They returned home in high spirits, but as soon as Qiao Suiman stepped through the gate, he felt a slight discomfort. With many chickens and ducks, even in cold weather, the smell of their droppings lingered. He didn’t feel uncomfortable when the smell was stronger in the summer, but now he felt nauseous.
Qiao Suiman suppressed his discomfort. Lu Dongqing noticed and asked softly, “What’s wrong? Are you tired from the journey?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Miao Lianhua came out from the backyard to greet them. Qiao Suiman smiled and called her “Mother,” then went to the kitchen to fetch a bowl of hot water. After a few sips, he felt somewhat better.
After unloading the cart, Lu Dongqing tied Da Guai to the backyard. In fact, he didn’t need to lead him, as Da Guai went there on his own.
Miao Lianhua sensed something was off and asked Lu Dongqing, “Is Xiao Man unwell?”
Lu Dongqing was also puzzled. Qiao Suiman was fine throughout the whole way back. He told Miao Lianhua honestly, “He said he’s fine, but I saw him swallow hard several times.”
After securing Da Guai, Lu Dongqing returned to the kitchen and asked with concern how he was feeling.
Qiao Suiman, having caught his breath, smiled and said, “Really, it’s nothing. I don’t know what happened just now, but I’m fine after that.”
Lu Dongqing pursed his lips. “Perhaps you’ve been overworked these past few days. Let’s see a physician tomorrow.”
“No, no, I told you it’s nothing.”
Ever since the previous misunderstanding at Huichun Hall, Qiao Suiman had been too embarrassed to return. Now he felt that he was fine, so he refused without a second thought.
Lu Dongqing frowned. He couldn’t force his fulang to go if he was unwilling, so he resolved to keep a closer watch. If any real discomfort arose, they would definitely need to consult a physician.
“Alright, but if you feel unwell again, you must tell me.”
Qiao Suiman replied playfully, “I know.”
Lu Dongqing shook his head with a faint smile, his expression full of adoration.
“Xiao Man, we’ll slaughter a chicken for dinner tonight!” Miao Lianhua said cheerfully, emerging from the backyard with a large rooster.[mfn]阉鸡 yān jī (capon or castrated rooster) – Caponization is the practice of castrating roosters, a tradition with a long history in China. The procedure, which removes the source of testosterone, results in birds that are less aggressive, grow larger, and yield meat that is more tender and flavorful. This made capons a prized delicacy, historically associated with aristocratic and imperial cuisine. (Baidu)[/mfn]
They had bought five such roosters when they were half-grown and raised them for two months specifically for the New Year. Whether for their own meals or as gifts, it was more economical than buying fully grown chickens now.
Qiao Suiman grinned in agreement. “Alright, Mother. I’ll go boil the water.”
“Sure, I’ll drain the blood first.”
The kitchen has plenty of firewood, so Qiao Suiman didn’t need to fetch more from the storage room. He scooped a pot of water from the jar and bent down to light the fire. With nothing else to do, Lu Dongqing went to the yard to chop wood. One could never have too much firewood. Sometimes when they were in town and ran short, they had to spend dozens of wen to buy more.
With the fire blazing, the water quickly came to a boil. Qiao Suiman poured it into a wooden bucket and carried it to the yard. The chicken had already been drained of blood, so all that was left was to scald it and pluck its feathers.
Steam rose from the hot water. Miao Lianhua held the chicken by its feet and rolled its body in the water several times, releasing a wave of fishy smell.
Qiao Suiman had done this task a few times before and was about to squat down to help pluck the feathers when the smell suddenly overwhelmed him. The previously suppressed nausea surged forth, and he rushed to the side. He leaned over the wall and vomited, even vomiting out the water he had just drunk.
“Xiao Man!” Lu Dongqing immediately dropped the axe in his hand and ran over.
Miao Lianhua was also startled. She set the chicken down, wiped her hands clean, and asked, “What’s wrong, my child?”
An occasional breeze blew through the yard entrance, carrying away the fishy smell, and Qiao Suiman finally stopped vomiting.
“Let’s go to the physician,” Lu Dongqing said firmly.
“What did you eat today?” Miao Lianhua asked.
Qiao Suiman shook his head. “The same as usual. I don’t know what’s wrong. The smell of raw meat just made me nauseous.”
