Chapter 212

　　Lu Liu watched with astonishment.

Yao Fulang had always told him how the men in the village were so this and that—how they stood tall and proud, how formidable and honorable they were, how men were more important than the heavens. But now he saw it was nothing special.

Daqiang grew impatient under his gaze: “What’s wrong? Do you still want the fish?”

　　Lu Liu didn’t mince words, demanding he catch another fish.

With four mouths to feed at home—and Erhuang to feed too—he absolutely needed five bowls of fish soup.

Three fish for five bowls of soup. That should do it.

Daqiang: “…”

He wouldn’t dare argue with Yao An, but a Lu Fulang?

　　After netting the fish, his sharp tongue got the better of him. He muttered to Lu Liu, “Don’t laugh at me. Your husband Da Feng is even more… well, you know. Look how docile he is around you, like a big cat.”

Lu Liu hadn’t laughed at all. She replied honestly, “Da Feng dotes on me. Is that any of your business?”

Da Qiang: “…”

So sickening.

　　Back in the room, he mimicked Yao An with perfect imitation: “Dafeng loves me—what business is it of yours?”

He’d meant to amuse Yao An, but instead, Yao An grew angry.

“Look at that! Look at that! A husband who’s loved walks around with his chest puffed out! Not like me!”

Daqiang was dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, Lu Liu returned home.

　　The fishy smell made him queasy, but he didn’t think much of it. He often felt nauseous when he was tired or unwell.

But once he started cleaning the fish, he could barely handle it. He forced himself to finish, but when it went into the pot, the pungent smell hit him like a punch to the head. He couldn’t take it anymore. He called out for his mother, begging her to take over stirring the pot while he went outside and threw up a lot of sour stomach acid.

　　Chen Guizhi made fish soup differently than he did. Lu Liu always prepared the fish first, stir-frying the bones to extract the fishy smell before stewing the broth. She followed his method.

As the water boiled in the pot, she came out to ask Lu Liu, “Feeling better?”

Lu Liu tugged at his collar, not feeling better at all.

　　He stood outside the kitchen, facing the large wooden block where he’d gutted the fish. The savory aroma of the soup wafted from behind him. Before he could speak, he retched twice more.

Seeing him like this, Chen Guizhi guessed what was wrong. She had Shun help him inside to rest, saying, “It’s nothing. He’s probably just worn out lately.”

　　No matter how tired Lu Liu was, it couldn’t compare to her exhaustion from running back and forth to the county seat day in and day out.

At home, she still had to manage everything. Chen Guizhi worked nonstop, taking only a day off when she went out.

Lu Liu felt ashamed and didn’t want to rest.

Chen Guizhi insisted, “Wait until Dafeng comes home. You’ll need to help him bathe and such. Go rest for a bit.”

　　Only then did Lu Liu return to her room.

Li Feng had said he’d be back early today, but when he arrived home, he was still stepping through the night.

They’d arrived late in the county. First, they went to the oil shop to find Mr. Ye, but he was already preparing for the ancestral祭祀 and wasn’t at the shop. That delayed them.

Then came the haggling.

　　Ye had initially agreed: a fixed price for the boar’s head, and the whole carcass would be bought at the same rate. If the deal went through, he’d even discount the rapeseed oil. But upon seeing the goods, he reneged.

Taking advantage of the current lack of buyers for wild boar, he tried to drive down the price.

Li Feng argued with him, but Ye was all smooth talk. Li Feng decided not to sell. He had regular customers. If he couldn’t sell the whole boar to them, he could butcher it and sell the parts by the pound.

Mr. Ye bought the boar for sacrificial offerings to fulfill a vow. Seeing Li Feng turn and walk away, he couldn’t call him back. He chased after him and persuaded him to leave the boar. To make the deal happen, the rapeseed oil would have to be cheaper. When it came to that, Mr. Ye agreed.

　　Before leaving the county town, they stopped by Lu Yang’s shop to say goodbye and also paid their respects to Boss Ding.

Both transactions were facilitated by them; the job was done. They owed them a proper farewell.

The hour was late; they’d gather again next time.

Hurrying home, Li Feng bought fabric and meat pies, while Wang Meng bought pork knuckles. The two rushed back and made it home before dinner.

　　Li Feng returned the cart and walked home carrying the fabric.

At the courtyard gate, his young husband was waiting outside.

Lu Liu couldn’t rest. Seeing the sky grow murky dark, he went out to wait. Spotting Li Feng’s figure, he called out “Da Feng” and hurried toward him.

