Lu Yang glanced at the small silver coin and turned his face, laughing with a tremor.
The walk out of the clinic was especially difficult, mainly because Xie Yan insisted on supporting Lu Yang, walking very slowly. By the time they reached the carriage outside, Xie Yan practically wished he could lift Lu Yang into it.
Once in the carriage, Xie Yan told Wang Meng to slow down. “My husband is pregnant; don’t jostle him.”
Wang Meng responded, then looked back in surprise. “Ah?!”
It was only then that Xie Yan’s joy fully showed; smiling, he repeated the news cheerfully.
On the day of their return home, double happiness arrived: Xie Yan had passed the provincial exam, and Lu Yang was expecting a child—they had both achieved their wishes.
At home, there was another round of celebration.
Because Lu Yang was exhausted and weak, they kept the gathering small, just a warm family moment, with no grand feast.
Lu Liu prepared a stew of clay-pot porridge, stir-fried a bit of minced meat with chopped greens, mixed it into the porridge, and simmered it for a while before serving it to Lu Yang to eat.
Lu Yang, tucked under the couple’s quilt, made the room feel like a newlywed home.
He set the porridge on the kang table to cool slightly before eating. The brothers sat side by side on the kang, holding hands, eyes on each other, and soon burst into laughter.
Lu Liu gently touched his brother’s belly through the quilt. “It’ll get better soon. When I first got pregnant, I vomited all the time, couldn’t eat, couldn’t even enter the kitchen. After a while, it was fine—I could still cook a little.”
Lu Yang looked at him. In just over two months, Lu Liu’s demeanor had grown more mature. Still gentle, still attentive, but handling things with more steadiness.
That steadiness gave confidence—he knew his decisions were right, unlike before when he might have handled matters poorly. Running the shop had certainly trained him.
Lu Yang felt a pang of concern. “Have these past two months been tiring for you?”
Lu Liu shook his head with a smile. “Not really. I even told Da Feng before: there’s a lot of household chores and children to care for. It seems like I’ve been pulled in all directions with no free time, but it’s mutual care. Father and the others help me; I’m not truly constrained.”
Lu Yang could see he was weary.
“Still denying it? Some of the flesh on your face has faded.”
Lu Liu, smiling warmly, pulled away, picked up the porridge bowl, stirred it, scooped a ladle, blew on it, and brought it to Lu Yang’s mouth.
Lu Yang turned away, startled.
“Is this really necessary?”
“Come on, open your mouth. Let me take care of you. My brother is amazing—he brought back a provincial graduate husband, and he’s expecting a child! I’ll coax you!”
Lu Yang laughed in bursts, still weak, then obediently opened his mouth and ate.
Lu Liu had added ginger shreds to the minced meat; simmered in the porridge, then removed the ginger. Although it was meat-and-vegetable porridge, there was no unpleasant smell. Lu Yang didn’t feel nauseous, and halfway through, he gained a bit of strength and took the bowl to finish the remaining half.
After setting the bowl down, Lu Yang reached out to touch Lu Liu’s face.
“You wait; once I regain strength, I’ll feed you.”
Lu Liu, eager, urged him along.
“If it takes too long, I won’t wait for you!”
He gently pressed Lu Yang to recover quickly, in such a warm, soft way that it touched the heart.
A few days ago, someone had come with congratulations for Xie Yan’s exam success. This time, Lu Yang’s body was weak, and Xie Yan’s limelight was overshadowed, but he didn’t mind, happily recounting events from the provincial capital.
At the meal, Wang Meng and Da Qiang were present. They had planned to return home after the big market fair, but business was good, so they stayed a bit longer. Hearing that Xie Yan would visit the county, they agreed on a date to go together.
By the end of the meal, only a few men remained.
Zhao Peilan, Chen Guizhi, and Wang Fengnian stayed in the room with the children. Zhao Peilan said to Wang Fengnian, “Later we’ll go to the small food shop together. I’ll take over for my in-laws. You go home to see Brother Yang; he’s just pregnant, not feeling well. Say a few words to him.”
