Chapter 167
Such joyous news as a pregnancy naturally had to be shared with Shen Xuanqing’s father and Lu Gu’s mother. Shen Xuanqing carried a basket of incense, candles, and offerings as he and Lu Gu went to sweep the graves, taking the opportunity to clear away some dried branches and leaves from the burial mounds.
When they arrived before Ye Yuzhen’s grave, they saw traces of burned offerings and a few withered fruits scattered on the ground - clearly left some time ago. Lu Gu was momentarily stunned, unable to fathom who might have come to pay respects. It couldn’t have been relatives from his mother’s side, and Lu Daxiang and Du Hehua were even less likely.
Shen Xuanqing set down the bamboo basket in his hand and, after a moment of thought, said quietly, “It must have been someone from the Xu family.”
He had previously mentioned Xu Yanrong’s matter to Lu Gu in passing, without hiding anything.
Back when Lu Gu was with the Lu family, seeing Lu Daxiang’s favoritism toward Lu Wen had always upset him, and he could never understand why his father treated Lu Wen so well. Meanwhile, whenever Du Hehua hurled the word “bastard” at him, Lu Daxiang never showed anger - instead, his impatience toward Lu Gu only grew. After learning about Xu Yanrong, even someone as slow-witted as Lu Gu understood the reason.
Because of this, he held not an ounce of goodwill toward the Xu family. His previously cheerful expression dimmed instantly, his smile fading as he lowered his head and kicked a clump of dirt away with the tip of his foot, sending it rolling aside.
Shen Xuanqing picked up the shriveled offerings and tossed them far away. As he stepped forward to pull out the withered weeds from the grave mound and tidy up, he noticed Lu Gu’s unhappy expression.
“I’ve already made it clear to him, he won't come looking for you or pester you again. Don’t worry. Even if we run into him, we’ll pretend not to know him.” He comforted Lu Gu, then added with a smile, “Today’s a happy day, we’re here to share the good news with your mother. You should be happy too. In the future, we can bring our little one to visit her.”
Mention of the child finally lifted Lu Gu’s spirits. They lived their own lives. What connection did they have to with the Xu family? Even if they crossed paths in the future, there’d be no connection whatsoever. Why should he wear a gloomy face before his mother?
There was no taboo about tidying his own mother’s grave. The two of them worked together to pull out the dry grass and roots from the burial mound. Only after cleaning it up did they burn paper offerings, kowtow, and share their joyous news with her.
With the New Year approaching, they'd have to return for another family visit during the festivities. This time, however, they didn't linger. Lu Gu was pregnant, and kneeling for long periods wouldn't be good for him.
When they returned home, Shen Yaoqing had already hitched the mule cart, planning to go to Liangzhang Bridge to buy New Year goods. Shen Yan was overjoyed, as an unmarried girl, unlike Lu Gu and Ji Qiuyue, she didn’t often get to go to town, so she was naturally excited about the market trip.
Seeing Lu Gu return, she beamed and asked what he’d like to eat or if there was anything he wanted her to buy. Now that she was an aunt to two children, she was especially hoping Lu Gu would have a daughter or a shuang'er—that way, she could braid the little one’s hair and play at dressing them up with flowers.
Taking the mule cart to Liangzhang Bridge would be easy on their legs, but Wei Lanxiang was overly cautious. Normally, it was fine to wander around nearby villages, but if the mule cart went too fast, what if the jostling caused harm? She worried about Lu Gu's safety. So, she didn't let Lu Gu go, and even Shen Xuanqing was told to stay home and keep Lu Gu company.
Though this was her second grandchild, after Shen Shunfu’s passing, the house had felt too quiet to her. Naturally, the more grandchildren, the better—it made their family seem more prosperous. Moreover, this was Shen Xuanqing’s first child. She’d been extremely attentive when Ji Qiuyue was pregnant, and now she couldn’t show favoritism with Lu Gu.
Zhao’er was only four months old and couldn’t be left alone, so Ji Qiuyue couldn’t go either, she had to stay behind to care for and nurse the baby. Thus, only Shen Yaoqing, Shen Yan, and Wei Lanxiang went to shop.
After listing the foods they wanted: crispy oil cakes (酥油饼), chewy candy (胶牙饧), salt-pickled plums, sugar-pickled plums, and hawthorn cakes—Shen Xuanqing had given many instructions, and Wei Lanxiang agreed to everything. Buying these things wasn’t difficult, Liangzhang Bridge’s grand market had everything.
Shen Yan and Wei Lanxiang climbed onto the cart, and Shen Yaoqing, sitting at the front, flicked the reins with a shout, urging the mule forward. Only once they reached the smooth, wide official road did the mule break into a trot.
Since Ji Qiuyue was alone at home with the baby, Wei Lanxiang and the others had already fed the livestock earlier. Shen Xuanqing locked the courtyard gate, and he and Lu Gu headed to the old house. With nothing else to do, they decided to prepare the pork skin jelly (水晶脍) for the New Year while they had time. After letting it freeze overnight in the yard, they could slice a plateful to taste the next day, this was a delicacy they only enjoyed a few times a year.
Lu Gu had only just become pregnant, so his belly wasn’t showing yet, and walking or working posed no issue. But Shen Xuanqing, seeing him and Ji Qiuyue bustling about in the kitchen, stood there scratching his head, wanting to tell him to rest but unsure how to say it.
“The child hasn’t even arrived, yet the father’s already acting foolish.” Ji Qiuyue, who was slicing pork skin, suddenly noticed a tall shadow blocking the light. Turning her head, she saw him and teased.
Shen Xuanqing grew even more embarrassed.
Lu Gu could easily guess his concerns, but country folk weren’t so delicate. Smiling, he said, “It’s just cooking, not heavy labor. If you’re free, peel and wash the cabbage, there’s hot water in the pot.”
Only the three of them would be eating at noon. There was still a block of tofu left from yesterday’s shopping, so a stewed cabbage and tofu dish would be perfect, neither too fishy nor too greasy. Duck and chicken were off-limits for Lu Gu lately, but pork was still fine. There was even a bowl of steamed pork slices left from earlier, mostly lean with little fat, which could be reheated and eaten.
“Alright. Anything else to wash? I’ll do it all at once.” Shen Xuanqing nodded in agreement.
Lu Gu smiled. “Nothing else. There aren’t many people for lunch, one dish is enough.”
Shen Xuanqing walked out, whistling to call the two increasingly plump and fluffy pups along, so they wouldn’t dart under Lu Gu’s feet and trip him. The older dogs had been left behind to guard the house, and only these two had slipped out when the gate was locked.
Earlier, on their way over, they’d run into Shen Shunwang. His third uncle had laughed and said the two pups were so sturdy they’d look like round balls if not for their legs.
With all the badger meat they’d eaten alongside the older dogs and the bone-gnawing they’d learned, how could they not grow fat? But like chubby babies, plump pups were also endearing. Once properly raised, they’d be excellent guard dogs. Even without hunting hounds, these two would be enough.
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