After burning the paper money they brought, the two no longer lingered. "Mother, Father, we'll take our leave today. We'll visit you again another day."
"Mother, I'll bring you wine then." Lu Yu vaguely remembered that his mother loved drinking, but his father, who was also skilled in medicine, knew that too much alcohol was bad for her health and always controlled her intake.
Fearing her father's worry, his mother had refrained from drinking, only indulging in a couple of extra sips on festive occasions like the New Year, which her father tacitly allowed.
Today was not the New Year. He would visit again before the year's end and bring his mother some wine.
"About the child..." As they walked hand in hand on the mountain path, Lu Yu turned and tightened the collar of Shen Xuan's cloak, shielding him from the cold wind.
"I know, I won't be willful anymore. The matter of the child will be as my wife says, let nature take its course. I won't force it anymore. I just ask that my wife stops making me drink that darn medicine. Xuan'er finds it bitter."
Shen Xuan took Lu Yu's hand, which was adjusting his collar, and frowned, looking pitiful.
"Stopping the medicine is fine, but for the next few months, my wife might have to endure not touching Xuan'er." Lu Yu sighed and shrugged innocently.
"..."
"It's better to obediently take the medicine. My wife promises to take good care of your body after the New Year, and then we won't have to drink that bitter medicine."
Shen Xuan pouted and said nothing, implicitly agreeing.
If it was medicine, it was medicine. After all, his wife's medicine would definitely not harm him.
After descending the mountain, the two did not leave directly but went to Sister Li's house in Canghe Village.
"Who is it?"
A knock sounded at the door. Li Yan opened it to see Lu Yu and Shen Xuan, a married couple, standing at the entrance. She was overjoyed and welcomed them in with a beaming smile. "Why have you come? Come in, come in!"
"Wife, who's here?" Wu Rong, from inside the house, heard the voices in the courtyard and poked his head out, curiously looking towards the courtyard.
Li Fulang Wu Rong's belly was already very large. He had long since removed his corset. Apart from his protruding belly, he appeared thinner and paler elsewhere, his voice weak. He did not look at all like a plump pregnant man.
"Brother-in-law, it's me." Wu Rong, standing at the door with his large belly, looked rather alarming. Shen Xuan quickly stepped forward to support him and accompanied him inside.
With just a few steps, Wu Rong was already panting and breathing heavily. He sat on the bed and coughed incessantly.
Shen Xuan helped him catch his breath with one hand and tidied the cushions with the other, arranging them into a comfortable incline to help Wu Rong lie down slowly.
Wu Rong leaned weakly on the bed, his hand instinctively stroking his belly, and smiled, inviting Shen Xuan to sit down.
"Brother-in-law, why are you so weak? Even if you don't think of yourself, you should think of the child in your belly." Shen Xuan tightly held Wu Rong's hand, his brows furrowed with worry.
"Cough, cough, I'm sorry for her. Cough, cough, cough. She's suffering with me even before she's born." He also wanted to be healthier to provide nourishment for the child, but alas—
Wu Rong slowly closed his eyes and let out a pained sigh, his sigh trembling. Tears slid down the corners of his eyes.
Everything had been fine, but suddenly news arrived that his mother had fallen while hunting on the mountain and was in critical condition. Wu Shao rode a fast horse alone to see his mother one last time.
However, due to his pregnancy, he could only travel by carriage. Despite being well cared for, he almost miscarried on the way. By the time he arrived, his mother had already been placed in a coffin. He never got to see his mother one last time.
The journey back and forth was not short. By the time he returned home, he was already in a terrible state. Coupled with his mother's death, Wu Rong was heartbroken and lost his appetite, only managing to eat a few mouthfuls each day when Li Yan mentioned the child in his belly.
Seeing Wu Rong growing thinner day by day, Li Yan was extremely anxious and tried every method. She even learned to cook. To avoid disappointing her, Wu Rong forced himself to eat, but each time ended in vomiting.
Over time, Li Yan no longer wished to trouble Wu Rong this way and stopped forcing him to eat.
A troubled heart needs a cure. If he remained dejected, not only the child but he himself would not survive.
"Brother-in-law, if my aunt is in heaven, how heartbroken she would be to see you torturing yourself like this." Shen Xuan gently wiped away the tears from Wu Rong's eyes and spoke sincerely.
"Today, my father's great revenge has finally been avenged. Those who framed and killed my father have finally received their due retribution. I previously thought my father died of difficult childbirth, but I recently learned that he was murdered."
"I am sad, I blame myself, and I hate myself for not discovering it sooner. I even hate that I was living under the hands of my father's killer. But what can I do? It's all in the past, and the county yamen has reinvestigated the matter."
"The wicked have been punished, and I should let go. Because I know my father must have wanted me to live well, to live a good life, and have a happy life."
"Only by living well in the present and making oneself happy can the elders rest in peace."
"Brother-in-law, your aunt's spirit in heaven must wish for you to have a healthy body, a happy life, and a blissful family. Don't be disheartened; your aunt will be sad in heaven." Shen Xuan gently consoled him, wiping away Wu Rong's tears again.
"In fact, living well is also a form of filial piety."
Wu Rong could no longer hold back and sobbed mournfully, tears streaming down his face, flowing into his hair, feeling very, very cold.
Shen Xuan knew Wu Rong needed to vent and did not stop him, merely holding him quietly and helping him find a comfortable position, allowing him to release his emotions.
Hearing the crying from inside the room, Li Yan got up anxiously, wanting to see what was happening, but Lu Yu stopped her with a raised hand.
"Sister Li, Brother-in-law is not feeling well. Crying is also a form of release."
From the moment he saw Wu Rong, Lu Yu had noticed his extreme weakness. Glancing at Shen Xuan's signal, Lu Yu knew his husband must have a way, so there was no need to worry about the current situation. Only by letting him vent completely would it be easier to treat him.
"I'll take Brother-in-law's pulse later. Brother-in-law looks like he's about to give birth."
"He's only eight months. It's probably due to his weakness; his belly just looks very big." Li Yan sighed. "I really hope the child is born soon, otherwise, I don't know how much more suffering Rong'er will endure."
Eight months? That belly doesn't look like eight months at all. Could it be that men here have larger bellies when pregnant?
Lu Yu was truly unsure about such matters. Although he had occasionally seen men with big bellies, he couldn't just walk up and ask, "How many months pregnant are you?" That would be crazy, wouldn't it?
The crying inside the room gradually subsided. Li Yan could no longer sit still. She got up from her seat and, ignoring Lu Yu behind her, walked directly towards Wu Rong's bedroom.
Lu Yu smiled and shook his head, following closely behind. It seemed this Sister Li was also someone who doted on her husband immensely.