He hadn’t eaten anything bad, but he couldn’t stand the smell of raw meat…
A thought suddenly occurred to Miao Lianhua, and a hint of joy flashed in her eyes. She clapped her hands repeatedly and said to Lu Dongqing, “Quick, quick, take some copper coins and go to the physician. Don’t ask anything else, just have him take the pulse first!”
Lu Dongqing didn’t understand what was going on, so he just did as he was told. There was a herbal physician in the village, perfectly capable of taking a pulse. Since Qiao Suiman also said there was no need to go to town, he didn’t hitch the donkey cart.
Lu Dongqing was anxious but dared not walk too fast. Seeing this, Qiao Suiman comforted him, “I don’t feel like vomiting anymore. I don’t know what happened just now. I’m fine.”
Lu Dongqing nodded absently.
The physician’s house was at the village entrance, quite a distance from the west end. They walked for quite some time, and by the time Lu Dongqing was almost ready to carry Qiao Suiman on his back, they finally arrived.
The village physician was surnamed Liu. Qiao Suiman’s generation called him Grandfather Liu. Although he was already quite old, he still saw patients all the time for the convenience of the villagers.
“Grandfather Liu,” Qiao Suiman called out respectfully.
Physician Liu squinted, carefully recognizing him, then frowned slightly. “Man-ge’r, what’s wrong? Did that good-for-nothing hit you again?”
Physician Liu was old and his memory wasn’t the best. Qiao Suiman smiled, gently patting Lu Dongqing’s suddenly tightened hand, and said, “Grandfather Liu, my father passed away over a year ago. I’m married now, do you remember?”
Physician Liu lifted his chin, thought for a moment, then laughed. “Right, right, look at my memory. You married into the east end of the village, right?”
“It’s the west end, Grandfather Liu,” Qiao Suiman said helplessly.
“No matter, no matter.”
Physician Liu stroked his long beard. “Where are you feeling unwell? Put out your hand.”
Qiao Suiman followed his instructions. He placed his hands on the wooden table, pulled his sleeves up to reveal his pale wrists, and said, “I suddenly felt nauseous.”
“Nauseous, ah?” Physician Liu nodded up and down, then continued feeling the pulse for a while before laughing heartily. “You ge’r, you’re already three months along! It’s natural to feel nauseous at the smell of raw meat now!”
Pregnant?!
Qiao Suiman first looked at Lu Dongqing in surprise, only to find him gaping and stunned, completely dumbfounded. Qiao Suiman couldn’t help but laugh and asked Physician Liu himself, “Grandfather Liu, I’m… I’m pregnant?”
“This old man has practiced medicine for so many years and has felt countless happy pulses[mfn]喜脈 xǐ mài (lit. happy pulse) – the pulse condition (脈象, mai xiang) of someone pregnant; in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the pulse can supposedly indicate various health conditions, including pregnancy[/mfn]. I can’t be wrong!”
This huge piece of good news crashed over Lu Dongqing, leaving his mind blank. It wasn’t until Physician Liu began advising on what to eat and avoid during pregnancy that he finally came to his senses.
He gripped Qiao Suiman’s shoulders and said in a hoarse voice. “Xiao Man, we’re going to have a child?”
Before Qiao Suiman could answer, Physician Liu couldn’t hold back anymore. He stood up and tapped Lu Dongqing’s head with a small stick. “I’ve been talking for so long, and you only heard now? Your ears are worse than this old man’s.”
Qiao Suiman quickly intervened, smiling. “Grandfather Liu, he’s stunned. Don’t hit him, or he’ll become even stunned.”
It had been years since anyone had tapped his head like this, and now it happened in front of Qiao Suiman. Lu Dongqing felt somewhat embarrassed, but since it was the old physician, he didn’t dare say anything. He just smiled apologetically and said, “Grandfather Liu, please continue. I’m listening.”
Physician Liu gave them a long list of instructions, the same ones he had repeated countless times over the past few decades. Finally, he said, “Alright, alright. Your body is in good health. Remember to buy meat often to nourish yourself. Don’t be stingy with money.”
“I know.”
A consultation with Physician Liu cost five wen. Lu Dongqing cheerfully placed the copper coins on the table before taking Qiao Suiman’s hand and leaving Physician Liu’s house.
