lanfang carried the baby back inside.

The child in the swaddling clothes still had his eyes closed, but his little mouth was already smacking, letting out thin cries in bursts. Chen Lanfang knew at once he was hungry and called for Granny Wu to bring over the goat's milk that had been boiled and cooled to warm.

There were places outside the city that raised goats, and Yan Fengan had already scouted them out. At dawn, he'd sent his two older brothers to buy the milk, and had them arrange with the seller to deliver a jar to Listening Rain Lane every day from then on.

The goat seller employed people to deliver milk to families with nursing infants in the city. The price was two wen more than picking it up yourself, but for Yan Fengan these days, that was nothing at all.

The little one got his milk and stopped crying, his mouth moving steadily. When the person feeding him slowed down even slightly, he'd whimper impatiently.

"Our little Peng'er is quite the impatient one," Chen Lanfang said with a laugh. "But no matter how eager, you can't feed him too fast—babies this small choke easily, so you always have to be careful."

Granny Wu had plenty of experience and didn't need the reminder, but Wen Xi and Yan Fengan, first-time parents, both nodded at her words.

After drinking his fill of goat's milk, Peng'er fell back asleep.

Granny Wu changed his diaper and gently laid the swaddled bundle beside Wen Xi.

Newborns aren't much to look at, and it was hard to say who he resembled. Wen Xi reached out a finger to lightly tap Peng'er's rosy cheek, smiling tenderly: "Eat and sleep, eat and sleep—a real little piglet, indeed."

But even as he said it, the sight of this child made his heart melt into a pool of water.

What had once been just a lump in his belly had, in the blink of an eye, become a living, breathing child. Wen Xi felt both joy and wonder. He reached out to hook his finger around Yan Fengan's, unable to hide a note of pride: "I gave birth to such a chubby little one—husband, aren't I amazing?"

Yan Fengan smiled and nodded. "Yes, our Xiaoxi is the most amazing and bravest person in the world."

Wen Xi knew he was just humoring him, but hearing those words made him happy.

At the private school, Yan Fengan had given the Classics Class two days off. After those two days, he had to go back to teaching during the day, but since it was close by, he'd run back every little while to check on them.

Apart from the men who'd gone back to the village to tend the fields, Chen Lanfang and the others were still at the residence. Before they could even turn around, Yan Fengan was back again. Li Wan couldn't help teasing: "Third brother, with this many people in the house, are you really afraid no one can watch over your two precious treasures?"

Chen Lanfang laughed too: "You're getting more hopeless by the day. Get back to class—I've got things covered here. I promise I'll take good care of them for you."

Yan Fengan didn't blush at being ribbed. He snuck back into the room, planted a kiss on Wen Xi's cheek and one on the baby's hand, then headed back to the school.

Wen Xi's body hadn't recovered, and he needed plenty of rest during the confinement month. During the day, Yan Fengan had to teach, and Wen Xi needed to sleep well too, so at night, Granny Wu would come and take the baby to her own room. Whenever the child needed feeding or a diaper change in the middle of the night, she handled it.

Caring for a baby was quite demanding, but fortunately, the masters of the house weren't harsh. Tired as she was at night, during the day Chen Lanfang helped watch the child, and after washing the baby's diapers, Granny Wu could catch up on some sleep.

During his confinement month, Wen Xi became a true hands-off manager. When he missed the child, he'd have someone bring the baby in for a look, and when he was sleepy, he'd nap alongside the little one.

With good food every day and undisturbed sleep, the color quickly returned to his face. Before long, he looked just as he had during pregnancy—cheeks soft, fair, and rosy, radiating good health.

The pain down below had also eased considerably. When he got tired of lying down, he could get up and walk around without needing help.

But he could only walk within the room. Everyone in the family said the first month after childbirth was crucial and that he had to complete a full forty-two days of confinement, or he'd suffer from chronic ailments in old age.

The weather in March was no longer cold, but spring breezes would occasionally drift by. The confinement period was most wary of drafts, so even with all the windows shut tight, he still wore a cap.

With so many people around to keep him company, Wen Xi's confinement month wasn't boring at all. When Yan Fengan came home from school, he'd hold the baby and play with him for a while, which filled Wen Xi's heart with contentment.

The baby was almost a month old, but they still hadn't settled on a formal name. It was fine for the family to call him Peng'er, but they couldn't have outsiders doing the same.

Yan Fengan, a real scholar with a way with words, was totally stumped when it came to naming his kid. He covered a whole sheet of paper with names, only to scratch them out one by one. Some characters had nice meanings but got too clunky when put together, losing the whole point when stacked up.

In the end, it was Wen Xi who picked one: "Let's call him Yunzhi."

Yan Fengan smiled and said, "Others hope their children will rise to greatness, but you want him to keep his head down and hide his talents."

Wen Xi didn't get any of that hiding-your-talents stuff. He just saw Yan Fengan stressing over the name, and figured these two characters were simpler than ones like Zhang or Bing, so he went with them.

"Yunzhi, Yan Yunzhi." At first glance, the name seemed ordinary, but after reading it a few times, Yan Fengan felt it suited his son perfectly. His eyes lit up as he said, "I'll listen to you. We'll go with this."

Then he scooped the baby out of the cradle and gently pressed his forehead to the little one's face: "Father has named you Yunzhi. Peng'er, are you happy?"

Yan Yunzhi stared at him with those bright eyes for a moment, then let out a little hum like he was answering back.

The baby changed every day. He was all wrinkly when he was born, but now he was getting cuter by the day.

Earlier, Chen Lanfang kept saying the baby looked like Yan Fengan, but the young couple couldn't see it at first. But over time, they did start to see a bit of Yan Fengan in his face.

Especially the eyes and nose, and even his temperament was somewhat similar.

When he was first born and nursing, Chen Lanfang said the kid was impatient. But as time passed, they discovered Peng'er was remarkably calm. Except for a few whimpers when he was hungry or had a wet diaper, he hardly ever fussed.

Even Granny Wu said Peng'er was the best-behaved baby she'd ever looked after, and that he'd definitely be an easy one for the grown-ups.

While Wen Xi was still in confinement, the parents of Yan Fengan's students at the private school, as well as his close friends, came by one after another to ask when the one-month celebration would be held. On the day Wen Xi finished his confinement, Yan Fengan reserved several tables at Drunken Immortal Tower and sent out invitations to friends and family for a lively gathering.

Yan Shichang and the others arrived in the city early, bringing with them news that Wen Shishan had fallen into a cesspool while drunk a while back. By the time he was discovered, he had already stopped breathing.

Since Wen Xi was in confinement at the time, they hadn't sent word. They had the villagers help with the funeral arrangements, which also silenced any gossip.

When Wen Xi heard the news, he was dazed for a long time. If they hadn't mentioned it, he would have almost forgotten such a person existed.

These past few years had been too good to him. Life in the Wen family felt like it belonged to a previous lifetime.

He treated it as someone else's story, listened, and let it go.

On the day of the one-month celebration, he rose early and dressed himself and the child in brand new clothes. The whole family went happily to Drunken Immortal Tower.