CH 87

“What’s wrong?”

Xu Qing saw Chen Qi and Li Changfeng exchanging a few words before Chen Qi abruptly departed. Later, upon seeing Li Changfeng return with a downcast expression, he asked in a gentle tone.

“His wife hasn’t come home yet, and his family is urging him to agree to marry a young ger.” Li Changfeng briefly explained Chen Qi’s current situation.

“Then he must be so stressed. Hey, isn’t that Xiao’er?” Xu Qing caught a glimpse of Li Xiao’er and Wang Lei, who had just been sent back, walking carefully on the street, and Wang Lei was supporting Li xiao’er. “This place is quite far from their house, go and check what’s happening. Why are you still standing here?” Xu Qing was unable to move because he was holding Tuan Tuan in his arms, so he asked Li Changfeng to go take a look.

Translated on ho lo lo no vels dot com.

Li Changfeng didn’t say much and strode over to Li Xiao’er and Wang Lei, sensing that something was amiss. He returned not long after, with a hint of joy on his face. “Guess what? My brother is pregnant!” he exclaimed. “He was feeling unwell and throwing up, so he went to the clinic. The doctor confirmed that he is indeed pregnant after examining him.”

“That’s wonderful news! But let’s not disturb them today. We can congratulate them another day when it’s more convenient.”

Xu Qing was equally happy with the news. He felt relieved knowing that his son wouldn’t be alone anymore. Xie Yu was already pregnant and due to give birth in a few months, and now with Li Xiaoer’s pregnancy, there wouldn’t be a significant age difference between the three children.

Li Xiao’er got pregnant only a few months after getting married. Since news of his pregnancy spread to the Li family, Li Ama felt proud whenever he went out. Everyone praised his son’s good luck, and the family was eagerly looking forward to seeing Li Xiao’er again.

When Chen Ama heard the news, he became so agitated that he dropped what he was doing and rushed home. He entered Chen Qi’s room directly and called out Chen Qi’s name, but no one was there.

“This brat!”

Chen Ama searched inside and outside, but there was no trace of Chen Qi. Don’t tell him that he didn’t know his good son went looking for that person again.

Chen Ama and Li Ama were similar in age. The Li family had several offspring, and they even had grandchildren. All four of their children had tied the knot and started families, unlike his own son who hadn’t yet had any children despite being this old.

Thinking of this, Chen Ama grew restless. If he didn’t take action, he couldn’t be certain whether he would ever have the opportunity to hold his grandchild during his lifetime!

Chen Qi returned to the village exhausted all over. Before he even got home, he caught sight of a group of villagers gathering around the entrance of his house from a distance.

“Hey, hey, the eldest son is back!”

“Oh, Chen Ama is right. I would have done the same.”

“I can understand Chen Ama. He’s not getting any younger, and even I already have multiple grandchildren. If I were in his shoes, I’d feel the urge to hurry things up as well!”

Hearing the Amas and Uncles speculating and pointing fingers, Chen Qi began to worry that something must have gone awry at home.

With that in mind, he hurried home and arrived just in time to bump into Chen Hong emerging from the main room. “Xiaohong, what happened? Who did you give the medicine to?” he asked.

When Chen Qi saw the medicine in Chen Hong’s hand, he became anxious. Could it be that something serious happened at home?

Chen Hong cast a glance at his older brother, who was inconsolable after his wife left, and sighed, “It’s for Ama. I just don’t understand why he attempted to hang himself. Luckily, Father returned early in the morning and saved Mother just in time.”

“Wait, what now?!” Chen Qi asked anxiously.

“Mother took the medicine and just fell asleep. You be careful. Father is very upset,” Chen Hong cautioned his older brother, recollecting how their father had expressed his ire and vowed to deal with Chen Qi upon his return.

“I see, thank you for your hard work.”

The moment Chen Qi stepped inside the room, someone kicked the back of his foot, “What are you doing here? Why did you come back?”

Chen Qi didn’t dare to dodge and could only endure as Father Chen threw his tobacco stick at him. “I know I was wrong. How is Mother doing?”

“You still have the face to ask? If you truly care about your family, just be obedient and marry that ger. At least your mother and I can rest easy in the afterlife!” Father Chen berated Chen Qi.

Chen Qi was, however, unmoved. “I won’t! My wife is wonderful! Why should I marry someone else and break his heart? I won’t do it!” He had just expressed to his wife that he didn’t want children and only wanted him, how could he go back on his words so quickly?

“Then just watch your old parents die! Having a son like you who lacks filial piety is very upsetting. Get out of here!” Father Chen yelled, slamming the door shut.

Chen Ama, who was supposedly sleeping, was actually listening in on the conversation. After Chen Qi left, he whispered to Father Chen, “I don’t believe we can’t cure his stubbornness with this method.”

****

For the past few days, Xu Qing and Li Changfeng had been occupied with weeding the fields, while Tuan Tuan had learned to turn over and sit on his own, leaving the new parents feeling both delighted and novel.

“Xie Ama suggested that it’s better for our little one to play around on the bed for now, but once he starts walking on the ground, he’ll be quite the handful,” Xu Qing said with a smile on his face, clearly happy with Tuan Tuan’s progress in learning to sit on his own.

