Afu vomited several times again that night, repeatedly, until he was so exhausted he had no strength left, leaning against the bed and gasping for breath.
"Why is it so serious? Shall I ask the family head to come and take a look?"
A'da had seen pregnant women vomit like this before when he was with his previous employers, and some were even worse.
However, A'da immediately dismissed this thought from his mind. Afu was still a young master; how could he be pregnant before marriage?
He must have caught a chill or eaten something bad. The family head would likely prescribe some medicine tomorrow, and he would be fine.
Afu felt truly unwell today and was so sleepy that he couldn't keep his eyes open after the Hai Shi (9-11 PM).
"Go to sleep quickly. Don't push yourself. Your health is important. I'll keep watch for you." Seeing that Afu was completely lacking in energy, A'da made the bed for him and urged him to sleep.
"Mm." Afu no longer refused. As soon as he responded, he fell asleep.
Shen Xuan and Lu Yu, on the other hand, were quite energetic. The inner courtyard was lit by candles, and the lights were bright. Shen Xuan seemed determined to stay awake until dawn.
"It's Zi Shi (11 PM - 1 AM). Go to sleep. Staying up until Zi Shi is enough. Our Xuan'er will surely have good fortune in the coming year."
"Wife-husband also has good fortune." Shen Xuan was not satisfied with Lu Yu's words and pouted, leaning into Lu Yu's embrace.
"Alright, alright. Our wife-husband couple both have good fortune. Then hurry and sleep. We still have to visit your maternal grandparents tomorrow."
According to the local custom, staying up later for the New Year's Eve vigil meant more good fortune in the coming year. However, the next day everyone had to visit relatives and friends. Thus, the custom evolved to mean that as long as one stayed up until Zi Shi, good fortune would arrive on its own.
Originally, the first day of the Lunar New Year was for newly married couples who had moved out to return to their maternal homes to visit their mothers. It was only on the third day of the Lunar New Year that they would visit their paternal homes to see their fathers and male maternal relatives and friends.
That night, heavy snow fell outside, thick and vast. It was feared that the snow would block the mountain roads on the first day, making it an unwise choice to visit their maternal parents on the mountain at that time.
Lu Yu was not a rigid person. Moreover, two days before the Lunar New Year, Lu Yu had specifically gone up the mountain to deliver a jar of wine to the elders. Missing these two days was not a big deal.
Shen Xuan initially disagreed. In his opinion, customs should not be ignored. Furthermore, this was his first year married to his wife-husband, and he still had to visit to show respect.
However, he couldn't resist Lu Yu's firm opposition. "Respect for the deceased cannot be compared to the lives of those who are still alive," Lu Yu had said.
To visit their maternal grandparents early the next morning, neither Shen Xuan nor Lu Yu stayed up until dawn.
Shen Xuan was carried by Lu Yu at Zi Shi and placed on the bed, forced to sleep.
Indeed, as Lu Yu had predicted, the snow had fallen all night and had not stopped by the next morning. The coming year would surely be a bountiful one.
Shen Xuan had stayed up too late yesterday. Today, Lu Yu had already dressed, but Shen Xuan was still curled up in bed, fast asleep, with only a small head peeking out. His curly eyelashes, illuminated by the sun, cast shadows on his eyes and were still trembling slightly.
Perhaps because the charcoal fire in the room was warm and the quilt was thick, his small face was flushed. Every time he exhaled, his puckered little mouth would move.
Lu Yu found him increasingly adorable and suddenly felt like teasing him. With a mischievous smile, she leaned close to Shen Xuan, pinched the nose he was exhaling from with one hand, and held his puckered lips with the other.
With his breathing passage blocked, Shen Xuan instinctively furrowed his brows and tried to pull away from the offending hands. But Lu Yu wouldn't let him have his way. As he dodged, she followed and clung to him, refusing to let go.
Shen Xuan was eventually suffocated awake. The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was Lu Yu's mischievous smile. Shen Xuan was not fully awake yet and still felt unable to breathe. His eyes drifted down to his own nose.
He suddenly slapped away the two mischievous hands. Then, realizing something was amiss, his gaze slowly moved up along the hands he had just slapped away, settling back on Lu Yu.
!!!
This time, he was truly awake. His eyes widened, his brows furrowed tightly, and he stared indignantly at the smiling Lu Yu before him.
"Little lazybones, we're going to your maternal grandparents' house today. I'm already dressed."
Right! Shen Xuan jolted, sitting up straight in bed instantly. How could he have forgotten this?
"Why did Wife-husband only wake me now?"
Lu Yu looked at Shen Xuan disbelievingly, her eyes accusing, as if to say: Are you kidding me?
Shen Xuan remembered what had just happened and felt a bit embarrassed. His face flushed, and he mumbled, "I just forgot."
"Alright, I'm not blaming you. Get up quickly. Wife-husband will personally help you get dressed!"
Afu was still asleep. A'da was the one who brought water in the morning.
"Wife-husband, could you take a look at Afu later? He seems to be sick."
"Mm, okay. I'll go take a look later."
Just as Lu Yu was about to knock on the door, Afu rushed out, nearly bumping into Lu Yu.
"Family Head! I'm sorry." Afu was startled by Lu Yu, and Lu Yu was also startled by Afu.
"What's the hurry?"
"I heard A'da say that you and your husband were going to the Li residence to visit the Li family head today, so I got anxious, afraid I would be late."
"Xuan'er is still getting dressed in the room. He saw that you haven't been feeling well these past two days, so he asked me to come and feel your pulse."
Lu Yu had always been courteous and measured in her interactions, never saying anything that could be misunderstood. Just as in this case, Shen Xuan had asked her to come, so she made sure to clarify things upfront, even if the person before her had no other intentions.
As they were talking, Shen Xuan came out of the room after finishing his preparations. Seeing Lu Yu and Afu standing outside the door, he walked over slowly. "How is Afu?"
"Young master, I'm fine. I'm much better today." Afu stepped forward to support Shen Xuan and said with a smile.
He wasn't lying. He had indeed felt much better after waking up today. His body felt less fatigued, and he no longer felt like vomiting. Perhaps it was really due to eating the lucky cake yesterday.
"Young master, let's go. We should go see the Li family head and his husband soon."
Shen Xuan nodded, thinking it was good that he was fine. After getting into the carriage, he added with concern, "If you feel unwell again, you must tell me."
Afu quickly agreed and nodded with a smile.
The Li family head and Madam Li Li did not expect them to visit today and were overjoyed, coming out to greet them with beaming smiles.
"Grandmother, Grandfather!" As soon as Shen Xuan saw them standing in the courtyard, he happily ran over and hugged them. The three of them, grandmother, grandfather, and grandson, had indeed not seen each other for a long time.
"Oh! Xuan'er!" Grandfather had missed him dearly and had been waiting for the two of them to visit on the third day. He hadn't expected them to come two days early.
"Grandmother, Grandfather." Lu Yu bowed respectfully. Seeing Shen Xuan's happy demeanor, Lu Yu couldn't help but feel happy as well.
"Li family head, Madam Li Li." Afu also bowed from behind.
For some reason, he felt the urge to vomit again. Perhaps it was the carriage ride? Or was he still sick?
Regardless, Afu did not want to spoil the mood of the others. He suppressed his discomfort and kept swallowing.