Once on the path, Lu Dongqing could no longer contain himself. He hugged Qiao Suiman tightly and laughed uncontrollably. “Xiao Man, Xiao Man, we’re going to have a child!”
Qiao Suiman was equally happy. He touched his still flat belly and said tenderly, “Yes, in six months, we’ll get to meet our child.”
No one was around, but Qiao Suiman was still afraid of being seen. He gently pushed Lu Dongqing away and said, “Let’s hurry home and tell Mother.”
They had left worried but returned with nothing but joy. Upon hearing the good news, Miao Lianhua clasped her hands together and bowed toward the sky. “Thank heavens. One joyous occasion after another.”
Lu Dongqing made a trip to the Qiao family to tell Qiao Ruifeng and Qin Yu. Both were overjoyed, grinning from ear to ear. Qin Yu happily shook Tuanzi’s little hand and said, “The timing… the birth will probably be around the same time as Tuanzi’s. Our Tuanzi is going to be an older brother now.”
The two of them gave Lu Dongqing some instructions before letting him go home. After he left, Qin Yu smiled and said to Qiao Ruifeng, “Our family is getting livelier and livelier.”
“Indeed.” Qiao Ruifeng smiled warmly and kissed Tuanzi on the cheek, making the baby giggle.
That evening, Miao Lianhua divided the chicken into two halves. One half was saved for later, and the other was stewed with wolfberries[mfn]枸杞 gǒuqǐ – wolfberry or goji berry[/mfn] and red dates[mfn]紅棗 hóngzǎo – red dates or red jujube[/mfn]. The soup was rich and fragrant, with no smell of raw meat. Qiao Suiman drank two bowls and ate two pieces of chicken.
Lu Dongqing and Lu Xuesong burned medicinal herbs in the backyard to cover the smell of chicken and duck droppings, then shoveled soil over them. Lu Xuesong suggested moving the chicken and duck coop to another spot to avoid the strong smell affecting Qiao Suiman.
But Qiao Suiman felt that since he and Lu Dongqing didn’t spend much time at home, it wasn’t worth the trouble. Besides, now that he knew he was pregnant, the smell didn’t seem so unbearable. He didn’t let them dismantle the coop, thinking it was too much trouble.
With such wonderful news before the New Year, everyone was in high spirits. Both families were beaming whenever they saw anyone, leading many villagers to think they had stumbled upon a fortune.
Qiao Suiman ate and drank well every day. Lu Dongqing constantly worried he wasn’t eating enough and often stuffed snacks and dried fruits into his mouth. Qiao Suiman laughed and said, “Are you raising me like a pig?”
Lu Dongqing chuckled softly. “I’m afraid you’ll get hungry.”
On New Year’s Eve, both families ate together. As he ate, Qiao Suiman felt somewhat emotional. Last year at this time, Qin Yu-ge just announced his pregnancy, and now Tuanzi was almost half a year old. He himself was pregnant now, and next year there would be two children.
On the second day of the New Year, they paid a visit to the Lu family on Xide Road and shared the good news. Lu Xiang and Chen Fanhuan were overjoyed. Miao Lianhua soon learned that Meng Yan was also pregnant, though less than two months along.
With two pregnancies at once, it was a double blessing.[mfn]双喜临门 shuāng xǐ lín mén – a Chinese idiom meaning “Two happy events come at the same time or together.” This idiom is often used to describe a person or a family facing two happy events at the same time, such as getting married and having a child, or having good news in both career and family.[/mfn] This New Year was celebrated with more joy than ever before.
On the sixth day of the New Year, the shop reopened. Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing considered hiring another person to share some of the work of making drinks. During the early stages of pregnancy, it was still manageable, but later on, movement would become difficult, and any mishap could be dangerous. Moreover, during childbirth and the postpartum month, someone would need to keep the shop running.
This person needed to be chosen carefully to avoid anyone taking advantage if Lu Dongqing was busy and couldn’t keep an eye on everything, potentially causing harm to the shop.
Translator [LUNE]: I incorrectly posted this Chapter last Sept. 1st. If you saw this back then, please pretend you didn’t see it ꃋᴖꃋ
If you enjoy my translations, consider buying me a milk tea 🥛🍵
At last! Thank you