“Don’t worry. With me, I don’t believe this little guy can trouble us that much. After all, he’s just a baby with no strength to restrain a chicken,” Li Changfeng said with a casual tone.

Xu Qing straightened up and hammered his sore lower back from bending over for a long time. Li Changfeng turned his head to the side and noticed Xu Qing’s actions, “What’s wrong?”

“My waist is a little sore.” Xu Qing replied without thinking too much.

“Oh, standing and talking can hurt your back, huh?”

Xu Qing paused; his brain froze for a few seconds, “Li Changfeng! Your uncle!!”

The two of them bantered while working, and even though Xu Qing was often teased by Li Changfeng, time flew by quickly. By the end of the morning, they had finished weeding all the areas around the house that needed attention.

Xu Qing picked up Tuan Tuan from the shade, and Li Changfeng gathered the farm tools. The family began heading back home. However, as they approached the door of the courtyard, someone stopped them.

“You guys just got home?”

It was Mason Liu from the village.

“Uncle Liu, please come in and have a seat. Are you here to check on the stroller?” Since Li Changfeng had accepted Mason Liu’s order, the latter would visit occasionally to monitor the progress. If he didn’t come to check, he couldn’t sleep well at night.

Mason Liu felt a little embarrassed when he heard Xu Qing’s words, “It’s my fault. I just can’t help but want to see it finished and got in my hands to feel at ease.”

Li Changfeng grinned and handed a cup of herbal tea to mason Liu. “Don’t worry, Uncle Liu. The stroller is all ready, and you can take it home now.”

“Really? Oh my, I knew something good was going to happen since my eyelids were twitching all morning! You wait here, I don’t have the rest of the money with me, I’ll go back and get it right away! Just give me a moment!” Mason Liu exclaimed excitedly. He didn’t even take a sip of the herbal tea before rushing out.

“He’s quite impatient. You go bring out the stroller. I’ll prepare the food. Let’s invite Uncle Liu to join us for a meal. He helped us repair the house last year and gave us a very reasonable price.” Xu Qing placed Tuan Tuan in his own stroller and went to wash his hands after ordering Li Changfeng.

Li Changfeng responded and took out the finished stroller.

When Mason Liu came back, he had his lunch at Xu’s place. He expressed his admiration for Xu Qing’s craftsmanship with every bite he took. They chatted and enjoyed the meal before Mason Liu left with the stroller.

The scorching weather made it difficult to be productive at noon. Xu Qing decided to take a nap with Tuan Tuan while Li Changfeng repaired a broken stool outside. As Li Changfeng was washing his hands by the well, someone knocked on the courtyard door. Xiaobao, who was by his side, lowered his voice and let out a warning growl. This was a behavior he only displayed towards unfamiliar visitors.

Li Changfeng opened the courtyard door, “I knew it was you. Come in. Xiaobao, don’t make trouble!”

Translated on ho lo lo no vels dot com.

Li Changfeng handed Chen Qi a cup of tea and sat down.

Chen Qi accepted the tea and drank it all at once, “Where is Tuan Tuan?”

“It’s too hot for Tuan Tuan, so he’s taking a nap. I didn’t have a chance to talk to you before you left last time. I’m glad you’re here now. I want to discuss something with you,” Li Changfeng thought it was important to bring up the matter to Chen Qi. He wouldn’t want to be left in the dark if the situation were reversed.

“What’s going on? Well, do you know I’ve gotten myself into a big mess this time? My mother threatened to hang himself yesterday. If I don’t marry that ger, my parents said that they won’t even allow me to recognize them. Why are they doing all this?”

“Then what do you think? What did your wife say?”

Chen Qi let out a sigh, “I don’t know what to think. My wife, of course, would want to be with me, but my mother wants me to marry that ger, or someone else if not him. Either way, I have to get married to give them a grandchild.”

Chen Qi’s thoughts were in disarray, and he spoke without thinking. “My mother didn’t even consider whether my wife would approve or not. If it is my father who marries a younger ger just for the sake of having children, my mother would be furious!”

Li Changfeng considered the situation and looked at Chen Qi with a cautious expression. “Has your wife talked to you about anything else?” he asked.

Chen Qi shook his head, noticing that Li Changfeng had a peculiar expression on his face. “You mentioned that you had something to tell me when we bumped into each other on the street that day. Is everything okay?” he asked.

Li Changfeng took a sip of his tea before speaking, “A few days ago, I saw your wife leaving Lin Fangliang’s clinic. I asked Fangliang about the visit, and he mentioned that your wife’s health is good, but not having any children for years, the problem might be with the husband.”

****

Xu Qing took a nap and felt much more refreshed. Not wanting to disturb Tuan Tuan who was still asleep, he gave him a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room.

He saw Li Changfeng weaving bamboo baskets under the eaves since one of the bamboo baskets at home was broken yesterday, “Why didn’t you take a nap?”

Li Changfeng shook his head, “No, it’s alright. Weaving baskets is also considered a rest, anyway, it’s not hard work.”

Xu Qing splashed cold water on his face and shook his head, causing his messy long hair from the nap to fall on his cheeks. He used his hands to tuck it behind his ears.

“Changfeng, I want to shave my head.”