Their morning meeting had been hurried. A day had passed, and Lu Liu missed him again.

　　Li Feng carried the pungent scent of wild boar, which had grown stronger throughout the day. As Lu Liu drew near, a dull ache settled in her chest.

Hand in hand, they returned home. Li Feng went to the back yard, stripped off his soiled clothes, and put on his undergarments for now. While washing his hands, he slipped into the large straw sandals Lu Liu had woven for him—they fit his swollen feet perfectly.

　　Only upon arriving home did he make dumplings. Chen Guizhi urged him to drink half a bowl of fish soup to settle his stomach first.

Lu Liu refused to eat; his stomach churned violently.

Chen Guizhi said to Li Feng, “Da Feng, take him to see the doctor. He doesn’t seem quite right.”

　　Lu Liu didn’t want to go. Doctor visits cost silver, and he didn’t have anything seriously wrong.

Chen Guizhi was firm, and Li Feng was serious. Before he could say anything, Li Feng had already taken him by the hand and led him out the door.

The village had a doctor. He couldn’t treat serious illnesses, but he could check for pregnancy and examine external injuries.

Usually, when husbands brought their wives to see him, it was to check for pregnancy.

　　As they walked, Li Feng kept glancing at Lu Liu’s face and then at his belly, asking, “Little Liu, are you pregnant?”

Lu Liu sighed. “No.”

He adhered to the theory of sowing and reaping, telling Li Feng, “Big Feng, you’re the one at fault here. You haven’t tried hard enough. I’ve consulted the water mirror several times and asked others. My pregnancy mole is bright red, and my body is healthy. Not conceiving isn’t my fault.”

Lu Liu added, “Erhuang is about to become a father. Sigh. I never imagined I’d become a grandfather before having a child of my own.”

Li Feng: “…”

What’s wrong with him? That resentment is thick.

　　Seeing Lu Liu’s deep worry, he dared not say more for fear of making him cry.

When they arrived at the physician’s house, the physician diagnosed a pregnancy pulse. Only then did Li Feng smile—he was fine too!

Lu Liu was overjoyed, but his thoughts lingered on becoming a grandfather. He turned back to Li Feng and said, “Da Feng, you’re going to be a father alongside Er Huang!”

　　His words made even the physician chuckle.

The joyous pulse merited a reward, and Li Feng received fifteen copper coins. Enough to buy a pound of meat with two coins to spare.

The physician chatted with him longer, detailing precautions for the early months—avoiding strenuous travel, dietary restrictions, and potential symptoms.

　　Lu Liu listened for a while, then unconsciously placed her hand on her belly and stroked it gently.

She was carrying a child—Li Feng’s child.

Calculating the dates, it had been over a month since before Li Feng went into the mountains, around the time they finished making the fermented bean paste.

By that reckoning, their child would be born in the first lunar month, just in time for the New Year. It would be a child blessed with good fortune.

　　During the New Year, the family would have delicious food, and the days would hold something to look forward to.

They walked home together. Lu Liu blew a breath of wind, then remembered something else. She hesitantly said to Li Feng, “Da Feng, when you go back, ask the village doctor again—can pregnant women eat chicken? If not, what will you do?”

Li Feng turned to cup her face, genuinely surprised. ” Why would you ask that?”

Lu Liu answered honestly: “Because you look at me with such hunger in your eyes.”

That hunger wasn’t something new today.

And if he really needed to ask, he wouldn’t ask the village doctor.

There were no secrets in the village. Asking that question would mean the doctor would know everything about what happened between them in bed.

　　Returning home with the joyful news, Lu Liu was showered with praise.

Li Feng sat beside him, barely finishing a dumpling before reaching out to touch his belly.

Lu Liu’s face glowed with such intense happiness he couldn’t stop grinning. He struggled to bite his dumpling, and even after Chen Guizhi called him “silly” several times, he kept smiling.

　　“Mother, aren’t Da Feng and I amazing? Others have children, and now we have one too! We even calculated the timing—the house will be even livelier during the New Year!”

It was joyous news, so she let him revel in it, but dinner had to be eaten. They could celebrate after finishing.

Lu Liu couldn’t contain himself, so he’d eat one dumpling, laugh, then eat another.

　　The meal was filled with empty talk. After finishing, he burped violently, drank water to settle his stomach, and felt unbearably bloated.

That evening, Li Feng wanted to take a bath. He planned to wash several times to rid himself of the bloodstain smell, lest Lu Liu be repelled by it and unable to sleep soundly.