Wang Fengnian obediently agreed.
Chen Guizhi added, “Why bother going yourself? Make sure Da Feng is taken care of. Go to the back of the shop to chat; you all should see Brother Yang.”
Zhao Peilan shook her head. “It’s fine, won’t take long. Brother Yang said he feels short of breath, chest tight. Too many of us there isn’t good.”
They would alternate visits, each saying a few words, and once the round finished, Lu Yang would be ready to rest.
On that day, Xie Yan didn’t help at the food shop. He returned home to boil water and get himself ready, waiting until the household gathering finished before tending to Lu Yang, washing him, and getting the couple to bed early.
This wasn’t what Lu Yang had imagined. He thought it would be like the provincial capital—grand, celebratory, lively. Instead, it was calm, warm, and ordinary.
His heart settled, feeling steady and grounded.
Xie Yan had gotten used to lying together, always rubbing his belly to soothe him. Lu Yang often had stomach discomfort, and this brought relief.
Now, he couldn’t rub; his hand resting there reminded Xie Yan not to overdo it.
He kissed Lu Yang and called his name.
“Jingzhi, I feel like I’m dreaming. My hands are sore, and I realize it’s real. We’re going to be parents.”
Lu Yang exhaled, legs still weak, chest still tight, but his heart was light.
“Let’s have a little rascal, so he can tease you like I do.”
Xie Yan was incredulous. “What? You’d let him bully me?”
Lu Yang only laughed, saying nothing.
Seeing him happy, Xie Yan gave in.
“Alright, whatever you want, I’ll obey.”
Lu Yang wasn’t done yet.
“Let’s have a little sweetheart, loving you just like me.”
He teased, he loved, using the child as an excuse to whisper two more confessions.
Xie Yan finally understood, holding him again, eyes warm and misty. He loved Lu Yang too.
The next day, Xie Yan went out.
He needed to deliver letters to the Sheng and Ji families and pay a visit to the Cui family.
The Sheng and Ji families were easy to find; the Cui family was more troublesome, requiring him to stop by the prefectural school first.
At the school, he had to meet his classmates, thank his instructors, and ask if anyone knew where Old Master Cui lived.
News of his provincial exam success had already reached the capital. Old Master Cui, upon hearing it, left a letter with the school instructors. Xie Yan took the letter, glanced at the address, and without regard for the hour, went home for lunch. He packed the chess manuals he had bought in the provincial capital, then stopped by Lu Liu’s small food shop to buy a jar of salted duck eggs, a jar of mushroom-and-minced-meat sauce, and a jar of freshly made pickled radish. He then set out for the Cui family.
Xie Yan met the second son of the Cui family and understood the household’s prominence. At the gate, he looked up at the grand entrance, swallowed several times to calm his shock, then knocked and handed over his name card.
The gatekeeper examined it and welcomed him in. They entered through a side door, walked down a long corridor, passed a second gate, traversed a long covered walkway, passed another door, and wound through a beautifully landscaped courtyard, until they reached a tea room by the water.
Inside the tea room, two doors led straight to an outdoor terrace, where Old Master Cui was fishing with someone.
The view was exquisite. It seemed like a small pond, though from the interior it looked tiny. Stepping out, the view widened dramatically—a large pond with small bridges and a pavilion on the lake.
Xie Yan was again awestruck.
The man fishing with Old Master Cui was middle-aged, medium build, about Xie Yan’s height but more solid, with a scholarly and refined appearance—clearly a man of letters.
He turned and asked Xie Yan if he knew how to fish.
Xie Yan didn’t—he hadn’t the time to fish.
He set down the three jars he carried, regardless of whether Old Master Cui noticed. He performed a student’s bow, reported his success and having met the second son, then handed over the letter Old Master Cui’s second son had given him.
